The sunset in late autumn has fallen into the distant horizon, and the few remaining rays of light dye the light clouds red, which looks like a painter's impromptu smearing. On the other side of the sky, the cold moon rose, and the brightest stars around began to show their own light. This is one of the most poetic moments in the continent of Canados, and even ordinary passers-by will be attracted by the exquisite scenery contained in the grandeur, and have to stop and admire it.
But for the three people who had just walked out of the long-distance transfer phalanx, the red color made them feel very desolate.
At the edge of the dark forest, the defensive line personally arranged by Fapero Delitan has become a shocking ruin. The bloody smell wafting down the wind was very strong, and all the eyes were full of broken swords and their masters who would never wake up. The high-level meteorite magic tore a huge gap in the ground, and the frost made the fertile land dead. .
"This is an attack jointly launched by death knights, liches, and undead dragons. Look at these frozen people... It is basically consistent with the information obtained." The man in black who walked in the front sighed deeply, saying Anxious eyes searched the dark red battlefield, as if trying to find traces of his companions.
"No, I see it completely different." Another voice sounded immediately. The objector was an elf with long blond hair and blue pupils, and a plain mage robe over his slender body. Although time could not leave a significant mark on his face, his eyes with the vicissitudes of life showed people the long years that the elves had passed.
"Explain, Mortidal. I don't think you will understand better than me." The middle-aged man then turned his head and waited for the elf to give an answer.
"Jack, you pay too much attention to the characteristics of the breath itself. Although the distribution of frost is indeed similar to the dragon's breath, it does not mean that the diffuse freezing must be a masterpiece of the dragon. The concentration of magic power here is abnormal, obviously a large area. It was caused by wind and snow magic. On the other hand, there are very few warriors torn apart by dragon teeth and claws on the battlefield." The elf mage known as Mortidal frowned, "The mages of the Blood Rose Knights should It's not stupid enough to lie about the military in order to cover up the failure, but this is definitely different from the current situation."
"You mean there are not hundreds of undead dragons? Everything is just a blindfold?" Jack Weir suddenly realized, but when he thought that the army of nearly 40,000 people collapsed under the phantom created by the opponent, he couldn't help it He clenched his fists with resentment and regret.
"You know best, if there are hundreds of dragons casting spells at the same time, there won't be a single standing stone here." The elf's brows were tightened, "The other party has mastered extremely advanced magic, and dare to Implementing bold tactics, in other words, is very tricky." He said, but his voice suddenly dropped, "I don't know what Fapello is doing now."
"If possible, I hope the undead is strong enough to capture him alive." A trace of undetectable sadness flashed in the clown's eyes, "The black knight is the youngest among us, but at the same time the most impulsive. The battle ended for a full six hours There is no news after that, I'm afraid it's already..."
"Anyway, let's start searching first." The third voice finally came, and the owner of the voice walked forward while speaking, his pale skin stood out against the dark red earth.
The strong wind that blew across the battlefield lifted his overcoat and long black hair, making it look like a flying banner. The rough outline and slightly thick lips form an elegance mixed with blood and passion, with the quiet arrogance that the blood race has always had. But the most eye-catching thing is the speaker's eyes, like perfect rubies, even the cunning fox-like enemies will be reflected when they come into contact with those eyes, and there is no room for counterattack.
When this vampire, who was not afraid of the sun at all, spoke, the managers of the Thieves Guild and the Elven Mage immediately stopped their discussion and looked at their leader at the same time. There is trust and respect in their eyes, but at the same time there is also a trace of doubt and worry that cannot be erased.
"Whether Fapero is alive or dead must be verified with both eyes. If he really became a prisoner of the death knight, then..." Sensing the uneasiness of his companions, Daywalker continued, "We will take a surprise attack. The method is to hit the enemy's main line directly and rescue the companions."
"Yes~!" Jack and Mortidal's eyes lit up, and they answered at the same time. The owner of the gemstone pupil nodded, and strode towards the still uncooled battlefield.
