Hitarian had just changed into her pajamas when the lord summoned her. The maid and two knights were waiting outside the door. She couldn't help but have a fever on her face, and it was difficult to adapt to all this. I am Byrne's record officer. She warned herself that even if a disaster is imminent, I must dress and speak accordingly.
She carefully chose a blue silk dress with a tight waist and embellished with silver thread. Her gloves, leather boots and socks were all black, so she chose a headband with black lace on the edge to tie up her long red hair. Finally, Hitarian put on a lamb's cloak with pearls, which was painted night-like black with dye in accordance with the habits of the Night's Watch, which made her feel that she was still protected by Wittek and others. Although the night watchman is no longer in Bain at this moment.
When she went out, she was already hungry, but she didn't have time to have breakfast. "Go to the palace." Hitarian ordered. The driver drove the horse dutifully.
The palace was as cold as ever. Cold and luxurious, yet full of mysterious classic temperament. Hitarian thought to herself that even though she dressed like a serious aristocratic lady, she would be out of place here. Among the seven demon lords, only the Black Knight matches the atmosphere of the palace. However, the palace was built by His Majesty the King, so it can only match His Majesty's own aesthetics. Could it be that he transformed this place?
When he walked into the study, "Lord of the Hell" Whitehead was reading a book. He was very focused on reading. A night light stood beside the table. The wax had bottomed out but had not been extinguished yet.
"Miss Ringot." He closed the book, and the nostalgic atmosphere disappeared.
"Lord Lord." Hitarian knelt down.
Whitehead waved her hand and asked her to stand up. "I'm here to trouble you, miss. You took notes on the previous meetings, and although you were only the record-keeper, you also participated in the meetings completely... How many records can you remember about Oglesel? ?”
Hitarian didn't know what he meant. "I only remember what I need to remember, my lord," she said carefully.
He studied her eyes like a boss who was determined to find something wrong. "Someone leaked the news," Whitehead said softly. "I want to know the truth."
"Ogresel was discovered by an astrologer, sir. To say it was leaked, one-third of the people in the city fled when the coalition forces approached, and many rumors were revealed unintentionally... It is impossible to find out."
"What about the culprit?"
Hitarian frowned: "Sir, I don't know..."
"No. I mean the beginning of it all, the sinner in the true sense. My dear colleague Seroma, he is still alive, isn't he?"
Hitarian's head skipped a beat. he knows. The nightingale, and me. She didn't pretend to know anything, and it was obvious that someone in the Night's Watch had leaked the news that she had interrogated Lord Firemoon. At this time, Hitarian really wanted to know who that person was. "The interrogation of the criminal ended long before the war of Huoklin. We asked all the questions that could be asked. He is no longer valuable."
"Even dead people are valuable these days." Whitehead snorted. "And Sita will not die. They are the darlings of the gods, and like the ancestors of the fog elves, they are blessed by the gods. How many things have you asked? Sita's ballad? Thousands of fireflies living in Lucia's footbath Here? Can they sing?"
He wasn't asking a question. Hitarian had no answer, so he stood quietly. The Mist Elf Lord stared intently at the firelight, his fingers unconsciously turning the pages of the book. Before this, Hitarian had never met him face to face, let alone understood him, but at this moment, she could sense the emotions of the strange lord in front of her. He was mourning something he had lost.
Hitarian wasn't sure what it was. But what is certain is that even for a demon lord, it is not as easy as closing a book to clear up your mood.
"I heard that you are a famous spiritual doctor." Whitehead suddenly said, "I would like to see you."
"I have only been lighting fires for less than a year, my lord. It is hard to say that my magic will be of any help to you."
"It's okay." He probably just needed reassurance.
Hitarian had no choice but to do as she was told, and while the mystery was evoked, she was reminded of the last meeting. Three lords gathered in Bain, the "Lord of the Pit", the "Lord of Thunder and Ashes" and the "Lord of the Undead". At the meeting, the Black Knights asked Whitehead to abandon his main city of Oglethel, followed by Byrne. Now the guild city managed by the Mist Elf Lord has been destroyed by artillery fire, and even he himself was forced to abandon his territory in Faftanna and had to flee back to his headquarters.
