Amid the clamor of the audience's discussion and laughter, the lights in the Astrid Amphitheater suddenly went out.

The diners in the theatre bar, who had just been changing their glasses and savouring the specialties of the UK, also stopped moving, looking up at the theatre stage through the glass windows, but they could not see anything.

Under the silent night sky, the crowd of tens of thousands of spectators in the Astrid Amphitheater was only the twinkling stars in the sky.

Today's weather is good, there are no dark clouds, no light rain, although there is some cold wind and bleakness, but you can still see the charming and moving white moonlight.

While enjoying the wine and food in the royal VIP room on the third floor of the theater, William IV, who was talking eagerly with the Duke of Wellington beside him, couldn't help but stop talking.

He was stunned for a moment, before he remembered that there was a war hero who was as important to Britain as Horatio Nelson was standing beside him.

William IV couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter?" I haven't been to the show in a while, is this a new form of performance? ”

The Duke of Wellington just smiled heartily, he pulled his friend Talleyrand beside him, and touched the king with his wine glass: "Your Majesty, you don't need to think too much about the reason behind this, just enjoy the surprise." When it comes to surprise, this lad from Scotland Yard is far better than your best expects. ”

Talleyrand held the glass in one hand behind his back and the other behind his back: "Although I have never liked to oppose others, at this point I must oppose the views of His Excellency the Duke. This lad doesn't always bring good news, and when I get along with him, he always makes me feel bad. ”

When Lionel, who was carefully waiting for several big people on the side, heard this, he smiled at the right time and stepped forward to add a little brandy to Talleyrand: "Your Excellency, Arthur is not bad to that extent, is he?" At least, I remember we had a good time last time on the golf course. ”

Hearing this, Talleyrand shook his finger and said, "No, young man, golf is interesting, but I'm talking about what happened on the way to the golf course. ”

When William IV heard this, he asked curiously, "Has that young man named Arthur offended you?" ”

"Your Majesty, you're guessing very close, but there are still some slight deviations."

"So, what the hell is going on?"

Talleyrand shook his glass and sighed, "That boy won me another ten pounds on the way." If you think about it, this seems to be the seventh time. It's the first time in my life that I've met someone who can keep me invincible, and the frustration I get from this kid is too strong. ”

William IV laughed when he heard this: "I really didn't expect that, it turns out that even you, Talleyrand Périgord, have missed times!" ”

The Duke of Wellington also quipped, "Well, it's only ten pounds, and I heard that you didn't just receive a small gift from Holland?" That's enough to make up for the little loss at the table, right? ”

When Talleyrand heard this, he didn't answer directly, but took a sip of champagne, and then stared at the crystal clear wine in the wine glass and shook his head and commented: "Good wine!" I tasted it as soon as I tasted it, this is Hennessy's brandy, right? It should be ten years old, and the taste is mellow enough. ”

Lionel on the side smiled when he heard this, and replied: "I really can't hide any wine from your taste buds, that's right, this brandy is indeed specially shipped from the Hennessy estate in Cognac, France." ”

Talleyrand pursed the corners of his lips and smiled softly: "It's not a good thing to be able to taste Hennessy, the taste of vanilla, cloves and cinnamon is clear as soon as you taste it, even a novice can feel the difference, let alone an expert like me." ”

The Red Devil, who was sitting on the sofa behind them, holding a wine glass, couldn't help but nod and said, "That's right, Hennessy drinks like that, remember to change a little bit of Jinzhuang for me to taste another day." ”

Wilhelm IV didn't care what he drank, and although the king liked to drink, he was not particularly picky about the brand and variety. After all, he had rolled over on a Royal Navy ship, and no amount of wine could make him feel better than the light beer on board, because it contained the taste of the passion of youth.

The king was apparently more concerned about the small gifts that the Dutch gave to Talleyrand than the wines.

William IV couldn't help but ask: "Would you mind revealing what the Dutch had sent you?" Why haven't I received a gift? ”

Hearing this, Talelang only smiled politely: "Your Majesty, these are just small gifts, and a noble person like you will never look down on them." If the Dutch were to present it to your throne with fifteen thousand pounds, it would stain the whole of Windsor Castle with the stench of copper, which would be a blasphemy and an insult to you. ”

When Wilhelm IV heard this, he understood what was probably going on.

