As a soldier, if you want your shirt under metal armor not to turn gray or black, you have to spend at least a few weeks a year cleaning your clothes, and the results are often unsatisfactory. But Queen Prodmore's clothes were always white and shiny.

Lorena thought that this was probably the benefit of being a mage with great power.

"Colonel, are you back?" Queen Proudmoor said this as if she had been in the room all along, "What's the news?" ”

Lorena told the Queen and, of course, the Home Secretary about her experience at the North Outpost.

Kerry furrowed his lips and said, "I've never heard of any Fireblade Zergs. ”

"I've heard," the queen pulled down her hood to reveal her fluffy blonde curls, reaching over the edge of the table and holding a finger to her chin, "this is a proto-insect clan, but it's extinct. I've heard people from the elite guard mention it. ”

Lorena was reluctant to hear the news. Strovo had heard of it, and if even the Queen's personal forces had heard of it, then things would not have been as simple as they thought. "Those must be protozoans, ma'am, I'm 100% sure."

"Perhaps they just wanted to dress up as protozoans," said Queen Prodmoor, "and since they had used the prohibition – which was confusing – it was possible that they had put on a mask on themselves." You know, if the protozoa attack the humanoid for no reason, our alliance will be over. ”

"It's also possible," Kristoff said, "that these people are just demagogues." They are under the banner of an extinct clan, but in fact they have another purpose. ”

Lorena shook her head, "That doesn't explain what Strovo's brother heard at the Demon Buster Inn. ”

The Queen nodded. Her thoughts seemed to fly far away, as if no one in the room existed. Lorena didn't know many mages, but they all seemed to have this problem.

But unlike the mages, who had to be drunk to come to their senses, Queen Prodmore soon came to her senses herself.

She stood up, "Colonel, I want to send you to investigate the Fireblade Clan. I want to know who they are, how they act, and whether they will use the ban. Since they recruit protozonal bodies. So why recruit humanoids at all? Lorena, find out all these things for me - whoever you need help, just ask. ”

Lorena straightened up and saluted, "Yes!" Madam. ”

"Christophe, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave soon. The Thunder Worm has escaped from the Thunder Mountains and is threatening the entire Dry Water Valley. ”

The Home Secretary frowned and said, "I don't see what this has to do with us?" ”

"The woods that kept the thunder worm in the mountains were all cut down, and the native worms wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?" Kerry's voice sounded skeptical.

Lorena felt that the Secretary of State was talking something stupid. "Of course it won't be the protozoa's doing," she said and hurriedly glanced at the queen, "I'm sorry." Madam. ”

The queen smiled and said, "That's right. Please continue. ”

Lorena looked at Christophe and said, "Even when they are controlled by the Demon Bug Legion, they won't do that. Protozoans worship the land - and, to be honest, a bit of insanity. ”

Queen Prodmore chuckled, "I have to say that the misuse of nature by humanoids is more like insanity. However, the colonel's point of view is worth learning from. To put it simply, the protozo are not capable of doing this - it won't do them any good to release the Thunderworm. So who else? The giant worm, now ruled by Chen Feng; Spirit worm body, in neutral; And we, the allies of Bloodnest Mountain. She sighed. And the trees don't look like they've been cut down. Whether it is land or air, and there is no corresponding means of transport, it can only be banned. ”

Lorena didn't like the speculation. She asked, "Ma'am, do you think the Fireblade Zerg has anything to do with this?" ”

"Colonel. After listening to your debriefing, I am more inclined to this conclusion - so I would like to send you to investigate them. ”

Christophe crossed his two lanky arms over his chest: "I don't see any need for you to leave Theramore. ”

"I promised Chen Feng that I would personally investigate the matter," she smiled wryly. "Right now, I'm his primary suspect. Only I can cut down those trees. Shipped outside of the world of origin. Now the best way to prove my innocence is to investigate the matter with your own hands. ”

"I can think of several other options." Kerry said sourly.

Queen Prodmore walked across the table and confronted her Secretary of State: "There is another reason. There may be a prohibition lurking there. Very strong prohibition. If such a powerful force emerges in the Origin World, I must know who is manipulating it - and why this faceless mage is so deeply hidden. ”

"If this really involves a ban." Sounds like Kerry is getting a little angry—Lorena wants to beat him up—Kerry lets out a long breath, his hands down, "Then I think you can do that." At least check it out. I retract my suggestion. ”

The queen said coldly, "I'm glad you agreed, Kerry." She walked over to the table and looked through the scrolls piled on top. I'm leaving this morning, Kerry. In my absence, you will be in charge of the administration. I don't know how long I'm going, but you can exercise your rights in my name until I return. She looked at Lorena again and said, "Good luck!" Captain. You can go. ”

Lorena saluted and turned to leave. As she was leaving, she heard Christophe trying to say something, but was stopped by the Queen. "I told you. You can go, Home Secretary. ”

"Got it, ma'am."

Hearing the angry voice of the Minister of the Interior, the Colonel couldn't help but laugh.

Sometimes Prodmore really doesn't want to be right.

She never worries that she will be wrong, thanks to the teachings of her teachers. From the day he became an apprentice, he told her that the most common and greatest mistake a mage makes is self-righteousness, "If a man has at his disposal a very great power—his fingers, to be exact—he can easily see himself as omnipotent," the teacher said, "and many mages think so, and that's why we are not liked," with a strange smile on his face as he said the last sentence.

"That's not what you're like, are you?" Prodmore asked.

"I often do," is his answer, "the only way is to recognize my shortcomings and try to correct them." ”

Prodmore took these words to heart, so she was always skeptical of what was certain. She still admired Egwene—not caring about her later mistakes. Although Prodmore studied the ban only for fun and not to learn the flimsy skepticism she was exposed to later, she even later changed her teacher's perspective.

Sometimes self-doubt can cause trouble for Prodmore - she never wants to trust her instincts, and Assas is unlikely to return.

She always thought that if she could do something, maybe everything would change. However, there is nothing wrong with that. Self-doubt would at least make her a competent leader of Lamour.

The moment Chen Feng told her that the forests around the Thunder Mountain Range had been destroyed, she immediately realized that this was definitely a prohibition, a very powerful prohibition. But she still hoped she guessed wrong.

It became almost an impossible wish. She went straight from Ramour's council chamber to the forest. From the moment she arrived, she could smell a prohibition, and without even raising her mana, she could sense a powerful prohibition lurking there. In front of her was an endless stump of trees that stretched to the foot of the Thunder Mountains. Each stump was the same height - as if it had been cut by a huge scythe. And the knife edge is so neat, there is not even a crack. The only thing that can do this is a ban. (To be continued......) u