When Bertha Winston had finished rehearsing for her new play, she had just returned home to see a bright red rose in a vase on the wooden table, and a knife with a piece of paper pressed under it.

The beautiful theatrical actor felt chills all over her body, and with a pale face she picked up a piece of paper, on which was written in crooked letters:

"Dear Miss Bertha,

When can I have dinner with you?

Love the Sando you perform. ”

Bertha silently put down the piece of paper and stood motionless in front of the table, her fingertips pressed against the knife, and fell into a long stupor.

It wasn't until the rattle outside the house was rung that she remembered the time, went to the mirror with fear, and made sure that the hair behind her ears was covered, and then came to the door.

"Are you...... Mr. Brown? Bertha opened the door and was stunned.

Raymond Brown, dressed in a black robe, stood tall outside the room, wearing a brown belt to make himself look more energetic.

"Good afternoon, Miss Bertha." Raymond stroked his chest, although his expression was as serious as usual, but there was a little more tenderness in his eyes, "I heard that your new play "Dedicated to Cleopat" has achieved a very good evaluation, and I have come to congratulate you. ”

He looked at Bertha's pale face and hurriedly asked with concern, "Your face is terrible, has something happened, Miss Bertha?" ”

Bertha glanced at Raymond with a complicated expression and said, "If you don't mind...... Come in and stay with me, Mr. Brown. ”

"Okay...... Just call me Raymond. Raymond said in surprise.

He was in love with Bertha Winston, but never got her heart, not even the chance to be close...... But today it doesn't seem the same.

The first time he walked into the well-known actor's room, Raymond thanked Bertha for her black tea, and before he could admire the warm furnishings in the room, he saw Bertha covering her face tiredly.

"Are you alright?" Raymond asked worriedly, trying to put his hand on the delicate woman's shoulder to comfort her, but did not do so out of politeness.

Brown ...... Raymond, I'm really going crazy. Bertha's eyes were a little red, "I'm really scared, do you see those roses?" This is already the fifth time. ”

Raymond was stunned, and soon he guessed what had happened to Bertha. Slom is the capital of magic and the arts, and theater is very popular, both commoners and nobles love the glamorous theater actors, but there have also been some harassment incidents because of this.

"Can I take a look at it if it's convenient?" Raymond asked.

With Bertha's permission, Raymond stood up and walked over to the wooden table, where he looked closely at the knife and picked up the piece of paper.

"Sandor?" He furrowed his eyebrows and said suspiciously, "Do you know this man, Bertha?" ”

Bertha shook her head helplessly.

After thinking to no avail, Raymond reassured Bertha a few words, and said, "Don't worry, I will investigate the identity of this person and will definitely bring him to justice." ”

Bertha said worriedly, "Thank you, but he was able to sneak into my house without breaking a lock...... Be careful, Raymond. ”

Raymond puffed out his chest proudly: "Don't worry, I'm a magician. ”

In Miss Bertha's grateful, hopeful gaze, Raymond enjoyed the look and took his solemn farewell.

Standing in the middle of the street on Theater Street, Raymond clenched his fists, and his usually calm face could not hide the excitement. He was very excited, excited that he could use his power in a righteous place while also gaining the trust of his beloved.

Although it is not clear who Sandor is, Raymond has the confidence to deal with him, and he can't, and he can still ask his father for help.

Hurrying back to his home north of the city, Raymond walked into the small courtyard and was surprised to find someone waiting for him at the steps.

"Is that Mr. Raymond Brown?" An older gentleman stood in the doorway, his gray hair combed back to his head, a hideous scar on his right eye, but his face was very kind.

"I'm Raymond, what's the matter with you?" Raymond looked at him.

"I'm your father's friend...... To be precise, we used to be colleagues. Scar Gentleman said kindly, "You can call me Eugene." ”

A bad sign rose in Raymond's heart, for his father had not been home for days.

"You are the ...... of the Marquis of Perley"

"Raymond, I just came back from the northwest yesterday, and I was supposed to explain some things to Gavin, but I didn't expect ......" Scar Gentleman Eugene had a heavy look in his eyes, "Your father, Gavin Brown, died in the line of duty. ”

Like a bolt in the sky, Raymond stood still, unable to move as if his feet were being pinned to the ground.

A fear and helplessness that he had never felt before poured into Raymond's pride, making his pride so ridiculous and so fragile.

