"Why do you judge like that?" asked Qinglong, looking at Alicia for a long time.

"Just think about what you've done. Alicia crossed her hands on her hips and talked eloquently, "You planted such a big trap in the morning tea shop before, and we suffered a big loss. However, at that time, we were not prepared, and we did not expect to be ambushed in public. ”

"I'm just taking advantage of your psychology to make you think that I don't dare to do it openly in a crowded place. So, when you let down your guard one by one, I have an opportunity to take advantage of. Qinglong said in a factual tone, not at all like he wanted to boast about his clever means.

"Yes, but with this first experience, in the same place, in the same environment, our vigilance skyrockets. The tavern where Suzaku is located is similar to the morning tea shop, with a lot of people and noisy. But with the lessons of the last time, we have all heightened our vigilance. Alicia said, gesturing to the place where her butt was, "So it's not all by chance that Daron was able to spot the dagger hidden behind Suzaku's back. ”

After listening to Alicia's words, Qinglong seemed to be amused, and laughed:

"I have to admire you because your imagination is so rich. Are you trying to say that I deliberately arranged the ambush in the morning tea shop to help you pass Suzaku's trial? ”

"But you told me to go south first, and to participate in the Suzaku trial first. After a lesson, you don't fall in the same place again, do you?" Alicia asked.

"As I said, it's all your imagination. Qinglong shook his head and said.

"Well, if this thing doesn't count, then the same thing will happen again. It's the game of the five kids before your trial!"

"What's wrong with that game?"

"You don't have to arrange that game. Originally, it would have been difficult to find these five children with different heights, looks, clothes, and even skin colors, and you had to teach them how to play me. Are you working so hard just to fix me?"

"Of course, because you came to me last, I got a little bored of waiting, so I came up with this game to pass the time. ”

"However, your real trial actually has the same idea of solving the problem as this game, is this incident accidental?"

Qinglong stopped talking, staring at Alicia silently.

"One is a palatial door, the other is a dilapidated and decaying door, but the real answer is a hidden door. Don't be blinded by appearances in order to find the right answer. Just like those five children, you asked me to find the most distinctive one among them, according to the normal way of thinking, I will definitely start from the appearance or characteristic factors, but the real answer is clearly in front of me, but hidden in the blind spots of thinking. ”

"So what?" Qinglong asked.

"You deliberately arranged that game so that I could find the right way to solve the problem in the trial. Alicia said flatly.

The silence lasted for five seconds, and Qinglong sighed and said:

"You're really fit to write a novel, Miss Alicia. ”

"The above is pure speculation on my part, and it would be fine if you don't admit it, but that's not all I have to say. Alicia continued.

"You say. Qinglong raised his hand.

"There's one thing that no matter how much I think about it, I can't get it. Then why did you let me go to this trial?" Alicia said as she stared at Qinglong with sharper eyes, "If a layman accidentally passes this trial and becomes your guildmaster, it will undoubtedly be a disaster. Because even if I have the qualifications to pass the trial, I may not be able to lead the Thieves Guild. In my opinion, it would be much more reassuring to have an insider as the head of the Thieves Guild. So, what is your purpose in making me pass this test very 'unfortunately' on the grounds of playing?"

Daron nodded, and it was a question he couldn't think of anyway.

"Then I realized that there must be only one reason. Alicia walked up to Qinglong and looked at him with her eyes firmly on him, "That's the peculiarity of my identity! Actually, you already know who I am, right?"

There was silence again, but this time, the silence lasted longer. During this time, Qinglong lowered his head as if he was pondering something. Soon after, a smiling face was raised, and it bloomed in the air.

"It's not a good topic to discuss here, let's go to the hotel you mentioned. I'll tell you about the details on the way. ”

On the way, Qinglong no longer concealed it, and began to clarify his purpose and original intention.

"The East Branch was originally a member of the Thieves' Guild that was responsible for intelligence gathering, so of course I know your identity, Princess Garbadia. Your experience along the way has long been thundered in my ears. The green dragon said with a gesture and bowed to Alicia.

"Who else in the guild knows?" asked Alicia

"It should be just me at the moment, because I also guessed and reasoned based on the intelligence I gathered. Qinglong said honestly.

