Chapter 4 of the Haze Scroll Christmas Eve is a bloody hell

XVI

As the dark blue carriage with the insignia of the Free Navy Sea Harrier passes by the Cathedral of Fertila, the chant of vespers has begun to echo.

"I haven't been back for a week. ”

The half-elf yawned and muttered to himself. It was a rather difficult Christmas Eve for him—all because of a pre-scheduled Adventist dinner. He looked at the last invitation he was holding, crumpling it in annoyance.

"The Advent Gala Dinner will be held on December 24 at 6 p.m. at the Helmont Mansion in the North 3rd District. We look forward to your participation.

Commander of the Southwestern Army, Lieutenant General Clad López, Commander of the River Flotilla, Leonard Kekawi"

Similar invitations have been sent to many powerful people in Lennie. However, he himself did not want to attend the banquet. After struggling on the boat until four o'clock, he went to the business district south of the city for more than an hour before reluctantly calling a carriage and rushing in the direction of his home.

He knew the nature of the dinner. After all, he was also a half-elf, and had eaten more fruit than the average person had ever eaten bread. After so many years in the elven country of Shengsen, which is "synonymous with conspiracy", he is not so unclear that he can't even understand such a little political issue. In the long life of the elves, what they face most is a conspiracy shrouded in a high-sounding - otherwise what to do with this boring life?

"Surrender and rebel...... It's annoying. It's a pity to be in his place......"

This will be a dinner party related to the supreme throne of the Free Army. After the collapse of Field Marshal Govar and his entire faction of the Northern Army, the officers who had escaped the coup d'état urgently needed new protégés, and the politicians who had supported Marshal Govar needed new military agents. Otherwise, Vena Betsy, who had come all the way from Fates, would take over the entire council of staff—something that some people would not like to see. López still lives in the officers' quarters, and he has to borrow his mansion to host a dinner of this size.

As the carriage approached the door of the mansion, he could already see the familiar walls of his house. Not so long ago, he lived a boring day fishing in a small pond in the yard. And now, he has also begun to form his own team like a big man.

"Parking. ”

Leonard commanded weakly, looked at his pocket watch, and realized that it was almost seven o'clock. He shook his head, stepped out of the car door with one foot - and froze there. For a moment, he couldn't believe his eyes.

The familiar plain courtyard had been filled with colorful light, all kinds of magical light flew between the trees, and occasionally the fireflies danced dexterously, and the laughter of those goblins could almost be heard. Two rows of huge automatic statues and armor adorn both sides of the road leading to the main entrance, and finally standing in front of the door is the huge golden golem nearly two people tall, majestically greeting guests.

The courtyard has been renovated, the pool he used to use to kill time fishing is glowing with colorful lights, and actresses dressed as beautiful women play harps. Well-dressed waiters and maids weave densely in the courtyard and in the house to prepare dinners and entertain guests, and at a glance there are no known number of people. The temperature inside the hospital is significantly different from that outside the hospital, and it is as warm as a spring day.

"Is this the Advent of mankind......?"

It was the first Advent feast in his decades-long life. In St. Sen, the one true Church, there is no such festival – to be exact, there is a festival, but it is a completely opposite festival. For the One True Church, this day is the day of the apostasy of the damned human heretics, synonymous with bloodshed.

"Mr. Kakawi is back!"

As he stepped through the courtyard door, the doorman reported loudly in a high-pitched, full, almost aria voice. Each attendant and maid stopped what they were doing, and with swift and accurate movements like a professional soldier, they lined up in two rows on both sides of the road leading from the main entrance to the gate of the mansion, in order to meet him with the aristocrats.

"Quel undome, Ar'wenenamin (Good night, host)!"

It was a fairly standard Elvish pronunciation that Leonard thought he was back in St. Sen.

"Was this arranged by Rysa......? Is this what is called 'aristocratic pomp'?"

Hearing the title of "man", Leonard thought happily. Like a true elf, he walked proudly to the gate in front of the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the men who had already arrived—they and their wives were smiling as they pounced on the dessert tables that filled the courtyard, munching on them.

"You're back. The host and guest have arrived, and it's a little late. ”

"Quel undome Ea'mmane (Good night, hostess)!"

The half-elf looked up, and was greeted by Lesa in a golden off-the-shoulder evening dress. She stood at the top of the steps in front of the main entrance, surrounded by a faint white mist created by magic. He subconsciously slowed his pace, unable to take his eyes off it, not knowing if it was because of the effect of magic, or simply because of her awe-inspiring beauty.

