In a dark and spacious room, a man is admiring a peculiar oil painting.

The subject of the painting is very strange, a man with a sword standing in the center of the painting, with a long staircase made of white bones at his feet, he looks up at the dark sky, as if he is thinking.

Looking at the painting, the man nodded appreciatively with his hands behind his back.

He was dressed simply, wearing only a robe, but by no means rustic. The dark purple robe had delicate embroidery threads around the edges, and in fact, it was made of a surprising material.

Lightweight, well-fitting and just the right amount of comfort.

In Nostramo, such a piece of clothing can represent many things.

He has a long face, on which his facial features are gracefully parked in place. The eye sockets are deep, and two jet-black lines spread from the brow bone to the cheekbone. His beard was perfectly trimmed, and all this made him look both majestic and noble.

Mantas Skolewoker. That's his name.

As for his identity......

"My Count."

A strange hissing voice sounded in the shadows of the room, as sharp as grinding teeth. "Trembling Tooth has sent an emissary to see you."

"See me?"

Mantas Skolewalker chuckled: "What? It was only now that they remembered that one of their slaves had been murdered in the nest for no apparent reason? ”

"The trembling-toothed messenger did not mention it, my count."

"Really?"

Mantas Skolewalker turned his head and nodded to the man in the dark: "Then, let the trembling man go to the parlor." ”

"Yes, my count."

Ten minutes later, Mantas Skolewalker arrived in his meeting room.

It's a place of glitter to the point of being almost absurd, but that's the Skolewalker family. Their meeting room is very different from the traditional meeting place.

In the corner of the hall, a woman dressed in black with a terrifying face was waiting.

He quickly approached, and the woman immediately stood up and bowed respectfully: "It is an honor to meet you, Honorable Count Tattoo, Lord Mantas Skolewok. Trembling Tooth sends you our sincerest greetings. ”

"Don't say anything superfluous, Magina."

The Tattooed Count smiled and beckoned her to the long table in the center of the hall. He sat first, and Magina sat second.

"Tell me?" Mantas Skolewok spoke gently. "Trembling Tooth sent you for?"

"Not yet, noble earl."

The woman who lost her lips and her eyelids were nailed by nails and couldn't close answered stiffly.

"We didn't come with the idea of making a deal, my lord. We don't have much of an idea of Quintus, and everyone knows that it's already in the pocket of the Skolewalker family. ”

"Oh, please don't say that. There are still four families in Quintus who have not been driven out. ”

Mantas Skolewalker smiled. "So...... When did you decide to withdraw from Quintus? ”

Magina was silent for a moment, but her eyes didn't move as the others thought, but remained dull and eerily still.

After a while, she spoke slowly, "We can officially announce the withdrawal of Quintus from tomorrow." ”

"Hmm...... I'm listening, and then I'm talking, Magina. ”

"But we have one thing I would like to ask you, Lord Earl."

Mantas Skolewalker made an interested face.

"Trembling Tooth is willing not to pursue the death of that slave, and we will not send anyone into Quintus. But, accordingly, we would like you to give us a small discount on psychedelics. ”

"Discount?"

"Yes, Lord Count."

"You mean, Trembling Tooth is willing to give up all of Quintus, and the maintenance of reputation - just for a small discount?"

"The size of the discount is up to you." Magina replied abruptly. "We believe in you."

The Tattooed Count laughed.

"Yes, of course, my dear Magina."

He winked affectionately at the woman: "Thirty percent, how's that?" Of course—I'll also include a small gift, such as finding out who killed your slaves. ”

"We don't care about that, Lord Earl."

"It's okay, business naturally has to come and go. If you're willing to give in, I can't be too stingy. That's it, Magina. You can leave, and besides, forgive me for not serving you tea. ”

Mantas Skolewalker grinned: "...... Do you mind? ”

"I don't drink tea, Lord Count." The woman said.

She got up, bowed again, and left the drawing-room. Mantas Skolewalker watched her walk away, and the smile on his face began to grow.

"They're scared."

The Tattooed Count spoke softly.

"They were afraid that entering Quintus at this juncture would cut me off the supply of psychedelic to them, so they simply didn't pursue the slave's death."

