"Does that matter, Mr. Gnome?" Siegel looked at the fire, looking away from the gnome's eyes. He found that the little eyes, hidden behind the lenses, had the power of insight to see into his heart. He didn't notice a spell at work, but he had a gut feeling that he couldn't be wrong.

"If I'm just one person on a mission with you, that's fine, plus Anomen's fine. But Nalya and Aemon are good girls, and I have to be careful with them. The dwarf lifted his glasses and replaced them with a pale green lens, which made one of his eyes look like a snake. "It doesn't matter my name, my occupation, my age, your purpose and the way you do it determine whether you are a good or evil person, good or bad. ”

Siegel nodded, agreeing with the dwarf's words, "Mr. Yaoen, you're not wrong at all. Tell me, what do you see?"

"Not much, I know your spell ability is much better than your sword skills, but I don't know how much better. The dwarf pointed to Siegel's fingers, "Every time Naria recites the mantra, your fingers shake, like a magic wand, but faster and more accurately, certainly better than the little girl." It's a habit, and you probably haven't even noticed it, right?"

"Wouldn't you?" Siegel looked at his hand, stunned for a moment, and then smiled, "You're testing me, aren't you?"

"Congratulations, you don't have the habit of shaking your hands, but you clearly exposed the information. The dwarf said: "I don't know who put on your makeup, it is indeed vivid, and you can't see your previous appearance at all, but this disguise is still insufficient." I can't make out the expression in your eyes, and many of the muscles that are supposed to be there are masked. Unless you're a very clever assassin. At the same time, you have mastered pretty good warrior martial arts and a certain amount of magic - which I doubt - otherwise you'd be using disguise. ”

Siegel scratches his hair. Rubbing his cheeks. The corners of his mouth curled in a hesitant arc. Look at the gnomes.

"Knowing too much is not good for you. ”

The dwarf Yao shook his head, "The four of us have their own division of labor, Narya is responsible for solving magic traps, Aemon is responsible for dealing with traps, Anomen is dealing with matters related to divine powers, and I get information from people and analyze various clues. I don't know much about the task at hand, so I can only deduce by observing the two of you every day. Thor probably didn't know much. I would classify him as a thug. So the mystery can only be solved from you, Mr. Jay. ”

"We're going to find someone in a dangerous place, and this person is among some dangerous people. Siegel said, "There is a very important clue in her, and the lord has asked to find her and bring her back intact. ”

"Like a kidnapping?"

"It's somewhere between rescue and kidnapping, because I can't be sure who the target is. ”

"That is, to find the target, observe the site, and then take the person away after confirming the target?" the dwarf frowned, "Then this task is not simple, and it is much more troublesome than those things that explore the family's treasure vault." ”

Siegel nodded.

"Earl Heim is really going to make trouble for his men. The gnome snorted and threw a piece of wood into the fire. He used so much force that sparks flew and the campfire nearly went out. But the flame struggled to adjust herself. Finally, the newly added fuel was devoured, and it began to burn again.

The two of them just looked at the flames without saying a word. Each thinks about his own thoughts.

After a while, the dwarf said, "Jay, we are just ordinary adventurers, and we have no allegiance to Lord Siegel. In times of danger, the safety of your companions is more important than your lord's task, you understand?"

"I totally understand. Siegel nodded, "I can understand the friendship and harmony between you. ”

"Let's hope it goes well. Yao said, "Can you tell me more information?"

"I'll say when we get to Kebe. ”

The dwarf Yao is constantly observing Jay and Thor, and Siegel is naturally also constantly observing the boys. Since the Elven Sage did not elaborate on the situation of the destination in his letter, Siegel was not sure that he would be able to solve all the problems on his own.

Even if you were sure that it was the stronghold of the God of Murder, you would be able to find a way to get in, but how could you tell Janet? she must have changed her race, her appearance, and even her ...... Gender.

Siegel fought a cold war. Fortunately, he is a magician and has the ability to solve such a situation. However, this will put forward higher requirements on how to achieve the goals of this trip. As the dwarf Yao said, without enough information, no one can make the right judgment, let alone arrange a reasonable plan.

I hope that as Anomen prayed all day long, he could go all the way and all the best.

Siegel's prayers were always unanswered, but Arnomen was the opposite. He was a godly man, and godly people were rewarded. Mother Earth is in charge of the well-being of travelers, giving blessings along the way. After a few days of fine weather, they did not encounter any more wild beasts on the way, so they made it to the south of the New World.

In a world ruled by forests and lush grasses that grow all year round, it's easy to reclaim farmland, but it's hard to defeat weeds. In order not to waste all their energy on weeding, people in the south mostly plant fruit trees.

