Sir Ryan did not stay in his little room, which was beyond Uriel's expectation. He looked around: damp stone walls, dark lampstands, rusty iron bars, and large stains with indistinguishable colors. The cells were sometimes empty and sometimes full, but people were very quiet.
The frightening environment is enough to dissuade most temporary residents from committing crimes. Uriel was not among them, but he could feel their mood, so he activated his "spiritual vision" to speed up the search process.
A second later, he found the secret passage leading downward.
"Ah, what a coincidence." The apprentice looked at the semi-solidified wax oil and whispered to himself. This meant that Ryan's lead was less than half a minute, and they almost passed each other.
Of course, without "spiritual vision", he would just waste more time in the same place. As a precaution, Uriel cast a spell to eliminate the surrounding sounds and then destroyed the surrounding iron fences to create the illusion that someone had escaped. Then he walked down the dark passage without a lantern.
Divine magic gives him vision in the dark. The apprentice looked at the walls on both sides and saw no gaps or forbidding holes. There are many ways to detect the interior, and his bold behavior did not cause serious consequences.
Uriel gradually heard footsteps, urgent and short, but he was not sure they belonged to Ryan. After all, it is not completely unreasonable that there is a secret passage downwards in the cell, but since the Ravens know the secret passage, there is no need to send him to find people.
What was even more bizarre was that Uriel heard a sound coming from behind him.
He suddenly fell into a dilemma: someone was chasing him behind him, and there was an unknown target in front of him. For a moment, even Uriel found it difficult to make a judgment. Go forward or retreat, or simply use magic to hide it under the eyes of the visitor. He thoughtfully touched the stone bricks at hand.
Before going deep into the secret passage, the apprentice makes sure to check his surroundings. The door locks and bars were intact, and the shackles that restricted the magic shimmered in the darkness, proving that they were continuing to work; needless to say, the jailer. If the Night Watch prison was a machine, people would undoubtedly perform their duties, and the gears would generally be in specific positions. . This place is tightly guarded, and except for Uriel who uses "spiritual vision" to sneak in, it is difficult for anyone to get in here. It seems that I was unlucky and the jailor who was patrolling the cell discovered Ryan's disappearance.
There was a chill in the stone bricks. Uriel twirled his fingers and found a layer of frost on his skin. This was a temperature that did not belong to Byrne, almost comparable to the ice territory on a dark night. He did not dare to use fire to feel it, but he was also aware of the existence of mysterious power. The secret passage does not seem to lead to an exit.
A second later, he implemented the decision in his dream into reality. "Sir Ryan." The apprentice caught up with the footsteps ahead.
The other party trembled in fright, turned around, and looked at him in confusion: "Who... Uriel?"
It's great news that you remember me. "Handy sent me to take you out, Sir." Uriel glanced at Ryan and saw that he was in good condition, so he continued to catch the noise behind him. "But it seems unnecessary."
"Send you? How...?"
Handy told him my identity, Uriel thought, when did it happen? Before Madame Anjou came to me, or from the beginning? No matter what, they can't verify it at the moment. "That's it. You can trust me, ser. I'm here, after all, under the dungeons of the Night's Watch."
Ryan collected himself. "Of course I believe it." He put his hands into his pockets defensively, "Well, you were brought into the regiment by me. How do we leave?"
Uriel pretended not to see his movements: "How far is the exit?"
"I don't know." These words made Ryan realize something. "Damn, someone is chasing you?"
"Or you, and I'm sure I didn't bring anyone else here." Uriel drew out the rune sword, and the golden divine inscriptions extended from scratch, and the light flashed away. He motioned for Sir Ryan to step back. "Please don't retreat too far. The passage is very long, and it would be bad to be caught up. Let's solve it here."
There seemed to be some mysterious traces on the stone wall, making the secret passage suddenly dangerous. He did not want to be separated from Ryan. "Get down if you must, ser."
】
"We're not afraid of the janitor being crippled." Ryan said.
The footsteps are still ringing, getting faster and denser! The apprentice almost suspected that it was a group of guards, but when they approached within twenty yards, the mysterious perception given to him by the fire only received the only response. one person.