"Who did it......" Raymond muttered, his eyes glazed.

"Raymond......" Eugene sighed.

"Who did it?" Raymond asked, gritting his teeth.

Eugene looked into the young man's eyes, with no special emotion on his face, just calmly, as if he were looking at his own child.

"I don't have much time left to investigate, and the two culprits responsible for your father's death should be two." "One is Alvar Stewart, and the other is Cizer Garcia. ”

Raymond's empty eyes seemed to be filled with something.

"Mr. Levi! What happened to you? ”

Levi, who had just returned home, cautiously walked up to the third floor, only to be stopped by the perceptive Miss Aina as he passed the landlord's door.

"Good day, Miss Aina." Levi greeted politely, although his image was not very good at this time.

"Oh my God, Mr. Levi! What's wrong with your clothes? Aina ran up to Levi as if she was frightened, reaching for Levi's robe, "You didn't come home all night yesterday......"

Levi quietly stepped back, "I'm fine, Miss Aina. Last night I went to the manor outside the city, and because it was raining too hard and the carriage had an accident, I stayed at the master's house for the night. ”

Aina didn't touch Levi's clothes, and she was ashamed of her gaffe, and she said half-incredulously, "Really? ”

Levi smiled and nodded, and said as he walked upstairs, "Don't worry, I'll go up and rest for a while, and I'll go out in the afternoon." ”

Before Aina could ask a new question or find something else to talk about, Levi went back to his room, glanced at the soft bed, looked away with great difficulty, and rummaged through the dilapidated closet.

Finally finding clothes to wear, Levi took off his bachelor's robe, which was covered in dirt and charred holes, and replaced it with a beige linen shirt and coarse cloth jacket.

"A whole bag of gold coins was forgotten on the wagon...... It's all to blame on that scary female dragon Terella. Levi sighed, "Fortunately, just in case, I took three out and stored them closely. ”

He tidied up his money bag, and suddenly felt a "buzz" in his head, his body trembled violently involuntarily, and an imposing and coercive angry reprimand sounded in his ears-

"Rude!"

The money bag fell to the ground, and three gold coins tinkled around the floor.

Levi sat down on the floor, feeling a splitting headache and a limp.

"Mr. Levi?"

Aina, who heard Levi's screams, pushed open the door, looked at him sitting on the ground in panic, and asked, "What happened?" I hear you screaming......"

Levi covered his head with one hand, quietly picked up the gold coins on the ground with the other, and said, "It's okay, am I calling?" Ah, it hurts so much that I didn't even notice it......"

Helped up by Aina, Levi casually swept around with a suspicious and gloomy gaze.

"Are you really okay, how did you fall?" Aina asked with concern.

"I didn't pay attention to my step, and I accidentally slipped and fell." Levi smiled helplessly, "By the way, I'll give you this month's rent." ”

He picked up the money bag and pulled out two silver coins and handed them to Aina.

Aina put away the silver coin, and her green eyes showed a faint reproach, and said, "You have to be careful, Mr. Levi." ”

Levi nodded, sent Aina out the door, and then carefully examined the room, finding nothing to talk to.

Have you been hallucinating because you've been thinking too much lately? I actually heard the rebuke of the female dragon Terella, could it be that the majesty of her when she broke out of her shell brought such a big psychological shadow to herself......

He sat on the bed and played with a gold coin with his fingers.

There are three types of currency in circulation, gold, silver, and copper, each worth as much as ten silver coins, and one silver coin is worth twenty copper coins.

The obverse of the coin is engraved with a three-pointed crown, a legacy of King Odryk, symbolizing the Guardian of the Sun [the crown that never sets], and the crown is surrounded by a circle of chains, each of which is replaced by a character from the Elemental Text, symbolizing order and magic.

The reverse of the coin is inscribed with a profile portrait of the Founding King of Wales I.

The obverse of the silver and bronze coins is the same corona and chain, but the reverse side has been replaced with the second and third kings of Wales...... It is said that before the monetary reform, all three coins were printed with Welsh I.

Money is a good thing, and it solves at least two of Levi's biggest problems right now, one is rent, and the other is Nefitari.

Sighing at his mental state and financial situation, Levi left the room and walked out of Twenty-two Baker Street. Instead of heading in the direction of the Mariana Stone Bridge, he chose Naval Avenue in a very different location.

