"It seems that Your Excellency is worthy of the name of the Lord of Shadows."

The atmosphere stopped for a moment with the appearance of these words, and the voice belonging to Duan Qing then sounded in silence after a while: "It's almost time to investigate all of our lives." ”

"The nobility of the Empire has always held themselves in high esteem, and they pay more attention to merit and honor than ordinary Imperial commoners." The young nobleman, who was sitting across the table, shook his head: "But compared to you two young adventurers who have just come out of the village of Carlo, their exploits and lives are as small as the sand on the coast of Leipzig. ”

“……”

"Of course, I've also considered the reasons for this in my spare time."

Looking at the two people on the other side who were silent again, Simon's voice became a little lighter: "Judging from the very wise choices and very targeted strategies you have made in the past, you don't look like a new adventurer like the guys in those guilds. ”

"Or rather—you have a lot of experience in your own right." His gaze shifted to Xue Ling's body: "Coming from Karlo Village is just a clumsy disguise, you are already two old adventurers who have been through all kinds of winds and waves and don't care about what happened in Tanzanian City, right?" ”

“…… Can you find out that too? ”

"I've talked to the villagers in Karlo one by one, and most of them have a hard time telling you about your fathers and ancestors." Raising his arms, Simon, who was sitting opposite Duan Qing, answered his surprised question in a confident voice: "Add to that the rumors of the Dark Witch and the location where her whereabouts disappeared later, as well as the unknown battle that broke out in the depths of the jungle of Gemenan...... Isn't that an easy answer? ”

"Since Your Excellency Simon chose to help us in the conflict just now, I guess we won't reveal our identities at this time." After pondering for a moment, Duan Qing finally admitted in this way: "You must have a more far-reaching purpose for investigating us so hard, right?" ”

"I have a lot of work on my hands, and I can't focus all my energy on you." Putting away the two glints in his eyes, Simon once again showed a bland expression that appeared on the street for the first time: "The investigation of your past was only done by me during my previous work, and the original purpose was only to complete the explanation that His Majesty the Emperor had given me. ”

"But as time goes by, I'm more and more interested in the past of the two of you." His hands crossed each other with a smile, supporting his pale face as if he was sickly and stretched out a little towards the front of the table: "Your actions in Tanzanian City, and later your choices in the Citadel of Thebilisi, have led the situation of the entire empire in a more interesting direction." ”

"More ...... Interesting directions? Duan Qing's face became a little embarrassed: "Do you think our situation can be a little better than now?" ”

"I understand your situation and your concerns, but they are all unknown." Simon's gaze roamed back and forth between the two men: "And in the eyes of those of us who walk in darkness, everything happens in a trace. ”

"The dark do not fear the darkness—that's why I came back alive."

He said this in a low voice, he put away his eyes, and the trace of killing intent that had been revealed in the previous street melee also became thin again with the fall of this sentence, and slowly disappeared into the air like an ethereal cloud. The breath of the late night then occupied every corner of this coffee shop with a little silence, and it was soon broken in the scene of the waiter walking forward with a few cups of coffee, and Duan Qing, who was watching the other party leave, then coughed his throat, and looked at the slender nobleman again who carefully observed the face of the coffee cup: "Ahem, that...... So can you explain a little bit about where we are now? ”

"I need you to answer a few questions first, I've said that before." Slowly raising the coffee in his hand, Simon gestured to the other side of the table, "Need sugar?" ”

"No, no."

"Very good, in line with my taste." Simon, who nodded his head and took a sip, closed his eyes leisurely: "Only bitterness can stimulate people's spirit and fighting spirit, whether it is taste or survival, even if you are suffering the most severe test now, you may not know how great opportunities will await you in the future of destiny." ”

"It's like the sweetness hidden in coffee." He looked at Duan Qing and Xue Ling's phantom ice faces looking at each other, and then shook his head as if laughing at himself: "Forget it, let's get down to business." ”

"I already know that the war in Tanzanian City was directed and acted by His Royal Highness the prince himself, and you should know this in your hearts, but the royal family has the purpose of the royal family and the information you have, but you don't." He put down the coffee cup in his hand, and then raised his finger at Duan Qing and Xue Lingphantom Ice: "First question: How did you discover the secret of Violet's collaboration with the Restoration?" ”

"Well, there's a real chance you won't be able to find out." Duan Qing, who was stunned, put on a helpless smile: "After all, this involves something related to alchemy, and Violet and I are both alchemists......"

"Oh? Is it an answer related to mystery in magic? Pointing his raised finger behind the two men, Simon gestured to the fourth cup of coffee that was already on the table: "Don't worry, all my actions now are just to satisfy my curiosity, and have nothing to do with collecting incriminating evidence, so you can talk as you like." ”

"I'm sorry, she's reluctant to communicate with anyone else at this time." Understanding the implicit meaning of the other party's words, Duan Qing pulled the corners of his mouth and let out two dry laughs: "So let me answer this point - she invented a potion, a potion that allows ordinary people to have a spell-casting physique." ”

"Don't be in a hurry to question it, that potion is a failure."

Stretching out his hand to stop the young nobleman in the black dress who wanted to ask again, Duan Qing continued to answer in a calm voice: "With Violet's pride as the Lord of Violet, this kind of failure could not have appeared in this world, but someone still secretly circulated this potion to the market and became a bait in the hands of the restoration. ”

"Bait?" Simon, holding his coffee cup, raised his eyebrows, "Can you tell me the name of this bait?" ”

"It's called Deep Blue." Duan Qing didn't care about the word: "One of the very popular cocktails in the Imperial Tavern. ”

"I see." His eyes flickered slightly, and Simon let out a long sigh instead: "The attack on the Outpost of Crook started with a glass of poisoned wine, and she is the producer of this poisoned wine......"