They wait with bated breath, the mystery ready to unfold.
The enemy was the first to attack, and his attack continued until he was in front of the apprentice. Then, with a cry, Uriel knocked the dagger away. It shattered all over the ground like glass, and the metal fragments reflected the stunned face of the owner.
The face of a stranger. Uriel judged. The nameless ones of Byrne are not like the Night Watchmen. This man has a triangular silver-white badge sewn on his chest. It originally symbolizes the executor of all Bai En's laws, but it seems to be just a disguise when it appears on a suspicious guy who meets in a secret passage in the dungeon and takes action upon meeting him.
But it still reveals something. The apprentice took advantage of the situation and eliminated the Night Watchman from the speculation about his origin, leaving the Night Watchman's opponent as a candidate. Before he could finish his guess, the enemy reacted quickly and drew out a short sword and pounced on him again.
"It's the killer." Ryan blurted out.
Uriel dodged a straight thrust, "What killer?" He grabbed the enemy's wrist, twisted it and pulled it behind him, and kicked his ankle at the same time. The opponent cried out in severe pain and was knocked to the ground by the apprentice. This person has a relatively low tolerance for pain.
But at least he was strong-willed and still had to get up to resist. A layer of metallic luster adhered to his skin, leaving deep carvings on the ground with his movements. Uriel had to increase his strength until he began to wail harshly.
At the same time, a cluster of jet-black beams of light flew from behind, instantly blocking all the space for him to dodge, and quickly stabbed the apprentice.
At this moment, Uriel stretched out his hand as if there were eyes behind his back and grabbed the flying magic light. In the dark vision, the divine words in the palm collided with the light beam and turned into wisps of smoke. When the opponent saw this, he suddenly straightened his back and suddenly closed the distance.
Action brings a premonition of danger. A circle of invisible ripples spread, and the electric current penetrated the flesh and blood, stinging like fire. Caught off guard, Uriel was almost broken free by the opponent. Lightning flashed in the darkness, and he couldn't help but groan, but he pressed his hands again and again. When the ice climbed onto their arms, the intensity of their struggle finally became lighter. The frost blocked out the lightning.
"Don't move." Uriel warned. The captive squirmed, but the cold seeped into his skin, causing him to fall over. When his forehead hit the ground, it made a strange "ding" sound, which was the result of being wrapped in solid ice. In short, he couldn't resist.
Only then did the apprentice have time to feel the wounds on his palms. His arms to his elbows were numb and burning, and he was not very sensitive in his movements of retracting his hands to make fists. This time he was really hurt, and even his "spiritual vision" was unexpected. The Nameless One's methods are unpredictable and he can wear many hats. He finally understands how others feel when they deal with him.
This series of actions happened in the blink of an eye, and Ryan didn't seem to react. "Sir," Uriel reminded, "do you recognize him?"
The little leader of the Raven Group woke up from a dream. "This is a killer! He came to kill me last night and made me hit the railing to wake up the jailer."
Uriel looked at Ryan. As a prisoner, he was not injured, but his hands and feet were bound by chains, and there was only a stone hidden in his pocket. The magic words on the iron chain flickered, and the apprentice could not feel his fire. It's really not appropriate to rely on these to deal with killers. "He was scared away?"
"Yes. But I was more vigilant." Sir Ryan said, "After the jailer brought dinner, I fed the food to the rats. They all died. I knew he would come again today."
Uriel understood: "That's why you came here."
"Gods, let me go." Ryan shrugged, "There is a secret passage here. Otherwise, I will die in prison, waiting for the night watchman to throw the body out."
"So, you don't know where the secret passage leads?"
"Of course! Only the devil knows. The night watchman is so enthusiastic. I have been invited to the dungeon several times, but this is the first time I have entered this place... I was shocked when you showed up."
"Well, let's ask the other poor soul who had the misfortune to be on the scene. Wake up."
The interrogation went relatively smoothly. Before Nightingale thawed, Uriel searched for his weapons and emptied his pockets. As expected, there were only bits and pieces inside: a few coins, a snuff bottle, poison, and a long strap used to strangle the target, his fingers covered with scars from its use. When the killer opened his eyes tremblingly and realized that he was controlled by others, his hands and feet were stiff, and a blade was resting on his neck, he suddenly became aware of everything.
