The palace is very different from the headquarters of the Night's Watch. When the undead lord sat at the table with people to discuss matters, there were still people who dared to mess around and express their dissent. But at this moment, in the magnificent palace, under the cold throne, Hitarian felt the faint burning eyes in the darkness, The coldness surrounded her like a thick fog.
In an instant, she found herself kneeling in front of the steps, succumbing to this intimidating majesty. The lord's eyes were full of silent anger, which weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
She never prided herself on being sharp, and her movements at this time were all based on instinct. Beside her, Patio, the night watchman who brought her here, also knelt down, as did the "Paint Man" Sasbeth Brunken, members of the Chamber of Commerce, the heads of small families and their heirs, governing officials, and everyone accompanying the team. Everyone knelt obediently under the throne to show respect for the king and lord. They can also feel strange.
But this did not lessen the pressure in her heart. She couldn't help but shudder, foreseeing that something was about to happen.
"Please have mercy, Lord." Brunken said, "It is a sin for us to step into the Holy Gate rashly." His voice echoed on the wall.
Then silence returned. Hitarian heard no response. The Black Knight didn't say anything, or maybe her heart was beating too fast, drowning out other sounds.
After apologizing, Sasbei said his purpose: "But there is a reason for this, please be clear to me. Outside the city, the coalition forces of Order have broken through Ogresel, and the defense line has gradually retreated, getting closer to Chi Chi; inside the city, people are panicked, everywhere The situation is turbulent and needs to be suppressed urgently, but the Night Watch is alone and unable to support it. It is beset with internal and external difficulties and is in danger everywhere! If His Majesty shows up, he can calm the situation and stabilize the people's hearts."
There was still oppressive silence, the black knight on the throne was like a static painting, and the others did not dare to show their excitement. The silence lasted only a few breaths, and sweat began to trickle down the speaker's forehead. Hitarian felt somewhat sympathetic to him. It was difficult to face the lord directly, let alone face his wrath. No matter how eloquent people are, his silence is still like a knife hanging from the neck, bringing the threat of death at any time.
"Sir." Patio agreed bravely, "We do lack manpower. Some members colluded with gangs in the city and even dared to attack the headquarters! If this continues, Byrne will collapse internally before the coalition forces come. Your Majesty the King All you need to do is show up to scare Xiao Xiao. If he is not in the palace, please inform us of His Majesty's whereabouts."
Hitarian's ears perked up. The king disappeared and the Holy Gate was shrouded in mystery. According to the words of Mercury Lord Rameta, this situation has been going on for a long time, even before she and Ruth came to Byrne.
The Black Knight and other lords tried their best to hide the news, but were ruined by the betrayal of the "Lord of the Flame Moon". This incident directly led to the restart of the demon hunting movement, and the association was about to face extinction. The king's whereabouts became the last straw. And if anyone in "Starless Night" really knows the answer, it can only be this undead lord.
"The relocation plan is underway," the Black Knight said.
"Gavash is not a pure land either." Sasbei pointed out, "After the Flickering Pool arrives, the Sunken Plane will also fall into war. The crisis will be difficult to eradicate."
The Black Knight glanced at her. "Even a thirteen-year-old girl knows this."
"Because of this, it is urgent to find His Majesty! There may be clues in the palace to assist, so it should be opened up and everyone can search." Sasbei insisted, "With the king sitting on the throne, the association is not afraid of any enemies. Look, Gavash is the border of hell. , not a place for living people to live permanently. My parents are old, my children and grandchildren are naive and ignorant, and all the old people in the association have old wounds and need a gentle environment for cultivation. If you can understand, sir, we are so fragile The living in Gavash can only wait to die.”
"There is no need to worry if you die on the battlefield. Gavash will be a good home for you."
Soldiers go to hell, how reasonable. However, most of Byrne are civilians. "Retreating to hell is not the best policy, my lord." Sasbeh changed his strategy. "We cannot win."
"Perhaps you can become a saint. As far as I know, the Blenken family has never held an important position in the city defense army. It is probably impossible to expect you to be a famous general."
Sir Blenken's words seemed to stick in his throat. I know how he feels, too, Shitarion thought. But after being temporarily stuck, he persisted: "I have no talent for mysticism, and I don't know much about the way of war. However, I know that the result of escaping from one battlefield to another is zero. Right now, the only one left is His Majesty the King. There is no doubt that I can save the situation."
