"Tell me, what did you see in that woods outside the city two mornings ago?" Clauis commanded as he looked at the woman cowering in front of him, like a lion facing its prey.

On the way to leave the royal capital slowly, she was caught by a large group of soldiers, and the tossing and fear along the way made Xuan extremely embarrassed, she trembled and said: "I haven't seen anything, I don't know anything, why are you arresting me....."

Clauvis didn't get angry or warn or say anything more, he didn't even ask to confirm if this was the man he was looking for. He had always felt that such an inferior pariahs were not worth the expense, and he reached out and grabbed a handful of hair from her forehead with two fingers.

Miss Prostitute screamed, and her soft and smooth hair, which she had cherished very much, immediately left her with a bloody scalp, and blood immediately flowed all over her cheeks.

His fingers were a little wet with blood, and Clauis frowned, throwing away the small piece in his hand like a boogie flick off, and then grabbed Xuan's hair and lifted her up to the ground, and commanded very succinctly and forcefully: "Don't let me delay too much." Say. ”

Xuan was so painful that she couldn't speak, the blood flowed out of her hairline and stained half of her face red, she barely stood and covered her head and whimpered, tears mixed into the blood as soon as they came out of her eyes.

Crowis sighed in disgust. He was so disgusted that he didn't know what it meant for Heaven to create such a lowly and stubborn person, to waste the precious time of a noble man like him? Because the content of the interrogation was classified for the time being, he could not casually let people approach the witness.

Clauis said to the chief of the Guard, who was waiting outside, "Go and call me the interrogator in the cell." He was too lazy to do it himself, and there were naturally experts in this profession for letting people who didn't want to speak, and they had already developed this eccentric profession to the level of what they considered art. Clauvis had faith in them, and he had seen one of the toughest spies hold on for two days and one night, and then completely collapse after only half the craftsmanship of the artists, and say everything he could. At that time, his whole body was still intact, except for the parts that controlled his speech, and he was basically unable to see that he was a person.

Suddenly, one of the guards came running up to him and said, "Lord Lord Mrak is looking for you and saying that you have something important to go." He will be waiting for you at the gate of the palace first. ”

"Got it. Crowis hesitated. Going to the palace with the duke, it must be a very important thing, anyway, the person has already been caught, and it doesn't matter if you slow down here. He had wanted the inquisitor to work here first, and when he returned, everything he wanted would be laid out like dishes on the table, but after thinking about it, he forgot it. What comes out of the torture must be extraordinary, and if the interrogator knows something that he shouldn't know and uses it to talk nonsense, it will be more than worth the loss, and he will still be in command by the side. So he nodded and decided, "I'll call the inquisitor when I get back." He looked at the officer with murderous eyes. "Remember, you can't just let people touch this woman, you know?"

"Yes. The Guards officer nodded as if he were going to speak with his head. He was well aware of Clauvis's temper, and although he hated serving these big people, he could only serve them carefully and hard.

Not long after seeing this big man leave, another big man came again. But although this is also a young man in a high position, it feels completely different, and the face that is always soft is very comfortable no matter who sees it. The guard officer hurriedly saluted: "Hello sir." ”

"Hello. The young chief smiled back. "It's hard work to stand guard here. I heard that you have arrested a strange female prisoner, what kind of witness is it? I'd like to go see her, okay?"

Such a noble person, such a kind smile, and such gentle and polite words make people feel uncomfortable all over their bodies. Besides, he can't be considered a 'casual' person anyway. The officer also nodded vigorously: "Of course." ”

Asa was summoned early in the morning by Bishop Ronis to inquire about his ambush. Intentionally or unintentionally, he didn't say anything about the prostitute Xuan, but vaguely said that he had been led into an ambush by them using a trick, and then Sandru arrived and killed the ambusher. Sandru also told Asa in advance about the theft of something, and asked him not to tell Bishop Ronis.

He was a little surprised that Captain Roland had figured out the general situation so quickly, and saw that it was the necromancer who had killed those members. What was even more surprising was that even though Captain Roland and the Grand Priest had figured out the general situation and had every reason to suspect that he had something to do with the necromancer, the Bishop's light words covered everything up.

