Although he had known that Kong Ze was a very good police detective, after listening to his report, Charles was still deeply impressed by the results of his meticulous investigation.

As he expected, there was a lot of hope hidden in the desperate prison of Fort Eve, and Kong Ze unearthed a lot of very important information.

Father Boussani is a pseudonym, a figure who never really existed – and yet, he has a real existence.

Judging from the entire trajectory of his activities, this man must have something to do with Château Eve and Marseille.

Not only Father Bousani, but also the Attorney General of Villefort, the butler of Bertuccio, and the prisoner who was imprisoned until death, Edmond Dantès...... All these people are related to Marseille.

What is there in this city that is so dusty that all the clues seem to be involved in this place?

He still couldn't figure it out.

However, the only thing that is certain is that the Count of Monte Cristo must have been involved in the old events of Marseille, otherwise it is impossible to explain why this series of coincidences fell to him.

After reporting his findings to Charles, Conze has now gone to the Ministry of the Interior to find out who the man who ordered the Ivsburg to continue to detain Edmond Dantès; And Charles was not idle, he also began his investigation.

Lord Wilmo, Father Boussany, these are two men who are said to have a close relationship with the Count of Monte Cristo, and now coincidentally, both in Paris.

Charles intends to visit the two men.

He decided to visit the English nobleman, Lord Wilmore, first.

After all, judging from the information obtained so far, Lord Wilmo was an enemy of the Count of Monte Cristo, and even if Charles asked him about the Count's secrets, he would not tell the Count, at least the information would not be leaked out quickly.

In addition, there is another point - in Charles's mind, Father Boussani is now a key figure, and he wants to observe for a moment to see who that priest really is.

Early in the morning, Charles took a horse-drawn carriage to the bustling 6th arrondissement of Paris, and then to an apartment on the street.

After informing the porter of the visitor's identity, he was soon allowed to enter the chamber and then to Lord Wilmo's makeshift residence in Paris.

Charles waited for his master in the drawing-room, which was furnished in a patterned setting, like most apartments for rent, with a fireplace with two new porcelain vases on the mantelpiece, a wall clock, a screen carved on both sides, and red curtains trimmed in black. The only things that could reflect the owner's identity and hobbies were the hunting clothes and riding boots that the English loved to use, and a few long swords in the corner of the living room.

The curtains in the room were closed, so the light was a little dim, although there were a few lights, but the light of the frosted glass lampshade looked faint, which made Charles feel a little uncomfortable, but since he was a guest, he had to be a guest.

Ten minutes later, the wall clock on the wall began to ring, and when it struck the fifth time, the door next to the living room opened, and a middle-aged man with a slightly taller figure, a familiar figure, and a sparse dark red beard, strode in.

His face was pale, his golden hair had turned a little gray, and he no longer looked young, but his eyes were bright, and his towering hooked nose made people think that he had a kind of indifference that was thousands of miles away. He wore a blue blouse with a high collar and gold-plated buttons that made him look even more domineering.

As soon as he entered, he glanced at Charles and spoke in English. "Your Excellency, you know that I do not speak French, so I regret any inconvenience. Of course, you can speak French, I understand it. ”

He didn't speak quickly, but it was distinctly nasal with a haughty attitude.

Charles was unimpressed by the other's attitude - after all, it is not surprising that the aristocracy of today's prosperous and technologically advanced Britain is arguably the most powerful country in Europe.

He is here today to inquire about the situation, not to quarrel.

"Hello, Lord Wilmore." Charles stood up very politely, took off his velvet top hat, bowed slightly to the other party, and then replied in fluent English, "I respect your wish not to speak Chinese, you can use your native language for today's visit, and I can also speak English." ”

Perhaps because Charles was so fluent in English, Lord Wilmore glanced at him again in some surprise.

"It's worthy of a famous family like Tremville, and he has received a very complete education."

"Hopefully this will make a good first impression." Charles smiled, then sat back down.

The blond-haired young man, although he still looked very young, and Sven's appearance made him not much oppressive, but he was used to seeing big scenes, and he was able to advance and retreat freely on such occasions, and he did not seem to be timid.

