Ancient Wood Forest.

A secluded place surrounded by endless wilderness and hills, a mysterious place of mysteries, treasures, and creatures, a land of elves, a land of danger in the eyes of the Empire.

On the fourth day after arriving at the borders of the Duchy of Lothair, after a few days of waiting to complete the replenishment, the Imperial Mission continued its march into the confines of the Deep Forest.

And when you continue west after crossing the Deep Forest Castle, after passing through the dark jungle and a few winding paths, you can reach the largest elven settlement in the eastern part of the Ancient Wood Forest, and it is also the elven settlement that Loren is most familiar with, the Morning Star Forest.

Loren Turin...... You're finally here, do you know how long I've been waiting for this day?"

A jubilant voice, like a lion seeing its prey, came from the Earl of Deepwoodburg's room.

The unbridled brown hair, eagle-like eyes, and the cheerful face are deliberately bearded to show maturity, but they can't suppress the abundant and endless vitality under the sturdy body.

The person who said this easily misunderstood remark was none other than Leven Fried, Lord of the Deep Forest, heir to the Duchy of Lothair, and Loren's first employer and friend, who looked at the black-haired wizard with a "hehe" smile:

"I'll be honest with me - if it weren't for His Majesty the Emperor's personal order, wouldn't you really never return to Lothair for the rest of your life?!"

"To tell you the truth, one of the things I would most like to do in a few years is to be able to go back to Deepwood. Sighing tiredly, Loren's face was full of helplessness written on his face:

"But it's a pity that it seems that every time it doesn't go according to people's wishes. ”

"Of course, our Duke of Byrne is a busy man, how can he have the opportunity to return to a small and remote place like Deep Forest!"

Even if it looks like a yin and yang weird thing, let Lu Wen say it can become very hearty, and of course, there is also the shoulder that was slapped by him "Bang Bang!", which made the corners of the wryly smiling black-haired wizard's mouth twitch:

"Hey, hey... To be honest, the first time I learned that your surname was Turin, I only remembered that it seemed to be a southern surname; You're really the one of the 'Black Duke', and you've really become the Duke of Byrne - what can I say, the world is full of wonders?"

Hmm, I'd like to know... How did he go from a small knight squire to a duke of Byrne?

The corners of the black-haired wizard's mouth twitched even more.

"But since you're here, you can't let this bastard who forgot your friends leave so easily!" an excited Levin strode to the door and pushed it open:

"Aaron, tell me to welcome all the Duke's envoys into the castle and bring out the best mead from the cellar. How many are moved—let these knights of the Wine Country have a good drink today!"

The knight outside the door replied in a deep voice, and a pair of meaningful eyes on his solemn face glanced at the black-haired wizard from outside the door, and turned to leave.

It wasn't until his footsteps faded away that Ruben Fried slammed the door shut.

Loren, who smiled indifferently, looked at his back.

"Loren Turin, you ......" Count Deepwoodburg, who had his back to the black-haired wizard, sighed, "It's not the right time to come!"

Lowering his head slightly, Loren lowered his voice: "Elf?"

"Or else?!"

Turning his head suddenly, Levin glared at him angrily, and casually took the bottle of mead from the fireplace in the room, bit the cork off the bottle, and pushed the full cup into the arms of the black-haired wizard.

"Uh... Is this appropriate, it's not night yet. ”

"What so much nonsense, drink!"

Sipping the clay cup, the black-haired wizard silently looked at the Earl of Deepwoodburg, who was standing silently in front of the fireplace, and poured himself a large glass of mead.

Drink it all.

Slamming the glass on the fireplace with a loud "bang!" Ruwen Fried sighed heavily: "Almost... Half a year ago, the elven settlements of the Eastern Forest suddenly began to block the roads in the forest, expelling the caravans we sent to trade, and refusing to make any contact. ”

"I didn't think much of it at the time—you know, these elves will never give you notice or discuss anything unless they are desperate, so I only ordered the hunters and merchants in the realm not to enter the forest casually, and sent Aaron to negotiate with the Morning Star Forest and ask what was going on. ”

"I guess......" Putting down the wine glass, Loren asked lightly, "Our loyal Lord Knight has been sent out of the country?"

