The dark clouds of countless small black dots, constantly stirring in the smoky morning light, caught Feige's attention from afar. It was a flock of countless birds, slowly circling in the sky, descending suddenly, and then immediately flapping their wings and flying high. This has been repeated several times.

"It looks like a crow. They are particularly sensitive to two situations: death and spells, two things that happen at this time and are obviously not normal. "Feige rode on a horse and used the Eagle Eye Meditation technique as a scout. "I have a bad feeling. ”

"If that's the case, we have to be very careful. Archbishop Mackintosh said, "Feige, let the knights of the Sacred Heart come forward first. They work well together, they have their own command and tactical system, and we will only cause problems for them. ”

Someone was in front first, and such a good thing Fei Qi naturally nodded, immediately reduced his horse's speed, and gradually retreated to the rear of the group. Just a short distance down the road is Chitana's home, where her father and grandparents have lived for generations, and investigations indicate that she recently returned home on leave. Fortunately, it was not an aristocratic domain, there was no fortified castle, just a small vineyard with its own winery and a small inn.

Now, it also has a "guest" consisting of dozens of paladins and inquisitors.

To the west of the estate is a low hill with low vines on the slopes, which is a good place to watch the battle. Archbishop Fitch and Mackintosh arrived, followed by Beni, Shanny, and the archbishop's priest's apprentice. Some apprentices and masters are deeply bonded and willing to offer lifelong allegiance rather than end their studies. These are the ones who followed the archbishop.

"I don't think the Sacred Heart has enough people to surround the estate. If you let Chitana run......"

"Don't worry, Feige. The paladins of the Sacred Heart can be ten with one. When necessary, their horses could be tirelessly pursued, and no one could escape from them. Archbishop Mackintosh confidently said: "When it is heard that it is the knight of the Sacred Heart, it is time for those inside to surrender." No one would want to fight the Goddess's Paladin, it's self-defeating. ”

"Normal people will surrender, but what about madmen who are not afraid of death?" Feiqi shook his head: "I'm not belittling paladins, I just think that the enemy should be lenient, and I can't always think that the other party will fight according to my expectations." ”

"Huh, shouldn't this have come from you? I remember that in the tournament, you were the one who used a stratagem to trick the others. If you don't think your opponent will fight the way you want, what's the point of your strategy?"

Feige glanced at Mackintosh and felt strange. Shouldn't stratagem a plan for all the possibilities of the enemy, and then control things in the direction you want to maximize your chances of victory? "Oh, you're right, I'm a little arrogant, I just want to join the fight, so I want to belittle the people who have already played......"

"Well, calm down, and then let's get off the horse and pray. ”

Beni and Shani looked at each other and smiled as they dismounted, and they thought that Feiqi's style of speech was quite familiar, a bit like a "perfunctory triple affirmation". Archbishop Mackintosh certainly hadn't heard of it, so he was rounded up.

Not far away, at the foot of the mountain, the paladins had already arrived at the gate of the manor, and then divided into three parts, one on the left and one on the right, knocking on the door. The manor was quiet, though it was the most lazy time before dawn, but what was the deathly silence? There were no chickens and dogs in the manor, only crows flying high and low.

Feige frowned, the situation in front of him uneasy. "Something is wrong. He said succinctly, and the paladins outside the manor were visibly alert. They lowered their armors, drew their swords, held their emblems alof, half prayed to the goddess for protection, and the other half began to perform magic that could detect evil. Suddenly, the crows let out a piercing scream in unison, and with a bang, they dispersed in all directions, "exploding" into a huge cloud of black feathers, and then swooped down to envelop the paladins outside the manor.

There were no shouts, no clattering swords, only the incessant crow chirping of the scalp. "Ga~~Ga~~Ga!!" In the few gaps where the chaotic black feathers flashed, you could see the remnants of the road of the knight dancing with his arms slashing and stabbing. A few thunderbolts fell from the sky, and several holy flames exploded through the black barrier, but no one rushed out of the crow flock. After a few minutes, the crows were much less and regrouped and flew into the sky. There was nothing but feathers and blood on the ground.

"Thank you for saving my life. If I had gone just now, I would have died. Feige bowed to Archbishop Mackintosh with his palms folded, then wiped the cold sweat from his head.

"What's going on?Crow defeated the Paladin?" McIntosh was about to pull his robe forward, but Feige grabbed him.

