His hunch was not wrong. Since the envoys under strange flags arrived at Yotsuba Castle, the situation in the south has become increasingly corrupt. The words "Bern Empire" and the people of the gods appear in newspapers, rumors, and adventurers' conversations every day, and the performance of these low-class people is just a small microcosm of the influence of the noble gentlemen.
"There was a fire feast outside the Four-leaf Forest, and the Shadow Rider found many bones." Painter said, looking uncomfortable.
"Fire feast?"
"It's not a barbecue anyway." Jet was reading with Xin using a newspaper. He raised his head and smiled without warmth. "I heard that demons and demon hunters have different smells when they are burned. Have any of us smelled them?"
Lotta frowned: "Anyway, I didn't go. The coalition forces have gone back to their respective homes, but why are they burning people again?"
"Revenge," Xin said. He threw a handful of dry wood into the fireplace, and the flames illuminated his face. This is a pale, indifferent, careless face. He is not very enthusiastic towards his old companions, and even less interested in his new friends. He makes friendly conversation, but only when he feels like it. Most of the time the mercenary is happy, but lately he's been looking sad. A mercenary named Ruel played the piano beside him, and the light notes could not dispel the gloom. "It's the Nameless Ones, seeking revenge for their own people," he whispered.
Brenanin hadn't seen him for a long time, but it only occurred to him when he spoke. "Want some drinks?" He handed over the glass.
"No, it's still early, I need to stay awake." Xin pushed the cup away.
Well, I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. Bonin ate as usual, eating onion soup with sliced bread. When there was only a layer of oil stars left in the bowl, he washed away the crumbs with the liquid in the cup and brought the table to the dog. It immediately wagged its tail cheerfully at him. This is natural. The "mead" potion tastes sweet and delicious, and is the favorite of the dwarves Viktor. When paired with certain magic, it can also temporarily increase people's strength. Although the method of making this kind of potion is simple, it should not be made cheaply.
But for alchemists, the effects of "mead" don't stop there. It can be used as a precursor to the "Song Girl" potion, greatly enhancing the effect of the latter... and "Song Girl" can confuse people's minds.
If everything goes well, after taking "Mead" first and then coming into contact with "Song Girl", the target will obey the instructions of the caster. Even if there is a difference in mystery between the two parties, the effect cannot be lifted. However, Bonin has not yet produced "Song Girl". He only has "Insect Eyes", "Mead", "Paper Window" and three copies of "Universal Quality" in hand.
Bonin gave the "Mead" potion to many members of the Knox Mercenary Group, and people were full of praise for his seasoning skills. So far, only Sheen and group leader Calder Lehrer have not tasted it. The former seldom drinks, while the latter - who has been Bonin's target from the beginning - has never been seen at all. There is absolutely no way to teach an alchemist. .
I should drink "Song Girl" to the dwarf leader first, Bonin sometimes thinks. Painter is a high-level player, and the threat to him is second only to Captain Calder, so it is necessary to prepare early. But he made all the Polygonum odorata obtained from the mission into "universal quality" and stored them in his closest pocket. It's all the Byrnes' fault.
After the Byrne Empire's envoys left, Sir Fritz immediately set a daily quota for entering the city. The soldiers guarding the gate became conscientious, and the detection station issued frequent warnings, but they still failed to prevent the unknown people from sneaking into Yotsuba City and attacking lone demon hunters at night.
The attacker must have a way to hide the fire, Bonin was convinced of this. They don't need to use the "Universal Prime" to treat the detection station and the magic base as nothing. Moreover, this method is simpler and lower cost, and can support their actions every night to capture demon hunters and burn them at the stake. I had to figure out their "recipe."
For unknown people, "Song Girl" can hardly help. Brenanin was an alchemist, but he couldn't put a potion into his enemy's mouth. "Universal Sephiroth" is different. This is an ancient magic potion passed down from the age of gods, which allows him to temporarily control the power of elements. During the effective time, the consumption of magic power is extremely low, and the elemental magic formed through the power of the potion is not suppressed by mystery. Although Bonin has only changed his profession, relying on his "universal quality" and his own special fire, he can almost exert the power of a high-level elementalist.
The most important thing is that "Universal Quality" can hide his nameless person's fire. After the Byrnes left, Siye City was as frightened as the secret.
The association's retaliatory actions added fuel to the fire. If he wants to continue to stay, Bonin can only make "Universal Quality" first and put the "Song Girl" project behind it.
"It's too bad the Duke hasn't come back yet," Painter complained. "Fritz is scared out of his wits, but it's hurting our business."
