On this dark afternoon, Alva, with thick dark circles under her eyes, sat on the sofa in her living room and looked at Levi with a complicated expression.

"What is this?" Alva asked.

On the low table in front of him was a small wooden box.

"An inducer, you give it to Cizer for me." "Tell him to carry it close to me in a transparent container, and if the bug glows, I'm in danger, and release the bug right away, and it will guide me in the right direction." ”

Alva listened with a blank face, he hesitated for a moment, and said, "Is something happening, Levi?" ”

Levi shook his head, stretched out his hand to his forehead and said, "I may be targeted by troublesome people, you have to be careful...... It's been strange lately, I always feel like something is wrong, as if I've forgotten something important. ”

"I think you're probably too tired." Alva said cautiously, "Could it be that you are thinking too much?" ”

"I'm not sure, but you'll have to help me get something to Cezel." Levi said seriously, "Is he still at Hayes Manor?" ”

"Well, I guess it was, he said he was going to finish his knightly training." Alva replied, "What are you going to do now?" ”

"Didn't you tell me to rest? There was a date in the evening on Theater Street. Levi said, "I've got to get home first, and you'd better give the bugs to Cizer today...... Please. ”

"No problem, you can go to the theater at night, I'll take a carriage to the outskirts of the city to find Cizer." Hearing the word dating, Alva showed an interested expression, "Are you going to the theater with girls?" ”

Levi nodded.

Alva showed an envious expression and said, "Alas, if only I could watch the play with Archer." ”

"How's the Duchess doing?" Levi asked quietly.

"I heard that I have returned to the Duke's Palace, and I want to recuperate for a while." "She's badly hurt...... I didn't dare to visit her at the Duke's Palace. ”

No, she'll be coming to you soon, Alva.

Levi said silently in his heart.

Curran Munso stood in the courtyard of the Kingdom Mansion, staring silently in the direction of Slom City.

On a sunny afternoon, a mysterious dark blue sky was piled up over the capital of Oldlik, and the starry sky hung upside down a pale palace with a huge tower piercing out of the palace, like a huge sword hanging on top of Slom.

Colan knew that the entrance to the tomb of Jiling, the door of frost was at the top of the giant tower - that was also the gate he originally intended to summon, according to the description of the ceremony, only the gate of frost would come, and the body of the tomb would not fall from the void at all, and it would be displayed in front of the world.

"What the hell is wrong...... Curran whispered, "if you can't open the door, the only way is to cross the Void." ”

With the Frost King's eggshell as a guide, it is not difficult to cross the Void...... However, it is difficult to carry a Sage-level powerhouse with eggshell fragments alone.

Fortunately, there was no Sage in Gore's mission, and although Welsh XX promised in the contract that he would not send the Sage into the tomb, it was undoubtedly safer to have the Void to hold him hostage.

"Are you ready, Thorne?" Curran tilted his head slightly, "Maybe I'll have to let you go up then." ”

The burly guard named Thorne stood behind Curran and replied in a hoarse voice, "I have always been ready to go, Your Highness. ”

Curran nodded, and sighed again.

"We've got to get the real Heart of Terrela...... Even if I kill the general who is watching over me for this, I will not hesitate to kill it. ”

He said slowly.

"Let's go, let them pick the candidates to enter the tomb, and we will go to the palace immediately."

Time is running out, whether it's the time of Jiling's stay, or the time Emperor Gole has left for Curran.

Raymond walked down the street with a strange feeling in his heart, as if his every move was under the watchful eye of someone else.

"Am I too suspicious? I'm the one in the dark......"

Stopped, he glanced up at the pale shadow in the sky, and had a faint sense that something big was about to happen.

But no matter how big it is, it doesn't matter to him, since his father's death, there is only one thing he has to do.

"Raymond."

Hearing a familiar voice call his name, Raymond turned around and saw Eugene standing in the alley beside the road.

Eugene, the gray-haired gentleman with scars, beckoned to him to come closer.

Raymond had hidden close feelings in his father's former colleagues, and he walked up to Eugene without hesitation and asked, "What's wrong, Uncle Eugene?" ”

"Someone is stalking you." Eugene whispered, his eyes calm.