"I'm back, Happy Advent. ”

He fumbled into his jacket pocket, pulled out a small, beautifully packaged box, and handed it over. On the red ribbon used for packaging, a mantra is embroidered with purple thread. Lesa took it, untied the ribbon, and the incantation turned into a faint purple halo that enveloped her entire body.

"Is this a 'protective curse', not a 'blessing'?

Leonard smiled awkwardly and explained, "It's hardly a good holiday on St. Sen's 'Split Day'. On the eve of this day, people wish each other peace and hope to meet again tomorrow. ”

Lessa's curiosity was immediately aroused: "So, you don't have a legend of the divine envoy giving blessings to people, and you don't bake a firebird to thank the gods?"

"Here's what the church says: those heretical gods, sorry, the Orthodox gods will send oracles in blood-colored red coats and blood-peaked hats. He piloted a sleigh towed by four blood-red nightmare beasts from the frigid depths of Endless Hell. He would sneak through the chimney into a house and kill unsuspecting men and women. Therefore, we have to roast firebirds, exchange gifts to ward off evil spirits, and bribe these immoral oracles to have a peaceful night. Leonard looked around, "It seems that the explanation of the festival seems to be ...... to you Very different. ”

"Regardless, one thing remains the same: on Christmas Eve, people exchange gifts. With a flick of her fingers, Lesa took a beautiful wooden box one foot square from the huge golden golem beside her, "It's a blessing magic that comes with it." ”

Leonard opened the wooden box and saw that it was a strangely shaped red sword-hilt gauntlet inside. "What is this?"

"It took me a week to make it, so let's take it back and try it out. Ressa explained, "Your sword's technique is a little behind. ”

"Thank you. The half-elf felt a burst of emotion, and stepped forward to gently hold her hand, "Then let's go in together......

Ressa withdrew her hand without hesitation. "No, I have a lot of other things to do. My staff officer A has to ask me to get back enough business to cover today's expenses, you go and get busy with yours, and I'll go and negotiate with those government officials. ”

Leonard, who had been bored, sighed and walked into the hall alone.

*** ***

The air in the hall was filled with a faint mist, and it smelled like sulfur. A huge, well-made rockery winds its way through the center of the once empty main hall, made of crimson igneous rock. Cheerful music reverberates around the rockery, sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right, setting off a happy festive atmosphere. He strolled along the edge of the rockery and found the source of the sound and smell. It was a miniature train running on narrow railroad tracks. Behind the train are several wagons filled with small gifts and snacks, which run steadily around the rockery.

"This kind of mechanized arrangement is quite stylish......"

Leonard looked at the "train" as it moved slowly, forking an onion ring from the third carriage. At that moment, a loud cry suddenly came from beside him, which shook his hand, and the onion ring fell off the fork.

"This car doesn't even have a boiler?! It turns out that the heat source can still do this! Unfortunately, if it can be designed to use double reciprocating pistons, it can do the whole work...... Who the hell designed this?!"

At first glance, the onion rings do not fall to the ground, but float in the air on the side. But when he looked closely, the half-elf realized that it was not floating in the air, but falling on a dwarf's military hat. But the dwarf didn't realize it, he was completely attracted by the miniature locomotive in front of him. He looked a little funny in the ill-fitting and oil-stained technical lieutenant gown of the Free Army. For a while, Leonard couldn't remember which unit's military uniform it was, so he could only secretly take off the onion ring with a fork, trying to find a place to throw it away before making a fool of himself.

At that moment, a scarred hand took the wine glass and tapped it on his fork, and the onion ring fell into the crimson wine without a trace.

"I'm sorry that my subordinates have caused you trouble, Your Excellency General Kakawi. Leave him alone, he's an engineering freak. ”

The half-elf turned his head and saw that it was another culprit who planned today's surrender conference. "Happy Advent, General López. ”

"Now most of the military who are not part of the Fathes faction have been invited, and many of the active members of parliament have also come. I've spoken to quite a few of them in the intervening time – it's clear that they're all intimidated by the power behind you and are considering whether or not to call. Speaking of which, the commander of the Southwest Army and the chairman of the Provisional Staff Council exchanged a glass of wine from the attendant, "Recently, Madame Zun's pure gold consortium has set off a wave in Lennipo. ”

Leonard corrected with a wry smile: "It's not my wife yet. ”

"Oh, I guessed, sorry. Lopez nodded understandingly, gauging the half-elf's mood, "Your spirits don't look good. If you don't want to do these dirty political entertainments, you don't have to go, just leave it to me. I'll make sure you get full support for your river fleet. ”

"Thanks, then I won't go. Leonard nodded hurriedly, feeling a ridiculous urge to laugh. Thanks to popular literature such as "Lord of the Rings" written by the propaganda agency of the Holy Forest, the fixed image of the elves in human society is "pure", "good", and "righteous", and even the pretentious human diplomats often get into unexpected trouble in Horinas.

