The hustle and bustle of the tavern is still accompanied by a dirty and foul smell, and for a few days, there are still a lot of people coming and going, and Rhodes found that many of the customers of this tavern are regulars, they will come here every once in a while, order a glass of wine and a few plates of side dishes, sit together in twos and threes, chat and brag, and use alcohol to relieve the fatigue of the day. This fatigue is not only physical, but also mental. After all, in the land where darkness has descended, demons are in turmoil, and pain is growing.

And from the words of these people, Rhodes also roughly figured out the range of vampires, just like the tavern owner Kidd said, they appear most of the time in the suburbs, not directly in the castle, and, most of the time, the dead are livestock. Deaths are rare, but they do happen occasionally.

Rhodes was just surprised that the people in the town seemed to be used to it. As Kidd said, the rich are afraid of death, and the poor are sometimes only a momentary fear of death, and in the long run, death is actually a relief for the poor.

"Did you notice? The man in black, always staring at us from the corner. ”

In the noisy tavern, Bogur sat across from Rhodes and whispered. Although he had not been a ranger for many years, he still had the ability to read words and colors, and the dwarf had noticed the man in black sitting in the corner of the tavern for days.

He always wears a tall yarke hat with a low brim, barely visible of his face, except for a pair of dark eyes peeking out from behind the hat from time to time, observing people and things around him like a night owl. He came almost every day, and his attire had not changed, with a black fur coat and brown undershirt, and a long cane that looked secretive.

And, unlike the people around him, who come here in groups and drink heartily, he is always alone, never drinking much, and the table always seems to be just a glass of ale and a bowl of stew.

"I noticed, I noticed it from the beginning. Rod gestured, "Wait two more days to see what he really wants to do." Whether it is friend or foe, it is difficult to judge now. ”

"This kind of hiding in the shadows and observing others is generally not a good bird. ”

Bogur whispered.

"Yes, but not all. Rod picked up his glass, took a sip of wine, and continued—"Did you know that in Kislev there is a special profession called the secret police?"

"Know, like some spy professions. ”

"It's pretty much the same, but it's different, spies in other places only provide information to their masters, but the secret police in Kislev don't just provide information, in some special occasions, they can even take the place of the local police to enforce the law, detain and arrest certain special prisoners, and interrogate them secretly. They were the Tsar's men, and some were directly subordinate to the Tsar himself. ”

"That is, the queen?"

Bogur gave a wine burp.

"Yes. Therefore, the lords and officials in Kislev are very afraid of the Ice Queen, and they are afraid that if they say the wrong thing one day, the wrong thing will immediately reach the queen's ears. These secret policemen are everywhere, they may be guards standing guard at the gate, or noble knights of the kingdom, or wandering knights, or stewards of some lord, in short, they are everywhere, and they are a force that many lords and officials fear. ”

Rod whispered.

"Your queen is a pervert, a very controlling old woman. ”

Bogur joked.

"She's not my queen, she is, but she won't. ”

Rod replied in a low voice with a grimace. Book bar

"So you suspect that the man in black is the secret police sent by the Queen to spy on you?"

The dwarf then asked.

"It's possible, but it's not 100% certain. ”

"Actually, I don't understand, why does your queen have to spy on you since she sent you to exterminate the vampires? What is she worried about you? The Chosen One? Too much prestige will affect her dominance? Why don't you just have a duel and see who wins and who becomes king?"

Bogur scoffed, and he took another sip of the dark beer, which dripped down his beard and fell on the table like a splash on a waterfall.

"It's not that simple. ”

Rod smiled......

While the two were chatting about the man in black, Caroline came out of the room on the second floor, where she had been dressed more and more conservatively, and some of the elegant costumes used in aristocratic occasions were not so applicable here. The Frost Witch could clearly feel that every time she went out, there were always some restless eyes sneaking at her.

So, she followed Rod's advice and appeared in public in the most modest clothes. But even so, it is still impossible to avoid some greedy eyes. The Frost Witch sat quietly next to Rhodes when she came downstairs, and since Rod introduced her new identity to the tavernkeeper, Caroline had to accept it, Lady Medina.

"What are you talking about?"

As soon as Caroline sat down, she anxiously asked about the conversation between the two men, curious as ever. But this is like the Caroline that Rhodes knew, in Blackhammer Castle, she could be curious enough to explore the underground hot springs, occupy the magpie's nest, take the risk and secretly go to the empire with her, just to see the world beyond Kislev, and when she heard that she was about to go north to Dulong City, she had to keep up, this is the Caroline that Rhodes knew.

"We were talking about the man in black. ”

Rod whispered. He didn't even turn his head, as if nothing had happened.

"Don't stare at him, you'll get his attention. ”

Caroline was about to turn her head when she was stopped by Rod.

"Orion, you're here again. ”

Rod's conversation with Caroline and Bogur was interrupted by a commotion, and a short, thin middle-aged man walked in through the door, who seemed to be a regular customer, because as soon as the man entered, many people called out his name. Some of them whistled and offered to hand over drinks and nuts, but it was more like a reward.

"What's the story you're telling today?"

The drinkers began to shout.

"The teller, he is a teller, and when I was a child, I used to go into the tavern and listen to these storytellers. Usually, they will tell some of what they have seen and heard during their travels, some legends, or some news, gossip, etc. In short, a good storyteller is usually very popular, and a good speech earns quite well. But most of the storytellers are actually self-created ghost stories that are a mix of mythological episodes. After all, there are many listeners, but it's not every day that there's something new, and it's normal that there aren't so many stories to tell. ”

Tarlenham explained that as the most down-to-earth person in the group, he was quite familiar with these market life, and there were things that even Rhodes didn't know, but he knew. For, as he himself said, he was no more than a farmer's son before he became an attendant......