"Your Excellency! Lord Theodore!"
Barab Talanitas. The first time Lemons saw this guy was when he was picking up someone in the dungeon. At that time he was just a small jailer. A poacher had seen the missing witch, but Baraboo insisted that the count's guards not take him out of his cell. In the end, they had to expose themselves and convince the stubborn jailer to change his mind. Yali also laughed at Lemons for being too hesitant to adapt.
"You could lie to him," she suggested. "Tell him he's not guilty. There will always be evidence."
"No. The laws of the empire cannot be trampled upon." Lemons refused. "Besides, how can we prove his innocence? Replace the broken bones?" The poacher was caught in action, and the cavalry guarding the hunting ground directly chopped him down. hand.
"It's not difficult." She said this, but didn't actually implement it.
Nowadays, "Black Bear" Baraboo has good fortune and is getting promoted and getting rich, but Ari is troubled by nightmares and doesn't know when she will recover. Lemons watched Barabu squeeze over excitedly, feeling unfair for his lover.
Although Alexia had refused to see anyone since she was imprisoned, now that he was away from her, the Holy Knight Commander felt deeply guilty, as if he had abandoned his lover.
But after all, he thought, my anxiety wasn't going to help her. What is the difference between presence and absence?
To be precise, even in the temple, he barely had time to see Alexia. Since the secret society kidnapped the prisoners, the Radiant Council has quickly been on alert. Zangwill is under full martial law, and the Holy Knights patrol day and night, taking over the walls of all outposts and escorting anyone who is even remotely suspicious to the Holy Inquisition. Most of these people were thieves, robbers, and homeless people wandering around, and none of them were demons. I can't find them, Lemons realized. In the field of security and discipline, the Parliament's efforts were effective, but from the perspective of fighting evil, they were all in vain.
"The problem is not with us." Cardinal Gilbert Cocian of the Glorious Council, the supreme leader of the Holy Inquisition, and Alexia's mentor said. "The Misty Star Society has completely abandoned the Holy City, and we haven't even found any potential demons. I guess they must have taken everyone away."
"Everyone?" Bishop Edgar questioned, "Devils are like wheat that grows after harvest. Even newborns will be contaminated. Even before birth... you said that the Misty Star Society has a way to take the mother with him. Walk?"
"That's really a big help." Aissicro Notland smiled and answered.
"This is really inappropriate."
"Oh, don't take my joke seriously. But there shouldn't be Nameless Ones in Lucia's headquarters, right?"
"Mortals are not favored by gods, and Zangwill is not a mysterious place. It is normal for demons to appear." The mentor told his colleagues, "Even the flickering pool created by the goddess will have fallen ones. This is unavoidable."
"The world is peaceful and there are no devils? The goddess will not believe such things, otherwise our existence is meaningless." The agent spoke, "We should change our thinking. Based on the results, we can make reasonable inferences. The association may have found a more sensitive detection method. way to discover similar people.”
"Mostly people. Not technical means."
The council bishops all agreed. Lemons understands demons. The reason why they can survive the attack of the mysterious realm is due to their "talent" after the spontaneous combustion of fire. These "talents" that are not given by profession are like God's gift. They have various effects beyond common sense. They are the most mysterious magic at the same level. The basis for the seven fulcrums to rule the mysterious realm is professional inheritance, but demons are born with extraordinary talents and can cast spells without changing professions. Before these mysterious darlings abandoned the order and joined the evil camp, Knox called them "Primary" and regarded them as the favored ones of God. But now... when Lemons learned about the glory of the Nameless Ones from the documents of his ancestors, he wished he could travel across thousands of years to warn his ignorant ancestors.
"So, association only has related talents."
"The talent of a leader?"
"In short, it's similar. The nameless man's magic has never been restricted by profession, so it's not surprising to awaken."
"But if you want to discover an unborn baby, I'm afraid only an astrologer can do it."
"There is no need for an astrologer." Ke Xien said coldly, "The priest can do it. Before Alini's true face was exposed, his jurisdiction also had the lowest rate of demon births. There is no doubt that he collected those evil little monsters in advance. Put it in the bag and take it back to the lair." The Holy Judge seemed to have something to say.