"Is there any other way, such as surrendering to the mysterious realm?" As soon as these words came out, the expressions of some people below the steps suddenly changed, and they could only try their best to maintain their composure.
The difference with them was Sasbeth Blenken. If this person was really one of the planners, he didn't show it at all. Hitarian clutched the letter in his hand.
"Right now, people's hearts are in a state of flux." Sir Blenken said with a heavy expression. "No matter how much restraint we try, it will only have a temporary effect. Someone will always find an opportunity to resist. These ignorant people are idle and causing trouble all day long, and as the posts in the city If it is further reduced, there will only be more and more such people. A large number of civilians have become refugees, and the number of refugees is already three times that of association members. What's more, I cannot guarantee that the people under my command will survive when they are short of food and clothing and their lives are at stake. You can still stand firmly on my side.”
"The king cannot turn waste into treasure. Don't complain to me. It's not that difficult to deal with trouble, otherwise you will be one of them."
"No matter what, I can't handle it." Brunken said simply, and motioned to Patio with his eyes. So the latter also shook his head and prayed with his eyes. "In any case, this is not my responsibility. The Night's Watch cannot manage a bloated city, and I am just a victim of this disorder."
He stood up stiffly. "And His Majesty the King's intervention is the best measure for us. This is my suggestion. Do you have a better proposal, my lord?"
The Black Knight said nothing, but his eyes seemed to declare that he never suggested, only gave orders. Hitarian could tell.
"Or, my lord, do you not know where His Majesty the King is?" Brunken asked, "When did His Majesty leave? What was the reason? Did he stay..."
"Who asked you to ask this, Brenken?" the lord said suddenly.
The other party frowned: "This is a request from all of us, sir."
But the undead lord's gaze seemed to penetrate him and cast into the unknown space. Not all people were as calm as Brenken. Whoever he looked at would lower their head and try their best to avoid looking at him. Everyone? He acted as if he was asking a mocking question.
Sasbeth Blenken turned to look at his companion.
"The night watchman cannot stand alone, sir." Patio said, "The city defense changes four times a day, and men are often lost at night. In the darkest alleys, even if they are wearing the cloak of the night watchman, people only dare to walk together."
His voice took the lead. "Some gangsters robbed my warehouse," complained a businessman. "They cut up the bacon, dragged away the sausages, and beat the guards."
A priest echoed: "On Quartz Street, more than a dozen green kids put on their pockets and rushed into the church to kill the monks. One of them was a tall man who was a relative of the night watchman. He peed on the statue. I saw it!"
"The dark wizard is setting up firewood in the sewer." The woman dressed like a witch whispered, "Four people went in and three people came out. I smelled the aroma of meat, but they refused to admit it."
"Outlanders conspired to seize a dye house," a member of the chamber of commerce assured, "because the owner of the dye house reported that they were hiding compatriots who turned into demons."
Of course, Shitarian thought, outsiders and dyehouse owners know better than the detection station on how to distinguish demons, right? She wouldn't believe these stupid words.
But more and more people dare to speak out. People talked about all kinds of strange things, such as the butcher being killed by the shadow of a pig, hearing crows howling in the house in the middle of the night, and human heads floating in the wells (this is true, but some nightingale who was new to the industry was too careless to deal with it and killed it. The target's head leaked into the well, but he did not dare to go down to pick it up. The night watchman fished it out after breaking the eucalyptus), the spider had a human face and could laugh and scream, and the sold child came back with the bones and knocked on the door. ...The more Shitarion listened, the more he shuddered. Whether true or false, these weird stories all carry some kind of sign: Byrne has lived in repression for too long, and people's emotions are about to push their limits.
"Before the king disappeared, Byrne never did any of these things." An old man with a beard shouted.
"This is an ominous sign." The witch asserted, "The powerful talent possessed by the Nameless One has attracted the curse of the devil. After His Majesty left, Byrne's curse lost its suppression."
Finally, a certain knight said: "In order to find His Majesty the King and save our country, Your Majesty, we will do anything." His expression was so sincere.
"Everything." The black knight's eyes flashed with flames, "Including dying here?"