"I've heard that you're a highly qualified adventurer who has traveled all over the world." Charles began today's visit with a compliment.

"Yes, your intelligence is not wrong." Lord Wilmore did not mean anything of humility, but said to Charles with his head held high, "I have traveled a lot and seen a lot of things. ”

"Regards you, sir." Charles complimented him again without being salty, and then continued, "So it is said that you and another great adventurer, the Count of Monte Cristo, have known each other for many years, right?" ”

"Yes, I've known him for many years, and even years ago I had begun wishing he died at my hands." When he heard the name Monte Cristo, Lord Wilmore pursed his lips disdainfully, "If you wish to investigate him, I am afraid that this is indeed the best place to be." ”

"There's no talk of investigating him." Charles smiled sheepishly, deliberately downplaying his hostility towards the Count, "After all, the Count of Monte Cristo came to our country out of nowhere and quickly became a news figure, and many people are a little curious about him - it shouldn't be surprising." ”

"This guy is a complete weirdo, it's normal for you to be curious." Lord Wilmore sneered, "However, he is a natural calamity, and whoever encounters him will be unlucky, so you must also be mentally prepared." ”

"Not so much, right? Although the earl has a somewhat eccentric personality, how many people are not eccentric in the big shots? Charles shook his head, and said kind things about the Count, "I think he's probably a good man, or at least generous." ”

"Roughly a good person?" Lord Wilmo was still sneering, "It's just that you don't know him well enough, and when you get to know him well enough, you'll find out what a lawless man he is!" ”

"It seems that you do have too much preconception about him." Charles shrugged, "Okay, let's get down to business—when did you meet him?" ”

"When he was very young, he was about twenty years old." Lord Wilmore replied coldly, "I was in India at that time, serving in the British army—and he was serving in the army of a small kingdom of India, fighting the British. We were already enemies then. By the way, he was still called Chai Kang at that time, not the Count of Monte Cristo. ”

"So who loses and who wins that battle?" Charles took the liberty of asking.

"Of course we won, but who else can defeat the British army?" Lord Wilmore replied arrogantly, "In that war, Chai Kang was a prisoner, and that is when I knew him—when we were going to take these prisoners to England to prison, and he was also imprisoned in a prisoner's ship, and on the way he dived and escaped, cunning thief!" ”

"Is that what you saw him as a sworn enemy back then?" Charles then asked.

"That's not true, he was an enemy of Britain at the time, but he was not my enemy, besides, the king of the earth he served has been defeated and destroyed by us, and we don't need to continue to fight against him, and I, too, quickly quit the British army and became a free adventurer." Lord Wilmore shook his head, "So the second time I saw him, I didn't see him as an enemy, on the contrary, I saw him as a potential collaborator, a very clever adventurer. ”

"His riches were acquired in the course of your adventures?" Charles continued to ask tentatively.

"Yes, since he escaped from the prisoner ship, he has traveled and ventured everywhere, and at the time of civil strife in Greece he served in the army of those loyal to the king of Greece. During that service, he discovered a silver mine on the Thessaly hills, but he kept his mouth shut and kept it from everyone. After the Battle of Navarino, the Greek government was stable, and he asked King Otto for the right to mine in that area, and the king gave it to him. He became very rich as a result. Lord Wilmore shrugged, "Of course, by the standards of our Englishmen, he is not particularly rich. ”

"And how much property do you think he has?" Charles asked.

"About one or two million francs a year, judging by the pomp and circumstance of his penchant for spending, this income is not much to save." Lord Wilmore pursed his lips and seemed to be very disdainful, "But that kind of property is unstable, and once the silver mines are depleted, his good fortune will come to an end, and he is now so pompous and profligate that I see that he will have to go bankrupt." ”

An income of one or two million francs a year? Charles did not agree with Lord Wilmore's judgment in his heart, after all, he had seen the scene around the Count, and he felt that the Count's pomp and circumstance could not be such a small income a year - although one or two million francs was an unattainable amount of money for ordinary people, but it was probably not enough to support the Count of Monte Cristo's profligacy.

What's more, he had seen the Earl take out the unlimited credit certificates of the three banks with his own eyes, and it was hard to imagine that these three prestigious banks would make such a judgment at the same time.

