When he met the leader of the Raven Staff Group, he was completely different from before they parted ways. The only thing that stood out was the metal arm.
"How much do you know, Uriel?" Handy Enspan asked straight to the point. "So what the undead told you, eh?"
"You have worked together before," the apprentice said, aware of the certainty in his tone.
One-armed smile. "Sometimes, from the perspective of compatriots, our interests are the same. But even you, a foreigner, can see that maybe I was a little too hasty."
It turned out to be true. After Uriel heard about the civil strife in Byrne, he discovered many mysteries in it. The timely return of the Night Watch, the massive turmoil of the Ravens, and the sudden pressure from the big and small families... Compared to this, the betrayal of the Merchant Guild was rather expected.
But how did Bellugo Vivici get the news? Miaoshou Group? When Handy decided to break into the Night's Watch headquarters, he only informed his confidants of his plan. Even if someone really spied on him and the news came out, Bellugo should not turn around and choose Brunken and the fisherman as his new partners. The chaos in Vivici Manor was caused by the ladder. Byrne's "nobles" regarded it as a retreat. If it was enough to say that they were plotting the ladder, how could they tell the news to the Vivici family?
"Belugo and Yolizabo are very close." Enspan told him, "The latter was once the steward of Byrne, with high power and position, second only to the lord. However, after Lord Mercury was forced to give up his territory, he His status has also plummeted. Now, people can see that he is from Lametta."
Although Uriel sympathized with the Nameless One, he did not like the "Mercury Lord" Lametta. This woman is a complete lunatic, planning inhumane destruction plans all day long, and living like a collective of hatred. He couldn't understand her behavior.
Unexpectedly, she was involved in it. "What happened to the former general manager?"
"He took refuge with the undead lord, told the secrets of his former master, and was finally reinstated in just a few days."
Uriel couldn't help blinking: "As far as I know, Lord Mercury is missing?" There is no way a person like Lametta would allow a betrayer to live happily.
"She's alive," Earnspan said calmly, "but it's impossible for us to regard her as a colleague anymore. This woman is self-righteous and moody. The most fatal thing is that she can't even tell whether we are the enemy or not. We and She is not a stranger."
Lametta lost his "territory" and thus lost corresponding power in the association. It is equivalent to the downfall of an official. Uriel thought to himself. No wonder her men also abandoned her and found other careers. However, this Yolizab moved so quickly and was able to be reinstated... He was not sure of this person's loyalty.
None of these things need worry the Tower Messenger. "I'm leaving Byrne."
"It's not the original price now." The leader of the Raven Group reminded him.
"I know you are associated with the 'Lords of the Pit' in Fife Tanner."
"How to prove it?"
"I heard that there is a famous explorer in the mysterious realm, known as 'Prosthetic Hand' Xinge. That is actually your name. The real Lord of the Pit needs your identity, so you came to Byrne and became a member of the Ravens 's one-armed."
"We are not the only two cripples in this world, my lord."
"In the previous wave of escapes when Ogrethel was captured, there was a person who went back on the reverse route. That city was probably in Faftanna, which is the territory of the Lord of the Pit. On the passenger report, this person's name was 'Karna· Marin'. This means that he is either a rich man who paid the price of the entire trip in one go, or he didn't spend a penny." Uriel paused for a moment, "The Ravens will bear the corresponding expenses."
"There really aren't many people like that."
"There is no rich man named Karna Marin in Byrne. As for other passengers heading to the sunken area: night watchmen traveling alone, guides, and even Avengers on the front line, it is possible. But unfortunately, I pay more attention to the news about adventurers. , knowing that there is a famous explorer in Knox, 'Prosthetic Hand' Sin'e. He has extremely rich experiences and an extraordinary status. He is a good friend of the Earl of the Fog Elf and has access to many secrets. The most important thing is , he has a prosthetic hand."
After a brief silence, "Handy" lowered his head to look at his metal right arm. It made a slight grinding sound, and the knuckles clenched and unclenched. "None of this is conclusive evidence, but once people have doubts, evidence doesn't matter at all."
Uriel looked at him quietly.
"You are right, I am Xing'e. Enspan is my fellow villager and my boss. We were childhood friends. He knew me so well that he could use magic to change his appearance and become like me."
"You know him too?"
"We come from the same school and have the same career path." Handy, or "Prosthetic Hand" Xinge told him, "A career suitable for hiding. The career of Nightingale."