"Anlini is an exception. There is no Nightingale in the Parliament now, and we will test the fire every month." Bishop Edgar frowned displeased, "There are indeed new members in the Parliament this time... but Lemons's observation was obtained by His Excellency the Actor permission. Have you all forgotten? He will take over from me soon. Could it be that our Holy Knight Captain is not trustworthy?"
"I'm not targeting anyone, Daniel. If I were to find fault with him, I would start with his abilities. The Holy Knights have not been doing things well recently, and the goddess can see it."
"Half of it is your apprentice. How is her mental state?"
The Holy Inquisitor shook his head, "Alexia can no longer serve as a priest. I am considering sending her to a monastery for training."
"You should have done this a long time ago. She is already in the monastery, and I don't think there is anything wrong with staying there. Compared with physical injuries, mental trauma is the root cause."
"How new, this is the first time I realize this problem." Ke Xian said angrily, "It's easy to say, as if you have a way to solve it. It's not a small character who made her sick! Bai Zhien is here The Raven War defeated the Holy Knights head-on. This was a legitimate victory that even the goddess could not deny. But during the whole process, our trustworthy leader could not even protect his subordinates... okay , he didn’t leave any mental trauma. In the final analysis, she still failed to live up to her expectations."
"Violence brings tragedy." Essicro sighed, "But we have mouthpieces and brains, and we don't necessarily have to use violent means."
"Be direct, Notland. You and Ke Xien together are not necessarily his match. Violence is a dead end."
"Did you come to this conclusion through personal experience, Daniel?"
"That's enough." The deputy said, "How long will you tell us about this girl? The sun does not always set." The cardinals fell silent. The speaker slowed down his speech. "No matter what, we are all responsible for what happened back then. Lemmons and Alexia, they were still young, but they encountered invincible opponents on the battlefield. The Paladins gave up their courage and will, and we don't need to Demand results. Okay, everyone, back to the problem. Changes in associations require countermeasures."
"Your will is His will." Essicro said with a smile, "Associations have been causing trouble for a long time. In fact, maybe we are not the only ones who have a headache."
"We have had headaches for long enough." Ke Xien pointed out, "The root cause is still Alini. This damn heretic is familiar with every secret passage in Zangwill, and this time he just taught him to use it! We must re-arrange our defenses to avoid another Give him an opportunity."
"I mean, maybe we need allies more. Think about it carefully, it costs money to replace the city defenses. Where does the money come from?"
"You mean the Oath Keepers?"
"Obviously." Ashcroft shrugged. This action left him without the dignity of a cardinal. "In the entire mysterious field, the Alliance is the richest."
His words were not an exaggeration. The Oath Keepers Alliance never rejects allies, so they agreed to the invitation of the Radiant Council and legalized the smuggling business over the years. After tracking down the demon to no avail, Lemmons was no longer able to continue listening in, and was soon sent out of the Kingdom of Sodria to work as a bodyguard for a merchant in Brestatik. Although it is a little ridiculous for the Holy Knight Captain to protect money and transactions, this is the order of the Glorious Council, and he can only obey it.
During this period, he witnessed firsthand how wealthy these alliance members were.
They spent two weeks traveling through Marandeno, the capital of the dawn. Alliance merchants were busy selling spices, silks, and various types of jewelry, using luxury goods to empty the wallets of noble women. The driver carried boxes and boxes of alchemical parts into the detection station, and the priests immediately started work to replace the bearings of the "Nightingale Nemesis" and the magic base plate. Some precious and difficult-to-store potions were put into glass bottles, buried in the sand, and transported to specific warehouses by rectangular ladders.
Lemons realized that these were just low-grade alchemical medicines. "Do we need to buy potions?" he asked the person who was handing over to the alliance. "The temple can be self-sufficient."