"Don't send it!"

"What?"

"It's impossible for a crow to defeat a paladin, and you have a point. Let's see, see. Feige intently observed the crows in the sky, his eagle-eye meditation could be used to scout in great detail, but no matter how you looked at them, these crows were normal, just ordinary birds, with no teeth, knife-like claws, or spell energy fluctuations. But if you look closely, they have a lot of movements, but there are only seven appearances.

Although the crows in the world are generally dark, there are not only seven appearances. Most likely, there is some kind of illusion here, and the seven crow postures are repeated over and over again, creating a scene in front of you. But what is it for?

"It's so rampant that you dare to do it to a paladin!" Archbishop Mackintosh raised his fist and chanted a spell in a loud voice. His voice was like a bell, a loud and thick tone that did not resemble a human voice. Feige listened hard, and the contract demon's linguistic talent made him understand a little.

"Is this dragon language?" Feige asked as he waited for Mackintosh to lower his fist.

"Yes, I'm calling out to my fellow blue dragons. If it's at the Holy Three Castle, I can call three. Now there is only one person in this place who has rushed over, and the rest will continue to be on duty. ”

"Oh, there's a dragon coming to help, then I'm half at ease. Fei Qi said that he was relieved, but he still looked in the direction of the manor very vigilantly: "How long will it take for the dragon to come? ”

"Three hours at most. But what do you mean by distributing stamina and the next attack?"

"We traveled overnight without hesitation, but the other party was clearly prepared. These conspicuous crows were created by illusion, and I haven't figured out their purpose yet, but it's certainly not for us to be found far away. Fitch used the Law Seal to strengthen the protection of Shanny and Bennie as he assembled the monster hunter's heavy crossbow, "In the Lord's territory, either she's crazy and doesn't want to run away, or she's having a reason to stay." If it's the latter, the best way to defend is to quickly eat the vanguard – that is, us – and prevent those who come after from learning from the experience of their predecessors. Lo and behold, the crow is coming. ”

The crows screamed, then flew overhead, circling endlessly. Countless pairs of small red eyes radiated a fierce light, and countless black feathers obscured the morning light. The crowd involuntarily joined back-to-back, firing crossbow arrows, lightning magic, and javelins into the sky. The horses were already panicking, broke free from the reins, neighed and began to run away.

"Hold on to the people around you. Feige said suddenly. In an instant, the tip of the cat teasing stick radiated a dazzling light, and more than a dozen qi elemental ropes flew out, binding everyone gathered together. At the same time, the horses were fleeing in the four Qi elemental rope hooks, and everyone was performing a greasy spell under their feet.

"What are you going to do ...... Feige?"

Before Archbishop Mackintosh could finish his sentence, he found himself being dragged out by a horse. Not only him, but everyone, including Feige, was violently dragged away. Thanks to the greasy technique, the galloping horses pulled everyone out without difficulty, and at that moment, the ground on which they had been standing suddenly collapsed, and the crows swooped down, covering the area that had become a large hole.

Fei Qi shook his staff, the qi element rope was untied, and everyone quickly got up. The crows were still chirping and circling like a black tornado. But at this time, everyone has already discovered that the crows do not have the ability to attack on their own, and they are all acting.

"Unleash lightning into that pit, the stronger the better, the enemy is down there. Fitch said to the archbishop, "Don't keep your hands, we may not have another chance." ”

"Righteous thunder!" Archbishop Mackintosh held his emblem aloof and swung it downward. There were no dark clouds in the sky at all, but a bolt of lightning fell from the void in a daze, and it felt like it was five meters in diameter, and it smashed through the crows and smashed into the ground. The earth became transparent, the sand became glass, and flames burned from every speck of dust. The hole that had just been sunken was filled with powerful energy, and suddenly it swelled up again, and then spewed out raindrops of blood and hail of flesh.

The lightning couldn't react, and everyone except Mackintosh was stung in the eyes and fell backwards and ducked their heads to dodge. But even with the eyes closed, the bright light can still penetrate the eyelids, allowing people to "see" everything that is happening outside. The power of this terrifying magic was earth-shattering, and even Feiqi, who proposed to "don't keep your hands", regretted it a little. This is the "thunder of justice", but a thunderbolt, and those who are still alive must be righteous!