After all, Talleyrand's personality is well known, and in addition to being a well-known diplomatic activist in Europe, he is also a repeat offender of corruption and bribery. The Dutch offered fifteen thousand pounds, and nine times out of ten they intended to do something to Totarieland.

However, Talleyrand's little hand in making money can't be controlled, and this is not something that the king of England should worry about, so leave this matter to Louis Philippe, the king of France.

Just as the people in the room had just adjusted to the darkness of the theater and were about to talk about something else, they suddenly saw countless torches entering the theater one after another from the two passages in the backstage of the theater on both sides of the circular stage of the Astrid Theater.

From the upper floor, the torches seem to be like ants on the march, dancing in unison and rhythmically, and with their movements, the torches gradually form a regular circle around the center of the stage.

William IV couldn't help but mutter, "What's that?" ”

Lionel, who was on the side, smiled and whispered, "As His Excellency the Duke just said, Your Majesty, the surprise is coming. ”

As soon as the words fell, in the breath-holding sound of the theater audience, I saw those torches waving down from the outer circle to the inner circle in turn, as if they had been agreed.

The darkness faded like a tidal wave, and in its place was the bright sight of the earth that was restored.

In the sound of inhalation, the audience finally saw the scenery around the stage, which was a torch pillar standing on the outside of the stage, and the red and yellow flames were tumbling in the cold wind of late autumn, as if they were about to gather into a ball of fire and burn the entire theater together.

And under the light of these flames, the audience finally saw who was entering the arena with torches, it was the golden sign of the Astrid Theater - the riders of the Astrid Circus.

It's just that today's riders are not as pompous as they used to be, nor are they as intimate and simple as they were when they were about to perform the fire ring stunt.

Since the founder of the Astrid Theatre, Mr. Astry, was a retired sergeant major from the cavalry unit, the horsemen of the Astrid Circus were almost exclusively selected from the cavalry veterans.

Today, the riders are dressed in the same uniforms they wore from their early years in the army, and even the horses under them were specially chosen in the same colors as their old troops.

The leading rider held his crotch high with the iconic white horse of the old army, the crimson coat, the blue-gray close-fitting waistcoat, the yellow and white lines on the belt, and the blood-red tassel fluttering in the wind on the top of the black and gold helmet, all of which showed that he was an excellent knight who had retired from the 1st Royal Dragoon Regiment, and the eagle flag he held high in his hand also appropriately demonstrated the glorious history and nickname of the regiment - the bird hunter, and the capture of the French Imperial Eagle Banner in the Battle of Waterloo was the most glorious moment in the history of the regiment.

They were followed by two bearded knights on grey horses, carrying a standard Scottish broadsword at his waist, ornate red saddles, towering bearskin hats, long grey breeches and red striped coats, a veteran of the 2nd Royal Dragoon Regiment 'Scottish Grey Riders'.

Behind them were several riders in strange equipment wearing helmets adorned with white feathers, and while their blue fur coats with golden tassels, mink shawls, and elaborate pistols pinned to their belts were equally eye-catching, the focus of all attention was on the holsters hanging from the sides of the saddles, neatly inserted with four long-pole weapons of unknown function.

And there are knowledgeable gentlemen in the audience who have already recognized their identities based on these equipment.

They whispered, "They're Royal Cavalry artillerymen, and those four long poles are rocket launchers, which can fire 12-pound rocket warheads with a single click." ”

At the end of the entire ranks, the one in charge of pressing the formation was a cavalryman who was full of majesty and nobility.

The gold-rimmed helmet above his head glittered in the light of the flames, the dark tassels danced in the wind, and the glittering St. Edward's Crown insignia set in the center of the golden helmet almost lit up the surprised faces of the audience, and the saddle embroidered with two yellow daffodils in gold thread, the deep infrared jacket with gold green thread, the gray breeches with green trim, the boots adorned with hexagonal silver spurs, and the iconic British heavy cavalry sword of the 1796 style, his identity was self-explanatory.