"That's good, if necessary, as long as I kill you, there will be no trouble. The corners of Alicia's mouth lifted, and she said this coldly, and she didn't know if she was joking.

But Qinglong was not frightened, and still said with a smile:

"Then Your Highness the Princess, you have one less strong supporter. ”

Alicia blinked her starry eyes and asked:

"Oh, what kind of help can you give me?"

Qinglong coughed twice, softened his throat, and said:

"Since the princess is in such a situation, it shows that the coup d'état must have hidden secrets. If the Black Prince can ascend to the throne today, his hands must be stained with blood. You can let him sit on the throne while you're out there, and you don't know you exist, right?"

Alicia was shocked, she didn't expect that she didn't say anything, but Qinglong had already seen it thoroughly, and her usual smile seemed to be just a mask to disguise his scheming that he was very capable of.

A large sword slammed across Qinglong's neck again, stopping him from moving forward. I heard a cold voice in the air, and shouted in a low voice:

"If you dare to tell me about it, I'll kill you!" said Talon as he stared at Qinglong with a fierce expression. Fortunately, they are now walking between the alleys, and if they were seen by pedestrians on the street, they would have made a commotion.

"Of course, I don't want to say it, but lately the deeds of the princess have gradually become known in Infilia. I've heard you've told the townsfolk in Fermod who you are to tell you who you are?"

Alicia nodded and said:

"Yes. ”

Qinglong sighed and said:

"Then even if I don't say it, sooner or later this matter will arouse Yejia's vigilance. So, I think the help of the Thieves' Guild will be a great help for you right now. We are the shadows active in the Galbadia underground, and you can use all our resources to gain a tactical advantage. ”

"Tactical superiority?

"Intelligence, infiltration, infiltration, assassination, and so on. ”

Alicia crooked the corners of her mouth and smiled:

"Then can I just find someone and assassinate Yega?"

"Hehe, although you can do this, I don't recommend it, because the success rate of this thing is too low. There is no shortage of masters around Yejia, especially the prime minister who often accompanies him and does not know the details. He was a magician himself, and it is said that he could even detect a bird flying in the sky of Yebasta. ”

Kyeloa nodded and said:

"It's similar to the long-standing Enchantment Detective, but it's much smaller than the Scarlet Queen's, and it requires the help of an amplifier. ”

Alicia thought for a while and asked:

"Qinglong, you and I both know that the Thieves' Guild is not such a generous organization, what kind of conditions do you expect from me to give me assistance?"

Seeing that Alicia was not like her sixteen-year-old appearance, and that she understood it very well in her heart, Qinglong couldn't help but laugh and said:

"My request may not be representative of the entire guild, but I hope that when you reclaim your throne, you will give us a place in the Thieves' Guild. ”

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Alicia frowned, she didn't understand what the blue dragon was referring to. Because now the Thieves' Guild has become a huge organization buried deep in the ground of Garbadia, and they satisfy the dark side of this society in a unique way, if there is a place for it, don't they already have it?

Qinglong raised his head, looked directly into Alicia's eyes, and said:

"What I want is the right for all of us in the Thieves' Guild to be able to roam freely in the sun!"

Alicia was stunned for a moment, this was something she had never considered. The Thieves' Guild, an organization that makes people feel frightened and talks about color change, who would have thought that the people in it would have such ordinary wishes.

"The vast majority of the Thieves' Guild did not choose such a way of life willingly. Most of them were forced by life, by the wicked, by fate, and embarked on this path. But once they join the guild, it means that they can no longer walk in the sun to their heart's content. We are engaged in the business of stealing, lurking, and killing, and we have to hide our faces from others. We weren't even allowed to have our own names, we were just calling each other by code names. I've been thinking, if a person doesn't even have a name, can he still be called a human?" Qinglong said slowly with a sincere expression on his face that he had never seen before.

"We have renounced our qualifications to be human beings, to be feared by the world, and to be forsaken by the world. But none of this is what we wanted. Alicia, I know your ambitions, you want to build a society where everyone is equal. Although this ideal is far away, it is possible to realize it only if someone takes a step for it. In the past, Yedam Galle tried, but he failed. Today, you have the same ambition, but you have a bigger opportunity than Jedam Galle. I hope you can become a generation of saints, so that each of us can find our true name again!"

