Saladin's paintings?

When Levi said this with a calm face, even the businesswoman Flora, who had known about it for a long time, showed a look of surprise.

Saladin's era was glorious and short, he rose in the chaotic era, slaughtered dragons, destroyed major empires and kingdoms, defeated centaurs and highlanders, and finally unified the continent, built a dome in the middle of the plain, and cast a number of powerful holy relics, which were worshipped, revered and subjugated by all peoples.

But after his death, the vast empire fell apart overnight...... After the collapse of his kingdom, there are now Oderic and Gorle, and of course, the shattered Shamer.

"Saladin's paintings?"

Whether it was Curran or Flora, and even all the collectors present refocused their attention on this ordinary-looking antique painting.

In the delicate and realistic painting, a beautiful and dignified woman sits on a stone, her long black hair combed back and a chain headdress encrusted with rubies on her forehead.

The bridge of her nose is high, her pupils are blood-red, the tips of her ears are slightly upturned, and there is a shallow beauty mole on the lower left side of her thin lips, and her smooth skin has a faint dark blue luster.

She was wearing a light black dress, barefoot, holding a mysterious silver egg the size of a human head in her arms, and behind her was the endless blue ocean and scattered black reefs, with good sunlight and beautiful scenery.

Her expression was flat, and there seemed to be a faint smile on the corner of her mouth, but there was a vague indifference.

Who is she?

"Who is she?" One collector looked incredulous, "If this is a painting by King Saladin, who is the woman in the painting?" ”

"Could it be the Queen of Shadows? Or the White Queen? ”

In the midst of all the conflict, Levi said, "Her identity is Terella Cleopatra. ”

A hammer was finalized, followed by various doubts.

"How to prove it? Is it the identity of the artist or the identity of the person in the painting? ”

"The painting is in a new color, it looks like it was an imitation from decades ago...... How is it possible for a painting from Saladin's era to be immortal for a thousand years? ”

"The Queen of Shadows is a human race, but the people in the painting are clearly not humans!"

Collectors lacked trust in Levi's's words, and they expressed their opinions without being able to come up with key opinions and conclusions. It is not surprising that even erudite historians can only glimpse the tip of the iceberg during Saladin's era more than a thousand years ago.

The master, Curran, listened quietly to their arguments, and from time to time fixed his gaze on Levi, as if waiting for something.

Black Market Business Woman ...... No, it was the black-hearted businesswoman Flora who put on a look of anticipation.

Levi smiled and glanced at Flora, and said to the collectors, "I'll answer everyone's doubts one by one." ”

At this point, it is reasonable to make a proper explanation, and the matter about the Queen of Shadows is not a top secret anyway.

"In the more credible historical texts such as the General History of the Continent and the Apocalypse of the Inferno Legion, the whereabouts of King Saladin during the Highland Wars are clearly recorded." Levi said, "Before the decisive battle against the Bone Empire, Saladin led the remnants to Ozer and disappeared for several years. ”

Some collectors were lost in thought, while others asked disdainfully, "What does this have to do with paintings?" ”

"That's a good question, but we have to start with history." Levi nodded and said, "A thousand years ago, there was only one country in the Öze Grand Canyon, and that was the Shadow Country...... It is well known that Saladin's great cause to unify the continent was indispensable for the support of the Shadow Queen, and the darkest days of his life were during his dormant years in Ozer, when only the Shadow Kingdom sheltered him. ”

An insider interjected: "The queen of the Shadow Nation is Terella......"

"That's right, the Emperor of the Shadow Nation died without leaving an heir, and the entire kingdom fell into the hands of Queen Terella, who later made an alliance with Saladin." Levi said, "As to when she fell in love with King Saladin, the answer is probably known only to her, and we who come after her can only guess without reason." ”

"It turns out that the Queen of Shadows was someone else's queen before marrying Saladin!" Some people who don't know this history are amazed.