About half an hour later, Levi arrived near Canal Harbour, where he handed the bartender a copper coin, ink on the reverse side, in a dilapidated tavern packed with sailors. The bartender took one look and had him led to the basement entrance in the tavern's backyard.

Levi pulled a black scarf from his pocket and wrapped it around his face, then walked down the narrow staircase. If it weren't for his previous experience, Levi would have been shocked by this "basement", because it was a huge underground space filled with black market merchants and buyers of all identities.

For a moment, Flora's smile flashed in his mind, and Levi shook his head, instead of going to the familiar businessman, he found a relatively remote stall, and his goal was clear.

"A bottle of red wine, a bottle of decanting medicine, and a bottle of ink." Levi said skillfully, "Ten copper coins, a fixed price." ”

The one-eyed strong stall owner was almost amused by Levi, and he said sinisterly, "Why don't you come and rob?" A silver coin that comes with a bottle of rose water. ”

"Deal." Levi said.

With the rent paid and the transaction completed, Levi's monthly salary at the Antlers antique shop was all spent, and if it weren't for the three gold coins in hand, he would definitely have to haggle again.

With the burlap bag in his hand, Levi left the underground black market through another exit and walked along Navy Avenue toward the west of the city.

There is a black market code word for shopping on the black market, "red wine" is red wine containing tasteless narcotics, "sobering medicine" is an antidote, "ink" is a spiritual pigment commonly used in rituals and contracts, and "rose water" ...... That's an aphrodisiac.

Passing by a common bazaar, Levi bought some more bread and other foods, then carried an extra bag in his arms and continued westward.

When he walked to the west of the city, his legs were numb, and finally he came to a single-courtyard double-storey house in the west of the city, the gate of the courtyard was facing the Canglan River, and he could see the south street of the city on the opposite bank.

Following a staircase, Levi walked to the gate of the courtyard, opened the iron gate and walked into the courtyard.

The yard is small, about 10 square meters, and except for a gravel road leading to the door, the yard is overgrown with weeds, showing a desolate scene of lack of care.

Levi didn't care about the trivialities, walked through the knee-high weeds to the door, found it unlocked, and pushed it in.

A sharp dagger was pressed against Levi's neck, and Levi did not move, nor did he say a word, and after two seconds, the dagger was retracted.

The dark-skinned, dark-haired Nephitali took two steps back and looked at Levi with no expression. She was barefoot and wore only a loose linen skirt, and the mere sight of it made Levi feel cold in the season.

"I'm sorry, I was going to come and see you yesterday." Levi closed the door with his heel, walked into the room, and placed the two bags on the floor.

Without saying a word, Nefitari walked up to Levi, still holding the dagger in her hand.

Levi didn't care about the dagger, sat down on the floor on his own, and took out three loaves of bread, five apples, and two pieces of cottage cheese from a burlap bag.

"I'm guessing you're hungry." Levi said.

Nephitali sat down in silence, facing Levi, two sacks apart. She placed the dagger five centimeters behind her buttocks, reaching out and far enough away from Levi.

After Levi had taken out all the food, he untied the second bag, and only then did Nephitali reach for a loaf of bread, put it in her mouth, tore off a large piece, and chewed it carefully.

Levi took out the wine, set it aside, and watched with interest as Nefertali ate.

"That night, you said that you were originally the princess of a small tribe in the Golden Desert, I forgot to ask, has your tribe disappeared?" Levi asked.

Nefertali ignored Levi and reached for a piece of cheese. As if she had never eaten this food, she took a small piece with her fingers, put it in front of her nose and sniffed it before eating it into her mouth, and then silently picked up another small piece.

"You said you were captured by Odryk's mercenaries, and that the mercenaries were the Blood-Drinking Shroud found from an ancient tomb*, and that you stole it before you were sold to a brothel...... I want to ask, how do you do it to steal from cunning and brutal mercenaries? Levi asked again.

Nephitali glanced at the bottle of red wine that Levi had in hand and continued to chew.

Levi didn't care about Nefitari's silence, and said patiently, "I heard that Cizer became a knight of a noblewoman. ”

Nefitari's chewing paused, and she lowered her head to stop looking at Levi, but grabbed another piece of cheese, but her hand was not steady, and she accidentally dropped it on the dirty floor.

Levi smiled and said, "You really care about Cizer. ”

He picked up the red wine bottle, pulled it out with some difficulty, and handed it to Nefitari.

Seeing that she had eaten too much cheese and hard bread, Levi knew she was thirsty.