The results were unsatisfactory. When Uriel used the fragment to end this man's sinful life, he was still thinking about the information revealed by the killer. "...There are two prisoners in total. Kill the former and take away the latter. A profound order." He turned his head and said, "Do you have a roommate, Sir?"
Ryan glanced at the killer's blood-stained chin and frowned in confusion: "It's just me. Since the Night Watch wants my life, it's impossible to arrange witnesses."
"You're wrong. Whoever wanted you dead, it couldn't have been the Night's Watch. The killer's trademark is disguise, lest anyone - like me - see him in action. I dare say he has other motives. .”
"Other than the Night Watchmen, who else dares to kill the people of the Raven Group? Our customers are either rich or noble, and they are all the mainstay of Byrne." He didn't believe it.
"Oh, I joined too late, and I don't know much about the reputation of the ravens." Uriel used fragments to cut off the coat of arms on the corpse's chest. "What did you do before joining the Ravens, ser?"
Ryan looked uncomfortable. He would most likely lie, if he hadn't witnessed the apprentice interrogating the killer. In just two minutes, the killer went from cursing to begging to telling all the truth. Of course, this unlucky guy tried to lie, but in the end, the interrogator saw through all of them. Instead, the real purpose was completely exposed. The process is simply baffling. "Well, I'm taking people to do some small business in the city."
"That's it?" The apprentice paused, "What kind of business?"
"I must say it? You are a cleric, Uriel. I know people like you, who hate illegal business and so on... You will never like the answer."
"That's not necessarily true. Look, I'm here to save you so that you can escape the judgment of the law." Uriel cut off Ryan's shackles with a backhand stroke. The latter leaned back instinctively, and was frightened by his movements and broke into a cold sweat. "Are you of noble descent, ser?"
"Nobles? Lords? No? Oh, I understand...Kingdom nobles? Well." Ryan said reluctantly, "I don't count the descendants, but Bunyoro and Anjou do. That woman comes from somewhere in the West. The family in the small association has a fiefdom in its ancestors. Bunyoro is a real knight. He has no assets, and he was defeated in the battle. Finally, he came to Byrne's street gang to choose a servant as a squire, and I was lucky enough to be selected. . But no matter what, knights can make knights, and that’s how I got my title.”
Uriel blinked. "I see."
"If you want a joke, just laugh it off." Sir Ryan shouted, "It is true that we have no blood, and we cannot enter the Night's Watch, but a knight is a knight, and my son's birth will be nobler than mine."
No one cares about this. Uriel thought to himself. I have seen a bandit who became a knight of Silver Song. In terms of origin, he is about the same as you. "You misunderstand. This means you are not the target of a family vendetta, Sir."
"Vendetta? Family?"
"Noble Byrne. The killer was sent by them. Maybe it's one family, maybe it's multiple parties... I don't know much about these nobles. You have to ask Handy."
"What are you doing?" Ryan frowned, "Offending those rich and powerful men? How is that possible! I have always been responsible for recruiting new customers. Only when I am crazy will I make enemies with others!"
"I have no evidence, but it is obvious that they are the ones who benefited." Uriel kicked away the debris.
"How to say?"
"The city of Byrne is ruled by nobles and night watchmen. The composition of the latter is complicated, and loyalty is divided among different lords. Think about it, what would Enspan do if you were captured by a wandering knight and died?" Uriel followed suit. "There is no doubt that as the leader, he will never tolerate this kind of thing. Handy is also a Night Watchman and has his faction, which means that once the conflict between the two parties is brought to light, the Night Watchmen will first fall into civil strife. "
Ryan's face turned a little ugly. He is not a fool, but out of certain expectations, he is still doubtful: "The Ravens have always been supported by the nobles..."
"...But not their men. Use your brain, man. You have ladders and you are not under the jurisdiction of the Night's Watch, so the nobles will cooperate. Now the war is about to begin, and they are more than just merchants. Understand? They want it. It’s not about making money! It’s about survival. Otherwise, men will become dead people who have money to make but no life to spend.”
