"The Empire's investigative team has reached the fortress."

At the same moment, in the council hall of Tania, the capital of the Principality of Elnia, a member of the council who had hurried into the council hall then passed through the corridor surrounded by countless colleagues and their stone pedestals, and cautiously approached the round table in the central hall: "They did not accept our protection, but only entered our territory as ordinary foreign envoys. ”

“…… What about the leader? ”

"It's Her Royal Highness Princess Rena."

Faced with the question of one of the members sitting at the round table, the leaning shadow continued to report in a low voice: "The situation is the same as the information we have found before, but the arrival time is a little different, according to our previous speculation, this complex investigation team should arrive at us in a few more days......"

"I heard they were attacked on the way." Before the reporter could finish speaking, a middle-aged man with a beard sitting on the other side of the parliamentary round table interrupted him: "I don't know who the attackers are, but it seems that they have caused them a lot of trouble, if I am the leader of this investigation team-"

"I guess I'll choose to finish this trip as soon as possible."

The muffled chimes of the discussion quickly began, and several members sitting around the round table showed pensive expressions, until the whispered buzz gradually became louder, and even began to drown out a voice that was originally speaking loudly in the center of the round table council, and one of the rather old-looking figures expressed his opinion lightly: "They didn't choose to seek protection or wait for support in Zara City...... Hmph, there's a kind. ”

"What do you think, Lord Fortson?" One of the lawmakers then spoke up and asked, "Is this another machinations of theirs?" ”

"If they try to blame the identity of those attackers on our principality, then it is possible." The wrinkles on his face gradually crowded together, and the old councillor, known as Fortson, replied in a hoarse voice, "But in this case, they must be fully prepared to ensure that there is no problem with this planting." ”

"This is not what was expected, they have already sacrificed a prince." A discordant voice then sounded across from him, on the bearded middle-aged man who had spoken before: "Sacrificing two members of the royal family in a row to blame us? Even the Frey family wouldn't have made such a big move, right? ”

"You should all know about the internal situation of the Frey Empire." Without rushing to respond to the middle-aged councillor's question, Fortson's gaze gradually fell on the rest of the councillors around the round table: "In order to break their predicament, their aggression and demands cannot be stopped, and in order to stop the blood that continues to flow from their barren land, they can only snatch it back from other places." ”

"To achieve such a goal, sacrificing one or two members of the royal family is nothing." With his hands crossed in front of his chin, the old man's voice was hidden again to the extent that only the Round Table Council could hear: "It's better to say...... As the leaders of the Frey Empire, they have a greater responsibility to do this. ”

"It's too much sacrifice." The middle-aged man who had spoken out against it before continued to shake his head: "An adult prince, and an eldest princess...... In case something happens to the investigation team, isn't that Lion Emperor afraid that there will be no successor? ”

"They also have a little prince, I still know that." Fortson opened his eyes and looked at the face of the middle-aged congressman who had been disagreeing: "Perhaps...... There was a power struggle in their city that we didn't know about, and that's why we are seeing this outcome. ”

"Will the Frey royal family fall under the attack of the rest of the nobles? Nothing short of nonsense! ”

Finally couldn't help but stand up, and the beard on the sideburns of the middle-aged man opened up with anger: "That's a family that has stood in the imperial capital for thousands of years, and it's a terrifying emperor!" Would such an emperor easily step down because of those unfashionable infighting? Are you all dreaming? ”

"The Empire is not a principality after all, and they may not know as much about the struggle as we do." The wrinkled old man of Fortson did not seem to have changed: "This is one of the reasons why we can easily see the reason behind this farce, their methods are too clumsy." ”

"Or do you still think we should be subservient to them? Succumb to their force? Speaking of this, the old man looked at the other party's face, and the look of doubt in his eyes was unreservedly revealed: "No wonder you have been opposing us to launch a counterattack immediately, it turns out that you are a coward." ”

"Huh, nonsense! I, Connelly, am not an imperialist! Please don't misinterpret my remarks, I'm just trying to be cautious out of consideration for the strength of a strong opponent—"

"Your Excellency, Speaker."

The quarrel that seemed to be present became too loud, and a middle-aged man standing on the high platform directly opposite the round table then stopped his speech with his head held high, and he frowned as he had started the-for-tat confrontation again as before, and then another kind reminder came from his ears: "Sorry to disturb your eyes, but new information has been sent back." ”

“…… Are they still arguing about the Empire's approach, Carlos? “

Taking a neatly written note from the other party, the Speaker of the Principality, Pamir Rest, then asked in a low voice: "I have heard all about the situation, what about the opinions of the parliamentarians?" ”

"They're still arguing about each other's intentions." The councillor known as Carlos bowed her head deeply: "Although Rena Frey Cadreft has not explicitly identified the killer who attacked their investigation team, she has made it clear that she does not trust our principality. ”

“…… It's just at a time like this. ”

Looking down at the speech in his hand, Pamir's originally excited face also had a hint of gloom: "I have met with Her Royal Highness Princess Rena, she should not be the kind of person who is good at intrigue...... So be it. ”

"Let Dusk convey the goodwill of the principality on my behalf first, and don't act rashly for the time being." He raised the page in his hand, and at the same time slowly retracted a certain complex emotion contained in his eyes: "The rest of the matter-"

"Wait for Yang to come back before making a decision."

*******************************

"You're finally back."

The clouds did not dissipate over the Feron Plains over time, but instead darkened the sky above the grassland because of the fall of night, and the snow spirit ice standing in front of the Fars Fortress then felt the cold brought by those night winds, and the frowning brows also stretched to the sides again with the arrival of someone: "I thought you were messing around again." ”

"How is it possible, I'm a patient now."