Nephitali looked at the bottle with purple eyes, then Levi, and didn't reach for it.

Levi smiled, took back the bottle and took a few big sips, then wiped his mouth and handed the remaining half of the bottle to Nephitali again.

Neferthali hesitated, but took the bottle anyway. She gulped the wine into her mouth, and the purple-red liquor spilled from her lips, slid down her slender neck, and stained the white linen placket.

When she had had enough, she lowered the bottle to the floor, but she still held it in her hand and refused to let go, watching Levi warily as she wiped the wine from her chest with her hand.

"I'm just asking." Levi smiled calmly, "If you don't want to say it, forget it." ”

Under Nefertali's gaze, Levi leaned back, propping his hands on the floor in a relaxed pose.

"Speaking of which, the year I bought this yard was the richest time I was in Oderick." "I saved a sum of money for four years, and then I bought a painting from the shop where I worked, and I sold it on the black market at a high price...... All that income added up to make me barely buy it. ”

As he spoke, he laughed: "Boss Zenok heard that I was going to buy a painting and studied it for three days, but he didn't see anything, and he still couldn't sell it, so he had to cheapen me...... It was a Chamel painting, and the ten Zenocks combined did not add up to my understanding of Chamel's art. ”

For the next ten minutes, Levi rambled like a chatter, talking about the gentle landlady, the optimistic President Miranda, and Alva, who was always looking for help in magical teachings, and Nephitali just listened quietly, her eyes gradually softening.

"Thank you."

Hearing Nephitali's first words of the day, Levi closed his mouth and looked at her with a gentle look in his eyes.

"Thank you for giving me a place to stay." Nefitali looked Levi's eyes, "And the food, though it's hard...... But it's delicious. ”

"Don't thank me, there are no beds in the house, and the food is cheap," Levi said. ”

Nefitari's purple eyes are beautiful, especially against the backdrop of her black skin, which are as brilliant as stars.

"I know you helped me to learn about the Blood-Drinking Hood...... But it doesn't matter. She smiled grimly and said, "You asked me two questions, and I will answer them." ”

Levi looked at Nephitali silently and didn't speak.

"The tribe I live in is on the edge of the Golden Desert, and almost all the tribes in the desert believe in the gods incarnated by beetles, and so do our tribe, which worships a beetle called the Night Messenger." "But those beliefs are rootless...... There were no gods guarding us at all, and yes, my tribe perished, slaughtered and looted by Audric's mercenaries, and only young women like me were left behind and sold to the brothel of Slom. ”

"There are many tribes who share the same fate as us, and there are many mercenaries like them, and in the Golden Desert, human life is worthless, but the mercenaries have a bonus before attacking my tribe: they have found gold, jewels, and a blood-drinking cover from an ancient tomb*...... I've told you about this part. Nefitari's tone was a little sad, "What I didn't say is that there is an ancient technique passed down in my tribe that allows us to hide our bodies if we are trained...... That's why I was able to steal the mask, but not enough to escape with this skill, which is the answer to the second question. ”

After listening to her words, Levi nodded and said, "You may not believe it, but I really don't care about your answer, I just asked this out of dispensable curiosity." ”

Nifertali looked confused, she bit her lip and said, "Then you...... Why save me? ”

Levi sighed, he took a small glass bottle from the bag, unplugged it, drank the liquid inside, and tossed the empty bottle aside.

"What are you drinking?"

"Sobering pills." Levi said.

Nefitari's face changed, and she tried to stand up, but found that she couldn't do it at all, and her whole body was weak, as if her bones had been pulled out.

"You...... You ......" She glared at Levi with angry eyes, grabbed the dagger behind her, and stabbed Levi in the chest—

The dagger was halfway through the half-meter distance from Levi, the tip of the knife falling limply, and Nephitali fell in front of Levi, unable to move a single bit. Her waist was twisted into an angle that was difficult for ordinary people to reach, and her posture was a little charming.

Levi looked down at her unmoved, and after a moment of silence, he reached out and took the inkwell and a piece of paper from the bag. He lays the yellowed paper flat on the floor, unscrews the cap of the bottle, dips his index finger in ink, and brushes the paper with what it says.

"Why?" Nephitali said bitterly, "I obviously don't have a grudge against you! ”

"You're a stranger." Levi agreed with her statement, "But without my help, you'd probably die, and the best ending would be to go back to the brothel." ”

"Then why did you save me?" She asked the question again.