"He is afraid of the refugees from the south." Daily entry and exit quotas are only given to locals and northern guests. Soldiers have set up checkpoints, conducted strict inspections, and strengthened city defense patrols. Adventurers cannot enter or exit unless they have wings.
Leaving the city is just troublesome, but entering the city is even more difficult, especially for the mortals who have fled... The consequence of this is that there are groups of thatched huts and dangerous buildings under the walls of Yotsuba City, making it almost impossible to stay.
One time, Xin led two young men in his team through the city wall. One big and one small, they were brothers. They played with each other, and the big one boasted that if he blew some sparks, he could light up the camp below into a sea of flames. The mercenary scolded him harshly and slapped him hard. It was the first time Bonin saw him speak so harshly.
"Children have extraordinary creativity." Xin said to Boning with a smile. At this time, he was not as angry as he showed. It turned out that he was just scaring the children. "But some ideas are too bad. That's not a joke, it's cruelty." He never agreed to take anyone to the city wall again.
But then, Xin abandoned his team and climbed over the city wall alone, completing his employer's commission before climbing back over the wall. His mystical vocation has given him a magic ability to cross obstacles that few can imitate. Brenanin asked him to find the ingredients for the potion, but he never left the city again to avoid the city defense team.
At first he was distraught and kept waking up in his dreams, but now he has relaxed enough to enjoy roast goose and lamb fat. Think about it, in the morning after the snow, the sun makes the roofs shine like the sea, and the wind smells of smoke and pine... The patrols never come to the camp. The Knox mercenaries are a chaotic and happy group. They have no tomorrow and no goals. They only have money for dinner in their pockets. People get drunk and wrestle in the snow. They only think about their livelihood for the day after waking up. As the most popular person among the mercenaries, Bonin can easily bring down the entire "world" by simply increasing his alcohol content. A bunch of goofballs, maybe I shouldn't waste "Song Girl" on them at all.
But soon he thought of Washmouth. Although the scenery in Eastman is beautiful, it is a foreign country. Here he is Bonin. In his hometown, people would never treat him like this...
Bible. Brenanin thought. I must find the Bible, the key to the Kingdom of Heaven.
"Boss Calder had already anticipated that he would go to the deep-water port to accept the commission." Jet licked his thumb and glued a page together. "Can this word be placed behind it? Byrne...invalidation? Document?"
"Empire." Xin pointed out his mistake and took the newspaper into his hand. "The kingdom of God is given by God, from the land of moss and snow to the Holly Canyon...the people of God are chosen by God to follow the laws of the ancestors..." He read quickly. "Well, the master of Eastman has been changed. Burles and Saint Valoran have also been assigned to Byrne, but it is unlikely that they will agree."
Rule lowered his bow. "What? What happened? The Queen abandoned the tower?"
"I don't know that. It's not written on the paper."
"The laws of the ancestors? What is that?" Painter sneered, "It can't be a thousand-year-old dogma, right? I remember that before the War of Dawn, it was the era of the ancestors."
"You remember it accurately," Bonin told him. As an adventurer, having such knowledge is extraordinary.
"Byrne, I've never heard of that name." Jett yawned as he recalled it to no avail. "Is it another principality trying to become independent? Or is there someone who wants to conquer the world? After all, can this Byrne Empire defeat us?"
There is no doubt about this. Brenanin thought.
"It's a secret society. They changed their appearance and stepped onto the war stage. The newspaper wrote, 'The Lords of the Pit have broken the garrison defense line in the south and are leading their troops northward."
Jet's hand shook, and the pen tip tore the paper. Lotta turned her head and sprayed hot tea into the fireplace. Because the wood was too stiff, most of his clothes were wet. People fell silent suddenly.
Bonin almost jumped up: "The Byrnes are going to hit the Four-Leaf Territory?!" It was too fast. Without the support of Nightingale and the intelligence network, nothing would be prepared. No. Perhaps the news in the newspaper was too late, and the real intelligence could not be found on the enemy.
It didn't come until someone hit the front door of the house.
The white-robed cavalry in front of the city gate flashed in his mind. Even though they are compatriots,...
"It doesn't matter, Yotsuba City is not a target. The troops stationed in the Ice Territory by the Seven Pillars were destroyed and dispersed. Many people escaped, but the demon hunters basically did not escape. The association, uh, the Byrnes drove the remaining defeated troops there Wineworth. The earl surrendered the city and sent the Silver Eagle Knight to guard the prisoners." After reading this, Xin paused for a moment.