Grinning and letting out two low smiles, Duan Qing, who was stared at by the white-haired woman, then also showed his bandaged shoulders to the other party: "My physical strength is limited, and I am still watched so closely by you during the day, if I make any more noise now, I will not be eaten alive by you?" ”

"Where is there such an exaggeration." couldn't help but laugh twice, and Xue Ling's eyebrows stretched slightly: "It's just that I'm afraid of encountering the enemies of the previous attacks, so I've been trying to protect you." ”

"Relieved now?" Walking to the other party's side, Duan Qing turned around and looked into the depths of the grassland night where the cold wind was constantly blowing: "I didn't expect that your trust in the principality is stronger, is it because we are in the Fars Fortress?" ”

"I've been following those people to check the neighborhood for a long time."

Putting away his smile, Xue Ling's body holding the hilt of the sword then turned to the vast space inside the fortress wall: "With the magic array arranged by the royal magician, coupled with the joint vigilance of the principality and the empire, those enemies who will use the magic space to attack should not be so easy to sneak in." ”

"If you say this, it will make both of them sad." Duan Qing smiled bitterly and shook his head: "In case the attack really comes to this place, these innocent soldiers will become our scapegoats again. ”

"It's got to this point, I can't care so much." Snow Spirit Phantom Ice grinded her teeth and replied, "As long as we can protect ourselves, it is enough, and the rest is up to them." ”

"I don't think they'll come back tonight." Touching the wound on his shoulder that had just been penetrated, Duan Qing showed his smile to the other party again: "You don't have to follow me all the time like you did during the day. ”

"Who made you like to run around all the time?"

Pointing in the direction of the tall tower building that Duan Qing had just disappeared into, Xue Ling's face showed a helpless expression: "I'm going to go here for a while, I'm going to go there for a while—is this place so attractive?" I didn't see you as alive as you do when I was in Zaraha City before......"

"It's just a little nostalgic for the place where I fought." The hand pressing his shoulder slowly drooped, and Duan Qing's expression was then hidden in his turning movement: "Zaraha City is too big, so there is no time to go around, but this Fars Fortress is ...... Not. ”

"You've probably fought here too, have you?" As if remembering something, his outstretched finger bent in the air for a moment: "I remember that the Frey Empire once shattered the myth of this fortress that had stood for thousands of years, and then almost destroyed the principality." ”

"Don't mention that battle."

Stretching out his hand to interrupt the other party's words, Xue Lingbing who stepped forward replied with a frown: "Although I participated in that battle, that fortress battle was just an unfair sneak attack, we were just a group of ordinary participants who broke in along the gap in the blasted city wall, and we didn't even know who brought the bomb in...... Well. ”

"What is this place?"

She looked at the dilapidated tower-shaped building that Duan Qing had just walked out of, and then her eyes looked up and down for a while: "Is it a magic tower?" ”

"At that time, I was an ordinary person with no magical qualifications, and I would not be interested in magic towers." Duan Qing smiled and shook his head: "But this place is even more magical than the Magic Tower—this is the quartermaster Vytak's quartermaster's depot." ”

“…… I understand. After staring at each other for a while, Xue Lingphantasm nodded slightly hesitantly: "It's the place where players come to receive battlefield rewards, right?" ”

"That's right, it's just that it's Mallock who guards this place." Duan Qing's smile gradually turned into a sigh: "He connected the Void Tower with this tower, and used the collections of those Mage Councils on the lower level as a reward for us adventurers, and I who once entered this tower, what I saw at that time should also be the scene inside the Tyranid Tower......"

"Looks like he abandoned this place after that war." Speaking of this, he pointed to the doorway of the building he had just entered: "And he never came back." ”

"So, he's probably one of those who hates me right now." Flicking his long white hair behind him, Snow Ling's eyes flickered at the top of the ruined spire: "Including the other Duchy soldiers who exist in this fortress...... Presumably, these people also resent me for destroying their homeland. ”

"There are a lot of souls who are silent here, but that was before they were breached." Looking at other places, Duan Qing sighed in embarrassment: "Slanko, Dusk, Wood, and those players who have been messing around the battlefield all day...... Hey, now that I think about it, we're just a bunch of losers, what's there to hold grudge about. ”

“……”

"What, don't believe me?"

Looking at Xue Ling's still silent face, Duan Qing smiled at the other party: "Look at those people with names and surnames who have disappeared here, how many of them can meet again now, it is already a miracle that Dusk can reappear here, not to mention me who has been deleted......"

The cold and slender fingers pressed against Duan Qing's lips, blocking all the words he wanted to say next, and the gray-robed man who was a little surprised then also opened his eyes wide, and looked fixedly at the pair of shining eyes that were extremely close: "Then you are now an Imperial, aren't you?" ”

“…… Isn't that true? ”

"Then we're on the same camp now, no problem, right?"

“…… Of course. ”

"Good."

Nodding his head vigorously, Xue Ling's phantom ice's gaze then moved to the depths of the fortress next to him: "Then take me to visit the fortress of this principality?" ”

"I really don't understand what you women are thinking in your hearts every day...... I was still talking about the Duchy period just now, did this topic jump a little too fast? ”

"Less nonsense! To go or not to go? ”

"Okay, let's go...... Hmm, so where do we start? ”

His gaze moved to the bright lights under the night fortress with the sound of shouting, Duan Qing, who rubbed his waist, then grinned and slowly recognized the outline of the vaguely familiar tavern, and the figure of a player who came in a hurry then covered the lights that looked very lively, and then stopped in front of the two people breathlessly: "Finally, I finally found you." ”

"The president told you to come over." 8)