"Gift out of the country?" Lu Wen raised his eyebrows again unhappily, and then rolled his eyes:

"That's a very polite point—the elves didn't even let him into the settlement, and they were almost captured, and I suspect that if it weren't for the good relationship between the two sides, Aaron would have come back alive. ”

"I finally understand now why the past Earls of Deepwoodburg and Duke Lothair have not had much contact with the elves of the Ancient Wood Forest;

With a cold snort, the irritable Lu Wen poured himself a large glass of mead, and drank it clean in one gulp: "I don't say hello, I don't explain - I really treat them as friends!"

He sighed and poured himself another glass.

"Well, it seems that the situation is more troublesome than imagined. The black-haired wizard said, turning his gaze to the lively and cheerful envoy outside the window: "But it's okay, at least Lu Wen, you are still restrained and not rash. ”

"Yes, restraint... Am I not restrained?" Sighing, the heir of the Duchy of Lothair rolled his eyes at him, "You don't know how angry my father was when he heard that his caravan had been driven out of the ancient woods!"

"On the day the news came, the knights and marksman guards of Eagle Hunt Fort rushed to Shenlin Castle, and in a week's time, they gathered four thousand troops, and half of the knights and lords of Lothair were gathering towards Eagle Hunt Castle!"

"Let's put it this way, if I don't refrain from restraint, you, the 'Imperial Envoy', will probably be able to show up here a few months in advance, with the Empire's declaration of war against the Ancientwood Forest Elves in your hand - because by then, Lothair and them will definitely be fighting!"

Lu Wen's expression was entangled to the extreme, revealing that his helpless eyes were also exhausted to the extreme.

The black-haired wizard could guess that there was nothing more exciting to him than war and duel in his impression of Ruwen Fried's grinning, bold and unscrupulous character;

But in this situation, with his father and lord on the one hand, and his friends who had saved his life and fought side by side, he had to be patient and do everything in his power to persuade his father to abandon the use of force, lest he make the already messy situation even more unmanageable.

The difficulties can be imagined.

Raising the corners of his mouth slightly, Loren's gaze swept across the room—the floor and desk were as clean as new, but the weapon racks in the corners were dusty, as if they hadn't been touched for a long time.

Maybe the beard at the corner of Leuven's mouth ... It's not just for the sake of looking mature.

"Later, when the Heavenly Dome Palace ordered Duke Byrne to visit the Ancient Wood Forest as a special envoy, I knew... I'm afraid it's not that simple. ”

After calming down, Ruben Fleet's expression gradually became solemn: "Loren, I'm by no means alarmist - I don't know anything about the Kingdom of the Azores, and I'm not interested in anything... But today's Ancient Wood Forest Elves are no longer the ones you once fought side by side. ”

"I don't know exactly what happened, but something must have happened, and the problem is even worse than the original ogre invasion!"

"That's why I said, it's really not the right time for you to come!"

As the words fell, he sighed heavily.

The atmosphere in the room, slightly low.

"Quite the opposite......"

The black-haired wizard raised his head and looked at Lu Wen with a sincere gaze: "I think I came at the right time!"

Especially before jumping into an unknown disaster, you can have a friend stand up and remind you.

You don't have to fight enemies you don't know like you used to, it's really... It couldn't be better.

Lu Wen was surprised at first, and then grinned: "Loren Torin, it's really true that I can meet my old friend again... It couldn't be better!"

"You can't imagine how I've been here for half a year - dozens, no! hundreds of times, how I wish you could stand where you're standing now!"

"Hmm... Archduke Lothair wouldn't think so. The black-haired wizard smiled, "I've heard that he has reprimanded me more than once as an 'unreligious' duke, and if I stay here, he will be worried that I will bring you badly." ”

"Because of this, I didn't dare to stop at the castle when I passed by Eagle Hunt Castle, and went around it directly. ”

"Heha..."Lu Wen laughed heartily, crooked his mouth and cocked his chin proudly: "Don't worry about this, in a few years, my father will take the initiative to abdicate, and then I will be the lord of Lothair - when the time comes, you can come and go as you want." ”

"From the river valley in the south to the deep forest in the north, I'm here, see who dares to stop you!"

