A stray stone stuck in front of my toes. "You have crossed the line, Enspan." Patio, the temporary captain of the city guard, accused. He looks like he is over fifty, but his age is actually less than a fraction of the "one-armed" one.
"I am also a night watchman, Patio, have you forgotten?"
"Not your errand boys."
Handy was unmoved. "The Raven Staff are all my brothers. Even you, Patio, His Majesty the King told us that the members of the Order are all brothers and sisters of you and me."
"Brothers and sisters also make mistakes, and there are rules that need to be followed. This is the territory of the Night Watch, and no one is allowed to enter."
"You use rules to restrict us, but you don't abide by them." Handy retorted. The horse under his crotch took a few steps forward impatiently, and was pulled back forcefully. "You captured my man, Patio, and this matter is non-negotiable! We all know that you are just the mouthpiece of the Blenken family. If you are smarter, you can teach Sasbei to talk to me. To be honest, I am too lazy Waste of time on you.”
"What's the matter with Brunken?" Patio was furious: "You led people into the headquarters of the Night Watch! You also took advantage of Lord Celsus to patrol outside the city. What do you want to do, Enspan? I see You are crazy!"
I don’t know how this Handy Enspan found out about the opportunity. Hitarian thought as he hid in the reception room. She had never met this person before, but Patio had met him a few times, but they had no interaction with him. Now that Handy Enspan pointed out that he was leaning toward the Blenken family, she kept this in mind, and after telling Celsus, someone would verify it.
"You think I want to make trouble like this? Blenken is not here, and I don't have time to waste on you." The leader of the Raven Group was also very annoyed, but he did not intend to delay it. He waved his hand, trumpets and shouts sounded, and people began to attack the night watchman's line.
There is a huge disparity in numbers between the two sides. Although the Night Watchmen are mysterious creatures, their enemies are also nameless ones. For a time, countless mysterious phenomena occurred frequently, with flashes, vibrations, strong winds and roars everywhere. The cavalry galloped through the streets and jumped the fence in front of the school grounds.
Patio was anxious, but it was difficult to reverse the situation. Hitarian saw it and was not afraid, but sadness surged in his heart: before the war began, Byrne was the embodiment of all illusions about peace and tranquility, but now it is gone forever.
The sounds of battle gradually approached. Someone threw a throwing knife at the building where Hitarian was located, but was stopped by a man wearing a sand mask. He just stretched out his hand, and all the arrows began to burn, as if they hit an invisible barrier of flames in mid-air, and turned into ashes when they hit the ground. But he only made a defensive gesture, and Patio didn't even notice him.
The Starless Night is the most powerful association, Shitarion thought, and this fact has been proven again after the restart of the demon hunting movement. She personally compiled the information about the fall of Oglethel, arranged for the remnants of the "Steel and Fire" society to be sent to the hospital, and also presented letters from the "Lake Women's Society", "Wassiemouth Legion", "Vail Gathering" and other societies. Submitted to Black Knight for review.
Most of the contents of these letters were requests for help, and she would respond based on the lord's dictation. A few were burned, and she no longer had to receive messages from the same address. Hitarian knew that some of these unanswered letters had been destroyed in flames along with their senders, and even if they were answered, they would have nowhere to go. Our compatriots are dwindling, but those who survive still have strength.
"Block the door!" Patio shouted, "Don't worry about the fences, elementalist! Just use fire." His voice was drowned in the violent explosion.
In less than five minutes, the Night's Watch's defenses will collapse. she thought. The Raven Staff would soon be bursting through the door, then crashing against the barrier, screaming in the fire.
Hitarian even recognized it as divine magic. In Antipodes, mercenaries fought wizards, wizards struggled with monks, and monks attacked each other in confusion, performing very similar feats. They all eventually fled under the shadow of the dragon.
There is a priest sitting in the headquarters, and his mystery is otherworldly. The victory or defeat is a foregone conclusion. She crept down the window and covered the gap. But Handy Enspan mentioned that Patio was a collaborator of the Blenken family, and perhaps he also had intentions. She had some guesses about the priest's identity, so she didn't plan to run away. Instead, she waited until someone knocked on the door.
The result was unexpected. "Lingot." Celsus pushed open the door and entered. "Patio said you were here."
