Carrick came downstairs when Lorist and Tagle were almost finishing their meal. Tagle ordered some food for Carrick again, and then told him that he and Lorist were going out for a walk, and that Carrick would charge everything to his account if he needed anything...
It was already evening, and Tagle took Lorist to the arena. The Flame and Blood Tavern is really close to the competition area. After passing through an alley, you will reach the avenue surrounding the Wangting area. On the opposite side of the avenue is the camp where the Imperial Guards were originally stationed. Although the Guards Corps is now on the march, the camp is not idle. A row of flags of various colors are flying at the gate of the camp, and people wearing various leather armors wielding knives and guns come and go in and out of the camp...
Before they crossed the avenue, several people rushed over from the opposite camp, surrounding Tagle and Lorist.
"Hey, you two must have come to the camp in response to His Majesty's call, right? I am Jason, the deputy head of the Sembak Mercenary Group, and I very much welcome the two warriors to join our mercenary group..." A man dressed in shabby clothes The skinny man in leather armor spoke to Tagle and Lorist very enthusiastically.
"Go away with your broken mercenary regiment. If there are less than 50 people, most of them are remnants and defeated generals, old and weak. Join your mercenary regiment to die? Two brothers, we are the tigers under Duke Guffman. Shark Slave Squad, we have more than 300 people, joining us is the best choice..." A tall man next to him stepped on the skinny man's mercenary group with a disdainful face, and then turned to recruit the two of them.
Another big man with a red face shouted, "Join our Galil slave catcher, we provide equipment and weapons, buddy, it's all free, don't miss this good opportunity."
"We are the mercenary regiment of Grand Duke Hawke. Although we have just been formed, we are treated well and provide a bottle of rum every day..." The fourth middle-aged man in chain mail shouted unwillingly .
I understand, these people are all here to recruit troops to expand their strength.
"Salute to all the brave fighters." Tagle replied with a smile: "It's just that the two of us are members of the Peterson Chamber of Commerce of the business alliance. I traveled around to increase my knowledge. I just came here to see how lively this place is, and I’m sorry to disappoint everyone.”
Alas, seeing Tagle's self-reported identity, those people sighed and turned around and went back, but there was still one person who stayed.
"I know you." The man looked at Tagle and said.
"You are?" Tager scratched his head, he didn't know the person in front of him.
"You're Bailop's friend. I've seen you drinking with them," the man said.
"Oh..." Tager breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he had made an omission just now: "Hi, my name is Tager. Do you know the whereabouts of Bailuopu and the others? When we broke out from the inner city of Nubit Harbor, we They got lost and I didn't find them..."
"Bailuopu is dead. When we attacked the enemy's line of defense at the two mountain passes in the hilly area, I saw Bailuopu fell on the ground with several feathered arrows stuck in his body." The man said.
"Then Filinde, Cranando, and Cheerva, do you know them? Do you know where they are now?" Tager asked. These people are all friends he made in Nubit Port.
The man shook his head: "I don't know them, but I seem to have heard the name Cheerva before. He should be in this camp. How about I take you to find it?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Drey. I used to be a supervisor in the material transportation department of Nubit Port. Now I am forced by His Majesty the King to become a member of the Avenging Army." The man said.
"Army of Disgrace? What's going on?" Tagle was curious.
"It's nothing. After those of us broke through the siege and ran to the royal city, our king was furious when he heard that we had lost Nubit Port. Even Duke Guffman and Duke Hawke were ordered to stay in their Grand Duke's mansion and get well. Regret. As for us, His Majesty the King stuffed us into this camp, saying that he wanted to set up the Revenge Legion, recruit 24,000 people and go to the front line to help the Guards recover Nubit Port. So these people are working for their own team Recruiting a scapegoat..."
"scapegoat?"
"Yes." Dre replied: "Many mercenary groups and slave capture groups suffered a lot when they broke through, so they need to recruit new recruits, and when they reach the front line, let these new recruits go up and kill them, so no matter how much they lose, they will not be able to hurt them." It turns out that the old foundation of the team will instead show their bravery because of the heavy casualties, and thus be rewarded."
"Is this all right?"
"Of course. Anyway, His Majesty the King has issued a call-up order. Anyone who wants to enlist in the army will come here, and then they will be divided up by those teams. In a few days, when the number is full, we will go to Nubit Port. Will I survive then? I still have to rely on Sigvar's blessing to come down." Dre showed a helpless wry smile on his face.
