In the banquet hall of the Phoenix Butterfly Castle, it was quiet for a while.
Everyone was digesting the shocking news Mrs. Grace just said.
After a while, a series of questions emerged from the mouths of everyone who reacted:
"You mean the entire city of Fallen Eagle was reduced to ashes?"
"What about the residents in the city? Could it be that they all..."
"Could this be the price of the forbidden curse you just mentioned?"
"Is the Uman family crazy? In order to support the Santheon family, they even burned their old lair to the ground?"
…
Mrs. Grace lowered her hands and comforted her:
"Everyone, this news came from a chamber of commerce that has a good relationship with the Morrison family. I have already sent someone to Eagle Falling City to check on the spot. I'm afraid it will take a while to find out what happened there. .”
Only then did the crowd stop asking questions, but they inevitably began to think wildly, whispering and discussing.
At this time, Ke Lin also temporarily put away the surprise on his face, and asked Vera: "Can the price of the forbidden curse really be transferred to the civilians of a city?"
"I... I'm not sure either." Vera frowned, "At least for the forbidden spells I know, the cost can only be borne by the caster."
Bachelor Dawn said in a deep voice: "But what killed the Duke of St. Hilde that day was a brand new forbidden spell. Therefore, Mister Ji may have developed a method that can divert the side effects of the forbidden spell."
"It's possible." Vera's face became extremely serious.
Everyone also fell into silence.
They have also realized that if this is true, then the status of mages and the relationship between Yevil and the Empire of Glory may be about to undergo earth-shaking changes.
"This is an inhuman sorcery! His Majesty the Emperor will never allow such a sorcery to appear in the Glorious Empire!" Earl Morrison's voice was a little sharp.
Obviously, this forbidden curse is a great threat to every imperial knight.
It can kill a paladin, and of course any knight.
And the price seems to only need to sacrifice some civilians.
In the past, the nobles of the empire were not too nervous about the forbidden spells of the wizards. Although the power of the forbidden spells was extremely terrifying, it was a means of exchanging lives after all. As long as the wizards were not forced to a dead end, they would not fight to the death. .
However, if Mr. Ji can exchange the lives of ordinary people for the lives of paladins instead of paying for his own life, even if it is exchanged with the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians in a city, in the eyes of the imperial nobles, this is also true. An extremely scary thing.
Such a forbidden curse is simply a sword of Damocles, hanging high above the heads of every imperial knight.
Colin and Maester Dawn looked at each other, and sighed in unison.
Because according to their previous analysis, the release of this forbidden spell in Eagle Falling City was probably approved by Emperor Reinhardt.
The imperial emperor wanted to use this to restrain his uncle, the Paladin Prince Lehi.
As for whether the emperor's move would set fire to himself, or even lead to greater disasters, we can only wait for the development of the situation.
Mrs. Grace patted Earl Morrison's arm, signaling him not to panic:
"After the investigation of the situation in Falling Eagle City is clear, I will also send a letter to Yulong City to inform His Majesty the Emperor. I believe His Majesty the Emperor will not allow such an evil mage to continue to wreak havoc within the empire."
Then, she looked at Colin and asked, "Viscount Angelet, are you planning to escort the Duke's body back to Winter City this time?"
Colin nodded and said: "Yes. In addition, I am also planning to go to the station of the Golden Lion Army to persuade this army to withdraw to Cold Winter City and temporarily avoid the rebels."
Madam Grace frowned immediately: "Viscount Angelet, is it your idea to let the Golden Lions retreat to Winter City?"
Before Colin could answer, Maester Dawn said first, "Mrs. Grace, this is the Duke's will."
"Oh? Really?" Mrs. Grace looked at the former Duke's confidant with playful eyes.
"Yes." Maester Dawn continued to explain without changing his face, "The moment the Duke received the news that the Menam family sent troops to the north, he had already made the news that the Golden Lion Army would withdraw, but it hadn't yet. Before the order could be issued in time, His Excellency the Duke... suffered misfortune."
Mrs. Grace didn't seem to believe this statement, but she couldn't refute it.
After all, the Duke of St. Hilde spent the last part of his life in Ice Rock City. Except for Bachelor Dawn and the Angelets, no one could claim to know what the Duke was thinking at the end.
Colin saw that Earl Morrison seemed to want to say something, so he spoke first: "My lord, I have heard that the Morrison family's swallowtail army has a superior fighting capacity, and now the situation in the northern border is critical, shouldn't it be time to send troops to suppress the rebellion? "
Earl Morrison blushed a little when he heard Colin praise his family's army for its "superior combat effectiveness".
The Swallowtail Legion is not considered a strong army on the front line of the northern border, what's more, Charles's fiasco on the front line last year ruined the essence of the Swallowtail Squadron.
However, in front of Colin and Vera at this moment, Earl Morrison couldn't refuse bluntly, so he could only put on a sad face and sighed:
"Your Excellency, the Viscount, the Morrison family is of course willing to send troops to help the St. Hilde family wipe out the rebels, but the famine caught us by surprise. There is not enough food, so I dare not send out an army easily."
In fact, Earl Morrison was not deliberately making excuses. The famine in the northern border was fierce and sudden. In addition, the St. Sean family used the Tulip Chamber of Commerce to hoard grain in advance secretly and raise the price of grain. Most of the lords in the territory are in a state of food shortage.
Except for the rebels who had been prepared for a long time, only Colin had plundered from the half-elf kingdom, so there was no food worry.
At the beginning of the year, Earl Morrison also personally went to Ice Rock City to buy food from Colin.
At this time, Earl Morrison once again used the lack of food as an excuse, hoping to get some more food from Colin.
Mrs. Grace also nodded and said in agreement: "Viscount Angelet, the Morrison family's food reserves are indeed very tight, but our determination to support the St. Hilde family has never wavered.
Well, I can promise you that if the Angelet family can solve the food and grass problem of the Swallowtail Army, then this army will definitely appear on the front line against the rebels! "
Hearing such a promise, Vera's eyes lit up immediately, she held Mrs. Grace's hand excitedly, and couldn't help expressing her gratitude.
However, Colin did not immediately agree.
Who knows how big the Morrison family's food shortage is. He doesn't want Angelet to fall into a state of food shortage in order to help them.
What's more, after some analysis by Bachelor Dawn, Colin has already determined the most suitable strategic choice under the current situation - defend!
It would be a better choice to drag the war into a stalemate, divide the vassal forces of the Santheon family, and even find a way to push Vera to the position of Duke of the North.
Instead of taking the initiative to head-to-head with the rebels.
"The Morrison family is indeed loyal to the north!" Colin put a high hat on the other party with a smile, and then said with a sloppy eye, "Well, Mr. Earl, you can first count the food and grass needs of the Swallowtail Army. Then send someone to Ice Rock City to discuss with my steward Aemon."
"Thank you so much!" Earl Morrison excitedly held Colin's hands, "The Angelet family's help, our Morrison family will always remember!"
Mrs. Grace seemed to see Colin's perfunctory intentions, and didn't say anything more. Instead, she took Vera's hand and chatted about homework.
The old lady didn't seem to be keen on taking the initiative to send troops to fight the rebels.
Colin didn't care either, and started to deal with the gentlemen and ladies who kept coming to chat with him while holding a glass of wine.
However, his mind was still paying attention to the vague smell of blood, trying to figure out its source.
(end of this chapter)