“............ The intelligence in the eastern realm is roughly like this, today's situation is even worse than the previous two years, the number of people who can pass the Guò Knights assessment has been reduced by a quarter, if it weren't for a group of squires who were promoted by their military merits, there might not even be sixty people!"

Gallop, who had sneaked from the headquarters of the Knights to Gaio on the hills of Marchelus, reported to Grand Master Mercer Kane with a stern face: "As for the source of the sergeants, the winter in the East has come too early this year, and we have replenished a lot of manpower, but the food is a little insufficient, and the flag bearer must not let some castles return to garrison and prepare for the winter." ”

He was right to do so - if necessary, sending some wounded veterans to the capital would make them less stressed. Mercer pressed against his temple: "But this is not an order - I will try to find a way to raise money to send it over, find a suitable person to escort it, and leave this matter to you." ”

"Maybe you can negotiate with His Majesty Xià to increase the quota of the Knights, and then hand over some of the taxes from the eastern border directly to ...... this year."

"No, this is non-negotiable—the kingdom has already spent a lot of money to maintain the current size of the Knights, so I can't say anything about it, and I have my own way of raising money. Mercer flatly vetoed: "The Order's expenses have always been criticized, and I can't give Holard Minest an excuse to meddle in the Order's affairs because of this!"

"Understood. Gaio Valence, whose face sank into the water, nodded, and then asked, "About the Brotherhood of the Blood Flag...... I may have to report back to you. ”

"Did our little squire do something that scared you?" Mercer's brow widened slightly, "I said you should trust Ernier's eyes—and I'm willing to trust him." ”

"But I don't believe it, I don't believe that a man can get to such a point -- no drinking, no love of money, no awards, no desire for anything, if he were an old man who might be able to explain that he is weak-minded, but a young man of good blood like him ......" Gaio shook his head: "He must have something else to do." ”

"If you're going to accuse him, that's it, I want to know where you've come?" Mercer waved his hand, obviously not wanting to talk about it, "I need hard evidence, and facts. ”

"But I'm sorry, we don't really have any evidence right now, let alone the facts. "Someone told me that Cortés had been to the Mineste house, but no one saw him come out - we suspect it's a trap." ”

"Regarding Cortez, although there is no evidence yet, this person should be the leader of the Blood Banner Brotherhood, and we have lost a single piece of information about him since yesterday. ”

"Also...... You should know better that Dominica's emissary was already on his way to Turin, supposedly to renew last year's peace treaty - it would be of no benefit to anyone if it were to be attacked at this time, and even if the Marquis of Holard Minest had planned to go to war, it would not have been winter. ”

"So we must put an end to this before winter, so that he has no excuses!" Mercer's face was gloomy: "I didn't give the golden necklace of Wizard Aiden Hanan. ”

"Wise decision, taking it out at such a time will only allow the Marquis of Minest to succeed. ”

"But if that is the case, it is incomprehensible, for the necklace is supposed to be genuine—and if the Dominicans are also premeditated to go to war, then why should they make peace?"

"A bunch of self-righteous rats aren't worth your trouble, who understands what they think?" said Gaiyo with a blank face, "I only think about the safety of the Knights, and you only have to think about the safety of the kingdom." ”

Mercer frowned and was about to say something when the door to the room was pushed open. A Sacred Tree Knight, who was guarding outside, walked in: "Lord Kane, a man claiming to be Alan Kwyn has asked for a meeting, claiming to have been commissioned by Edward Witwood to deliver you a letter!"

.................. The head soaked in plasma, with a hideous expression that it had before death, twisted as if it was still struggling desperately. Now he was thrown in a corner with his corpse by Marco Tasker, who was already close to collapse, and no one cared.

Bloodied Marco was half-leaning against the wall, gasping for breath, and Angela Hanan sat directly across from him, dark green eyes staring at him hostilely. The silver-haired wizard was clever enough to deliberately fail to ask why Edward had spared her life - any superfluous nonsense at this time would be self-defeating.

“...... Pipe Town?" Edward asked rhetorically, "Did he sue you when you were about to kill him?"