"You're back!" Celsus led the elite members of the Night's Watch out of the city. They had already left the city long ago. Hitarian didn't know that they would return so soon. "Has the chaos outside been solved?" She was very surprised.
"He escaped with one arm." Celsus snorted. "In my opinion, arms are more useful than ears, so it's better to keep them carefully. Of course, legs are more useful. He escaped very quickly, throwing away the main force. In front of the headquarters."
"Is he afraid?"
"When my hometown is on fire, it would be strange not to run away." He smiled, "If it were me, I wouldn't waste my time. The chaos outside was solved by Patio. It's pretty good. He has made great progress recently, but Handy is the opposite. , someone walked into his lair without even knowing it."
Hitarian understood clearly: "Is this you?"
"We." Celsus reached out to ruffle her hair, sat on the sofa, and stretched out. "The lord asked me to stay on standby outside the city, and leave the repairs to Lord Mercury. Apart from that, no one knows our plan. Only then can all the rats be wiped out." A letter fell out of his clothes and was Hitarian picked it up quickly. "This is an unexpected bonus."
"The rats mean the Raven Staff?" she wondered what the gang had done.
"Yes, I didn't say it accurately. I called them Raven. There is a rectangular staircase in Vivici Manor, and Enspan and the Raven Group have been relying on it for smuggling business."
"The Night Watch wants to seize this ladder?"
"I can't say for sure. We just went to clean up the mess, and the seizure was done casually. Vivici Manor is the territory of 'Buman' Bellugo, and he has a close relationship with Chief Yolizabo, so it's hard to hit him. But I As soon as I took people there, there were screams from inside.”
Hitarian opened the letter for a moment. "Scream?"
"Probably a death scream. In short, there must be a big trouble inside...a trouble caused by one of our own people defecting. The manor was originally the nest of the Ravens, and Bellugo secretly provided support, and he fought hard with these bastards. He made a fortune. Now he changed his mind and sent people into the manor again to kill all the guards of the Raven Regiment."
Hitarian felt sick. "The Cloth Man" Bellugo is a well-known rich man in Bain. It is said that he spends money generously, treats others kindly, has friends all over the world, and has partners in many industries. I don’t know what his “friends” and “partners” will think of this angel investor after hearing about this.
"In other words, the Ravens have lost the support of Bellugo and have lost most of their manpower here. Handy Enspan is now a mere commander?"
"The little head turns very fast." Celsus praised her as if she were a child. "Handy Enspan is also a night watchman. Like Patio, he lends his position to the merchants for convenience. This is not a big deal. The key lies in Bellugo and the square ladder, as well as the shameless plan of these gentlemen. ." He shrugged. "By the way, where is the Lord? I want to see him."
"He just left, right after I received the Blenkens."
Celsus hesitated and said, "The Blenken family? They don't seem to be doing anything. When I led people to clean up the mess in Vivici Manor, Blenken actually sent someone to help."
"help?"
"It's probably to clear up the relationship. Brenken and Vivic are considered representatives of the Chamber of Commerce - high-class people with no name, that's all. As for the Raven Group and the Miao Hand Group, they are gang mercenaries and the like."
"Are there mercenaries among the Night's Watch?"
"Handy is not, his men are. But this matter... Bellugo took action against the Ravens, whether it was for profit or something else, it stands to reason that he shouldn't use such force." He became serious, "There is something wrong here. Sass What did Bay say to you, Ringot?"
"This is Zepe Blenken." Hitarian told him, "I think Sasbeth Blenken may have anticipated what happened at the manor." That's why he sent Zeppe to see me, He stared at Vivici Manor. "I should have thought of it earlier." She felt very annoyed.
"We are all insensitive to these things." Celsus comforted. "The methods used by nobles are often different from those of mercenaries. Even if the night watchmen can maintain order, they can easily lead them. It is not as simple as a trick. !”
"Thank you for coming back in time." Hitarian was thankful.
"It's not what I thought of." The captain of the night watchman sighed, "This is the order of the Lord."
She suddenly felt at ease. "What are your instructions, sir?"
