A carriage slowly crossed the Gato steppe, cautiously avoiding the Cato cavalry roaming the plains. The carriage was extremely rudimentary, with only a basic frame for the horses to pull up, without any frills or even lacquer, in keeping with the style of the Royal College of Boimbrugh that carried simplicity to the extreme. The only furnishing in the carriage was a bag full of herbs and surgical tools. The carriage had no attendant to escort it, only an iron-clad coachman and a young man who had lost his left arm, so it was difficult for the shabby pomp and circumstance to attract the covetousness of the Cato raiders. The coachman was also very experienced, and he took some remote routes all the way to Liberty City of Talibany without incident. After a short break at the Happy Dolphin Tavern, we set off for Marions. After leaving the city, there was a white-haired man in a dark red military uniform and sunglasses in the carriage.

The wound medicine that the scholars had reserved in their bags had been exhausted, and they were all mild ointments, which were not strong in irritation applied to the broken shoulder, but only had a slow effect. But with these ointments in hand, Kia began to concoct a slightly stronger ointment for herself. The job that was originally easy for him was a little overwhelmed after losing an arm. The journey home was not smooth, with the occasional wagon jolting on the ridges or paths, and the slightest tipping over the crucible would ruin the effort, and the herbs that were not so precious could be wasted that were not ubiquitous. Kia could only hold the crucible with his two feet, then pound and squeeze the juice with his right hand, dilute it with a small amount of water, and finally carefully apply the rotten leaves and juice to the wound of the severed limb. Dante, the director of the Inquisition, sat across from Kia, arms folded and indifferent. After that, every once in a while, Kia would scrape off the ointment that had already dried, and the wooden knife that was polished and smoothed would look angular when it rubbed against the fractures of the flesh and bones, and Kia was always in a cold sweat in the process. And as he gradually reduced the amount of water, the irritation of the ointment applied to the wound became more and more intense, as if his left arm had been cut off again. Kia could still feel the illusory pain filling his non-existent left arm like a bone and muscle, not fading over time, but intensifying. But Kea is actually more worried about her sister's mental state than this. Along the way, Teresa seemed much more cheerful at first glance, and Kia could even be seen in the carriage taking off her iron mask and humming softly the country ballad of Saarion, the lines of her face gently undulating, as if she had been carefully sketched by the most astute painter. Kea once again meets Miss Elfwan, who was favored by everyone before the withering rose, and Teresa, who only belonged to Captain Griff. But it was only a staccato fragment, and the country ballads never finished a bar, often ending abruptly after a few lines, the flower-like delicate girl's demeanor withering in a moment, the soft lines being frozen stiffly, and then replaced by the silence and indifference that Kea was familiar with—she was the inferno of the Inquisition. The whole journey Kia wanted to find an opportunity to ask Teresa what happened during the time he was unconscious, but after each change of dressing, Kia almost collapsed, not to mention that due to Dante's presence, Kia never found the right time.

The closer you get to Saarion, the greenery beneath the wheels becomes more vibrant, and the occasional wind blowing through the carriage warms up. The northern frontier is still shrouded in cold snaps that rush down from the Misty Mountains, while the central Great Plains has reached the time when the grass grows and the warbler flies. Finally the silhouette of Marions appeared on the horizon and grew majestically. Kia saw the tall city walls and the sparkling lake of the Inland Sea. Home, sweet home. But Kia had the trepidation of growing like a weed. If he could, he was reluctant to return home in such an embarrassed image, not because he had lost an arm, but because his career as an adventurer, eager to find Pande's essence, died in the middle of the most dismal way.

As the carriage approached the city gates, Teresa took off her iron mask, her face was the most effective pass, and the guards at the gate saluted her and waved her away. The carriage drove straight into the ducal castle before stopping. "Father is waiting for you." Teresa turned to Kia, not letting go of the reins.

"Sister, won't you go in with me?"