"What's this, isn't this scene going on in the theater lately? It's little known, but it's not a secret. ”

"What is not told in the theater is that the Shadow Queen is not a human race, but a subspecies of demons." Levi said, "She was a witch, and the Emperor of the Shadow Nation coveted her beauty and hid her identity from the world. ”

He had not seen the play "Dedicated to Cleopat", but the true identity of the Queen of Shadows was only recorded in a few taboo texts, and it was impossible to incorporate it into popular works of art.

"How is that possible?"

"That wicked queen turned out to be a witch?"

Levi touched his chin, in fact, everything he had told so far could be traced in the Kingdom Library, but it was relatively obscure and little known.

"Geographically, behind the Ozer Gorge is a vast secluded forest, and the Shadow Nation occupies a portion of it." Levi said, "After passing through the Secret Forest, you will reach the South China Sea, and that area is what later generations will call Shamer, the Veil Forest." ”

"You're saying the bay is the strait behind the Curtain Forest?"

"Exactly." Levi's head said: "To sum up, we can preliminarily infer the identity of the person in the painting, and then it is actually very simple to infer the identity of the author. ”

Flora's eyes narrowed, waiting for Levi's answer.

Levi held out a finger and pointed to the bottom of the canvas, on the bare left instep of the Shadow Queen, where there was a very shallow imprint in the shape of a four-pointed crown.

"It is recorded in the collection of Arsenal Symbols in the collection of the Kingdom Scholars' House that this pattern is a private seal of Saladin." Levi said, "This mark has been found on the pages of many of Saladin's own letters and poems that have been preserved today. ”

It's as simple as that?

The collectors looked at each other, they didn't want to believe Levi's words easily, but they couldn't disbelieve them completely, because most of Levi's remarks were supported by classics and ancient histories, and they didn't look like empty lies.

Flora looked at Levi with a complicated expression and said, "You guy...... It's really not honest to see so many things and still hide them from me. ”

This is the second time she has used the word "not honest" to describe Levi.

"I see you're wearing a bachelor's robe, and you're a magician from the kingdom's academy?" One collector said, "Isn't it a liar......?" You cast a safe spell for us to see! ”

"That's right, prove yourself!"

Levi narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm just an apprentice in magic, and I can't cast magic. ”

"Nonsense! I know an apprentice magician, and no matter how bad it is, you can always cast an illumination, right? ”

Levi shook his head with some headache.

"Liar! Mr. Curran, this guy must be a liar! "Some collectors with a radical personality denounced Levi and proposed that he be kicked out of the estate.

Curran looked at Levi quietly and didn't say anything.

With a sigh, Levi walked to the table, picked up the menorah, and went back to the painting, holding it up—

"Crazy? What are you doing? ”

The candle flame danced slightly, and Levi held the candlestick in front of the painting, and the flame burned onto the canvas, but it failed to ignite the canvas.

The collectors opened their mouths and were speechless for a while.

Flora also looked at Levi in surprise, and at the same time was attracted by the canvas that could not be lit by the flames, and showed a strange expression.

After a few seconds, Levi took away the candlestick and said slowly: "King Saladin is a proud man, proud to the point of conceit, and for the sake of fame, his paintings will never be made with ordinary paints and canvases...... I remember someone just asked, how did this painting survive for thousands of years? ”

He turned and said, "There is a special sap in Chamel, pure and colorless, with a fragrance similar to violet but more intense, and this flavor is enduring, and has precious [eternal] properties...... The same properties can be obtained by the pigment dripping into the sap, and the color will last for thousands of years, perhaps not to the limit. ”

The corners of his mouth curled slightly, as if he had not been reprimanded at all, Levi smiled and said: "And Saladin's favorite canvas is made of ambergris, which is not afraid of water or fire, and this kind of cloth is not a very unusual material used by historians to write history books in Audric. ”

In the silent hall, no one dared to speak out at this time, even if there were still many doubts...... It is not only the level of vision that crosses the collectors, but also the gap in knowledge, like a huge chasm, which is difficult to breathe and cannot ignore.