He put his hand around Raymond's shoulder and walked with him deeper into the alley.

"Don't look back, and don't make strange moves." Eugene laughed and said, "As usual, trust me." ”

Raymond's shoulders tensed at Eugene's words, but it didn't seem strange as this was his usual style.

The two walked into the depths of the alley, turned a few turns, and walked slowly as if walking.

A man in black followed, and when he turned the alley, he suddenly stopped.

For Raymond stood quietly in front of him, looking at him with cold eyes.

The man in black clenched his fists slightly, and his other hand silently grasped the dagger in his sleeve, and was about to have a seizure, when he suddenly heard the wind whistling behind his head.

Before he could turn back, he saw a blade peeking out of his throat.

The knife was withdrawn, and the man in black did not make a sound, and he fell weakly, revealing Eugene standing behind him.

"Why did you just kill him?" Raymond asked calmly as he watched the man in black fall to the ground.

"You don't know the underground world of the royal capital." Eugene thrust the dagger into the scabbard and said slowly, "He's a bounty hunter for the Throat Sealing Guild, and we can't get information about his employer from him." ”

"Throat Sealing......" Raymond muttered.

He didn't understand why someone was following him, and in his opinion, his revenge plan hadn't even begun.

Eugene leaned down and fumbled around the man in black for a moment, finding nothing but a money bag, a dagger, and some medicine bottles.

"Let's go." Eugene stuck the dagger behind the man in black, put away the money bag, and stood up," he said, as he walked. ”

Raymond glanced at the body of the man in black, nodded, and the two of them returned to the street together.

"What did you do?" Eugene's expression was very gentle, as if he hadn't killed anyone just now, but just stepped on an ant.

Raymond hesitated, but told Eugene what he had done before and after the Demon Fight.

After hearing this, Eugene was silent for a while, squinted his eyes and said, "You did a good job, things are quite hidden, but there are still some tails left, which is enough for thoughtful people to notice the abnormality." ”

Raymond wondered, "What's the flaw?" ”

"Tactics." Eugene said, "You shouldn't have that kind of tactic for the Demon Fight, and combined with the damage to the escape necklace, it's easy to suspect your purpose." ”

"Can anyone really guess my purpose with so few details?" Raymond asked incredulously.

"You saw it, someone was following you." Eugene sighed and said, "Could it be that Alvar Stewart hired a bounty hunter?" ”

Raymond thought for a moment and said in an uncertain tone, "I don't think Alva looks like a very smart character. ”

"What if he's playing dumb? According to you, he is actually a magical genius, so wouldn't it be even more terrifying if he also had a keen sense of insight? Eugene reminded.

Raymond nodded and reflected, "I'm ashamed...... I did think things too simply. ”

"Where were you going?"

Raymond was stunned, remembering his original purpose, and said, "I'm going to spy on a bachelor named Levi David, and I know from the ogre's men that Levi was there on the night of my father's accident...... He is the third person to be overlooked. ”

Eugene had a serious expression, he didn't make an assessment, but thought about something seriously.

Raymond continued, "Levi is a lowly apprentice in magic, he didn't open up the magic palace, and he couldn't even cast the illumination spell. From my previous covert observations, he was very close to Alvar Stewart and Cizer Garcia. ”

"I've investigated the records of the Royal Capital Security Corps, and even they haven't found any survivors or a third person present." Eugene nodded and said, "Your discovery is very important, it is indeed necessary to observe this person, I will go with you." ”

With Eugene by his side, Raymond's revenge plan against Levi is more certain.

"If you find an opportunity, do you want to arrest him?" He asked tentatively.

Eugene's answer is no.

"Remember, this is Slom and no one can be taken lightly, including Levi David." Eugene narrowed his eyes and said cautiously, "Since we are in the shadows, we need to use a more secure method." ”

He is like an old hunter who has found his prey, casting a dark and deadly net.

It was as if Slom had become the city of eternal night, spending a peaceful and special day in the darkness.

A horse-drawn carriage was parked in front of the Wiggins Theater on Theater Street, and Levi pulled the door, jumped out of the carriage, and reached out to the inside.