However, considering that Lord Wilmo was an enemy of the Count of Monte Cristo, it is not surprising that he belittled the Count of Monte Cristo so much.

"Why do you hate him so much? I'm honestly a little curious. After a pause, Charles continued to ask the Lord, "You said before that you had adventures with him, so that is more or less a friendship, right?" From what I've observed, the Count is a very generous person to his friends, and he doesn't fall out with his friends easily, right? ”

When this question was asked, Lord Wilmo, who had a calm face, suddenly tightened his face, and his gaze became very sharp.

Just as Charles felt that he was about to get angry, he suddenly calmed down again.

"This pathetic bastard! When he was in England, I took him everywhere to see the world and make friends, and the result was ...... It turned out that he seduced my best friend's wife! Because of my responsibility, my friend has suffered shame and calamity, and has become a laughing stock in the eyes of the people, so should I let him be punished? ”

"I see......" Charles realized.

He suddenly couldn't laugh or cry again, it turned out that the Count of Monte Cristo, who seemed to behave strangely, would also have an affair, and because of this kind of thing, he also provoked a great enemy of life and death......

"What punishment did you give him?" Charles asked again.

"I have dueled him three times," replied Lord Wilmore, "the first with a pistol, the second with a sword, and the third with a two-handed longsword. ”

"What was the outcome of those duels?"

"The first time, he broke my arm with a single shot. The second time, he stabbed me in the chest. The third time, he left me with this scar. Lord Wilmore flipped open the collar of his shirt, revealing a scar, long and deep, and visible to be bleeding. And the scar is still bright red, proving that it is a new injury.

"So I have a grudge against him, and he will definitely die at my hands." It seems to have been aroused by the old hatred again, Lord Wilmore said fiercely.

"But you seem to be falling behind." Charles couldn't help but laugh, "You've lost all three duels. ”

"Oh! I can't keep losing! I can win it anyway, and when I win, it's his time to die. Lord Wilmore said coldly, "Now I am practising my target every day, and every other day Griese will come to my house and instruct me how to shoot more accurately with my gun." ”

"From my vantage point, I still don't really want you to succeed." "The Count of Monte Cristo was a guest in Paris, the talk of every living room in the social world, and what a pity it would be if he really died at your hands." ”

"That's just a loss for you French, and it has nothing to do with me." Lord Wilmore glanced at him coldly, as if he was a little unhappy with his words.

Then he made a gesture to indicate that he didn't want to talk any further.

Of course, Charles could see what his master meant, and to be honest, he had asked about what he wanted to ask today, so he got up and prepared to leave.

But just as he stood up, his whole body froze.

……

No, something seems wrong?

Charles's mind suddenly felt a strange sensation.

Everything seems to be so complete that it doesn't seem to really exist.

Why did everything Lord Wilmore say seem to confirm the rumors he had heard?

It's ...... It's like they're just talking for the Count of Monte Cristo, and they're enemies, right?

Then, his blank gaze swept around the dimly lit room, and finally fell on Lord Wilmore.

"What's wrong with you?" Lord Wilmo asked impatiently.

Charles didn't answer, just continued to look at the other person.

Although he was wearing loose clothes, he had a strong body, and when he walked in, he walked in with a very vigorous gait.

Also, why did he keep talking English to me?

Is it really just because the British are inherently arrogant and unwilling to speak French in France?

Or is it to disguise the accent?

And also...... And that excessively pale skin!

Although the light here was deliberately dimmed, Charles, who had been practicing swords for many years, had already developed very sharp eyes, and when Lord Wilmo showed the wound on his chest, he could clearly see that the muscles on his chest were distinct, and his skin was very fair, it was too white.

Don't...... Charles suddenly had a strange conjecture.

Damn, how do you verify that?

"Mr. Treyville, if there's nothing else to do, you can go......" At this time, Lord Wilmore seemed impatient and unceremoniously ordered the expulsion of the guests to Charles.

Is it really just gone?

No, it needs to be verified.

Because, it's really a coincidence, and if you don't verify it, you can't feel at ease.

So be it.

Charles shook his heart, then immediately looked up with a gentle smile.

