"You see, the whole straight road north from here is the castle of the Nikanlos tribe." Vickyli could point her finger against the map and tell Draenor the road ahead.

"Ten days ago we might have been able to swagger through the middle, and maybe there would have been a horse-drawn carriage to pick us up. But for now, in order to avoid the pursuit of those men in black, it is better for us to walk from the northwest direction, follow the valley pastures to bypass the castle, and find a way to get close to the inner perimeter of the imperial city. She continued.

Exiting the forest, there are only two paths in front of Draenor: one leads to a city connected by several castles; The other leads to a dark valley in the distance. On one side of the valley were rocky mountains where even trees could not take root, and on the other side were hills that looked like just landslides, and the pastures that Vicilico spoke of were sandwiched between them.

"It looks like we don't have any other choice." Draenor said.

The two walked along the stone path in the meadow towards the valley, which was about five meters wide and generally smooth except for a few wind-eroded corners.

It seems that the valley to which the road leads is also an inaccessible wilderness, and Draenor wonders why such a desolate place could be called a pasture.

As the two of them approached the valley along the stone path, the sounds of the city coming from the east became more and more indistinct. And the closer you get to the valley, the louder the strange birdsong in your ears.

"I suggest you open the safety of that box at any time, I don't know what will pop up in the valley."

Deraeno heard Viklico's words and pulled the sliding knob on the side of the suitcase to the red-circled end.

Suddenly, there was a faint commotion at the corner of the mountain road ahead. Vikirico stopped in front of her and held out her hand to signal Draenor to stop, then quickly lay down with him in the nearby grass.

The commotion grew louder and louder, and Draenor could hear the clattering of wheels.

"Looks like a carriage is coming."

"Shhhh Vicky said alarmedly.

Several carriages drove out of the corner of the valley, surrounded by flocks of sheep, and around them a few men on horseback and whipped forward the fluffy flock. Dressed in rough linen clothes, they looked like ordinary migratory herders, but the anxious and fearful expressions on their faces showed that this was anything but a simple change of season.

The caravan and herdsmen left the valley with their flocks and headed in the direction of the city to the east.

"How can anyone still graze in a place like this?" Draenor stood up after making sure it was safe around him.

"It's because it's in such a hellish place that they leave in a hurry." Vicky Rico also stood up and walked forward, "Anyway, this valley shouldn't be as simple as it seems, and we need to hurry through it before the sun goes down." ”

The two of them walked around the corner, and in front of them was a large ranch that sloped slightly towards the corner. Sunlight shone through the cracks in the clouds and shone on the leafy meadow. The stone road was cut off from here, and there were only a few ruts left in the meadow by the previous convoy at your feet. For some reason, Draenor felt a little strange when he looked at the peaceful beauty in front of him.

"It's kind of weirdly quiet." He spoke his inner thoughts.

"It's not quiet, it's dead silence. You look up. Vicky said, pointing to the sky.

Draenor looked up in the direction of her finger and saw a few strange flocks of giant birds hovering high in the corner sky. They should have been the source of those strange cries before, but now they seemed to be dumb, wandering aimlessly in the sky, refusing to fly around the corner.

"It's a mourning bird, a little different from the noisy cuckoo, a large bird that only inhabits Vlaktu. But usually they don't show up like this, and I don't know why, they fly here and don't go any further. It was also the first time I had seen such a quiet mourning bird. ”

Vekily stared at the strange flock of birds in the sky with a frown, and the two of them raised their vigilance and continued to walk into the valley.

It was getting dark, and the ranch was still shrouded in dead silence, and Viklico seemed to see something ahead, and suddenly stood up and lowered her body with bated breath. Draenor was also startled by her, and quickly squatted in the grass.

She must have seen something, Draenor thought. He looked uphill with his eyes wide open, and saw a small, white animal noticing his movements, turning and running up the slope.

"Don't be surprised, isn't that just a lamb!"

Feeling like he was being tricked, Draenor immediately relaxed and shouted at Viklico.

"Shhhh Don't you think it's weird? Vicilico remained vigilant.

"The herdsmen have already left, how can there be such a small lamb here?"

"Maybe I'll be left behind."

"No, sheep are the only hope for these herders to survive the winter. Big or small, healthy or not, they will never leave a single sheep behind. And the sheep is too young to be willingly left here alone. ”

"Are you trying to say ......?"

"Yes, there are sheep here, and if there are sheep here, there are still people here."

Vickyli can fasten a layer of her shawl over her head like a hood. "It's getting dark, and whoever stays is going to have to try our luck with him."

When they reached the uphill meadow, they saw a flock of fat sheep scattered around a wooden house, and they were keenly aware of the approaching figure of the two, and immediately ran to the sheepfold behind the wooden house. Vicky is right, there are still people here.

"Why is there only this one room? Where did everyone else live? Draenor asked.

