The two of them walked one after the other, on the way back to Qingfeng Village.

Ian noticed that the closer he got to the village, the more silent Sid became, and his steps became slower and slower, as if he was preoccupied.

The lights of Qingfeng Village are getting closer and closer, and it seems that it is only about two hundred steps away from the entrance of the village. At this moment, Sid suddenly stopped and turned to look at Ian. He cleared his throat and whispered, "Today...... It was indeed me who was reckless. I've sworn to keep it a secret, but your origins are a life-threatening secret. In exchange, I would like to tell you a life-threatening secret, about me. ”

Ian was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself that you, a slang chief who served in the local lord's armory, had a stable life, what secrets could you have related to your life?

Sid took another step in front of Ian, pulled out a metal disc from the inside of his jacket that was larger and thicker than a silver coin, and handed it to Ian. Ian took it and saw that the edge of the disc had been carved into a gear-shaped, the surface had been polished to a fine and smooth surface, and the carved pattern on it was a little blurred, which should be something historical.

"What is this?"

"My family coat of arms. Sid said.

"Oh......"

“......”

“......”

“...... So what does this have to do with your secret......

“...... Don't you think it's strange that our family has been an ordinary peasant here for generations, where did the family crest come from?"

"Uh...... I thought a farmer could have a family coat of arms ......"

"No!" Sid was speechless to Ian, "You're an Empire, you should still have some common sense! Only nobles and large clans recognized by the nobility can have their own family crests in the Empire. And these clans generally have made outstanding contributions to the country before they can be recognized by the nobility. ”

"Well, but I still don't understand what it has to do with your life-threatening secret. ”

"My ancestors were originally from the noble families of Black Hawk City," Sid whispered, instead of his usual thick voice, "but he was caught up in the conspiracy of the nobles for royal power. In the end, the wealth and fame accumulated over the generations were stripped away, and the name and exploits of our people were erased from Black Eagle City, and our people were exiled. They moved here and became peasants, and all they brought out was this emblem. ”

He continued to speak calmly, not the slightest mood swing in his voice, as if he was talking about someone else's family. Ian suddenly felt that the person in front of him was very unfamiliar, not at all like the usual grinning soldier.

"My ancestors and fathers, who have passed down the glory and humiliation of the family from generation to generation, not to restore the glory of the family to future generations," Sid licked his frozen lips, "but to take revenge on the imperial nobles who betrayed the family—no matter how many years it takes, no matter what the cost." ”

"So you got revenge by joining the army and eating their salaries?"

Sid didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in Ian's words, and said, "How much information can farmers get? I provide intelligence to many Western federations, and my other identity is their secret agent. ”

Ian's eyes widened, he really didn't expect that this sergeant, who looked like a big grin, with cranial nerves as thick as his muscles, would actually be a secret agent, and he was also tasked with a dangerous mission to avenge his family.

"Don't stare at me like that," Sid waved his hand lightly, "I don't have any affection for the Empire, but I don't have the deep hatred of my ancestors. ”

"Then you still do it...... Spy?"

"It's an obligation – I'm just fulfilling my duty as an heir. Sid's tone remained calm.

Ian looked at the mottled emblem in his hand, didn't know what to say for a moment, and reached out to return it to Sid.

"Alright, we're settled now," Sid said with a seemingly satisfied smile, "Rest early, I'll see the progress of the order tomorrow." With that, he walked in the direction of the tavern in the village. Ian watched his broad back disappear into the night before returning to his shack. Thinking of Sid's condition, and his own current situation, he only felt tired and empty, and collapsed and fell asleep without taking off his clothes.

At the place where Sid confessed his identity to Ian, there were some haystacks on the side of the road, which the villagers had piled up here during the day and did not have time to collect them. There was a humanoid shadow with cat ears who laughed secretly behind the haystack: "Secret...... Secrets! Cat people like secrets! Vilas likes secrets the most! Hee-hee......"

It's strange to say that Ian woke up early the next morning when he was so tired before going to bed.

He opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling of the shack. When the sun illuminates the world, people will become more rational.

Sid probably wouldn't have come over so early, and if Ian had gotten up and packed his bags now, he would have even had time to leave a letter for Granny Sumu and Elise.

