Followed by the two royal guards, the mercenary stood tall and fearlessly walked through the bronze door, which was nearly twenty meters high, but only opened a gap, like a huge mouth, strode to the front of the throne, and bowed casually.

"The leader of Lilinoor's regiment, Lily Nono." She said loudly, "Or, if you're happy, call us September?" ”

The Aratians stood beside Lily, greeting only as a follower of the Lord of Light, and did not speak. And the girl followed, almost trotting to keep up with the two of them. She folded her hands over her lower abdomen, bent slightly in courtesy, and then straightened up to look at the marble throne dotted with flaming stars.

She had read in books about the royal court, and the writers had praised it. But it is only when you are in it, and you can see with your own eyes the walls made of rock without the slightest gaps, the columns that stand above the sky, the deep and distant vaults, and the majesty and oppression that all this brings, that you can truly feel the great achievements of the people of Peron, and their glorious history.

"Ann de St. Violet, Fifth Empress of the Violet Empire, greets you on behalf of Archduke Egmonton de St. Violet, and wishes you good health, Your Highness Karim."

The Volcano Fort is also a testament to the larger scale. Two thousand years have been spent on this fortress, but it has not been made fragile. If nothing happens, it will still stand here for thousands of years, Ann thought silently.

Mellon's king, Karim Rockfire, looks a little old. The corners of his eyes drooped slightly, his body was strong but no longer erect, and half of his reddish-brown beard was gray and gray on his chest. Ann remembers him as the eldest grandson of Grant Rockfire—or the nephew of the previous King of Peron, Fortaron Rockfire. The fact that the Kingdom of Mellon is quite traditional in terms of inheritance also means that Karim can 'retrieve' the throne from his uncle, and he must have full advantages.

He propped his elbow on the throne, reclining on his right fist, bowing his head slightly, and looking at Lily and the others condescendingly.

"I've heard of you, the descendants of the 'explorers' of Egmonton, and the 'living gods' of the northern forests." The elder Beron narrowed his eyes, his voice low and majestic, "Have you come to tell me that the desert—and your homeland—has been freed from the curse and no longer devours the lives of travelers?" ”

"That's the first thing we report to you." Ann bowed slightly, raised her head, and calmly met King Karim's gaze, "The root of the curse is the transformation of the forest by the wizard Femir Stark two hundred years ago, and the guardian there and a lich, a clone he left behind on the main plane. The girl turned her head and looked at her companions, "Now that the Guardians have been liberated, the clones have been killed by September and Ariel. However, it may take years or more for the north to become a habitable place again. ”

"Good. It's been two hundred years since the Peronians lost there, and we don't care about waiting a little longer. Karim bowed his head very slightly, was silent for a moment, and raised his eyelids again, "Looks like you have something else going on?" ”

Ann nodded. Lily raised her hand to gesture to the other person, and then picked up.

"In the last three weeks, several Berons have died for no apparent reason, and you must know about it?"

"Of course."

The king of the Beronites lowered his right hand and straightened his body. "Death from the magic of Mar, that's the unanimous conclusion of the wizards. Are you trying to tell me that it's another curse? ”

"Our members are still investigating, and we will definitely find the truth soon?" The mercenary shook her head and said, "But we asked the 'crows' who you regarded as sinners - they didn't know what was going on, and they didn't do anything harmful. She puffed up her chest, "You should know that no one can lie in front of us." ”

"I agree with what September said, as evidenced by the honor of the Airatians." Ariel spoke for the first time, and Karim's voice was so clear that Karim couldn't help but notice, "The Raven Knight is a follower of Mal, but he is neither the embodiment of evil nor the messenger of destruction. In addition to them, there must be other beings on this continent who can use the magic of the "Lord of the Earth", or similar means. ”

"And it's definitely not easy to mess with." Lily shrugged her shoulders and said casually, "Blame the wrong person or second, if the 'real murderer' is still wandering in this fortress, you won't be able to sleep in peace if you want to come?" ”

King Karim leaned back to his throne and raised his left hand to stroke his long hair before he spoke again, "The 'gods' of the north, and the messenger of the Lord of Light. Even if what you say is true, what are you going to ask of me—or rather, from the Kingdom of Mellon? ”

Ann turned her head and glanced at Lily, giving the answer that she had discussed halfway.

