"I haven't seen you for many days, sir, don't come unharmed."

In the face of the most respected old man in the empire, Havel bowed in a proper manner, not out of politeness, but out of respect from the heart.

"Oh, it's Javier, it's nice to see that you're still so energetic."

Looking at the tall young man in front of him, Jolly bowed slightly.

"You came here to escort me to the imperial capital, right? But as you can see, the crisis has just been resolved. ”

The old man turned his gaze to the two girls behind him, meaning that it was all their work.

Javier nodded and said to the two girls: "I saw the battle just now, and I was able to repel the three orcs of Estes's subordinates, I have to say that you did a good job." ”

He turned his head to look at Niwu's body, which had not yet fully cooled, and the shocking wound on his heart was still bleeding outward, and it was really palpitating.

"Especially Marika, your swordsmanship has really improved much faster than I expected, and I'm afraid that even Arrowen is not necessarily your opponent now. When you get to the imperial capital, go and surprise that guy. ”

"Hmm."

After receiving Javier's affirmation, the cold girl's face showed a sincere look of joy.

"Javier, I've also contributed to this battle!"

Sibia leaned over with a grin, and the words "Come and praise me, come and praise me" were almost written on her face.

"In the fight just now, you managed to hold down Dajdala and help Marika create a chance to win, and in that regard, you did not perform badly. But ......"

Javier looked at her with a blank face and a stern attitude.

"Originally, your strength was enough to kill the opponent directly, but because of the enemy's courage, you were shocked and made many mistakes that you shouldn't have made...... Don't tell others that I'm your marksmanship teacher in the future, I can't afford to lose this person. ”

"Huh...... It's too much, I've been working hard! ”

Sibia puffed out her cheeks and looked very unhappy.

"Hard work and strength are two different things, do you think your enemies will let you go for your sake?"

Javier showed his ruthless side again, and even though he had a certain immunity, Spiya still turned away from her face in a huff, not looking at the guy who always made her angry.

"Hahaha, Javier, you are still the same, you are so strict with others and yourself...... Although I admire your character at the level of a soldier, you have to start a family after all, and you can't coax a girl. ”

Jolly stroked his beard and laughed twice, then said something meaningful in the tone of an elder, and there seemed to be some kind of anticipation in his eyes.

"That is to say, poisonous tongue man, curse you to be single for the rest of your life!"

Spiya bared her teeth and said fiercely.

Without even looking at the girl's fierce appearance, which was not at all intimidating, Javier touched his chin.

"Is that so? I've recently met a woman who doesn't need to be coaxed, she's ...... Forget it, don't mention it. ”

Recalling Estes' strong confession, Javier suddenly had another idea of his own black history, so he decided to bury this matter deep in his heart.

But then again, that ...... It's supposed to be called a confession, right? Why does it feel more like a slavery manifesto?

"What? Who is that woman? Go on, it's super caring! ”

Javier was silent, but Spiya seemed to suddenly become nervous, grabbing his arm and shaking it vigorously, and even Seleuc on the side couldn't help but prick up his ears.

"It's none of your business, be quiet for me."

Javier raised his hand and tapped Sbia on the head.

"It hurts!"

The girl held her head in her hands, her eyes pitiful.

Completely ignoring Spia's pretending to be pitiful, Javier continued: "The current imperial capital is not a peaceful place, it is better for you to return to Qianjun City as soon as possible, and when everything is calm, it is not too late to come over." ”

"Don't, don't! I don't want to go back! ”

Sibia shook her head repeatedly, showing clear resistance.

"Obedient!"

Javier's eyes turned serious.

"Don't!"

Spiya stared at him without showing any hint of weakness.

Of course, the girl knew that Javier was worried about her and didn't want her to be in danger, but she couldn't accept that she was always the one to be protected.

After so many years of hard training in marksmanship, I just hope to help Javier one day, she is fed up with always waiting for news in a safe place alone!

Women are greedy, and so is Spiya.

She wants to be an indispensable presence around Javier, not a behind-the-scenes person who only has the title of childhood sweetheart.

