The decoration inside Byrne's detection station is as luxurious as ever. But Hitarian noticed that a layer of dust had fallen on several instruments and Ruth's seat. The three astrologers were busy wiping the projection cloth, leaving the old man with weak legs and feet to fiddle with the alchemical instruments. Although these are indispensable preparations before recording, in the past they would sit on their seats seriously and leave the chores to mortals. "It should be the servant's mistake." Ms. Liana explained.
People make mistakes all the time. No one is perfect. But Hitarian knew the real reason. It's just that no one cleans it. Almost all the servants at the detection station were gone.
They were not the first to flee Byrne. The story goes back to the aftermath of the White Night War. At that time, the association was already experiencing difficulties in material circulation. Although the necessities of life in the city have not been cut off, in places where the night watchman cannot patrol, some people have given up the currency to pay for transactions and turned to violence and theft to make a living. Of course, you can't deny that such people have always existed, but judging from the changes in crime rates, a vague anxiety is spreading among Byrne residents.
Until last week, the first metal factory announced its closure.
At first, people didn't notice anything strange. The boss becomes a debt slave and has to start from scratch; the worker loses his job and has to find another way out. These ripple effects are not worthy of anyone’s attention.
But no similar jobs are willing to accept these unemployed people.
It sounds like a fantasy. It is impossible for an industry to be so saturated that it cannot even place a single person. However, the fact just appeared in Byrne. The metal factories turned away the unemployed regardless of their level. Even in the end, these factories began to lay off a large number of employees as if planned, and continued to expand the ranks of the unemployed. The managers of the Chamber of Commerce arranged an urgent meeting to try to find out the root cause of the problem through multi-party discussions. Eventually, they concluded that the market was shrinking.
“There are no new materials being transported in,” a reporter who visited the factory wrote, “and there are no new channels for making profits. The number of people buying products in the city is decreasing, and the flow of raw materials for manufacturing products outside the city is cut off. We don’t know the existence of the factory. What’s the point? Apart from disbandment, employees have no other way to survive.”
And soon, this way of survival became popular in Bain.
Every factory is laying off workers, every industry is counting on others to share the pressure, and everyone has to find another job... Only the hospital where Shitarian works has increased its recruitment efforts, but this job has high requirements for applicants. Not popular. In fact, her seat was cleared three times a day because Dean Ning Ayir took pity on the unemployed and provided them with labor units. This time the next job was done by three people.
At a time when most people are trapped in the web of unemployment, even the simplest jobs are in demand. In terms of results, they certainly worked very hard. But there is no need to mop a floor tile three times. Too many patients need treatment while they stand around staring or wiping the feet of their beds with a mop. After all, the capabilities of industries that really need manpower cannot be built overnight.
"We should allocate the hospital's staff to the detection station," Shitarion complained. "There's not even a cleaning lady here."
"The detection station is a confidential agency..."
"But those are all Bain people. Judging from their status, they are more trustworthy than the fellow Nameless Ones who were rescued later."
"That's right. So we only look at loyalty, not status." Ms. Liana pointed out. "Okay, Hitarian, don't ask questions now. We must concentrate on recording."
Hitarian tried to listen to her, but finally put down his pen. On the screen, big shots were quarreling, and the conversation was as intense as a battlefield. Unless it was a stupid girl like Ruth, no record-keeper would be stupid enough to record in the meeting notebook "brainless bone people", "a bunch of trash" and "rotten peels at the bottom of the earth". These words come from the mouth of the lord and are precious information that need to be recorded, checked, and passed to the analysis department.
She regretted that only three people participated in the discussion. Mercury Lord Rametta was not present.
"Maybe I shouldn't ask you." In the picture, the black knight is in a high position, looking down on his colleagues. "I'll just let you die in Yunjing, Ziegler."
"Isn't this your specialty, being arbitrary, eh? If it hadn't been for Whitehead's notice, you wouldn't have asked for my opinion at all." Under the right hand of the undead lord, a shadow responded angrily.
Obviously, this person was not present in person, but appeared using the magic of "real projection". The mysterious lord of the Nameless One named Ziegler is very rough in his portrayal. Through the body double, Hitarian could only barely make out that he had a tall figure and wore a yellow coat. The face and facial features that she concentrated on were all covered in dark shadows. When the man opened his mouth to roar, his jaw jerked downward.
