The closer he got to the possible goal, the more nervous Siegel became, and it had nothing to do with whether he was a mage or not, whether he was strong or not, only his character.

Siegel spent the first sixteen years of his life at sea. As an orphan, the closest person to a loved one is the old captain. Others are close friends, brothers who can be trusted with their backs, but they lack a sense of family. Only with the old captain was he able to find peace of mind.

After the old captain died, he also left the sea and came to the New World. Although deep down he longed for adventure, it was hard to say that it was not a choice made to escape the pain of losing a loved one.

He had good luck and met Sir Bill. Despite his harshness, Sir Bill made up for the part of his need for affection and gave him something to rely on in his adventurous life at the beginning. It was only a short period of less than a year, but after getting along day and night, Siegel transferred his original feelings for the old captain to Sir Bill.

Then they separated again, this time with the dwarf Elint coming to Siegel with the utmost care to keep his life from falling apart.

After all, Siegel didn't have a home in the New World. His home was at sea, between the cabin of the Soth and the sea and the sky. Even if he tried to regain that feeling, the Soth was long gone—a sudden storm broke the ship's keel and the Soth sank in the sea.

Unlike others, he constantly prayed to the gods, but never responded, so he was also an orphan in terms of faith. Even Mother Earth, the most inclusive of all, has turned a blind eye to even the smallest of Siegels' requests. No matter who he confides in, he will not find any relief in his heart. Many times he could only sleep with his lonely heart. I am my only companion.

Liking Janet and being liked by Janet made him back in power. A territory of his own also made him feel at home again. He did everything he could to protect the feeling. Almost at any cost.

He still remembered the time when he was most proud, when he believed that the elves could be his allies against Knox, he thought that the resolute dwarves would be his friends and allies forever, he tried to persuade Janet to go to the elven forest to cure the blood disease, and he believed that he could solve all problems with his magical powers.

But he didn't even know the whereabouts of his wife.

After all, I still can't control my destiny. Even if the rational part of his mind is very sober, he knows that the impatience and impulsiveness he has because of Janet will not help solve the problem, and these are all shortcomings in his character. But understanding is not the same as being able to make corrections. Understanding is not the same as being overcome.

He can't always rely on his undead form to suppress his soul and emotional swings.

"I'm Siegel Squid," he said, "and this face is made of makeup and magical materials." ”

"Collar ...... Lord Lord?" The surprise on Yao's face was not fake: "We guessed that you faked your appearance, but we didn't expect you to be Lord Count Siegel. However, your spell level ...... No wonder it makes Naria nervous and worried. Why are you revealing your identity now?"

"Because I can't think completely calmly right now, I need your help. "I know that incomplete intelligence can have a big impact on the layout and even jeopardize the execution of the entire plan," Siegel said. This mission is very important to me, and I am determined to avoid any instability, including myself. ”

"Yao, I won't tell you this secret if you hadn't shown good leadership skills on the road. My mission is to find the stronghold of the god of murder and rescue a man inside. But I'm not sure if this person is here. And what it looks like. All of my previous information came from the Elves, and this operation was part of a peace agreement between the Heim Territory and the Elves. I didn't think I was going to lose the state. I was able to stay calm forever, but I found myself unable to do it. ”

Siegel pointed to his chest: "The power of magic is like the waves of the sea, I can control this, but after all, there is a power more powerful than magic." I can face the threat or temptation of the devil, but that doesn't mean I'll never be afraid. I'm not in the best shape right now, so I need you to share it for me. I know it's not part of your squad's mission, but I ask you to help me. ”

Yao's small eyes were behind the lenses, looking intently into Siegel's eyes. The dwarf knew that those golden eyes were the result of makeup—the black hair and black eyes of Count Heim were known to all continents—but deep down his eyes could still be seen in the depths of his eyes. The dwarf smiled slightly, and stretched out his little hand to Siegel: "I believe in you." You are a rare good lord, and we are willing to help you. ”

"Thank you. Siegel said, "But please don't tell everyone about it just yet." ”

"There's no problem with that. Yao said, "But you also know Ammon's character, extra work requires extra pay. And you're not going to ask for the other fifteen hundred gold coins, are you? There's no point in sending money to yourself, is there?"

"It's a deal. ”

"Good, I need to think about it. Yao tugged at the beard on his chin and paced up and down in front of Siegel. After a while, he looked up and said, "Can I consider your magic level to be high?

