"My honorable Sir Edward Witwood, it's amazing that you can say such a powerful thing!" Marco Tasker, who was half-leaning on an oak barrel, crossed his legs with a slightly teasing expression, raised his eyebrows, and quietly pointed in the direction where Shirrell left: "Miss Allen has just left, and you are already aiming for new prey?"

"I guess you shouldn't have to ask how you managed to sneak in, and still find me. Edward looked at him with a calm expression, "Is there any important information that you need to tell me now?"

"The Gratoni that Marquis Holard Minest used to kill Nafario - if nothing else, it should be the last, after all, this thing is incredibly difficult to make, and even the richest of nations cannot easily make a new one. The silver-haired wizard paused, "But...... The recipe for the production is most likely in his hands. ”

After saying this, Marco deliberately paused for a moment to look at Edward's expression, but it turned out to be very disappointed - it was still as plain as boiled water, so he had to shrug his shoulders: "But even so, we don't need to worry, we can't do Gratoni with the recipe alone, and we need a wizard as powerful as our dear Angela!"

As he spoke, Marco patted the oak barrel on which he was sitting, and Angela, still dressed in the white-washed maid's dress, ran out from behind, and hurried into Edward's arms, her tender face pressed against his chest.

Angela's face still had no expression, but the eyes told Edward how panicked she was right now—scared, frightened, worried...... After getting the "need", the little maid can no longer let herself go back to the days when no one wanted it and was abandoned at will.

"Haven't you always hated Marco, why did you suddenly ......?"

"Because the big crook can help Angela find Edward Wetwood. The little maid raised her head timidly, her hands still clutching Edward's clothes: "Edward hasn't come home to see Angela for a long time, Angela is so scared...... I'm afraid Edward will forget, forgetting that Angela is his only tool!"

"I promised you that none of that would happen. Edward caressed the girl's soft cheeks with pity, the slightly baby fat pink, as soft and elastic as a freshly steamed custard: "But my dear little Angela, are you really ready?"

"This time it could be very dangerous, everything is unknown. We're going to go somewhere we've never seen before, and we're going to fight a bunch of strangers and wizards, maybe to the point where I'll have to make a choice, maybe I'll send you to your death—so now, tell me seriously, are you really ready?"

Angela was willing, willing to be Edward's tool, and the tool didn't care if she was dead or alive. The little maid shook her head, "Angela just wants to be Edward's best tool!"

Edward patted the little maid on the head, then slowly stood up, looking at Marco Tasker, who was still sitting there, playfully: "Don't some people think that they should show their loyalty at this time?"

"Perhaps, I might have stood here a few months ago without hesitation, and told you that even the West Coast was I'd be with you. Marco Tasker smiled helplessly: "But...... I'm not going to go with you this time. ”

"Neither Bright Star City nor Dominica is my battlefield—maybe someday, but right now my battlefield is here, in this Turin City. Marco Tasker slowly opened his hands, as if he was about to drag something up, and his eyes shone with a strange brilliance: "There are thousands of civilians living in this city, and hundreds of gangsters of all sizes will all become the power of the Blood Flag Brotherhood, that is, your power. ”

"But if I go with you to Bright Star City, I'll be a dispensable wizard - with Miss Angela by your side, my existence is meaningless, but if I were to be here, I would keep the Blood Flag Brotherhood going strong. You're not going to settle for your position, are you, you're going to have to confront the Turin nobles, you're going to have to know their strengths, their strategies, what they can win over and what they have to eliminate, and I'll be ready for you, waiting for your return. ”

"Dear Marco Tasker, if you're afraid of death, there's no need to talk so much nonsense - I didn't plan to take you with me, you can do me more help in Turin. Edward took out a pair of necklaces and rings from his pocket, patted him on the chest, and Marco, who was shocked, quickly caught it: "This is my previous thing, where did you get it?!"

"I, Torusen Minest, have done me a small favor and asked for a return from the Elders of the Wizards' Guild. Edward smiled, "Congratulations, High Alchemist Marco Tasker, your title and identity have all been restored - I promised you that I would restore the Tasker family to its former glory while I have power, and this is just the beginning." ”

Marco's expression was a little stunned, and for the first time, the silver-haired wizard was a little excited, as if he was holding a ring representing his identity and a necklace symbolizing his level of magic: "I, I thought you had forgotten all this, but I didn't expect to remember." ”

"I don't forget anyone. Edward pursed his lips with a sudden twinkle in his eyes: "After I leave, I need you to help me take care of someone - it shouldn't be too much trouble, but I need you to make sure that no matter what happens, he is absolutely safe, he is ......"

"Priest Webb Alexander, Radiant Cross Templar, am I right?" the silver-haired wizard smiled, "If he didn't know, how would I dare to work under your hands—only this time I promise you that even if you don't come back, or don't plan to return, I'll do everything I can to keep him safe." ”

"That's enough. With a long sigh of relief, Edward patted the head of the little maid beside him and walked towards the fleet flagship not far away: "We need to hurry, Angela - can't we let Sir Leonardo wait for us!"

.................. Two hours later, all the troops of the expeditionary force had boarded the ship, and the soldiers in the phalanx on the deck, fully armed, had assembled according to their respective hundreds. The flaming goshawk flag, the glorious cross flag, the black tree flag on a white background, and dozens or hundreds of different styles of dovetail flags were waving in the wind on the sea, and a warm sea breeze blew under the clear sky.

Sir Leonardo Cambrai, standing on the bow of the flagship, was surrounded by the knights beside him, and the chief knight, who had already changed into a scarlet commander's cloak, had an unprecedented serious expression, and the thousands of soldiers of the expeditionary force looked at each other, and the solemn atmosphere could only hear the never-ending sound of the waves.

"I am sure you know very well why we are here, and what we are going to do, and if any of you were to ask me if I would come back alive, I would not deceive you, for our enemy is not a weak barbarian state, but an ancient city, which is destined to be a difficult expedition. ”

"But I can assure you that I will not give up on any of you - I, Leonardo Cambrai, I joined the Knights of the Sacred Tree at the age of fifteen, became a Knight of the Sacred Tree at the age of twenty-six, from sergeant to squire, and now to this point, I have never given up on any of my brothers, whether they are alive or dead, I will stand in the first row and fight side by side with them!"

"Brothers of the Expeditionary Force, who would like to fight alongside me to conquer the oldest city-state in Dominica, and let them see what will happen if they provoke the wrath of the people of Turine?" Leonardo drew his sword, "Who wants to be the first hero to plant the flaming goshawk banner on the spire of Bright Star City?!"