"It's really sad, obviously a noble bloodline, but addicted to flesh and chemicals. What do you think, Shadow? ”

In the darkness of the hall, in the corners where the burning candles could not illuminate, there was a strange hissing voice that sounded slowly, with a little sharpness like grinding teeth.

"I agree with all your opinions, my lordship."

Mantas Skolewalker chuckled. "Three heirs, a gang, overnight...... It's terrible efficiency. ”

"And we still can't even find out who did it."

"The initiator hung the corpses of my sons and my eldest daughters on the garrison of our slaves, and let them bleed dry, and let them drift in the wind...... We don't even know the identity of the murderer. ”

The smile on his face began to grow larger and wider, until he reached a certain tipping point, after which the smile disappeared.

All that remained was an eerie calm.

"It's really unbearable." Mantas Skolewok said gloomily.

"Jando is arrogant and incompetent, but in some ways has the persistence of a hound. Lena is stupid and empty-headed, but she has good military talents. And my eldest daughter ......"

He took a deep breath, his tone suddenly soft.

"My eldest daughter, Irenae...... She was perfect, she was supposed to inherit the Black Streak after killing her siblings, and carry on with the family when I grew old. But she's dead, Shadow. My eldest daughter died. ”

"Please mourn."

"No, I'm not sad, I'm just sorry." Mantas Skolewalker said. "At the same time, I was outraged. But not because of their deaths, but because of ......"

"Because...... At this juncture where the Skolevock family had spent sixty years plotting, at this juncture when we could finally become the first family on Nostramo to rule a nest capital with full authority......"

Mantas Skolewalk's hands clenched violently, his cheeks twitching, but his voice remained soft.

“...... Someone dared to provoke us. ”

"What do you want to do, my lord?"

"Check." Mantas Skolewalker replied indifferently. "Check at all costs. The purge is coming, so I'll let it be brought forward. Send someone to preach tomorrow, and after the preaching is completed, the purge will be started directly. ”

"Scrape the ground, and find out the murderer. I'm going to torture him myself, I'm going to make him tell the nobles' council who told him to do this behind his back! ”

"Yes, my lord."

In the golden hall, a shadow quietly disappeared.

-----------------

The wind was cold, and two shadows swept across the dark sky. They moved through the darkness like ghosts, and soon came to rest on top of a gargoyle.

Carlil looked down, his expression calm, but his eyes flashed with a cold blue light. The ghost stared at his back, pursed his lips, and didn't speak.

"Look." Carlil said suddenly, and raised a hand.

Following his guidance, the ghost looked down. In the cascading of minarets and minarets, there is a large square that has been deliberately set aside. It is much cleaner than the rest of the nest and is obviously maintained on a daily basis.

Around the square, there are a lot of gang members patrolling back and forth, which is unusual.

"This is it." Carlil said in a deep voice. "Behold, ghosts. They have already begun to send patrols and stationed in the surrounding houses. ”

Hearing this, the ghost frowned and took a closer look around. With his superior eyesight and ability to see in the dark, he soon discovered that Carlil was right.

The houses around the square had all been taken over by the gangs, and figures were coming and going behind the windows. The wraith could see them from a distance, and he didn't think the people in his field of vision were civilians.

No civilians would get tattoos or wear fancy dresses. Only gangs use these tactics to identify themselves differently and the gangs they belong to.

You know, it's good for civilians to have clothes to wear, how can they still be picky about something?

"What are we going to do, Carlil?" As always, the ghost asked.

Carlil looked back at him, but didn't answer immediately. He just moved on to something else: "How did you feel about the free play last time?" ”

"I feel...... Not bad? ”

"Answer me in the affirmative, Wraith."

"I'm feeling good, Carlile."

"Good. Well, it's the same this time, Spirits. ”

Carlil smiled slightly, "Let's wait first." ”

"Hmm...... Is patience an important quality? The ghost asked hesitantly.

"Yes, patience is a very important quality."

In the cold wind, Carlil's chuckle gradually escaped. At their feet, the gangsters were busy without knowing anything.

No one will know what will happen tomorrow.

Yes, no one will know.