In this way, the three quickly advanced on the land covered with frost, blood and scorched earth, and finally stopped before reaching a relatively complete bunker—this was the command post of the Blood Rose Knights, and it was also the last charge place to start. The blood race slowed down and searched slowly along the charging pace of the imperial knights, and finally came to a piece of withered grass.
"It's a duel, and the opponent also masters Yunyao's skills." The walker murmured softly. Immediately, his sharp eyes caught a tinge of red on the dry grass. The high temperature of the Jing Wang Spear Dragon Penetration Ghost Slash will evaporate the blood on it, so this can only be blood dripping from the death knight's weapon.
Blood of the Black Knight.
The vampire's expression changed, but he returned to normal immediately, and continued to follow the traces of Fapello's battle with Alsace.
"Mobile warfare? It seems that the opponent is using a long sword weapon, and has excellent combat awareness...it can force Fapello to choose high-speed running." The analyst paused, and then walked into the half-collapsed bunker. The hard masonry made the impact of the flame disappear, but on the platform on the second floor, the three people who followed saw the gouging marks from the spear.
"The attack failed?" The elf mage asked in surprise, but the other party shook his head with a smile, and then jumped off. The scene in front of him made the blood clan relax a little bit, because he taught Fapero the method of building this kind of bunker. Of course, he knew very well what it meant to jump from here.
However, the moment the Daywalker's feet touched the ground, the sight that rushed into his face completely stopped his breath.
The narrow and oppressive aisle has been painted red by the bursting flames, and the strong wind brought by a series of thorns on the spear left scratches on the rocks one after another, but this is not a daywalker who has experienced many battles The reason for holding his breath—the real reason is the large dark red bloodstain and the coffin placed in the open space at the end of the passage.
Even though they are mentally prepared, no matter how powerful they are, they will still feel suffocated when the death of a valued companion is announced in front of them.
"...There may be a trap here..." Mortidal looked at the coffin in front of him solemnly, and said slowly, but then his words were interrupted immediately.
"If there are really traps above, I will definitely make the installers pay enough." The vampire replied, his tone was colder than the ice and snow in the Northland. Then, he raised the heavy coffin lid without hesitation, and the calm expression of the black knight sleeping with his eyes closed, together with the Jing Wang Spear placed on his chest, Dragon Penetration Ghost Slash, came into the eyes of the three of them.
The wind stopped suddenly, and even time seemed to freeze at that moment. Fapello's companions stood silently like a group of marble statues. After an unknown amount of time, the blood clan finally moved its lips.
"This wound was left by Jing Wang Jian Yunyao, Yunyao of Jagasi~!" His trembling voice was mixed with nostalgia, sadness, regret and anger, and the emotions hidden deep in his heart were instantly recalled by the long sword The sharp edge shines through, like a corner of the night uncovered by lightning.
"By the way, this weapon should belong to Arthas, the mine-abandoner, the current commander of the death knight." As if waking up from a dream, the vampire returned to normal, and then told himself.
"Are we going to chase? The undead should not have gone far." The elf mage looked back at the silent dark forest, and then asked.
This hostile question made Jack Weir subconsciously clenched his fists. But in the end, the blood race just sighed deeply, then shook his head.
"They gave Fapero the respect they deserve, so I give them a moment of peace." He replied in a cold tone, "First make full preparations, and then kill them with one blow, so that they are worthy of the black knight's sacrifice. "
"But Fapello is dead. The 'King' is far away on the mainland of Lordenda. He must maintain the operation of all strategies there, and it is impossible to participate in the battle of Canados. We are short of manpower, what should we do?" Jack Whispering, looking at the end of the land where the setting sun was sinking, as the night fell, the cold and damp mist began to flow out from the dense forest, silently occupying the silent ruins, hanging an indestructible layer on them. cracked gray tulle.
