The steps leading to the palace on the top of the mountain are like a straight ladder, extending towards the end diagonally above with the rising sun. Although the wind blows from time to time in the middle, there are still inevitably a large number of accumulated treasures. dust. The repaired wild grass and small trees continued to appear in front of the group of people as they passed by, swaying each other in the gradually rising sky. The green that was enough to block their sight began to become less and less. The vast red ocean belonging to the entire imperial capital appeared in the distance: "Huh, huh... it's really a little higher than imagined."
"If it is not man-made, this hill was probably specially chosen when the Frey Empire's imperial capital was established."
As the weakest magician in the team, Duan Qing, who had climbed halfway with the team, was already panting. He held his knees and stood there to rest for a long time. Finally, he was surrounded by the imperial royal family. The guard gestured with his hands while looking at him: "Emperor Frey chose such a place, and then slowly built the entire Redkar around this hill... Well."
"Does anyone know the history of the empire?" He asked, but his eyes couldn't help but focus on Xue Ling Huan Bing: "Is my reasoning reliable?"
"...I don't know." He was answered with a helpless eye roll from the white-haired woman: "If you can survive this time, you can go to the library and check it yourself."
"Well, at least we can see some clues from other places." Ignoring the warnings in the eyes of the surrounding imperial royal guards, Duan Qing's eyes fell on the surface of the steps he was standing on: "If I If your guess is correct, then the palace in front of us may be the oldest building in the imperial capital of Redkar... Tsk, tsk, tsk, look at the construction method of this step, the ancient texture and accumulated dust, at a glance it is—— "
"It seems that no one has cleaned it for a long time." The solemn voice then interrupted the other party's words. It was the imperial royal guard walking at the front who once again interrupted Duan Qing's warning: "Let me go quickly. , don’t try to delay further.”
"Isn't this the most important place in the imperial capital?" Duan Qing stood up and could only touch his nose and let out a few dry laughs: "Why is there no one cleaning it?"
"Because recently, few people have gone up the mountain via this road." The imperial royal guard turned his head with squinting eyes: "Originally, mountain climbing was the only way for everyone who wanted to see the emperor, but since there was that After the magic circle..."
As if thinking of something unspeakable, the guard silently closed his mouth. The depression caused by the silent silence then pushed the entire team to lift their steps again, heading in a higher direction. The outline of the palace appeared and walked past. The hot wind brought by the rising sunlight also becomes more and more obvious as the terrain rises. The arid atmosphere brought by it also makes the land around the steps become more and more bare, and the roots stand side by side. The white pillars around the steps also passed by everyone's eyes as the team marched, and were covered with various carvings and patterns to replace the originally dense and prosperous trees and flowers: "These stone pillars... are also the ones of Emperor Fleur. His handiwork?"
"I don't know, maybe it's just an improvisation by other emperors and ministers."
"Such patterns and carvings - this is not something that ordinary people can make. At least it is the craftsmanship and techniques of hundreds of years ago."
"Oh? Aren't you an alchemist? Do you also study woodworking and carving?"
"Magicians and alchemists certainly need to have a sufficient understanding of magic, and magic circles are a part of it."
Looking up at the front of the huge palace that was getting closer and closer, Duan Qing answered the questions raised by several companions behind him in a low voice: "In order to draw those magic arrays accurate to the millimeter, painting and seal carving are ours." It’s a required course.”
"Including the history of these carvings?"
"What do you think we are studying, random graffiti drawn by ordinary people?"
Becoming out of breath again, Duan Qing answered the question angrily: "Those are all magical research passed down for thousands of years, as well as the history of the ancient magic empire thousands of years ago! There is no such historical background. , why should we study?"
"But I don't think other magicians have learned these things. They are all studying how to cast magic quickly." Gedman looked at Duan Qing with a little doubt in his eyes: "You usually What exactly are you studying? Magic theory? The kind that can only be discussed on paper?"
"I can't pretend that I haven't heard this sentence before." Duan Qing turned around expressionlessly: "Do you want to discuss and learn from each other now?"
"I'd be very happy, but unfortunately the current conditions don't allow it." Hearing this, Goldman smiled and pushed his hands: "And this is a royal place. What if I show my sword and get killed by the royal guard next to me? What if I kill him with a sword?"
"Stop making trouble, we have reached the top of the mountain." Ignoring these two people, Xueling Huanbing, who crossed his arms and looked ahead, took the lead in climbing the last step: "And..."
"They should have started already, it sounds like it's very lively inside."
Following her line of sight, several players who gradually emerged from the bottom of the steps took their sights of the ground paved with bluestone tiles on the platform. A huge palace of the same vermilion color was also raised with a supporting beam. A huge red corridor that can almost reach the sky extends quickly towards both sides of the field of view. The diagonally staggered window lattice and wooden railings with an old atmosphere give everyone who sees this scene a strong classical atmosphere: "This feeling...is really a bit like the atmosphere of the ancient palace hundreds of years ago in our reality."
"Did that old thief Christo design it with reference to our palace history?"
"In a while we might be able to see the real ancient emperor, the one with the officials wearing flowers and feathers shouting long live beside him..."
"Shhh - keep your voice down! Even if you don't want to be executed right now, I still want to listen to what's going on inside."
Following Duan Qing's lowered voice prompts, several players who had never stopped followed the footsteps of the imperial soldiers and arrived at the vermilion floor in front of the hall. The shadowy figures were also accompanied by several messages. The vague discussion in the palace kept flashing back and forth under the magic light: "...So what Mr. Redick said is accurate. Volavos is really in Tibili." Castle has claimed your property, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it is."
