Twelve o'clock in the middle of the night has passed, the people in the back street of the supervision area have gradually thinned, and the relevant personnel responsible for handling the crime scene have left the scene one after another, and only the sparse night breeze and the oppressive sound of waves linger above the sea rocks on the empty street.

If you look in the direction of the city center at this time, you can see nine giant hot air balloons decorated with lanterns slowly rising into the night sky over the Imperial Palace in the middle of the administrative district, piecing together the iconic shield pattern of the Josephs Empire, and every time on the eve of the "Wanbang Lantern Festival", the royal family of Xinlan City will use it to remember their ancestors, show their national strength and create an atmosphere.

The blue sea of blue waves is still vast stars, the deep dark night shrouded in the silence before dawn, but no one noticed that the crimson roses on the crown of the big banyan tree at the scene of the crime quietly opened, and after a short time they withered, and the petals flew into the waves under the sea rock platform like blood and fire, and were carried away by the waves.

Although it is late at night, the Royal Food Avenue in the business district is still very full of smoke and fire, and as a food gathering area just across the street from the "Fraor" bar, the Royal Food Avenue not only retains the retro-style architecture that has existed since the first king of the Joses Empire, but also gathers many diners here at night.

In recent years, due to the increasing number of maritime trade between the east and the west, some Westerners have gradually begun to try to set up some food shops with oriental characteristics, but the feedback they received was surprisingly good.

Kagura Ryokan is one of the first gourmet restaurants to be imported from the Eastern Continent, and it is said that the previous king of the Joses Empire dressed as a commoner and tasted the food in person, praised the taste of the food, and gave the owner a special silver shield medal.

Located in the middle of Imperial Food Avenue, a lush ginkgo tree stands tall in front of the store, and through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, you can see that business is booming inside, and even some overtime workers who have just finished their night shifts are willing to wait in line outside the door hungry.

A makeshift carriage-style "barbecue shop" on the corner of the street may have been stained with the light of the Imperial Food Avenue, and there are also many dusty pedestrians seated here, and an old black horse chews hay on the side and occasionally glances at this "mobile" shop, which is both his home and his companion, because in another hour it will be pulling this "barbecue" back to its original place.

The coal stove of the barbecue grill is blazing, and an old man with white hair is roasting squid, beef, and broccoli in an apron.

Behind the old man, there are two men in suits and leather shoes eating, the difference is that one person directly picks up the skewers and puts them in his mouth, and the other uses a pair of chopsticks with oriental characteristics.

"A group of idle and boring guys, isn't it just to fill their stomachs, and there are so many exquisiteness. Looking at the long queue in front of Kagura Restaurant, Zeta tore off a large piece of squid meat from a bamboo skewer and said with disdain.

"Eating is also a very particular science," Kasa said, picking up a piece of vegetable and putting it in his mouth, "If it weren't for your strong request to come here, I'd rather go there and queue up." ”

"Hey, I said, don't bring such a demolition, I'm doing you a favor tonight, okay, so you should be here for a treat? I'm here to save you some money. Zeta munched on her food, contented.

"Food is also an art..."

"Someone is already eyeing you, so it's nice to have a place to eat with peace of mind, so don't pick and choose. Zeta interrupted.

"That's what you really think. Kasa's dark circles were a little heavy, and he put down his chopsticks to look at Zeta, who was eating binge.

"Does it matter?" Zeta took a big sip of her beer, "I love this kind of place, at least it allows me to relax and have a full meal, I don't want to have a place to think about it after the mission." ”

"I can call it home, right?"

"Not exactly, but I can call it that for the time being until I think of a more appropriate word. ”

Zeta had a rather casual smile on his gray face, and those who met him for the first time might mistake him for a black race, but a closer look reveals that his skin is more similar to gray, and he has faint scars above both ears, but the sharp ears can still be distinguished.

Suddenly, Kasa felt a powerful aura behind him lock onto him, and he jerked his head back, leaving nothing behind him but the bustling, light-filled streets.

Was it his own delusion, or was the tracker already hiding among pedestrians, and he hadn't discovered him yet?

"Two gentlemen, the two grilled steaks you ordered are ready. ”

An elderly voice caught Kasa's attention, and it turned out to be the owner of the barbecue restaurant who came over with two fragrant steaks, his face was wrinkled but radiant, and his suit vest and plaid apron made people think he was the head chef of a high-end restaurant.

