Longxiao City, in the doorway behind the first city gate.

Countless soldiers of the Black Sand Collar were heavily armed, and the two carriages and their attachés were tightly surrounded, and they looked at these uninvited guests who dared to storm the city gate with unkind expressions.

Tails sat in the carriage, looking through the window at the dense crowd of enemies in front of him.

It's terrible.

This is what they face on the other side of the gate, risking being flanked on both sides, rushing through a rain of arrows that sweep through their scalps, and then rushing into the gate in a desperate way.

Tails clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, holding back the panic in his heart.

Calm down.

Calm down, Tails.

It's not that bad.

The black sword that appeared in front of his eyes was suppressed by Ashida, and when he was at the last moment, he was still unhurried, looking for a chance and a way out.

I also remembered King Nunn's step-by-step strategy and strategy in the duel.

Tails took a deep breath and forced himself to start thinking.

The accident in front of the gates, whether it was Lisbane or the appearance of the Red Witch, disrupted their plans - it was supposed to be Slais who should have led him into Valhalla in the name of the Rumba allies, instead of the chaotic appearance he was now.

The accident came so quickly that they didn't even have time to discuss what to do next.

Tails could only desperately think of a way out.

The people inside and outside the carriage were still gasping for breath, even the horses pulling the carriage were gasping, and the carriage in which Tails was riding even had a broken rope.

"We, we're rushing over...... But outside the ...... compartment, Cohen held the wheel with one hand and pressed his abdomen with the other, gasping for air.

He looked at the hostile soldiers in front of him with an ugly expression, and said to Miranda, who was panting more severely than him: "The sunset, the goddess is above...... How do I feel that our choices are somewhat, impulsive......"

"At least they nailed us into hedgehogs without being outside," Miranda said as she calmed her breath as she squinted at her surroundings and looked at the doorway and Valhalla, which was just a stone's throw away, and said to herself, "Hurry up and clean yourself up." ”

Cohen threw his head back in pain and exhaled.

In the carriage, Tails looked at Putile.

"It seems that the way we came in was still too high-profile, and there were so many people," the prince looked at the scene outside the car worriedly, "They are really suspicious." ”

Neither the Whiteblade Guards nor the rest of the Stars were in Tails' original plan.

"We've done that, though we've put the rest in danger," said Nicolai, checking his disguise one last time, and grimacing, "at least, we don't have to deal with the Scarlet Witch." ”

"There is no choice," Putile shook his head, "Once the Scarlet Witch knows what we're doing, even if there are a hundred more backup plans, there is a high chance that they will fail." ”

"It's better to think about what to do next – how to deal with these people out there. ”

Tails sighed, only to feel that his head was as big as a bucket.

He turned his face to look at their "good friend" from Commas.

Their original plan was......

"Oh, I guess," Marquis Slys also saw the scene outside the carriage, but he became more and more unhurried, slowly arranging his collar that was crooked by the galloping carriage, as if the rain of arrows that had just grazed his head was just a noble polo: "That's when I suddenly became important, didn't I?"

Tails frowned.

Ever since entering the gates, Shrees has become well-groomed, much to Tails' uneasiness.

Nicollet snorted, "Betting your chips on this guy again?"

Putirai exhaled helplessly: "You can't force your way through it—the guards of this gate are at least ten times as many as ours." ”

Slais spread his hands innocently at him, but his expression was far from when he was still outside the city gates, and he looked like "what price are you going to offer".

It's like in a casino, where the dealer has just taken back the chips from the player.

Tails took a deep breath.

The accident just now put the people of the Northlands in danger, which made Nicolai's previous threat to Shrees seem a little weak.

And now, they probably can only rely on Sleigh.

But first......

"I know that the way we invited you is somewhat unpleasant, Mr. Marquis," the prince said lightly, "but in street gambling, 'winner takes all' often means squeezing out the other players – and Grand Duke of Black Sand is no exception. ”

Slais's eyes flickered.

"Handing us over will not cement your fragile alliance with the Rumba," Tails calmly stood in the Marquis's point of view, thinking about all this, thinking about what to do: "But send me to Rumba and several Grand Dukes......"

