companion
Oliver turned off the lights in the bedroom. It was already dark, and even in the capital of Alban, the light in Doru City gradually faded. The cyan night sky is full of stars, and the moonlight illuminates the intricate decorations of the house. The silver statue of Chenni on the table glowed with a hazy white light.
Sighing and focusing his strength on his eyes, Oliver looked out the window again—
The real world is revealed again. The monster that covered the sky was still there, and the sky turned terribly dark, and all the stars were gone for a moment.
Oliver thought for a few seconds and drew the thick curtains.
The rooms of the Royal Castle are several grades higher than the Clement College dormitory. The bed is soft and comfortable, and lying on it is like floating on warm water. The elegant aroma of sleep aids lingered on the nose, but Oliver was not sleepy, he habitually touched his side, and there was nothing on the cool sheets.
There is no other breath around, no familiar warm body.
Although physically and mentally exhausted to the limit, he could not sleep. Unlike when he escaped from the Wither Castle, he was not afraid of being swallowed by nightmares, and now he can't even dream anymore.
Oliver opened his eyes wide in the darkness, staring at the delicate embroidery on the bed curtain. After tossing and turning for ten minutes, he sat up, put on his nightgown briefly, and left the room.
The Royal Castle has a 24/7 kitchen, serving guests from all countries and customs. There is a restaurant not far from the guest room area. Although he is not hungry at all, Oliver still wants to find something to do for himself.
Once he was free, the memories in his mind began to roll over and over. The emptiness ran through his blood, corroding his veins and guts, and sucking his tears. He had to find something to make him feel better, not like a completely cold shell.
Such as a bowl of thick soup, or a glass of hot milk.
He pushed open the embossed wooden door with brightly stained glass, only to find that he was not the only visitor to the small restaurant.
Alban's new king, Andrea Alastair—or rather Ann Savage was sitting at a table in the corner, drinking glass after glass.
The table was piled high with her empty bottles, and the waiter next to her nervously tried to clean it up, but Ann waved it away at will.
"Thank you. But back off, I'm used to it." She sounded sober and not in a high mood. "Never mind that, five more ale, plus some crispy tortillas and bacon jerky, and a little more pepper on the tortillas.
The waiter was startled by the king's thanks, and backed away obligingly. Ann sighed heavily, tapped the empty bottle with her fingers, looked around at random, and caught a glimpse of Oliver.
"Captain." She smiled reluctantly, raising her hand as a greeting. "Sit here."
Oliver pursed his lips and sat down opposite Ann.
An twitched the corners of his mouth and pushed the wine bottle on the table to the wall, barely clearing a piece of the table. There were still some unfinished fried nuts on the table, and she pushed the small plate to the center of the table.
"I remember you can't drink," she muttered. "Want something else?"
"Wine is good. Now if I don't want to get drunk, it won't get me out of control." Oliver got himself a clean glass.
Although he wanted to be terribly drunk, in addition to the necessary sleep, he had countless things to do, leaving no time for indulgence and decadence.
The female warrior didn't say much. She picked up the silver bell on the corner of the table, attached magic power, and shook it gently: "In addition to the ones you ordered just now, add a bottle of light apple cider, and—"
"Fried mushrooms," Oliver added softly.
"A plate of fried mushrooms." After that, put down the bell.
"Thank you." Oliver's tone was very solemn.
"Hands up."
"It's not for this, it's for your willingness to provide us with these. After all, Abbas Alastair—" Oliver raised his eyes, his voice more serious.
"Abbas used to be my favorite brother." Ann threw a nut into her mouth and crunched it. "The only normal elder in my shitty childhood. I do love him as much as you love your father."
The teleportation array on the trolley by the table lights up, and An brings the wine and snacks that appeared out of thin air onto the table, and pushes the wine bottle stack to the side against the wall.
"My father killed your mother and caused your father to suffer. But you and Nemo didn't leave me alone. Don't put on that face—yes, I know, it's not the same. My brother who died is my enemy himself."
Oliver's fork for frying mushrooms stopped in the air.
"But the human heart can't have only one emotion." An smiled bitterly and took a sip of wine, "I just watched the two of you walk all the way... How should I put it, you are just like my brothers. I don't know. What a real devil looks like, but at least I admire Nemo Wright."
"install… "
"Oliver, let's put it this way. I don't think my brother is a complete victim, and the Demon King's counterattack is not a 'wrong thing'. But to say 'I don't mind Nemo killing my brother at all, it's all over', That's a complete lie—sorry, I'm not going to lie to you about it, even if it makes you feel better."
"I understand." Oliver slowly chewed the fried mushrooms that were a little hot.
Just like he still has some disgust with the Alastair family - he knows it's not Ann's fault, but every time he sees that surname, he can't help but feel annoyed.
