"I heard that the old immortal of Alexa withdrew all the garrisons of Meiyan City, a full three hundred people, and not one remained. Shi Min's play slapped the Twilight cultists hard. Say pushed open the door, his axe still in the dark and hollow fireplace, "I can hear the slap on the Giant's Bridge, it's a blast." ”

Ormond sat in a chair by the wall, the candle flame of the wooden table beside him, and the light was dim. "Shi Min is very self-defensive, they have never suffered a loss in history, it is just right to call them Shi Min, it is really appropriate to be hard-hearted. With that, he fell into deep thought again.

Say unfastened her cloak and pulled the lining, the agate earrings on her earlobes swaying violently. "You've been sitting here all night thinking about things, it's okay, there's nothing to think about, and now the Erking people are thinking about how to break through the Giant's Bridge, let's not get distracted and let those wizards take advantage of the loopholes. ”

"The threat is not limited to northerners across the river. Ormond began, "There must be something strange in this, but there is one thing I never understand. ”

Sei grunted and lay down on the bed, the moment the boots were taken off, a strong sour smell came to his nose. Ormond couldn't stand the smell and fanned his arms hard. "There were no less than 30,000 people living in the Red Castle, and all of them died inexplicably, and there were no crows, no scouts, no living people coming out of the walls, and no enemy was found, where they came from, and where they hid. Don't you think it's weird?"

"I said it was the wizards of the North. ”

"It can never be the mysterious people of the north. ”

"Mysteries only do mystical things, and we don't know about them. ”

"The Heertin's sneak attack on Yangwang Fort and Niutou Town caused a sensation in the entire north, and if it is really them, do you think the strategic significance of the Giant's Bridge still exists?"

"Hmph, they're making a fuss. ”

Ormond shook his head, "What happened in the Red Castle is very similar to the incident in Dragonfly Town, Vorragon went to the Black Forest because of Dragonfly Town, this is the order of Master Pesil, he must have found something, otherwise he would not have made this decision." ”

Sei sat up, "So ......." ”

"So it has something to do with the Black Forest. Ormond told him, "On the other side of the river demon swamp is the realm of the undead, and no living person can do it except the dead. I think it's the undead. ”

"But where are they?" asked Sai, puzzled, "even if the dead kill someone, they need to be unable to run on the ground, unless they can fly, they can escape, they can disappear in front of them." ”

"I'm worried...... You know about the contract, if it is as I guessed, the contract is very likely to be destroyed....... Before Ormond could finish speaking, Gili James walked over, a smile on his lips. "My lord, there are two people who have just arrived at the castle, and they claim to be your companions. ”

Obmond suddenly remembered that it must be Amber and Edith. "They're still in the hall?"

"Yes, sir. ”

"I'll go. When Sai heard this, he hurriedly put on his leather boots and put on his cloak. The two followed Gilly James through the corridors and courtyards, glimpsing the fiery red of the northern sky through the high walls, and the noise was incessant, which was almost like a curse. Is it possible that the army of Erjing has increased again, and there has been no movement to fight for a long time, what kind of hell are they scheming, Ormond thought as he walked. As soon as the soldiers who held the castle heard about the destruction of the Red Castle and the refusal of reinforcements to support Kuchigi, they walked silently around and patrolled in the dark night, and the guards on the city walls huddled behind the pheasants, and no one wanted to face the enemy on the other side of the Red Rock River like the sea. This is a bad start, Ormond thought to himself, so that the fighting spirit of the defenders will deteriorate day by day, and when the northerners blow their trumpets and beat the drums of war, how many people will be brave enough to stand on the walls.

As the night broke, the hall was blazing, and he saw Billion talking to two men on the other side of the hallway, dressed in black cloaks with their backs to the hall door, approaching the high platform. One carried a beige bow on his back, and his long black hair was draped over his shoulders. The other, emaciated, with short blond hair reflecting the light in the swaying firelight, had a three-foot sword on his back, its hollowed-out scabbard made of sterling silver, and the refracted light illuminated a corner of the hall. That's right, it's Amber and Edith, and before they can see their faces, Ormond makes a judgment.

Edith is a weak girl who joined the Man in Black three years before Ito, but a year younger than Ito, and comes from a village west of Fort Rock, near the Pasimo Plateau to the east. Today, the villagers have moved to the town of Nishizawa. When Basswood Fort and the town of Nishizawa built the Twin Towers on the Takisui River, the entire Passimo Plateau was owned by the Takayama people, and Edith should belong to the Nishizawa people according to today's standards. However, the weak girl is also very stubborn, she does not admit that she is from Xize, let alone a person from Basswood Castle, she only admits that her hometown is called Huanxi Village, and she is from Huanxi.