"Poor little girl, she doesn't know how to fight." The dwarf commented, "Tracy wants the devil to kill her."
"This is not true. She found a husband for her daughter, the illegitimate son of Lord Gavin Lancost."
"Oh, I know this guy. Sajith, that's his name?"
"It's Sassj. Sassj Lancost. The Queen recognized his identity, and now this guy is the serious heir to the Ice Territory. Danlfion is the daughter of his uncle and Tracy. In terms of sequence, It’s still behind him.”
"Earl Gavin has committed treason, and his legal power has long been deprived of by Her Majesty the Queen. As for Sassje, not to mention, Delphine is of noble blood and is the queen's biological niece. She just wants to find someone to marry. ." Painter frowned. "This matter has been dragging on for two years. It's time for her to give up her fantasy and find someone to start a family with."
"The illegitimate son of the previous earl? He is probably twice as old as Delphine." Jet muttered. "Don't forget, they are not mystical creatures, that's a big difference."
"In my opinion, she should have found a husband in the Ice Territory. An old man is better than a young boy. Otherwise, when the war comes, she won't even have anyone she can rely on."
It can be seen that the adventurers are quite interested in the romance between the nobles, but their enthusiasm for discussing the Byrne Empire and the situation in the south has passed. Brenanin tried to guide the conversation back to the association: "So, does the Ice Territory fall?"
"How could it be? The Ice Territory still belongs to Eastman, and the ownership of the kingdom has been changed. Matters in the mysterious realm should give the tower a headache."
"No." Xin finally said: "Maybe that's not the case. Byrne of the Nameless One... they are not trying to build the eighth mysterious fulcrum. What they are trying to establish is Aurenia, the only empire of the ancestors. "
Ruel smiled: "Now for the fairy tale repertoire, everyone? I still remember hearing many bedtime stories when I was a child, about ancestors, gods, evil dragons and the like. Well, the last one may be true? I can't rule out that it's Seven Fulcrum made it up to fool mortals."
"Do not question the Battle of the Dawn, Ruel." Dwarf Painter warned, "York has witnessed that battle."
"He said it wasn't him, it was his father."
Bonin couldn't help but say: "The only mother of light elemental life is Lucia. Unless the sun goes out, Sita will not die."
Jet nodded. At this time, more people entered the dining room, and he poured the remains of the plate into the fireplace. The flames suddenly jumped up. "In short, the War of Dawn happened, there is no doubt about it. Otherwise, the Seven Pillars wouldn't be going around arresting the Nameless Ones."
"Association... Byrne, I mean, they call themselves the people of the gods, not nameless people, let alone demons. There is evidence here." Xin found a picture.
Jett took the paper. Painter stood on his chair and craned his neck to look. Ruel and Lotta also leaned over to take a look. Brenanin subconsciously wanted to avoid it, but soon realized that sitting alone was too conspicuous, so he quickly took a look. In the photo, a knight in white robes is kneeling at the foot of the steps, accepting a reward from the lord. With just one glance, he caught the long sword hanging on his shoulder robe: a jet black handle and a bone-like blade.
It is one of them. Brenanin stared at the sword intently, his heart racing. This must be it. The legacy of the gods recorded in the book, the key to the kingdom of heaven lost in "The Veil of Twilight", one of the Seven Bibles. The "Starless Night" society - the Byrnes - found it first, and I will never be able to get it.
He couldn't help but feel heartbroken. Originally, it was just a rumor that the "key" fell into the hands of the undead lord, but now there is irrefutable proof. The other party must know its function and will not give it away easily. He had to find another way...but what could he do? No matter how superb alchemy is, it cannot be taken away from the Black Knight."
key". Maybe the chances of me using alchemy to create a new Bible are better than this.
To make matters worse, the "key" wasn't the only Bible the Byans had access to. Berning had no choice but to focus on other Bibles, other than the "Keys" and the "Confessions."
However, since the "Starless Night" established the country of the Nameless One, it means that the Seven Bibles can indeed restore the kingdom. Brenanin tried to think of the best.
The adventurers in the Four-leaf Territory don't know the existence of the Seven Bibles, but the Bain people, at least the Black Knight, know it very well. Under the instruction of the lord, members of the association advertised widely to attract a large number of compatriots to join. "That's what the gods left behind," Xin said.
"Well, it doesn't matter that the Nameless One likes to call himself the incarnation of the gods. When the Holy Council of Light gathered the mysterious creatures before, didn't they also say that they were the orthodox inheritance of Lucia? The Sky Tower denounced it as a lie...until the White Prophecy Realized. There are also Sita of the Twinkling Pool, all of them are creations of the goddess. In my opinion, it’s best to let them fight first.” Ruel made a face.
