This sentence was once asked by Amun, and Mary asked him the same question today, and the meaning is very complicated, perhaps only the two of them can understand, and only this simple greeting is turned into this simple greeting.

Amon replied, "I've had a good life, I've never been so idle, but I'm always waiting. ”

Maria's eyes were so soft and serene that she looked at him and said, "What are you waiting for?"

Amon also looked at her, his gaze was so natural: "I am waiting for your summons, and I am also waiting for your request, I once said that I will return to Duke Town, and I will also guide my people back to their hometown. ”

Maria nodded slightly: "I remember, you said you had something to do, how long do you have left?"

Amon: "More than two months to go. ”

Maria: "In a month's time, I'll send you on a mission to go deep into the swamp-surrounded town of Duke, to investigate the terrain and topography there, and report every detail of the changes in as much detail as possible. You are the person you know the most and are best suited for this task. ”

Amon: "Thank you, I will definitely complete this mission. ”

Mary said worriedly, "I would like to remind you that after the flood, many monsters have appeared in the mountains, plains, swamps, and deserts, and this trip is full of dangers. ”

Amon was slightly surprised: "I just passed by there last year, and I didn't meet it?"

Mary asked, "Where did you get there?"

Amon: "I came south of the Inland Lake, through the desert to the city-state of the headland. ”

Maria explains: "The monsters are mainly in the northwest of the inland lake, and as the flood waters receded, they appeared in large numbers for nearly half a year, and now there are many poisonous scorpions in the desert. ...... Do you need to send enough magicians to protect you, but there is no way to get into the troop, and it's a cross-border operation, and you can't do it in a public capacity. ”

Amon shook his head and said, "No need, I grew up there, it is more convenient for me to go by myself, as for the danger, I have experienced too much, and I am not afraid." Whether it's dangerous or not, whether it's a mission or not, I'm always going there, and now that I've heard that there are a lot of monsters in that area, I'm going to find out. ”

Maria sighed softly: "There may be more than one path that people can choose, and there is a thousand miles of fertile land in the middle of the continent where monsters are rampant, which will be the place where countless heroes have made achievements, and it is also a place where various kingdoms can fight and fight. Do you have to guide your people back to their hometowns? In Eju, like many ordinary people, you may have a better life if you start a family. ”

She was clearly trying to persuade Amon, presumably she had also read the document "The Land of Malduk", and knew that the situation in that place would be very complicated. Amon replied sincerely, "I have made a promise to both the departed spirits and the guardian gods that I will find the descendants of Duk Town and guide them back to their homeland. Unless they don't want to, I'm going to do my best to fulfill my promises. ”

Mary seemed to hesitate, but finally said, "At the Blessing Ceremony that day, you found the Assassin and not only threw a pike to stop the arrow. I could see clearly from the high platform that you were rushing towards the place where the Assassin had appeared, and I was worried that the Assassin had escaped faster than you had chased, otherwise your life would have been in danger. It was Gabriel who caught the arrow last, and she later told me privately that she was no match for the man. ”

Amon said calmly: "Thank you for your concern, but that's what I should do, the warrior rushes to the enemy on the battlefield, and his life is in danger at any time, should he turn around and flee?"

Maria's tone was a little emotional: "I should thank you, and I should also help you with your affairs, but I don't know how much I can help you." There's still a month left before you set out on a mission, and I'll send you on a tour of a place, and when you get there, you'll understand what I'm trying to tell you. ”

The Holy Maiden not only sent Amon to carry out a reconnaissance mission in the vicinity of Duk Town, but also sent him to inspect a place before setting out, and his words were very meaningful. Amon didn't ask, stood up and saluted, "Thank you for your arrangement." ”

Seeing Maria's appearance, she also wanted to stand up, but finally sat down on the chair and waved her hand and said, "Don't thank me, you will understand when you get to the place, I regret that I can't help you more." ”

The conversation between the two was brief, and the Holy Maiden did not have more time to summon a small captain of the guard alone, and Amun's attitude was respectful and respectful throughout, the only difference was that the two kept their eyes on each other. When Amon retreated and turned around in front of the door, Mary suddenly said, "Amun, take this, I think you should read more of these books." ”

Amon turned again and saw Mary also standing up, holding a piece of paper in her hand. He walked back quickly, took the paper with both hands, and the tips of their fingers accidentally touched. This is an act of transgression, he is not allowed to touch the body of the saint, he cannot directly deliver the saint's belongings, even if he is a captain of the guard, the lightest punishment is to cut off this finger.

It's funny, this is the second time Amon has faced such a punishment, but the Holy Maiden did not blame, nor did she summon a servant to punish Amon, and gently let Amon take the paper. Then he said calmly, "I forgot to ask the servant to hand you this paper, so I will put it on the table and you can take it yourself." ”

This sentence was a reminder that she didn't have to say it, but she said it anyway. Amon realized that he had transgressed, and hastened to bow and apologize, but there was always a feeling of tenderness on his fingertips, which made him very ashamed. Mary shook her head and said, "It's just an unintentional mistake, it's not your fault, so why apologize?...... I'll summon you again when you leave in a month's time. ”

Amon got up and looked up, there was only a table between them, and he looked at Mary again, and suddenly there was an urge in his heart to think of the unfinished kiss again. O god, at this moment, he really wanted to kiss her! This impulse made Amon bow his head, no longer look at her, and bowed and exited the study.