"Yeah, if the mind can understand the truth and the heart can keep up, then life will be much easier. Abbas is dead, and I have no right to forgive anyone for him. Now these messes are nothing more than I want myself I feel better. Now I know the identity of the Demon King... On the one hand, as the King of Alban, it is my responsibility to support the prophecy hero."
An was holding a piece of jerky in his mouth, and his voice was a little murky. She raised her head, her amber eyes were not occupied by alcohol, and they were still extremely sharp.
"On the other hand... As a friend, if you want to get this straight and straight, I want Nemo Wright to talk to me face-to-face. Until then, I won't give you any answers."
The Queen of Alban paused for a few seconds, put down the glass heavily, and emptied the bottle at hand—
"So Oliver, I'll give you all the support you want. In exchange, you'll have to promise me that you'll bring that bastard to me."
Oliver's lips trembled a little, and a thousand words rushed into his throat.
He just managed to squeeze out a "good" in the end.
"Let's have a drink next." An Yao shook the full glass in his hand, "When I think of myself as a flea on a giant dragon, and this dragon is going to take a magma bath... I just want to throw away the throne immediately, bring Go on Delia, spend all your money and have fun. It's a shame like I said - I'm very good at my conscience, but at least I've got a face."
"Respect for the trauma." Oliver laughed, took a few sips of cider, and his face became red with naked eyes.
"Respect trauma. But speaking of trauma, Dylan bastard... I'll have a good talk with Salter tomorrow. Religious spending should be cut."
This sentence was like a summoning spell, the door of the small restaurant opened again, a head squeezed in, and then a huge furry body.
Although the door is not small, the door frame still makes an overwhelmed cracking sound.
Jesse Dylan still maintained the appearance of a giant beast. He glanced at the two people in the corner, his tail swept away a table and chairs unceremoniously, and then tapped the ordering bell with the tip of his fingernail.
"A bucket of mead, and fifteen pounds of butter cookies," he demanded gravely. "Ten more pounds of candied berries."
"… Can you get back into human form, Dylan?" Ann gritted her teeth, "I'm starting to miss you before."
The huge beast gave her a faint glance, but did not respond. The mead was sent up first, and Lord Chenni bit off the lid of the wine barrel and inserted his long mouth directly into it.
"I thought he was going to lick it, okay. I really hope that the old men from the Rad School can see this scene with their own eyes." Ann commented without emotion.
Just as Jesse was gulping mead and waiting for his dessert, the restaurant door opened again.
Adrian Cross silently looked at the god who was about to put his head in the wine barrel, the Queen Alban who was almost buried in the bottle, and the insomnia brave who sipped fruit wine without a word.
"It's rare. You'd come here at such a time, Cross." Ann burped.
The former trial knight commander had amazing self-discipline. If conditions permit, Adrian tends to go to bed at ten o'clock, and now it is close to three in the morning.
"I can't sleep," Adrian said frankly. "I saw Bagalmore while walking. It's not in a good mood. I want to order some cookies..."
The biscuits Jesse wanted were packed in a golden pile on the large plate that was supposed to hold the roast pig, nearly crushing the cart. But for some reason, he was still burying his head in the wine barrel.
Adrian naturally walked to the corner and sat down beside Oliver. He put the languid grey parrot on the table and touched the fluffy white tail beside him.
Jesse swept his tail to the other side in an instant, and the sound of drinking suddenly became louder.
The former knight commander smiled and didn't say much. He poured himself a glass of water: "Mr. Ramon, please restrain yourself. I remember you have plans for tomorrow."
"Yeah." Oliver's answer was not straightforward, with a hint of uncertainty. "Mr. Cross..."
"I won't report to the Holy See." Adrian obviously guessed Oliver's question.
The pointed ears of the giant beast that were exposed outside the barrel slowly perked up.
Adrian picked up a nut and handed it to Grey Parrot: "Don't get me wrong, my mind hasn't changed. I won't pretend to be ignorant just because Mr. Wright or you are my companion."
"Then you..."
"If this news leaks, I believe that the surface is more inclined to execute you at the moment. Once you are executed, and the demon king does not give up his plan to destroy the surface, or the still conscious Mr. Wright gets angry, the consequences are unimaginable - this is me as a knight. judge."
"Why?" the grey parrot absently pecked at the nuts. "Shouldn't the surface be offering Ramon?"
Ann stretched out a finger and rubbed the grey parrot's head: "No, even if the Pope of the Rad Sect is willing to protect Oliver, if someone spreads the news to the people... The survival of a human makes the Demon King want to destroy the surface. That vague It is estimated that the prophecy of the hero will immediately change from the prophecy of the hero to the prophecy of the world destroyer. After all, in the concept of human beings, the demon king has never touched the surface."
"Yes." Adrian nodded, "The fewer people who know, the better. Even the Pope will have his own position - what he wants is stability in the world. According to the teachings of the Radical Church, Mr. Ramon is very good. It is possible to be asked to commit suicide immediately in order to 'protect' the surface and become a 'saint'."