"Lord Wilmore, I have one more request, and I hope you will generously grant me."

"What?" There was something strange about the Lord.

"Please try your hand at swordsmanship, can you?" Charles's smile was very bright, but his eyes suddenly sharpened, "To tell you the truth, when I heard that you had competed with the Count of Monte Cristo a few times, I also wanted to try it." ”

"Huh?" Lord Wilmore was astonished. "What?"

"I'd like to have a spar with you to see if your swordsmanship is lacking." Charles took a step towards the other party, "To tell you the truth, although I am not very old, I have also practiced swordsmanship since I was a child, and the person who taught me is a real swordsmanship, so I also have some vision for swordsmanship, you said before that you and the Count lost the sword fight, so I want to see if there is anything that can be improved." ”

"I don't need anyone to teach me swordsmanship." Lord Wilmore, who came to his senses, immediately refused.

"Then let me say it another way - Lord, I am dissatisfied with your arrogant attitude, it is okay for you to insult me, but you cannot insult France on French soil." Charles also raised his head and looked at the other man arrogantly, "You have been so contemptuous of France just now, and it makes me very unhappy - this is a battle of honor between England and France, and I hope you, as an English nobleman, do not choose to run away." ”

Of course, Charles didn't care about honor, but he had to press forward step by step, so that this Lord Wilmore could not retreat, but could only fight him.

In the face of such an aggressive provocation of his own, if he still does not accept the offer, it will be too inconsistent with his arrogant British aristocratic "personality".

Britain and France fought a hundred years of war in ancient times, and then fought intermittently for two centuries starting from Louis XIV, which can be said to be a generational enemy, so even in order to maintain his personality, he must fight and not show cowardice.

"You're more like a nobleman than I expected...... Finally, Lord Wilmore, who saw that he had nowhere to avoid, could only nod helplessly, "Well, after all, it's the descendants of the Trevier family...... I would love to communicate with you like our ancestors. ”

With that, he stood up and walked over to the weapon rack in the corner of the room.

"Since we're practicing, let's use a non-lethal sword."

"You're a lot older than me, and I think I should make some concessions in terms of weapons, and I'm the one who challenged you, so you can prioritize weapons." Charles also walked towards these shelves.

"No, quite the opposite." Lord Wilmo glanced at him coldly, his arrogant attitude overflowing, "I think I should let you be, because you can't have as much experience in dueling as I do, and I'm afraid that if one accidentally hurts you, then I won't be able to explain it to your grandfather." ”

"You don't have to worry about this, nobility has its own honor of nobility." Charles smiled and shook his head, signaling the other party not to worry, "If I really get injured in the competition, no one will embarrass you, this is basic dignity, we can afford to lose." ”

Lord Wilmo brought two swords, both of them for training, so they were unbladed, not so much swords as a thin metal rod embedded in the hilt.

The Lord picked it up casually, then shook it a few times and tried the feel, "Well, that's good, it reminds me a little of the time......

Charles also picked up the remaining sword and swung it lightly, getting used to the feel. Under Lord Wilmo's gaze, he raised the sword in his hand and pointed it at the other party.

But in an instant, in a trance, the opposite side of him seemed to be replaced by another person, a slender but vigorous figure.

"Distracted again, bastard!" The rebuke in the memory appeared in my ears as if it were reappeared.

And that elf's quirky, wonderful smile.

Aunt Agnes, are you okay now?

Thank you for everything you have taught me, and please bless me and don't disgrace you.

The crimson imagination was quickly dispelled by Charles, who gently picked up the sword, then stretched out his front legs slightly, and sank down, the blade of the sword facing diagonally downward, in a normal starting pose.

Lord Wilmo also hurriedly began to put on his own starting hand.

"Three ......"

"Two!" The two people raised their heads at the same time and stared at each other, at this time there was no longer the mask-like etiquette in their eyes, only the purest desire to fight remained, this is the attacking instinct that has been passed down by males for thousands of years, civilization has spent thousands of years camouflaging it, but when it has the opportunity, it will still dominate every man's heart.

"One!" With this shout, Charles took a quick step forward, then swung his sword and stabbed him in the left chest.