"He first asked us to use an excuse to patrol out of the city and repair the gaps in the mysterious land. However, Lord Mercury took over the task, so we had to return and go straight to Vivici Manor to suppress the chaos and seize the Moment Ladder. It seemed that his purpose at the beginning was It's the rectangular ladder." Celsus suddenly frowned, "To be honest, I don't know what the lord is thinking about. Look, if we had known that the rectangular ladder was at the manor, why would we have bothered so much? We were leaving the city and Returning.”
Hitarian thought for a while: "Why does Byrne have a private ladder? Someone can build an array?"
Celsus was stunned for a moment. "Damn it, it's the Miao Hands Group! So, I know how this old Nightingale is involved. But since he can build a ladder, why did he send people to steal it?"
"The construction of the ladder is expensive," she reminded, "and it requires the support of the Chamber of Commerce. In the final analysis, these people claim to be nobles, but in fact they are just businessmen with a lot of wealth. The power of the association does not belong to them, and they cannot get involved. En's policy. This is the fundamental reason why nobles built private ladders."
"But wealth is enough to shake people's hearts. I think Jorizab is their pawn, and there are also a lot of pawns in the Night's Watch who don't obey my command."
Does the Undead Lord know these inside stories? Hitarian thought he knew the answer. Before she came to Bain, the king had disappeared long ago. The undead lord managed Bain and other lords. The association ran smoothly under his will. If he said that he knew nothing about the various power groups in Bain City , that is really unlikely.
"Yolizaber is Lord Mercury's old subordinate." Hitarian whispered, "I have hypnotized him. In terms of status, he is more influential than the Blenken family."
】
"The previous steward before he was promoted came from a local family," Celsus pointed out. It seems that he no longer treats me as a brat. "So, there should be a reason why the nobles chose the Miao Hands Group and the Raven Group to cooperate with them."
Maybe a nightingale. Hitarian thought. The Nightingale of the Other Lords. The Undead Lord knew that they had men in Bain, but as the Lord of the Association, he did not drive them away. The Nightingale of the Lord is better than the Nightingale of the Fulcrum of Order.
If he turns Byrne into an iron wall, perhaps other lords will not enter the city at all. They will also be wary of his power. After all, the undead lords are from Gavash, and the Byrnes don't like undead warriors, not even the Night's Watch. He was compromising with others too, like me initially with Blenken.
Mentioning the lord, Celsus also thought of something. "Have you been there lately, Ringot?"
"No, I haven't been there for a long time. The interrogation has ended long ago and there is no need for me."
"That's good. I don't want you to like it there."
Hitarian smiled in confusion. "No, Celsus." I have only participated in the interrogation of one prisoner.
Although this prisoner is extremely special. When the association deals with special traitors, it is not physical punishment, but mental torture, which does not seem so cruel. To be honest, Hitarian didn't enjoy this process, but he didn't resent it either. Of course, these were words she would never tell Celsus and Lady Liana.
Hitarian recovered his thoughts, opened the letter and read it. As a result, just one glance at the content made her heart beat wildly. "Where did this letter come from?"
"It was found on the Nightingale of the Miaoshou Group. The fisherman sent someone to steal the ladder, and that person also knew how to manipulate the formation patterns. But, I think they have their own plans. If we don't arrive in time, they will run away. "
Run outside of Byrne? Sad choice. Death will only come early. "This fisherman is really a fool." Hitarian said reluctantly, "In my opinion, the news heard by the real Nightingale is more accurate than the intelligence he collected."
"He is too amateur." Celsus agreed. "I captured two of his brats, who were also close confidants, and guess what? They actually planned to use the ladder to escape outside Byrne! It was really unnecessary and I wanted to die. If so, you can just find a tree."
This is absolutely true. Despite the chaos and depressing atmosphere in the city, it is, after all, a safe area where the unknown can live an upright life. Now that they leave Byrne, the only thing waiting for them is the hunter's torture rack. Hitarian rubbed the letter: "No matter what, they betrayed the fisherman, and you happened to catch them."
"Being caught by a fisherman is not as simple as losing your life." The captain of the night watchman said indifferently, "A nightingale should look like a nightingale, but this guy insisted that they think of him as his father. That's it, a bunch of half-grown children , spent their days sneaking around, stealing secrets, and completely threw away everything Bronze Gear taught them."
Participating in the rebellion, no matter how much these master nightingales know, is a capital crime. But mentioning them made Hitarian feel guilty. Where would Ruth and I be without Ms. Liana? Byrne's life wasn't that glamorous either. Maybe I should thank "Confessions".