"With all my might, I can tear down the castle of Kebe to ruins in an hour, I can summon hundreds of elemental creatures to pounce on the enemy, I can use a chain of lightning to form a devastating net within a few tens of meters in front of me, or I can return to Myr with a single thought. By the way, Jagg will betray you to the Solidarity Society at every opportunity, and this is already buried in the depths of his mind, and I was aware of it when I cast the spell just now. ”

Yao En gasped and began to tug at his beard and frown back and forth. "Well, that's more than I can comprehend, so I don't know how to use your powers in the best way, the only thing I can trust is that you're going to do your best on this mission, aren't you. ”

"You're right. ”

"Then let's go to Shaq Manor now. Yao said, "And we can't let the people in the town find out that we're leaving." ”

"It can be done. ”

When a mage is prepared with the appropriate spells, he can be more proficient in combat than a warrior and more adept at stealth than an assassin. Siegel and Yao left the town like two gusts of fresh air, through the gaps in the dense foliage of the apple trees. The nose and ears of the sharpest watchdog are avoided. He even dodged the magic detection enchantment hidden between heaven and earth. They regrouped behind a bush a hundred meters away from Shaq Manor. Siegel activates a dwarven runestone, allowing the two men to merge with the earth. Except for the rock-sensitive dwarves, it is difficult for anyone else to detect.

He even took out a precision telescope from his space bag, which was more expensive than all of Yao En's lenses combined. "I also have a True Vision gem here, which you can use as you please. ”

"Rich lords. Yao En shook his head: "It's rare to find a big financier, it seems that I have to complete this task." ”

"Thank you. Siegel knew that the dwarf wasn't really the kind of person who was greedy for money, but he just said it on purpose to ease his emotions.

The bush where they hid was the last ring of plants on the outskirts of Shaq Manor, and beyond that there was a lawn less than three inches high. Don't talk about hiding. Not even a big rat has a room. The manor is separated by a fence made of bricks and iron railings, and there are always people who clean the lawn and patrol the guards.

Fortunately, it was a manor and not a castle, otherwise there would have been an arrow tower, a lookout post, and heavily armed guards. A tall white house stood alone in the middle of the walled perimeter. Apart from it, there are no stables, no warehouses, no gardens, and there is nothing to hide within a radius of two hundred meters.

"Even though I'm not a mage, I can still feel the magic fluctuations around me. Yao En looked at it with his binoculars for a while and said, "All the windows are curtained, so you can't see what's going on inside." Jay. Can you enter the manor without touching the magic?"

"Maybe, maybe not. You don't know until you try it. Siegel explained, "I don't have access to the core of the defensive circle right now, only the outermost layer, so there's no guarantee that the method of cracking it won't touch the deeper trap mechanics." ”

"Well, just be on the safe side, don't touch it yet. Yao En said: "This manor can be determined to be problematic, but whether it is the stronghold of the God of Murder needs to be further determined." ”

"You're right, let's see. ”

The two men hid behind the bushes for more than an hour, and then quietly scouted around the manor. The manor was built on a gentle slope near the sea, and the mountain on the southwest side of the mountain became a cliff due to the earthquake, and the lawn came to an abrupt end here. Originally, the manor had a door to the south, and a stone path leading to the cliff was faintly visible on the lawn, which in the past may have been planned to lead to the port. Looking down from the cliffs, large piles of mountain debris are scattered throughout the crescent-shaped bay, and the protruding reef cuts through the waves to form a continuous white foam. From a seafarer's point of view, it would be impossible to build a port here.

Siegel was still thinking about how to crack the magic detection defenses, but Yao En tugged at his arm. "Let's go down the cliff and have a look. ”

What was there to see but the stones? Siegel didn't understand, but he did what the dwarf suggested. The cliff was already very close to the defensive circle, so Siegel didn't dare to use magic. Fortunately, Yao En's size was smaller, and Siegel's physical fitness could be called an elite warrior, so he carried the dwarf on his back and slowly climbed down the cliff.

It is said that the earthquake occurred decades ago, so the forces of nature have already conquered the rocks, and the steep, rough cliffs are covered with vegetation, making the climb difficult. It takes great care to find a stable and balanced foothold, and if you kick a rock, the sound of the waves may not be able to drown out the sound of it hitting the rock.

But it's easier than climbing to the top of Mora, Siegel thought to himself as he reached the bottom of the cliff. He looked at Yao, a dwarf standing on a piece of limestone that had been eroded by the wind and waves, staring at the cliff and changing his lenses.

"They hide it well, but my guess is correct. Yao En pointed to the mountain wall and said, "There is a vent here, maybe you can enter the crypt hidden in the mountain. (To be continued.) )

PS: After all, mages are people, not machines.

The author is a fat man, but does not feel hungry.

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