Amber is from Zealandera, and the Man in Black joined in the same year as Arrida and Nurzai, and for twenty-two years, his age is forever at thirty-one, which is four years older than Arreda and three years younger than Nurzai. Ormond remembers the first time he saw Amber, he was bruised, covered in blood, and his bloodshot eyes were full of horror. It was a battle of great disparity between friend and foe, and the seven undead attacked the Sylantera cavalry passing by Hylupo in the middle of the night, and they pursued it all night in the vast forest, and in the end only Amber survived.

Leoya, Lacey, and Torian escorted him out of the Hylupo Forest, and eventually Irina took him to the Twilight Castle in Blackhill, where he joined the Order of the Men in Black.

"My old friend!haha, I want to kill you!" said Say, who greeted him with open arms.

The two turned back at the same time, smiles on their faces. The first one who spoke was Amber, "Sai Senpai, my good Senpai!" and the two immediately hugged each other. That's right, the last time we met was two years ago in Heiqiu Mountain, and that time we didn't get together for long.

"You're still so beautiful. Ormond greeted Edith, "It's a pleasure to be here with you. "Edith has a melon seed face, white skin, and eyebrows as thin as crescents.

She blushed and replied shyly, "Elder Ormond, I'...... I'm glad too. He hugged Ormond. In his arms, she was simply a child, weak and shy. But in front of Sai, seriously, she wants to compete against Yigao.

After Billion left, Amber said, "There's news from Master Pesil that there are six more members of the organization rushing here, and they will arrive in Rotten Wood Town in less than two days. ”

"I've been surprised that you're here. ”

Sai was even more excited, "I thought the organization had forgotten about us, and seeing you coming, I didn't have to worry about not winning this war, hahaha." ”

"Senior Sai, I haven't seen you for two years, you're still the same. Edith smiled.

"Of course, no one in the organization can compare to me compared to the amount of alcohol, and I am and will be in the future. Say laughed.

"Thinking about it this way, we have endless things to say, where have you been in the past two years, what have you experienced, and what interesting things have happened, you can share them with us. Ormond said.

Amber said, "Since the last time we left the Castle of Dusk, the two of us have traveled through most of Lannia, including the Green Thorn Country in the Eastern Continent and the Wind Roar Ridge in the Devil's Desert, and we have picked up more than twenty undead along the way. Eight days ago, we had just passed through Meiyan City, and we had come here in a hurry after resting for a few hours in the Dusk Bunker, and during this time there was turmoil in various places, especially Meiyan City, and what happened in Dragonfly Town made the Dusk Tanists miserable. There were not many brothers left in the Dusk Bunker, and they heard that Master Pesil said that the Battle of Giant's Bridge was imminent, so they rushed here non-stop, but fortunately the war had not yet begun. ”

"War can start at any moment, maybe dusk, maybe dawn. Sai pinched the thin Amber, "Who has wronged you, you are so thin that you feel like you are sick." ”

"I work out my muscles every day, my good senior, you know me, I'm not interested in food, but only the dead. ”

Edith didn't even dare to say that. He looked at Edith beside him, "You're getting more and more beautiful." ”

"Irina is the most beautiful. Edith said, "Why didn't I see Irina-senpai?"

"She went to the Northern Fog Capital. ”

"Alone?"

"Don't worry about Irina, she's safe. "Said.

"It's the people who stand in my way that Irina are not safe. Ormond said, "Have you heard anything about Fort Red Valley on the way here?" ”

"No, passing through the Sunken River Wetlands, I met four hundred cavalrymen, who had bypassed the western pass of the adjacent rock fort and intended to enter Solis directly. Amber said.

Ormond wasn't curious, "Is their banner a red basswood or a silver-gray Three Peaks?"

"No, they don't have a military flag, they just quietly bypass the slope of the old woman's hill, but they are definitely not from the basswood fort, they will not take this road. ”

"Only the Strange Stone Terrace would do that. Say snorted, "Alexa did this as direct proof that he had severed his cooperation with the town of Nishizawa and Fort Basswood, and he was afraid of the Western Pass, because he had suffered there. ”

Alexa feared that Fort Rock was ambushing his soldiers, and yes, he was pitting himself against the two countries.

"Broken cooperation?" Edith was puzzled, "Broke the alliance agreement?"