Jazz suddenly retreated and almost fell down. For a moment, everyone lowered their heads and said nothing, even Patio also closed his mouth. Sasbei narrowed his eyes: "I really want to give a positive response to confirm my determination. However, unfortunately, the people here are the backbone of the association. If it can be exchanged for His Majesty the King to show up, I will not say it is not worthwhile. , but the war is imminent, and the association should not be trapped. In the final analysis, our ultimate goal is to respond to the crisis, not to divert conflicts."
Hitarian couldn't believe his ears. He was actually blaming the lord, so fearlessly, presumably he didn't understand the undead lord.
But this is just the beginning. "Or is it that, my lord, there is another reason why you concealed His Majesty's whereabouts?" Sasbeth Brunken stared closely at the figure on the throne. The candles on the rose tree wept quietly, and the dim light was cut into pieces by the branches and leaves. .
The black knight's soul fire pulsed slightly. "what reason?"
"When some things happen, even the lords have to hide it. It's like, His Majesty the King turned into a devil."
Hitarian's eyes widened. She heard someone's breathing next to her ears and saw Patio's clenched fists. Many officials were sweating profusely and looked frightened. An elderly financial officer at the edge of the crowd clutched his chest, as if he would faint and fall to the ground in the next second. People had different expressions and were shocked by the news, even if it was just a baseless guess.
The Black Knight was unmoved. He was still sitting on the throne, the candlelight flickering, and the darkness around him made his eyes brighter and his figure more majestic. As long as he doesn't admit it, everything remains up in the air. At least Hitarian believed so. And as long as he denies it...
His Majesty the King is missing, but he will return one day. Moving to Gavash is just a temporary escape, Bain is still our homeland. There is no doubt about this. Starless Night has existed in the mysterious realm for nearly a thousand years and will not be destroyed overnight. After all, the Black Knight is a qualified leader. He will settle people and then consider everything in the future with the worst-case scenario. She shouldn't be frightened by his painstaking decision-making. Before His Majesty the King left, didn't he also entrust Bain to him? He is unlike any other lord.
Hitarian tightened his fingers, and the pages made a slight crinkling sound.
"I can give you any answer, Brenken. But there is only one answer you truly believe." The Black Knight stared at them coldly.
"My lord, I am loyal to you and your majesty with all my heart. Please tell me the truth."
"Do you really think so?" the Black Knight asked, "If you didn't break in, I could have given you hope. A less desperate answer."
No one expected him to say that. Hitarian was taken aback, and many people escaped from the capture of fear and watched the situation hesitantly. Sasbei frowned: "An answer?"
"It's not an answer to your question, you're not worthy yet." The Black Knight mocked, "It's an answer to Byrne. That is the future I am preparing to bring to you, but now, it is in danger."
A chill gripped her. Could have. An answer?
"I...I don't understand, sir. What does this mean?" Brenken's calm mask cracked.
"Literally. If you fools don't break in and become someone's key to unlocking the magic of the Holy Gate, then everything will be fine."
People looked up in confusion, and Hitarian felt even colder, as if every drop of blood was freezing. The Undead Knight concluded in a mocking tone: "You have made a big mistake."
The farce is over, she thought for no reason. Sasbei's throat moved up and down several times, but no sound came out. At this time, Night Watchman Patio suddenly knelt down again, and the sound of his knees drowned out the letter in Shitarion's hand. "My lord," he shouted, a move that undoubtedly cost him a lifetime of courage. "Please tell me, my lord! Will His Majesty the King come back? Will Byrne be captured? When will the enemy come? What should we do?"
"But there is still a chance of redemption." The Black Knight turned a deaf ear, "Lingot."
Hitarian stood up stiffly and followed the order to walk to a giant candle. In his mind, he frantically recalled whether he had the same hands and feet when he acted just now. The lord glanced at her displeasedly, and Hitarian felt that disaster was coming.
Then, the undead lord stood up.
When his sword passed through the iron sheath, it made a strange hum as smooth as silk. Sasbeth Blenken's face turned as pale as candle tears. "Sir." Patio was still asking, "What should we do?"
"Stay here." The black knight waved his sword.