When it comes to this, it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t understand. Sir Ryan's face turned pale. Seeing this, Uriel changed the topic: "But right now, this way of survival is in the hands of an organization, an organization established by a certain Night Watchman and not belonging to the Night Watchman."
Handy Enspan's Raven Staff.
"Hell," Ryan cursed. He scratched his hair anxiously and suddenly made a move: "You mean war? In Bain?"
People haven't even heard of it, Uriel thought. This is the warning of Worrell, who was once the leader of the Night's Watch.
"Just the worst possible outcome." Byrne would bleed. "People have to plan for the future. The future of these bloodline people is much better than that of the common people. Of course they will cherish it." The apprentice stepped over the corpse.
Ryan followed worriedly and walked deeper into the passage. "I thought it was a coincidence that you were placed in a cell with a secret passage." Uriel whispered, "Now it seems that they deliberately locked you here so that the killer can kill people along the way." There are two prisoners in total, Kill the former...
Ryan didn't understand: "By the way?"
"You escaped into the secret passage, but you were also caught up by the killer, which means that he knew there was a secret passage here." Uriel pointed to the top of his head, "I covered the entrance and destroyed the iron bars of the cell. Usually the nightingale will search the surrounding area first. , will not bite directly, he must know the existence of the secret passage." So I didn't even ask him.
"It's a very clever method." Ruian said. His expression seemed to say, "I didn't even think about camouflaging the scene when I went into the tunnel, but you'd better not mention it. This will make it appear that we have a better understanding." Uriel was in no mood to laugh at the knight who had just escaped from prison. This was nothing new to him.
But Sir Ryan suddenly stopped, as if waking up from a dream. "Are we going deeper?"
"You found out."
"We should go back..." Ryan's voice gradually trailed off, "You asked the assassin, Uriel, what's inside?"
"Another prisoner." Uriel sighed, "I think I can guess who he is."
The leader of the Raven Group was silent for a long time, and finally seemed to have the courage to speak, but the question was a bit beyond the apprentice's expectations. "Are all the mysterious creatures in the Seven Pivot Points like you?" he asked, "Can you guess everything?"
Uriel couldn't help but smile. "No. It's just that I'm from a tower."
"So, you are an astrologer." Ryan suddenly realized.
In the eyes of most people, towers are synonymous with astrologers. Uriel suspected that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still positioned as a messenger in the eyes of the older generation in the arcane realm, just as it was in the Imperial era before the Dawn War. What a strange thing. In the White Night War, today's demon hunting movement, and even in the Catastrophe of the Undead two hundred years ago, it was clearly the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that had a greater presence. The apprentice doesn't know how to correct outsiders' opinions.
"That's it." Uriel said, quickening his pace. His spirit was approaching its limit and he could no longer use his "spiritual vision" to explore the way. The darkness in the depths gave him a bad premonition, but it was a pity to give up at this time.
At the end of the secret passage is an iron door embedded in the stone wall. The length and width are only three feet. It is narrow and cold, and the edges are sealed with rust. The stone wall and the iron gate seemed to be integrated into one, exuding a dark atmosphere.
"Is there a prison cell at the back?" Ryan asked.
Uriel motioned for him to be quiet. Half a minute later, they all felt a slight vibration, coming from behind the stone wall above their heads, and even the rust on the iron door fell off slightly. Strangely, they also heard voices.
"...It can only be here." The person who spoke deliberately lowered his voice, "After passing through the Holy Gate, the night watchman will not send anyone."
"He doesn't have more manpower..."
"When the two sides start fighting, then..."
The vibration and sound faded away together. Uriel looked above his head and stretched out his hand to fumble. The stone wall was solid and intact, without any looseness, but the tentacles were not that cold. He suddenly realized that the material above his head was different from the side walls of the tunnel, otherwise the low temperature would quickly spread to the ground and make people notice something strange. "It's not that thick here." He felt carefully, "What's up there?"
Ryan stared at him, "Sewer?"
"The Night Watchman's dungeon is close to the river, and the sewers will not be so deep." Uriel pointed out.
"Did you hear that? Where are we?"
"Oh, judging by the distance, we are only slightly outside the building range. As for the specific location, what is behind the Night Watch's dungeon, ser?"