"Don't mention Sita. The Twinkling Pool has returned to Knox, and York's people may not be as easy to talk to as him. By then, the War of Saints may break out again."
"Theta are late. If the Twinkle Pond had also joined the seven-point demon hunting movement, order would not have lost to the demons." Lotta muttered.
When these words fell to Bonin's ears, they didn't sound so good. The idea of using a "singing girl" for the adventurers came back to him.
"The Oath Keepers ceremony failed."
"Someone snitched on it, or so it is said."
wrong. Brenanin recalled the big fight two years ago. The Washimouth Restoration Army captured the Burles Frontier, and a group of mysterious compatriots from the south borrowed a passage from them to head to Compass Heights. He was very familiar with these people. The two sides had interacted with each other due to various incidents: message delivery, cover, trade and even escape. There were disputes and mutual assistance among the associations, but most of them were peaceful. Bonin knew that they were members of "Steel and Fire", believed in Noctura, the god of war, and were fanatical militants.
These compatriots become strangers. The alchemist remembered the haggard look of "Leader" Ferianni when they met. He was old and frail, but his sunken eyes burned with fire. In just one look, Brenanin knew what they were going for. A war broke out in the Black City, and "Steel and Fire" disappeared since then. Queen Sita of the Flashing Pool also did not come.
Not an alliance. He really wanted to tell them. It's the nameless one. We fought for it ourselves, with blood and sacrifice, steel and fire. What prevented the coming of the Saint was "steel and fire", my fearless compatriots. Instead, it was the Alliance's "Lord of the Fire Moon" who betrayed the association and turned to the Order. This information was told to me by Ferriani.
What's the use of telling Knox the mercenary? An ignorant adventurer, a carefree drunk who only knows how to have silly fun. Brenanin knew all this was far away.
Thinking of the past made Boning very sad. If even half of those rumors were true, Ferriani was dead, buried in steel and fire in his hometown. The Lord of the Undead granted him power, and he died a glorious death fighting for Bane and the future of the Nameless Ones. With the Bible in hand, the compatriots he protects will surely be saved.
But this is different. Byrne has their savior and will not fight for the ideals of other countries. They are not like the Restoration Legion. When the Nameless Ones still existed in association mode, Brenanin had already begun to organize his people to build a country. He doesn't want secret societies, lords or city-states, he just wants the entire glorious golden country of Washmouth. Only the Bible can do this.
During the battle in the Black City, Bonin knew that the tower messenger was also present. If I were Ferriani, I would never let the "Scroll of Oath" slip through my fingers. It's a pity that the guide failed to understand the key. Soon, the Bible holder returned to the Tower of Sky headquarters, which was the forbidden area of the Nameless One, and Bonin did not dare to go there rashly. Until now, the tower had been closed for two years, and he heard that there was a new garrison in the Eastman Kingdom.
The opportunity seemed to be presented to him, and Brenanin had to seize it no matter what. He has investigated the life of the Tower Messenger, knows all about his experiences, and has considered various strategies. As an alchemist, Bonin can get close to his target with a little skill... As long as I find this guy.
Uriel, messenger of the tower, bearer of the "Scroll of Oath"
There is one, Bai Zhishi's apprentice. Brenanin has heard of his legendary stories: as a mortal, he lit a fire in the disaster of the undead and embarked on the mysterious road; found the ruins of the ancient elves and defeated the paladin leader of Sky Realm; single-handedly eliminated the vampires of Screaming Castle, and Obtained clues that the Gaia Church was colluding with it; participated in the White Night War, and was appointed as the messenger of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the tower prophet "Dark Night Awakening" Demosis; commanded the mercenary army to capture the anti-corner city of Anthoros, and almost took off the Pope's robe. The crown caused the Gaia Church to be purged from top to bottom, and his behavior changed drastically. The ascetic wizards swore to capture him; in Compass Heights, he assisted the Oath Keepers Alliance in holding ceremonies, and also met with his former enemy Paladin Commander Lemon Sri Lanka fights side by side.
What he is known to have done has changed the fate of countless people, but Bonin knew better. The Alchemist has a lot of news from his compatriots, which he learned when the Restoration Legion accepted new recruits.
