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When the gate of the manor slowly opened, the melodious violin music had already drifted into Zero's ears. The tone of the piece struck Zero with a sense of familiarity, and the name "Rondo of Fantasy" automatically came to mind. Zero finds it strange that he has never heard anything played on the violin, at least at the Z7 base until now, and this is the first piece he has ever heard played on the violin.

But he knew the name of the piece, which was really strange. At the same time, I also know that the melody is now low and graceful, and it reverberates gloomily at the syllables, like a lover's whisper, but it is only the introduction and prelude to the whole piece. Next, the tone will fall from the sky like a maple leaf, with the smell of an aristocratic salon. The Spanish fluidity of the middle section, followed by luxurious notes and a large fast-moving fast bow section, will bring the piece to a climax. At that time, it is also the climax of the banquet, and then the song slowly falls, the beginning and the end are connected, and the end will stop abruptly, leaving people with infinite conjecture.

This strange "knowledge" passed through Zero's mind, and he didn't know how to master the art that only these nobles would understand. But soon, the arrival of the waiter made Zero have no time to think deeply. After parking the car, Zero was guided by the attendant to walk down the cobblestone path to the Gothic building deep in the manor.

Tonight, the manor of the Black Rose family is magnificently decorated, and it is different from the restrained atmosphere that I saw before, and there is a bit of aristocratic erosive luxury. The dinner has begun, and this dinner, hosted by the Black Rose family, is in the form of a buffet. This format was loved by the aristocracy, and the buffet format could liberate people from the rigid and rigid table.

People can eat and talk anywhere in the estate, without being tied to one table in one place.

After handing over the invitation, Zero is taken to a quiet hall. In the hall, a luthier plays an atmospheric but low piece of music to match the soft light of the hall at the moment. This is different from the banquet outside the manor, and the one who can be invited by Beonise to this living room to dine is not a figure with a head and a face in Asgard.

Speaking of which, Zero was able to enter this room, and Beonise had already given enough face.

In order to participate in tonight's banquet, Zero found the dress he wore at the last celebration banquet in the closet. This dress is well-cut and generous, so that Zero does not look shabby when he stands in this hall full of rich and wealthy gentry. It's just that these big people in the hall, the youngest is also a middle-aged man in his thirties, and a young man in his early twenties like Zero stopped in the hall like this, which immediately attracted the frequent attention of the guests.

Zero didn't think anything, and just wanted to ask the waiter where Beonise was, but he heard an old man's voice shouting happily, "Isn't this Mr. Zero? ”

An old man with a gray beard, a tall stature, and a red face greeted Zero. Zero didn't know who he was, but the old man seemed to be an afterthought, stretched out his hand and patted his eyebrows and smiled: "Look, I'm so confused, I forgot to introduce myself." I'm Mabelos Lambston, and Charles the dog was rude to Mr. Zero and your subordinates that day. I've always wanted to come to the door, but I heard that Mr. Zero has been busy crusading against an alien race recently, and he didn't return until recently, so he hasn't had a chance to see each other. I didn't expect to see Mr. Zero tonight, Mr. Zero must have a toast with me. ”

Hearing the old man claim to be Charles's father, he remembered that the current name of the Lambston family was indeed Meblos. Seeing that Old Loes looked familiar, and did not mention that the leader of his own guard was killed by himself, Zero had an unfathomable sense of the head of the Lambston family.

He smiled, beckoned the waiter to pick up a bottle of red wine, and greeted Meblos: "This cup is for Mr. Mebros, I wish him a long life and a hundred years of life, and the Lambeston family can be brilliant forever." ”

Meblos smiled and bumped into Zero's booze. The two looked at each other and drank a glass of wine. At this time, a waiter came to Zero and whispered to BeonLiz that she was invited. Zero took his leave, and when he was gone, the smile on Meblos's face faded and was replaced by a gloomy one. He, an old fox, couldn't understand the meaning of Zero's words just now.

Zero's congratulatory message alludes to the fact that his son Charles is not a weapon, so it is necessary to have a figure like Meblos for the Lambston family to remain brilliant forever.

Meblos said softly: "Young man, let me see how proud you can be." ”

Naturally, Zero couldn't hear Meblos. Under the guidance of the waiter, Zero meets Beonliz in a private room outside the hall.

Zero entered, and the waiter closed the room with a gentle movement. Tonight, Beonise was still dressed in the smart clothes she had seen that day, and she looked at her with some strange surprises, she should have been dressed in a grand costume, after all, this dinner was held by her.

Beonise smiled, "I know tonight's outfit is a bit rude, but the dinner is only for outsiders to see, just to provide a necessary cover for some big people." The real main course is a meeting for the slave hunter jihua, which all jihua participants must attend. Including you, of course. ”

Pointing to Zero, Beyon Liss picked up a glass of wine on the table and said to Zero, "But before then, we'll have some time to taste the wine." You have to be prepared for the next meeting to be less laid-back. ”

Zero smiled, noncommittal.

"By the way, I heard that you went to fight against the El Clan a few days ago, and your work is going well. Beonise asked casually and raised her glass.