Putting on her prettiest dress, Aina Cooper took Levi's hand and stepped out of the carriage with her skirt in her hand.

"You're beautiful tonight, Miss Aina."

Levi let go of his hand and smiled. Out of courtesy, he stretched out his arm slightly, and Aina blushed and put her wrist on his forearm, and the two walked together on the red carpet at the theater entrance.

Unlike the Royal Theatre and the Shining Theatre, the Wiggins Theatre does not have a long history, but is a new and emerging theatre that has stood out on Theatre Street in recent years, and its signature actors are Bertha Winston, who is extremely popular among the minor aristocracy and the common people, and Wiggins, the owner of the theater.

The first time she watched a play with Levi, Aina was very happy, and as soon as she found a place to sit down, she whispered to Levi: "What kind of woman is the Queen of Shadows?" ”

Levi patiently replied, "History has mixed reviews of this queen, some say that without her there would be no king of kings, others say that she was a poisonous queen whose hands were covered with blood because of jealousy. ”

As he said this, Levi was careful to keep an ear in his ears, suspecting that Terella, who was hiding on his shoulder, would throw a concussive sound wave at him at any cost.

To his relief, Terrella didn't react.

"Why should the Shadow Queen be jealous?" The innocent Miss Aina once again asks the fatal question.

Levi raised his eyebrows and said simply and bluntly, "Because Saladin has many wives." ”

Aina nodded understandingly, finally letting Levi go and not continuing to ask.

He didn't come to the theater tonight for pleasure, but for the pleasure of doing so. Imagine that Terrela Cleopatra is standing on the stage, and the real Queen of Shadows is sitting under the stage, what is this famous scene?

Putting aside the pranks and jokes, Levi's real goal was to speculate on some historical facts through Terrela's reactions, which was also to prepare for what she would do in the future.

As he thought, the lights in the theater went out, and the expensive alchemy lampshades set up on the stage lit up, and the audience quickly fell silent in the soothing atmosphere of the band's music.

The dark red curtain slowly opened, and Bertha Winston, with long black hair, stood alone in the center of the stage, holding a slender scepter, wearing the queen's black dress and a blood-colored gemstone crown...... The people off the stage began to feel suffocated by this oppressive beauty.

Levi habitually rested his hand on his cheek and watched the stage quietly. He knew that it was the time when Terella was in charge of the Shadow Country, and it was evident from the cold style of the costumes.

As for the three-pointed crown, it is pure nonsense, before Saladin was crowned, there were too many types of crowns, and the crown of the King of Shadows was a heavy and luxurious gold crown with a prismatic ruby in the center.

Mournful music echoes in the theater, with Bertha Winston's Terella singing sadly about her lonely heart on a prop throne, and even incorporating Charmelian-style tunes to enhance the sense of place, but Levi didn't believe that Terella would sing such a mournful tune when she was queen.

Suddenly, the music grew heavy, the lights brightened, and a bloodied procession of knights stepped onto the stage, their momentum very decadent, apparently having just been defeated. Among the knights was a handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes, who was full of youthful charm.

Levi speculated that the handsome guy was Saladin, and that Saladin was played by the theater owner and number one, Wiggins Bell.

Half-kneeling before Terella's throne, Saladin looked boldly at the queen, singing a tragic song in a deep voice to the effect that he had come to Ozer after suffering and escaped death, hoping for help from the Shadow Nation, and begging the queen to form an alliance with him.

In the audience, Aina sat in the seat to the left of Levi's, and he felt a small figure emerge from the collar on the right side, sitting on his shoulder.

Looks like Terella is finally getting a little interested.

The set soon changed to a dense forest, presumably referring to the secluded forest behind the Grand Canyon of Öze, where "Terella" and "Saladin" lingered in the dense forest, at first the two of them sang from a long distance, confiding in each other, singing one after another; Gradually, the soft music became enthusiastic, and a man and a woman slowly walked towards each other, embracing each other, spinning and dancing briskly.

"What are they playing?"

Terella's voice reached Levi's ears.

Levi glanced at Aina, who was watching the scene of love intently, not paying attention to Levi's gaze.

