Hitarian recoiled in fear, deaf to his mentor's calls. Her mind went blank, spinning with all kinds of ominous thoughts.
Ning Ayin'er gave her a gentle slap. "Don't stand there, Ringot," she said sternly. "Go and light the candle."
Hitarian finally came to his senses and hurried to do it. She kept her head down all the way, not daring to look directly at them. But she delayed for too long and was still noticed by the other party.
"This girl was beaten hard just now?" the black knight asked.
"She is just a child, sir." The elf mentor explained, "She just saw something that she shouldn't have seen." Her hands were not messy, and a piece of shining starlight was shed. Fine powders flew around the room, the room temperature plummeted, and shadows scurried around the corners.
The undead lord stood in the shadows, like a sculpture swallowing light. His armor was full of cracks, the metal was badly worn, and his movements were uncoordinated. Through the touch of fire, Hitarian saw the invisible magic surrounding him, dead silence, tranquility, with some weird qualities. They are like needles and threads, densely packed through the gaps in the armor.
To be honest, compared to the massacre scene in the palace, this was what she "shouldn't see". Byrne City is not a holy place of peace. There are no less murders here than any other country in a day, and Hitarian is not an ignorant girl. When she wears the cloak of the Night's Watch and walks through the prisons and steps, Hitarian Ringot is the nightingale in the darkness. She has loyal compatriots and lords sworn to, who will give her strength.
Until she noticed one of them was being shaken.
The lord was wounded. Hitarian thought anxiously. Will the undead lord also be injured? Is it a fight? I think the intensity is quite high. But he is always in the palace! Who would disobey him? Who can hurt him? Blenken's accomplices are all dead, who else will be left in the palace? After all, what is going on inside?
No one paid attention to her random thoughts. "I asked her to find Anlini." Black Knight said.
"Lord Shimmer has come and gone. The Alliance of Order forces are killing each other in the Veil Mountains. He wants to go and see."
"That's purging. Don't let him join in the fun. Someone is in charge."
"The Lord of the Pit has also sent a message." The mentor motioned for Hitarian to come over.
She held the candle in one hand and struggled to unfold the letter with the other. The farther the distance, the harder it is for the gardener's pansies, which are often badly damaged after being received, requiring the message to be transcribed. This is a major part of Hitarian's job.
Of course, there is another way here. The undead lord asked her to record it on special paper so that only the author could see the content. Hitarian read the message out every time, never touching it himself.
Gardeners and Ning Ayin'er sometimes do the same work as apprentices. Hitarian suddenly remembered. He wants us to receive letters but never leave any trace of ourselves. This style of behavior is exactly what the Night's Watch admires, because some of them want to venture into the vassal countries of the Seven Pillars to rescue their compatriots from the hunters' fires. The "leader" must act in secret...
"Give it to me." Seeing that she couldn't shake the letter open with one hand, the black knight became impatient. Hitarian had no choice but to serve as a candlestick.
"Doing this will leave traces. Mysterious traces." Ning Ayin'er warned. Sure enough. Hitarian thought that the lord did this to keep it a secret.
"It's all the same. You are my people, including the gardener. What's the difference between this and self-reporting?"
"That's true. We are completely at your command, sir." The fluorescent light dispersed, and the room became increasingly colder. Hitarian began to feel unwell. Ning Ayin'er glanced at her but did not drive the apprentice away.
The content of the letter was clear to Hitarian. "Hell Lord" Whitehead is hiding in the coalition army, marching with the Seven Pillars. He brought some information on defense and armament and asked his colleagues to pass it on to surrounding small associations to organize raids. In addition, the lord asked about Byrne's current situation at the end, but there were only a few words and no details.
"He wants to know what's going on," Black Knight said.
"And it's the situation in the palace."
"Obviously, a surprise."
"Should we inform him, sir?" the instructor asked.
"Someone will do it for you. Is there a letter from Ao no Mori? Deal with it first."
Ning Ayin'er continued to sprinkle fluorescent light, and waited until the powder between her fingers fell away before taking out the letter. This is an uncopied original letter, and the sealing wax is a flat brown acorn. "She gave it to me alone."
"Of course. The crow cannot fly into Gavash." The Black Knight said without emotion. "Whenever she can control the dead bird, I will set up a special recipient position for her."
"One third of them are talking about the plague." The elf dean sighed, "She asked me to help."
"Leave Byrne behind? Did she say that?"
