"I didn't expect the City Lord's Mansion to have been transformed into this."

In the dim line of sight like an attic, the figure belonging to Duan Qing then became clearer and clearer in the gradually lit lights, and he looked at the familiar and unfamiliar figure standing in the depths of the dim space, facing him at this time, and his gaze gradually became calm: "When we came to this place, it seems that this hall doesn't have the second floor, right?" ”

"Yes." Nodding his head, the black shadow replied in a neutral and confident voice, "It's just that the exterior wall at that time was not demolished, and the staircase leading to the second floor is not here." ”

"Oh? Why is this so? ”

"Because the last city lord attached great importance to the façade."

He didn't show the slightest irritation about the inconsequential questions raised by Duan Qing at this time, and the figure standing opposite the bench explained in a low voice with his hands on his shoulders: "Since it is the hall used by the people of the Twelve Thrones to pay homage, inconsequential things naturally cannot exist, plus the structure here is the appearance left over from the founding of the Free City, how can it be easily changed." ”

"But there are no more reasons for that." He spread out one of his arms and gestured in the direction of the hall where Duan Qing and the two people had just come over: "The former Twelve Thrones have existed in name only, and the position of the city lord is no longer of any use, so no one cares about the appearance and future of this city lord hall now." ”

"So you tore down the walls yourself and built the steps?" Pointing to the boundary between the attic on the second floor and the hall on the first floor, which were showing signs of brokenness at this time, Duan Qing's inquiring face also became strange: "Do you need to be so violent?" ”

"I'm sorry, I didn't do that." As if to mention something unpleasant, the black shadow standing by the bench replied in a heavy and serious voice: "It's the traces left by a few small people when they came to attack the City Lord's Mansion, I just didn't repair it, but took local materials and built stone bricks from here." ”

"Attackers." So Duan Qing sighed and turned his head, looking in the direction where the two of them came: "As the supreme ruler of the Free City, the defense of the city is so sparse, it's no wonder that there will be attackers who come to the door by themselves, and even when we came over, we didn't encounter a single guard-did you arrange it this way?" ”

"No, there aren't many guards in the City Lord's Mansion now." The dark shadow's voice in reply became even deeper: "Since the last Morna incident, the City Lord's Mansion has been left without a City Lord—"

"There aren't many followers here."

The dusk slowly fell into the horizon formed by the endless plains and mountains outside the city lord's mansion as the other party's words fell, and at the same time, the light here was completely brought into a deep darkness, and the little lights in the attic area began to light up gradually, illuminating the small space without decoration and the black shadow that was walking towards the two of them a little-it was still the well-proportioned and strong warrior figure, still the appearance of full armor, The resolute face that belonged to Reiner didn't seem to have changed much during the time that Duan Qing was away, and even the light in the eyes that looked at him didn't have any emotional fluctuations because of Duan Qing's successive questions: "That's right, they left on their own." ”

"A city of freedom where the strong are respected, there would never be any sympathizers who like lost dogs." Still with his hands behind his back, Reiner replied in a low voice, "Sympathy and mercy are the most rude treatment of the people who live here, and if it were me, I would have made such a choice." ”

"But, but ......" hesitated for a moment in his heart, Duan Qing finally raised such a question: "But you are a strong man without a doubt, even now that you have lost the position of city lord, none of those candidates for the throne who are doing evil in the city should be your opponent now, right?" ”

"Strength in strength does not mean strength in heart, and among the candidates for the Twelve Thrones, I am already a clear loser." Shaking his head, Reiner took the lead and walked back towards the depths of the small attic-like space: "Take the lead in breaking the selection rules, destroying the position of the city lord that has been inherited for nearly a thousand years, and trying to hide it from everyone, and there is no repentance until it is finally exposed......"

"I am not qualified to continue to serve as the lord of the city." He took out his throne orb, which should have been full of powerful energy, but at this time it was already dull, and there was a little more bitterness on his rock-like face that was originally emotionless: "Not to mention the Libra throne that represents justice and judgment." ”

"I can understand your reasons." Touching the back of his head, Duan Qing, who had been thinking about it for a while, still tried to persuade and comfort the other party: "But presumably those worldly mortals should not want to be so much like me, but still value your strength." ”

"My Reiner didn't have any followers in the first place, and even in the past, no one who was in my eyes was worthy of being a part of me." Reiner's resolute look regained his strength, and he waved his hand in a low voice: "Since there was no burden in the first place, there is naturally nothing to worry about now, this is undoubtedly the most suitable ending for myself who once judged everything and is now a sinner." ”

"But Free City doesn't want to see that."

Instead of the voice that Duan Qing wanted to make just now, Xue Lingphantom Bing, who was standing on the side, shook his head and replied: "When there will eventually be a conflict between the laws of the heart and the laws of the world, your current choice may not be the choice that most people in the Free City want to see, let alone the fact that the Free City is suffering from internal and external troubles and many people are dying—do you want to watch this city that you previously guarded and inherited gradually fall into ruin?" ”

“……”

Looking at the face of Snow Ling's phantom ice steadily, Reiner, who was holding his hands on his shoulders, did not make his voice for a long time, as if he was thinking about something, and after thinking about something for a while, his face suddenly became serious, and turned to the window located on the side of the attic: "Then it should also be up to everyone in the Free City to decide the future of the Free City, not by the so-called city lord-"

"The current situation of the Free City, as the current city lord, you should also know." Glancing at Duan Qing, Xue Lingphantom Ice, who reached out and pressed his chest, took a step forward: "Fighting, killing, chaos, and death—these scenes are now playing out again and again outside, and they have never stopped since we came here, don't you feel sad about this?" ”