Looking at his appearance, Loren could only shrug his shoulders

As the son of the first Duke to inherit both Deepwoodburg and Eagle Hunt, Rowen Fried would be the first person to have full control over the northern and southern parts of Lothair, and Archduke Fried's early abdication was probably to avoid his sudden death and turmoil, and to ensure that Levin could actually take power and not be overshadowed by the nobles below because of his personality.

His friend is about to become the Duke of Lothair, which is good news for the black-haired wizard - the Duchy of Lothair is like a rear base camp for the Holy Cross Church, and it is also the capital that they have always been able to confront the principalities head-on.

The two of them looked at each other and smiled at each other in a "tacit understanding".

"Well, since you're here—though I don't know if you did it of your own free will, or if, as my father said, you were only coerced by His Majesty the Emperor, for some kind of balance, or something... Bala Bala Bala ......"

As if remembering something very complicated and troublesome, an impatient expression flashed across Lu Wen's face, and then he looked at the black-haired wizard solemnly: "Tell me, what do you need me to help you do?"

It's not "what can help", but "what needs to be helped".

Herein lies the difference in one sentence.

"I do need you to do me a small favor. Loren smiled, "It's very simple, let the army of the Deep Forest Castle remain restrained, and no matter what happens, don't provoke a conflict or make any moves against the Ancient Wood Forest." ”

"Didn't I tell you about the army of Shenlimburg just now? I have already persuaded my father that all of Lothair's troops have withdrawn to their respective stations, and it is impossible to ...... them again in a short time."

"No, I'm not just talking about Lothair's army. Loren interrupted him suddenly:

"It's that all the troops that appear in the Deep Forest Fort must not act rashly!"

Lu Wen was stunned for a moment, and his expression finally became serious: "You mean, it is possible that His Majesty the Emperor of the Heavenly Dome Palace ......"

"Don't be too careful, just in case. The black-haired wizard waved his hand to dispel Lu Wen's concerns: "Maybe it's just that I'm thinking too much, anyway... It is always good to be on guard, and it is impossible to be too cautious when it comes to diplomatic relations. ”

Although Eckhart II gave himself full authority over the empire and promised not to interfere, no one could say whether he would change his mind halfway.

Or... From the beginning, it was a lie, a ploy to confuse himself, Brandon, and the Oldwood Forest Elves.

In any case, it's always good to be on guard – and to this day, "surprises" and surprises are still Loren's most hated things.

"I see, I'll keep an eye on the side of Deepwoodburg, and if the Imperial Legion enters, my father's side should be able to stop me a little. Gritting his teeth, Lu Wen nodded solemnly: "If I am really helpless, I will let Aaron inform in advance." ”

"Also... Although there is no way to enter the Ancient Wood Forest, I have arranged for personnel on the periphery, and if necessary, I will find a way to get a signal to pick you up and leave at any time. ”

"Even if I were to rush into the Morning Star Forest and set fire to the cloud canopy trees in their settlement before I could take you away, I would not frown. ”

Loren paused slightly, staring at the unchanging eyes on Lu Wen's face.

"Thank you. ”

"It's fine. This time, it was Lu Wen who waved his hand: "By the way, do you remember Liya?"

"The War Dancer Female Elf of the Morning Star Forest... Well... Of course I do. The black-haired wizard raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, it's just that she came here about half a year ago and asked where you have been, and I told her that you are now the Duke of Byrne, and that it is rare to come unless there is an accident. Levin said casually.

"Oh, and then?"

Then she went away—as if she had come to ask about it. The Earl of Deepwoodburg shrugged, picked up another glass of wine and handed it to Loren: "I also told her that you are eighty percent married, married to your female relative in the old home, maybe even have children... Alas, are you married?"

"Poof————!!!!"