"Motidal," Sunwalker thought for a moment, "it seems that your current situation in Riddle is quite bad. It doesn't matter if it was in the past. But after you go back this time, you must eradicate the hostile forces and control the royal family, Blood Rose Knight After the collapse of the regiment, the strength of the Riddle Empire is crucial to us."
"It's quite difficult, and it can't be achieved overnight." The elf mage replied bluntly, "And I really don't want to attack the descendants of an old friend."
"I only ask for the result, and it's up to you to decide what method to take. Besides, you are not alone." Speaking of this, a flash of tenderness flashed across the pair of jewel pupils, "I will let my students go to assist you."
Is it the last person in the organization? Jack and Motidal immediately thought of the nameless shadow standing behind the chief speaker during the meeting. The silent and mysterious listener has stood in that position for seven full years, but never said a word, and all he does is listen.
Even the candidates who are not strategic must come out of the veil? It seems that the next battle will be a battle where everything is at stake. Not only is our life and death at stake, maybe even the fate of the world will be decided together, right? The elf mage and the thief leader looked at each other in agreement, and nodded to each other.
"But before that, let's bury our companion first." The proud blood race said every word in a serious tone, then closed the coffin lid, and raised the front of the coffin with both hands. At the same time, Jack and Mortidal raised the other end together.
The heavy woodwork and the weight of Fapello and the King Spear made the Elf Mage tense all over, but he refused to use any magic—Motidal had to use his own hands to feel the weight of the sacrificed companion.
"Hold on, 'Archmage'." The clown stretched out his hand to the opponent's side to bear more pressure.
"Let's go." Accompanied by the leader's order, the elf chanted a short spell. The same as when it came, the blue light of the transfer phalanx suddenly rose, but the difference was that this time, in addition to the living, there were also indelible death and sorrow covered.
The Reynas Alliance used to be the most powerful force in the Canados Continent, but the Sunshine of Luvis' Dawn caused it to fall apart in just a few decades, and then, the battle for hegemony quickly spread to this land that lost the goddess. The favored continent. From the Kingdom of Sophia in the south to Palmartin in the north, from the Hall of Knights to the Tower of the Mage, from the battlefield lined with swords to the dark and gloomy alleys, every place is a place of intrigue, and every place breeds intrigues and tricks.
In the end, based on the remnants of the original Reynas Alliance, the Kingdom of Sophia occupied the southern continent and was called the Empire of Sophia. The Riddle Kingdom, which broke away from the Reynas Alliance, absorbed the displaced elves in the war and established a strong connection with the Whitestone Hall dwarves. Finally, it finally resisted the attacks of all parties and became the most influential country in the central part of the continent. .
After hundreds of years of vicissitudes, the Luvis Alliance finally ushered in the dazzling aurora of the new goddess.
On the other side of the ocean, Sophia, who took root from the fragmented wreckage, could not escape the fate of slow decay, but Riddle, who rose up on her own, finally dared to call herself an empire and took steps to control the entire continent. After countless internal and external shocks, the rulers of Riddle are well aware of the importance of institutional reform, and they regard it as an important growth method second only to territorial expansion—from succession to the throne to the tax system, from the conscription bill to the management of the chamber of commerce, Even the patrol routes of the city defense team are constantly being improved.
Among them, the latest reform affecting the people at the bottom is the orphan shelter system proposed and implemented by General Baifeng three years ago.
"It's raining at the wrong time." The middle-aged man sighed, reaching out his hand from under the eaves to feel the coldness of the autumn rain. There were more than a dozen children crowded beside him, ranging in age from six or seven to thirteen or fourteen, all of whom looked cute and well-behaved.
Compared with the asylums in other regions, the Wangdu Orphanage is much better in terms of scale, facilities and food, so it takes in the most orphans. The former head of the orphanage was an old aristocrat with no desires. He originally imagined that he could spend his old age peacefully amidst the laughter of the children. However, with the expansion of the scale and the complexity of the mechanism, the old man who was unable to do what he wanted after three years had to ask for retirement. , and was replaced by this man who was highly praised by the Silver Wing Chamber of Commerce—Safran Bizz.