"It's not the worst. "Have you ever passed by the Twin Towers of the Takishui River, and if you're wise, you'd better go around it, they're very new to the men in black. In addition to the Red Castle, the Three Kingdoms refused to support the Giant's Bridge, I heard that there were originally thousands of troops stationed there, who knew that there was a disaster in the Red Castle, and the paparazzi of the Twin Towers Fortress ran away one by one. I can assure you that the 400 cavalry you see in the Sunken River Wetlands must have come from the Strange Stone Terrace, and they are afraid that the disaster of the Red Castle will befall them. Hmph, Alexa is notoriously sinister and cunning, and this time he has added a new crown to his head, a crown of cowardice like a mouse. ”

"Elder Ormond, what happened to the Red Castle?" asked Edith.

Ormond glanced around, "Come to my room." ”

During this time, the castle guard brought a hot supper with steaming brisket soup, cheese bread, a plate of fried fish, two plums, and a pot of hot seahorse spirits. Say lit the fire in the bedroom, Ormond closed the windows and doors, and then moved the wooden table to the fire, and the bedroom fell silent for a moment.

"Misfortune has befallen the people of the Red Castle. Ormond spoke first, "No one escaped alive, and before that, this disaster also happened in Dragonfly Town, northwest of Meiyan City, which was first received by Wallagon, and as soon as the matter came out, Master Pesil ordered Wallagoon to rush to the Black Forest in the east to investigate the matter. ”

"It has something to do with the Black Forest. Amber said.

"It should be the realm of the undead. Ormond reminded him, "But that's not what I'm most worried about, I'm worried about ...... I'm worried about the deed. ”

Amber said, "The contract is a contract signed by Maester Pesil, Lord Awinhay, and Lord Orendin, and the three Guardians each represent a realm, and if any one of the three upsets the balance, the contract will be destroyed. So what do you mean?"

"This is only my assumption, we have not yet received the letter from Voragon and does not prove that the deed has been destroyed. Ormond was distressed, "The Horking people don't have this ability, except for the undead realm that we don't know about, who do you think did it?"

All three fell silent, and finally Edith said, "What is the origin of the mysterious wizard of the leader and the Erkings?"

"Some say they come from the far and unknown depths of the North, probably around the Endless Ice Fields, and their abilities are similar to those of the Black and White Warlocks who live in Screaming Bay, but they use magic, everyone says. Ormond replied, "I sent Irina to Seahorse to investigate the history of the inhabitants of the deep north, hoping to find out the truth. ”

"Maybe these mystical wizards are nothing more than hyped names, or maybe they're just self-reliant groups of warlocks around Screaming Bay or Riverbay. Edith said.

Amber agreed with her words, "It's like the Brotherhood in Seahorse Town, the Capital of the Mist." He picked up a fried fish between his fingers, "Ever since Dengkan III broke his neck and Dengkan IV succeeded to the throne, Seahorse Town has been in decline. The Holy Tribunal overthrew the statue of the Emperor in Triumphal Square and erected a stone statue of a woman sprinkled with flower petals in its place, which the Church of Dastur called the true god Panla. What's even more interesting is that the Holy Court also built a city within a city, and the two walls divided the town of Haima into three cities, and the people in it were poorer and richer, especially the Holy Court, which simply became a paradise. ”

"Then the Brotherhood emerged among the people living in dire straits, an underground organization of poor people, and by the underground of course I mean the underground corridors of Seahorse Town, where they dug a labyrinth with shovels and pickaxes, in order to protect themselves on the one hand, and to fight against the Holy Court on the other. I remember their leader was named Thomas, who turned out to be an ordinary soldier in Seahorse Town, a guy I admired, seriously. ”

"Maybe you're right. Ormond said, "The Horking people have no faith, and the nomads and nomads can live under one roof, and in addition to violence is faith." ”

"And what the hell is the stone they're looking for?" said Sye, in a rough voice.

Stones, yes, the stones that the mysterious wizard was looking for, Ormond remembered what Billion had told him four days earlier that the stone had fallen like a meteor on the plateau, that warriors fought monsters, and that finally Sarkaegar, the king of Seahorse Town, had obtained the gem and regarded it as the 'Heart of Glory' of the North. After the wrath of the gods, no one spoke of King Thor and the jewel again.

"I've heard about it too. "Some say that the gem that the wizards of the north are looking for is somewhere south of the Redstone River, maybe in Nishizawa, maybe in the Hado Hills, and most people think it's in the Holy Lake Bay. ”

"That's why the Horkings attacked the Giant's Bridge?" Amber asked.