"You have nothing to lose except for the so-called 'friendship' that Rumba has formed with you because of interests," Tails narrowed his eyes: "On the contrary, you may have an unexpected gain." ”

Slais's eyes lit up: "This is a promise from the royal heir of the Star Kingdom?"

"In my experience, commitment is fragile—even if it's a land lord, a prince," Tails shook his head firmly, "but as you said, business isn't just about numbers and profits, it's about word of mouth and connections." ”

Putile raised an eyebrow.

Srice narrowed his eyes and met Tails' eyes.

Outside the carriage, there was a shouting from the Black Sand Collars, and their door had been knocked.

"Outside of the rumba, please," the prince nodded, and there was an unmistakable hint in his tone, "make us your followers." ”

Srice looked at the prince with interest, the corners of his mouth curled up, and the look in his eyes kept changing.

Finally, he bowed slightly.

Tails exhaled.

"I'm going to miss today, an amazing show," the Marquis of Commas, arranging his collar in the carriage, raising his hat slightly, smiling politely at them, and then giving Tails a look with a deep meaning in his gaze, "It's worth the ticket price for both Rumba and you." ”

Tails' tone was serious: "Remember, all you need to do is send me to Rumba and the Grand Dukes. ”

But the Marquis of Shanliu City just smiled at him, pushed the car door, and walked down.

Tails took a deep breath, exchanged a look with Putile, and jumped out of the carriage.

Only Nikorai and Putileh remained.

"He's a shameless bastard," Nicolais, who was still in the car, snorted coldly and looked at Slais's back, "He won't cooperate with us obediently." ”

"That's why," Mr. Xingchen's deputy envoy shook his head, "and he won't cooperate with Rumba obediently." ”

Nicollet glanced at him.

"You don't seem to be worried about your prince at all. The Meteorite said coldly.

Putirai chuckled.

"When I first met him, Tails was just a little clever precocious child," Mr. Lieutenant said, with a thoughtful expression: "Sensitive, hesitant, timid, procrastinating, and without self-confidence is a far cry from his reputation from the National Council." ”

Nicolai frowned.

Looking at Tails' small back, Putile sighed.

"But as we get together, I get a feeling," he says, "and the more encounters along the way, the stronger he becomes—Tails is constantly learning, adjusting, adapting." ”

"Whether it's a vampire, a scourge, a stronghold flower, a kingdom's wrath, or even King Nunn or Chaman Rumba, whether it's his friend or foe......"

Putirai's eyes showed a different kind of light: "I'm afraid they don't realize what impact their actions have brought to that child." ”

The Meteorite paused slightly.

He turned his head, grabbed his scabbard, and pouted disapprovingly.

"That's a lot of nonsense. ”

Outside the carriage, Tails followed behind Slais, bowing slightly to Huaiya and the others in disguise.

Tails was not very accustomed to the sudden increase in light, and squinted slightly, looking at the gate in front of him.

This is the third time Tails has visited the First City Gate in two days.

He still remembered the first time he entered the First City Gate, and he watched with apprehension, nervousness, and embarrassment as the gate separating Valhalla from the outer city of Longxiao City fell, surrounded by the Mission.

But this time, they are coming......

Tails soon saw the "familiar" sight: the rugged and magnificent Valhalla was less than a hundred meters away in front of them, and the ten giant columns and eight large furnaces still stood in the middle.

However, the palace guards and white-bladed guards that used to be everywhere have disappeared without a trace.

In their place, there were hundreds of Black Sand soldiers.

Vigilant and ruthless, they still wore patrol uniforms, but the patrol-standard swords in their hands, which were designed for skirmishes, had long since been replaced by weapons of destruction that were unique to large battlefields, such as maces, glaparator axes, straight-edged sabers, and even crossbows, which seemed to have just ransacked the arsenal of the city gates.

Almost all of Tails' side held their breath.

In the formation of the black sand collar, a nobleman in plate armor strode out, with a broad face and a protruding nose.

"Your Excellency," Rumba's chief vassal, Count Lewandowski, stared at the Marquis of Levant City standing in front of everyone with an unkind face, "Regarding your trespassing on the city gates. ”

"I need an explanation. ”

The soldiers of the Black Sand Collar tightly surrounded the group, and their eyes showed a fierce light.

