Tilting his head in confusion, he looked at the human magician in front of him. However, Hardy did not intend to pursue further, but asked, "So where are we going to look?" ”

After thinking for a while, Lin said, "Upstairs." ”

"Why don't you go to the dungeon?" Hardy asked, furrowing the catly eyebrows.

"Can a dungeon hold you up?"

"Well, it really can't be closed." Although Hardy doesn't want to admit it, it's likely that Mauni approached the demon on her own initiative. In this case, it is likely that its location is near the owner of the castle. Of course, it also depends on whether the demon lord Sabin knows the value of Mao Ni, and as the next witch priest of the Demon Moth King, he has mastered the method of controlling the Abyss Gate enchantment.

After a consensus was reached, Lin led the way.

Originally, when sneaking into the operation, you should move against the wall as much as possible to reduce the chance of being discovered. Hardy is not trained as a thief, but these things are like instinct for cats. So it steps on the cat's step, sticks to the corner, and moves lightly without making a sound.

But the human magician walked in the middle of the corridor, strolling around leisurely. It's like walking to your own home, without hiding.

Hardy wanted to scold him, but the other party could always stop and hide in the shadows before the demon found out. Wait for the other person to pass by, then come out of the hiding place and continue to move.

Several times in a row, Hardy confirmed that the human mage did have some way of detecting his surroundings. And that's why I didn't find anyone when I was followed before I went to the party. Hardy believes that the feeling of being in the spotlight was correct. It's just that I want to sneak out of the other party, but I was the first to see through it.

As they continued to explore upwards, a demonic guard guarding the staircase became an obstacle for one man and one cat to continue their search.

This guard is different from the demons I've encountered before. The ones I encountered before were all in a state of movement, so as long as you hid and waited for the other party to pass by, you could continue to act. But this one was obviously like a barricade, in front of the only way up the staircase, but it was very much in the way.

The gray cat looked up and whispered to the head resting on top of his head, "Do you break in?" ”

"Wait."

Before he could ask what to wait for, Hardy found that the human magician had disappeared again. At the same time, a loud noise came from the other side of the passage, causing the guards at the staircase to look sideways. The head, which looked like a mixture of a lizard and a frog, shook from side to side, and when he was sure that there was no one else around, he moved his huge body and walked slowly towards the sound.

As he pondered what was happening on the other side of the passage, Hardy saw the human mage poke his head out of the staircase and beckon to him. It wasn't until the guards had gone some distance that the gray cat moved quickly and slid headlong into the stairs. And that mysterious human magician has already gone some distance upwards.

Having given up on exploring the wizard's secrets, Hardy followed him. At this time, he was not only convinced, but also remembered the king's decision, and it was as wise as ever. Let this magician join the rescue team, and the speed is indeed much faster.

If, as in the past, a rescue team is organized by a cat group, it is not uncommon for them to not even return with the cats that have been sent out. Not to mention the rescue of the clan cat.

This time, for Hardy, it was as simple as shopping on the street. And, it seems, is not far from the goal. However, the floor up the stairs was supposed to be the highest level of the castle, but it was nothing but a door.

The human mage was standing in front of the only door, debating whether to open it. Hardy came to his side and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?" Got trouble inside? ”

"The target you're looking for should be inside, but there are still two demons near it. Perhaps one of them is your old adversary, the demon lord Shabin. I can't tell which one it is, though, only that one of them is the Nightmare Lord. ”

"What do you mean?"

"It means we can't avoid those two demons and only come into contact with your companions."

"So, are we going to wait until the evening to get in touch with Mauni?"

After thinking about it, Lin shook his head and rejected the proposal, and said in a normal volume: "If your companion came here voluntarily, then private contact may not make the other party change their minds, and it will be in vain to wait for as long as possible." If he is already under the control of the demon, then he will have to contact the two of them after all to solve this problem. What's more, the other party has already noticed us, so it's better to talk openly and honestly. With that, he pushed open the door and walked straight into the room.

In the middle of the room is a small and luxuriously furnished living room, with fine furnishings, comfortable flannel chairs, a lukewarm magic fireplace that adjusts the room just right, and an unknown hot drink with a fragrant aroma, served in a small but delicate painted pottery cup. Three chairs opposite each sat a handsome man and a beautiful woman and a cat.

The man is dressed in the formal clothes of human nobles, with neat short white hair, resolute silhouette lines, and gorgeous clothes, just a beautiful man with a good demeanor. The fly in the ointment was that his left arm was cut off in half, leaving only the upper arm and the sleeves fluttering underneath.