"You have to ask Handy about this." Ryan said. "The dungeon is in the headquarters of the Night Watch. We don't have a chance to hang out in it."
"Where's the headquarters?"
"There are too many, including churches, markets, hospitals, and gathering places for foreigners. The night watchmen are responsible for the defense of the city and cannot be isolated from the city. Before the city was closed, most outsiders had to be led by the night watchmen before they could come in. Their power Compare……"
"So, Holy Gate?"
Ryan narrowed his eyes, "I seemed to hear someone talking just now. Did they mention the Holy Gate, or did I misunderstood?"
"The Holy Gate. That's it."
In the darkness, the leader of the raven group met Uriel's eyes, and there was a strange color in his eyes. Horrified. The apprentice thought. He is afraid. Where exactly is the Holy Gate?
"Holy Gate." Ryan said softly, "In the palace."
royal palace. In a way, it means a restricted area. Although Bain is only a small town, it has a king.
It's hard to describe the feeling at this moment. Uriel was motionless and his mind went blank. royal palace. king. Saint. He saw rust everywhere, like dried blood, swallowed up by the boundless darkness.
If I open the door, I will end up like them. Uriel raised his hand and stared at the wound in his palm that was burned open by the unknown person, imagining blood spurting out from it, taking away the life heat. Even in his wildest plans, he never imagined meeting the Saint. I am the tower's messenger after all...
Maybe I won't meet the king at all, he thought. Don't all the people in Bain say that the king is isolated from the world and only wants to be alone? Maybe he didn't notice me at all. Uriel, the apprentice in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was just one of millions of compatriots. To say the least, Order was at war with the secret societies, and whether he was dead or alive was completely inconsequential.
Uriel shuddered, not daring to trust his intuition easily, so he turned on his "Spiritual Vision" again.
This spell caused him great pain, and it seemed that even the last bit of fire was squeezed out. In his dream, he opened the iron door and found himself in a quiet corridor, and the room at the end held the second prisoner mentioned in the killer mission. "Night Flame" Mithfaran, Queen Sita's Nightingale, "Fire Moon Lord" Seroma, Uriel met him on Gray Wing Bird Island.
All speculations came true. After returning to reality, Uriel seemed to be in a dream until a severe headache caused him to bite his tongue. But Ye Yan is still alive, this fact echoes in his ears. I found him. It turned out that he was in Bain, not Gavash.
"Uriel?" Ryan asked.
Only then did the apprentice remember that there was a member of the Raven Group beside him. He promised Handy to rescue Ryan, not only to repay his recommendation, but also to protect the Raven Regiment's ladder. But now, he didn't know how to mention the "Night Flame" to him. By the gods, he had a terrible headache.
Can't continue to hesitate. "Wait for me here, ser. Or you can go back first." Uriel peeled off the rust and dug his fingers into the cracks. The iron door was very thick, and as he went deeper, the chill became heavier, and the sense of unknown crisis also increased sharply. He tried his best to overcome the headache and distracting thoughts, and finally grasped the bottom...
...but was blocked by his companions. "You can't go to the palace, Uriel." Ryan warned, "Have you forgotten? That is the residence of His Majesty the King. The Nameless Ones can sense each other, brother, he will find you. You were originally the messenger of the tower .”
Even now. Uriel heard his own heartbeat as clearly as Ryan's voice. It seemed to urge, urge him to action. This is not my mission, the apprentice wanted to say, Lamons and Tekapo wanted to save him, not me.
But that was the defense of a traitor, like Gandrias's defense of his crown. Tell me, Uriel, someone seems to be asking, tell me, are you loyal to the goddess or to her creed?
We all know the answer.
There was a click, and the iron door deformed and tore under the huge force, exposing the opening. Uriel could not guarantee that his behavior at this moment was rational. He was like an addict who knew his own stupidity but could not control his actions. The patient got out of the secret passage, and a dark corridor came into view, leading to an unknown ending. The last bit of reason reminded him to use mystery to make up for the exit.
Everything around was silent. Sir Ryan did not follow, but he mouthed: "You will regret it if you do this."
"I won't go either. Give me five minutes."