Almost all of Tails' side held their breath.

Slais looked down and sighed slightly.

Everyone, including Tails, nervously waited for his reaction.

By the time Srice looked up again, the Marquis had already put on that kind and polite smile again.

"Dear Earl," Srice nodded slightly, his smile subtle and friendly, "I have a surprise for you." ”

Count Lewandowski narrowed his eyes and looked at Srice and his "retinue" carefully.

"Appearing at the wrong time," Lewandowski said thoughtfully, "can't be called a surprise – especially if you bring ...... These people?"

Even under the cover of disguise, Count Levan noticed the strong figures and neat movements of the white-bladed guards, and couldn't help but have a different face.

Tails' heart thumped.

But Marquis Slys smiled slightly and raised his hands confidently.

"I've heard that your prisoners in the gates have made some small mistakes?" he whispered to Lewandowski, looking like he was watching a good show.

Lewandowski's face changed, and he was a little cramped: "Mistaken...... you misunderstood?"

With a look of "I know", Srice raised his index finger to point at Lewandowski from afar, and shook his head in a slurp: "Yo, look at it like this, Your Excellency the Grand Duke still doesn't know about your mistakes?"

Lewandowski was speechless.

Srice looked at Lewandowski's appearance, smiled, and asked the boy behind him: "Let me introduce you." ”

"This is the missing 'guest' of your Grand Duke, and the Venerable Prince Terles Bright Star, the sole heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Stars. ”

"With my escort, returned. ”

Count Lewandowski's expression froze on his face.

Tails took a deep breath and walked forward slowly, his face unreaspertent.

Slais sighed, with a happy look of trying to restrain himself and couldn't help showing off, and slowly walked up to Count Lewandowski and patted him on the shoulder.

"Take it easy, this is a 'surprise' that I did everything possible to bring in from under the nose of the Prime Minister. ”

Slais raised his eyebrows and waved his hand at Mielke, who was in the lead, "Look, if it weren't for this team of strong mercenaries I hired from the desert west, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to catch him." ”

Lewandowski's expression moved, and in the eyes of the white-bladed guards and the stars, the hostility dissipated a lot: "Mercenaries?"

Mielke, who had been wearing makeup, had a towering nose, a dark face, and an exaggerated grin, and nodded at Count Lewandowski.

"Some of us are from Qiyuan City, and we are from the Northland, and some of us are from other places, sir," Mielke said in a rough voice, "Find food in the desert, if you need anything - we only need six gold coins to kill." ”

The white-bladed guards neatly displayed a cheeky smirk, startling Count Lewandowski.

It's really acting.

Tails rolled his eyes inwardly.

Sure enough, it's the 'all-powerful' White Guard.

Lewandowski looked at the men, then at Tails, who was surrounded by them, and frowned.

Srice still had a smile on his face.

Everyone is waiting for the decision of Count Lewandowski.

Finally, after pondering for a while, Lewandowski let go of his brows and waved to the soldiers behind him: "Go back to your posts! Haytham and Jason, you two squads stay." ”

Following his order, the dense Black Sand soldiers turned around and returned to the city gate along the stairs on both sides, and most of the people in the field immediately dispersed.

Tails breathed a sigh of relief.

"On behalf of His Excellency, I would like to thank you for your help. ”

"Lord Tulha has gone to plead guilty to the Grand Duke, and he will be very relieved to see your 'surprise'," Count Lewandowski coughed unnaturally, glanced at Tails, and then nodded awkwardly at Sleigh: "I will convey your kindness to the Grand Duke, and I will take over now." ”

"You and your people can rest here......"

Srice smiled and shook his head, he raised his right palm and pressed down on what the Count was about to say.

"Oh, no," the Marquis's eyes lit up, "the prince has just informed me of a very important new piece of information, and I think I need to take him to His Excellency the Grand Duke as soon as possible." ”

Lewandowski paused slightly.

"Your Excellency the Grand Duke is busy," the Black Sand Collar Earl frowned, "No disturbance is allowed. ”

Srice threw away his smile and his expression became serious.

"Please believe me, the information on this prince is related to what His Excellency the Grand Duke is going to do," Sless's sudden serious tone made Count Lewandowski nervous: "You can't imagine it. ”

Count Lewandowski looked at Slyss seriously.