This unhesitating direct attack surprised Lord Wilmo slightly, because in such a fencing competition people are generally more sedate and initially use grappling to find each other's weaknesses.

And this young man did this, obviously wanting to use the physical advantage brought by his youth to directly enter the war of attrition, and use oppressive play to achieve a quick victory. The fearless mentality can be seen.

With a hint of annoyance, he quickly turned slightly to the right, then swung his sword and slashed at the other's shoulder.

After Charles drew his sword back to block the attack, the two swords intersected and let out the first sound, but since there was no blade, it was more like a muffled grunt of two iron pillars colliding.

After this heavy pause, the two men took a step back in their respective directions at the same time.

Lord Wilmo's breathing was slightly short, and when the two swords intersected just now, his wrist couldn't help but tremble, and he almost even fell to the ground with the sword in his hand, and he was still secretly aching at this time. The strength of this young man surprised him a little, he didn't expect that the other party seemed to be handsome, but his skills were so good, he could almost be regarded as a professional swordsman.

It seems that he just claimed that he had received a special education since he was a child, and he was definitely not bragging.

Under the fierce gaze of the two people, they waved their weapons to each other and fought, in the midst of repeated attacks and blocks, the sword body kept making sounds, and the sound of ding ding dong was like a passionate music, and the breathing of the two people became more and more rapid and dull.

Because he knew that this was a weapon that could not kill, compared to the real sword duel, the two of them were much braver, very aggressive, and their steps were chaotic but not chaotic, and they kept stabbing each other, always greeting to the vital point, and the offensive was very urgent.

Overall, because of his age, Lord Wilmore's ambassador was at a disadvantage, and he had been suppressed, and could only slowly retreat to reduce the onslaught of the other party, and finally, he found himself in a corner.

When his body was stopped by hitting the wall as he retreated, Charles took a big step forward and stabbed him in the left chest again with all his might, this time with a fierce force that looked like he was going to end the fight with this blow.

Lord Wilmo looked a little exhausted, so he simply sank down, dodged the fierce blow, and then directly picked up the sword in his hand and swung it hard, smashing the sword body close to the gauntlet, this blow was very powerful, the speed was much faster than before, he was convinced that as long as this heavy blow passed, it was enough to make the opponent's tiger mouth crack, and the weapon could not be held.

However, to his surprise, the young man suddenly stopped, directly forcibly stopped his body, and then the sword body directly blocked his sword, and then directly twisted, the two of them fought together at this moment, and then involuntarily took a few steps back at the same time.

Charles felt very uncomfortable, his chest was very tight, and his hands hurt a little, but he didn't drop his sword after all.

Lord Wilmore's condition was a little more checked, and his face turned pale, and then he coughed quietly, and his hand hung down.

Charles didn't continue to attack, just stood still, looking at each other, his eyes were a little complicated, but he didn't have the will to fight.

"That's amazing, boy." Lord Wilmore slowly evened out his breathing, then threw his sword to the ground, announcing the end of the competition. "Your teacher didn't teach the wrong person, you are very strong, better than me, I know, maybe you can compete with Chai Kang without falling behind."

Charles didn't answer, just lowered his gaze, his eyes very complicated.

Yes, he won this competition.

But the victory is not martial.

Because, the opponent is holding and fighting, and he is playing against him in an extremely unfavorable state.

He can be sure and sure that this damn guy in front of him is wearing height-increasing shoes!

Although the other party is very well disguised, but when the two of them are fighting, especially when the real character is moved in the back, there are some things that cannot be concealed, Charles can tell from the other party's pace and subtle movements, he is wearing heightened shoes.

Because of this, his performance was greatly limited, and his pace could not be as tight as normal, and he was unfortunately defeated by himself.

It is conceivable that if the other party is in a normal state, he is slightly better than him, he can't win, and among the people he knows, I'm afraid only Agnes can defeat the other party.

However, he did not challenge Lord Wilmo for the sake of victory or defeat in the sword contest.

He's got the information he wants.

Lord Wilmore secretly wore heightened shoes, certainly not to look more presentable, but to ...... In order to hide his own height.

Oh, the Count of Monte Cristo, he is indeed a master of swordsmanship.