The other woman was beautiful and human-like, but had a pair of antelope-like curved horns, bat-like wings on her back, and a proud good figure and waist-length hair.

Although someone didn't recognize him, he knew that this demon race, the Nightmare Lord, was the type of demon he dealt with most often. Usually they break into their own dreams and become the pitiful existence of the tower bricks.

The cat is a white-haired, black-faced Siamese cat with large ears and a pair of purple pupils. Sitting on the chair, the posture is very elegant, and the shiny fur is like a marble statue, which is noble and difficult to approach.

Lin and Hardy's intrusion did not cause panic to several people in the room. They just looked at the visitor calmly and with a little curiosity. Of course, no one spoke.

Coming to the circle of conversation, Lin flicked his fingers, and two empty chairs in the room flashed behind him. Someone sat down in one of them, and Hardy the gray cat jumped on the other chair and circled around three or two times before sitting down.

Cocking Erlang's legs, Lin greeted him in a fanciful lingua franca without humility or arrogance: "Good day, two." I'm Gaybrash Tripwood, the magician. Commissioned by King Jay Amuse, he came to bring back the she-cat in front of the two of them, Mao Ni. ”

"Oh, the guest from across the street. To be able to come to us silently is to be qualified to sit down and talk to us. But Ms. Mauni's whereabouts are of her own volition, not my control. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm the host here, Sabine. It's been a long time since I've seen a guest from the other side, but I didn't expect to see three in a row in the past few days, what an honor. The male demon in human form said politely.

But the Nightmare Lord next to him seemed to be smiling instead of smiling, silent, looking at the good show in front of him.

As one of the people involved, Mao Ni shook her head and said in the beast language, "I don't want to go back." ’

At this time, the gray cat Hardy opened his mouth and said, "Mauni, everyone is worried about you. Hurry up and get out of here with me. ’

'Don't. I'm having a good time here, and Lord Sabin is very nice to me. ’

But it's not safe here. Hardy said anxiously.

'How can it not be safe?' With a man as strong as Lord Sabin, under his protection, I am safer than in the forest. Only a strong man like him is worth following, and the king doesn't care if we live or die, does he? He only cared about guarding the breach. Mao Ni said with a reverent look in her eyes, looking at the male demon.

But this is not the place for you, you should be with the people. ’

After a few laughs, Mauni said, "Don't laugh, Hardy. You know better than I do how long you've been wandering out of the forest on your own. Isn't it funny that you say you want to stay with your people? I'm going to stay there, it's my own freedom, and no one can interfere with it. That's what you said to Big Mom. ’

'You! ’

"Hardy." Reaching out and holding down the gray cat from behind, Lin said in lingua franca, "I think he's right." ”

Twisting his body, trying to break free from someone's clutches. The gray cat cried out dissatisfiedly, "Which side are you here to help, human! ”

Lin smiled and said to the troublesome little she-cat, "But I think you've overlooked one thing, little one." They are all intelligent creatures, not ordinary beasts that only think about mating all day long in addition to eating, and they should understand that the individual is also responsible for the group, which I call social responsibility. You can grow up to this day because of other cats' expectations for you, and the extended cultivation and dedication, which have created you. You shouldn't completely ignore their dedication to you, and they want to be free and want to live without constraints. That's not right. ”

Although she understood the lingua franca, Mao Ni still used the animal language and said dissatisfiedly, "What does this have to do with me. They decided my future for me without permission, and did they ask me for my opinions and ideas. Am I just like a puppet and let them dictate everything to me? ’

"I don't approve of unlimited family blackmail, but have you discussed it with them? Have any other cats taken over your duties? You don't want this responsibility to be imposed on you, and that's fine. But there are many ways to unload it, but you choose the worst one and walk away. Maybe in your eyes, Hardy is also a cat pursuing his own life. But if he had really ignored the whole group, he wouldn't be here today. Why do you compare yourself to such a person? ”

As if a little annoyed, Mao Ni bowed her tail to the sky, bared her teeth, and the cat chirped: 'What does this have to do with me!' I am free to do whatever I want. No one can control me. ’

"Huh. I don't want to admit it, I made such a mistake when I was younger. I always thought I could do whatever I wanted, but in fact I couldn't do anything. Yes, Lord Shabin. Lin turned his head and asked about the demon who had been watching the play.