It's hard to say she's unhappy with her career. Hitarian Ringot has the power to soothe people's hearts, easily calming untimely passions. She was proud of it. But at this moment, our young doctor only regrets that she is not an astrologer and could not foresee this unforgettable scene today.
Blood soaked the carpet, and the silver branches and leaves cast dark shadows, dividing the flesh and blood on the ground. Before the sword light fell, these things could still be called humans. Hitarian could still see expressions of horror on some of the faces that were lucky enough to be preserved, belonging to officials, merchants, night watchmen, and nobles. When they were carried into the Holy Gate by Sasbeth Brunken, the fate of these people was determined.
Sir Blenken, the leader, is no exception. He was a smart man, no doubt about it, but his intelligence failed to save him. This man dragged a large group of "elites" with him. He thought they would be his amulets, but they were easily chopped into pieces by the black knight, and his head opened its eyes unwillingly.
Hitarian closed his eyes. Stay calm, Ringot. People die, and they are not your friends. She covered her mouth to keep from vomiting. God be damned, thank Antholos for his war experience, otherwise what I saw would have been a nightmare that would keep me up at night.
The undead lord obviously didn't feel the same way. He put away his sword coldly and frowned at the blood on the ground. This man had no sympathy for the living, she thought, maybe he didn't even know what life was. After all, he is an undead.
But Hitarian was different. She found Patio's body at the edge. The night watchman kept the crouched posture when praying for an answer, but the answer he waited for was a sharp blade of judgment. To be honest, she didn't actually have a bad feeling towards him, nor did she towards most of the people present before. Even if they make mistakes, they still have an answer. Gods and lords forgive me, I pity them.
She didn't know where she got the courage: "Sir, what is the key?"
"secret."
"I'm sorry, I'm not..."
"The secret is the key." The Black Knight interrupted her, "If the answer is revealed, the magic will be lifted. The palace is the core of Byrne, and there is no room for error."
Although Hitarian did not understand the connection between the two, he could sense its importance. She wisely changed the subject: "The Blenken family colluded with the Chamber of Commerce, officials, and even the Night Watch. They caused unrest in the city and wanted to find the whereabouts of His Majesty the King. I met Lord Glimmer at the headquarters, your lord."
"He is much more sensible than the Byrnes." Black Knight commented.
So he stayed at the headquarters on your orders. Hitarian didn't dare to stare at the lord, so he could only lower his head and stare at the pattern randomly. The undead lord asked Celsus to lead his team back outside the city, but still fell into Blenken's trap and was led to Vivici Manor. Later, the Night Watch headquarters was threatened, and the Black Knight had already arranged the Glimmer Lord Alini there just in case.
But when Patio came to invite her to break through the holy gate, Alini did not stop him. Now that I think about it, the purpose is obvious. "Why are you allowing Sarsbeth Blenken to enter the palace, my lord?" Hitarian asked. "It would be safer to prevent him from entering the Holy Gate."
"What do you think?"
She blinked. "Uh, time is tight and it's difficult to schedule?" There are also traitors in the night watch, and we can't identify them immediately. "Is it easy for the news to leak out, sir?"
"No. I want to see them die."
Eliminate dissidents. Hitarian didn't expect to get this answer, and couldn't help but feel glad that she was considered "one of his own". "Then...then there are criminals. The Raven Staff Group provoked conflicts in the city and led people to besiege the Night Watch headquarters; the Mighty Hands wanted to steal the moment ladder, and Vivec was Brenken's accomplice and had been running smuggling for a long time. , all need your judgment." Do you want to kill them too?
The Black Knight snorted. "Of course, otherwise they would have forgiven each other. These are my loyal people."
She felt quite uneasy: "We are already short of manpower, sir. If we can make them guilty and meritorious service..."
The Undead Knight has no objection to this. This matter was written down by Hitarian, and after leaving the palace, it will be handed over to the few remaining officials to discuss and refine it. "Except the Ravens. These are our people," he reminded.
"Handy Emspan?" she repeated in disbelief.
"This is what he wants to see, the price of keeping Byrne." The lord did not elaborate. Hitarian had no choice but to suppress his doubts and continue the calming magic for a while. Otherwise, facing the ferocious massacre scene, she would definitely lose her mind.
"What's on your hand?"