Suddenly, Sid's family crest flashed through his mind. During this time, he focused on observing the things around him, which strengthened his memory of the things that passed by. He shook his head, the crest couldn't be a forgery. He wasn't confident that he could tell the difference between an antique and a fake, but he could tell it was important to Sid. Voice, tone, subtle expressions...... Although he was still young, he lived prematurely and independently in the slums since he was a child, and he had seen too many different people, which made him mature rapidly in this area alone.

"What if he's acting?" Ian asked himself in a voice in his mind.

No, it won't. He sat up and shook his head, Sid's behavior made him more willing to believe that he was suspicious.

"Don't forget, he's still an intelligence spy! What is this acting skill? But then again, he said that he was a spy, and he didn't have any evidence, and you just went to report him, and there was no evidence. The voice questioned.

Shut up!Ian frantically threw the pillow out of his hand. It slammed into the corner of the table and fell to the ground. Ian rubbed his face vigorously with his hands, making sure he was fully awake from his sleep.

Though he thought Sid should be trusted, he couldn't help but tidy up his bags, but then irritated and stuffed it under the table.

Towards noon, Sid arrives at Ian's workshop to check on the progress of the lord's order.

"It's so fast, it's almost done!"

"If you hadn't interfered with me, it would have been done by now. Ian said coldly.

"Hahaha, that's right. Then you invite me to dinner, let's go!"

"Why am I still please?"

"Because you caused me to run a lot yesterday! Okay, men don't want mother-in-law!"

"You ......" Ian is still young after all, and Sid is an old oilman in the lord's army after all, and he has perfected his gag skills. Sid walked in front, and Ian closed the door in the back. Before the door closed, he caught a glimpse of the rucksack, lying quietly under the table. He closed the door and turned to Sid.

The two of them came to the Wind Song Tavern, and not long after they sat down, the chair next to them was quickly and lightly pulled apart. Then, before Ian and Sid could see clearly, a figure sat down.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen. Someone greeted him.

Ian only felt that the other party was a thin guy, and when he looked up, he saw a cat face - it turned out to be a cat man from the subhuman race. His whole body was covered in gray striped fluff, with only the palms of his hands exposed. The hands of the subhumans are similar to those of humans, but they are slightly different, and each subhuman has its own peculiarities. For example, the hands of cat people only have four fingers, and the sharp nails are usually hidden in the fluff on the back of the fingers, and they will only stick out when they need to use it.

The cat man was slender and wore a beige sleeveless short vest with a black-and-white striped long-sleeved shirt and a plaid scarf around his neck. He wore lilac narrow breeches and a pair of medium-cut leather boots on his feet, looking like a merchant in the Commonwealth. Two tall cat ears, one of which is pierced and wears a gold earring with a small red gemstone on the earring. A pair of pale yellow olive-shaped eyes, with black crescent-thick eyes, glanced at Sid for a while, and looked at Ian for a while, with an uncomfortable smile in his eyes.

"I didn't expect to see subhumans in such a small village, your friend?" Ian asked Sid quietly, he was no stranger to subhumans, and there were all kinds of people in the slums of Black Eagle City, and subhumans were not uncommon.

Sid shook his head: "I don't have any subhuman friends, they all look similar, especially cat people, and they can't tell who is who. ”

"The color of the coat, the color of the coat is different, my friend," said the self-talking cat man in a mocking tone, licking the fluff from the back of his hand, and Ian could clearly see the barbs on his tongue.

"But I believe you are being too modest," and then he lowered his voice and said word by word, "Otherwise, how do you know who to report the Imperial Intelligence to?"

Sid chuckled in his heart, but still forced himself to calm down and asked, "Then who is Your Excellency?"

"A businessman, my friend. I'm not your ...... Uh, connector, I'm going to whisper like this, it's okay, right?"

"Merchant, do you have any business to discuss with us?" Sid had already guessed seven or eight points of the other party's intention. If he was to be accused, he would have been hanged by the lord at the gate of Split Rock Castle by now.

"Of course, of course! I have merchandise to sell to you. Two, oh no, two and a half secrets, each I sell for five hundred gold coins. As long as you buy them, they will disappear from me forever and come back to you!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly, leaned forward slightly, and looked at Sid eagerly.

It was lunch time, and the Fengge Tavern was full of people, and the diners were pushing glasses and changing lamps, and the atmosphere was lively. Ian felt a chill rise behind him, causing him to shudder.