"If that's the case, it's the most blind war I've ever seen. Say said disdainfully.

Ormond's mind was getting more and more confused, and all the information he knew seemed to be untenable, and it seemed to be reasonable, but only in the hearts of those who planned it. He told himself that the pattern of the world was changing imperceptibly, and that the man in black was in it, but he could not take the helm, who was the mysterious person who was secretly restraining him? Who was the murderer of Dragonfly Town and Red Castle? Who was the mysterious wizard who suddenly appeared in the north? This reminded him of Irina in Seahorse Town. I don't know what news she can bring, but hopefully everything will go in a good direction.

Edith said, "Then the Masters of Pesil are coming to the aid of Giant's Bridge, which means that the Horkings have upset the balance and we need to intervene in this matter. ”

Amber answered, "The three Nofios are still on their way, but Kairol and Itong don't know where they are, and we haven't received any letters. ”

"It reminds me of who was involved in the siege of the rebel Rudwin in Hylupo. "The five of us have Leoya, Lacey, and Torion, and ....... ”

"And Shibusi and Nur Zai partnered. Edith reminded him.

"Yes, yes, that's a total of ten people. Sai fiddled with his fingers, "Ten men destroyed more than a thousand bandits and captured more than a thousand. So if the Battle of Giant's Bridge were to be fought, how many would we have? Four men, plus three Nofio and three Carol, would be ten ....... ”

"Say, we are outnumbered. Ormond interrupted him, "You know the cost of that siege, both the bandits and the Zealanderans. ”

"It should be nine people. Edith said, "The boy who went on the mission with Kairol and Itong has not yet received the blessing of the Grevyn Star, and is not considered a man in black. ”

"Well, nine or ten, as long as Maester Pesil decides that the Man in Black is involved, we can defend Giant's Bridge." ”

The only difference is that we have an extra stone wall and a big river, and the odds are still unknown.

The whole morning of the next day, it was raining in the sky, and through the gray rain curtain, the camp of the Erjing people was still alive like a swarm of ants. On the other hand, the castle has been transformed into an abandoned fortress by loss and despair. Ormond left his stuffy bedroom and went under the eaves of the courtyard, where he happened to meet Edith, who was correcting her bow and arrows. He approached her, his gaze shifting to the blackened stakes and dozens of barrels of obscured asphalt in the center of the courtyard, as well as the fortified gates and numerous unfinished fortifications. "What do you think of this war?"

Edith stopped what she was doing, "Actually, I want to know what Irina's predecessors think about this war that hasn't happened yet. ”

"You know her, we all know. Ormond crouched down, "Irina is a kind woman, and a soft-hearted woman, and she can't bear to pick up a bow and shoot those northerners. Do you want to know how many of Rudwin's men she killed in Hylupeau?"

Edith nodded.

"She didn't kill a single one, she didn't kill a single one. Ormond said, "Actually, it was the nobles of Sylantella who hated Iryna more than that siege, and they forced Rudwin away. ”

Edith looked incredulous, and finally bowed her head and said, "If Irina was standing here and had to face those northern Horgents, would she choose not to kill anyone?"

"Maybe. Ormond replied, "But she has more important tasks, and perhaps that's a good thing for her." ”

After a moment of silence, Edith spoke, "The murderer must be punished. The people of Yangwang Fort and Niutou Town are innocent, and the Erking people have deprived them of everything, and they should pay for it. ”

"The people of Heerjing will definitely be punished. Ormond patted Edith on the shoulder, "Tell me about you, what have you learned along the way?"

"Of course there is a reward. Edith smiled, "In addition to eradicating the undead, we have witnessed a strange thing in the area of the Podo Hills. ”

"Oh? ”

"There are three watchtowers on the top of the three hills of the Porto Hills, each with its own meaning. She tilted her head to look at Ormond. Ormond nodded in agreement, and she continued, "Amber and I have witnessed the dwarves preparing to build a fourth river, and the excavated earth will build a new hill. ”

"In your judgment, the dwarves will ....... ”

"That's right, Elder Ormond, they're going to build a fourth watchtower, a fourth. Edith was excited, "I know what those three watchtowers in the hills of Porto represent. ”

"For the dwarves, good things are coming. ”

"That's right, and it must be a big deal, a big deal about the whole of Lannia. Edith hesitated for a moment, her eyes suddenly revealing a sense of uncertainty, "Senior Ormond, do you think that's the case?"

Ormond replied in a reassuring tone, "It must be a big deal, it must be." ”