"Your opinions are just nonsense. It seems necessary for me to omit the steps."
"Steps should not be omitted easily." Hell Lord Whitehead said. Hitarian saw the pointed ears at the edge of his mask and realized he was a mist elf. We have compatriots from different races. To be honest, this was her first time seeing the fog elf.
In fact, not a single person on the panel was human. Ziegler is an underground race, and according to Byrne's rules, his territory is his homeland. As one of the seven fulcrums, the Ashes Temple is not located on the continent of Binya Io and is the organization with the least connection to the mysterious realm. When Hitarian was a Nightingale in the School of Silence, the wizard who taught her told the apprentices that there were no humans in the underground world.
Whitehead ran a hand through his white hair and glanced at the floor. "This is His Majesty's request. I think it would be better to inform him."
"Then, when it is inconvenient for His Majesty to attend, you should learn to obey my request." The black knight stared at him with a dead look. "It is not wise to inform others casually, even if they are our colleagues."
"Of course. Look, I didn't call Lord Mercury this time."
"Lametta?" Ziegler was confused, "What is she doing at your place?"
The fog elf snorted. "How rude, Ziegler? Her name is Pacinis, not Lametta. You should call her by her name."
"Isn't Lametta her name? Have you been using nicknames all this time?" Shadow paused. "Quite strange, isn't it?"
Silence began to spread at his answer. Just as Hitarian was about to write down these words, Ms. Liana tapped her on the shoulder. She reacted blankly for a while, and finally understood.
Whitehead took a deep breath and slid his palm to his forehead. "Okay, Ash Lord..."
"It's the 'Lord of Ashes and Thunder'." Shadow corrected.
"Whatever. Damn it." His tone was full of surprise, "You mean, your name is Ziegler?"
"Of course. What's going on, Mist Elf? Look at your tone."
"Maybe his ancestor happened to be named Ziegler." The Black Knight mocked.
"No. My father's name is Johnson, and my grandfather's name is John. And you, Ziegler, your name doesn't sound like a human name." The fog elf covered his forehead, "No wonder we never suspected it."
"Is it necessary to hide like this?" Ash Lord said disdainfully, "The temple has nothing to do with me." He turned to the Black Knight. "Your suggestion is feasible. Byrne is indeed critical, but the most critical thing is people. Unemployed? Shortage of supplies? Move to me, don't worry about not having a job."
The Black Knight ignored his words.
"Of course. I'm so envious of you." Whitehead smiled, "Think about it, there is no enemy spying, no threat to order, what a perfect shelter. The compatriots only need to worry about fire and natural disasters. ." He also looked at the Black Knight. "I'd rather live in Gavash."
Now the black knight turned his head: "Move out of Oglethel? Are you sure?"
The "Lord of Hell" put down his hand, fell down, and leaned on the back of the chair. Hitarian expected a frivolous joke or a humorous self-deprecation, but he said nothing and responded with silence.
Even the "Lord of Ashes and Thunder" could see his caution. Suddenly, the hall echoed with deafening jeers. "What are you afraid of? It seems like your little nest was discovered by a bear." Shadow raised his feet, "He scared you. Ha! It's just a hypothesis. Look at how stupid you are!"
"Hypothesis is preparation for practice," said the Black Knight.
Ziegler's laughter stopped abruptly.
He and the "Lord of the Pit" fell silent at the same time, as if words were so foreign. In the silence, only the sound of breathing rose and fell. The fog elf's head dropped into the shadows, Ziegler's eyes wandered, and the undead lord stared at them eerily. The air gradually became tense, filled with a sense of critical danger. Hitarian held his breath.
The Black Knight didn't care. "No more acting?" He made a clicking sound as he turned his head. "In my opinion, the trick shouldn't end here."
Ziegler and Whitehead remained silent. Hitarian shivered.
"Your little conspiracy is as obvious as the cherry on top of the cheese, Whitehead. I know you've got that piece of shit in Patsynis. You've gone to great lengths to hide your little territory. After all, What's the use of that?" The undead glanced at them contemptuously, "With Byrne lost, do you think the tower can't find Oglethel? Are both Demosis and Sterling blind?"
Ziegler tilted his head and looked at the Lord of the Hell with an indifferent attitude. Obviously, the latter took the lead in this matter at the beginning, and he just cooperated with the performance. The Ash Temple is located in the underground world, and even the news of the White Night War has not yet spread. In such a distant realm, the threat of the Saint is weakened by distance. He didn't care about the outcome, but the "Lord of the Pit" came to him.