Hitarian had almost forgotten about the piece of paper. "It's a letter, sir, related to the Ladder. It can be used as evidence of the Miao Hands' betrayal."
The Black Knight stared at her silently until she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "Hold it," he said at last. "I may need it."
"Yes, sir."
The lord descended the long steps, Hitarian following close behind. The Holy Gate was still shrouded in night fog. In her eyes, this majestic giant gate had become truly mysterious. While hesitating, she thought of Patio again. He was so polite to me that maybe I should fulfill his last wish. "Sir... Your Majesty, His Majesty the King, uh, I mean, if it is possible... when will he..."
"……return?"
"Byrne City needs him." Hitarian said slowly, "The Alliance of Order forces are approaching."
"Do you believe this yourself?"
She really wanted to believe it, but... Mortals put their hopes in the Society, and the Society counted on the King. Hitarian had only been in the Society for two months and had never seen the King. The Miao Hand Group wanted to run the ladder, and even these Byrnes who grew up here wanted to escape, and they were the people who had been truly protected by the king for a long time.
It's not just them. When several lords discussed the strategy of forming an association, Hitarian also participated in the recording. "Lord Quicksilver" broke into the palace earlier and was punished. "Lord Fire Moon" was confirmed to be the Nightingale of Order. Only "Lord of Hell" Whitehead, "Lord of Ashes and Thunder" Ziegler, and "Lord of the Undead" "The Black Knight attended, and the whereabouts of "Glimmer Lord" Anlini became a mystery, and he was not seen for a long time.
The seven Nameless Lords, the betrayers of the seven mysterious pivots, the whole hope of the Order. They finally agreed to defend Byrne, but it was a difficult decision to make.
"Even if the king is not missing, we will only fail, right?" she asked softly.
"That's it," the undead told her. At a meeting with other lords, he advocated abandoning Byrne and disbanding the "Starless Night". Hitarian remembered.
"No chance at all?" She hoped for a different answer. "His Majesty the King is a great saint, sir. There are not even saints sitting in many mysterious fulcrums. Even if His Majesty is missing, we still have the lords, and the nameless ones have always been stronger than the order creatures with the same mystery -"
"Only five saints have appeared since ancient times." The Black Knight stopped, "There are four alive today. Lords and saints are completely different, Lingot, they are two completely different levels. To be honest, I do There is a way to find the king, but to prepare, you must first unlock the magic of the palace.”
He paused. "This is tantamount to exposing the association to the eyes of the tower."
Hitarian's heart sank. The undead lord's decision was very correct. Even if the king returned, the coalition forces of Order who found the coordinates could easily capture Bain City. He is delaying the demise of the association as long as possible. Therefore, the magic of the palace can never be broken.
At this moment, she almost fell in love with Miaoshou Tuan. At least this was a glimmer of hope. But if we really want to escape, where can we go? Hitarian didn't answer.
"Will you leave, my lord?" In desperation, she blurted out what was in her heart, "Everyone wants to escape from Byrne, do you think so too?" Hidden in an inaccessible place, isolated from the world... "When we get there When the time comes, will you leave us behind?"
"What's the benefit?" The Black Knight seemed quite interested.
"Stay alive...uh." She understood.
"At most, you die again." The undead snorted from behind the armor, "It's not new."
means no. Hitarian's hanging heart finally fell to the ground. How could you doubt him? What a complete fool I am! "I just don't want to die, my lord." She murmured, "And the traitor, he is alive, I thought he was dead long ago." She actually thought that the lord had the same idea as the Blenken family in sparing him life. Oh, gods... "Please forgive me, my lord." Tears came to my eyes.
But she waited neither for forgiveness nor for punishment. The black knight disappeared silently, and suddenly there was no one around. Only Hitarian stood on the last step, taking one step back to the holy door. What happened to the palace was like a nightmare.
Countless thoughts came to me at the same time. Hitarian felt relieved as if he had survived a disaster, and hurriedly wiped his face dry. Celsus is still waiting for me to return. He will be happy with the news of the death of Sasbe and Patio...but she must keep the secret of the Holy Gate secret.
At this time, she belatedly discovered that the Black Knight did not tell who was the culprit who instigated Blenken and intended to break the magic of the Holy Gate.
He didn't tell her what the answer he planned to give them was.