"Although the final result is not the case, we did lock down the suspected identity of the Violet Lord based on this clue." Glancing in the direction of the purple-haired woman with a blurred outline standing still on her side, Duan Qing nodded in a low voice: "Even when the incident in Tanzanian City broke out and Violet appeared at the top of the Violet, my companions and I did not feel the slightest surprise. ”

"Intelligence shows that you were the last one to complete the final blow to Violet." Simon nodded thoughtfully: "But no one has come forward to admit all the contributions of you, a magician, and the rumored brilliant elemental rainbow seems to have been drowned out by His Royal Highness Prince Chris. ”

"His Royal Highness Prince Chris originally wanted to use us as scapegoats, and it was Tristan and Locke who came forward to help us." Duan Qing, who was silent, reacted silently, but Xue Lingphantom Bing picked up the other party's words in a low voice: "One of them is someone who knows us, and the other is someone who once fought side by side with us. ”

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have come here alive, would you?" Simon nodded in agreement, "I have been accused of being a lackey and accomplice of the Restorationists in the Empire, and I almost dragged the second son of the Date family into the water - if no one really believes in your innocence, I can't imagine why you are alive today." ”

"Hey, it's the Vravos guy who dragged us into the water." Duan Qing denied with a sad face: "Otherwise, we might still be happy outside." ”

"I know it was Volavos who met you at the gates of the Blooming Sword and invited you to be his bodyguards and bodyguards." Simon waved his hand indifferently: "But this does not clear your shoulder, nor can it be a reason for you not to come to this imperial capital to meet Tristan. ”

Looking at the increasingly serious expressions of Duan Qing and Xue Lingphantom Bing, the smile on Simon's face spread more and more obviously: "Maybe it is because of the protection of the Lord of Violet, we have not detected any traces of the Restorationists in Tanzanian City for a long time, but we have found a lot of relevant traces in the castle of Thebilisi, after all, the assassins who attacked His Excellency Volavos did not have the fig leaf of His Royal Highness. From our investigation, it appears that the attackers originated from a guild of adventurers called the Wings of Freedom, who were once active in Tania in the Duchy and Redkar in the Empire, but have now taken refuge in the Restoration. ”

"It's the same party you used to play for, isn't it?" Speaking of this, he turned his head, and his gaze fell on Xue Ling's phantom ice: "What do you think about this, Your Excellency the Dark Witch?" ”

"It would be naïve for you to want to make me a member of the Restorationists on the basis of your status at this level." Putting down the coffee cup in his hand, Xue Lingphantom Ice pursed her lips and revealed a touch of displeasure: "Although it is true that I have done a lot for the Restoration, I hate him and his Wings of Freedom very much now. ”

"Since you are so resolute, young lady, then I will believe it." Looking at the long white hair of the woman in front of him who was flowing outside the hood, Simon's voice softened a little: "But even so, it is still an indisputable fact that you helped Volavos by concealing your identity in the castle of Thebilisi and trying to guide him to become your shield. ”

"Block, shield?" Duan Qing grinned exaggeratedly: "How is it possible? If we need him as a shield, will we jump out to defend him at the last minute? ”

"Of course, because you once infiltrated the Imperial Mansion in the castle, and you know that Volavas wanted to find Luo Azon." Simon spread his hands: "You are trying to use this information to make Volavos available to you, so you have spared no effort to help him at that moment, because if he really falls, you will not be able to use this guy who is about to become an important member of the Imperial Cabinet to cover the next move to go to the imperial capital to open up the situation." ”

"What's more, you are sure that this incompetent Minister of Transport will not be able to find that thing, this is a piece of pie from the hands of the Restoration." Looking at Duan Qing and Xue Ling's Phantom Ice as they fell silent again, Simon, who crossed his hands, continued to spread out his next card: "Because it's in your hands now, you still have a chance to use this information." ”

"Well, because it was originally brought to Violet from the jungle of Gemenan." Duan Qing smiled bitterly and nodded: "Since she is walking with us now, the disc has become very reasonable in our hands." ”

"That's the second question I want to ask." Squinting his eyes slightly, Simon gestured in the direction of the purple-haired woman who was standing silently next to him: "We know that Violet lost his whereabouts after the miracle of Judgment Day in Tanzanian City, and we also guessed the possibility that he might be with you, the person who once defeated her, but ......"

"We never imagined that she would be in this state, so silent, so ...... Bidding. His gaze fell on Duan Qing's body: "What did you do?" Is it some kind of secret method of the Restorationists to control people's hearts? ”

"That's the biggest reason why you doubt my identity." Touching his nose, Duan Qing, whose eyes flickered, let out a long breath: "I'm sorry, I can't answer this question, because since the people of the Mage Council handed this woman into my hands-"

"I've never figured out what made her the way she is."

There was a hint of silence in the deserted café once again with Duan Qing's decisive words, it seemed that Simon, who had heard this answer, was considering how much authenticity Duan Qing's answer was, and the young nobleman of the empire, who didn't know what he was calculating in his mind, waved his hand for a long time before he raised his head again with a coffee cup and said: "The third question." ”

"Hey, what?"

"Absolutely, because it's also a question that interests me as well."

With a graceful sip of his lips on the rim of the glass, Simon slowly slowed his tone: "This is the last blind spot in your journey this time, a place where no reasonable explanation can be reached. ”

"That's the Rock Salon." He smiled, "How did you kill it?" ”