But "Nightingale" itself is not a mysterious profession, it is just a general term for spies, liars, and killer assassins. The most terrifying assassin Uriel had ever seen was named Styx. This person can eliminate the sense of existence, turn into the appearance of anyone, and even replace the target's fate. If the "Seven Bibles" didn't have the ability to sense each other, even the Black Knight wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
But when the apprentice told Xinge about the "human skin assassin" encountered in the palace, the latter just smiled. "That's not the most terrible assassin, Uriel. I think it's the mysterious object. Among the nightingales, there is a rumor that there is an extraordinary treasure that can make anyone unsuspecting and unable to see the wearer. We call it 'Nightingale Helm' or 'Nightingale King'."
"Can you turn a living person into a piece of skin?"
"No. The King of Nightingales was originally a set of armor with unparalleled concealment capabilities. However, during the Ancestors period, the nobles of the old empire were afraid of its power and sent people to collect the entire set of armor and recast it into a knight's armor. This set of treasures Lost its mysterious properties. Only the helmet survived."
Uriel was very interested in this story.
"Since then, the remaining helmet of the 'King of Nightingales' has become a mysterious item in the Sky Realm, which can only be driven by high-level mysteries. And in order to achieve the original effect, the person who uses it has to pay a high price."
Apprentices are no stranger to the cost of mysterious items. "What is it?"
"As far as I know, the user needs to make it complete or it won't work."
whole. Uriel couldn't help but think. The Nightingale Helm has been smelted and recast, how can it be restored to its integrity? I guess I found armor that had lost its mysterious power. After all, it's just steel.
He seemed to see Zeppe Blenken's human skin curling up in the fire. "not……?"
"Human skin. That's right. That's it. And even more than that! Once someone puts a helmet on, they can't take it off for life."
"It wants its master's skin."
"'King of Nightingales'. What a praise. However, this title does not belong to anyone, but refers to the treasure itself. Perhaps only the combination of the helmet and the wearer can restore the original kingly style." Xing'e said, "Put on the iron helmet , you can become a non-existent person, and you can only take it off until death."
Uriel shuddered. "I don't like this thing," he said.
"Only those who pursue the ultimate in assassins and those who are desperate will use it." Xing'e also agreed, "In the final analysis, there is only one Nightingale Helmet, and the skill of making it has been lost. Ordinary Nightingales - like me , people who just need to hide their identity – have more options.”
"What is your occupation? Gardener?"
"Shaper. I don't think you have heard of it." Xing'e told the secret frankly, "'Personality Face' was once the basic magic of this career path. Later, a genius cracked the secret and transformed it into It spread and became a skill used by most nightingales. However, there is no corresponding professional matching, and their changes are far less perfect than mine. This skill requires the cooperation of mysterious creatures of the same profession. Two people. Two talents are the key. "
"You exchanged identities."
"That's it." Xinge told him, "Enspan wants to take over my identity and use magic to imitate the appearance. However, not all human memories are in the fire, and the body also stores parts. When changing the body, he will contact To this part of the memory, confusion arises. For ordinary nightingales, this is only a temporary trouble, but the Lord of the Nameless One must hide it for a long time and completely, otherwise he will be in disaster."
"Can your profession solve this problem?" Uriel looked at him thoughtfully.
"You can see it. This look is not mine."
"He... stripped off a part of himself, and you stored it."
"All his memories related to the body are with me." Xing'e said softly, "The Lords of the Connection Society don't know either. Xing'e or Enspan are not the 'Lords of the Pit', it's the two of us who make up Whitehead."
"Then your hands...?"
"Oh, Handy is a healthy person, but I am used to this. Retaining some of the characteristics of the original body will also help me protect the memory of being 'Sing'e'."
No wonder the "Fire Moon Lord" failed to see through his identity, Uriel thought to himself. The "Lord of Hell" Ye Yan met was most likely Handy Enspan with intact limbs, so the identity of "Prosthetic Hand" Xin'e was naturally preserved in the Fulcrum of Order.
The famous explorer "Prosthetic Hand" Sin'e, and Handy Enspan, the leader of the Raven Group and night watchman who only operates in Byrne City. Who would have thought that the two were actually the same guild lord? It's so exquisite. Putting aside the unique techniques, in terms of secrecy and rigor, Hell Lord Whitehead was simply the best nightingale he had ever seen.
Uriel sighed. "I just had a guess, but you told me this. I don't know why you did this, Your Excellency, I'm leaving."
"You really don't know?"
"I do not want to know."
"If you leave at this time, where are you going?"
"After all, it's somewhere you can send me to. Let me think about it, Yin Shiman, what do you think?"
