This is the ocean-going port of Ebberden.

The harbour, which connects the Gem River to the Misty Sea, has long been Ebden's most important tax conduit – with a large number of warehouses, processing workshops, alchemy shops and luxury goods vendors.

With the help of the ocean luxury trade, the goods from the elven kingdom of Azur under the rule of the Eagle King, those exquisite silks, dyes, precious stones, carvings, weapons... This seaport has become one of the few commodity distribution centers in the empire.

Of course, it's also the most chaotic of all – as long as you have shiny metal discs in your pockets, you might buy a royal tribute from a beggar in a linen cloak in a wastewater-infested alley.

Although the Heavenly Dome was soon aware of these problems and used every means to harshly picket the smuggling trade, the huge space for profit made people still keen to take risks and "frantically probe" on the edge of the gallows, so that the situation not only did not get better, but even worsened.

Free Ebolden gave smugglers plenty of room to operate, and the sheer volume of trade and the vast network of interests made it difficult to search.

Brandon I, the sixth generation, known as the "sage", Charlotte I of the tenth generation, who was known for her "impatience", and even the twelfth generation of Eckhart II, who was known as a "natural ruler", could only sigh in the face of rampant smuggling.

There are pros and cons to everything, and the commercial ports, dock unions, shop chambers of commerce, and mercenary groups that have thrived on the ocean trade will also be severely affected by the ebb and flow of the ocean trade.

With the "disappearance" of the ocean-going fleet, the prosperity originally brought by the "Jewel Route" also withered, and the warehouses and shops of all sizes were emptied, leaving only empty markets, and the merchants and workers were not even left, leaving the "Free Parliament" with a large number of unemployed.

In the dilapidated and muddy streets, two men wearing cloaks meet in this uninhabited "bustling market".

The two sides noticed each other almost simultaneously, sharp eyes staggering in the silent air.

"I thought you would have to wait two days to get there, but you came so soon... It was much more than I expected. A long, vigorous voice sounded from the white-bearded lips under the hood:

"And my predictions are usually accurate. ”

"I received this from a merchant on the way, and I sped it up a bit. The one-armed knight, carrying a broken sword on his back, casually handed over a letter in his arms:

"It was an East Sacland merchant who had bought Byrne's wine, and was going to trade Sackland's produce for Lothair's leather and wild honey—I suppose the whole empire had seen the letter by now. ”

"Yes, our bold Duke Byrne has given us all a big surprise... Although for some, there is probably only surprise but no joy. ”

With a mocking tone, the old man slowly took off the hood he wore on the top of his head, revealing a high head, and his bright eyes carried a convincing look: "And as half of his guide to the path of wizards, the old man is quite proud of him. ”

"For the chaos he has brought to the Empire, it is difficult for every man of faith to sit still;" the one-armed knight was equally unabashedly sarcastic:

"Or is it for the anger of Archbishop Innocent and the Inquisition who was almost angry with him?"

"These are just a part, a small part. The old man's flabby, wrinkled face was full of youthful energy:

"Of course, a very important part. ”

The one-armed knight did not speak, and let the old man amuse himself.

After a few seconds, the old man, who seemed to have just recovered from the acceleration of his heartbeat brought by joy, breathed a sigh of relief, lightly pressed his chest, bowed to the indifferent one-armed knight, and lowered his head completely:

"In the name of Archon Ebolden, First Patriarch of the Nine-Pointed Star Wizard Tower, Old Corona welcomes you to our invitation to visit the Venerable Knight of the Oath!"

In the face of a humble, even respectful old man, the one-armed Knight of the Oath was untouched, and there was only a pair of eternally bright eyes on his still cold face.

But the old man still didn't care, and smiled enthusiastically: "Knowing that you are here, the whole of the wizard tower is deeply encouraged and very happy. Of course, for some well-known reasons, we are not able to prepare a grand welcome and banquet for your arrival.

But... It is really hard not to be reminded of the good old days when the 'sword of oaths' that used to save humanity and punish adultery and eliminate evil has reappeared. ”

"It's a good day to be chased and killed by the cult of evil gods, right?" the Oath Knight interrupted him again, "I remember that the number of 'Oath Blades' has plummeted, and there are also great achievements in your Wizard Tower?"

Corona smiled lightly, unimpressed.

He folded his withered hands in front of him and puffed out his chest—no longer the easy-going or humble old man, but the patriarch of the Nine-Pointed Star Wizard Tower, the archon of Ebolden.

The world's premier wizard.

After a moment of silence, the Knight of Oath said lightly, "How did you find me?"

"Like everybody, of course. Corona smiled in astonishment, but she didn't expect this to be the first question of the Knights of the Oath: "As the bodyguard of the former Bishop Farnesis, you are a double wanted criminal for the church and Ebolden, and anyone with your portrait can find a wanted warrant with your portrait anywhere." ”

"In addition, as the Archon of Ebolden, I certainly have my own intelligence network and eyes all over the Chambers of Commerce, and it is impossible for you to appear quietly and without a trace, and as the first patriarch of the Wizarding Tower, the nominal leader of the wizards of the entire empire, they are also obliged to inform me of the latest anomalous observations. ”

Between the words, there was a hint of smugness in the old man's voice.

The Silent Knight of the Oath waited until he finished speaking again with a blank face, "How did you find me?"

"As I told you, my predictions have always been accurate. Corona smiled and said slowly:

"And there are very few mistakes. ”

This answer seemed to be more "convincing" than the pile of content just now, and the Knight of Oath did not continue to ask.