"When you and Saladin first met." He said in a low voice.

Terella had the ability to block out her voice, but Levi didn't, so she could only speak carefully.

Terella was silent for a moment and said, "Although that actor doesn't look much like Saladin, he is more handsome than Saladin, and he is my favorite type." ”

Levi tugged at the corners of his mouth, this was not what he wanted to inquire about.

The happy time was so short that the music suddenly became more intense, the backdrop was replaced by Stormy Heights, Saladin drew his sword at his waist, and Terrela changed into a half-naked armor that covered her chest and hips, a feature of the Shadow Nation armor.

Levi knew that the villain was almost on the line.

The eerie sound of the music interjects into the music, and a tall, heavily armored warrior appears with a large sword, wearing a helmet that looks like a crown and bones on his head...... To play the role, the actor also wore gloves embroidered with white bones.

There weren't many people who had beaten Saladin into running around, and the Skeleton Emperor of the Bone Empire was one of them.

Saladin and Terella sang a blood-boiling battle song as they and the Skeleton Emperor rushed to each other with a few actors, performing a bloody battle in the form of a dance, and finally the Skeleton Emperor was unwilling to fall to the ground under the combined attack of the two.

Tyrella loses the crown on her head and throws herself into Saladin's arms, where Saladin spins around her and the backdrop becomes the palace of the Shadow Nation, symbolizing Terella's renunciation of her status as queen and her ascension to Saladin's queen.

"Is it Augustus? The one who danced in a lap and then fell. The real Terrella asked again.

"Well, it's Skeletron." Levi replied in a lower voice. Augustus is the name of the Skeleton Emperor.

"We never really knocked him down." There was a hint of sarcasm in Terella's tone.

Levi was slightly interested in this topic, but unfortunately he couldn't talk to Terella about the people around him, so he could only continue to read.

As the background continues to change, the music ups and downs, the plot behind it is a little flat, and the timeline quickly dials to the scene where the King of Kings ascends the throne.

Just when the audience thought that the queen was going to live happily ever after with Saladin, a woman in a snow-white dress came to the center of the stage, and compared to Bertha's Terella, her face was delicate and a little more pure and beautiful.

As she sang the Holy Divine Comedy, even Levi had to marvel at the woman's outstanding voice, and as soon as she turned around with her skirt lifted, the soldiers on the stage froze, and the gray-white light shone on their heads, symbolizing the transformation of the crowd into stone.

Saladin, on the throne, stood up and walked up to her, singing a hymn of amazement, while the woman in the white dress responded with a melancholy voice, sometimes shyly expressing love.

This part of the story is very famous, Saladin's second queen, the white queen known as the first beauty of the continent, Mayvis, she has the beauty of her admirers turned into a white stone sculpture, and the heavenly singing, which fascinated Saladin in his later years.

Just as the two on the stage were entangled in their dancing postures, Levi's ears heard Terella's sneer: "What do you want to know from me?" ”

Levi was silent for a moment and said, "It's just a play." ”

Terella didn't say anything more, and Levi felt her burrow into her clothes again.

With this little episode, Levi's performance was somewhat unpleasant: Saladin on stage soon canonized Mavis as queen, making her as famous as the Shadow Queen, but the cruel Terrella killed the peerless beauty with poison, and Saladin left angrily with her corpse in his arms, never talking to the Shadow Queen again.

In a mournful and epic symphony, the Queen of Shadows sat alone on the throne, with a grim expression and softly chanted:

"Eze's wine is like blood

The night of the Shadow Country is like a light veil

Let's give up the eternal youth——

Cause my body to dissolve into shadows

that my soul may be buried in the roots of the secret tree

and hath made my kingdom disappear into nothingness

No visitors are welcome

Do you hear me?

A queen who does not belong to anyone

I am the queen of one kind

Do you hear me?

Time

You can't change anything. ”

In the fading music, her lonely figure disappeared behind the closed curtain.

The end of the play.

(It is often said that Saladin's head would have been cut off by Skeletron's heavy sword without the full support of the Shadow Queen.) —"General History of the Mainland: The Year Before the Yuan Dynasty")