The latter also looked back at him solemnly.

After a second, Count Lewandowski sighed: "Okay, I can send someone to take you to the Grand Duke......"

"I have to take him," Srice shook his head and spoke into Tersnunu, "There are some things that can only come out of his mouth." ”

Lewandowski was a little strange: "It's urgent?"

Srice shook his head first, then nodded, with a mysterious expression: "It's terrible." ”

Lewandowski stared at him for a few seconds.

"I see," the Earl nodded, "you can go now, the Great Justice is in Valhalla, near the Hall of Heroes." ”

Srice smiled, "Thank you." ”

Tails felt that a big stone in his heart was finally about to hit the ground.

As long as you can meet the Grand Dukes, at least there will be a chance.

"Wait, your people will stay here," Lewandowski nodded at Slys vigilantly as he commanded his team, "Our men will escort you over." ”

Slais raised an eyebrow, pretending to glance casually at the crowd next to the convoy.

"Of course. The Marquis nodded indifferently.

Tails' heart sank.

He watched as the people around the two carriages were motioned to be taken away by the soldiers of the Black Sand Collar, and he also watched as a group of soldiers walked towards him and Shreis, nodding politely to the leader.

Very good.

The prince took a deep breath.

From now on, it's just him.

But at this moment, a deep male voice came from the steps leading to the city gate behind them:

"Please wait!"

Everyone turned their heads in unison.

I saw a strange middle-aged man dressed gorgeously dressed and with an ordinary face, but with eight braids combed on the back of his head, slowly walking down the steps.

Count Levan frowned, and asked angrily, "What's the matter, my dear Your Excellency the Civilian Order?"

He seemed to be very upset with the new middle-aged man.

In the crowd, Mielke and Nicolazi frowned and lowered their heads.

They recognized the comer.

I saw that the middle-aged man shook his head, not caring about Lewandowski's tone towards him.

"Mercenary, right?" The middle-aged man walked to the two carriages, looked at the group, showed a subtle smile, and his eyes stopped on Miranda's body: "I don't know, there are female mercenaries among you?"

Cohen and Raphael looked at each other, uneasiness.

Miranda, however, looked up with a dark, coarsely painted face.

"I'm from the Land of Thorns, my lord," replied the swordswoman with her tongue straight and rustic, "and we're full of mercenaries. ”

Cohen narrowed his eyes: Good acting.

The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I see," he nodded slightly, his eight braids swaying slightly, "Can I see your sword?"

"I'm curious about how much the mercenary's sword weighs. ”

Miranda was slightly stunned.

"Enough, Urad," said Count Levan unhappily, "perhaps the Grand Duke can tolerate your insolence, but here is ......"

"Wait a moment, Your Excellency," said the man named Urad, turning his head and interrupting him in a loud voice, "you don't want to make another big mistake. ”

Lewandowski was stunned.

Tails couldn't help but wonder: What's wrong?

This middle-aged man ...... If I'm not mistaken, it should be one of the underground forces in Longxiao City as Cohen said.

Urad turned his head and smiled at Miranda again, "Is that okay." ”

Miranda took the saber without a sound and handed it to the man in front of her.

"Whew," Urad tried the weight of his hand, and couldn't help but sigh, "It's really not light." ”

Miranda smiled: "I think too." ”

Urad sighed and pulled out a blade.

"By the way, my name is Childe Urad," the middle-aged man shook his head, looking down at the saber in his hand from all angles, "Twelve years ago, I was in charge of collecting taxes in twelve small villages on the outskirts of Hanbao. ”

Miranda frowned slightly.

"Oh, Hansburg, I know," she laughed gruffly, "you're from the Kingdom of the Stars?"

Urad smiled slightly.

Count Lewandowski on the side shook his head disdainfully.

"Yes, theoretically, we are employed by the tax office of Hanshibael," Urad said calmly, turning his sword over to the side, "and they hired us because they needed us to keep up with the tax collectors from the central realm, so that they could pay less taxes to the king. ”

Miranda and Raphael, who was listening attentively to the conversation, were both slightly stunned.

He......

Why?