He gave up everything in his business, Shitarian thought, including his original family and friends. When Whitehead's identity as the Unknown One was confirmed, it was actually he who lost them.
Somehow, a tinge of pity arose within her. Fortunately, I don't have many acquaintances in Yotsuba City, and all my friends and relatives came to worship. Only Regela...and Uriel. The sorcerer's apprentice, who was born into the noble family of Monian Toros, and her mother stayed safely in Antipodal City, and would never again have anything to do with Hitarian Lingot, the recorder of the Starless Night, in this life. However, Uriel is from the tower, and every decision he has to face is equally cruel when he thinks about it.
I should have stopped him. Hitarian regretted it. If I had known earlier, I would have put cicadas in his medicine for a week. Even if I did this, he wouldn't blame me at all... But what should I do if Byrne is discovered by the enemy the day after tomorrow? She couldn't help biting her lip.
There was silence, with only the incense of candles floating around. Whitehead turned the pages of the book quietly, as if he wanted to touch that ancient kingdom through the words. Did he think of his own kind? Not fellow Nameless Ones, but Mist Elves. Who did he leave behind? Does he also regret it?
"You are a right-hand man, Lingot." Whitehead said suddenly. "No wonder the Black Knight trusts you more than Alini."
Hitarian never wanted to be compared with Anlini. "Lord Shimmer has his own territory and loyalty." Although he was the first guild lord among the seven to lose his territory. "I am just a nobody, part-time physician's record-keeper, my lord," she answered.
"I can guarantee that your next part-time job will be more popular than your own job."
"It would be my pleasure, my lord." Hitarian's answer was impeccable.
"Speaking of Anlini, is it possible that he is still at the Night Watch Headquarters?" Whitehead thought of something, "Is that the territory newly assigned to him by our King?"
"This is an order from the Undead Lord, my lord."
"Lord? Alini is the first guy to lose his territory, but I am not the last one. Holy Radiance Council, Silent School, Oath Keepers Alliance, Faf Tanner... Who will be next? How many allies do we have? ?After all, how useful can they really be?" Whitehead glanced at the page. "We claim to be the lords of the Seven Pivot Points and the masters of the mysterious realm, but in fact we are no different from rats in the gutter. Without Elanor, we have problems even approaching the headquarters... The battle situation is changing, and most of the intelligence collected is... It's useless. And the higher the status, the easier it is to be noticed. Tell me, what else can the nightingale do on the surface? All that is waiting for us is fire..."
"No matter what, Byrne is safe for the time being." Hitarian tried his best to slow down his tone, "You are back safely and home, my lord."
"Home? To be honest, not one of the seven Nameless Lords is a Byrne. Our home is our own territory. I was originally an adventurer from Faf Tanner, and I lived with my fellow tribesmen."
"Just the same race, not compatriots."
"Enspan, no, Xing'e, we reshaped each other's past in order to conceal our identities, deliberately approached our former friends, secretly guarded against each other every day, kept secrets, and regarded ourselves as another person, a loyal guard of order, a member of the royal court. Advocate, standing side by side with many stupid mortals in the streets, smiling to watch the burning of their souls to ashes. Don't look at me like that, little girl, if you stand among them, as time goes by, you will I really hope to be one of them.”
"Reality and expectations are different," Hitarian said.
"Yeah, it's always different. I have to admit it, but sometimes I can't help but regret it...unless you are a natural alien." Whitehead raised his head, "Unless you can never stand in the crowd and be with them. think."
"The Nameless Ones can feel each other through the fire. We will understand you, my lord. You will feel better if we share this together."
"If you want to be a nightingale, you can't keep the connection with the Nameless One." The fog elf nodded his head with his finger, "I haven't felt anyone else for a long time, Lingot, you are still the closest one."