"I think you will live to be a hundred years old, and maybe you can make great achievements for your majesty the king to promote you to become a nobleman." Tager complimented, then pointed to Lorist and said : "My brother hasn't been here yet, I'm going to take him to see the famous Wangcheng arena first, so that he can open his eyes. I'll come back to you when I'm done. How about we go to the Flame and Blood Tavern for a few drinks?" ?”
Drey nodded: "Okay, then I will help you find Cheerva and the others, when you come to find me, go to the sentinel at the gate of the camp and mention Drey of the Thunderfire Mercenary Group, they all know about it. "
After bidding farewell to Drey, Tagle took Lorist to the King City Arena soon. This is the most majestic building in Hamidas King City except for the royal palace. From the appearance, it looks like two orange petals spread out on the ground and then joined together, very similar to those stadiums in Lorist's previous life.
"There is a wild mulberry tree in front of the alley to the left of the main entrance..." Tager muttered: "Yes, that's right there."
This alley is very secluded, and the smell is also very bad. I don’t know how many spectators who went to watch the gladiator’s life and death fight performance used this alley as a convenient public toilet after the show. They were all stained blue-yellow by the long-term piss and urine, exuding an unpleasant smell that made people vomit.
But on this blue-gray stone wall, there are more than 30 children's graffiti-like drawings of two horizontal lines and one vertical line.
Tager covered his nose and said: "My lord, every time El goes in, he draws two horizontal lines on the wall, and only when he comes out, he draws a vertical line on the second horizontal line. Others will only take him in to urinate, even if they pay attention. The markings on the wall would also be scribbled by children... ”
"Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four..." Tager was stunned when he counted here. There were only two horizontal lines on the wall but no vertical line, which indicated that after El entered the arena in the royal city, It didn't come out.
"Come on, go to the arena and ask." Lorist said.
The soldiers at the gate of the arena asked all kinds of questions, and Tager finally asked the soldiers to call their squadron leader after each of them stuffed a big silver coin, but the squadron leader denied that El was still in the arena Insisting on the fact that El has left after finishing his sword practice two days ago, he also feels strange that he hasn't come these two days, etc...
Lorist tugged on Tagle's clothes and motioned him to leave first.
On the way back, Lorist told Tagle with certainty that something happened to El. Because when the squadron leader of the arena answered, his eyes flickered, and he didn't dare to look at Tagle and speak. Lorist planned to go secretly to the arena to find out the facts at night.
Tagle decided that Lorist was taking too much risk. Why not wait until tomorrow to visit Viscount Timba, and ask Viscount Timba to go to the arena to find out El's whereabouts.
Lorist shook his head. Tager was about to persuade him again when he suddenly heard someone shouting his name. When he looked up, it was Drey from the Thunderfire Mercenary Group. There were several people standing beside him, and one of them was It was Chelva, his friend at Nubit Harbor.
Cheerva laughed and came over to hug Tager, congratulating him on his successful escape to Hamidas King City. Then he asked him to treat him. Qierva said that since he ran to Wangcheng penniless, he hadn't even eaten a bone except for a full stomach in the camp. Every day he had cabbage soup and black bread, and birds faded out of his mouth. This time I caught Tager, a rich man, so I will give him a good meal, and introduce him to a few friends by the way, etc...
Well, it's another Carrick, and Tagle generously invites everyone to have a good meal at the Flame and Blood Tavern. On the way, Tager briefly introduced his escape experience as a pedestrian, and then sighed deeply.
"Why, Brother Tagle, why are you sighing, are you blaming the brothers for wanting to eat you for free?" That Qierva said very dissatisfied.
"No, the two of us brothers went to the arena just now, but found that a brother who stayed in Wangcheng and went to the arena to practice swords every day has disappeared. I am very worried about his whereabouts. I don't know how to go back and explain to my uncle." Tag Er frowned and sighed.
"What's going on?" Dre asked.
"Brother Cheerva knows. When I first came to Nubit Port, there was a man named El with me. He was my uncle's son. He came out with me to learn more. He is a martial idiot, so he knew Sword practice. Later, Qierva, you took the two of us to the Wangcheng Arena to watch the gladiators. My brother insisted on staying here when he heard that he could practice swords with gladiators. As a result, when I went to the tavern today, the boss said that he There was no one in the sky, so I went to the arena to ask again, and they said that my brother didn't come back the day before yesterday...