But compared to the whereabouts of the Miaoshou Group, the information revealed on the letter concerned her thoughts more. If what is said above is true...
"...I am willing to return your hero to you as a sincere expression of our gratitude." Now the mist star has fallen and the world is clear. We are trapped in this life and age, and our hearts yearn for order. We only want a small space to breathe, and we dare not disturb the pure land of the gods. This agreement is presented to the saint and sworn to be witnessed by the ancient gods. The contract is completed, and soon we will personally send the distinguished guest off..."
No. Hitarian denies it. There are no "heroes" or "distinguished guests" in Byrne. Seroma has already become a person in hell, like an unknown person captured by a hunter. The only destination is death, otherwise I should interrogate him. He must be dead. The lord killed him for his shameless betrayal of his own people.
This means that the news about the Miaoshou Group is out of date. After all, there is nothing a fisherman can do other than build a ladder. He must have gotten the wrong information and dragged the Vivici and other families into the abyss. The lord would no doubt be happy to see this. Maybe it was the Black Knight who took the initiative to spread the news...
However, deep down in his heart, Hitarian couldn't believe it would go so smoothly. With only the information of the fisherman, will Bellugo be fooled? And Brunken, the Chamber of Commerce, will they participate in the fight for the moment ladder because of rumors without conclusive evidence?
The answer is obvious.
God bless, she thought, no one is a fool, especially rich people. I know these guys, they must be on to something. And it is related to the moment ladder, which means it is a retreat. Now that the demon hunting movement is in full swing, where can the Bain people escape? What did these nobles find...
An idea came to her mind. "Where is the Lord?" Hitarian asked.
"Ask me? How can I..." Suddenly there was a huge earthquake under my feet. Hitarian stumbled and almost fell. The Captain of the Night's Watch grabbed her arm and steadied her. He seemed to be about to say something, but at the same time as the vibration, there was an explosion-like sound. She screamed in fear.
Celsus did not cry out. He pulled her down and used his body to cover her. Countless utensils fell and shattered, and tables, chairs, and furniture slid toward the windows, finally stopping twisted on the edge of the carpet. A few seconds after the loud noise, Hitarian's ears were still filled with buzzing noises.
"What's going on!" She gasped with all her strength, "What happened at the headquarters..."
"It's not the headquarters." The captain of the Night Watch stood up and pulled Hitarian up. "It's the back."
She hadn't thought about what was behind the headquarters. At this moment, the door suddenly opened wide, and countless cloaked men burst in with swords, surrounding them. Hitarian felt cold from head to toe.
Celsus pressed the hilt of the sword, but did not dare to move because Hitarian was behind him. He glared at them: "Patio! What do you want to do?"
"It's for Byrne, sir," answered the nearest man. He was the commander who previously defended the Night Watch headquarters, and he was still covered in blood. "I will explain it clearly, you two, please trust me now." He turned to Hitarian: "Miss Lingot? Please come to the palace with me, and everything will be revealed."
"You're crazy!" shouted the leader of the night watch. Even at this moment, no one believed that anyone would dare to take action against Hitarian. "She is the lord's recordkeeper."
"Because of this, there are some things that need her pen to record." Patio waved his hand. "Please come with me, miss. We will never hurt you."
Hitarian seemed to be stepping on the clouds, and felt that everything he saw and heard was unreal. Patio had long been in contact with the Blenken family, but she thought Celsus had taken control of the situation. And the priests who protected the building before... After all, everything has been in chaos since the Raven Staff Group attacked the headquarters.
I have to stay calm. "Lord Anlini," she said softly, "Are you there?"
No one in the room responded, but from the corner of his eye, Hitarian saw that the pattern on the floor was distorted, and the fine fluff formed a line of Lucian inscriptions: "Go."
Someone responded to her. By the gods. Hitarian closed and opened his eyes until he was sure that the pattern had really changed and was not an illusion. Glimmer Lord Anlini, he was indeed at the headquarters and watching Patio coerce his superiors.
The situation is confusing, but Lord Shimmer is guarding the headquarters. She told herself that no matter how bad the outcome was, it wouldn't be much worse. There must be something I don't understand here.
"Don't do anything," she said to Celsus, "I'll be back soon."