Zero replied, "Although there were some hiccups in between, it went well. After all, the level of civilization of the El people is not high, and my army uses the weapons of the new era, so there is no suspense about victory. ”

"Really?" Beonise said casually, "but I don't think you're so happy to win." ”

Drinking the amber liquid in his arms, he felt a mouthful of flames. His handsome face immediately turned red, and it took a moment to spit out a breath of wine, and then he shook his head and said, "It's nothing, it's just my own problem." ”

"Anyway, now that I have time, do you want me to give you psychological enlightenment? Beonise laughed, "I'm well aware that it's not a good feeling to have a special life, especially a leader like us who still has a conscience. ”

She accentuated the tone of the word "conscience", making Zero look at the head of the Black Rose family in surprise.

Beonise shrugged her shoulders and said, "What? What's so strange about this, exploring the wilderness means sweeping away the rest of life. There are three or five intelligent beings like the El tribe that I personally ordered to get rid of. It wasn't very comfortable at first, but in order to survive, I had to do it. ”

Survive.

It's a realistic word, humans need to survive, and so do mutant beasts and intelligent races. But the problem is, they are on the same planet as them. And when the planet is not particularly vast, in order to survive, it is inevitable that some life will become dust.

This is the price of evolution.

Zero nodded and said, "I understand." And even if it were to happen all over again, I would still make the same decision. Survival of the fittest, there's not much to say about it. If the alien race is large, it is normal for humans to be removed. It's just that I'm thinking, isn't there any other way to survive than killing?"

"That's a bit of a big proposition. Beonise put down her glass and held her chin in one hand. The flat glasses reflected the yellowed light in the private room, and at this moment, Beonrisse's eyes were hidden behind reflections, making it impossible to see what she was thinking at the moment.

After a moment, she continued: "It's better to leave these questions to the scholars, but it's not necessarily a good thing that you think that way now. Trying to think about problems from different angles and finally solve problems is a quality that every superior must have. As a superior person, we have to face many problems and the complexity of the situation far more than anything we have to face as a warrior. ”

"The problem faced by the warrior is simple, that is, to kill his opponent as much as he can. But this is not the case with those in power, although the ultimate goal is to defeat the opponent, but in the process, sometimes we even need to join forces with our own enemies to solve the problem. Principles are not well represented in us. Principles can also be waived for the sake of profit. The only thing we can stick to is probably the bottom line in our hearts. Beonise said in an exclamatory tone.

Zero felt a little, looking at Beonlise who looked like she was in her twenties. It's hard for Zero to imagine how much responsibility she has to shoulder and what kind of sacrifice she has to make on her slender shoulders to get all the way to where she is now.

What is certain is that it must be more than unimaginable hardships.

"Okay, let's not talk about that. Prepare, it's time for the meeting. Beonise straightened up, and at this moment, the faint weakness that had been before was swept away. What caught his eye was the capable and nimble head of the Black Rose family again.

The meeting room of the Black Rose House is very large, 500 meters square. However, the number of participants was very small, only seven or eight. When such a few people are placed in the conference room, it looks very spacious. In addition to Zero and Beonlis, there were two elderly people and three or four young men and women in attendance. It's just that only the two old men can get a seat at the main table, and the young people who are supposed to be juniors sit in the back row to distinguish them.

To everyone's surprise, at this main table, Zero also got a seat.

The two old men looked as usual, and even smiled, looking at Zero with appreciative eyes. But Zero knew that these things were just pretending. Behind the gaze of the two men, there was something else hidden. The young men were not so calm, and one of them, a handsome man with long hair, stood up and protested, "Dear Miss Beonlis, I thought that tonight was a private meeting of our three great families in Asgard. But I didn't know that there were people from a third party who participated. I don't know, this gentleman is your new favorite. ”

A cold light flashed in Zero's eyes, and he looked at this arrogant man awe-inspiringly. The young man's eyes flashed at first, and he was very resigned. But casually seemed to remember something, but he held on to his eyes and looked at Zero, and he didn't let go.

At this time, Beonliz said lightly: "The participants in this meeting are all participants in this slave hunting. This gentleman is zero, and at the moment, he is my partner and a participant in this operation, but he is not my new favorite. Mr. Habeth, next time you pay attention to your words, as a woman, I am far less generous than your father. You're right, Mr. Austin. ”

Sitting on the right side of Beonrith, the old man with a mustache smiled slightly: "You are already very tolerant, Miss Beonlise." ”

He said coldly again: "Habeth, get out of here now." ”

"Father!"

Habbers looked at his father, not believing that he would help outsiders. I only heard Austin say lightly: "I don't want to say it a second time." ”

Habeth glanced at Beonise angrily, glared at him again, and then walked away. As a result, the already empty conference room seemed more open.

Zero lowered his head, except for him, the other three people at the main table were all heavyweights in Asgardri. Of course, Beonise is definitely at the bottom of the list. As for the two old men, Austin was the head of the Helburn family, and it was his second son Habeth who was sent away. It was heard that the elder Austin liked the second son very much, and intended to change the name of the heir, so that the eldest son of the Helborn family, Noclairan, was quite suspicious of this, so that he split into two factions. But the Helborn family is still old Austin in power, and as long as he does not fall for a day, the family will not really be divided.