"However, we haven't seen the old men of Hancastle once. ”

Urad sighed: "They will only send their vassals, those fools of the Sanlais family, to check the accounts, take a large amount of oil and water from the tax items, and then we will bear the notoriety, whether it is to the superior tax collectors or to the villagers below - they are the in-laws of the lord family, we have no way to ask for help, we can only swallow our anger year after year." ”

"So you're here at Exter," Miranda shrugged and snorted nonchalantly, "understandable. ”

"No!"

Urad suddenly looked up and raised his voice.

It scared everyone.

"You don't understand. ”

Urad put the sword in his hand back into the scabbard, and his face was gloomy: "Finally, one year, Hanbao sent a young master to collect taxes, he was noble, young and promising, we thought that things had changed - no longer have to be **** and oppressed." ”

I saw that the former tax collector of the Star Kingdom sighed slightly, and there was a look of remembrance in his eyes: "I remember very clearly, the name of that noble young master - Nolanur Arend. ”

Miranda's expression remained unchanged.

But there have been huge waves in my heart!

Raphael and Cohen looked at each other, feeling more and more uneasy.

Tails glanced around, only to feel that things were getting more and more wrong.

What's going on?

He mentions the Aarend family to Miranda......

Do you recognize something?

Nuranor told us that Hancastle had finally discovered an anomaly in the purpose of the tax. Urad said softly.

He also said......"

At that moment, Urad's eyes lit up with pain.

"He said that we, our little tax collectors, have been denounced by the Sanlais family for their perennial 'deduction' of taxes," Urad said sarcastically: "We, these victims, have been deducted, and we have filled our own pockets!"

Count Lewandowski on the side frowned: he sensed that something was wrong.

Urad may have been of humble birth and malevolent in mind.

But he's not a fool, and he's not crazy.

On the contrary, he is smart.

The Marquis of Sleiss on the side was embarrassed and wanted to say something, but was pressed by Count Lewandowski's raised hand.

"No matter how much we plead," Urad shook his head with difficulty, as if "that year, 'Just Nuranor,' he personally cut off the heads of eight of my comrades, including my teacher, to the cheers of the villagers." ”

"Eight innocent people. ”

Urad said gloomily, his expression turning to hatred.

"I will never forget Nuranor Arend, that stupid noble young master, the feeling of kneeling in front of the execution table, and the contemptuous eyes that all of them look at us," his eyes showed resentment and hatred, and his eight braids shook slightly: "Go ****** the Aarend family." ”

Urad gritted his teeth and let out a beastly trumpet.

Miranda took a deep breath and looked up.

"I still remember that kid had a righteous and disgusting look on his face before he was executed," Urad said with a cold look in his eyes, learning from the tone of the man back then, "'In the name of Lord of Hansburg, Duke Arend, you will die under the sword of 'Eagle Soar', atone for your sins, and pay justice,' he said again, and then cut off a man's head. ”

Urad said hatefully: "I am the ninth man, and I heard him repeat this sentence eight times, and I also watched him swing this sword eight times!"

Until an order came from Hanbao to summon him back. ”

Miranda only felt an endless chill rise behind her.

She snatched her sword back, her face pale and her brow furrowed.

Urad didn't stop her, just a sarcastic sneer.

"Of course," Urad looked at the sword in her hand with a terrible expression:

"I will never forget the shape of this sword until I die. ”

"His glittering sword. ”

He said coldly:

"Eagle Soaring, which belongs to Nuranor Aarend. ”

"Yes," Urad said lightly, with deep hatred and anger in his eyes:

"This Miss Arronde?"

Everyone on Tails' side trembled in their hearts.

What they feared most finally happened.

Srice looked pale at the principal here, Count Lewandowski.

I saw the earl sigh and look at the stiff Urad with a complicated expression.

"It seems that you are not telling the truth, Your Excellency Marquis," Count Lewandowski glanced at the people in the convoy and said coldly, "worthy of being a Comas." ”

Marquis Slais sighed and looked at Tails helplessly.

Tails only felt cold in his palms.

"They are not from our side. ”

Count Lewandowski turned to Srice and Tails, and said in a loud voice with an unkind expression: "It's a guy with other plans!"

I saw the Count wave his hand and coldly order to his soldiers:

"Take them down. ”

"All!"