"No." Hitarian saw that his mentor was lying. She has a little habit of biting her lips, but I still feel nothing about it.
The Black Knight undoubtedly saw it, but surprisingly, he didn't expose it. "Tell her that she either needs to solve the problem in the forest as soon as possible, or in half a month at the latest, Byrne will have a bunch of new plagues waiting for her. Probably plague, typhoid, measles and hemorrhagic fever, each of which is her old friend .”
Hitarian shuddered. There is no doubt that war means outbreaks of disease. After all, there are tens of thousands of times more mortal soldiers than priests joining the army. If they kill each other, there will definitely be rivers of blood. The gods graciously grant clerics the power to eliminate plagues, but they are of little use unless Kongjing himself casts the spell. She had seen this scene before. In order to save the main city of the territory where the undead were raging, Duke Tracy of Yinsman invited a cardinal based on his personal connections.
"She is not worried." The elf dean said, "The Holy Council of Light will not be absent when the time comes. Fire can solve all problems."
"Just use the ready-made methods. In my opinion, Heather is no worse than Lucia. The remaining ashes of the latter just fertilize the former."
"Please reply to her personally, my lord, I don't want to agree with this." Ning Ayin'er said, "I am a doctor, not a butcher. In any case, after all, it was a city of associations, just like Ogresel, Even Byrne. I voted against that test field meeting - thank you for giving me the right to vote, my lord - but it will be the same this time. The matter should be terminated. Better do it now. I don't agree. Now. and never will.”
"You don't agree, but you can't change the status quo." Black Knight pointed out, "Most people agreed, so this is a democratic decision."
"Natural elves have always advocated democracy, but they didn't know that we were seeking death." The instructor replied calmly. Even if there was sadness in her heart, Hitarian couldn't see it on the surface.
"You will receive the honor you have been seeking for a long time. Tell Yinweigert that the society will promote her dedication, so that she will leave her name in history and be praised by others."
"If it were me, I'd rather choose life."
"She is not worthy of the choice." The fire in the black knight's eyes sparkled. "A long time ago, when the ancestors of the elves of the Blue Forest lived, Heather's people made a choice. Since everyone is still following democracy, I will naturally continue the old system. If she asks, Ning Ayin Well, tell her that. I look forward to a new reply from her."
For a long time, no one spoke in the room, and the only sound in the silence was Hitarian's breathing. The elf dean turned around. "You scared Lingot, my lord." Her unarmored fingers brushed against the candle flame and landed on Hitarian's shoulder. Only then did she realize that she was shaking badly. "Go next door, good boy. This isn't the place for you."
"Next door?" She almost bit her tongue when she spoke.
The undead lord suddenly turned his head and looked at her with fire. To be honest, this made her even more uneasy.
"Your magic can soothe emotions and calm the spirit, which is exactly what he needs. Go." Ning Ayin'er took the candlestick.
"Wait a minute." The Black Knight raised a hand, "It is better for us that he is restless."
"What do you want, my lord? The boy is one of our own."
"I know this very well. Ning Ayin'er, what do you think I will do?"
"I don't know, my lord. That's why I'm worried."
"The heart of a woman." The lord snorted, "Since he walked out of the palace alive, I don't mind if he lives a few more years. Uriel is the messenger of Cloyin Tower, but everything will not be passed to the ears of the prophet. .”
Hitarian's heart skipped a beat. Uriel. Uriel? He was in Byrne and had been to the palace. Lucia, what's going on?
"This child broke into the palace." The Elf Mentor said slowly, "Both emotions and reasons are yours to deal with, my lord. The secret must be kept, but we are not sure of his position yet."
The Black Knight was quite interested: "What suggestions do you have, Dean, to get the best of both worlds?"
"Use that sword. He will be loyal to you and will never be in danger of betrayal." The mentor paused briefly, "At the same time, he has the right to live."
The lord snorted. "Like Styx?"
"Who is this person?"
"Dead people. People who never existed. Hmm, maybe this is just a human skin."
Ning Ayin'er understood: "You used the sword... okay, he died?"
The Black Knight didn't answer. He waved his hand casually, and pieces of armor were shattered and melted in the sudden rising flames. The subtle wear and tear that recorded the scars and achievements also quietly disappeared. The new armor is the same as before. In the blink of an eye, the lord changed back to his original appearance.