Whitehead didn't answer.
His silence is the last line of defense, but the undead lord shows no mercy. Gods have eyes, and since Hitarian knew him, the Black Knight has never shown mercy to anyone, regardless of whether he was a colleague or not. Maybe he would compromise only when facing the legendary Majesty.
"Why exaggerate?" the shadow representing the Ash Lord said, "Even if there is no Ogresel, nothing will happen here. For the association, Byrne is the strongest barrier."
"There is King's Byrne."
"Yes, but who knows when the king will return? Maybe tomorrow." Shadow persuaded, "Gavash is enough to attract the attention of the Fulcrum of Order. As long as we delay it until His Majesty returns, the crisis will no longer exist. Who can say for sure? ?”
The Black Knight snorted. "The problem is, we can't be sure."
"Before the war begins, nothing is known." Ziegler insisted. "To say the least, even if the frontal battlefield is defeated and the strategy fails, it will only happen after the battle. At the moment, there is no need to worry about Byrne's safety. We will do it when the time comes. It’s not too late to consider Oglethel.”
"Before we start? Are you waiting for someone to blow the whistle? The war has already begun. The enemy will notify you with artillery fire."
"The tide continues to rise. Evangeline has not yet returned to Knox, and even order has not been agreed upon." Ash Lord pointed out, "The decisive battle has not officially begun yet."
"So you're in the theater, not on the battlefield," the Black Knight said harshly.
"It's your fault that you can't understand the adjectives. Anyway, we still have time." Ash Lord told them, "My people are all in the underground world and can't help, but Binya Ao still has my friends. They are all compatriots of you and me, and their life and death are closely related to the Misty Star Society. Needless to say, these people are willing to sacrifice their lives for His Majesty."
Hitarian knew this. She is also a member of the Night's Watch and has access to the Starless Night's intelligence network. Among the unknown people, rumors have long spread that "Steel and Fire" mobilized manpower to go to the Black City. Celsus mourned them, for these were the warriors who died to prevent the coming of the Glitter Pool.
It turns out they are friends of "Cinder Lord" Ziegler, she thought to herself. "Steel and Fire". This is a small association established by the Bres people. Its size cannot be compared with that of the Starless Night - the "Mist Star Association" - but it still possesses terrifying power. Their actions caused quite a stir among the associational groups.
"The alliance has collapsed." Ziegler said, "The mysterious realm cannot let go of the past and join hands with each other. They are not you and me. They are not compatriots." His words reassured everyone. "In fact, it was the arrival of Gavash that stimulated several mysterious pivots, oh, the Holy Council of Radiance and the Tower."
Shadow shrugged. "But alliance? Even if there is intention to negotiate, the fulcrums will be wary of each other and have many conflicts. A spark can reignite the war. As long as it is done properly..."
"...At most I can struggle for a while." The undead lord said. "It doesn't help solve the problem. 'Night Awakening' and 'Queen of Light', even 'Second Truth'. What operations do you have on them?"
Hitarian picked up his pen and waited for the Ash Lord's rebuttal. However, time passed by and no one gave an answer. She suddenly felt panicked.
The undead knight glanced mockingly at his colleagues, as if the lords were all unreasonable fools. Finally, he announced in a tone that left no room for doubt: "Byrne is destined to fall."
Brutal truth. The remaining optimism of the people was easily shattered by him. Suddenly, a ripple of whispers swept through the detection station, spreading worries farther away.
Byrne will fall. Hitarian wrote this with great uneasiness. When things came to a close, it was simply unrealistic to say that she had not considered the bad outcome. But it was one thing to think about it in private, and another thing to confess it directly in front of the lords and the recorders at the detection station. She was still hoping for a solution in some area she didn't understand. Now, all these lucks have been shattered.
There is no doubt that the webmaster will order the news to be blocked and require everyone present to fill out a contract swearing to secrecy. These words came from the mouth of the undead lord, and they seemed to seal the outcome of the war. If he doesn't have confidence, how can anyone else win?
However, Hitarian knew that we must not let these words reach the ears of the Byrnes.
"Before that, as lords, you must come up with countermeasures." The Black Knight spoke again. At this moment, you have to admit that his threat has been deeply rooted in people's hearts. The undead knight faced the "Lord of the Pit" and said straightforwardly: "Gavash has gone to the fate she deserves."