"To be on the safe side, we need to confirm again - you can guarantee the authenticity of the testimonies you just mentioned, right?"
"...That's right."
"Very well, take him down."
A dull voice then sounded in front of Duan Qing and others. It was a declaration made by a certain imperial noble standing in the center in front of the palace gate with a big wave of his hand. The middle-aged man who looked a little fat. The man then bowed respectfully forward, and in a low and awe-filled voice he whispered toward the depths of the palace: "Your Majesty, this is the third witness provided by Lord Freke."
"...Are there any other witnesses?"
There seemed to be no answer from the depths of the dim space diagonally above. Instead, another middle-aged man wearing a red and black imperial official uniform and with meticulously combed hair standing on the right side of the central passage asked in a low voice: "Is this all your accusations?"
"Of course not, we still have the most important witness." The imperial noble who spoke before then turned around with a smile: "It's just that they haven't arrived yet, so we specifically applied to let other witnesses first Please attend first...oh."
His gaze shifted slightly, and then he made another elegant movement: "It looks like they have arrived, Your Majesty."
"We implore the adventurers from the Qingling Adventure Group, Volavos' former mercenaries in Thebilis Castle, to testify."
He spread his hands and pointed at Duan Qing and others who had been pushed into the door by several imperial royal guards. The latter then stepped over the high threshold under the palace gate in a chaotic manner, using a slightly surprised expression. Looking around here, he said, "Wow, there are so many people."
"Isn't it that all the ministers of the empire are here? Look at that one over there, that seems to be the minister of civil welfare of the empire..."
"There are so many statues... Are these all great men of the empire? And the two extra-large statues placed at the door - they should be heroes like the Founder of the Mountains, right?"
"It should be. I also know one of them. That person should be called Delvit R. Roland. He is the earliest leader of the Roland family..."
"quiet!"
A dull and loud shout then sounded in front of Duan Qing and others, completely suppressing their comments that they didn't know what nervousness was. The imperial noble who made this roar also put down his point and pointed at this. The hands of several people quickly covered up the angry look on their faces: "Do you know what you are here to do? You are here to be interrogated by His Majesty the Emperor! If His Majesty the Emperor thinks that you are guilty, you will be imprisoned immediately. Do you understand the difference between the head and the head? Do you understand it or not? Huh!"
"Then let's start now." Looking at the several adventurers rolling their eyes with no respect, the imperial nobles who gradually came forward tried their best to suppress the anger on their faces: "Witness No. 4 , Qingling Adventure Team, tell the truth everything you did for Volavos in The Thebilis Castle."
"..."
"……snort."
Looking at the silent reactions of the adventurers who were looking around, the imperial nobleman with his sleeves gathered together twirled the mustache on his lips: "It seems that not only are you rude, but you also look extremely courageous. It’s small.”
"Well, since you are so uncooperative, let me ask the question." He cleared his throat, and a look of pride that was not easily noticed flashed across his face: "Have you accepted the ambush? Ravos’ money and then handle some things for him?”
"Objection, Your Majesty." Before Duan Qing could answer, the voice of another imperial nobleman from the depths of the palace spoke loudly without hesitation: "This is a leading question, Your Majesty, please stop this lack of Fair conduct.”
"Why, does Duke Victoria have any friendship with these adventurers?" The smile on his face did not change at all. The questioner standing in the center of the line of sight asked nonchalantly: "Your relationship has become so good that I just Just after asking the first question, are you already eager to come forward and clarify?"
"Your Majesty, please ignore Earl Victoria's behavior because he had contact with those adventurers yesterday." Another imperial noble who stood in line then raised his voice and said: "This is what I, Lord Chuckner, saw with my own eyes. "
"Oh? Then how did you see me?" Different from the embarrassment when he objected just now, the imperial aristocrat known as Victoria tidied up his tie: "It couldn't be at the door of the tavern. , while drinking with the beautiful and noble landlady, right?"
"I know we all visited that tavern last night, but I just happened to pass by it because I was visiting Lord Amphlett." The man who called himself Lord Chuckner, who had already walked out of the queue, glanced at his little eyes: "I have no verbal contact at all with these despicable adventurers, let alone physical contact-"
"You're talking nonsense! You gave me the poisoned wine last night!" Asahi Dongsheng, who was carrying a giant ax, immediately pointed at the other person's nose: "You wanted to ask to see us, but weren't we rejected in the end?"
"Watch your words, adventurers." The small-eyed imperial noble turned his head and said in a warning tone: "Otherwise, I will accuse you of slander and slander in this sacred Red Hall-"
"enough."
A sound like a bell came from diagonally above the main hall. It was the sound suddenly made by a figure sitting on the highest platform deep in the palace. It was difficult to see the burly silhouette in the middle because of the dim light. Then he looked around the hall, which suddenly became quiet, and finally landed in the middle of the ring-shaped seats that were almost at the same height as the high platform: "Susas, what did you say?"
"There shouldn't be any problem with our intelligence, Your Majesty." A man in black noble attire sitting in the rightmost corner of the circular platform lowered his head and replied: "Inviting them to come this time is just to help you. Check it out with your witness.”
"Steele has explained to me everything that happened that day." Another old man with a white beard sitting in the middle of the lower room straightened his back and said loudly: "My subordinates will not lie to me, so... those intelligence It must be adulterated."
"His Majesty the Emperor summoned all of us here, he must have taken a fancy to this." After stroking his beard, another elderly nobleman sitting on the left and wearing luxurious clothes also slowly closed his eyes. His own eyes: "Ignore those noble witnesses..."
"These adventurers who have just been baptized by you, I am afraid that only here can they express their true thoughts to His Majesty." 8)