Hitarian only dared to look at the sword. As the holder of a Bible, its presence was so vivid that it was hard for her to ignore it. She asked Liana, asked Celsus, and the northerner Witek, about the sword, but none of them knew even its name.
Because of its weird shape, Hitarian secretly called it "Staff Sword" or "Bone Sword". She heard "Glimmer Lord" Alini also call it "Scepter", and the residents of Gavash used to call it "Scepter". Night skeleton". Regardless, only the Black Knight knows its true name.
"Destiny," the mentor warned while cleaning his fingers, "is a bottomless abyss."
"It is fate." The Black Knight opened the door.
…
It had already taken a lot of time to clean the potions from the floor tiles, and it took a while to sort out the letters, so when the tutor threw the potions over, she was so impatient that she wanted to go next door to find out.
...only to hear a scream. Hitarian suddenly thought: "Uriel? What's wrong with you?"
"Kitarian?"
It's really him. Hitarian almost dropped the potion in his hand. She hurriedly let go of the handle, hugged a lot of things in her arms, and pushed the door open with her shoulders. The wounded man looked at her in surprise.
This scene made her feel very embarrassed. Hitarian Ringot knew each other, even though their identities were so different.
When he first met Uriel, the tower messenger saved Ruth from under the wheel, and later in the church of the Silent School, he came to her aid again. Out of her childish willfulness, she once dragged him into the dream created by "Confessions". As a result, they got along as happily as family members. They were the blood relatives of Tinder described by Ms. Liana. Today, they finally meet in Byrne, and Hitarian doesn't want Uriel to still think she is clumsy.
"Kitarian, is it really you?" Although Uriel was surprised, his expression was not very pretty. Of course. He had just been injured and his whole body looked dull. "Why are you here?"
I live here. "...Oh." As soon as he opened his mouth, Hitarian stumbled beside the bed, and had to rely on the wounded to reach out to help him. She got up angrily and just wanted to kick the chair twice to vent her anger.
"Or maybe I saw it wrong." Uriel smiled, "You are not Hitarian, but Ruth?"
"I wasn't careful." She carefully avoided the bandages on his body. "Ruth is still sleeping...well, sleeping, I guess. She's safe." The scroll of oaths can detect lies. I can't forget it. . "I'm the doctor here."
"You have become so brave, Hitarian."
"People will always change." Hearing him say this, Hitarian felt quite proud. "It's you, Uriel, you're here to thank me!"
The messenger blinked. "This is a great place for us."
"Of course. There will never be another Byrne. Are you finally planning to leave the tower? Settle in Byrne?" She couldn't hold back her inner excitement. "I know that there is a vacant property that was handed over to the night watchman by its owner. It’s for sale. It’s a perfect fit. There are two ash trees in the yard there, and their flowers are beautiful during the flower moon. Uriel, let’s be neighbors!”
"I've been coming to Byrne for a while, actually."
"But you didn't come to me? It's unbelievable!" Hitarian felt hurt.
"Oh, that's not the case, there is another reason here... Generally speaking, I have been in trouble recently, so I am not a qualified guest." Uriel seemed not to want to say more, "What's more, I don't know where you live. .Where is Ringott Manor?" he asked jokingly.
It was Hitarian's turn to get stuck. She intentionally invites Uriel, but her home is actually Ms. Liana’s home. Of course, this is nothing. She can introduce them to each other, but how to explain the letters and information sent every day? As her boss, the Undead Lord would come to urge her to do things from time to time. If the two parties meet face to face, all the warm atmosphere will disappear and no one will dare to talk anymore. That's really scary!
What's worse is that she can't lie to Uriel. "I am now a member of the Night's Watch, Uriel," Kitarian whispered.
"I can see that."
She was startled. "Can you tell?"
"Don't be afraid, there's nothing written on your face." Uriel comforted, "But we have met many times."
In the dreamland of "Confessions", in the church of the Silent School. Ordinary unknown people don't haunt these places, so what else could they be? Hitarian couldn't help but blush. I'm so stupid all the time! Why can't I calm down? She regretted not enchanting herself outside the door.
】
She suddenly remembered something: "What happened just now? I heard you shouting, what happened?"
"I... tried a little, uh, a more radical treatment plan." Uriel said sheepishly. His confession put Hitarian at ease. "Please give me some advice, doctor. Why do magical effects come and go?"
It must have been caused by the instructor's magic next door just now. She used potions to dispel the breath of life and create an environment similar to Gavash to help the lord. Uriel is a clergyman, so his mystery will naturally be affected, but Hitarian does not dare to talk nonsense.