The fog elf finally looked up. "But Oglethel is not Garvash. And I am not you."
His voice was shaking, Hitarian noticed with surprise.
The Black Knight seemed to be forcing him to make a decision. "Ogrethel is an important pass for the Mistystar Order, and Byrne is the home of all the Nameless Ones."
The Mist Elf Lord clenched his fists.
"Since the establishment of the association, Bain has been a holy city in the hearts of unknown people. Even a small and scattered society knows the existence of Bain. People leave their homes and risk being burned to death, deceived, and plundered, and never promise Fox's corner and fled south. What were they for?"
Ziegler coughed and looked away. The mist elf still didn't answer.
"To be protected." The Black Knight's voice seemed to come from hell and could pierce the souls of strangers. "They cannot protect themselves, and they cannot trust their compatriots! These people were born as subjects of order, but overnight they became public enemies of order. If the nameless people ignite the fire, they will lose their original place of refuge."
"That's enough." Ash Lord said softly, "Of course we know this kind of thing. I understand the difficulties you both face..."
"You can only represent yourself, Ziegler." The undead lord interrupted him, "He has a brain and can think, right?" Shadow nodded stiffly. "Very good. Whitehead. It's time to prove yourself. If you admit the facts, it means you know very well that without Byrne, there would be no starless night. Without Byrne, there would be no starless night. Oglesel will inevitably be doomed."
"It's my hometown!" Whitehead shouted angrily. The line of defense of silence completely collapsed. He slammed the table: "This is my city. Black Knight, don't even think about destroying it!"
"You mean, destroy Byrne?"
"No. Stop spreading fear here, undead. Protecting Ogrethal does not mean destroying Byrne."
"No difference."
"Ziegler is right, there is a lot of room for maneuver here. Byrne must defend, but there is no need to sacrifice Oglesel." Whitehead gradually calmed down. He narrowed his eyes: "In any case, the situation has not reached that point yet. Do you want to scare me?"
"We must make a decision early." The Black Knight said, "If you want to get the best of both worlds, come up with a way for me." The lords remained silent. He didn't look surprised. "Since you can't give up Ogresel, then, everyone, it's time to give up Byrne. This is my way."
"I said no! Give up... Byrne?" The Lord of Hell seemed to have been punched, "Byrne?"
"You are not deaf." The Black Knight said coldly, "It is Byrne. As the holy city of the Nameless One, the Order will undoubtedly regard her as its primary target. If Byrne is destroyed, the secret society will completely lose its faith, let alone wait until The king has returned."
"Once the City of Reflection returns to Knox, it will suffer a devastating blow." Ash Lord crossed his arms defensively, "This is the danger."
Hitarian pinched the pen. Others may not fail to see the key, but they are lucky. like me. She thought of Uriel. In order to change the Church of Gaia, the Tower Messenger led the war mercenaries to capture the Anti-Angle City of Antoros, the headquarters of the Church of Gaia. If it had been Danlaw or Mintland, the cultists might not have lost so quickly. Byrne is our Antoros...
Whitehead stared at the undead in shock. "Give up Byrne...? Byrne is the core of the association! Damn it, don't you mean...?"
"The facts are obvious. We can't save her."
The Lord of the Hell shrank his shoulders: "Is it really necessary to press so hard? You know, we have a private agreement." He confessed his conspiracy with Ziegler. "But at the end of the day, I'm just worried that you're treating Oglethel as the next Gavash. And now. Hell, you're convincing us to give up on Byrne?"
"There is no second way. Once we remain inactive and artillery fire blasts open the gates of Bain, we will be met with disaster."
Hitarian shuddered.
"If you ask me, it's useless to try to catch up with Ogresel." Ziegler said in a low voice.
"That's it. The last fool who couldn't figure out the situation was Lord Mercury Lametta." The undead taunted, "It's great that you can finally accept reality."
"This is not your decision, Black Knight," the Ash Lord droned. "You will lead the Night's Watch and the Order until death. This is who you are."
"Want to die? I would have died long ago."
Whitehead sighed. "Are you saying this because you hope to move the Bain people to Oglethel?"
"No. The worst-case scenario is that Oglethel will also be disbanded."
We can't even protect Byrne, let alone Ogrethal? Hitarian knew what he didn't say. The Mist Elf Lord undoubtedly knows this too. He lowered his head silently.