"In order to facilitate the transition, ordinary herders will live in yurt tents that are suitable for relocation at any time, and this wooden house indicates that this person should have settled here for a long time. The flock was unusually alert, and whoever stayed behind must have been through this many times. ”

"There are about a dozen sheep in the flock, and it's enough to feed one or two. There should be no more than three people in the cabin. Anyway, I'll go to the front first, and you go around to the side of the wooden house, and cover me immediately if there is a situation. ”

"Hey, wait a minute!"

Before Draenor could finish speaking, Viklico strode to the door of the cabin. Draenor had to slowly move to the side of the cabin, keeping an eye on the situation.

The side of the hut was facing the huge stone mountain, which looked like a hideous giant in the dim sunlight.

"Damn, this gun has already run out of bullets!" Draenor said, touching the empty gun magazine.

"Hello, can we have a conversation? I know someone is still in there! Vicilico probed the cabin.

The wooden door of the hut was kicked open, and an old man with a spear came out, his face bandaged and one eye covered.

"Who are you? I said I wouldn't go with you, I'm used to being here alone! The old man shouted at Vekiriko with a fierce face.

"Huh? You must be talking about the herdsmen! We're not in a league with them, we just want to stay with you for one night! Vikirico raised her hands into the air and said in a sincere tone.

"You guys? How do I know if it's a trap or not! It's getting dark, and a little girl is standing at my door to spend the night, do you think I'll believe it? The old man said as he pushed a bullet into the magazine.

"There are only two of us, me and my fiancé! We're lost in the forest, it's getting dark, and we're desperate to try our luck with you! ”

"Oh, fiancé...... It's even worse. Draenor thought to himself as he stared at the old man's every move.

"Okay, but you'll have to clean the house and cook for me! If you dare to use any crooked brains, the bullets will teach you a lesson! ”

The old man said, moving to the side. Draenor quickly put away his gun and sword, slowly raised his hand and followed Viklico into the house. The old man noticed the box in his hand and snatched it while he was not looking.

"What's in the box?"

"Yes...... It was a commemorative gift from her. Draenor had also learned the same storytelling skills as Vickyrico, but it was clear that he wasn't very proficient.

"Oh, how sweet...... It's all! I've seen this kind of crate, and it's a gun crate that only demon hunters use. What the hell are you all about? With that, the old man once again pointed his gun at Viklico's head.

"Well, I'm sure anyone who wants to enter the Imperial City without permission will bring some tools for self-defense, right?" Vicky said with a sigh.

"We are Hermanstats, and my fiancé and I want to go to the Imperial City to apply for a certificate of residence in the Northern Realm. But I didn't expect so many beasts and wicked people on the road, and we ran out of bullets. If you have any doubts, you can open it up and take a look for yourself. ”

The old man squinted suspiciously at Viklico, he opened his suitcase, opened the magazine of the gun and sword, and sure enough, as she said: not a single bullet was left.

"Hmm...... Just in case, I'll keep this box first. You can only stay in my house for one night, I only have one bed, whether you want to sleep on the floor or in the coal room, but get the hell out of me early the next morning! Now, big man, go to the yard at the back door and chop some firewood. The little girl stayed in the house and cooked for me! ”

Draenor turned to look at Viklico, who nodded slightly at him and turned to the stove. Draenor picked up the axe as the old man had told him and walked to the backyard to chop wood.

Don't look at Viklico's first-class motor nerves, but she is clumsy when she cooks, the old man looked at the few potatoes that were sliced and dirty, and ran over angrily and grabbed Viklico's hand.

"You haven't worked, have you? Potatoes can't be peeled! ”

"Ah...... I'm sorry, I haven't cooked very seriously before. Vekily said with pitiful eyes.

The old man seemed to sense something unusual, and he reached out and picked up Viklico's chin, only to see a pair of blood-red eyes embedded in her delicate face like jewels.

"Ah, I said something was wrong. You're not from Hermanstead at all, you're royalty, aren't you? ”

Vicky revealed her identity, and she didn't know how to explain it to him for a moment.

"Hmm...... It seems that we have finally found common ground. As he spoke, the old man untied the bandage on his face, revealing his obscured left eye. The drooping eyelids slowly opened, revealing a crimson eyeball.

"Huh? How so? Could it be ......" Vicky exclaimed in surprise, but the old man covered her mouth.

"Don't talk nonsense! I'll talk to you later, and you promise not to say it, or I'll shoot you to Charon's ship!" The old man whispered a threat to her with a tense face, and when he saw Vekily nodding, he let go of his hand.

Only someone with the royal blood of Nikandros would have such blood-red eyes, which is a fact that Vichery has known since childhood. But in addition to the red eyeball, the old man in front of him had another eye that turned out to be a very common gray. It's something she's never seen before.

"Weird, huh?" The old man tied the bandage and covered the eye again.