So Siegel could see the orchards spread across every hill as far as the eye could see. Tall chestnut trees and slightly shorter pear trees, bush-height raspberries and grapes on stands. Although they don't have fruit hanging on them now, they will definitely come alive in the coming year.

The sight of unspoiled villages and orchards suggests that it is quite close to the southern coast. During the Elven War, due to the large number of troops involved in the north of the Haim Territory, although the elven tentacles reached here, they were not as strong as in other places. Moreover, the lifestyle around planting various fruit trees is more consistent with the idea of the elves, so there is no such thing as returning farmland to forest.

But what hangs on the gallows by the roadside?

The wood of the gallows had long since been eroded by wind and rain, but the black tung oil brushed on it seemed to be new. The shriveled bodies of the two women swayed in the wind, making a "click" crashing sound.

There was a sign on the ground next to the corpse. The parchment is somewhat faded, but the handwriting is barely legible. "The elven invaders do not die in my heart. That's what happens to spies. The act of cutting the rope or dropping the corpse is considered to be against Duke Kebe. ”

Yao said to Ammon, "Cover your ears. It's not friendly to elven blood. ”

Evan pointed to the notice with a puzzled expression: "Duke, is there a duke in the New World?"

"It is estimated that the arrogant lord sealed it himself. "Many people stand on the mountain and think they are greater than the earth. ”

"But that means we're close to the town of Kebe. Siegel suddenly spoke, "It's time to tell you about this mission." ”

After crossing the gallows, you will see an inn in the distance - which is why there is a gallows. It was painted white on the upper floor, had a slate roof, and light smoke wafted from the chimney. A clean stable was in a corner of the courtyard, and in it were only two donkeys with blankets on their backs. There was enough space for nine horses, and there was enough forage to eat well.

There was a gazebo at the back of the courtyard, and three people, two men and one woman, were talking. They were dressed modestly, like aristocrats. But there were no servants or carriages, so it is not known how they came to the inn.

As the group approached on horseback, they heard the murmuring of the water, and understood how the three had arrived. At the back of the inn there is a path that leads to the marina. A small passenger boat is tethered to the pier with the family coat of arms of five pigeons.

The innkeeper heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance, rubbed his hands on his apron and ran out. This is a little fat man who is only a teenager, and there are so many pimples on his face that it is worrying. There was a happy smile under the red spot: "Welcome to the Bentu Inn, Pan Lin will serve you." ”

"So, you have rabbits to eat here?" Evan jumped off his horse and threw the reins to Anomen. "Make something delicious. I'm starving. ”

"Don't worry, Thor, let's go inside. Yao said to the boss, "Take care of our horses first." Remember not to feed it with wet new grass, they've just run a short distance. ”

"I use hay that has been gluttonous with beans. Pan Lin said, "Please come in, please come in." ”

Two little girls of about ten years of age ran out and tried to lead the horses to the stables. Another, slightly older and stronger boy was adding hay to the trough. "Aren't there any adults here?" asked Naria, "are you all working?"

"Oh, the grown-ups are gone, and maybe never come back, so we're taking care of ourselves. Pan Lin said: "Actually, I think Selene's rabbit stew is better than her mother's craft, I recommend you all try it." ”

"Okay, get us a quiet seat. Yao En said.

There were no quiet seats in the inn, except for four men dressed like gondoliers and servants in the corners of the hall, each with ale and cheese in front of them. When Siegel and the others entered, they looked up twice, then lowered their heads again. Except for one who continued to observe, the other three began to doze off again.

Pan Lin wiped the rough table with a rag, licked his lips, and smiled cutely.

Yao looked at Jay with his eyes, because only he knew how long it would take to talk about it. So Siegel said, "Let's have some beer, or ale, the thirst-quenching kind, not food, you understand? ”

"Yes, you can rest assured. Pan Lin waved his hand: "In addition to stewed rabbit, what else do you want to eat?"

"The humid weather here makes me uncomfortable, and the winter temperature keeps me from sweating. Siegel said, "Is there anything sour or spicy?"

"I recommend the lobster and snails from the river, although it is not the fattest time, it is still very delicious. ”

"Very well, bring some sweets to the ladies and add roast chicken, potatoes and some eggs - I heard the cries of the hen coop. I believe one gold coin is enough, right?"

"Sir, can you ask about that kind of gold coin?" Pan Lin bit his lower lip, seeming a little nervous.

"Heim's gold, pure gold. Siegel took one out and placed it in the palm of his fat hand.

Pan Lin smiled happily and hurriedly went to the kitchen to get busy. (To be continued.) )