By virtue of the name of the unit alone, he deservedly became the highest-ranking rider in the field, and he came from the cavalry regiment that had all the honorable modifiers such as 'Guard' and 'Royal' - Princess Charlotte's Dragoon Guard, and the 5th Royal Guards Dragoon Regiment 'Green Dragon'.

Seeing so many veteran cavalrymen who had witnessed Waterloo's artillery fire, the Duke of Wellington in the box couldn't help but feel a little difficult to suppress the feelings in his heart, but because the king was by his side, he still had to restrain his emotions.

Unexpectedly, he did not speak, but the king, who was standing beside him, affectionately called him to his side: "Wellington." ”

The Duke of Wellington bowed slightly: "Your Majesty? ”

"Come on."

The king laughed and invited him to the small balcony of the box.

Seeing this, Lionel hurriedly asked the waiters around him to light up all the lights in the box.

The box was highlighted by the bright lights, and the riders, who were riding their horses on the edge of the stage and ordering their mounts to walk in small pieces, also noticed the king and the Duke of Wellington on the balcony.

They drew their sabers and saluted to the balcony, and the audience's eyes drifted to the balcony.

William IV smiled and asked, "Wellington, when you were at Waterloo, how did you give the order for the general attack?" ”

When the Duke of Wellington heard this, he only chuckled softly, and the old duke cleared his throat, and even the slightly curled old waist seemed to straighten up a lot.

He glanced at the cavalrymen in the audience, and slammed his white gloves forward, his penetrating voice pouring into the ears of everyone present like a hurricane.

"Stand up! Guards! Immediately, hit the !! again ”

The words were so loud that almost at the same moment that Wellington gave the order, the horsemen raised their whips and whipped them down fiercely, and then the horses neighed in unison, and then the cavalrymen began to gallop around the circular stage in the center.

The theater was dusty, and the passionate performance of the cavalry instantly released the emotions of the audience, who cheered and applauded, the gentlemen threw their hats into the sky, and the usually sweet and quiet ladies also covered their chests, as if they would be suffocated by the passionate environment at any moment.

In the fog of dust, the announcer omitted the steps and jumped onto the stage that he usually had to support with his hands to climb.

He also blended into this sea of revelry, and I saw that his face was flushed, and his voice seemed to tremble.

"Ladies and gentlemen, keep your eyes on the east side of the stage!!"

With the order of the announcer, the two torches on the passage on the east side of the stage were instantly lit, perhaps because of the angle of light, the figure was reflected on the floor tiles, and was instantly stretched extremely slender and slender, like an indescribable behind-the-scenes black hand spreading to the center of the stage.

"Allow me to introduce to you the man who has tarnished the glory of British swordsmanship and made the London Sword Fighting Association ashamed, the legendary sword master from Paris, the foil Napoleon of France - François-Joseph Bo~~~ Mr. Tran!"

As soon as the announcer finished speaking, the sound of crisp and clear footsteps sounded in the passage, and in the darkness, a muscular man in a blue cloak gradually emerged, and he walked out of the passage with a calm step.

The man's face was so hidden in the shadow of the cloak that it was impossible to see his face, and the only thing the audience could see was the elongated French sword that he carried around his waist.

Bertrand stepped onto the stage, his arms slowly spread like the crucifixion of Jesus, and the attendants on the side hurriedly stepped forward to remove the cloak on his body for him.

The shadow that covered his face dissipated and was replaced by a black mask covering the top half of his face, a typical French style and a masterpiece of inspiration for Arthur, who believed that the European Juggernaut should wear such a mask, just like Zorro.

Bertrand put one hand on his waist, and the audience held his breath, and suddenly he pulled out his sword and drew a Z mark in the air like lightning, and before the audience could breathe, he had already completed the action of putting the sword into the sheath.

Bertrand looked down at the audience with his hands folded, only to hear a soft snort, and then spat on the ground again.

"British swordsmanship, that's all!"