"Yes, I was once part of the royal family of Nikandros. My mother is a native of the northern people, Sadlo, and my father is a royal family of Nikanlos, just a viscount, although related to you, you should not have heard of it, and his old man has been dead for more than three centuries. ”

Vikirico is all too familiar with the Sadro people, the Nicanlos who migrated to the northern islands of Vlactu a thousand years ago. The magic mines of the polar regions and the harsh natural environment have changed their bloodline, and their bodies have lost a lot of pigment, and their pupils, hair, and skin have turned a silvery white color like ice. After the establishment of the state in the polar regions, they became another independent civilization on the continent - the Sadro civilization.

"That's a very distant story, my mother died of blood loss shortly after giving birth to me. So in my father's eyes, I was not just his son, but more like a shadow left by my mother. After accepting my identity, I joined the Imperial Investigation Bureau of Nikanlos, which came to be known as Deshmeg. ”

"Desmag! Are you one of those men in black?! Vekirico immediately became alert, and she took advantage of the old man's inattention, and took the gun and pointed it at him.

"Oh! Don't excite the little girl, I'm your elder anyway! Well, well, I used to be one of Deshmeg, but that was also a century ago. Now I'm just a lonely old man trapped in the valley! But judging by your reaction, you must have seen or heard of them, right? ”

The old man stood there motionless with his hands raised.

"That's right, we almost died at their hands." Vikily didn't dare to relax, her hands clutching the spear tightly.

"That's unfortunate, you're not ordinary people. As long as he is targeted by Deshmaig in the territory of Nikanlos, no matter what the process is, it will be difficult to end well. I have washed my hands of gold, and I will not hide it, and I have no less hatred for them than you do. ”

Vikily knew that the old man was telling the truth, otherwise he wouldn't have had to be so cautious about outsiders, and he wouldn't have had to cover the eyes of the royal symbol.

Vellico gradually lowered the gun, and the old man breathed a sigh of relief, and he quickly turned around and tightened the curtains and locked the door.

"Where are we? Oh yes, I used to be a Deshmeag, even a high-ranking officer, the equivalent of a trainer, and the students and people called me 'The Crow', a hunter who eliminated the filthy beast. This job was introduced by my father, and I had no idea that this organization existed. They had a complex system and a variety of staff, but most of them were there to protect the imperial city and the people.

Most of their personnel consisted of low-ranking Nikanlos with royal blood. The investigators there wore black gowns that symbolized seriousness and impartiality, and when I first put them on, I really thought I was a hero who could do justice, but who knew that forty years later Deshmeg had been completely reduced to a tool for the nobles to fight for their interests.

They did not care about the truth and did what the nobles dictated. Eventually, even my own students became one of them, and I couldn't take it anymore and quit my job. Who knows, secretly some people say that I am a traitor who leaks secrets, depriving me of my property, my freedom, everything I have.

In the end, they imprisoned me in this valley and never left me. ”

As he spoke, the old man lifted his shirt, and saw a magnet the size of a bowl embedded in his chest.

"As long as I'm a kilometer away from this house, boom! It will turn to ashes and disappear into the valley. ”

The old man opened his five fingers and gave Vikily a vivid description of what happened to him. It seems that he is also a poor man who has been tortured by the men in black, and Vikli learns the old man's origins, hangs the gun on the wall, and sits down at the table to tell him what happened to him and Draenor.

"Diego? Do you mean the name Diego? The old man suddenly became agitated, and he grinned, eager to spit out his teeth on the table.

"Do you know him? The man in black named Diego? ”

"Acquaintance? I know exactly what position he likes to use when going to the toilet! He used to be my student, but later he also became a lackey who worked for the lower nobles, and he was the one who framed me and caused me to fall into such a situation. ”

The old man took two gasps to calm down, and he took a bag of tea from the drawer of the table and threw it into the metal jug containing boiling water.

"Anyway, according to what you said, it's only a matter of time before this kid Draenor becomes a beast completely, and Desmag won't let you go. But I'll find a way to help you some. ”

Although they didn't know each other, it seemed that Vekily had no choice, and now they needed help. The old man knew Desmag very well, and he would definitely be able to find a way to help them.

"On the way north, head towards the tree-covered mountain, don't go near the stone mountain, it's a deserted place, with many beasts and monsters roaming, but it's certainly a good way to avoid Deshmeg.

Don't be nervous when you arrive in the Imperial City, since you are the daughter of Frews the Great, even Deshmeg will not dare to do anything to you in broad daylight. You just need to hurry up and get to the castel de Campana. As long as you enter the realm where the emperor lives, there is only one rule to follow, and that is the emperor himself! ”

The old man's analysis coincided with Viquirico's thoughts, but the details were much more elaborate, as long as he did what he said, he should be able to reach the Fort of Campana without incident. Now is the time to spend this strange night and prepare for tomorrow's journey.

The back door was abruptly pushed open, and Draenor walked in with a bag of chopped firewood. Vickyrie only then remembered that she had something important to do.

"Ah, yes! Dinner hasn't been prepared yet......"