Curran laughed softly, his laughter breaking the dead silence, and everyone subconsciously turned their eyes to him.

"What do you call you, gentleman?"

"Levi David."

"I admire your vision and insight, but I still have a question for you."

Levi looked into Curran's eyes, touched his chin with his index finger, and said, "Please speak." ”

"I want to know...... What is the origin of the egg in the Shadow Queen's hand? ”

Curran pointed to Terella in the painting, the silver egg covered in unknown symbols in her arms exuding a quaint and mysterious glow.

This time, Levi really felt a bit of a headache.

In Curran's room, the fireplace crackled with firewood for warmth, and on the warm and luxurious carpet were two soft armchairs, with a low wooden table resting between them.

"Are you satisfied, Mr. Curran?"

Flora leaned comfortably back in her chair and looked at Curran to the side, her eyes calm.

A burly guard stood behind Curran without saying a word.

"To be honest, I'm a little disappointed." Curran, who had a feminine temperament, stroked his chin with his slender fingers, stared at the flames in the furnace, "It is said that the water in Slom is very deep, but collectors from half the city gather here, and few people recognize the painting. ”

Flora chuckled without a smile and said, "It's normal for collectors not to recognize the hidden history of a thousand years ago, at least one person gave the answer, didn't it?" ”

Curran was still staring at the flames: "But I know everything he said, but he doesn't know what I want to ask." ”

Flora was silent for a moment, then she raised her chin slightly, and said, "I have found the person who knows about the painting, and the commission is over, Mr. Curran." ”

"You're right." Curran smiled, "The commission is ready. ”

"Thank you for your hospitality." "If nothing else," said Flora, "I'll leave first...... The mansion is a bit far from the city. ”

"It's a pleasure to work with, Ms. Flora." Curran said.

Before leaving the door, Flora glanced back at Curran, the man with the Golle accent still staring at the fire, as if he had been waiting for something all the while, and it was hard to figure out what was going on in his mind.

Not long after Flora left, a young girl dressed as a maid pushed open the door, and Levi, dressed in a black robe, followed her into the room and saluted Curran.

"Is there something you did with me, Mr. Curran?"

Curran finally took his eyes off the fireplace, he looked at Levi, smiled slightly, and said, "Have you waited a long time?" It's rare to see someone as knowledgeable as you, and I'd love to talk to you. ”

"Something about Silver Egg...... I don't really have a clue. Levi said.

"It's okay, please sit down." Curran held out his hand and motioned for Levi to sit in the chair next to him.

When Levi was seated, Curran looked him in the eye and asked, "Would you like to play a game of chess with me, Mr. Levi?" ”

Levi smiled wryly and said, "I'm not good at this. ”

"It's okay, it's just to pass the time." Curran said, "If you win, how about I give you a bag of Audric gold?" ”

Levi touched his nose and didn't answer immediately.

In his intuition, the man next to him was an extremely conceited man, and he could neither refuse his invitation nor win the game at this time.

A bag of gold coins? Just think about it.

"Then I'll play a game with Mr. Curran." Levi said.

"Go get the board and the pieces, Leanne." After getting her consent, Curran said to the maid.

After the maid retrieved the chessboard, the game between Levi and Curran soon began.

They played a game similar to a war on a grid, where both players held the same pieces, each with different characteristics and movement rules, and was quite popular in Audric, and was called "king's chess" by the nobles.

Although he said that he was not good at it, Levi was actually interested in any board game and played it well. As a child, he used to play chess games with a girl named Nineveh to connect chess pieces, and when he arrived in Oderic, he also learned the king's chess of Slom.

Calculations, strategy, psychological warfare...... Isn't it interesting?

Funny to say, with the exception of Nineveh, he has never faced an opponent that requires a lot of effort to overcome.