Oliver only felt a little choke on the fried mushrooms in his throat.
It's not that he didn't think about it. If he and Nemo were just ordinary friends, if he hadn't made that promise to Nemo, maybe he really would have done it.
But not now.
"And that's not fair," Adrian continued, with a rare smile. "Because this matter is not without a turn. As your companion, Mr. Ramon, I can't trust the Demon King, but I trust you."
Oliver's eye sockets were a little red, and he took several gulps of apple cider to suppress the sourness in his eyes.
"Thank you," he said.
"The most we can give you is will and material support." Adrian stuffed the grey parrot with another nut. "Jesse is the one who can really help."
The behemoth's ears snapped back to his head in an instant.
"I know." Oliver sighed softly, "If it wasn't for him, Nemo and I wouldn't be able to be together so soon."
"Although it's fine to forage in another place, it's pretty good here." Jesse finally pulled his head out of the wine barrel and licked the wet hair beside his long mouth. "Ramon, I have to warn you. It's too late for you to change your mind. Once I start to help you gain power, the Pillars of the World will definitely notice. He hasn't moved yet, and it may be by then."
He glanced quickly at Adrian, who was drinking water, and then started to eat butter biscuits.
Oliver was chewing on fried mushrooms, looking like he was thinking.
"I... I can go and see Wright's condition," Gray Parrot suggested softly.
"No." Oliver denied immediately. "If the Demon King really dissolves Nemo's emotions, you may be killed immediately by him. Even if he doesn't kill you, such rumors are unreliable."
"You don't trust me!" Grey Parrot sounded about to cry. "I, I'm not afraid of death, Ke Ruiwen flat snake is very good at escaping. I have the flesh and blood of the devil in my body, he won't be too much to me... right?"
"Because I trust you."
Oliver stared at the tip of the silver fork in his hand.
"According to Dylan's explanation, assuming the Demon Lord devours Nemo, he will have all the information about Nemo. If I am the Demon Lord... If I am the Demon Lord and want to minimize losses, then pretend 'Nimo is still there' , booby-trapping of tumbleweeds is also possible."
This almost cold guess stopped the jerky in Ann's mouth from shaking. She looked at her team leader with a bit of sadness in her eyes.
"I have to consider everything," Oliver muttered. "Bagelmoru, you have the flesh and blood of the devil, you are a very important card for us. Don't be impulsive, okay?"
The grey parrot buried its head in its wings and said nothing.
"Calm down and think about it, what Dylan said makes sense."
Although the alcohol in the cider was steaming his brain, surrounded by comrades who made it clear, Oliver had never been sober.
"As soon as I start absorbing power, Nemo will definitely find out. The surface is quiet right now, whether it's because Nemo is still there or because the Demon King has other plans. It's a good sign."
A faint power emerged from the head of the tumbleweed.
"Since Dylan thinks 'I don't do anything' is the best solution, so don't discuss the possibility that Nemo is still there. Judging from the current situation, the Demon King may also be observing the movement on the surface and trying to be cautious."
Jesse nodded, swallowed the candied berries, and licked his nose.
"Then I can use this in reverse and buy some time. I think I can figure out a way to look at the opponent's board - determine whether the opponent is the devil or Nemo."
"But if you want to confirm Nemo's situation, you have to go to the bottom of the abyss. That's too risky." An calmly pointed out, "Listen to the hair over there... No, Dylan's words. If you want to do it, it's the most dangerous place on the surface. safe."
"I know, but there may be a way to reach the bottom of the abyss on the surface. I can spy on it myself."
Oliver showed a sincere, somewhat nostalgic smile: "I used to call him out like that."
"If you mean Ulysses' head."
Jesse interrupted mercilessly, licking the sugar sticking to her nose again.
"That skull was a signpost that led the Demon Lord to the surface. The moment Wright came to the surface, it completed its mission, and the magic circuit began to fail. After all these years, it can't be effective."
"But that circuit existed." Oliver said, "It's like a communication crystal that has lost energy. If you find a way to inject power, there is still a chance to operate."
"That's an abyss spell, I'm afraid I can't help you." Jesse seemed to be lost in thought, as if thinking about the feasibility of this plan. "After all, it's something the Demon King himself made..."
"I think I know who to ask." Oliver drained his glass.
As a result, his target came to the door the next day.
"Thorn of the Steel Wolf?" Ann frowned at the servant who came to report, "That guy Fenrir always looked for me directly, how-"
"I think he came to find me." Oliver, who had already prepared, carefully inserted the sword of rest into the ukulele, and then put the piano behind him.
"Come on, Ann. We're going to see Mr. Thorne... no, we're going to see the sage of the abyss."
The author has something to say:
Ollie: Since there is shocking information as a bargaining chip, why not ask the magical Della
Jesse: .