Bishop Ronis didn't seem to care very much about whether this matter would be investigated, but said lightly: "Anyway, no one has seen it with their own eyes, speculation is just speculation, and suspicion can only be suspicion." ”

Asa remembered Xuan who was let go by herself, and was stunned and didn't speak. But he remembered something strange.

Coming out of the magic academy, he immediately walked quickly to the big house, he wanted to ask Sandru what was going on.

As he was walking at the door of the big house, someone stopped him from behind. He turned his head and saw a young officer of extraordinary magnificence walking briskly. Asa froze, and after a closer look, he recognized that it was Rodhart.

After not seeing him for a while, he now looks more mature again, and the young man's sharpness has become more and more restrained without losing his external brilliance. With his handsome and very intimate face, he was dressed in a tall knight's outfit. It's a character who is completely embodied in the concept of 'teenage hero'.

"I'm glad you're here, and I'm looking for you for something urgent. Although he hadn't seen him for a long time, Rodhart didn't waste time on greeting politeness, but walked up to him quickly and whispered to him. "The prostitute you let go was caught by Crowvis. ”

Asa's face turned pale. First of all, he was surprised that even Rodhart, who was out of the way, was able to burst out such thrilling words in one mouthful, and then surprised that Xuan was actually caught by a person who wanted to trouble him the most, and probably the most capable of causing trouble. Even Rodhart seems to know it, has it been stabbed all over the place?

There was no figure around, but Rodhart's voice was still very low: "After a dozen people from a detachment of the Holy Knights were mysteriously killed, the head of the regiment is very strange and doesn't seem to have investigated much. However, the squad leader, Clauvis, asked the royal capital guards to be dispatched urgently yesterday afternoon, first checked all the prostitutes in the royal capital, arrested many people for interrogation, and then sent nearly a hundred cavalry out of the city. I inquired, and they were going after a prostitute, and it was said to be a very important witness. And this prostitute was also caught overnight and escorted back this morning. ”

Rodhart's face was solemn, but he didn't seem to be flustered in the slightest, and continued to whisper: "I think this seems a little strange, so I stopped by when I went to the Guards to do business. Captain Clauis was summoned to the palace by the Duke on a temporary matter, and I took the opportunity to get in touch with the prostitute, and I asked her about it, and she told me everything about that day. ”

"Told you everything?" Asa gasped. If you can tell Rodhart, you can tell others.

"Don't worry, she's only told me about it, not anyone else. Crowis hadn't had time to interrogate her. Rodhart's voice grew lower and deeper. "As much as I know you can't have anything to do with a necromancer, no one else thinks so. You shouldn't have let her go. This woman is just too dangerous for you. ”

"Cut, you don't know, he let the woman go on purpose. The door to the big house was suddenly opened, and Sandru stepped out of it, watching Asa speak in a tone that was clearly sarcastic. Although Rodhart deliberately kept his voice down, it could not hide it from his ears.

"This old gentleman is ......" Rodhart watched Sandru subconsciously take a step back, and his face couldn't help but have a look of horror. He had already heard Xuan's story, and he could tell that the old man who suddenly appeared was the necromancer. Although he knew that he should be Asa's companion, after all, the strange method of killing more than a dozen members of the Paladins in a single move was really chilling.

"This old gentleman Sandru, who loves to talk nonsense, is actually a secret master under the Bishop, and he was the one who came to save me that day. Asa panicked and casually gave Sandruan a title that was not flawless. "But this master can use necromancy and is easy to be misunderstood, so his identity is very confidential, and if it is leaked, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble to the Bishop..."

Rodhart looked at Sandru and nodded, then looked back at Asa and said, "In that case, you should kill her." His voice was soft, without the slightest hint of anger, and his expression was sincere, as if he was just persuading his friend to eat an extra bowl of rice.

Asa only felt that Rodhart's gaze stabbed him all over his body. He was silent for a long time, sighed, shook his head and said slowly, "But now it's too late even if you want to kill her." ”

"Nope. Rodhart smiled slightly. "I've quietly released her out of the Guards' cell. ”

"What?" Asa was taken aback. Although he knew that Rodhart would definitely find a way to help him, he didn't expect that he had actually brought Xuan out directly.