"These are the rules of the city, and they are the rules that everyone who comes to the city has understood and recognized from the beginning." Looking out the window, Reiner shook his head and replied, "The strong live, the weak die—since they don't have the qualifications to survive in this city, they will naturally make more suitable choices like me." ”

"The founders of the Free City longed for freedom, but they would never want to see such a development happen in the city!" Snow Spirit Ice's face tilted forward seemed to become a little more excited: "They must still hope that this city can be a place of hope for their children and grandchildren to prosper!" And not a dead city! Don't you think so? ”

"Even so, I don't have much power to change all of this now." Reiner retracted his gaze, and with a back-turning motion, he responded with Snow Ling's reprimand: "If I lose my qualification as a candidate for the throne, I will also lose my qualification to rule the city of freedom, and as a lonely person who no one will obey, what can I do for this city?" ”

"Of course you can do it."

Duan Qing, who stopped Xue Ling's Phantom Ice from wanting to continue moving forward, stretched out his hand, then smiled in a low voice: "Even if you are alone, even if you are a sinner who condemns yourself, if you want to do something, you have your own way after all." ”

"We adventurers have come all the way here, and we haven't racked our brains and exhausted all our means." Smiling as if self-deprecating, he then set his eyes on Xue Lingphantom Ice on the side: "If you don't have strength, you rely on your brain, and if you don't have a brain, you rely on connections—as long as you have confidence and determination, you can always come up with a solution." ”

"From the first time I saw you, I understood your true nature." There was a glint of nostalgia in his eyes, and Reiner's nostalgic gaze then fell on the location of a certain window sill in the main hall of the city: "Did you also come here with such confidence and determination at that time?" ”

"I'm glad you remember that." Knowing what the other party was referring to, Duan Qing, who looked back at the window, smiled rather embarrassedly: "It's better to say that you still remember these things, it's really a bit flattering." ”

"I don't know why your appearance has changed, but I can still recognize you."

Leiner sat back on the bench, and Reiner's armor made a slight metallic crash as he returned to his upright position: "I also want to thank fate for seeing you again after so much time on the Star of Molnar. ”

"We are very touched by your trust." Quite embarrassedly smiled, Duan Qing then lowered his head deeply: "As long as Your Excellency doesn't hold a grudge against this matter, it's fine." ”

"If I still have a grudge, I won't agree to the previous lady's proposal."

Hinting at the fact that Ning Lan had been here once, Reiner then gestured to a few simple seats directly opposite him, "Then let's talk about it, what exactly is your so-called 'method'?" ”

"The darkness that comes from this city is now mostly the work of the Restorationists and the mysterious forces behind them." Sitting in one of the seats according to the other party's instructions, Duan Qing's voice seemed to have a bit of deliberately suppressed taste: "The other candidates for the throne may also have the intention of killing and deciding, but they are the main ones who provoke the conflict, and——"

"Rondaul is back."

He pointed out the window, between the darkness of the city, which was now shrouded again, "And he came back with a large number of men. ”

“…… Is this serious? ”

Powerful coercion flashed over the armor-clad warrior, and Reiner's brow gradually rose as he trembled as he spoke, "He...... How dare you come back? ”

"He and the forces behind him, I don't think I need to explain it." Dotting his hair, he let out two wry smiles, and Duan Qing's gaze also retracted with his action of withdrawing his hand: "With the help of this guy, the speed and progress of the Restoration's infiltration of the Free City this time will definitely be much faster." ”

"As a sinner, I may not be qualified to dictate the future of Liberty City." The eyebrows gradually closed together, and Reiner's tone began to be full of murder: "But Longauer—his sins have not yet been judged, and he must pay for what he has done before and now." ”

"The question now is their purpose." Enduring the trembling sensation caused by the coercion at hand, Duan Qing continued with a wry smile: "Just like what we have done here before, if we can find out their purpose and plan, our next way of dealing with it will also become easier. ”

"We've had some information — or prophecy — from Tania, and they've revealed to us some fates that we can explore." Speaking of this, the gray-robed magician looked at Reiner with an inquiring gaze: "If you really can't help, can you agree to our other request and tell us about the history and detailed background of Free City?" ”

"History and background of Liberty City?" Opening his eyes again, Reiner's gaze was a little puzzled, "Why do you want to know this?" ”

"I guess Your Excellency has heard of that prophecy that has spread all over the Free Continent." Pointing to his ears, Duan Qing smiled and gestured: "The 'Four Stars' and 'Four Emperors' mentioned in that prophecy - we counted the various countries and regions on the Free Continent, and finally set our sights on the side of the Free City. ”

"The person who can be called the 'emperor' is now left with the position of 'city lord'."

The atmosphere began to become quiet with the appearance of these words, and finally began to gradually diffuse along with Duan Qing's movement of no longer speaking and Reiner's silence, until the lights that illuminated this small space began to flicker and the two players began to fidget, and the figure of the warrior in front of him who was in a state of contemplation with his arms crossed finally had his own answer: "Although I don't know why you care so much about what the 'Four Emperors' mean, the current city lord of the Free City should not be a part of it. ”

"But the history of the Free City did have its own emperors." He stood up and replied in a low voice, "To be precise, there is an emperor or a dynasty in the part of the inheritance of the Free City. ”

"His name is Roderick."

His gaze fell on the window on the other side of the City Lord's Mansion, which was now reflected on the surface of the Endless Sea in the deep darkness of the night, and the warrior with a complicated expression said in a low voice.