"What happened at the palace?"
"No one knows." Patio responded for her, "For the future of Byrne, we must know the truth. Please wait a moment, sir, Miss Ringot, I swear to you, I never meant to offend."
"It's useless for you to explain to me." The captain of the night watchman spoke without pretense.
"After this is over, if the lord wants my life, I will be willing to do so." Patio said vowedly, "Please believe me."
If what he said was a lie, there was nothing Hitarian could do. When she met Celsus, the situation was already out of the Night's Watch's control. The nobles attacked the headquarters first, and then exposed the ladder, which firmly grabbed the attention of the night watchman. When the Black Knight sent people to Vivici Manor to clean up the situation, the gang finally exposed their real target: the palace.
But she still underestimated the situation. When they arrived at the palace, hundreds of people had gathered in front of the Holy Gate. There are many familiar faces among these people, from Brunken and Vivici, from the church and the detection station, from the Night's Watch and the mercenary group, and even from the Bronze Gear, the rescue organization that raises orphans. Not just nobles! People who can speak from all walks of life are now gathering in front of the Holy Gate.
They represent almost half of Byrne, Hitarian groaned inwardly. Gods save me.
"Miss Ringot." Sasbeth Blenken was the first to greet her. He is tall and broad-shouldered, with a majestic appearance. He wears a velvet shawl in front of his collar, and his chest is decorated with a heavy blue and gold triangle coat of arms. He rode at the head of a group of dignified gentlemen, followed by a standard-bearer, with the emblem of the Blenken family flying in the air.
"Sir Blenken," she returned the greeting reluctantly. As the words came out of his mouth, he realized that he had said the wrong title. This guy is just a self-proclaimed aristocrat, I don't have to call him "Sir". Damn it, Zeppe's aura couldn't compare to this person, let alone the nobles behind him.
"I received your invitation, but I am busy with work, so I have to ask my son to attend the appointment on my behalf. It is really a pity." He didn't look very regretful. "Zeppe is a young man who is arrogant, arrogant and rude, all due to my neglect of discipline. I deeply apologize for this. If his words are disrespectful, I hope you can forgive me."
"It doesn't matter." Hitarian was not here to discuss the attitude of the noble young master. Everything can be put back later than the current situation. "What's the point of gathering here?" She went straight to the point.
"We request an audience with His Majesty the King," one person replied. "Byrne is at a critical moment, and His Majesty's decision is our glimmer of hope." He said loudly.
"There is also the matter of moving the city to Gavash." I don't know who added.
"Closing the city is only a temporary measure. The smuggling business in the city is too prosperous, so it is better to block the city." Someone suggested.
"The night watchman illegally detained the suspect! Case trial and screening..."
"The number of unemployed people has increased significantly..."
"Refugees entering the city are fleeing..."
"Price Index……"
People spoke at the same time, and their voices merged into a rapid stream. Hitarian was like a small boat, carried along by the waves. The sound overwhelmed her thoughts. The words were intertwined and spliced, and finally they all converged into "Your Majesty the King" with different accents. The king, they want to see the king.
"You're sweating a lot, Miss Ringott."
Blenken's words brought him back to his senses. She clenched her fists. "Oh, I...I can't hear clearly. Do you want to see His Majesty the King?"
"That's it," someone shouted, "Your Majesty the King!"
Hitarian tried to hold back: "I can understand, but the legend of the Holy Gate..."
"No one has confirmed the rumors." Sasbey said, "The situation is different now: Bayne has been blocked for a long time, the demon hunting movement is like a knife hanging on the neck, the association is troubled internally and externally, and the people are boiling. After understanding these, I believe your majesty will forgive us. A feeling of urgency.”
As soon as he spoke, people gradually became quiet and stared at Shitarian with burning eyes. These people are in the same group, she thought angrily. However, a strange atmosphere hangs around the Holy Gate. Hitarian shuddered, his perfunctory words stuck in his throat.
"After all, people who step into the Holy Gate will disappear, which has been confirmed by you and me as a rumor." Too many people gathered in front of the Holy Gate, and among the pushing and shoving, some people had already crossed the threshold. Sasbei clamped the horse's belly, and the mount entered the palace.
He nodded to Kitarian. "Please come in, miss. There is still some distance from the main hall."
