Hafta, the innkeeper, felt that the meals he had prepared were too shabby.

Once known for its food, travellers came from far and wide to taste the chickpea sauce, honey pastries, popped onion pies, farafi patties, and the world-famous polya coral soup among pilgrims. But now, not only is the flow of customers scarce, but even the supply of food is insufficient, and many recipes using spices have to be curtailed.

The innkeeper was a plump, ruddy-complexion, and wore an oil-stained apron. His eyes widened as he brought the roasted naan on his plate to the table in front of the two guests. "Oh. He said, "Your husband looks very sick. ”

"I'm not her husband. The man replied, his turban covering half of his face, wrapped in a white robe. Although his body trembled uncontrollably, his voice did not.

Although this man tried his best to hide it, his illness was still very obvious. His voice was hoarse, he had night sweats, and every time he coughed, he left blood on his handkerchief.

"I'll find a way to treat him. The woman said as the man spoke. The true God is above, and her voice is so good, as if it were heavenly. Although she couldn't see her face under her burqa, Hafta was sure that it must be a big beauty.

It may seem strange to say that a man and a woman travel together, but not a husband and wife, but the temperament of these two guests makes the innkeeper afraid to ask more. Hafta just can't come up with more food to impress these two distinguished guests.

It's all the sea monsters that make it happen, and Hafta curses the sea monster in his heart.

"It's a pity," said the innkeeper. "If it weren't for the sea monsters raging. I could have come up with more food, which definitely doesn't live up to the reputation of this restaurant...... Pity. ”

"Sea monster?" asked the female guest curiously. Just to hear her voice again. Hafta was willing to have more to do with the two men.

"Neither of them must be locals," the innkeeper decided. "And not from a nearby planet. ”

"It's all too obvious what you're nagging. The man said. He didn't remove his face towel, apparently not intending to eat right away.

"That's right, everyone here knows about the sea monster, and only outsiders don't know about it. The boss hurriedly said. "But since you're from a foreign country, I'll warn you. If you are a Fatimid, it is better not to show this publicly here in Namibi. ”

"The Fatimas?" the man seemed taken aback. "What is the Fatimids?"

"This old man doesn't even know this?" Hafta was surprised, although he also did business with infidels, but the two of them were dressed and spoke with outright Atassians. "Aren't you, sir, a child of the First Cause, a follower and follower of the Prophet Muhadi?"

The man paused. "I am. ”

"I'm not. The woman said.

Strange, strange, Hafta thought to himself. If this man claims to be a believer, how can he not even know about the Fatimids? Could it be that he is a pilgrim from some remote planet? The masked beauty is not a believer, which explains why they are not husband and wife. Many of the warriors who participated in the Great Expedition chose to live with the women of the conquered worlds, but did not officially marry. Thinking of this, the boss felt a little sorry for the big beauty.

"Don't you believe in the teachings of the First Cause and the Prophet?" Hafta said to the female guest, thinking that it would be satisfying to hear the other person say a few more words to him.

"I don't believe it. Her voice is not as pure sweet as most people think, but also firm. One point independent.

"Why bother?" Hafta thought of a way to talk to the other party. "Have you not heard the sermons, I dare say that the priests can answer all your questions. ”

"And that's one of the reasons why I don't believe them. The woman said, and the innkeeper could not tell whether the face under the veil was smiling or frowning.

"Why do you say that?" Hafta continued.

The woman hesitated. Probably thinking about how to phrase it. "When I was an apprentice mage, my teacher, the Cotander, once gave us a lesson. The teacher showed us a metal plate leaning against the fire. He asked the apprentices to feel the metal disc, and they felt that the side of the metal disc against the fire was cooler. And the side away from the fire is warmer. Then the teacher said, write down the reason for your guess. ”

The innkeeper didn't understand the story. But he was satisfied just by listening to what the other party had to say. And the woman didn't seem to care about this, and just went on talking.

“...... Some apprentices wrote 'because of the thermal conductivity of metals'. There were also apprentices who wrote 'because of the flow of air', but none of them wrote 'it seems impossible', and the correct answer was that the teacher turned the plate over before the apprentices entered the classroom. ”

"The purpose of this class is to tell the apprentices. If, whatever the outcome, you can figure out a good explanation, you don't know anything. She said. "The priests you speak of, they answer all questions and give me the same feeling. ”

"What a bold accusation. Hafta was suddenly a little worried, but there was some truth in what he said. "Don't let the clergy hear you say that. ”

I say this even in the presence of the Prophet himself. A hint of a smile suddenly added to the woman's tone, as if she had been amused.