As soon as these words came out, the French expatriates in the audience immediately burst into warm applause and applause, and even Talleyrand, who was next to William IV, stood up with a smile and applauded.

While applauding, Talleyrand did not forget to nod at the king and the Duke of Wellington, "Laughing." ”

Before Talleyrand's words could be finished, the rich voice of the announcer was heard once again throughout the audience: "As we all know, nearly half a century ago, there was also a swordsman from France who swept the entire London swordsmanship circle. Although all this time has passed, we still can't forget the name of the great swordsman, the Europa sword master from the land of irises - Dion de Baumon!

Although until his death, we still can't figure out whether this Swordmaster of Europa with a confused gender is a belt or not! But the only thing we know is that Dieng defeated St. George, the strongest swordsman in London, at the age of 59! My grandfather said he witnessed the fight when Dieng struggled to hold the hem of his skirt with one hand and slammed a clean seven-stab with the other to defeat St. George.

As we all know, it is absolutely unacceptable to lose to a French man, but if Monsieur Dieng is a woman, I believe that the audience will definitely feel better, after all, it is not the first time that we have lost to a French girl in Britain! ”

At this point, the audience laughed loudly.

"If it's a French man, even Napoleon can't take us. But if it is a woman, it is enough to send a French village woman to fight. ”

"In that case, there's really no reason to lose today's game?"

"The French didn't even send village women to appear, and the London Sword Association couldn't bear it, and in my opinion, this kind of fancy association could simply be disbanded!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was almost hyped, the announcer hurriedly pinched the conversation and led the audience's attention to the west.

"Challenger on the west side! Walking in the dark corners of London, with sinful hands but always righteous in his heart, outlaws shunned by the Barbary pirates, with electric flashes on his fingertips, and the mysteries of magnetic energy, the bright police stars blooming in Scotland Yard will play a waltz in the name of judgment tonight at the Astley Theatre! Please, Arthur Black~~~ Stings!!!!!!! ”

As soon as the announcer finished speaking, Wheatstone, who had been prepared for a long time, hurriedly ordered his young men: "Fuck it!" ”

Under Wheatstone's order, the iron pillars arranged in front of the west passage suddenly exploded, and under the gaze of the audience, one after another blue-purple lightning bolts were entangled and sublimated on the iron pillars, and finally burst open and bloom at the top of the iron pillars.

The cold wind of the night blew, accompanied by Arthur's footsteps, and brought his black cloak out of a wave.

Arthur's pace was slow, but it seemed to be rhythmic.

Step by step, he climbed the steps to the center of the stage, his white gloves on the hat of his cloak, and with a gentle push of two fingers, his face was revealed to the audience.

He also wore a mask that covered his entire face, and his pale countenance was like that of a lady with arsenic cream, but on this pale face hung a terrifying smirk, two long beards with hooks, and cold eyes with black holes.

Like Bertrand's Zorro Mask, Arthur's Mask has a name that is familiar to all Britons, but this style of mask has never been seen in 19th-century Britain.

It was named after Guy Fawkes, the leader of the British Gunpowder Conspiracy, but in later generations, fans gave its wearer a unique and special name - V-Squad for Vendetta.

Arthur's spotless white gloves pressed against his chest, and he bowed slightly to the audience who had come to cheer today.

He slowly straightened his back and asked Bertran, who was standing not far in front of him, "Mr. Bertrand, my hearing is not good, what you just said, can you repeat it?" ”

When Bertrand heard this, he just pinched his waist with both hands, raised his head and laughed, and then stared at Arthur again and said, "Repeat? Are you going to send a deaf man to fight me? Good! Then I'll say it again! British swordsmanship, nothing more! Mr. Hastings, you don't even understand such simple words, what the hell are you here for today? ”

When Arthur heard this, he just grabbed the collar of the cloak and jerked it off, revealing the swordsmanship suit hidden under the cloak as deep as the night.

He drew the 48-inch-long English short sword at his waist, leaned forward a little halfway, and took a stance, the voice was not particularly loud, but it was enough to resound in the quiet atmosphere.

"What am I here for? I'm just trying to prove you wrong. ”

(End of chapter)