So far, Saffron has taken over the Wangdu Orphanage for a full month. According to regulations, the king will send a commissioner to check the performance of the new dean before making a decision on whether to allow him to stay in office.
But today it happened to rain. Although it was just light rain, Safran's plan to let the orphans play on the grass was aborted. The little ghosts who were originally selected for the show could only stare blankly at the gate of the courtyard, and the scene suddenly became much deserted.
"Is there any need to be so worried? Orphanages are not theaters, so what if there's not enough ostentation?" The young girl curled her lips, "Zefelis is not that unkind, I think she will definitely come alone."
"Hmph, what do you know? Use your brain a little bit, okay? The former dean is an elder of a famous noble family. What about me? It's strange that a woman who is about to become a member of the royal family would sell face to a businessman~! Also, I told you How many times has it been done, don't call General Baifeng by his name~!" The middle-aged man gave him a disdainful glance, and he is almost sure that this assistant knows nothing about the cruel reality. Stay in the naive dream stage. Pity yourself but you have to rack your brains to prepare for various situations that may arise.
If General Baifeng really leads a large number of people to visit an orphanage that is completely incompatible with his status, then he must do his best to make the atmosphere here look more like a military camp, and then instigate these carefully selected clever ghosts to come to the orphanage. In an unpretentious tone, he expressed his dreams of serving the motherland and aspiring to become a brave knight. Only in this way can it make the other party feel comfortable. And if the inspectors from the military came, then there was nothing to worry about, it was nothing more than a word of money.
Only the devil knows why I wanted to be the director of the orphanage on a whim in the first place~! Although the reward is a lot, if you pay bribes every month, I am afraid that you will starve to death sooner or later. Thinking of using his own savings to pave the way for the future of the orphanage, Shafran suddenly felt very distressed. But then another possibility jumped into his mind. Maybe... I can embezzle funds from the orphanage to pay bribes
Saffron suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. Isn't the reason why I work so hard so that the empire will allocate sufficient funds so that the orphans can get better care? It would be too ironic if funds were really embezzled to pay bribes.
Just as this shrewd businessman was immersed in uneasy distress, a child's cry brought him back to reality.
"It's my sister, my sister is here~!" shouted Andy, the biggest and smartest, and ran out of the shelter of the eaves. Then, all the waiting children rushed to the gate of the compound in the rain.
"What sister?" Shafran muttered, looking up quickly. And the moment he saw the comer clearly, the businessman who had experienced countless times found that he could no longer look away.
Across the hazy rain and fog, the first thing that entered the dean's pupils was a deep red bamboo umbrella, which opened like a red camellia, and then, the plain white clothes covering the slender body jumped into sight. A small jacket with a stand-up collar held up her slender neck, her fair skin reflected her black hair, and a little tear mole at the corner of her left eye was a little charming, and her cold eyes reminded people of the brilliance of the moon.
If I had to describe it, it would be the kind of woman who matched Yu very well, right? Suddenly, Safran felt that the rain today was simply for the person in front of him.
"Did you obediently listen to Crelan?" The girl smiled and asked the little ghosts gathered beside her.
"We are obedient.", "I am very good." The children rushed to answer.
"real?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
"Okay then, I'll let Sister Crelan give you candy later. It's the bubble gum brought from Shajiad." Passed the past, "Now go to the house first, you can't catch a cold when the seasons change."
"Why, are you stunned?" The dean's assistant—a girl named Kelilan—had a mischievous smile on his face, "By the way, a man is such a creature, even in a compassionate orphanage The dean is no exception."
"Who is that?" Shafran finally came back to his senses, he had no time to care about the assistant's sarcasm, and asked hastily.