"It is my pleasure, my lord."
"You are not honored, little liar. It seems that you have already learned a lot about sweet words in Bain." He smiled slightly.
Hitarian immediately shut his mouth and concentrated on working his magic.
"I'll give you a piece of advice, miss. Many people think that the living are never as reliable as the dead, but this does not apply to the Black Knight." The Mist Elf Lord said softly, "His Majesty the King is by no means the first boss to be betrayed by him... Gava He was the original King of the Dead Sea and the culprit who launched the disaster of the undead two hundred years ago. Don't forget that the Black Knight, Ruthven the Susheng and the Curse Knight were both his subordinates at that time."
Hitarian frowned. It's a bad example, but it doesn't shake anything. She decided to remain silent.
"In short, even if you are a superior, you will end up miserable, let alone being his subordinates." The fog elf pointed out maliciously, "When will those people who move to the sinking plane of Gavash know that they are living in Where is the planned battle front with the Alliance of Order?"
"That's just an excuse." Used to convince you to give up Ogrethal. "The undead will protect them," Hitarian said.
"So where do the undead come from? As far as I know, only the dead can give birth to new undead."
Hitarian's heart sank. She knew she had to think rationally, but the letters passed through her hands... some small societies brought their families to seek refuge, unknown wandering people came to Byrne, and there were many Oglesel people, among them Young children and girls were arranged by the "Bronze Gear", the sick and elderly were taken in by the Byrne National Hospital, and most of the men in their prime were sent to the army to fight... However, even if these people were added together, they could not compare to the coalition forces. The Seven Pivots and Secret Societies are different in size.
But on the frontal battlefield, although the association was retreating steadily, it was not completely collapsed.
Hitarian had known about "Steel and Fire" for a long time. She had not thought about the issue of soldiers for a long time. The Black Knight ordered several undead knights of Gavash to continuously create legions of skeletons, and to build the dying and seriously ill people into qualified warriors. These people call themselves "immortals" and will never have to worry about injury or fatigue again.
Needless to say, at least one-third of the people in Oglatheir, which had been hit by the plague, became undead. Obviously the "Lord of Hell" can't let go of this.
"The association is at stake, my lord. Many means must be used, although they are costly." Hitarian used magic to comfort him. It was more like she was convincing herself. Regardless, the undead are supposed to be fellow citizens we protect, not a drain on our warriors. "Maybe we'll join in the fun soon," she joked to herself.
"It's been four days."
It was the day Uriel left. Hitarian remained calm. She knew Byrne's countdown. "There's only one day left, my lord."
"No. It's today." A strange smile passed over the corner of his mouth. "Lord of the Pit" Whitehead stood up and walked to the window. "The tower is thousands of miles away from Byrne, and there is a deviation between the season and day and night... It's about one day. The mysterious protection of the association has disappeared, and what rises outside is Lucia... The Black Knight is not in Byrne, Yinweig Te also fled back to the Cangzhi Forest. There are only Anlini and Pacinis here. Two incompetent people. Oh, and me and you. Now do you still think that you are the party who knows the situation? "
Hitarian froze in place. today? Her mind went blank.
"I don't know his plans, no one does. Garvash, Byrne, Starless Night, there's no escaping." Whitehead whispered, "Look, Hitarian Ringot, waiting for us Is it the clearing of the secret array, or is it a true dawn?" He smiled. "The former is not so bad. Didn't you say that you can join the ranks of the dead?"
He's crazy. Hitarian thought that the magic could no longer be maintained. After the mysterious effect was removed, the forcibly calmed mind rolled like boiling water. She hurriedly said goodbye and rushed into the corridor as if to escape, countless thoughts flashing in her mind.
However, after leaving the study, she didn't know what to do. Byrne is exposed and the enemy will soon come. No one told me what to do! What about the night watchman? Where is the steward? Why didn't anyone arrange an evacuation? What have I been doing these five days? Is it possible that everyone is watching helplessly, expecting the lord to come up with a solution?