Qinglong's words were sincere, and everyone was shocked at once.

After a long time, Alicia spoke:

"It's far away, but it's not unreachable. ”

Everyone looked at her.

These were the words of the Founding Emperor before the final battle with the Overlord, and it was said at the time that he was not referring to the stronghold of the Iancrosses, but to the fruits of victory. However, I have a different opinion. Alicia looked into the distance and said, "I think that what the Founding Emperor has always looked at has always been the prosperous world of equality, happiness and well-being in his mind. ”

Then Alicia turned her gaze back, and saw that her eyes were firm, like a towering mountain, unshakable, like a windless sea, without waves.

"Since the founding of Garbadia, this ideal has never been broken, even if I can't realize it, someone will realize it one day! However, that person is definitely not Yaga, so I must overthrow him, no matter what means, what method, even if I must use the power of your Thieves' Guild!"

Qinglong smiled slightly, in the dim alley, the sunlight finally found a suitable angle to shoot in, just sprinkled on the faces of the two, golden light.

"Alright, let me use my three-inch tongue to help you convince those three guys. ”

The group walked back towards their original destination, and Qinglong walked behind Alicia, watching her back, gradually enveloped in sunlight......

Eleven years ago, a gray-faced, ragged teenager leaned against a dilapidated earthen wall and stretched out his begging hands to passers-by. People who are busy with work cast an indifferent eye on them. The glamorous aristocratic girls covered their mouths and noses with their hands and avoided him with disgust. Only some of the people who lived in the same modest wealth but who were self-sufficient would stuff a few copper plates into the palms of the little beggar as they passed by him. At this time, the child would kowtow as if he had seen a life-saver.

The uncle who sold bread at the end of the alley talked to the little beggar and knew that he had no father or mother and had been orphaned since he was a child, so he saw that he was pitiful, and would leave him one of the breads that could not be sold every day. When he received the bread, the little beggar always showed his dirty two rows of teeth and smiled gratefully at the uncle.

When the sun had set, the little beggar packed up his things, and after making sure that no one was following him, he sneakily walked along the stone road to a hidden house, opened the door and entered.

After entering the door, the little beggar seemed to be a different person. He stretched and yawned. Then he counted the copper plates in his hand, showed a disgusted expression, and said:

"Nowadays, people are really getting more and more stingy, and they can only earn so little every day. ”

A woman's voice came from the house, and she replied:

"Isn't it nice to pretend to be a beggar and cheat money every day, to stay at home, or to play with other children?" said a woman with a basket of vegetables, coming out of the room.

"Accompanying that group of mentally handicapped people, what's so fun, it's really not as happy as acting every day like this. ”

"You kid...... Hey...... "The woman didn't seem to be able to control him, so she had to let him go."

Day after day, no one discovers the child's secret. Until one day, after the bread seller gave the little beggar a loaf of bread as usual, he had already pushed the trolley and was about to go back, but on the way he suddenly remembered that tomorrow was the National Day, and his store would have a day off, and the rest of the bread would definitely be useless for another day. After thinking about this, he thought of the little beggar again, and thought that it would be better to give it all to him than to waste it.

However, when the uncle returned to that place, he found that the little beggar was no longer there. The uncle went to look at the place where he had been begging, and found that the little beggar had not gone far, and wanted to call him out, but when he found that the boy was looking around and walking in a sneaky manner, he could not help but be suspicious, so he followed him all the way back to the house.

At this point, the truth is revealed. The uncle found that the child was not as fatherless and motherless as he said, and that there was a young mother in the family who cooked for him, and immediately understood that the little beggar's poor appearance was all pretended. The uncle suddenly became angry, and slammed the door under the frightened gaze of the little beggar. The little beggar's mother looked at the wooden door that had been thrown out of place and sighed silently.

From then on, for a long time, the little beggar was no longer seen on the street. The story of him pretending to be poor and cheating money also slowly spread among the neighbors, and some people who gave him charity hated him to the core.

One day after that, the little beggar suddenly appeared in the field of view again, this time he was better dressed than before, and he was no longer in rags, at least in full covering. However, his face was haggard, his face was dull yellow, his lips were dry, and his body was withered, as if he had been hungry for days.