Everyone knows that our brother is a member of the Peterson Chamber of Commerce. This time, we are also responsible for opening up business routes and setting up offices in your kingdom. We naturally also have a set of codes and contact signs. We just found out that the mark left by my brother El was a mark of entering the arena but not coming out, so we asked the soldiers guarding the arena, but the soldiers just shook their heads and couldn't explain clearly, so they called their squadron leader , but the squadron leader gave us that answer..."
"Are you saying that Brother El is missing?" Cheerva jumped up and said, "Don't eat, let's go back, I will gather people to search the arena..."
"No need..." Tager hurriedly hugged Cheerva: "I appreciate the brother's affection, but you can't do this. If something goes wrong, His Majesty the King blames it and no one can afford it..."
"I'm afraid of a bird. Anyway, labor and management will go to the battlefield in a few days. It's not a two-day difference between death sooner or later. There are only two hundred guards in the arena now. If you want to make trouble, now is a good time. Maybe it will get bigger You don’t need to go to the battlefield anymore.” Cheerva yelled.
"Huh?" Tager said, "Didn't you say that there were a thousand guards from the arena when you brought us to the arena last time? Why are there only two hundred now? What if those slave gladiators rioted?" ?”
"Hehe, 25,000 people from the imperial guards set off this morning. Less than 3,000 are left in Wangcheng, and they are also responsible for the defense of the storage area in the west city. How can there be so many troops to guard the arena! Anyway, these days There are no performances in the arena, and all slave gladiators are locked in iron cages and are not allowed to go out. The arena does not store weapons and equipment, and they cannot find weapons if they want to riot...
Besides, isn't there us in the camp ahead? If something really happens in the arena, we will send out to suppress it. It's hard to say anything else, all of them are good at dealing with those slave brothers. Don't worry, Tager, there will be no chaos in the royal city.
By the way, it is said that on the day we prepare to set off, His Majesty the King will hold a grand gladiatorial performance, and now the more than 1,600 slave gladiators in the arena will divide into two parties for a large-scale gladiatorial fight, as a dedication Sacrifice to the God of War, in order to gain the attention of the God of War and protect us to win... "Drey showed his well-informed beside him.
"Oh, I believe the gladiatorial performance that day must be very spectacular. I like watching the gladiatorial performance very much. By the way, Brother Qierva, don't be impulsive. I am going to visit Viscount Timba tomorrow. I believe Viscount Timba will definitely watch and accompany us along the way. Help me go to the arena to find out the whereabouts of Brother El. Tonight, let's go have a drink first, and we won't return if we don't get drunk..." Tager said to Qierva.
"Okay, it's a deal, don't get drunk and don't go home!" Cheerva became excited.
The Flame and Blood Tavern arrived soon, and as soon as they entered the door, Cheerva, Dre and the others yelled and asked the boss to serve good wine and food quickly. Tagle asked the boss if Carrick was upstairs. The boss said that Carrick went out after drinking three bottles of fruit wine and hadn't come back yet.
Cheerva patted Tagle on the shoulder and said: "Don't worry about Carrick, I remember that he seems to have a cousin who lives in Wangcheng, maybe he went to visit. By the way, Brother Tagle , Open a room for me, I'm suffocating to death during this time."
Tager looked back, but saw that Cheerva was flirting with a tavern maid at some point. Then he smiled and said to the tavern owner: "Boss, I will take care of all the vacant rooms upstairs at night. If you want to relax, you can just bring someone up, and come down to drink after you're done. All the expenses will be charged to me."
After speaking, he slapped a gold dollar coupon on the counter, which attracted a burst of cheers and generous praise.
Drey didn't take the maid upstairs, he liked to drink, and after drinking three or four bottles, he became interested in the silent Lorist, and insisted on drinking with Lorist.
Lorist refused the request, and he told Dre that he was Master Tagle's guard and could not drink. But Dre was persistent and insisted on drinking with Lorist. In the end, Tagle ordered Lorist to drink, because he had to give his friend a face.
Lorist said with a sad face, "Master, I don't know how to drink."
Then, under the persuasion that Drey is a man who can drink, he poured three bottles of fruit wine down, sprayed it on the spot, fell to the ground and fell asleep, which amused everyone present.
Tager complained: "You guys are too serious. Others don't know how to drink and have to get drunk. Who will help me now and carry Locke upstairs to my guest room to have a good sleep. Otherwise I'm afraid it will be bad if he goes back and gives me a bad review."
Downstairs, there was a lot of people, and Tagle and his friends had just started the nightlife. There was a crackling sound from the next room, mixed with real or fake moans from the tavern maid. In the dark room, the originally intoxicated Lorist opened his bright eyes and gently got up...
…