For such things, it is very common among wealthy families, and human beings are always keen to compete for power. According to the evaluation of old Austin, this old man who likes to play with power, it is difficult to guarantee that such a situation is not caused by him on purpose, and it may be convenient to control the family members.

As for the fat old man sitting to the left of Beonlith, it is Charlotte, the head of the Granning family. Charlotte looked like a loving benevolent man, with a smile on her chubby face. A pair of eyes that have been narrowed into a thin slit for many years makes him always look like he is smiling. But Zero saw that when those thin eyes opened and closed, they were full of cold light.

A person who has this kind of gaze must have a cold heart. In fact, the Granning family, which is engaged in the military industry, continues to expand into the wilderness every year. It is not known how many species or homeless people died at the hands of this fat fox in the course of exploration.

It is said that the hands of the superior are stained with blood, and compared with Charlotte and Austin, Beonlis's blood is undoubtedly the lightest. As she said, although she can sacrifice her principles, she still has a bottom line after all. As for the two in front of them, I'm afraid that interests are their bottom line.

"Alright, several. If nothing else, I declare the meeting open. Beonise stood up and held the frame of her glasses with her fingers, and she held out her green fingers and pressed them a few times in front of her desk. It looks like a table made of nanmu, but it gives birth to the flash of light keys. After a command is typed, a row of laser projectors appears on the edge of the wooden table.

The laser projector emitted a cyan rainbow light, which constantly intertwined in the air to create a three-dimensional topographic map. But in the blink of an eye, a vast topographical map of the mountains was revealed. Beonise reached out and pressed it on the topographic map, and through continuous rotation and contraction, Zuihou adjusted to the right picture. In this picture, there is a small town to the east.

The town is not big, but it is basically well equipped. Although the three-dimensional topographic map has been scaled down to a certain extent, everyone can still see that the town is surrounded by high concrete walls. There are eight watchtowers on all sides, and it is not clear what weapons are inside. The town is centered around a small assembly square, with buildings paved on all sides, and two roads neatly intersecting in the assembly square, neatly dividing the town into four areas.

Most of the buildings in the town are low-rise bungalows, and to the west is a row of shantytowns, which are supposed to be the slums of the town. To the east, there is a church-like building, the tallest building in the town.

"This is Pavarich, a mountain area 350 kilometres south of the Frosty Forest, living in isolation. The town's economic system is mainly fur production, and there are many excellent hunters in the town, many of whom are low-level abilities. They go in and out of the edge of the Frosty Forest, hunting the skins of the lower mutants and selling them. Every year, adventurous merchants come to the town to make purchases, and it can be said that they are very profitable. But in fact, the fur business is just a cover-up, and their real business is black gold!" Beonise mused.

Immediately, there were several gasps behind Zero. But the two old men at the main table were unmoved, except that Austin's right thumb began to unconsciously spin the ruby ring on his index finger, and Charlotte's eyes opened a little, and there was a greedy light in them.

Black gold, that is, oil, is known as the heart of the planet. In the aftermath of the cataclysm, the global environment and climate have changed dramatically, and not even a drop of oil can be found in what used to be oil wells. This is the result of the change of continental plates, and the direction of the earth's leylines is no longer familiar to humans. And the danger of the wilderness, the region of the end of the knowledge has become a forbidden place for life, making the limitations of human activities very serious.

This creates difficulties in exploration, and even in favor of the development of new energy sources, oil is still the most common and efficient combustion on the mainland. Because the price is comparable to gold, it is called black gold.

Beonise is also a shrewd master, and Austin and Charlotte's subtle reactions can't escape her eyes. She was pleased with the expressions of the two big men, so Beonise continued to throw her bait: "Of course, Pavarich doesn't own oil wells or anything like that, but a foreign race barters with them. And Pavarich made a huge profit from it, and this information was discovered by my people by inadvertently discovering the clue and then spying on it by pretending to be an adventurer. So, let's take a look here. ”

With Beonritz's handstroke, the map immediately moved, and only stopped when the end mark floating in the void prompted a diagonal cut to the southwest for about 120 kilometers. In the eyes of everyone, it is a corner of the silver frost forest, with ancient trees and undulating mountains, and there is nothing special about it. However, as Beon-Ribi grabbed the palm of her hand and lifted it up, the horizontal line of the map immediately rose and revealed part of the underground structure to the public.

So in Zero's eyes, the general outline of an underground city is expressed in a three-dimensional diagram with simple lines.

"W-what is this?" Austin couldn't help himself, stood up and bent over to look inside.

"This is a surviving alien race, gentlemen, who live underground like the legendary dwarves and build dungeons of considerable size. My men have infiltrated the dungeon, but only sent a rough outline of the dungeon, and then disappeared without a trace, indicating that they are fully armed. Beonise spread her hands and said, "I call them the Underworld, and they are the target of this slave hunt!"