However, after going through the previous events, passers-by only regarded his current appearance as a play, but this time he did it more seriously.

"Water...... Water ......" The little beggar kept repeating these two words, and he drooped his shoulders weakly, and even seemed to have lost the strength to raise his head. He no longer asks passers-by for money, all he asks for is water.

It turned out that the little beggar's mother died a week ago due to overwork, overwork, and the family had no money to see a doctor. The boy without his mother really became a beggar this time, but this time, no one believed him anymore.

The little beggar felt his body getting heavier and heavier, and gradually he fell to the ground as if it had been filled with lead.

His ears were filled with the ridicule and criticism of passers-by. But no one was willing to stand up and help him. He felt that the world was leaving him, and that his mother had opened her arms to him in heaven.

"What's wrong with you?"

At this moment, an incomparably crisp and pleasant voice sounded in his ears. Miraculously, it gave him the strength to look up.

In front of his eyes, there was a little blonde girl crouching on the ground, tilting her head, looking at him with innocent eyes.

"Princess, please go back to your carriage, it's not safe here. The heavily armed soldier beside her said.

"But this man has fallen, and he may need help. The blonde girl stared at her guard with wide eyes.

The soldier glanced at the little beggar, showed a look of disdain, took the blond girl's arm, and said:

"This person is almost dying, Your Highness Princess, Your Majesty's hunting convoy has left the south gate, we have to catch up with them quickly. ”

"Water...... Water ......," the little beggar prayed with the last of his strength.

"Let go of me, what is he talking about!" the blonde girl pushed away the guard's hand, not too dirty, and leaned on the floor to lean close to the little beggar's ear, "What are you talking about, I didn't hear clearly, you say it louder." ”

“...... Water ......" The little beggar is almost unconscious.

The girl heard it clearly this time, and she immediately stood up and shouted to the crowd of onlookers around her:

"He's going to drink water! If any of you have water, give him a drink!"

However, after hearing this, no one stepped forward to give him water to drink.

Annoyed, the blonde girl turned her little head and suddenly spotted the jug at the guard's waist and pulled it off. She untied the lid of the jug with her young hands and handed it to the little beggar.

"It's water, drink it!"

The little beggar's eyes immediately moistened, and he took the kettle with a trembling hand, and without getting up, he moved the spout to his lips and poured the water into his throat.

"Drink slowly! The blonde girl said worriedly.

The little beggar was so thirsty that he drank a jug of water in one gulp and burped. At this time, he had the strength to take a good look at the girl in front of him who had saved his life, and asked:

"Who are you?"

"Hee-hee. The blonde girl smiled like a sunny smile and replied, "My name is Ellie, if you don't have water to drink, come to me, I'm the princess of this country!"

"Princess, it's time for us to go!" the guard was anxious, if the princess delayed her journey because of such an incident, the king would blame him, and he must be the one who could not eat and walked.

The young princess nodded, stood up obediently, and dusted away the dust from her skirt with her hand, and said to the little beggar:

"I'm gone, you have to live well. ”

This last sentence was like a warm sunshine shining on the little beggar's heart. He cried, he didn't expect to cry so fiercely, snot and tears, but the cry turned into laughter at the end. He laughed, and in the bewildered gaze of all the onlookers, he laughed happily like a madman.

"Kids. A voice with a sense of vicissitudes sounded beside him. The little beggar wiped his tears and saw a middle-aged man with his face hidden in his hood standing in front of him.

"You don't belong here, I'll take you away. The man said.

"Where?" asked the little beggar.

"Go be a shadow. The man replied.

"Okay!" the little beggar smiled, and he agreed so quickly that he didn't even seem to think about it.

"But if you want to be a shadow, you have to give up your former identity. Forget your previous name, from now on, your name will be ......"

......

"Green Dragon!" Alicia suddenly turned around in front of her, bringing the green dragon immersed in memories back to reality.

"Don't worry, no matter who it is, even the Thieves' Guild, as long as this country asks me, I will definitely listen. Help me to build a nation where all men are equal, the ideal is far away, but it is not unattainable!"

"It's far away, but it's not unreachable......," Qinglong repeated the words, and a smile began to appear on the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at the blonde girl in front of him.

Great, it turns out that the girl in his heart has never changed.