“...... Let's stop debating today. The male guest responded strangely, with a hint of helplessness in his tone. Hafta concluded that the man must have liked his woman very much, otherwise he would not be so afraid of her. "Maybe another day, let's let this good boss explain to us what the Fatimid faction is. ”

"What do you say, Fatimids?" Hafta carefully chose his words, as factions are an extremely sensitive subject among believers, involving disputes over orthodoxy and Shari'a. "It is the power of the Prophet's widow Fatoumah, may the true God bless her. After the Prophet disappeared into the depths of the stars more than a decade ago, St. Fatuma the Sharp, along with most of the tribal chiefs and imams, proclaimed themselves caliphs in Mystarastan. Right now. Beyond the capital city of Mystalastan and the Holy Star Attas, half of the worlds conquered during the war belonged to the Fatimid sect, which is the lingua franca of humanity. The Prophet's own descendants lived in Mistara under the tutelage of Sri Fatoumah. ”

The two guests looked at each other quickly. It seems that something was exchanged. The news visibly took the two men by surprise, "A female caliphate, I had never expected it." The man's movements paused. Then said with a shrug.

"Then why should the Fatimids keep a low profile here?" finally the female guest asked.

"Because the Pasha here supports the Kalamites!" said the innkeeper in a tone of course. Not everyone supports St. Fatoumah's claims. She was an elf, and her Grand Vizier was also an elf, and although she had the children of the Prophet, who said that blood was the only reason for inheritance?, so there was a small group of imams who broke with the court of Mystarastan, and the vast majority of druids and many of the blasphemer mages of the past were also on this side. Led by the Grand Druid Camilla, they professed to be orthodox and gained the support of many people, the Kalamites. ”

"What qualifies Camilla to claim to be the heir to orthodoxy?" the male guest seemed a little puzzled. But what really surprised the innkeeper was the tone in which he talked about Camilla as if he knew her.

She claimed to be a copy of the Prophet herself—I don't understand what it was, only the adults. The innkeeper said honestly. "And she also has a lot of strong supporters, such as Sultan Malik, Lord Danjar, Lord Legion, and so on. ”

"This is indeed news that we desperately need, thank you for sharing. The man told Hafta, "We'll think about it." But don't worry. We're not going to get into trouble here. In fact, we intend to get out of here soon. Go to Attas, or Mistara. ”

"This lord, I'm afraid you can't go to other worlds now. Hafta spread his hands. Said helplessly. "Now the whole of Namibia is under martial law at war. No one can leave until the sea monster is completely destroyed, this is the order of Lord Pasha. ”――

In the original plan. Muhati and Sadiri plan to escape from the asteroid belt and find a random world with people. Then find a way back to Attas.

They found an abandoned magic ship and barely managed to sail it here. Then the ship crashed. Muhadi felt that they had hit some bird in the air, and the magic ship wailed for a while, and crashed crookedly to the surface.

The cancerous organs and tissues have severely affected the Psychic Warlock's functioning, and he desperately needs a new body. But first, they chose to come to a local hotel and ask for news.

To mask the intense radiation from the Coral Witch, the Psychic Warlock and the Sun Mage teamed up to create a full-body robe containing lead. In this way, wearing it will not reveal her identity, nor will she inadvertently hurt the square meter.

The mage suggested that Muhathir should find a way to cover himself up and down, and the latter agreed. However, the Psychic Warlock believed that he would not be recognized even if he was not disguised at all, and he strictly forbade anyone to paint or build statues of himself as a means of resisting idolatry. What's more, more than ten years have passed, and there should be no acquaintances here.

This world was undiscovered by the Atas more than a decade ago, before the two had to go on a migration due to the explosion. But now, it has been conquered and has become a medium-sized colony.

Namibi is a dark green planet with only one moon and golden clouds. It's a world of water, and when you look down from above in a magic ship, you can only see a decent continent, and that land is not very large. When the height was lowered, the Psychic Warlock saw a crescent-shaped archipelago of tens of thousands of islands in the deep green ocean, like countless pottery jewels scattered across the ocean. The half of the planet that is immersed in the night can see the lights of dozens of cities, but there are no magic ships taking off and landing.

What is the sea monster in the innkeeper's mouth? Muhadi had no clue, and he and Sadiri looked at each other. I think it's better to know more about the local situation before making a decision. The mage asked, "Are you an Atass?"

"That's right, ma'am!" Hafta grinned. "I'm an Atass. And it was one of the first pioneers to move here. Shortly after the chicken thieves and warriors conquered the place. I borrowed money from the Iron Fund and came into the world. Since then, I've been opening shops for a living. ”

"Are there a lot of Atas moving to other worlds?" the man asked.

"Not less. "The innkeeper told the truth. "Most of them were samurai and merchants, but there were also adventurers who were not married and had nothing to do. As for me, my wife caught me outside**. Then she knew I wasn't really impotent, and I had to run away. ”

“...... Well, what is a chicken thief?" the man seemed to have a lot of questions, and then he threw another one.

"A chicken thief is a chicken thief, that's what we all call it. What are their real names? Let me think. Hafta pondered. "By the way, I think it's called a genestealer...... Honestly, I don't know what genes are, stealers, aren't they thieves? So they're chicken thieves, a group of specially trained Spencer druids. ”

"Chicken thieves create monsters, and they create plagues. They brought several creatures from Athas and other worlds, and ate all the food and livestock raised by the natives! So now this is our colony. ”

This is the territory of the Druids sent by the Starch Spencers, and it is no wonder that allegiance to Kamila, Muhati thought.

"And what about martial law?" asked Satilly. "Who are you fighting against?"