Teresa shook her head, "I'm going to the royal city and retreat at the Twin Towers. ”

Kia glanced at Dante, who was lazily leaning back in the carriage, behind his sunglasses, unable to figure out whether he was distracted or closed. He jumped out of the carriage and asked softly, "Sister, what happened?" ”

"It's not a big deal, it's just a misunderstanding." Teresa said. At this time, a man came out of the castle, with an old and serious face, he saw Kia and nodded: "Father is waiting for you." ”

"Big brother, long time no see." Kea said.

Viscount of Sarrion Forsette Hammer Elfwan, the eldest son of the Duke of Elfwan, acted as Lord of Marions after his bedriddenness.

"Father is waiting for you." Fawsett nodded, he frowned at the sight of Kia's severed arm, but didn't say much.

"Go ahead." Teresa said, driving the carriage away.

The carriage departed Marions and traveled along the "Lion's Remains" to the Intraroyal City. Teresa held the reins in one hand to steer the direction, and with the other hand removed the iron mask, stunned.

"Was it just a misunderstanding?" Dante's voice came from the carriage, his tone was still lazy, and he couldn't hear the ups and downs of emotions, "If you don't handle it well, it's bad for you and for the messenger of the goddess." ”

"I'm measured, and I don't need to be asked." Teresa put on the iron mask and galloped wildly, the wheels "whirling around", and the carriage shook violently, as if it was on the verge of falling apart at any moment. Dante's body swayed with the ups and downs of the carriage, but his back was still firmly attached to the walls. He took off his sunglasses, gently wiped the lenses with the hem of his sleeve, and let out a helpless sigh that even he could not perceive.

The old man with gold-rimmed glasses was half-lying on a large bed, covered with a white velvet quilt in front of him, and he lowered his head and flipped through a heavy book. Kea looked up and smiled as he entered.

"At the banquet before, you did it on purpose, right?"

"Yes." Kia nodded, knelt down on one knee in front of the bed, and took Duke Elfwan's hand as if he were holding a piece of dry bark. After less than two months of separation, when they met again, his father was so old that he was sad. Kia didn't know how to speak, so he could only whisper, "I'm sorry." ”

Duke Elfwan smiled, stretched out his hand and gently stroked Kia's head: "It's too clumsy, Duke Brennus can see through it at a glance, and it's also thanks to me and your sister to protect you to the death, otherwise you and the young assassin don't know how to end up." Had it not been for the fact that His Majesty had spoken openly with us when he returned to the royal city, we would not have known that the assassination of Ned Grace was at his behest. Eldred reacted quickly, and directly dissociated himself with his brother-in-law, worthy of being the Marquis of White Hart Castle, who had been in the Great Eastern Forest for a long time, and his eyesight was not inferior to Noldor. The old man's gaze fell on Kia's severed arm, "It's hard to lose an arm, isn't it?" ”

"I just can't hold the shield, but I can still hold the sword."

"That's good. Your brother is currently concerned with Marions' affairs, and the three dependent villages around Marions, which were formerly under his jurisdiction, will be temporarily placed under your management by Payne, Amir, and Bigren. After His Majesty has re-awarded you the title of Viscount, you may recruit a private army of no more than three hundred men. Duke Elvwan patted Kia on the shoulder, "This is not a request, it is an order. You'll want to train as you could be on your way to the southern border at any time. ”

"What's going on with the Empire?"

"Emperor Marius is even more ill than I am, and Elise has been appointed as the prisoner. The little doll is not very old, but the ambition is not small, and he has won the full support of Justes, and has also established a knight of the 'Shadow Wolf' of Rausch," the old man let out a sneer and coughed a few times, "Pande's current knights are really becoming less and less valuable. Now the political scene of the empire is treacherous, and everyone from generals to consuls looks like each other. Although Sarion does not have the ability to launch another large-scale campaign now, there is still the capital for you young people to make a small fight. Just let it go, the empire is now too busy to take care of itself, they not only have to digest the internal change of power, but also a crisis that is both internal and external," the old man leaned close to Kia's ear and whispered like thunder,

"Sz's 'Centurion' Scolerolu has launched a massive Serpent Cult riot."

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