"We need to borrow two royal wizards from you, plus a 'Witness' with sufficient status." Lilianor's regiment and the helpers we have hired will be accompanied by them to tour the suspicious places of the volcanic castle and investigate every hidden clue. The girl tilted her head slightly, and replied easily and steadily, "As long as the 'sinner' is still committing murder, there will be more clues left, and I believe that as long as you have read the expedition report we have submitted, you will understand the strength of the Lilianor." ”

"Of course, I know what you're capable of." Karim closed his eyes and groaned, slowly spitting out each word, "But is the 'helper' you mentioned the same knights as the crows?" Seeing Ann nodding slightly, he leaned forward and clasped his hands in front of his chest, "No matter how you explain it, they are the most suspicious objects right now." If you are wrong, you can bear the consequences. ”

It's not so much a question as it is a test of their confidence. This was all within her expectations, and she naturally did not back down.

"I'm sure the Crow is innocent, and I'm willing to make a bet with you, Your Highness Karim." The girl replied.

The elder Beron tapped his fingers on the throne and groaned for a long time, a faint smile slowly rising on his face.

"Good. If you win, I will publicly acquit the crows, compensate them for the loss of this time, and give you the proper reward for solving the problem. And if you lose—"

"All the Knights will leave the Volcano Castle and never set foot in the Kingdom of Mellon again for the rest of their lives. If one of them does commit murder, the sinner will be handed over to you. Ann's voice was soft and calm, but with unshakable confidence, "In addition, the fruits of our adventure, including the maps we drew and the specimens we collected on our return trip, were all given to you free of charge as the price for our mistakes in judgment. ”

Karim's smile deepened, and he raised his hands and clapped three times slowly.

"The kingdom will lend you the best wizards, and I hope you will give you a satisfactory answer, Lilianor."

……

The first floor of the Volcano Fort is usually spacious and bright, but the rooms on the second floor are a little lower than the others—old Grum had told her a long time ago that it was more reassuring for the Beronians to sleep in a cramped place.

Not so long ago, the room was overcrowded. Sean and Alaya, Alphonse and Lily, Elio and her, Bell, Groom, Ariel, and the other members of the Order were sitting or standing in the room, making the somewhat gloomy atmosphere even more oppressive.

But no one cared about that, and few people didn't even make a sound. Only the girl who called herself an explorer, consistently asked questions, listened to answers, wrote notes in her notebook, and then raised her head and asked the other party to call the next person to come—

This time it was a female knight, dressed in black, unarmed, and looking a little cramped. She raised her right hand, saluted Sean's side first, and bowed in Ann's direction.

"I'm sorry for you. Claire Walker, huh? The girl asked softly as she looked into the other's eyes.

"Ah...... Yes, miss. ”

"When did you join the Crow Knights, and where did you belong?"

"Four years ago, miss. Now part of Chief Cathy's Fifth Legion, but temporarily ...... Disbanding. ”

"How long have you been in Volcano Fort, and what have you been doing here since then?"

"Two months...... Less than half a year. I...... Worked as a tavern waitress, and ...... Sometimes I also do some security work, helping the boss deal with the miners who have drunk too much. But ......," she hung her head, "until two weeks ago." ”

"You've been fired, haven't you?"

The knight nodded slowly. "It's good to hire my owner...... In the first few days, he also told me that those things had nothing to do with me, and let me do my job...... Even because of me, there are a lot fewer customers in the store. Just ......," she sighed slightly, "two weeks ago, his cousin...... The owner of another inn died. ”

"I see." Ann brushed a few strokes, her face still calm, "Did your employer ask you anything?" ”

He ...... He got angry at me and asked me if I was one of the 'murderers', but when he sobered up, he apologized to me. Claire clasped her hands in front of her, "He didn't continue to blame me, and even gave me more than a dozen silver coins, just saying that he didn't want to see me again...... So ......"

"What was your answer?"

The female knight paused for a moment and cleared her throat, "I said I don't know, I don't know anything. Actually, I'm worried about it...... Who of ours did these things, but I can't think of it. Neither Hanks nor Wood can be, neither will Cynthia and Martha, and Prince ...... It's been a long time since I've seen him......"

"That is, you thought about it, but came up with a negative answer." Ann raised the corners of her mouth slightly and looked at her encouragingly, "Do you have anything else in mind?" ”

Claire shook her head and glanced at Sean Tamble, who was standing in the corner, with a faint look of fear on her face, "I don't know...... But Grand Master, is it ...... Our people, really did it...... That kind of thing? ”

Hearing no response, Ann looked up and looked around at everyone in the room. Claire was flanked by two knights of the Fifth Legion, who were now watching the officers of the Order with concern; Cathy herself stood on the other side, her hands clasped to her chest, her face calm, but the smile she had lost from her old days; Lily sat on the edge of the bed holding hands with Alphonse, looking out the window with a bit of a distraction.