"I think it's still explained as ...... It would be more appropriate to sue me when he was about to kill me, and I stabbed him in the neck. Marco showed a scared expression: "They're going to use that 'thing' in Pipe Town first, the Radiant Cross is on it, and this group of people is a bunch of crazy people, a bunch of ...... A bunch of goddamn lunatics!"

"So, how do we stop them?"

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!" Marco suddenly screamed hysterically, his teeth chattered as if he was frightened, and pointed his right hand at Angela Honan in front of him, "Why don't you ask this venerable Dominic wizard, she is the one who let that terrible devil run into this world, no one knows better than her, right?!"

"Dominica wizard, what Dominica wizard?" Edward asked curiously, and patted Angela's little head lightly with his right hand, "Angela, is there any Dominica wizard here?"

"Nope. The girl shook her little head vigorously and tugged at Edward's cuffs tightly: "There is only Angela here, Angela of Lord Edward." ”

"Look, my dear Marco Tasker, there are no Dominic wizards here. Edward slowly raised his head and looked at the silver-haired wizard with a "gentle" gaze: "Are you mistaken?"

"............" The corners of Marco's mouth twitched violently, he could see that this squire really planned to kill him, and forcibly calmed himself down immediately: "...... Sorry, I read it wrong, there's no Dominic wizard here. ”

The silver-haired wizard suddenly felt a pang of regret - was he really dealing with a "man" and not a "devil"?

Edward wasn't in the mood to care about what Marco was thinking, and if it weren't for that faint instinct telling him that this guy wasn't that simple, he wouldn't have any value to himself - no value, and he knew so many 'little secrets' that it would be best for him to shut up forever and sleep until the end of the world.

"There is nothing in this world that can stop Gratoni, not in the past and not in the future. Angela suddenly pouted, shaking Edward's right hand and said, "That's the most terrible monster in the world, Gratoni will eat it all." ”

"Gratoni?"

"The Hunger Demon, one of the Seven Monarchs of Hell. Marco Tasker suddenly interjected: "It will never be satisfied, it will never stop, and the more hungry you are, the stronger you are." One of the seven doomsdays on the Radiant Proverbs is to be devoured by Gratoni, who has been released from hell. ”

"Eat up all ......of them," Edward curled his eyebrows, smiling and asking Angela, "Is it an adjective, or is it some kind of metaphor?"

"What is a metaphor, and what is an adjective?" Angela shook her head in anguish: "To eat all is to eat all - bread, meat, bones, stones, sand, trees...... Eat them all!"

"So, how do you eat it all?" said Edward, like an inquisitive schoolboy.

"Hmm...... Gratoni is a big egg, and then it will hatch a huge bug, and the worm will give birth to a lot of little Gratoni, and so many more. Afraid that Edward would not understand, Angela opened her arms and made an exaggerated gesture: "There is as much food as there is to raise as big a Gratoni, and the bigger the Gratoni, the more little Gratoni will hatch." ”

"That's really ...... It's a very interesting monster. Edward turned his gaze to the silver-haired wizard, "So...... Mr. Marco Tasker, I have a reluctant request, and you may not be willing to do so. ”

"I understand, I understand...... "After knowing so much, of course Edward will not let himself go, but this is also his own plan, isn't it?" Marco was ridiculously desolate: "Even if you let me go, the Blood Flag Brotherhood will not spare me, and my only choice now is to fight with you to the end, right?"

"But now, if you don't mind......" Marco, who was pale, stood up tremblingly, leaned against the wall and walked towards the door: "I may have to vomit a little bit to make myself feel a little better!"

The silver-haired wizard left the room with a shake, and Angela, who had been staring at him, suddenly raised her head and looked at Edward with big dark green eyes: "This guy is a liar, he didn't tell the truth, he has been lying to you all along." ”

"Oh...... Of course, but he told some truths, just incomplete. Edward smiled softly, "Mr. Marco Tasker is a clever liar, he knows how to play his fears well, and what he wants to do happens to coincide with mine, so why not take advantage of him?"