"Don't worry. No one will ever know that I did it. I just moved the guards' order of positions, told her how to escape, and then went to cause some accidents. Everything was natural, and the prisoner's escape was nothing more than an accident. ”

Rodhart's faint smile looked as if it was relaxed. But Asa looked at him with mixed feelings. He knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Rodhart is now the reserve captain of the Holy Knights, and during this time, he has made meritorious contributions and promoted quickly under the deliberate cultivation of the military, and even Asa, who has never cared much about them, can often hear about it. And now, for his own sake, he actually let go of an important prisoner appointed by the head of the Holy Knights. This is no longer a word 'dangerous' that can be described by him, it is simply a joke about his bright future and his head.

"She should have been waiting for me in the place I assigned to him by now. I was going to take her out and kill her quietly in a secret place. But I think since you once let her go, I should have come to ask you for good. So now I'll let her hide quietly in an inn, and I'll ask for your opinion first. Rodhart's voice was soft and soft, and he asked Asa like his own brother, "Kill her." ”

"Naturally, she should be released again, so that she can be caught by the guards who are searching all over the city. And then blow up your stupid friend who is righteous enough. Sandru looked at Assa, his sneering eyes and words stabbing him all over. "Or you can try to quietly escort her out of the city and fly away, haha, I think you should just turn yourself in, so you can save some effort. ”

Asa glared at Sandru viciously for the first time, and closed his eyes with a long sigh of pain.

As long as Xuan is caught again this time, it will not only affect Sandru, Bishop Ronis, but also Rodhart.

There really is no other choice. Asa looked at Rodhart with difficulty and said word for word, "Well, you go and kill her." ”

"We're going to go with that, too. Sandru suddenly reached out and grabbed Asa by the shoulder.

In order not to be noticed, Rodhart changed his knight's attire and put on the ordinary clothes of a commoner. He took Asa and Sandru to a relatively remote slum in the royal capital. There are a few dilapidated houses that have been abandoned.

In front of a dilapidated house, Rodhart stopped, gesticulated for Asa and Sandru to walk out of a broken window and remain silent, and then walked in himself.

"You're finally here. Xuan's anxious voice sounded inside. “

"You're not being discovered, are you?" said Rodhart's voice.

"Nope. I ran out quietly the way you said. I was also careful not to be noticed on the way. Xuan's current tone didn't quite hear the panic that people should have when they were running away, but more of an excited gasp like a girl who had a private meeting with a lover, and it actually had a bit of coquettishness. "I.... I'm really happy. I was scared all the time.... I was almost crazy when they caught me..... But when I saw you, I was immediately afraid of anything....."

Asa knew why Rodhart was able to get the whole thing out of Xuan's mouth at once. In a desperate situation, seeing that the idol he had always admired came out, Wen Yan asked, even if the gods came, it would not be more inspiring than this.

"Well, now that you're here, you don't have to be afraid. "Rodhart's voice is both calm and gentle, and it does have the heroic flavor to give any woman a sense of security.

"Thank you for saving me. There was an overexcited tremor in Xuan's voice, probably because he never expected that saving himself would be the hero he had admired for a long time.

"By the way, the things you told me are all that you saw in the woods that day, and did you tell anyone else but me?"

"Nope. Have you forgotten? You've asked me. ”

These words are spoken to us, that we may be reassured. Sandru patted Asa on the shoulder, his hands as cold as corpses. "This kid is thoughtful and cautious. ”

"Since the man has told you not to tell anyone about these things, why did you tell me as soon as I asked? Rodhart's voice.

"Because.... Because ....." Xuan hesitated, as if she didn't know how to express her feelings. "Because you're a hero. When a hero stands in front of me, I'm not afraid of anything, so I'll tell you everything. Her voice was full of trust and fascination.

Rodhart's voice was so gentle that it seemed that from this voice it was possible to imagine that his hand was on the woman's head, patting it like a kitten. "Are you really sure you haven't told anyone else about it?"

"No more. There really isn't, I won't lie to you. Xuan's voice was affirmative. Her voice was completely free of trembling and hesitation, what was there to worry about in front of such a hero who could give people a sense of security and warmth. Miss Prostitute's voice actually has the shyness of a girl. "You know what..... Actually, I've been...."

A strange voice sounded, turbid and crisp, abruptly halting all the words.