...... The Temple of Isis is not only the buildings in the city of Mepfil, but also the large pastures, farmsteads, and herds of slaves that it contains. The place where Mary sent Amon to inspect was south of Memphit, near the city-state of Herak, about two hundred miles west of the river of Ronnie. Far from the river valley, the climate is arid, semi-desert with many tall rocky mountains.

At the foot of the mountain there is sparse grass, there are only a few very drought-tolerant shrubs in the cracks in the rocks, the earth is earthy yellow from a distance, the mountains are dark brown, and there are continuous buildings at the foot of the mountain, which are made of stone and are very simple. This place is very important to the Temple of Monfils, and it is one of the most important places to produce the sacred stones in Xia Eju, called Ho Lie Mountain.

Amon is the envoy who has come to inspect Mount Hore, and is also responsible for escorting the sacred stones produced this season back to Monfis. He was given a very warm reception at Horek Mountain, where the presiding master was a sixth-level magician and high priest named Blanca. The environment here is very difficult, and the living conditions are far from being comparable to Mengfeisi City, but there is also a little advantage, that is, there is a lot of oil and water, and don't forget that the Divine Stone produced in He Lie Mountain.

Although it is in a desolate area, Lord Blanca knows how to enjoy it, and the courtyard where he lives is very luxurious, and even uses the environment to set up a magic array to make a courtyard cool and moist. The water he used every day was brought from the Ronnie River, specially purified, and he was able to eat fresh vegetables from the city-state of Herac, not to mention the cattle, sheep and wine.

It's a fat difference to patrol here, not to mention that Amon is hand-picked by the Holy Maiden this time, so naturally there is a subtle difference from the previous envoys. Blanca was a little uneasy in his heart, he knew that the Holy Maiden had just taken power, and he was afraid that he would find out if something wrong with him would be taken down by Liwei, so as soon as Amon arrived, he gave him a generous gift.

Blanca's worries were unnecessary, Amon didn't want to deliberately find fault with him, and he didn't want to blackmail him. Seeing Blanca's astonishment, he smiled and accepted the gifts, and after checking the accounts, he counted the sacred stones in the cellar and ordered the number of stones to be transported back to the temple of Isis for the season to be loaded. Blanca finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Amon didn't care how well Blanca was entertained, and he didn't bother to find fault with him, and spent most of the first few days in his room reading books in his room before he arrived at Horemont. The piece of paper that Mary gave him was written with the file numbers of several volumes, which Amun borrowed from the archives and took with him to read when he had time on the way.

Not all the documents in the archives of the Temple of Isis were written in the sacred script, and Amun, as a warrior, could also apply to borrow some scrolls recorded in secular script, but Amun had not read any of them during this time, and those secret books recorded in divine scripts could not be opened until Mary gave him this list.

Amon didn't expect that what Maria asked him to read was actually a book on the art of war, which covered how to march, how to integrate logistics, how to arrange battle formations, how to manage various arms, how to command the corps to fight, and so on. Amon is a samurai who has achieved level 6 at a young age, and is likely to become a great samurai in the future. Looking at these texts, did Mary expect him to become a general?

Just reading a war book certainly won't make a good general, but it's also very useful. The proportion of literate people on the Tianshu Continent is very small, and even fewer people can understand the art of war. And the classics that Maria let Amon study are very complete and systematic, and what to do with any situation encountered in the battle is basically mentioned, at least giving him the capital to start.

If he becomes a great warrior and has systematically studied the art of war, he will definitely be qualified to become the leader of the army in the future, is this a hint from Mary? Amun studied very seriously, and silently deduced in his heart the various battle scenes mentioned in the book, from the city of Mengfei Si to the mountain of Hore, and memorized all the contents of the book in his heart.

The accounts were checked, and the divine stones that should be shipped were all sealed, but Amon did not leave immediately, because he still had a patrol mission. On the third day of arriving at Mount Hore, Amon asked Blanca to visit the production of the Sacred Stone and see all the processes of mining the Sacred Stone. Mary must have had a purpose in sending him here, and Amun was to inspect every place.

Blanca persuaded at the wine table, "Your Excellency, you don't have to go to that place yourself. If you really want to make a round, just look at the scene where the magicians mine the cores, and I will praise you in the report for how carefully and meticulously you completed the task. ”

Amon smiled secretly in his heart, it seems that the people here don't know his origin, he is a real miner, and the backyard of the house where he grew up is a workshop. He smiled and explained, "You don't have to call me sir, although I am an envoy, I am still a civilian. The Holy Maiden has ordered me to inspect the mines, and I must be faithful to my duty, and I should go everywhere, where it is inconvenient for noble adults to go. ”

Blanca knew this, but John, the captain of the guard who was also at the wine table, looked surprised and disdainful. John was born into a noble family in the city of Monfils, and is now a sixth-level warrior like Amun, his surname is brutal, and he has injured people in conflicts, so he was transferred to Horeol Mountain as the captain of the guard, which is considered a punishment.