"Don't blame me for not reminding you, Uriel. If you leave at this time, what greets you may be different from what you imagined."
You have no idea what I imagined things would be like. "No matter what, I want to go back. This is my mission." Uriel said firmly, "Of course, you and your secret are an obstacle to me -"
"I can't stop you. It doesn't matter." Xing'e waved his hand. His attitude surprised the apprentice. "Enspan is coming back, and I will be Sin'e again," the explorer told the apprentice.
"What's going on?" Ogresel was destroyed not long ago. Even then, there was no news that the "Lord of the Pit" appeared.
The leader of the Ravens stood up from his chair and groped in the drawer for his pipe. He knocked on the edge and a small piece of gray shell fell off. The sparks flickered, but what was scattered was not smoke, but strands of fluorescence. Uriel smelled a strange sweet aroma.
Soon he realized it was tobacco made from some mysterious plant. As the fluorescence spreads, the perception effects of magic and divine spells become slower. In the fire's field of vision, all the nameless people outside the room disappear, and only Xin'e still has a sense of existence. The latter took a long puff of cigarette and nodded to the apprentice.
"You have been to the palace." Xin'e sat back, "You should know the secrets there. The mysterious place shrouds the entire area behind the Holy Gate, making the palace a forbidden place for Bain."
There are more secrets inside. Uriel thought to himself. "I won't tell anyone," he promised.
"It doesn't matter. You and me, the undead, and his men, huh, of course we can keep our mouths shut, but what is needed to maintain the mysterious place is not how strict we are - the king is the key."
Yuli suddenly became nervous: "What?"
Xin'e didn't care. "The king is missing, and his mysterious power may disappear at any time. We all expected this. The Black Knight got the method from nowhere and continued His Majesty's power, but it is not a long-term solution. One day, Bayern City will be exposed In the sight of Order, and your Tower of the Sky will be the first to see it."
It seems that everything is still according to the association's plan. Uriel breathed a sigh of relief. He thought that the palace's magic could last for a while, but unexpectedly it was related to the king's condition. McAdam is dead. No one knows this better than Uriel! If Byrne was destroyed, he would never be able to forgive himself.
"It will be less than five days before the magic of the palace actually expires." Xing'e told him, "It will not help if Enspan stays in the Alliance of Order. Byrne has many connections with Oglethel, and is the core of the association, Lord of the Deep Hell. Many mysterious traces have been left in these places, and astrologers will surely discover them.”
Uriel understood: "Even you are here."
"That's it." The leader of the Raven Staff Group grimaced, "We have nowhere to escape. Unlike you."
I didn't leave Byrne to escape. "Previously at the hospital, His Excellency the Lord of the Undead showed up. I suggested that the secret society give up Byrne, but he refused." Yuli paused, "He said that you chose war."
"He really said that?"
"Democratic decision-making. That's pretty much it." Uriel still finds it ridiculous.
Xin'e raised an eyebrow. "It seems he didn't lie to me."
Uriel didn't know what the Black Knight told them. Delay, fight, until the king comes to the rescue? Or simply a desperate fight? If it's the former, people may be disappointed. "This matter deserves a better outcome," he said. Even though I feel powerless.
"You won't understand, Uriel, we have no choice. You are our compatriot, but not our comrade-in-arms. I know that you want to help us, and I dare say you can do it! The Silent School can show up and speak out. You are a man of your word. There are not many people like you these days, so there is no need to be buried with this damn city."
Uriel realized what he meant. "So, you let me go?"
"Yes, don't worry. I have this ability. There is no doubt about it. You don't have to look for Ryan at all, that guy may not even be able to find the handle to open the door. I know everything about the virtues of people like the Raven Group! You should have come to me, Uriel. You have helped us generously, and I wish I could express my gratitude to you."
"No." Uriel felt sad. The rude and greedy Sir Bouillot, the showy Ryan, the calculating Madame Anjou and her minions, and even the night watchman Worrell. With the "Lord of the Hell" as their leader, this group of ravens can really be called senators who organize political affairs. God knows if I'll ever see them again. "No. No need. There is nothing I can do for you, my lord."
"You said the same thing last time." Xing'e stretched out her left hand.
The apprentice gave it a gentle squeeze and then let go. "Not next time. Oh, I still can't pay the toll, but when I come back, I'll be here for a few more years." He tried to joke.
"No need. As far as I know, there is no safe place in the cities you have visited. If you set off quickly, maybe the mysterious place of the palace can last for two more days."
Uriel stopped smiling.
