"Please, please don't make jokes like that."

Some time later, at noon, in the middle of the street in the Redkar Anfrit neighborhood, Duan Qing had already entered the city gate, and Duan Qing couldn't help but let out a few wry smiles, and at the same time looked at the familiar face of the middle-aged nobleman who was leading them forward: "I thought we were going to go to prison again so soon." ”

"I remember that you didn't go to prison at all when you were in Tanzania, and even the charges were improvised." Tristan, who was in charge of leading the way, turned his head suspiciously: "Why, you guys also had some trouble when you were in Tbilisi?" ”

"After all, it's the military's territory, you know." Duan Qing smiled and tilted his head: "Fortunately, there are other nobles who have protected us, so the method of reaching this place is quite normal......"

"Anyway, it's good to get here safely." Tristan, with his hands behind his back, turned around again: "Otherwise, I would have wasted so much effort to become an official of the Empire." ”

"yes, I haven't had time to ask yet."

In the surrounding scenes of otherworldly style buildings of different sizes constantly passing by, Duan Qing, who was constantly observing the style of the imperial capital, asked the middle-aged man in front of him, who was also wearing a red and black uniform, "How did you become an official of the empire?" You're not being taken here to await trial like we are—"

"That's a thing of the past." Stretching out his hand and waving in front of Duan Qing, Tristan, who paused for a moment, replied with a smile: "Although what has happened during this period of time is a little unimaginable even for me. ”

"Sounds like a long story." Xue Lingphantasm on the side said in a deep voice, "Do you want to find a place to talk slowly?" ”

"Of course, isn't that showing you the way?" Tristan, who stretched out his arms and led forward, suddenly looked at Xue Ling's phantom ice as if he remembered something: "By the way, listen to the previous words...... Miss Snow Spirit Phantom Ice also seems to be familiar with the emperor, could it be that she was a Redkar before? ”

"It used to be." The voice of the answer was short and indifferent, and Xue Lingphantom Ice answered the other party's question with a more obsessive face: "Not anymore. ”

"Sorry, it seems like you're asking something you shouldn't be asking." Tristan, who was keenly aware of the woman's mood swings, turned around again: "As compensation—"

"I'll please."

He said this, and at the same time stopped his steps again, and then appeared on the edge of the corner in front of Duan Qing and the others' vision of a tavern with a golden color in the vermilion at the edge of the road. After passing through the crowded streets, the group also pushed open the door of the tavern, which was not very lively at this time, and then took the inside of the tavern with neat tables and chairs and decorations, and the warm smiling face of a tavern owner who raised his hand to greet him: "Yo, isn't this Your Excellency Tristan?" How come there is time in the middle of the day—huh? ”

"These are my friends." Understanding the confusion in the other party's words, Tristan introduced sideways to the five figures who walked into the tavern behind him, "It was supposed to be six people, but one of them doesn't seem to be there now. ”

"Since it's Tristan's friend, it's also my friend." Then the smile on the tavernkeeper's face became more enthusiastic: "Welcome to the Anfu Rose Tavern, I am the owner here, Robin. ”

"Female, female boss?" Surprised, his eyes widened, and Asahi Dongsheng, who was walking behind with Gedman, involuntarily opened his mouth wide: "There are still women in the tavern owner in the free world?" This is really the first time I've seen ......."

"There are a lot of female bosses in the free world, and I've seen one or two before." Looking at the back of the proprietress who turned around to take the wine with her beautiful and combed long hair but coiled around her head like a leather whip, Duan Qing quietly lowered her head: "None of them are ordinary people, you definitely don't want to deal with them." ”

"That's right, that's right." Walking to the front of the bar, Tristan replied with a sigh, "I met this Robin at first sight, in large part because of her resemblance to a tavern in Free City...... Ouch! ”

"That man is obviously a man." The upside-down eyebrows and downward wine glasses landed on the bar in front of the middle-aged nobleman, and the splash of wine then covered the proprietress for a moment: "Please don't compare me to that guy who is neither a man nor a woman, Lord Tristan. ”

"Hug, sorry, ahahaha." Raising his hands and taking over the wine glass that only half of the wine was left, Tristan secretly showed an innocent smile at Duan Qing and the others: "Anyway, that's it, although this boss's temper is a little special, but the person is still very good, at least this cheapest kind of wine, we can drink it casually, right?" ”

"It's a very cheap way to treat yourself."

In the scene where several companions around him slowly sat down at the bar, the voice belonging to Xue Lingphantom Ice then sounded in a low voice: "But since it is to listen to a story, this kind of hospitality is enough." ”

"At the end of the story, I became one of the Imperial officials, as you can see." Tristan, who spread out his hands, once again showed himself to Duan Qing and the others: "As for the process...... To put it simply, we came to the imperial capital and met with the emperor of the empire. ”

"It's in that royal palace on the Red Mountain." He pointed out the window of the tavern, which was now standing on the top of a hill in the distance of the vermilion complex: "I finished my conversation with the Emperor in front of many Imperial Ministers, and clarified my charges, and the Lion Emperor seemed to appreciate me, so I was given my current position." “

"It's just, it's that simple?" Gedmayne's voice on the side glared and asked, "That's the crime of attacking the royal family and colluding with the restorationists, so the emperor let you go so easily?" ”

"I didn't do these things, at most I just exposed some of the prince's plans, and said a few good words for you by the way." Tristan pushed his hands when he heard this: "The emperor seems to have understood the reason for this, so he just asked me a little and let me go." ”

"Well, that's what we expected." Looking at the figure of the proprietress who began to gradually bring the remaining few glasses of ale forward, Duan Qing continued to ask in a low voice, "But...... Is the process really that simple? ”