The brown-skinned man from the Kingdom of Quicksand told him that he had helped fellow members of the association and saved them from the stakes, and he did not hesitate to cooperate with the "Glimmer Lord", the mortal enemy of the Seven Pillars. The same is said by the people on the northwest frontier of Bres and the kingdom of Moni-Antoros. Wherever he goes, he creates chaos and secretly rescues the captured Nameless Ones. This guy sounds like the goddess Gaia was alive.
But these people also claimed that he had met the agent, met the prophet, and was the apprentice of the demon hunter Bai Zhizhi. All his help to the unknown people was done secretly and was only spread within the small circle of the association. It seemed like an unintentional act. This seems to be his way of protecting his position.
However, most of the compatriots brought rumors, not conclusive evidence. Bonin also had informants in the alliance organization, and their information was much more reliable. The most important of them was the news from "Starless Night": Uriel had appeared in Byrne and left intact.
Before the demon hunting movement, Byrne was not a star in the newspapers, but the headquarters of "Starless Night". At that time, it was still an era when the Nameless Ones would be burned to death if they showed up. Mortals regarded them as demons, and the Fulcrum of Order showed no mercy... But such a hunter's apprentice from the Seven Fulcrums was actually able to enter and exit the largest secret society in Knox. Headquarters, I’m afraid people can’t even imagine it in their dreams. Brenanin began to believe that the tower messenger was a clergyman who was so pious that he ignored his stance.
In this case, there is still hope for obtaining a Bible. This man is a native of Yotsuye City. After the demon hunting campaign, he was sent back to his hometown to serve as a garrison. Boning felt that he had probably mentioned this himself. Otherwise, as Bai Zhishi's apprentice, he could stay on the floating island and take over the position of mentor one day. Maybe it was stupidity, maybe it was the naivety of young people, or the extra compassion. In short, he left the shelter of the "Tower of Sky" and came to the intersection of the struggle between order and the unknown. No wonder he ended up like this.
At first, everything went well with his plan. Bonin came to Eastman and quietly joined the Knox mercenary group. The target had had close contact with these mercenaries, but after investigation, he did not leave any information for the adventurers.
The Duke of the Four-leaf Territory was not in the city, and Bonin carefully prepared the secrets of the struggle between the Western Party and the Royal Party, which was enough to attract the attention of the garrison. But the result was the same: Uriel did not show up, and his residence was rebuilt, but it had been dusty and unoccupied for a long time. Bonin even sneaked into the "Knox Tavern" quietly, but there were only traces of thieves and homeless people spending the night there. There were no chairs or tabletops. They returned empty-handed just like him.
What's worse is that Brenanin has never heard from Uriel again. The garrison, the messenger, and the Gaia Knight are all old news. Even if Boning traveled all the way to Siye City for the other party, there is no trace of him here. No one has seen him, no one can find him. He dropped Eastman and his responsibilities as if they didn't exist.
This fact made Bonin angry. He deigned to search among the adventurers from north to south, traveled all over the Four Leaf Territory, made countless baits, and asked everyone he could, but in the end he couldn't even find the location of the target.
At this time, he belatedly realized that the other party was a young legend, but he was also a genuine Gao Huan, an orthodox mystic trained by the Tower of Sky. If Uriel was caught so easily, the scroll of oath in his hand would not have been found by Bonin long ago. I should try my luck at Bain. At this point, Brenanin has only one last resort...
"Boning." The adventurer woke him up from his thoughts, "Are you sitting here, waiting for lunch?"
"No... no." The alchemist hesitated for a moment, "There's something, Xin, I don't know... uh, I accepted an old commission... it was, uh..." a long time ago.
"What commission?"
"Looking for someone. A very famous adventurer, Windrunner Yasukawa."
Xin looked him over. "This was at least a commissioned task a few years ago. I remember the piece of paper on the blackboard."
"I'm interested in, uh, compensation, commission... I mean, accidentally, uh."
Boning found that Xin's eyes were hard for him to understand. But thankfully, the guy didn't stop him or get suspicious. Adventurers always have to deal with employers and clients. I have nothing to doubt, right? At most people think I have slippery hands. Only those involved would overreact, and that's exactly what Brenanin wanted.
"It's up to you." The mercenary shrugged, "The probability of completing this kind of mission is low, otherwise it wouldn't have been delayed until now. But I will help to free you, a hot star, from your mundane affairs. Go get them drinks. They need you, man."
Boning was actually a little touched. Probably because he stayed among these drunkards for too long. "I remember you don't drink."
"Then I have to be more proactive. Otherwise, they will definitely blame me in the end."
"By the gods, you are so wise." Brenanin happily signed a contract with him. "After it is completed, we will share it in proportion, and you will definitely be spared." Except for the Bible.