The answer is no way. Hitarian stopped and looked out the window at the long steps leading to the Holy Door. The stone walls were covered with morning dew, and there was no one outside the door. But she knew very well that this was only temporary, and Byrne would soon wake up and start a new day. Maybe it's the last day. Without the Black Knight, we have no way to retreat...
She began to be glad that Uriel was not in Byrne. Her sister Ruth and Lady Liana, her beloved Murum, and even the neighbors she had met a few times all left for Gavash early. Regardless of whether there is a war in the Sunken Plane now or not, the situation will not be worse than Byrne. Order will focus on the truly important goals.
As for the people who stayed in the city, they were either warriors or compatriots who were not worth saving. After all, there was a price to pay for going to Gavash. Maybe that's why no one took any action, they were already ready. Only Hitarian knew too much, but not enough to see the situation clearly. It's all Uriel's fault, he gave me false hope...
Now she understands the Blenken family. If I have a way to survive, I will definitely try it at all costs. How hard it is to wait for death to come!
Hitarian walked to the long steps. The Holy Gate is shrouded in mist, and the stairs are long and sacred, full of mysterious temptations, as if leading to an unknown realm. It would be great if there wasn't Bayn City behind the door, she thought blankly, if I could escape the pursuit of the mysterious realm, pass through the door like a real nightingale, fly to Gavash's family and friends, and fly to the blessings of the gods. In our heaven, the fulcrum of religious order will never be found.
She sat down slowly and put her cloak under her. The stone steps were cool and damp with dew. I no longer have to worry about cleaning it anyway. Maybe soon the enemy will tear it to pieces, taking the clothes with it. Hitarian has seen war.
In fact, I haven't changed at all. Hitarian thought. I have always been a wanderer in the world, always with nowhere to go. She then remembered that she had hoped to fight the enemy and die heroically.
She stretched out her hands and looked at them. There was not even the slightest trace of holding a sword on them. These are the hands of a beggar, the hands of a little girl, weak and feeble. Hitarian couldn't help but smile and tremble. Maybe the enemy will cut them down too.
...A snowflake fell on her palm.
The trumpet sounded like a low cry from one end of the city. This is just the beginning. One after another, from east to west, from south to north, the sound of trumpets joined the sonoration. The sound gradually became louder, almost piercing the night, bursting out in the cold wind with a shocking and high-pitched sound, waking the entire city from its gloomy and confused sleep. At the same time, heavy snow fell, covering the sky in the blink of an eye.
Here they come. Hitarian sat motionless. The coalition forces have found us and are about to break through the gate of Bain. She imagined the night watchman leading the nameless men to fire arrows on the tower, and the team guarding the door wielding spears and axes to resist. There was smoke everywhere, flames were blazing, and sharp blades penetrated the flesh and blood of the soldiers. How soon will they arrive at the palace? she does not know.
She heard the clatter of hooves, footsteps and chaotic shouts, mixed with a scream or two. If they were not too close, all these sounds would be drowned in the sound of the horn. who? Hitarian stared at the Holy Door. who? She had seven answers to choose from. who is it?
In the continuous snow and fog, a group of black cavalry walked out. They were wearing the same cloaks as Hitarian, and they floated into the holy door like dark clouds. Dazzling flags fluttered above people's heads, and a complete full moon was embroidered with silver thread on the dark blue satin surface. This is the flag of the Night's Watch.
At this moment, Commander Celsus had already crossed the steps and lifted her up from the ground. Behind him were all familiar faces, smiling and shouting wildly.
Hitarian was dizzy and unable to think. She was forced to stand up, almost with her feet dangling in the air. Celsus was as excited as the cavalry he had brought with him, spittle and snowflakes flying everywhere. She strained to hear the shouts.
"The Saint is dead. The Alliance of Order is fighting on its own, and the mysterious fulcrums are attacking each other!" mixed with Celsus' laughter. "Long live the Lord! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Byrne Empire!" People cheered hysterically. "Long live!"