López changed his tone: "However, there is someone you must still meet." Let me introduce you to my teacher, Marshal Conti Fawkes. ”

The half-elf was in a hurry, and he was busy cheering up. Even if he was only a small lieutenant in Shengsen, he had heard the deeds of the predecessors of the famous generals of the "God of War of the Free Nation" and "Kengler Fox". Behind the old marshal's warm smile lurked a wealth of experience and a genius for command. This man must be recognized in order for him to have a place in the armies of free nations. His presence today is a sign of Clad's plan to take over the entire Free Army...... In the tank?

"I am Leonard Kekawi, from the St. Sen's Offshore Fleet, and I am honored to meet you. ”

*** ***

"So far, so good. Next, it's their own business, after all, they are all elites of the times, don't let me down. ”

In fact, Reess Sefir, who had arranged all this, stretched out as she looked at the well-run banquet from a high vantage point. In order to prepare for this important dinner, she had already brought in capable butlers from several shops in pure gold, and invited all the third-rate magicians and priests in the consortium (compared to herself, there were probably no more than two dozen magicians who could be called "second-rate" in this era. However, even with these specialized talents, Rose was still tired and half dead to arrange this dinner of sufficient scale.

According to her original idea, on the first day of this New Year's holiday, she should lie on the sofa and sleep soundly. In order to make a fortune from the booming magic item market before Advent Sunday, she hadn't slept well in the past few days. Managing a huge consortium has always been a chore, let alone analyzing the flood of reports. Her sister was a genius at building intelligence organizations, and quickly built an intelligence network that was largely financed — at the cost of having no analytical or loyalty to speak of. The part-time informants who are employed by the Junjin Foundation work hard every day to write down rumors and submit them as information that may be commended, and "contribute to the prosperity of the group."

Of course, there is no secrecy in this system, and any organization, as long as it has the heart, can easily investigate the final flow of intelligence. After actually taking over the tedious management, she really wanted to grab Bonnie and ask questions about confidentiality. In this way, even the shoe-shining children on the street will know the fact that "pure gold" is forming an intelligence network......

Just as she thought this, the sapphire bracelet on her right wrist shone and trembled slightly.

"Emergency communication from Kengler, why use direct communication that can only be used once a week?"

Rising shook off the gaze of the people around her, walked into a nearby room, closed the door, and opened the anti-detection magic circle before unlocking the encryption magic on the bracelet. She raised her right hand to her ear, and her sister's calm voice rang out.

"Tonight is a critical moment. Vena Betsy would attack Fortiburg with the few elite troops he could muster in order to capture the Empire's secret envoys. We must find a way to inform López of this news! If we let the Phates succeed, we will be in big trouble. ”

Rose was taken aback by this sudden decision, and subconsciously retorted, "You mean that Admiral Betsy forcibly attacked in order to steal the credit?! ”

If you think about it, you can see that this is very much in line with his conservative thinking. Today, the Empire's envoys are already in Forteburg, and reinforcements from the north will arrive in three days. The worst-case scenario is that Govar surrenders directly to the Empire with all his men, and at best, he rejects the Empire's covenant and immediately surrenders to the Lenni government......"

"I see. Rose high-fived, "Betzier would rather avoid the worst outcome than the best." As long as the Empire's secret envoys are caught or killed, the worst-case scenario can undoubtedly be avoided, and you can take the first credit, and even if you fail, you can undoubtedly interfere with the negotiations of the other side and create a fait accompli for the Provisional Government. He's going to get rid of Lennie completely?"

"It's not just about getting rid of it, he's about controlling Lenny. The only problem is that we don't know if this person will be able to face the next situation. After all, in the history we know, he was going to die in battle. It's unfair, but we can't put our hopes in him. In public and private, we can only support Leonard and General López. ”

The signal is intermittent, accompanied by occasional silence. Bonnie may not like such interference either, but she, like Rise, has no choice.

The blonde girl shook her head and changed the subject stiffly: "By the way, why do you pay so little attention to secrecy? ”

"Do you know why conspiracy theorists exaggerate the strength of the conspiracy, sister?" the brown-haired girl over there was stunned for a moment before replying, her response mixed with a smile, "Because secret organizations that are unknown cannot exist." The best way to grow a secret organization is to let everyone know that it is powerful, so that it will be much easier to carry out work, buy intelligence, or expand its influence. There is no shortage of people in this world who are willing to take risks and sell their secrets, they just can't find a buyer. ”

"Really?" said Rise, still skeptical.