Just when the two were at a stalemate, Jolly spoke: "Javier, bringing Sibia to the emperor is a deliberate decision I made, so don't embarrass her anymore." ”

"Sir, you ......"

The old man reached out to stop Javier's words, and his other hand rested on the ground, and his eyes flashed with determination.

"Remember what I told you before? Those who are capable deserve their strength for the Empire! Although it can't be compared to you, whether it is martial arts or talent, Sibia can be regarded as a leader in the southwest, and the only thing she lacks now is experience. ”

"In order for this child to grow into a pillar of the empire as soon as possible, I need to let her face the predicament, and the crusade against the minister must be done with all my might, there is no reason to abandon such a living force."

Jolly sighed, hiding the complicated look on his face.

"Sibia is my daughter, of course I hope that she can live a simple and happy life, but it is precisely because she is my daughter that she was born with such a responsibility, although it is heavy, but it cannot be escaped."

"Father's ......"

Looking at her father, who was already haggard and senile, the girl's eyes gradually moistened.

"But sir, Sibia is still young, you can wait a few more years......"

"When you first set foot on the battlefield, I think you were only twelve years old."

“……”

Jolly's fluttering words immediately made Javier speechless, he looked at the stubborn father and daughter in front of him, and finally sighed.

"Well, sir, you have convinced me that I will protect Spia."

"Then please."

After all, the old man still cared about his daughter, and Javier's assurances made him feel at ease.

"Hmph, I don't need you to protect me!"

Sibia shook her fist, as if to show that she was powerful.

"Shut up, you rookie of the battlefield."

Javier said another fist knock, and the girl cried out in pain as she covered her head.

"Stupid Javier, don't knock me on the head! It's going to get stupid! ”

"Don't worry, there's no room for your IQ to drop."

"Uh-huh-it's so hot!"

At this moment, Spiya suddenly felt a strong gaze, and turned her head to see the girl with a long orange ponytail who had been standing silently behind Javier.

For some reason, perhaps it was just the so-called woman's intuition, and she seemed to see a hint of subtle hostility in the girl's eyes.

"Javier, who is this girl? Why don't you introduce it? ”

Sibia asked as she brushed her long light blonde hair with her fingers and seemed to carelessly.

"My subordinate, named Seleuc Yubikitas." Javier replied calmly.

"Huh...... There are such lovely subordinates. ”

Sbia exclaimed, then smiled and held out her hand to Seleuc.

"I'm Spiya, Spiya Reginord, please advise me in the future."

Sai Leu looked at the white and slender palm in front of him, hesitated slightly, and finally reached out to hold it.

“…… Please advise. ”

I don't know if it's an illusion, Javier seems to feel the smell of gunpowder from the two girls' intersecting gazes.

Shaking his head, he felt that this should be his own heart.

"Sir, please continue on your journey, in order to prevent the minister from having any other means, it is better for us to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible."

……

At the same time, the Imperial Grand Canal, dragon boats.

In the banquet hall, there are light songs and dances, and the guests are full, and there is a scene of joy.

Ulna stood there with a calm expression, his eagle-sharp eyes swept through the guests without a trace, sparing not a single suspicious person.

Behind him, ten warriors in black armor stood with swords in their hands, and the iron-blooded aura that was incompatible with the others couldn't help but change color, not to mention those nobles, even some other guards.

This is a group of real warriors, and the aura they exude is not at all a level compared to those noble private soldiers around them.

Ulna glanced around again, then withdrew his cold gaze, and those who were restless by his gaze finally breathed a sigh of relief.

So far, the situation is normal, and nothing suspicious has been found.

But that doesn't mean he can let his guard down, and his grip on the hilt of his sword won't let go until the mission is over.

This mission is very important, and there is no room for carelessness.

Thinking so, Urna subconsciously looked at the object of the mission this time.

It was an old man in fine clothes about sixty years old, with a cane and a little short because of his rickets. The top of his head was bare, his face was always smiling, and he looked kind.

In that respect, this is just an ordinary aristocratic old man.

However, the old man's origin is anything but ordinary.

Wharton Dardanelle.