John's surname was proud, and he naturally had a grudge in this place where birds don't, and now an envoy came, who was said to be deeply appreciated by the Holy Maiden, and happened to make several achievements, and was actually promoted to captain of the guard as a civilian. John felt depressed and looked down on Amon at the same time, revealing it inadvertently at the wine table.

Amon knew John's emotions, but he just pretended not to see it, and said with a pleasant face: "Lord Blanca doesn't have to worry about me, and you don't have to personally accompany me to those smoky places, send a few subordinates to guide the way, I will make a round, so that I can complete the tasks assigned by the Holy Maiden." ”

The Horek Hill Mine was a large mine, producing not only sacred stones, but also stone for the construction of temples and pharaonic pyramids. Amon's first visit to the mine was like returning to his familiar hometown. The mines here are much larger than those outside Duk, with guards to maintain order, craftsmen to command, and most of the mining work is done by slaves, and the labor is very hard.

The next day, he inspected several ore veins that produced the Divine Stone, accompanied by a special engineer in charge, and watched the entire process of excavation and mining cores, and also saw some cores being mined with his own eyes, which was very cordial. He walked around several ore veins, and found that the distribution of ore veins here was much larger than that around Duke Town, and the number of miners exceeded that of Duke Town by more than ten times, but the output of divine stones was less than one-tenth of that of Duke Town.

On the morning of the third day, Amon inspected the last step of mining the Divine Stone, and in a very large and clean stone house, there were dozens of low-level magicians, using their staffs to open the core of the mine and take out the Divine Stone. These sorcerers were sent by the Temple of Isis and rotated quarterly, making them a kind of training mission. They all have their own workshops, and they are always accompanied by slaves.

Seeing the number of these magicians and the speed at which they opened the core, and then comparing the total amount of divine stones collected this season, Amon found that it was wrong after a little calculation in his heart, and asked the divine officer who accompanied the inspection: "The divine stones mined by these magicians, according to my statistics this morning, if they are converted into quarterly output, only about sixty percent of the divine stones handed over this time, is the output declining recently?"

The priest in charge quickly explained: "No, there is another group of people who are mining cores, but their status is low, and the place where they work is more crowded. Anyway, everything that should be seen has been watched, and Mr. Amon doesn't have to go anymore. ”

Amon was stunned, there is indeed a situation here, the last step of mining the core is done by a magician, how can there be a lowly person? He immediately said: "I even went into the mine, let alone the workshop that opened the mine core? Since you are here, of course you have to inspect all the places, so take me there." ”

The priest said reluctantly, "It's already noon, let's make an inspection after lunch." ”

There was wine at lunch, and several of the people who accompanied him on the tour kept urging Amon to drink. Amon had drunk a lot, but he was not drunk, and after eating, he urged his retinue to inspect the rest of the place. The priest in charge had no choice but to take Amon to a group of stone houses guarded by guards.

It is like a reading village, surrounded by some low and simple houses, but in the middle of the stone house, there is a large hall. The roof of the hall was not high, the door was narrow, and there were guards with weapons in front of the door.

Before Amon could enter the door, he heard someone inside shouting loudly: "You filthy miner, do you want to die, and you dare to destroy the Divine Stone...... The envoy of the Temple of Isis has arrived here and ordered the mining of enough Divine Stones for this season, but you will never be able to complete the task, no one will think of a good end, he is an example!"

With the roar and the fierce wind of the whip, Amon was walking inside, and when he heard this, he jumped in!

The area of the hall is very large, and there are many workbenches lined up around it, dozens of miners in rough clothes are working with sledgehammers, and the anvil is placed on the mined core, and only the last step is needed to take out the divine stone. Behind a workbench near the door, there was a weak young man holding a heavy mine hammer, the core of which had turned into powder, and at a glance he knew that the force of the hammer was not perfectly controlled, and even the divine stone was destroyed.

Amon recognized the boy at a glance, his facial features were so familiar, but now he was dark and thin, it was Moses, the son of Mayor Dusty!

John, the captain of Horebshan's guard, was full of anger and was whipping Moses with a long whip. The whip struck a man in the back with a sturdy whip, and his clothes were torn apart, leaving a trail of blood on his skin. The man's face turned slowly and calmly, his chest was rising and falling violently, as if he was forcibly suppressing a rising anger, and it turned out to be Amun, the patrol messenger sent by the Temple of Isis.

John was also startled, and quickly put down the whip and said, "Mr. Amon, why did you suddenly rush in? I can't take this whip out, I'm sorry to hurt you, it's really an accident!"

The attendants were also shocked, and gathered around and asked, "Mr. Amon, are you seriously injured?" Don't blame Lord John, he didn't mean to. Let's help you go back to apply the medicine, the inspection is over here, you should rest well if you are injured......"

(To be continued)