"There's something special about the hospital." She searched her brain, trying to find a sentence that could explain the situation without lying. "Let's change places. Where do you live? I'll take you back."
Gao Taxin looked at her with strange eyes.
Hitarian felt uncomfortable. Could it be that he saw that I was avoiding it? I still guessed the next door...which is unlikely. It was obvious that he had interacted with the Lord and was involved in the incident in the palace, but Hitarian was not involved in it, at least that was how it appeared. I am a qualified nightingale.
"No, Hitarian." Uriel rejected her. "Let me experience Byrne's medical level. My temporary residence is much simpler than here. There is no need to go back."
"Temporary?" Hitarian seized on the word.
"Did I say this word? No, maybe it was a chapel, or a tower clock, or a table? Did you hear it wrong..."
"Temporary accommodation."
"Uh, yes, that's about it. You heard me right." The tower messenger's tone sounded like he suddenly twisted his toes. "I mean, I was in a hurry on the way out, a little unexpected - there were some special circumstances going on in the Black City, you know - which is to say, I didn't bring enough cash. So, you see, I just Affordable rent. Temporary accommodation. Right?”
"Going in a hurry?"
There was a long moment of silence. She didn't dare to look at Uriel, but she could feel the gaze falling on him. I shouldn't have made things difficult for him, Hitarian blamed himself, he was hurt.
"Lingot." Uriel said gently, "There is something you must know."
She took a step back.
"I'm grateful for your care, Ringot. I'm so happy to see you. I haven't been in such a good mood for a long time. I really hope you can live a safe and happy life, you and Ruth together." God bless you, more than anything else. Hitarian, you bring many beautiful things, unique to me." He noticed Hitarian's movements, but insisted on finishing. "But I will leave Byrne soon and return to Brumnot."
Hitarian fell into an ice cave. Suddenly, thousands of thoughts rushed into her throat, but she couldn't say a word. "I thought you came to see me, Uriel. I thought you wanted to join the Society."
"I don't want to disappoint you, Ringot, but there's something—"
"I'm so disappointed!" she shouted, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "Why?" We are compatriots, brothers and sisters, and blood relatives in soul. "You have even been to the palace. You are already a member of Starless Night!"
"I'm not. There are complicated reasons."
"Why?" She pressed closer. "Are you afraid of the Sky Tower, the White Envoy, your mentor? Are you unwilling to betray the astrologers? They are demon hunters. They will burn you to death!"
"He won't," Uriel said firmly.
"This is completely impossible!" Hitarian retorted angrily, "Even if the Tower of Sky doesn't discover your fire, you still can't go back... Do you want to fight side by side with the Fulcrum of Order and massacre your compatriots?"
"Don't be stupid!" Uriel couldn't help laughing.
"Then why are you going back?"
"Maybe I simply resigned." He shrugged. "I can't just disappear casually, otherwise no member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would dare to leave the headquarters. This is not dangerous at all. Remember? In the records of the Sky Tower, I Not a nameless one at all.”
Hitarian's tongue swept across the upper teeth, tasting an uneasy taste of blood. "No, Uriel, I know you. You are not made to be a nightingale! You will not be able to bear it."
"You don't understand anything." The tower messenger was overjoyed. "Okay, Hitarian, don't cry. You are really worried too much."
"Then don't worry me."
"God, stop thinking so wildly."
"If you go back, I will have random thoughts."
"It's nothing to think about! After all, you shouldn't think about such things, Hitarian."
He still didn't agree. Hitarian was disappointed. For a while, she couldn't even think of a way to stop the other party, and even began to hate herself. In the end, Hitarian could only move out the Black Knight. "I will go find the lord, Uriel, you can't just leave. Tell you, I will, I will!"
"It's useless to look for him. I have to go." Uriel did not change his mind at all. "Whether you say I am taking a risk or saying I am stupid, in short, I will not sneak away quietly and change my family in secret. This matter is always the same. There has to be an ending.”
"No, no, no! What do I have to say to make you understand? This is ridiculous!" Hitarian screamed in disbelief. "There are tens of thousands of people in the tower, and every member who leaves the vassal country has to go back. Can’t we hand over the work? And no matter what, don’t we have pansies? Tell the truth, Uriel! Is it the Lord who wants you to be a nightingale?”