Sean stared at her for a few seconds, then turned his gaze to the ground and said nothing—she understood that the Grand Master of the Crows wanted to prove his men's innocence and was afraid to hear another answer.

"I don't think so." The girl replied in place of Sean. It wasn't just a comfort—the Crow Knight had nothing to do with the Perons, and she couldn't think of any motive for doing so. Ann's knowledge of magic is limited, but everything she has experienced is enough for her to understand that the truth of many things may be hidden under the fog on the surface.

The female knight looked relieved, and her body straightened slightly. Ann stood up deftly and owed to Claire.

"Thank you for your answer. Soon there will be an answer, trust us. ”

Claire turned slowly and left with the two knights who accompanied her. When the door to the room was closed again, the girl leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes gently.

"Lily?"

"She's not lying, and she's really worried about the Belon people and the Crows." The mercenary replied dryly, "Like everyone before?" ”

"In other words, all the crow knights who live here have no subjective intention to commit murder." An slowly flipped through the notebook, her gaze swept over every line she had recorded, "And it sounds like none of them have any memory contradictions, or broken consciousness...... Signs of spells or drugs. ”

"Could it be bedtime?" Lily raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "Look, most of them...... The victims, all died at night? ”

Ann shook her head.

"Even if they are manipulated in their sleep, they usually still have a vague memory." She remembered the beautiful dreams she had had, and the secret incense used to make them, "On the other hand, it's hard for anyone to profit from killing a few Berons and then blaming them on the Raven Knights. I think...... If the goal is only to find the 'murderer', it may not be possible to find out the whole truth. ”

"Then you think...... What else could it be? ”

"A relic belonging to Mar, an altar sleeping somewhere, a wicked guest from another world, or even a curse that doesn't know when it originated." The girl wrenched her fingers and counted the possibilities she had in mind, "Most of the dead were miners—even though there were many miners in the city, were those 'lucky' people to find something?" ”

"We've asked about that." Cathy clapped her hands and grabbed the conversation, "But those people don't say anything, and they don't give us a good look!" ”

"After all, something terrible has happened, and the people of Peron are not very willing to trust outsiders in the first place." Ann turned his face sideways and met the old Belon's gaze, and the other party nodded understandingly, "Grum, and Bell, I'm going to trouble you with this clue." ”

"Don't worry, I'll leave it to you!" The young Peron patted his chest, "The little girls of the tavern are happy to gossip with us!" ”

The girl couldn't help but smile, and the next moment she straightened her face again, "Then, Lily, take me with you when King Karim summons you." In order to solve this problem, we need his assistance. ”

The mercenary blinked, nodded in agreement without much thought. Cathy turned across from Sean and tilted her head slightly, staring at the other's sad face.

"This expression doesn't suit you at all, Captain. You've saved the entire regiment from the Empire and that cullen bastard, and with such a great feat, you'll need to have a little more confidence! She reached out and patted Sean's hair, turning the man's expression from surprise to helplessness, and then turned her gaze to Ann, "Speaking of which, we are always the parties, don't we need to do something?" ”

Ann lowered her gaze and tapped her index finger lightly on the tabletop. The current information is still quite lacking, and it is not clear whether the 'adversary' is true or whether the Order can help. She couldn't help but think of Jill, who seemed to be omnipotent, and then thought of what Kylo had said to her in the six months of 'history' -

"It's hard to make decisions for other people. But it's not just responsibility, it's also trust. They trust your judgment, so you just have to trust yourself. ”

"Head Sean, Alaya, and Cathy. Please, gather all the nearby members and get them ready for battle. The girl looked up and whispered, "I don't know what our 'enemy' looks like, but it should have the power to give death. As a believer in Lady Mar, and...... Bearers of Edda's power, perhaps you are the most appropriate person to resolve this incident. ”

……

"So, what are we going to do next?" On the way to leave the royal court along the same road and walk towards "The White Ape's Rest" again, the female mercenary patted her on the shoulder, "You asked Sean to gather everyone, you must have thought of something?" ”

"A little." The girl nodded and admitted, "I suspect that in a sense, the 'Crow Knights' may not really have nothing to do with this incident. ”

"Huh?" Lily's eyes widened.

"Mar's magic is magic after all. You've told me before that the current "Lord of the Earth" is Fermir Stark—but as we know him, he wouldn't do such a meaningless thing. She explained in a low voice, as if convincing herself, "And beyond that, the most likely thing left is—"

"The previous 'oracle', Tiana, and what she left behind."