"General Baifeng Zefelis, the children call her Sister Zefei." Crelan blinked mischievously, "Are you ready to meet the examiner now, Mr. Dean?"
"You are Safran Bizz, right? Nice to meet you, my name is Zefelis." The girl in white nodded to Crelan first, and then turned to the dean who was trying to adjust his emotions, "Please take me to visit the Is the orphanage you arranged, okay?"
"Yes, yes, Master Zefelis~!" The middle-aged man whose name was called hurriedly lowered his head.
It wasn't until the well-known General Hakuho began to inspect the orphanage that Shafran finally realized that his previous anxiety was completely unnecessary. Not out of political considerations, nor for the interests of the nobles, what Zefelis cared about was only the orphans themselves, and every question she raised and every detail of her inspection was closely related to the lives of the children.
Shafran, who had been ups and downs in the business world, thought that he had taken care of the orphans extremely thoughtfully, but in front of this beautiful examiner, he finally understood that true care is not only reflected in material things, but more importantly, guidance and education.
"The orphanage adopts children and teenagers under the age of 16." When only Safran and Zefelis were left in the dean's room, the female general's expression gradually became serious, "The grown-up orphans You have to make a living on your own, but it’s an inescapable responsibility to provide them with a way to make a living. How are you going to do that?”
This question hit Shafran's heart, and he immediately confessed his plan: "Master Zefelis, I have fully planned this aspect. At the age of sixteen, select the best and send them to the Knight Academy or the Magic Academy." The college, and of course the orphanage will provide all expenses during this period."
"After they successfully graduate, I believe they can find their place in the army or the Mage Association. If they can stand out in the war, it is not impossible to become nobles, right? In this way, even orphans have the same opportunity to seize Destiny, and the status of the Royal Capital Orphanage will be greatly improved along with them." The former Silver Wing Chamber of Commerce members ended their plans, confidently waiting for the questioner's evaluation.
"Excellent planning." Zephyris clapped his hands lightly, but dark ripples flashed across his delicate face. Then, she changed the subject suddenly, "But I am more concerned about those orphans who are not outstanding. Shafran Beez, where is their way out?"
"This..." The person being questioned suddenly became speechless.
"The idea of creating opportunities for children to make achievements is worthy of recognition, but... the purpose of setting up an orphanage is to help the weak, not to screen the strong." The girl in white looked at the pattering rain outside the window, her voice lowered, "Ordinary It’s not fair that the children of other people can still be cared for even if they can’t make great achievements, but orphans have to compete from an early age to attract the attention of their guardians.”
"Your Excellency Shafran was born as an orphan, right? And judging from the information provided by Silver Wing, it is obvious that he finally stood out through his own efforts, so there is nothing wrong with choosing this efficient method. But if possible, I hope everyone Children can be cared for, even if they are ordinary or even weak. It may be very hard for you as the dean, but I think this is the real purpose of establishing an orphanage." Those beautiful eyes are serious Looking at the other side, Safran's heart was beating wildly.
In the next moment, a bold guess suddenly took shape in the dean's mind. However, when Safran was hesitant to take the risk of confirming, Zefelis was the first to speak out for him.
"I think you should have guessed that I am also an orphan. And... still the useless type." A nostalgic smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "But there is someone who still treats me as a princess, so Zephyris is now To be able to stand on such a broad stage.”
General Baifeng's nurturer? So what kind of person could make her show such a gentle smile? Thinking of this, Shafran suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loss, and the frustrated man began to think about how to modify his plan, but before he had time to speak, a hasty knock on the door interrupted the dean's thinking .
"Excuse me." Accompanied by a young voice, a tall knight walked in.
The uninvited guest was a rather handsome and elegant young man with long golden hair draped over a delicate armor, and a very conspicuous two-handed sword behind his back. At first Saffron thought that the young knight was a subordinate of General Baifeng, but when the eyes of the two met, the seasoned businessman was instantly shocked by the sharp and oppressive gaze of the other party.