"He is not my lord, just like MacAdam is not my king. I will not obey his orders, Hitarian." Uriel put away his smile, "Until I break my oath to Cloyinta, Neither."
"Who cares about the damn oath!" Hitarian raised his voice, "Uriel, you are a nameless one, not a demon hunter! You are our compatriot."
"So I must go back." He sighed, "Lingote, I don't want to see you die."
Hitarian opened his eyes wide. All her words and thoughts came to an abrupt halt. for me? She doesn't understand.
Uriel put his injured hand on her shoulder. "The king is dead, I believe you all know it. The origin of the Seven Pillars' declaration of war against the Nameless One is the Gate of Hell back then, and the second is the former Saint MacAdam. The evil dragon was killed by the victor, and the king has also died. This The demon hunting movement has actually lost its reason.”
The king is dead. Hitarian thought vaguely. Strangely, the news didn't bring much panic to her, in fact, far less than when she saw the undead lord injured next door. After all, I have never seen the king of Bain with my own eyes. Even on the throne at the end of the palace level, there was only the figure of the Black Knight. The king was too far away from her, and her feelings were not very deep. What frightened her was just the fantasy growing in her heart.
"The prophet does not know this news." The tower messenger continued, "The mysterious place in the palace still exists, and with the help of the divine descending ceremony, it is difficult for saints to pry into it. In my opinion, we want both sides to realize the fact and finally stop fighting. If there is a truce, someone has to inform them. I’m not worried about Bain, only the tower is left now.”
Hitarian turned his head subconsciously and put the blood-soaked bandage on his cheek, feeling the warm and soft touch of the linen fabric.
"This is my task as a messenger." Uriel said calmly. "The messenger of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been vacant for hundreds of years, until the prophet gave me the burden... Maybe this is the choice of fate."
His voice was so powerful that even Hitarian was tempted. When the king dies, will the Seven Pivot Points lose their purpose and thus their motivation? The demon-hunting corps will be disbanded on the spot, will they resume their old business and return to their own country? "Will order really cease war?"
"Even if there is a chance, we must fight for it." Uriel sighed, "If we fight, the association will inevitably fail, there is no other ending. To take a step back, Byrne will no longer be a safe zone. You don't want to be with Ruth's back on the streets, isn't she?"
"The Lord will not let this happen." Hitarian insisted.
"Your lord will not surrender, I know this for sure." The messenger's face was gloomy, "He will mobilize all forces for the battle."
The words pierced her heart. The fear that Hitarian had felt for days came back to him again. It turns out that I wasn't afraid that he would abandon us. They asked themselves, I just can't ignore the gap between the two sides like a lord. Mysterious creatures can still fight to the death, but what should mortals do? When the war started, I was just a mortal in the fighting...
"But maybe the Black Knight has other tricks, and we don't know about it. The Scroll of Oath and I made him too vigilant, and he didn't say a word. In any case, Hitarian, it is a good thing to trust your lord."
Even he was injured. The tragedy of the nobles in the palace came to mind, and Hitarian realized that the undead lord did not let her handle everything. She could see some letters, but she couldn't pry into the real secrets.
It was obvious that Hitarian was not yet qualified to be the lord's confidant. Her mentor, Ning Ayin'er, was barely able to do so. She became the director of the Bayon National Hospital undoubtedly at the behest of the Black Knight. I wish I could trust him with all my heart, but how am I supposed to know him!
"What about you, Uriel? Are you afraid that Byrne is going to war? You want to be on the side of the winner, and what if we win?"
"Victory comes at a price," Uriel told her.
cost. king. Target. She suddenly remembered that the person in front of her was a priest of the goddess Gaia, and she couldn't help feeling ashamed. "I..." How did I become like this? Hitarian thought doubtfully. The King protected the secret society, and I wonder how much benefit his death has done us. She trembled, whether because of her own despicability or the fear of war.
Who can tell the difference?
Uriel understood. "It doesn't matter, many people think so. Fear is not the enemy, but a partner who alerts us." The tower messenger wiped the blood from the girl's face. “Only fear can make you brave.”
"I am not afraid. I am the Nightingale of the Night's Watch." Hitarian himself did not know whether this was true or not. She is the holder of the "Confessions". She can only have nightmares and can identify the true owner of the scroll of oaths.
"That's it. But I'm not a nightingale, and I can never be a nightingale, because I don't want to betray anyone's trust. But I am Gaia's Knight of Proverbs, and this is my responsibility."