"Are the Masters of the Kingdom Scholars as knowledgeable as you, Mr. Levi?" Curran moved a chess piece and said with a smile.

"The magicians in the academy are excellent, and I'm just an unknown apprentice." Levi said, "There is so much to know about entering the world of magic, and it is hard for me to learn the Elemental Text. ”

Curran sighed and said, "In Gore, most people don't want to learn about magic. ”

He made no secret of his origins.

"The berserkers of the Gorer Empire have made the entire continent tremble." "Unlike Audrick, people prefer theatrical actors to strong fighters. ”

Levi glanced behind Curran, with the guard on the left and the maid on the right...... As for Curran's origin, he already had a guess in his heart.

Ke Lan, who is a little too young, has an innate noble temperament on his body, coupled with the scale of the state-guest mansion...... Mr. Curran, perhaps should be called His Highness Curran.

As for why the prince didn't live in the Slom Mansion, Levi thought of a bloody event that took place every twenty years.

While Levi was speculating about Curran's identity in his heart, Curran was also quietly looking at his opponent:

is very young, no accident than himself; The face is thin, the facial features are quite handsome, and the dress can only be said to be barely too cold; Look...... Although it was a solemn expression focused on the chess game, Curran always felt that something was wrong.

At first, he thought it was just an illusion of caution, but soon he noticed something unusual...... Although he can't talk about his outstanding chess skills, it is not a big problem to deal with players below the national player of Odelik, but Levi's has played against him for so long without showing much decline.

Just as Levi was holding up a chess piece, his stomach suddenly rang softly.

He was a little embarrassed, and Curran smiled and said, "Go get something to eat, Leanne." ”

The maid standing behind Curran was very young and looked like a girl, and she had led Levi to this room before. She was tall, her skin as white as snow on the eaves, and her blonde hair was tied into a gorre-style braid that hung down the back of her head.

Leanne looked like she wanted to laugh, but she held back a smile and left the room, quickly returning with bread and tea. She was holding the tray, and as she passed Levi's, she suddenly fell, and the whole plate of food fell on the board, and the chess pieces fell to the ground with a clatter.

Levi watched in amazement, announcing that half an hour's hard work had been in vain. According to his calculations, it would take ten minutes to lose or win a game, and in order to satisfy Curran he had to delay it to an hour, which is fifty minutes wasted, and if he were to play a new game, he would have to waste a total of eighty minutes here......

He wanted to restore the board immediately, but he couldn't do it.

Curran was not angry, he smiled and looked at Leanne, who pinched the corner of his coat and bowed his head without saying a word.

"You've dropped five more cups and three plates today, Leanne......" Curran looked into her eyes.

Leanne blushed and didn't speak.

The guard, who had been standing behind Curran, said sarcastically, "I finally know why your parents sold you, and according to this trend, how many plates are you going to break in a year?" ”

Levi silently replied in his heart, it was one thousand and ninety-five.

"Mr. Curran, don't blame her, it's all because of me that I'm like this." Levi said with a sigh.

No matter how much they teased Leanne, even if they were mean, the girl didn't say a word, but after Levi spoke, she raised her head and stared at him, and said in a gloomy tone: "Odryk, I don't need you to pity me. ”

Levi, who originally thought she was very talkative, was stunned.

"Don't talk to Mr. Levi like that, he's my guest." Curran said lightly.

Leanne's face turned white, and she kept her head down, not daring to say a word.

Levi was a little confused.

Curran turned his head to look at Levi's and said with a smile: "Since the chess game has also been ruined, for the sake of apologies, let's stop here today - that bag of gold coins will be used as a reward, how about it?" ”

"It's a shame that I can't continue, this is a very good game of chess, but you are right, the time is not early." Levi stood up, with a regretful expression on his face, and he was actually very happy in his heart.