"That's all for the small talk, let's get down to business. Gently bringing the topic just now, the old man only had the smile on his face still unchanged, pointing to the ruined port market behind him:

"Standing here, it is clear to us that the accident of the ocean-going fleet has not only deprived both Ebolden and the Empire of important financial resources, displaced thousands of people, but also cut off our last line of contact with the elves of Azur, and can no longer communicate with them. ”

"In this way, the Yunling Kingdom of the southern dwarves has completely severed relations with the empire due to Byrne's actions and civil war disputes, the proud Eagle King of the Western Azorean elves will no longer have anything to do with us, and the turbulent empire has completely become an island. ”

"The Empire has always been an island, and it has always been, and it will be. ”

Shaking his head, the Knights of the Oath seemed to be very unimpressed by Corona's pessimistic attitude:

"When the elves of the Ancient Wood Forest invaded Lothair, did the distant Eagle King have any mercy, and it was they who saved the Boi herdsmen when the centaurs trampled the Great Green Sea, not to mention Byrne, who was once a dwarven colony, and Arles, who still fight the trolls today. ”

"The only people who can save the empire are the humble and devout believers of the Holy Cross, and... His self-saving spirit of ungodly believers. ”

Looking at the difficult expression on the second half of the Sworn Knight's words, Corona's eyes flashed with an imperceptible smile.

"Perhaps, but the more friends the better at any time, even if they are friends who are separated or even double-faced. The old man smiled slyly and spoke softly:

"In any case, we must restore the passage of the gem route as soon as possible, and open the passage to the Elven Kingdom of the Azores, and if we can't do it, we must at least find out what caused the total destruction of the ocean-going fleet, and no survivors will survive. ”

The plain words made the Oath Knight show a solemn expression: "What do you think... Is it an evil god?"

"Your Excellency the Knight of Oath, have you ever hunted beasts or mutant monsters?" Corona still did not answer directly, but changed his words:

"When I was younger... Ah, it was the ninth generation, and my mentor and I hunted ogres in the ancient woods of Lothair to get their leather, bones, and brains... are all important alchemical materials. ”

The Oath Rider's face turned cold, and he was impatient with the old man's "storytelling and reasoning" way of talking.

"Interestingly, the ogre's blood, eyeballs, and hearing organs... It doesn't matter, so we, the emaciated wizards, hunt them in a more 'special' way. ”

Corona stepped forward, with a trance of memories in her expression:

"First of all, to make noise with ignition agents and explosions, to attract their attention;"

"Then lead it into a trap that has been prepared, and after it has fallen into the trap, shoot it with a crossbow in the eyes and ears;"

"On the walls of the deep pit that crawled out of the trap, there were traps made of sharp stones and iron hooks, large and small, tearing its flesh and flesh, and bleeding;"

"The crossbow that pierced its eyes and ears had already been smeared with a special alchemical potion, so that its plasma could not coagulate and flowed;"

"Finally... In the face of an ogre who had no strength to resist, who could not find an enemy, and who was so weak that he couldn't even call for help, he was finally so weak that even a few of our weak wizards could take it down. ”

The Knight of Oath's pupils froze slightly.

"If we allow our eyes to be poked blind, if we hide on our own islands and watch our enemies slaughter our allies or turn them into our enemies, if we try our best to survive, then be the last ...... to survive"

Corona sighed, "What are we to do when the enemy is coming towards us?"

The Silent Knights of the Oath never responded.

But Corona knew that she had moved him.

No... It should be said that from the very beginning he will definitely not refuse, but the goal is the same and the means are the same, the concept is different.

I hope that this improvised story of mine will wake him up a little bit, and take a longer view instead of looking for an enemy that may not be possible to find at all, right?

"When will your ship depart?"

Taking a step forward, the Knight of Oath asked in a deep voice.

Corona smiled lightly and waved her hand gracefully: "No, that ship is not for you, but for the Heavenly Dome - more precisely, for the eyeliners of His Majesty Eckhart II." ”

"While the Wizard's Tower has been kept as secret as possible, and has done it as foolproof, I guess... There should be at least two night watchmen on that ship, or even real night watchmen, and we don't have to make much effort to investigate the scene. They are the real professionals. ”

"As for you... I've got you another boat—small, but stable, and with the sun and the stars, you can even cross the misty seas to the land of the elves. ”

The Knight of Oath stared at him deadly, his brow furrowing more and more.

"What exactly do you want to say?" the Knight of Oath looked impatient, "Do you think that the accident of the Ocean Fleet is the work of those pointy-eared men?"

"I'm a wizard, and I don't jump to conclusions without evidence. Corona, who was calm and composed, shook her head, but gently raised her index finger again:

"Yes, I don't have any evidence that the elves did it, but... I also have no evidence to prove that none of this has anything to do with them. ”

"And I really hope that none of this has anything to do with them. ”

"When it comes to the Azorean elves on the other side of the sea, our empire always seems to misunderstand them - either exaggerated or degraded. Corona walked in slowly, and her calm and soft words were full of power:

"Most of the Ebodens describe it as a land of abundance full of gold, where the elves live in a gentle land that will never be disturbed, never to fight, never to kill, and to keep us foreign 'barbarians' out of the way with a thick fog of barriers;"

"A friend who once visited a remote island of the Elven kingdom, Haringvan Ashmay, told me that the nobles there loved art and enjoyed life, and that our proud knights were like animals crossed between a stupid horse and a donkey compared to their swordsmanship in the rain and whispering in the wind."

"As for the Wizard's Tower, my colleagues agree... The level of mastery of magic and the power of the void by the elves of the Azores has long surpassed ours, and even ......"

"Catch up with the invincible Dragon Kingdom, Nidhogg!"