The crows quickly dissipated, like a handful of dust in the wind, leaving no feathers behind. All the blood on the ground was splattered from the ground, and a joint limb resembling a crab's leg hung from the mouth of the hole, fluttering red, burning, and emitting curling smoke.

"What's down there? What's going on?" McIntosh unleashed his strongest Thunder Divine Technique, looking a little struggling. His students came up to help him wipe his sweat, but he pushed him away: "Watch around, don't wait for me! Feiqi, what's going on?"

"I can only make a long story short. Feige still looked around vigilantly, and then explained the situation in a very fast voice: "It seems that the crow attacked the paladin, not to mention whether the crow can defeat the knight, let's just say that the corpses of those knights?

"In full view of us, where will the attack come from? I judge it's underground. The knights may have fallen into a trap, fallen all at once, and then relied on the trap to restore the ground condition. However, if I found out that the crow is an illusion, then the situation on the ground may also be an illusion. ”

"If crows are illusions, what is their purpose? Flying overhead attracts attention, and constant shouting affects our hearing. While you were all looking up, I looked underground and saw something approaching. I don't have any spells that can pierce the ground and attack the enemies below, so I'll have to wait until it comes out of the ground. Therefore, I prepared a way to escape in advance and lead everyone to avoid danger. You know the rest. ”

"That'...... And what's the monster down there?"

"How do I know that? I can't see through the ground. Anyway, I know you're the archbishop, you're very powerful, and it won't be wrong to let you bang with all your might. Fei Qi looked around and saw that the horses were gradually quieting down, so he nodded: "This level has passed for the time being." ”

"Are you sure? What are we going to do next?"

"Of course I'm waiting for the dragon to come, do you want me to go to the manor and have a look?" Feige shook his head: "You can go, I prefer the safe way." ”

"You kid!" Archbishop Mackintosh looked around, these people were not bad at magic, but none of them were combat priests. And it's clear that Feige is the calmest and most cerebral of all, and it's right to listen to him. "Feiqi, tell me, so many crows, so much noise, how do you know when the monster is attacking?"

"Listen with your eyes. Feige pointed to the ground: "At that time, even if I was lying on the ground, my ears were full of crows, there was no way." But my eyes could distinguish the subtle vibrations of dust and gravel on the ground, so I could follow the monsters as they dug through the ground. With those trails, I can roughly gauge its size, its digging speed, and then wait for the moment when the monsters and the crows cooperate with each other and start to attack. No action leaves no trace. ”

"Yours is the case. What's next, just wait here, and if you want to go in, can you come up with an idea?"

"If you really want to go in......" Feige immediately plucked "himself" from "us", leaving only "you". "The best thing to do is to go in from where the enemy came out. Dig up the corpse, prepare the torches, cover your mouth and nose, and follow the monster's hole all the way inside. ”

"Why do you want to go down there? I don't see anything outside the manor. ”

"There's a monster so good at digging holes to help defend it, if only I would dig a bunch of traps. Feige waved his hand: "I can't fly, will you?" anyway, I know that the dragon that will come in a moment will fly. ”

"But you have ropes," said one of Mackintosh's apprentice priests, "you shouldn't be afraid to fall into a trap, are you?"

"I have hanging, and I am indeed not afraid of pits, but I am still afraid of death. Feige shook his head, "If you think you have nothing to do, you can dig up the monster corpse first and see what kind of breed it is." This will also improve the understanding of the enemy - what if there is a second one?"

"Well, that's right. Let's get moving. ”

Archbishop Mackintosh really saves face and agrees with Feige's "bad idea". He probably knew that Feige didn't really want to go on this trip, and it was inevitable that there would be some emotions in it, so he "coaxed" him to be happy.

Feige really didn't need it. He completed the analysis of the Great Prophecy Technique, and came up with tangible evidence to prove that there was a problem with the entire circle ritual when it was encapsulated. Now that he had discovered a problem, he was bound to pursue it, and Mackintosh dragged the Sacred Heart's inquisitors in. At this time, Feige had completed his mission and could leave, after all, this was what the Mask Archbishop of the Sacred Heart had promised. However, Archbishop Mackintosh had to drag Feige over and was willing to lead the team himself, so Feige was "pulled into Ding" like this.