"Your life may have become worthless to you...... Whether it's a corpse, or a tool to vent your desires, isn't it? But in my hands, you can bring out extraordinary value. Levi said flatly, "So you want to choose death, or go back to the brothel?" ”

Nephitali said in despair, "What do you want to do?" ”

Her face was pressed against the floor, her black hair scattered to the ground, and Levi's demonic face was reflected in her purple pupils.

"You believe in the Night Messenger, who is the Servant of the Night God." Levi wrote with his index finger, "A thousand years ago, the true masters of the Golden Desert retreated into the far west of the desert, and you are outsiders who migrated from the desolate Shadow Country...... Some clues can be seen in your belief in the same roots. ”

Nefitari's mind was in turmoil: "What do you mean?" ”

"I'm sure there are quite a few tribes left behind by the Golden Dynasty who still believe in gold, death, the void, and carapaces, such as the followers of the Sand King." Levi said, "But you're not, you have the blood of the Shadow Nation in your veins...... Any idea what a coincidence is? I also have the blood of the Shadow Country in my body. ”

As he spoke, Levi completed the first part of the contract, which was also the first part of the ceremony. In the second part that followed, Levi bit his index finger and wrote in the remaining blank space on the paper with his own blood:

"I am the prince of Chamel

I am a child of the night, and the heir of the Shadow Country

I am the second descendant of Saladin

I, Levi Hammurabi

Declared to be Nephitali •? The hosts

I accept her life and loyalty. ”

Levi finished his part, then stood up, took the dagger in one hand, and grabbed Nephitali's right hand in the other, sliced the tip of her index finger with the blade, and pressed the second paragraph on the contract paper:

"I am the princess of the Golden Desert

I am a follower of the Emissary of the Night, and the heir of the Shadow Country

Me, Nephitali •?

Willing to be a slave of Levi Hammurabi

Give my life and loyalty. ”

The contract paper was laid out in front of Nefitari, and she clearly saw the contract oath she had been forced to write, and suddenly felt a little ridiculous.

"How can such an absurd contract come into effect?" She scoffed and said, "You don't even know my full name, and you lack a lot of qualifications......"

"Looks like you have some understanding of rituals and contracts." Levi said lightly, "It's okay, as long as you're awake." ”

At this moment, the blood letters on the contract paper disappeared! As if eaten by paper, it slowly faded and lightened, and finally disappeared without a trace, leaving only the text of the contract that Levi had originally written in spiritual paint.

After a breath, two red index finger prints appeared out of thin air on the paper, announcing the contract.

Almost at the same time, both Levi and Nefitari felt some unknown change in their bodies, as if nothing had happened, and as if everything had changed.

In the dark, the wheels of fate rolled and turned, crushing a new trajectory.

"Why? Why is it true? Nephitali said in disbelief, her purple eyes widening as a line of tears slipped from the corners of her eyes and dripped onto the contract paper.

"Do you really want to know why?"

Levi took the contract paper, folded it, and put it in his pocket. He looked down at Nephitali condescendingly, his eyes soft, and there seemed to be a cold indifference in the softness.

Almost at the same time, in Slom's palace, another contract was officially put into effect.

Seeing the scarlet letters merge into two blood-colored fingerprints, King Cavendish was satisfied with the secrecy of the contents of the contract.

"Happy cooperation, Your Majesty Cavendish Sh." Curran gently sucked his index finger, "Ji Ling will be opened after the Winter Solstice Celebration and before the Glory Festival begins. ”

"Very well, I hope you keep the contract." Cavendish King said lightly.

"No one can break this contract." Curran respectfully clenched his fist against his chest, "Because it's—"

"—The King's Contract."

Levi said slowly.

("What is a deed?") The spirit of the contract follows the law of order, but the force of the contract is derived from the forces of hell, and it is difficult for me to explain this phenomenon...... The contract itself is full of contradictions. —Arsenal's Contract Studies)

("In contract science, descent is a contractual factor that cannot be ignored.") There are a few basic rules worth mentioning: whether the blood of the parties to the contract is noble or not directly affects the energy efficiency of the contract (determining whether the contract is a strong blood contract); Regardless of whether the parties to the contract have the same blood, the contract will be executed in favor of the party of the nobler blood; Contracts are more efficient when both parties have the same bloodline. —Arsenal's Contract Studies)