"Ellent, why are you here?" Zefelice's slightly surprised voice made the head of the orphanage stiffen.
The one standing in front of me is not someone else, but the third prince of the empire, the golden lion Alent~!
Although he is only twenty-six years old this year, Alente has made countless military exploits for the empire. In a few years, he not only led his army to successfully annex several small countries around Riddle, but also defeated the invasion of the Sophia Empire many times. Coupled with the effective reform of the army establishment, the king's evaluation of the Golden Lion has greatly surpassed his two unknown elder brothers. Under this situation, most of the nobles wisely chose to become his allies, which further The power of the Golden Lion has been strengthened.
In addition, Ellen is also the fiancé of General Zephyris of the White Phoenix. A year ago, the news of the engagement of members of the royal family and civilian women caused an uproar among the people as soon as it came out. Although most people are skeptical, as time goes by, the way the two exchange tokens of love has gradually become a good story in Riddle, and young lovers have followed suit. And because of Zefelis's high prestige among the common people, Alent's popularity also increased rapidly.
Now this young man with the title of King of Beasts has become the only candidate to inherit the throne, and the center of attention of the entire empire.
While knowing the other party's identity, the only thing Safran Bizzy could do was to kneel down on one knee immediately, and plead guilty to the other party in a remorseful tone. But the golden lion just smiled and waved his hands, and then put all his attention on his fiancée.
"Zefi, I'm here to pick you up." Allen explained while calling the other party's nickname.
"But the inspection is only halfway through. Are you planning to interfere with the affairs of the empire?" Bai Feng pursed her lips deliberately and retorted in a serious tone.
"It seems to be really difficult. Let's do it this way," the third prince of the empire thought for a few seconds, and then replied, "Let's put aside the orphanage for now. As compensation, I will specifically approve it for you for three days in the future." What do you think of the vacation, not only to complete the inspection, but also to stay with the children for a while? Now...the carriage is already waiting outside, let's go quickly?"
When she heard the word "carriage", the girl's expression sank for a moment, and then she nodded her head unusually straightforwardly: "I understand, let's do it this way." She turned to Safran who stood respectfully aside, briefly He explained a few words calmly, "In short, please manage the Wangdu Orphanage in your own way. With me as the backing, even the nobles have no need to compromise at all. The future of the children is the most important consideration."
"Yes, Lord Zephyris." The dean bowed deeply.
It wasn't until the exquisite carriage and the twenty-four escorting knights completely disappeared from sight that Shafran finally sighed, and then slowly walked towards the big house. At this time, an umbrella suddenly opened above his head.
"Every man who sees Zefei's sister will be so lost." Crelan said with a smile, "How do you feel after the inspection, Mr. Dean?"
"I want to devote my whole life to the cause of the orphanage. It has been silent for thirty-seven years, and now, the soul of a beautiful girl in Shafran Bizzy has finally awakened. Yes... the gear of destiny that belongs to me will Start turning from now on." The middle-aged man answered each word seriously, and the raging fire was burning in those ordinary pupils at the moment.
The golden lion likes horses, whether in the army or in the capital, he always brings out his favorite horse when he travels. If one day the third prince suddenly abandons his favorite way of action and takes a slow carriage instead, it only means one thing—the situation is so urgent that it must be discussed on the road.
And now, what Zefelice and Allente are riding in is such a carriage that completely shields the prying eyes of the outside world with multiple magical barriers.
"What happened?" Bai Feng asked in a cold voice, staring at the other party intently.
"Nothing happened yet, but it will be soon." The golden lion smiled, with a sharp light in his eyes, "Everything is planned, I decided to clear the head of the mage council tomorrow morning, the elf named Mortidal .Now is the perfect time."
"... tell me the specifics." After a few seconds of silence, Zephyris replied, those eyes, which were clearer than spring water, seemed to be a bottomless sinking pool, with an unfathomable glimmer of light.