"What do you think? A secret organization with a vague reputation is indeed much easier to develop than a truly outright secret organization, and there is no shortage of people in the world who are willing to believe in conspiracy theories. The amount of useful information you're receiving these days is increasing every day, right?"

Rose nodded reluctantly and mumbled. Maybe her sister was right...... But this is always a far cry from the "perfect intelligence system" in her mind.

Bonnie continued: "Besides, it can't be said that we really don't have any secrecy at all, don't we still have Balus? This identity can be used against Lopez's adjutant Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood, with whom I had a bit of a friendship with the last time I used it. But you have to pay attention to ......"

Bonnie was about to get to the point when the sound coming from the bracelet suddenly became indistinct, mixed with a loud amount of magical interference. Even in Lenny City, there are people who use telecommunication magic. In this era, the Magic Net Stabilization Project has not yet been theoretically formed, and it is easy for magic communication to interfere with each other. Rose flicked her bracelet and flicked her arm again, but that didn't help improve the signal.

"Apathy...... Back to Lenny...... Induce...... Answering the Secret Envoy...... Acting on the opportunistic ......"

Between Bonnie Sefir's staccato words, she heard the muffled voice of another man, who seemed to be talking about something similar to theirs. In this huge city of Lenny, I don't know how many informants and agents are haunted. Almost at the same time, both Rose and the man were alert to this and decisively cut off the communication.

Silence followed. The sapphire on the bracelet had a dim glow and would not recover until a week later.

"Secrecy means......"

Rhyss smiled wryly and frowned. The "secrecy" was just a fictitious identity: most people believed that the superintendent of the vast intelligence system was a half-vampire named Balus Wei, a ruthless blue-haired beauty whose life goal was to hunt the undead. On the night of December 7, a significant number of people witnessed Balus and quietly added her to the list of "people to watch out for". Unfortunately, this identity was designed by Bonnie on her own initiative, and Rose herself didn't know much about it.

"It seems that Bonnie hasn't used this identity since she left, right? It's a pity that I didn't listen to all of her advice...... Forget it, it's just a meeting, it shouldn't be a big problem. Perfect Disguise!"

After reading Bonnie's profile and changing into a blue-haired vampire look, Rose walked over to the mirror and began to scrutinize her sister's disguised identity. The figure is undoubtedly top-notch, good enough to probably require wearing a specially sized outfit. There is a dangerous sense of provocation in the eyes and outfit, which makes people afraid to approach and fascinated. Thinking of the gap between this identity and her sister's original image, Rees smiled heartily. In her time, Miriana Quilahia was a person who would be mistaken for a stereotypical governess or a capable female president.

"The reason why I chose to disguise myself as a half-vampire is probably so that this identity doesn't have to appear during ......the day, right?

She turned around in front of the mirror a few times, swapped out a few accessories that seemed too voluptuous and offensive according to her taste, and changed her figure to be less exaggerated. It wasn't until "seductive and crazy" was nerfed to the point that she nodded.

"The name of the famous Lieutenant Colonel Tedwood is ...... Hull, right? Maybe we should be more intimate. ”

She thought for a moment, walked to the window, unfurled her bat wings from behind her arm, and quietly jumped down from the courtyard into the banquet hall.

*** ***

The main dishes of large-scale banquets are very cheesy.

Lieutenant Colonel Hel Tedwood had a social smile on his face, staring at the pan-fried truffle steak in front of him. However, no matter how vulgar the main course, as long as it can interrupt the boring drinking party, it is a good main course.

The hosts of the dinner prepared tables that could only accommodate two or three dishes, each with only one chair, apparently to make it easier for everyone to eat alone and avoid the guests they didn't like. It's a pity that as Clad's adjutant and chief staff officer of the Southwestern Army, he can't escape guests he doesn't like.

He must remember everyone's face and complete countless clinking glasses, talking, smiling, and making promises to pave the way for his future. Clad only spoke to the most important people, while Hull was in charge of the young aspiring visitors. Tonight he was like in the center of a whirlpool, surrounded by a pyramid of compliments piled up with praise. He suspected that the average person had not heard as many polite words in his life as he had done this night.

But he was no longer affected by these words. After that nightmarish night of subversion, he has become accustomed to looking at everyone with suspicion, using fake acting skills to gain the favor of others, and speculating about the true intentions of others.