"Of course." The priest replied, "We can definitely do it. But instead of spending time producing low-level goods, it is better to make holy water potions. The latter is much more valuable. Besides, the cost of materials also needs to be considered. The countries of the Oath Keepers Alliance include many mysterious materials. The place of production makes things very cheap. We don’t have the same advantage, so it’s more cost-effective to buy finished products.”
The Alliance happily accepted the deal that was a good deal for the Temple, and it was obvious that they would never lose money. Lemons looked at the carriage in the queue that was still very heavy after selling goods, and decided to worry less about things he didn't understand.
When passing the Quartz Plains in the east, the caravan stopped to rest. Lemmons hoped to urge them, but could not find a reason to speak. Could it be that the job of a Paladin is nobler than that of a merchant? He wasn't sure about that. As long as Glimmer Lord Alini is alive, there is no way I can find any trace of the demon. From this point of view, the defense of the Alliance's caravan may still be meaningful. He is not the leader, just a bodyguard.
The leader of the Oath Keepers Alliance is a dwarf named Patience Frosthelm. She seemed as reluctant as Lemmons about the trip. She behaves neatly, speaks smartly, and can calculate accounts, but she always carries a hammer as if she wants to hit something. The caravan's negotiations with people relied entirely on her assistant, a cold-light Sitaticapo Luminason. As a Lucian, Lemons is also happy to communicate with the latter.
But to be honest, neither Patience nor Tekapo needed protection. Sita and the dwarves are all of high level, and there are frost giants as guards. Although in terms of mystery, none of them can compare with the Paladins, in terms of deterrence, Lemons believes that the bandits and thieves wandering in the plains will take a detour as long as they see the size of the Frost Giant from a distance. Let's go - at this moment, most mortals still can't see his outline clearly.
Lemmons began to realize that he was still wasting time. But what else? I should be cleaning out the sept library, and Durandal is worse than a broom in my hand.
When they arrived at the finish line, they were again given a grand reception. The local nobles sent their relatives to come forward to deal with this group of uninvited guests with extraordinary status. Among them, Talannitas, the Earl of Black City, had the worst attitude and only brought his youngest brother to fool him. This person was not taken seriously. Although his mother was the wife of the old earl, the marriage only lasted for half a year. Therefore, there have always been many rumors about Baraboo's life experience in Compass Heights.
Lemmons came back to his senses and told himself that the Paladin should not hold a grudge against this. "Where did you get it?"
"It's not my thing," Barabu corrected cautiously. "I found it on him."
Lemons looked at the ring. The magic text engraved on it really had mysterious power and didn't seem to be fake. He wouldn't be surprised if it were a snowflake ring, but a silver ring...
As a sign of membership in the Tower, the Astrologer's Ring is undoubtedly a mysterious item. Apprentices are assigned snowflake rings, and formal members are replaced with silver rings. As for the Destiny Gathering - we all know - Sauron Gessen's body is the crystallization of the alchemy process of the Oath Keepers Alliance, and his name comes from the Night Whispering River in the Floating Cloud City. . In any case, there is no Night Whispering Ring left in the tower.
Snowflake rings are the most common. It's nothing if an apprentice loses his mark, but what astrologers are best at is finding things, and their silver rings are not easy to see. Especially in the Black City in Compass Heights. This is the last stop for the Alliance caravan, the border city of the Bures Empire. What's the astrologer doing here?
Maybe it's not impossible. I was here not long ago, Lemons thought, looking for Magdalena. Later, the famous recipient of the White Prophecy and the Honorary Bishop of the Glorious Council was assassinated by the Demon of Association and died in front of the holy city of Zangwill. Thinking of her made him feel even more depressed.
Baraboo was oblivious to his mood and even mentioned the incident specifically. "I caught a thief in the witch's quarters."
"The witch's quarters? There are only ruins there." Thieves shouldn't go there.
"Indeed, Your Excellency. But my brother assigned me to protect the former residence of the Council Bishops. This is an honorable job! I will do my best..."
"You should work on your relationships so you don't have to guard ruins anymore."
But when the "black bear" brought the prisoner in front of him, his bad mood could no longer be maintained. Lemmons almost laughed.