"It's a credit, a very big credit, and I hope you can be in it. While his students were busy in the pit, Mackintosh said to Feige, "Chitana is my priest of the Blessed Body, and her question this time has made the Sacred Body's face dark. It doesn't matter what I do, but it's part of the church, and I like to think more about others. ”

"The Ice Peak Fortress is under the management of the Holy Body Sect, so you are also considered a member of the Holy Body. It is up to you to discover, you to come forward, and you are involved in the final solution, and the Holy Body is passable. It's boring, and I don't really like to get involved, but the Paladin Chief will understand, and he'll definitely reward you, such as making you the presiding priest of the Ice Peak Fortress. ”

Feiqi's eyes widened: "So this has something to do with the Ice Peak Fortress?"

"Of course. You must know that the Icecrest Fortress is an important part of Minas Ihir, and the death of Kiplin has left a void there. You're the only priest in Icecrest Fortress, but that doesn't mean you're guaranteed to be the presiding priest there. I know you care about the Ice Peak Fortress, and that location is what you want, right? So I'm not going to give you any reward this time, I'm just going to mention it to the Paladin. ”

"Thanks, I do want to be the presiding priest of Icepeak Fortress, because I am convinced that I am the best person to make Icepeak Fortress good. ”

"I know. ”

Despite verbal thanks, Feige doesn't think it's that simple. He thought about it with the mind of the contract demon, and gradually came back to his senses. The Icecrest Fortress is an important part of Minas Ihir – that's true. The elves' first "territory" on the main road, if one piece is missing all of a sudden, it will be a very unstable situation. Mackintosh always said that he was a quarter of elven blood, but when it came to the affairs of elven territory, he was probably more than a "quarter".

"I don't really understand why elves need to go ashore?"

Archbishop Mackintosh was stunned for a moment, raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then looked at Feige: "It's not a problem. ”

"No, that's a problem. Feige said, "The humans who are with me either have to guard against the elves, or they are worried about war with the elves. But the elves I know say that humans are full of prejudice and fear that humans will attack them. I don't know how this is, but since it's certainly not a matter of doctrine overhead, it's a matter of the ground under the feet. I need to be prepared, otherwise...... Aren't you worried about what I'm going to do in the end?"

"There is a prophecy that the elves believe that when the new world is born from the hands of God, the old home of the elves will disappear and virtue will cease to exist. The elves were reduced to the beasts of the sea, or to the food of the beasts. We are sure that this time will not be too far away. Archbishop Mackintosh said, "Feige, I'm not worried about what you choose, because we estimate that you will be dead by the time this happens. We've been looking for a place where the elves can gain territory and become stable and prosperous, able to host elven migrations, or at least serve as a foothold and gathering place. We don't want to go to war with humanity unless it's an existential stake, and that's all we have planned. You are the unexpected joy of this plan. ”

"Didrite is at the heart of the plan, isn't it?"

Mackintosh nodded: "Yes, she is the key. ”

"Then why doesn't she like the Model Leader?...... makes her feel disgusted," Feiqi sighed, "Understood, that's part of the plan, isn't it?'s disgust won't make her relax her sense of responsibility as a lord, but it can make others let their guard down against her." How much effort can a lord who doesn't like a model lord put into developing his territory, right?"

"As you deserve to have been cultivated by Earl Hall, you really have a great future in the Holy Body. Archbishop Mackintosh nodded.

"I'm wondering, if it's not me, who are the elves going to use as advisors to Minas Ishir?"

"I'll admit to being a little prepared, but now it's better for you. When you get old, there will be a successor. Mackintosh said, "Elves have a long lifespan, a few years to us is like you humans for a month, and we have more patience. ”

"I now know why some humans are afraid of elves – essentially death. ”

"I don't argue with you. Mackintosh's face was expressionless, and he chose to change the topic closer to the one in front of him: "Feige, I remember that you are still a monster hunter who has passed the enhancement ritual and the French seal, can you?

The archbishop's priest apprentice worked hard and had already begun to throw the corpses of the monster out of the hole in batches. The first to emerge were various pieces resembling crab shells, each the size of a basin, followed by octopus-like brachiopods, each as thick as a bowl, and the rest were pig's trotters-like bones, each with a ...... Pig's trotters are so thick. The corpses had been burned by lightning and fire, and they smelled strongly. If you don't think about the "monster" for a moment and concentrate on the smell, Feige will say "it's very fragrant......

What kind of monster is this, pig's trotters seafood and crab meat pot?