Born in the eastern part of the empire, he is now the patriarch of the Dardanelles family, and before his retirement, he was also a well-known figure in the imperial political circles, and had an extremely deep friendship with the former minister Jolly.

The current empire is surging, clouds and lightning and thunder gather in the sky above the imperial capital, and it is not strange that the heavens and the earth will change at any time.

At such times, the political elites who had retired for various reasons actually returned one after another. The timing of their actions was so tacit and coincidental, as if there was a pair of invisible hands manipulating behind the scenes.

Regardless of who was the one who played chess in the shadows, once these civil officials returned to the imperial capital, the impact would be almost predictable, and the days of the ministers covering the sky with one hand were over.

The situation is so clear that Earnest can naturally sense the impending storm, so in order to break the current deadlock, he is bound to take action!

And the most once and for all way is undoubtedly to make it impossible for this group of civil officials to reach the imperial capital. As long as they all die halfway, all the problems will be solved.

But how could Javier allow such a thing to happen, so this is where Ulner's mission came in.

In order to protect the lives of these civilian officials, the Shadow Force almost poured out of the nest during this operation!

As the leader of the Shadow Force under Javier's command, Ulna's strength and even his qualities in all aspects are among the most top-notch, so he was assigned to carry out such an important mission.

Protect the great nobleman Wharton Dardanelle and return to the imperial capital!

In addition to Urna, there are also ten battle-hardened warriors on the mission, which is already extremely impressive in terms of the lineup.

The Shadow Force was originally specially established for behind-the-scenes operations, and the total number of people did not exceed 100, but each one was carefully selected, and it would not be too much to say that it was the elite of the elite.

In order to complete this mission, Javier actually directly dispatched eleven elite fighters, which can be imagined how much he attaches importance to Wharton.

"Captain Ulner, won't you come for a drink?"

A gentle, old voice interrupted Urner's thoughts, and he looked up to see Wharton come near him at some point, still holding a glass full of red wine in his hand.

"Good intentions, but now it's a mission, and you can't drink."

Urna shook his head, as an excellent soldier who came out of the Southwest Military Region, strict self-discipline is the most basic character.

"Haha, it's okay not to be so vigilant, you must know that the reason why I invited the nobles to hold a banquet on the dragon boat is to create this kind of crowded environment......"

Wharton shook the wine in his glass, then took a sip with a smug smile on his face.

"No matter how powerful the assassination force under the minister is, in such an environment, I'm afraid there is no way to do it, right?"

is worthy of being a person who has been in the court for many years, and unlike this honest appearance, he has a lot of ideas in his heart, and it seems that he has also considered the countermeasures to deal with the minister.

And, as it stands, the plan is really effective.

Ulna nodded secretly, and his heart was a little higher in his opinion of the old man in front of him.

"The captain has been nervous all this time, and he must be very tired, so why not take this opportunity to relax?"

Speaking of this, Wharton suddenly showed an ambiguous smile, and with his wrinkled old face, there was an indescribable sense of joy.

"There are a lot of young and beautiful aristocratic girls on this ship, doesn't the captain want to know each other? Maybe there will be a wonderful encounter. ”

Looking at the old man in front of him with a lewd smile, Urna suddenly felt bad, and the image of the wise old man just now only stayed in his heart for less than three seconds, and then immediately crackled and shattered to the ground.

“…… Don't bother anymore, I already have a wife. ”

Ulna resisted the urge to swing his fist, trying not to look at the majestic old face.

"Are you married? It's a shame......"

Wharton sighed, and there was a feeling in his voice that he had come over.

"The good thing about marriage is that you have a place to go, but the problem is that you will always have this place to go...... Captain, you're still so young, you should enjoy the free life before marriage a little more......"

"Ahem...... Lord Wharton, there are guests waiting for you over there, so I'll miss out first. ”

Feeling that the topic was starting to get more and more outrageous, and that Wharton seemed to have a tendency to go on and on, Ulner decisively decided to walk away.

"Hey, I'm not done yet...... Alas, young people just don't have patience. ”

Ignoring the chatter of the old man behind him, Urna strode towards the outside of the banquet hall.