Asa was familiar with what it was, he had heard it before, and he had often felt it with his hands.

"It's over. Sandru's voice was as dry as the crash of a dead man's bones, and he pulled Asa up. "Let's go, go over and have a look. ”

Walking into the dilapidated house, Asa saw Xuan, who was lying limply in Rodhart's arms.

Her forehead was bandaged with strips of cloth, and there were faint traces of blood, but her face was very white, and the bandaging on her head seemed to be as good as possible, probably because she had not forgotten to touch her face while waiting here, because she was coming to see her idol, the hero. There were still traces of a gentle expression on her face, which were frozen when the consternation was excessive. I don't know if she was surprised by the sudden behavior of her hero, or if she was surprised by the sudden sight of her back.

Xuan's head was twisted completely behind her back. It looks like a twisted rag doll, with its head and body haphazardly joined together. Rodhart slowly lowered her body to the floor. His demeanor is still so calm, and his expression is still so calm.

Rodhart was soon gone, and he had to go back to help the royal guards hunt down the fugitive he had just killed. Only Asa and Sandru were left in the dilapidated house.

Sandru suddenly spoke, "This kid is really troublesome. In fact, according to my original plan, I will wait for things to automatically get out of hand, and find a way to force you to kill this woman with your own hands. ”

Asa was startled and turned to look at him. "What?"

"Because I want you to realize your mistakes and correct them with your own hands. Sandru's sneer made Asa feel a chill in his bones. "Do you think that if you let this woman go, she will really live? As I said, the Holy Knights' investigation will definitely know that the person who ambushed you has been in contact with her, and will naturally try their best to find her. And she, an ordinary woman, will never escape. In any case, she had only one way to die. Your kindness is nothing but a joke. Worthless. ”

"So you've been planning to do that for a long time. Asa let out a long sigh. "No wonder I felt strange when I heard from Bishop Ronis today that the bodies had been found. I, a rookie, forgot to destroy the corpse and destroy the traces, so how could you forget about it and leave at that time. ”

"I just want those people to see. That's why they're nervous, they're going to chase it with all their might, and they're going to catch the woman so quickly. ”

"Aren't you afraid that the Holy Knights will find you?

"I said, I'm not afraid of trouble. I'm just going to show you that your kindness isn't worth even a piece of fart. Sandru's voice actually had a bit of a vicious flavor. "In this way, when you do things and make judgments in the future, you will know how to think more about problems with your head. ”

"I never thought it was worth it, I just wanted to do it....."

"I promise, in the end, you'll be willing to kill this woman with your own hands. Sandru's smile sharpened. "You're just too weak. ”

"Weak?"

"I remember when you first came to the royal capital. At that time I could see in your eyes that it was firm, wild, and even a little cruel. It was a man's gaze. But now, you're not even a fart. ”

Asa didn't speak, looking at Xuan's corpse in silence.

"Let's go, don't waste time here. Sandru took Asa's hand and walked out of the dilapidated house. After turning the corner, he snapped his fingers, and the fire erupted from the dilapidated house. By the time they walked back to the house, the fire had ignited half the block.

On the road in the palace, the Duke and Clauvis were walking out of the palace.

"Accident, accident," the Duke muttered to himself, his slender eyebrows and eyes curled, and the smile that was usually just a signature had now expanded to the point where it was a little out of control, and the excitement had even surpassed the restraint of his self-control, making his businessman-like face look as if he had made a big deal.

No. It's not that he did a big business, but he picked a big bargain that fell from the sky.

This morning, the Duke suddenly received a decree from His Majesty the Emperor, asking him to enter the palace immediately to face the saint. This was a complete surprise for the duke, his subtle observation had a full judgment on the various political forces in the court, and he would not be caught off guard by every variable, but he did not expect that His Majesty the Emperor would suddenly call him over.

The Duke never cared about the preferences and movements of His Majesty the Emperor, and if he wanted to maintain an upright and upright image, he could not follow the example of others to bend the Holy Will. What's more, it's just a child who has no opinions and is easy to be swayed by the ministers, as long as he grasps those flies and dogs, and has the upper hand in politics, where is there any need to care about him?