"Who is it?" the Holy Knight Commander asked knowingly, "If you dare to covet the residence of the Council Bishop, are you an accomplice of the devil?"
The serious crime really shocked him. "I didn't...hell." The tower apprentice took a step back in surprise, "Why is it you?"
"It's not your turn to question me, Uriel."
"I'm just asking a normal question." The tower apprentice said angrily, "Your Excellency, Lord Paladin."
"Stealing needs to be punished. Did you steal somewhere else again?"
Uriel took a deep breath, "Listen, this guy will catch everyone who passes by here! Since you recognize the silver ring, return it to me quickly."
"You... know each other?" Barabu frowned and looked at them.
Lemons threw the ring. "I heard that you want to become a paladin, Baraboo? Please remember that after testing your loyalty, the priest will also test your knowledge. It's time for you to study hard."
"Black Bear" scratched the back of his head: "I know the tower is full of astrologers, Your Excellency."
"Don't think so!" the tower apprentice muttered, "otherwise you will be in bad luck. We also have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other administrative departments, and they all use rings as signs. If one day you see a sign that can write, you will finally Let’s take a quick detour.”
"Writing? Why?"
"It'll beat the shit out of you."
"I have offended you, my lord." Barabu looked as if he was about to run away at any moment.
"Forget it, as if I can take revenge. Your Lord, the Holy Knight Commander, will not just ignore it."
"Of course. There's no point in trying to scare him," Lemons told the apprentice. "I was about to ask you why you're here, Uriel."
"I'm looking for someone."
"who?"
"Local historian."
The Holy Knight Captain thought he was here for the witch. If that was the case, he wouldn't be surprised at all. While in the temple, the prophet determined that Uriel could solve the council's mysteries on behalf of the witches. An apprentice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs works as an astrologer. I would also like to know why. After Magdalena's death, it was not difficult to find out the address of her residence.
But now he wasn't sure. "Another order from the Prophet?"
"Uh, almost."
"Don't be vague, kid. Although you did not steal anything, I have the right to drive you out of Bures. The Empire is Lucia's place of faith."
"I came here myself." The apprentice had no choice but to say.
"Looking for a historian? What do you want to do?"
At this time, he refused to let go: "It won't cause any trouble anyway, why do you care?"
Lemons was speechless for a moment. After all, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tower still has fresh memories of the Battle of the Saints, which is why the people of Ubres are so dangerous... Obviously Uriel has his own principles and is not affected by these historical backgrounds and the attitudes of the people around him. To say the least, as a high-level human being, his ability to abide by local mortal laws is enough to prove his safety.
However, he can't just think about the other person. "It doesn't matter if you go to Marandeno, but the Black City is different. This is not the beautiful place you are used to. And we know each other very well about what will happen in places that are not to your liking."
Now it was the apprentice's turn to be speechless. But judging from his eyes, he must have regretted being brought to the detection station by Barabu.
"You'd better tell the truth," Lemons warned. The Alliance caravan has got rid of the cumbersome reception etiquette and is ready to leave from the detection station. There is no Lucia church in the area, let alone Gaia and Heather. It is said that someone has privately set up an altar for worship and crowded the gods under one roof. Regardless of which god's believers, prayers must be charged by the hour. He usually doesn't have time to come to Black City, so this time he decided to take advantage of the opportunity to deal with this matter. "Otherwise I'll watch you until your mentor picks you up."
Uriel was startled: "You can't...? By the gods, I didn't cause any trouble at all!"
"I do not deny."
"Bliss doesn't allow tourists to visit?"
"That's not the case. It's just that as a distinguished guest, you will receive a high-level reception. First, the local lord will host a banquet for you, and then the parliament will send someone in person. The latter will most likely be me. Do you still have doubts about your status as a distinguished guest? "
Uriel looked dazed: "Is it necessary to be so serious?"
"Refer to Anti-Angle City, as well as the fate of Kamaria, Knight's Bay and even Yotsuba City." Lemons asked, "What do you think?"
"..."