"Let it go. Zeta replied casually, but her eyes were still focused on the delicious food in her hand.

The old man did not answer, but turned around and continued to cook food in the carriage.

"Don't be so nervous, no one can break the rules in this place, even if someone is eyeing you, they can't do anything to you. ”

"What law?"

"The law of the strong," Zeta pointed casually, only to see a large graffiti at the end of the dining car, on which was written "no credit, no fighting", "otherwise how do you think this barbecue food truck drove on this orderly royal food boulevard." ”

Kasa looked at the old man with some curiosity, although he was making food for the guests, his movements seemed to be extremely dashing and swift, and under the rolled up sleeve was a thick little arm.

"Don't look at it, this old man's ears are not very good, and sometimes he can't hear what we say. ”

Not wanting to waste any more time on these boring things, Kasa confronted Zeta and asked her own questions.

"Zeta, how exactly did you plan this operation? Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet. ”

"There's no need to waste too much energy on this simple task," Zeta took out a tissue and wiped her mouth, "It's you, it's enough to do what you need to do with peace of mind, and the affairs of the organization headquarters will naturally be handled by the corresponding people." ”

"I hate being treated like a puppet. ”

"You're going to get used to it," Zeta stood up with her hat on, "because everybody in Elland is a thinking marionette, and as for how that thing works, you know better than I do about it." ”

"And what about my request, how long will it take to delay?" the gray rabbit on Kasa's shoulder suddenly looked at Zeta motionlessly.

"You've only been so hostile after just a while with me?" Zeta smiled at the rabbit, then put her hands in her pockets and turned her back, "I've done my best to convey the demands of the heroes of the organization branch, don't worry, I, Zeta, guarantee with my personality, that your sister will leave that cage safe and sound." ”

After taking two steps, Zeta stopped again, "Master Kasa, don't forget to pay, and go back to the 'Fraor' bar early, I'll arrange a show for you later, don't let your fans down." ”

In Zeta's seat, a poker card that was upside down on a chair was a special eye-catcher, which was no stranger to Kasa, as it was one of the decks that Zeta asked him for in the evening.

Picking up the playing card, Kasa didn't even have to look at it, just by feeling that he had already guessed whether it was a trump card or a "king" with many patterns.

At this moment, a crow covered with black feathers suddenly flew out of the night and landed on the head of the old horse, which strangely did not show resistance, as if it had long been accustomed to it.

The crow's eyes wandered between the old man and the diner, and after a moment, it flew high into the night again.

Looking in the direction where the crows flew away, the old man extinguished the fire under the barbecue, and after sending off the last diner, he was ready to end tonight's business early.

In the teaching area of Department D of the Imperial Military Academy, just after nine o'clock in the morning, Professor Russell broke into the dormitory of the castle in a rage, woke up Al who was catching up on sleep, and then forcibly dragged him to the ability laboratory on the top floor of the castle.

"Professor, what the hell is going on, you don't have to get the lab," Al said reluctantly, "your student hasn't had a good night's sleep in days. ”

"Very important!" Professor Russell's face could not hide his excitement.

In addition to some colorful bottles and cans, there are also some open books and a long list of calculation formulas on the laboratory bench in the center of the laboratory, and it is clear that Professor Russell also stayed up all night last night.

It's not the first time Al has been to the Abilities Lab, but every time he comes here, he feels like he's in a paleontological museum, with glowing blue coccyx, flame-burning unknown crystals, and skeletal specimens of strange species, most of which are partial specimens of strange creatures that Al has never seen.

"Remember about your ability sequence?" Professor Russell pushed a yellowed notebook over to Al, "If nothing else, I should have figured out what was going on with your arm!"

The most sensitive nerve in the brain was hit in an instant, and Al, who was sleepy-eyed just now, suddenly lost all his sleepiness.

"Professor Russell, are you telling the truth?"

Professor Russell smiled silently, and he pouted into his notebook, motioning for Al not to rush to ask questions, but to finish reading the text recorded on the paper first.

"The Wanderer's Trace" is the name of this notebook, and when Al holds it, he feels an eternal breath coming to his face, and the paper is densely filled with ancient characters of the continent, which Al does not recognize, but fortunately there is a translated card attached to it.

"Dear traveler, if you are lucky enough to read this manuscript, then please be prepared, because the following text may subvert your perception and lead you to the strange side of this continent..."