"Certainly not as lightly as I say now." Not afraid of what the proprietress would hear that shouldn't be heard, Tristan narrowed his eyes when he heard this: "Because of the forces involved, many people have already met with me before I went to the palace, some of them have a good attitude, and some of them naturally use coercion and temptation. ”

"The reason why I was able to safely ascend to that palace was probably due to the compromise reached by various forces." Speaking of this, he sighed slightly: "The cabinet, the military, the nobles, and the imperial forces to which His Majesty the Emperor belongs—if you want to survive in these thousand-year-old Frei Empire, you need more than just such simple conditions." ”

"I've been hearing you people preach the sinister nature of the power struggle here, and it seems to be true." Duan Qing's face also showed a serious expression: "And...... I'm afraid it's not that easy for us people, right? ”

"After all, I still have the name of Romria on my body, and the name of a relict who has returned to the empire." Tristan replied in a low voice, "And you, as adventurers, do not have such an advantage. ”

"Can you tell us what His Majesty's attitude is now?" Fingers pinched the rim of the wine glass and kept turning, Duan Qing asked in a low voice, "What else do we need to do?" ”

"Well...... Because I don't know what else happened in the middle, I can't confirm His Majesty's attitude with you at the moment. Tristan also replied in a low voice, "What I can tell you is that the situation in the Imperial Capital seems to have changed recently for some reason. ”

“…… The Date family? ”

"That's right."

Giving Duan Qing a thumbs up, Tristan's gaze then rested on the other players behind him: "The Date family has always been an existence supported by the balance of the forces of the empire, and this time someone actually made a move on him...... It's really hard to guess what they're trying to achieve. ”

"Even you, an old fritter who has been in the Free City for many years, said that, it seems that the situation is indeed very serious." Supporting half of his cheek with one hand, Xue Ling Phantom Ice, who was sitting on the other side of Duan Qing, played with the wine glass and continued to ask, "Are they going to attack us too?" ”

"That's one of the reasons why I went to Nobo Gate to pick you up." Tristan replied with a solemn face, "If I hadn't taken over this errand earlier, you would probably have been 'drinking tea' in the Imperial Police Department by now." ”

"That doesn't sound like a good thing."

Sighing slightly, Duan Qing, who exchanged glances with his companions around him, then focused his gaze on Tristan again: "Are we already destined to be victims of the fall of the Date family?" ”

"Don't ask me, I don't know what's going on at the castle of Tbilisi." Tristan shook his head, "But since the second son of the Date family has come back alive, I think they will definitely continue to carry out some follow-up plans." ”

"Try to be careful not to let those guys get their hands on anything." He raised a finger, and his lowered voice loomed on his lips: "If you take the wrong step, what awaits you is probably the result of a catastrophe." ”

"We understand." Duan Qing nodded solemnly: "Thank you, Your Excellency, and then ......"

"Is there anything else you can give us anything to mention?"

"I've already done all the formalities for you to enter the city, after all, this is something we have agreed on before." Pushing the glass forward a few points, Tristan turned and stood up: "Originally, we were going to advance and retreat together, but now that I have a slight advantage, I can't watch you all the troubles go unattended." ”

"You should meet many people who come to tempt you, and it is possible that some of them will even be sent by His Majesty the Emperor." He walked towards the tavern door with his hands behind his back, and his voice began to fade away: "Be careful, and then prepare for the judgment in three days." ”

"That's a personal meeting between His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Ministers' Group, just don't mess up that." He tilted his head, and a smile bloomed on his sun-soaked face: "As for other things, I will also take care of them where I can." ”

"After talking about it for so long, I don't know what status you've gotten up to now." Duan Qing, who raised his wine glass, smiled and gestured in the direction of Tristan, who was about to leave, "Where did His Majesty the Emperor divide you?" ”

“…… Ministry. ”

"Poof." So Duan Qing squirted out the wine he wanted to drink just now: "Ahem, ahem...... It's a good place, and I'll count on you in the future, big guy. ”

"Do you need to make such a fuss? It's just a matter of getting back to my old ways. Sighing and shaking his head, Tristan's figure then disappeared from the tavern door: "Robin." ”

"Let's get them a good place to stay."

The sound of footsteps and the dragging of luggage then echoed in the luxuriously decorated, but very deserted tavern hall at this time, accompanied by several players dragging their respective suits and disappearing on the steps on the third floor of the tavern, Duan Qing, who pushed open his own door, then also stepped into the standard suite that belonged to the empire, and looked at the scenery of the imperial capital outside the window he was facing with a stunned gaze: "It's really a wave of unsettled waves, can't you let me stop for a while?" ”

"That's why we didn't want to stay in this place in the first place." Walked behind him with his arms crossed, and the voice belonging to the Snow Spirit Phantom Ice then sounded in Duan Qing's ears: "With the huge power of the Wings of Freedom, you can only barely gain a foothold in a place like the Imperial Capital, although the current level of players has generally increased a lot, but the dangers that exist everywhere are still not something that ordinary people can easily deal with." ”

"If we're really ordinary players, it's just that-" The line of sight stretched forward with the vermilion sea that gradually spread forward with the spires of those empire-style houses, and Duan Qing, who walked to the window, then let out a sigh: "We all came here with mockery. ”

"Let's be prepared, I'm afraid the harassment of uninvited guests won't stop for a few days." Walking to the other party's side, Xue Ling's voice became much softer: "It's a pity that I originally wanted to take you around this huge city as a guide......

"Now that I'm the host, I'm about to welcome the whole city."