But after all, he was still a bit of a ruler of the empire in name and in fact, so he couldn't be careless, so he immediately recruited his assistant Clauis in case of emergency, and the two entered the palace together to face the saint. The Duke was already prepared in his heart, and if His Majesty the Emperor had any opinions, blames, or was instructed by others, and doubted some of his actions, he could immediately take appropriate countermeasures to cover up the water.

But when Geffenhardt XVII had drunk all his attendants and even Clauvis, and was embarrassed to say what he meant, the Duke was completely stunned.

His Majesty the Emperor said that he intended to marry her daughter Chriss. That is, to ask him to be his father-in-law, to ask him to become a relative of the emperor, and to give him a huge amount of unparalleled political capital.

Just as people who can really make a lot of money will never be obsessed with winning the lottery, the powerful people are habitually down-to-earth while shielding the opportunistic vanity mentality, and sometimes they will miss some excellent opportunities. Moreover, the Duke liked the sense of accomplishment that came from improving and strengthening his position little by little, and he was confident that he could reach the height of his ideals, so he really never considered this kind of shortcut to the sky.

But when this path suddenly fell in front of him, he was invited to walk up with great strides, and the banal words such as overjoyed, surprised, ecstatic, etc., were no longer qualified to describe the mood at this time.

A young emperor who doesn't know the world, this is definitely a powerful trump card in the power struggle. Now this trump card has fallen into his pocket uninvited, and he has not collided with his image of integrity and integrity. And what would happen if such an ace fell into the hands of a good player like himself? Imagine the beautiful scene in the future, and even a man with self-control like the Duke could not hide his joy.

But happy is happy, the duke is still a duke after all. He immediately found a bit of dissonance in the surprise of the surprise.

Although he has never cared about the emperor's preferences and intentions, and although he has been busy making up for the previous plan some time ago, he doesn't even know that the emperor is interested in Chriss, so there is undoubtedly something missing.

"How's this kid doing?" asked the Duke, as Clauis had expected.

"He went out to put down a few pagan rebellions, and seemed to be doing well, the military ministers were pleased with his abilities, and the Bishop seemed ready to let him go with the fellow to Airy and then to pacify the heretics there. ”

"But he should know nothing about Chrissy and His Majesty. Dare to hide it from me. Hehe. The Duke's smile was as kind as ever, but the light in his eyes was sharper than ever. "Good intentions, good intentions. ”

Clauvis was not very comfortable with this assessment, and reminded the duke: "He and that guy are good friends.....

"I know. That's why I said he was scheming. The Duke nodded.

It was already early afternoon when I came out of the palace. An officer of the Guards, who was waiting for Clauvis, saw him come out with the duke, and hurried forward to report that the female witness had escaped.

"What did you say? Ran away? How did you escape? You rice buckets. "If it weren't for the Duke's presence, Clauis would have tore the officer in two at once.

"What female prisoner?" asked the duke, frowning.

After listening to Clauvis's words, the duke thought for a moment and asked the officer of the Guards: "You tell me all the details of how the female prisoner escaped, from the time Clauis left." ”

"After Chief Clauis left, Chief Rodhart went to see her. When he left, he asked us to take strict care of him. But then the storeroom caught fire, and the inmates of several other prisons somehow escaped..... and now Chief Rodhart is searching us everywhere with us....."

The Duke smiled faintly and waved to the officer. "Then go and search yours. ”

"Shall I go with me?" said Crowvis, asking the Duke.

"No need. The Duke looked at the officer's back and smiled. "Where can I find you in the corpse? ”

"Corpses?" Clauis was surprised.

"I may not even be able to find the body. The Duke said thoughtfully. "I won the appreciation of those military ministers, and then I almost stood by the side of the bishop with my old friends....hehe, it is really promising. He asked Clauvis: "Such a good person must pay more attention." When are they going to Airy?"

"It should be just these two days. ”

"The heretics there have heard that they are rampant, and if the timber industry that your family has given me suffers a loss, I will be very responsible. And that's your business, so go to Airy and take care of the timber business. And, of course, keep an eye on their every move. From now on, I want to know all their movements. The Duke's voice dragged. "Forget about the necromancer this time. The Bishop must have had a way to suppress these religious matters. But politically, things in the court, I'll see if these two guys still have so much luck. ”