"What seems to be the most righteous is often the most despicable motive. The most honest and reliable people are often the most scheming. The loudest words of praise are often the darkest thoughts. ”

That night, the blue-haired vampire girl, who smiled calmly and seemed to not eat the fireworks of the world, shattered his old worldview with such words and vigorous actions. The former military academy cadets, who lived in praise, intelligence officers and staff officers who were almost never infallible, began to look at the world with their own eyes, trying to see their intentions in people's actions.

Just like Balus...... No, he's better than her.

“...... Joke. Thinking of this, he smiled bitterly and secretly laughed at himself, "This goal is not easy to talk about." Just looking at the base she built, it was countless times stronger than our pitiful three small offices. Personnel advance and retreat are well-founded, intelligence is well gathered, and conversations in every dark corner cannot escape surveillance. The number of mages and priests involved is by no means comparable to us, and it is more of a demonstration than a surrender meeting...... The real protagonists of this dinner should be her and her hostess. ”

He chewed on the bitter steak and swallowed it reluctantly, and began to think about who he would talk to for the second half of the banquet and revelry. It is also necessary to gain the favor of a few middle-level military figures......

"Do you want to take this plate away?"

Hearing the gentle and amiable voice of the waitress, Hull answered absentmindedly. The waitress chuckled, and instead of picking up the plate and cutlery in front of him, she stretched out her slender index finger with long purple nails and tapped it twice on the edge of the tabletop. Bai Yu's table top turned over in response, and the tableware that was originally placed on it was directly overturned into the thick table legs, revealing another purple translucent tabletop. Before Hull could marvel at the ingenuity of the design, the waitress sat down unceremoniously at the table, her right leg resting on her left knee, her fingers interlaced over her chin, and she stared at him with a smile.

"Hi Hull, meet again...... This. ”

The moment he recognized the waitress dressed as a beautiful woman, the calm intelligence officer almost dislocated his jaw. In front of him was the half-vampire girl he had been thinking about day and night, Miss Balus Wei. Moreover, it was more friendly than she had ever been: she actually called his name directly with that metallic voice!

Hull. Hull. Does that mean she agrees with him?

The young lieutenant colonel only felt a rush of blood rushing to his head, and he had to bite his lip hard to prevent himself from blurting out something inappropriate. He wanted to stand up and salute the lady at once, but he couldn't get his balance right, and he fell back with his chair, and he was about to make a fool of himself.

She reached out with unimaginable speed, grabbed his right forearm, and pulled him with incredible force. The touch of those five fingers was as cold as steel, and only a slight pulse flutter could indicate half of her human blood. She's so strong, and she's so ...... Taking this opportunity, he hurriedly knelt down on one knee and kissed her left hand to cover his gaffe.

"You're really reckless, Lieutenant Colonel. Balus withdrew her left hand and said with a smile. The smile sent ripples through Hull's heart. "I'm coming to you for an urgent military situation. Admiral Betsy is about to attack Fortiburg. ”

This sentence was like a mortar cannonball, smashing Hull from the enthusiasm of his first love, and he couldn't answer for a while.

"What to do, you and Admiral López naturally understand. I will arrange for the banquet to continue, and you can leave with peace of mind. It's about the credit, right?"

It only took her time to say this for Hull to understand the situation. He wouldn't doubt the accuracy of the woman's information: she was much more professional than he was. There was no doubt that she was on their side, knowing that that was enough.

"Thank you for your information, Miss Yui. Is there any cost? If we can afford it, we will try to be satisfied. ”

Hearing his question, Balus's expression stiffened for a moment, then to distress and hesitation, and finally to a charming smile that was confident and eager to try. "Uh...... I have only one small condition. Lend me a few sets of Free Army uniforms and ranks. The sooner the better. ”

Hull was stunned: "Do you want to go too...... Well, okay. We also have a few female officers nearby, and I will send them over as soon as I find a suitable one. ”

"Thank you, Hull. The blue-haired waitress jumped off the table and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute. A sudden impulse made Hull boldly open her mouth to stop her, "Can I invite you to dance, only ...... Balus?"

"I'm sorry. We'll all be busy tonight, wait until next time. ”

Rose, who thought she had performed well, left this sentence and walked straight out the door. Behind her, the officers were busy almost immediately, and each found plenty of reasons to leave the dinner hall.

But she forgot one thing: she had completely forgotten the hostess of the banquet. When Resa Helmont appeared at the ball in a newly ordered golden evening gown after the main course, as planned, she realized that the two inviters had already said goodbye.

"Annie, Leonard, Balus, you three guys remember me!"

Shouting in her heart, the alchemist had to take on the posture of a nobleman and the mistress of the Pure Gold Consortium to receive the remaining guests.

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Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!