Although Wharton was well prepared, it was always a good idea to be careful, so Urna planned to hand over the task of on-site guards to the other companions first, and go around the cabin himself.

If there really is a killer, then it must have been mixed into the ship by now.

However, before Urna could completely walk out of the hall, he suddenly felt an extremely cold gaze from behind, and there was a faint hint of killing intent in it.

There are enemies!

Urna turned around, but all he could see was the nobles laughing and chatting in a warm atmosphere and a few busy waiters, and there was no shadow of half a suspicious person, as if the feeling of palpitations just now was just an illusion.

But Ulna obviously didn't think so, the fluctuation of that killing intent was real, and as a warrior who had experienced countless Shura fields, he couldn't be wrong.

There is a killer hiding here, and this person knows how to lurk, if it weren't for the sight just now, he wouldn't even be able to detect the other party's existence!

As a front-line figure of the Shadow Force, Ulna's strength is recognized by Javier, although it is not as good as Arrowen as the leader of the Shadows, but the gap between the two is definitely not the difference between the two.

And the killer lurking in the shadows was able to evade Ulna's perception almost perfectly, and it can be expected that his strength is definitely close to him, or even stronger!

Imperial Assassination Force! Did it come!?

Ulna was about to inform his companions, but the next moment he saw two spherical objects rolling out of the shadows, and then suddenly burst, and the thick white smoke instantly enveloped the entire banquet hall.

Smoke bombs...... No, is it a hypnotic bomb!

Seeing the guests around him fall one by one, Urna immediately held his breath, and at the same time, he flicked his arm, pulled out the long sword at his waist, and then moved quickly in the direction of Wharton.

It wasn't long before Ulna found Wharton, who was being firmly protected by his companions, in the thick white smoke, and he covered his mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief, as if he was okay for the time being.

"There's a killer sneaking in the ship! Protect Lord Wharton and get back to deck! Fighting here is not good for us! ”

Not daring to delay for a moment, Urna immediately gave orders to the warriors of the Shadow Force.

Ten black-armored warriors responded in a deep voice, and divided into two teams to surround Wharton, and marched methodically towards the exit of the banquet hall.

Although the scene was chaotic due to the surprise attack of the killers, the well-trained warriors were apparently unaffected, and the marching ranks were lined up in a neat formation, not only keeping Wharton firmly protected, but also able to defend against attacks from all directions.

With such a calm response and such excellent quality, it is really worthy of the name of the sharp knife unit in the hands of Havel - "Shadow"!

Everyone moved all the way to the main door of the banquet hall, and only a few steps up was needed to reach the deck of the dragon ship.

And Wharton was already a little unsteady at this time, after all, he was an ordinary person, even if he only inhaled a small amount of hypnotic smoke, it would have a significant impact on his body, if it weren't for the warriors on the side to help him, I'm afraid he would have collapsed to the ground like other nobles.

But just hold on a little longer, and as long as you get on deck, the winds on the banks of the river that can't stop this season will blow away these smoke screens.

Thinking of this, his mood was slightly relaxed.

At this moment, a cold light flickered in the white smoke screen.

In the next second, I saw more than ten flying knives shooting in one volley from all directions, the sharp sound of the wind made the scalp tingle, although the direction of the hidden weapon throwing was different, but the target of its blade was completely the same.

Wharton Dardanelle!

The killer shot extremely fast, from the throw to the approaching of the throwing knife was only a matter of moments, if it was an ordinary warrior, it might not have time to react at all.

But alas, there are no ordinary warriors here!

"Dingdingding——!dingding"

A dazzling sword slashed out almost at the same time, and then there was a continuous sound of flying knives being cut down.

The defense of the black-armored warriors is perfect, and it is obviously unrealistic to want to break through easily with just the skill of throwing knives.

At the same time, a sharp cold light flashed in Ulna's eyes, and his extraordinary eyesight allowed him to judge the general location of the enemy based on the projection trajectory of the throwing knife.

So the next moment, the long sword tore through the barrier of the white mist and slashed down, and the sword wind hunting brought a whistling tide!

Now is the time for a counteroffensive!