Curran smiled, he picked up a bag of gold coins from the table and tossed it to Levi, "Leanne, send off the guests." ”

The girl agreed.

Looking at the backs of Levi and Leanne, Curran said to the guards beside him, "It's almost time, and I haven't learned much new information...... Send that egg to the city of Slom. ”

"Don't you have to avoid this guest?" The guard asked, "I'll send ...... later."

"No, you don't." Curran waved his hand.

The sky was pitch black, and suddenly a light rain fell.

Along the gravel road, Leanne held an umbrella and sent Levi across the bridge to the carriage.

Respectfully, she draped her umbrella over Levi's head, but she was drenched in the rain.

"You can hold an umbrella for yourself, my clothes are already very old, and you are still a woman." Levi said.

"You are the guest of your master, a noble person." Leanne said.

Levi pushed the umbrella against her.

"Your master is just polite to me, his identity must be unusual, right? I'm just a bachelor, and people like me have a lot of grabbing in Slom City. ”

"As long as the host says that he is a guest, he is a noble person." She's stubborn.

Levi reluctantly walked to the carriage, and after he boarded the carriage, he seemed to hesitate, turned and crouched down, looking Leanne in the eye.

"Listen, Miss Leanne, I don't know how others teach you, but since I'm a bachelor, I have something to say."

Leanne was a little embarrassed, and stood there with an umbrella to listen to him, her hair wet on her forehead.

That look was not at all like the one who was hostile to Levi before.

"There may be high and low status between people, but nobility and humility are not determined by birth." Levi said, holding her hand and straightening the umbrella.

"In my eyes, you and your master are equal people."

After saying that, Levi got into the carriage, and before closing the door, he didn't forget to smile and say, "Goodbye." ”

The carriage went far on the muddy road, leaving Leanne standing there for a long time.

She opened her eyes wide, looked in the direction in which the carriage had disappeared, and muttered the phrase.

"Equal people?"

Upon returning to the manor, Leanne saw that Curran was the only one left in the house.

He had a smile on his face, his eyes clear, and in the clarity there was an imperceptible obscurity.

"What's wrong, Leanne?" He said, "Because of what I said to you, upset?" ”

The girl bowed her head and said, "No, the master's words are absolutely correct." ”

Her voice was a little weak: "And...... What Mr. Levi said made me feel warm. ”

"What did he say?" Curran asked.

The girl hesitated for a moment, but mustered up the courage to say, "He said that I am equal to him." ”

Curran was a little surprised, he turned around, and no one saw his expression.

"Interesting words." He said, "Unfortunately, it's the wrong view. ”

He slowly walked over to Leanne and placed his hand on her head, rubbing it gently.

"Some people are born emperors, and they want civilians to die, just one sentence, and some people can't even protect their loved ones in front of the emperor."

He said lightly, "Do you remember when we first met? ”

"Hmm." Leanne bowed her head.

"If it weren't for you, maybe I would have been sold to the far north." "You're the only person in the world who doesn't look at me as an object," she said...... You are everything to Leanne. ”

"It's not your fault that you were born an inferior person, and you can't decide for yourself, but your humble status is an unchangeable fact, your companions, how many people live like you today?"

Curran pinched her chin with his hand and gave her a deep kiss.

She closed her eyes, not resisting in the slightest, even if it was a little painful.

His teeth bit through her lips, and blood spilled out.

Curran smiled, licked the corners of his mouth, and said, "You are lucky, Leanne, you are safe with me, and no one dares to look down on you, because you are the servant of Curran Munso." ”

He let go of the fingers that were pinching her chin.

After Leanne left the room, Curran looked out the window at the dripping rain and the deep night, and muttered to herself, "I don't like you, Levi...... So you're going to die on this wet night. ”

("Saladin's first queen rests in the tomb of the Hime, and the second queen rests in the South Sea, and the world respectfully calls them the Queen of Shadows and the Queen of the White.") —The First Year of the General History of the Mainland)