…
The night sky is bright and full of stars. The snowfields in the distance are connected to the sky, and the frozen rivers are intertwined like spider webs. The Morris Mountain crest in the frosty moon presents a hazy border in the night. From dark to bright, the light converges on the ice lord city at the foot of the mountain - Wei. Nievaz.
The hunters were descending the mountain in groups, moving from the lane to the main road, dogs pulling carts loaded with furs. The night sky was cloudless, with as many stars as there were snow particles on the ground. The surrounding fields were illuminated as brightly as day, and the icy roads became easier to walk. More and more people are returning to the city.
As soon as York saw it, he knew that this was the ominous night that the witch said. "People say that the stars plan the fate of mortals." He said to the drow. "The shaking of the stars means that someone's future will change."
"Is this what your fans in Cloyinta told you?"
"Of course not! Do you think I will believe their lies?"
The night elf said "ha". "I remember there was a little girl who wanted to go back to Yinshiman with you. How old is she?"
"You're younger than me anyway."
"She's so desperate to transfer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for you. I'm impressed. What's her name?"
York felt that people were looking at him from the corner of their eyes, and subconsciously raised his voice: "Ero! Er, her name is Ero Costa."
"Is she a witch?" Jet asked with a smile.
"It might have been. But now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have an extra envoy, like Uriel." After Dalton said this, he took off a small vial the size of a finger from his waist and handed it to York. "Hold it, Sita, you will thank me later."
It’s very heavy to start with. "What's here?"
"Concentrated pearl butterbur extract."
"What?"
"It helps ease your mood when you're crazy. Did you drink it and forget about it?"
York remembered: "That twelve o'clock potion?"
"Twelve-thirty magic potion. This is the main ingredient, and it must be taken with stone bread."
"How do you know so well?" he muttered. "You are a master of magic words, not a master of potions."
"I bought this."
"A piece of mind, eh? It's a pity that I can't use it."
"That's impossible to say." Zhuoer said sarcastically in his usual distrustful tone. "Although the Ice Territory is unlikely to start a fire, staying calm can teach you to avoid being used as a torch by your companions, Sita. I will accept your thanks. Goodbye."
If you had said something nice, York thought, I could have gone to the bay with you. This is what they planned back in the tower. However, after learning that Roma and Ingrid had met, Dalton changed his mind and determined not to allow his friends to get involved in his affairs.
At this time, perhaps only Uriel can convince the night elves. He even let us go to the tower! I can't do it. York nodded. "Tail wind, brother."
The Knox mercenaries also came to say goodbye. Their parting gifts were richer than York's, their words more considerate than his, and they sounded noisy. Sita was in no mood to prepare anything; all he could think about was the witch's warning. The superstitions of the Ice Territory. They have existed since ancient times, teaching deceived travelers to go to their shops and spend money to ward off misfortunes. Why do I keep thinking of these useless things?
He stepped off the boat. The sailor blew the trumpet and pulled the rope to lift the anchor. The sails of the ship swayed in the cold wind, and shadows kept moving, covering the pier and the raised fence under the city wall. A dozen workers hauling goods walked forward without looking back, and two fishermen talked loudly as they walked, dragging frozen nets in their hands.
Maybe I should hide on the boat. York thought to himself that he would not show up until halfway to shock the drow. Of course the captain was more likely to throw me over.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile. Ello likes when I laugh. York could not reciprocate her infatuation, but it made him feel satisfied and charming. But what use do I need her for? There are only human beings addicted to the desires of the flesh, I have no body.
York cared more about the witch than Ella herself. Naturally, it refers to the Ice Witch, not the "Witch of Destiny". At the Sky Island Huoklin, the war was over and there was chaos. If Her Excellency Helen hadn't stopped him, the little lion Roma would have come to Yin Shiman together.
The lessons she had learned in the White Night War were almost forgotten now. As far as York knew, many people could become diplomatic envoys, but only a few had the gift of astrologers. Rama was not qualified to be a messenger or an astrologer.
However, the conclusion that the theory of talent comes from the memories of his father's generation has never been considered by him. The shaking of the stars means the ups and downs of people's destiny...
The deck will be rocky. York shrugged. After the Count's death, Knight's Bay will also fall into chaos, but this is the price of their belonging to the lord. Lucia would come to this conclusion even if she were here in person. It is unfair for mortals to require high-level mystics to obey their orders.
Of course, he still paid the tax obediently when he entered the city. Forget it, I'm not Lucia. Sita yawned and stopped looking at the water.
Sure enough, the stars stopped shaking. It's a genius idea, who can say it isn't?