Ash Lord Ziegler looked around. "No hope at all?" He also glanced at the record officer. "Desperate situation. Everyone? Where are Lord Cangzhi Forest and Nasita? King of the Dead Sea in Gavash? Where are our allies?"
Whitehead answered him, but his voice was very tired: "Two hundred years ago, the King of the Dead Sea escaped back to Gavash and died soon after. Now he is completely dead. Now the Sunken Plane is our territory. Otherwise, the dead will Why are we allied with the Association? We are not real demons. It’s time for you to ask your friends on the ground to tell you some mainland news, Ziegler.”
Shadow lowered his arms in embarrassment. "Okay. News from two hundred years ago." He coughed, "I also have some underground information here, but I guess you..." The man shut up under the unfriendly attention of his colleagues. "...There are more important things to care about. Of course. Byrne's fate is more important. And there is nothing you can do. But let me tell you, running away without a fight is a shameful act."
"Disband Byrne and Oglethel, and the starless night will turn into a piece of loose sand." The fog elf said.
Hitarian wanted to agree with him. But she was filled with fear when she thought of her sister Ruth, who was sleeping in the attic. Once Byrne is caught in the flames of war...
"The shameful act is to join me." The Black Knight said, "It just so happens that Gavash is very empty now."
"Without Byrne, the Nameless Ones will flee in all directions and will no longer be able to organize a force against the order."
"How fresh. Could it be that we have this ability now?"
"Thinking about it this way, maybe the underground world is our destination." Shadow muttered, "At least order is beyond our reach."
"How many people are there in the underground world?" Whitehead disagreed. "Even if the association is broken up, it will still be larger than the branch of the Ashes Temple. Can you accept Byrne and Ogresel?"
The answer is obviously no. The Ash Lords finally realized that they were unprepared for the situation the Order now faced. He crossed his arms again and tried to be a silent bystander.
The Black Knight wouldn't let him go. "We have already considered what you are considering, without your participation in the whole process. Since you want to express your opinion now, let me decide immediately."
"Then I say no." Ziegler leaned back in his chair and looked indifferent, but his response was very cold. "Even if Byrne falls, the Mysterious Realm will never ask me to surrender. The God of War, Noctura, will not favor deserters."
"For He only gives victory. Your opinion is useless."
Shadow ignored it. "Whitehead?"
The Lord of the Pit was silent for a moment. I'm afraid he'll compromise too, Hitarian knows. Disbanding Byrne would mean the fall of the Order, but war... well, it would undoubtedly destroy the city he had so carefully cared for. If it were me, if I gave up on my own initiative, at least I would still have hope.
"No." The fog elf closed his eyes, "No."
The recording officials stopped writing in unison and looked at each other in surprise.
unexpected. Hitarian thought, had he given up on Ogrethel? The Black Knight's words had the opposite effect? To be honest, she almost thought he would agree. This may be the only way to protect Ogrethal. Self-dissolution is better than total destruction. She couldn't believe her ears.
The Lords of the Lodge are no exception. Ziegler straightened his back and hunched his shoulders in surprise. The soul flame of the undead lord flickered in his eyes, like a candle in the wind. But until the discussion was over, the Lord of the Deep Hell did not speak again.
What's even more unusual is that Hitarian thought the Black Knight would use the Mist Elf City to force the other party to agree to his decision, but they never mentioned her again.
"You chose war," the Black Knight said.
There was a strange emotion in his voice. It was the first time Hitarian heard him speak in such a soft voice. In my memory, the undead lord never gave suggestions, only orders. This voice was meant to be obeyed, a judgment without any negotiation, but now it was announcing another outcome. "You must pursue the slim chance of survival for all the nameless people with blood and sacrifice."
"It should be so." Ziegler affirmed without hesitation.
"What else?" Whitehead asked.
They would protect Byrne at all costs, Hitarian knew. And this will be the strategic path of "Starless Night". Invisible pressure impacts everyone's heart. She saw the tight corners of Ms. Liana's mouth and the uneasy eyes of the astrologers. We will fight for survival. May the gods bless you.
The undead knight stared at the people. Behind his mask, two clusters of blue flames danced faintly. Until Ziegler's magic ended and the Pit Lord stood up to leave, he still stared at the empty palace with his soul.
"Is this democratic decision-making?" he asked himself.