The corridor is colder than the secret passage, as if it were built in hell, and the ground above is the human world. The dome of the cloister is low, the stone bricks are gray, and the decorations on both sides are quite familiar. Uriel saw many furnishings that could be called masterpieces of art, incomplete life-like sculptures, rusty exquisite gold and silver ironware, and well-proportioned photo frames inlaid with gems... But the photo frames were blank, with neither pictures nor pictures. Colorless, dilapidated and full of ominous meaning.
I've seen similar styles. Uriel remembered that what he saw in the dream was not a "spiritual vision", but a dream constructed from the Bible from a longer time ago. It was when the "victor" held his wedding to the imperial eldest princess. The Aurenia palace was gorgeous, decorated with elegant and noble brocade pendants, and the music played cheerfully.
Now the prosperity has declined and turned into darkness. However, there was actually a shadow of the Aurenia Palace here, which was beyond the apprentice's expectation. He was vaguely aware that there might be a secret hidden here, but there was absolutely no way to verify it: the "King" would discover him at any time, and he might not be seeking death by exploring here.
Uriel had no choice but to follow the guidance of his memory, resisting the increasingly intense feeling of coldness, and found the prisoner in the corner of a stone room.
Hearing the sound, the other party suddenly raised his head. "grown ups."
A "big" person indeed. Uriel saw a flinching little flame, weak enough to act as a flame in the candlestick. As a traitor and prisoner, Mithfaran would not be treated with courtesy. Fortunately, Sita was incorporeal, and the scene was not bloody. Even the shackles were missing, but what really tortured him was the ubiquitous cold air.
For a moment, the apprentice felt quite complicated. Uriel had a chance encounter with "Yeyan". To be precise, he almost died at the hands of this person. At that time, he had the "Scroll of Oath" in his hand, but together with Dalton, he was chased away by Seroma, the "Lord of the Flame Moon", and he didn't even notice his identity as a nightingale. This person can be said to be a good spy. So far, the apprentice has only seen "Glimmer Lord" Alini who also became a cardinal at the Fulcrum of Order to be comparable to him.
Now the top spy's identity has been exposed and he is dying in Byrne's dungeon. Uriel was completely delirious as he walked through the cage, muttering to himself.
The radiance of divine magic illuminated the stone wall, cutting off the encroaching cold, and also made him sober. "It's so dark in here," the prisoner groaned.
"It's night now," Uriel said soothingly.
"The Twinkle Pool...there is no night..."
"Shh, don't make a sound." He used "Sacred Word Evocation" to guide a ball of orange-red flames to gather in the palm of his hand. This is York's most commonly used magic, and it is also the skill taught to the Sitas by the Twinkle Pool.
Seeing the light of the fire, the prisoner's body seemed to solidify a little, at least it would not be blown away by the wind as Uriel moved around. The apprentice led him silently toward the passage from which he came.
"It's so cold. Am I dead?" But Sita refused to stay quiet. "Tekapo, Tekapo?"
"She's fine and is looking for you."
"Very good? Very good?" the prisoner repeated weakly. "No, it won't. Oh. I told her. That little devil, she knew... uh." He suddenly stopped for a while. "Lucia save me..."
"You can see her, soon." Uriel whispered as he covered the flames with silent magic. This was necessary, as Mishfaran appeared to be mentally disturbed, and no one knew what he had gone through during the torture.
After returning to the secret passage, Uriel found Sir Ryan. He didn't wait for the exit, but crawled back under his cell. This place is far away from the palace, but relatively safe. Unless he is an accomplice of the killer, he is unlikely to be discovered. It seems that our Lord Sir has quite a lot of experience in jailbreaking.
"You...how are you?" Ryan looked frightened, but he relaxed slightly when he saw it was him. This guy looked at Uriel and said defensively: "Where is the person you are looking for?"
"Everything goes well." Uriel put "Night Flame" into a glass bottle and put it in his pocket. He knew better than to make his presence known to Ryan. "Okay, let's go."
Ryan shook his head and grabbed his arm: "Don't go up! Something's wrong."
"What?"
"Outside." He pointed to the steps, his voice thin with fear. "It's the palace corridor."