"There are always young men who go on great expeditions, dreaming that they can be the Pasha of that world. But ......," said the innkeeper. “...... No one has ever attacked Namibi. We're at war with a sea monster. ”

"How much more can you tell us about these sea monsters?"

"I guess all I know is that they're big and dangerous. Hafta frowned in thought. "And it's not very tasty. Not suitable for cooking...... The Pasha himself and his advisors must have known better, but the big city they lived in was too far from here. Probably only Mousa ibn al-Nusair could tell the story of the sea monster in this town. He was not only the emir under the Pasha. And he used to work as an errand in the court of Mystarastan, he was a eunuch. ”

"Will your Pasha choose a eunuch to be the emir?" the man looked thoughtful.

"He was from the Mamluk Guard of the Imperial Court. I don't understand why I was castrated. Maybe he's too thief-eyed. "Hafta is starting to use his imagination.

Then we will visit this Mousa ibn al-Nusser. "The female guest made a decision-

The Emir's accommodation was not easy to find, because it was a plain, shabby-looking two-story stone house, which was particularly shabby by the houses on both sides.

When the two of them visited the mansion, three women were tidying up the pens in the courtyard in front of the house, where four small, visibly malnourished meat lizards were kept. There was also a gray-scaled bird and a woolly camel tethered to the yard. Seeing outsiders coming, the three women looked gloomy, their faces were wrinkled, and their eyes were not friendly.

"We came to visit the hosts. Muhadi said to one of the women.

"Someone is coming to eat and drink again. The woman said in an undisguised tone, as if she was worried that the two men were thinking about her lizard. Fortunately, according to tradition, she could not refuse a guest who came to the door, so she finally reluctantly entered the house.

The two entered the room, a room decorated in the tradition of Atas, with blankets on the floor and tapestries embroidered with text and abstract figures on the walls. On a low table in the middle of the room was an oil lamp and fried food, and a scimitar hung at the other end of the room.

Amir Musa ibn al-Nusser did not keep them both waiting, a man of medium stature, eyes as sharp as eagles, muscular arms, and some fat around his waist. His face was full of hills and ravines, like those carved out of a knife. The man was wearing a scale armor with a golden burqa trimmed with green trim. When he saw his two guests, he froze in place.

Muhadi and Sadiri stood up and greeted each other, but the emir did not recite the salutation, he took a half step back, as if he had seen a ghost. "This can't be, haven't you been missing for more than ten years?

Muhadi sensed that he had recognized him, much to his surprise, and he was not sure what to do in response. Before the situation became more awkward, the Coral Witch spoke. "It's unfortunate that I let a vanished man take me here in a magical ship. Since you say that my helmsman does not exist, then there is no doubt that I fell directly from outside the atmosphere. ”

"A woman with sharp teeth?" Mousa did not recognize the Coral Witch. "I can't believe it, it looks like it's really you!"

And she didn't really fall. Muhathir said. "How did you recognize me?"

"Very few people can put a look in my eyes, and I have a gift for me. Moussa said. "You may not remember me, but I met you many years ago. Just as you mobilized us to march against Mystara in the city of Ulek. You promise us riches, lands, and glory of conquest. ”

"Then I hope you get what you want. The Psychic Warlock said.

"Bah, I've never been impressed by your promises, you know?" said Mousa aggressively, sitting on the carpet, not caring who was standing in front of him. He unhooked the water bladder from his waist, took a sip, and continued.

"I joined your army for one reason only. I've heard that beyond Attas, there's something called the sea, and I'd like to see it. Moussa said. "It was the first time I'd ever seen so much water come together, and I rushed into the sea like crazy, step by step, until the water was over my waist. A corpse floated past me, a reliant, killed by us. From that moment on, I was never the same as I had been, you know? I wasn't a desert creature anymore. ”

The Psychic shrugged. "It's your choice. ”

"I hate you, my prophet, you know?" continued Mosa. "You ruined us, you ruined the Athas. Your heirs, deliver drought-tolerant plants to Atas from all corners of the multiverse. Green spreads throughout the planet, like maggots breeding on wounds. The pilgrims brought wealth, and the new generation no longer had to experience the difficult life of the past. They become weak, weak!, you know?!"

Slandering the Prophet, is that why he was castrated?

This emir poured out everything in his heart. "Our culture is also finished, the tribes are scattered, and the young people either join the court Mamluk guards or go to the new world to fight for land. More and more aliens live among us. ”

"I had a son who fell in love with a woman who had conquered the world and rejected the spouse I had chosen for him. He continued. "I was furious and gave him a knife to cut off the woman's head. And he just hugged the woman and cried...... A true Atas would have cut off the woman's head and honor his father. Or just cut off my head and pursue his love. As a result, my son only proved himself to be a weak coward. That's my son!"

"It seems to me that you probably need a parenting guide more than my advice. Muhathir said. "I hope you feel better after confiding this to me. ”

Musa was silent for a while, and seemed to calm down. Finally, he said. "What are you doing here all of a sudden, and why are you looking for me?"

Sadiri and Muhadi looked at each other again, and the mage spoke, "We need you to tell us what is going on in this world?" (to be continued......