Silvery moonlight covered the roof of the domed building, which is typical of the Sivalier Romantic, and although it was criticized by many designers for its flashy and fragile design, the three-storey building with dozens of rooms has survived for more than 200 years.

It was already about 11 o'clock in the evening, and time always flew by when it was busy, and it was midnight before I knew it all the way to escape and fight.

The idea that the day is divided into 24 hours was first proposed by the Yatina sect, a branch of the White Holy Church, which is also known by the Padrosi Church. The huge bronze bell, forged by skilled gnomes, is said to still exist at the highest point of the Basilica of the White in Aurora, although it is no longer part of the Patrosi Empire.

On the day it was hung up 1,116 years ago, for the first time in human history, there was a concept of time accurate to the minute and second.

The idea of time, which rose with the Church and spread to many countries on the continent of Rigal as a result of widespread evangelism, has become so deeply rooted in the minds of the people over the course of ten centuries that even outside the world that the eight moons that rise in turn are judged what time it is.

11 o'clock is the magic moon of Sifunk, the largest and brightest moon that Rigal can see at night, and it was named because the ancient Lamanites observed that as it rose and fell the tides on the shore, they also called it "the venerable magical moon" in the Lamanite language.

We don't know if it had magic, but the silvery moonlight that spilled through the cracks in the stone blocking the window really caught our eyes on Mira.

The group ran to the second floor. The horses remained below, and they all came to the place where the castle lord had been. It is said to be a bedroom, but in fact, its spaciousness is enough to be used as a martial arts arena.

The rotten and tattered bed was bare, and it seemed that even the expensive silk quilts and curtains that the city lord used to sleep in those days had been swept away by the enemy troops. Henry: They smashed the bed and selected some wood from it, most of which were broken and even mothed into powder, but after two hundred years, some of them were intact and could be used for fire.

Combined with the firewood they had collected, the fireplace, which had not been lit for two centuries, was blazing again.

The hot smoke passed through the fireplace ducts that ran through the front wall, and the chill of the autumn night deep in the forest was immediately dispelled.

After more than 200 years, black smoke slowly rises from the chimneys of the bleak castle again.

The former owner of the castle is now more or less gone with the wind, and now it is not even a human who occupies it. I wonder if the people who built it two hundred years ago, and who lived here looking up at the Moon of Magic in the West Funk, as Mira is doing now, ever thought that this would happen someday in the future.

There is a proverb in the world of Rigal that has no longer been proven, and this is only a testament to its contents, that time is the greatest force in the world, that it can both create and erase everything.

Whoever faces it is equal - let's get back to the place. On the cleaned marble floor, the crowd leaned on the fireplace for a not-so-sumptuous but satisfying dinner: mainly sliced bread, which was baked a little and the smell of wheat came out, whetting the appetite of those who had been hungry all day.

Paired with some air-dried bacon and plenty of ale, this belated dinner is also refreshing.

Just like sailors, mercenaries and adventurers who travel long distances often carry wine instead of water. This is because they are easier to preserve, and alcohol can also be used to disinfect wounds and food.

Mira was a little distracted, probably from drinking some ale, and she was now sitting on the floor on the right side of the huge room with her legs crossed, just staring silently at the silver-white moonlight on the floor.

"What are you thinking?" Henry had planned to walk over, but someone was one step ahead of him.

The young blond lady who had become friendly from the previous joint action, whom Henry now knew was Minna, Bernie's own daughter, tilted her head to the white-haired girl, and she sat down next to her.

The two men chatted quietly, and Henry turned his head, he was not the kind of rude person who would eavesdrop on the conversation between the ladies - though one of them was far from being a "lady".

The sage's actions made Bernie, who was sitting next to him in front of the fire, smile, and Henry shrugged his shoulders noncommittally. Bernie set up an iron pot that was burning in the fireplace, poured a bowl of hot something from a wooden bowl beside him, and handed it to Henry.

"What is this?" Henry frowned, sniffing with the tip of his nose.

"Spruce tea, I broke it on my way to escape, and the people of Avenella can't do without it all day long. The blonde leader of the squad took a sip as he spoke, and several mercenaries next to him also came over and picked up the iron pot and poured it into his wooden bowl.

"......" saw Henry hesitate, and Bernie "Haha." He laughed out loud: "Peace of mind, after such a long time, I can trust you, how can I poison it, and you see, haven't I already drunk it." ”

He said so, but Henry shook his head: "No, I'm afraid of getting hot"

The sage said this, and several mercenaries who had already drunk were stunned for a moment because of these words, and then laughed.

"You're a man...... It's really unpredictable, hahahaha. Bernie, who was open-minded and open-minded, patted Henry on the shoulder and said, then he sighed and changed his tone: "In the beginning, I actually planned for you to be a substitute for the dead. ”

He said this, and then looked at Henry, who did not answer, but blew earnestly into the wooden bowl.

"Because to be honest, seeing a man carrying such a weird sword and carrying a little girl, I just think you're a stunned young man. ”

"Although I'm a little sorry for her. Bernie looked at Mira, who was talking to Minna, and then withdrew his gaze to look at Henry: "But you should be blamed for that, and you shouldn't come out with people who don't have the ability to protect themselves."

"So at the time, I was really just trying to say something nice and trick you into rushing up to fight them and buying us time to escape. ”

"But I didn't expect you to open your mouth and say, 'Follow me,'......" Bernie shook his head, "You're really an unpredictable person, Mel." As he spoke, Henry took a sip of spruce tea, and the sour drink of fresh plants scalded in boiling water made the sage frown, and he savored it, and then said to Bernie, "Just call me Henry." ”

As he said this, Bernie nodded, and the older archer, Evan, asked, "So what did you get into the forest for, Henry, you don't look like a member of a mercenary squad, and that girl is not a master and hire with you." ”

The calm old scout hit the nail on the head, and Henry discerned some information from his words.

Sure enough, it was two different forces that attacked the caravan and the one who attacked them. Henry, who confirmed his previous doubts, shook his head and answered the question: "We didn't encounter small forces like you, I was the escort of the combined convoy of the Ashenir Chamber of Commerce, and we encountered a regular heavy cavalry team with infantry fighting together. ”

The news, he said, immediately made everyone, including Bernie, frown.

The expressions of several mercenaries became quite serious, and after half a minute of silence, Bernie looked at Henry with a serious face and asked word by word, "What you said is true?"

The mercenary leader asked, and Henry took another sip of spruce tea, and he found that he seemed to like it a little bit—the sage nodded, "The banner of Sivalier is now hanging on the Ehren's Outpost, and I survived because I saw this escape at the front of the group." ”

Henry was not shy about speaking out about his escape in battle, but none of the senior mercenaries reacted to it - they were not knights and did not need to follow any chivalry, and they knew how deadly a hoplite with infantry could be.

"Are we careless...... Or is it premeditated......" Bernie tapped his forehead with a great headache, "Now we have to change the itinerary." He looked at Evan, and the wrinkled old scout nodded in agreement: "Fort Ellen and Ashinir are two and a half days away at the earliest, and supplies and inspections usually only occur once a month, and if the West Valyers only ambush anyone who approaches here and do not advance further, the kingdom is likely to remain in the dark about this attack." ”

Evan's speech did not look at all like that of a normal mercenary - but Henry was unimpressed, for he had expected it.

"They must have planned to take the sentry fort first. Bernie picked up a piece of blackened wood, shook off the flames twice, and immediately drew it on the ground.

"Fort Ellen is closest to Inznir, and with forests on both sides, it can hide a large number of people. After conquering Fort Ellen, he used it as a base to bring in more men and horses to besiege Ashinir. The simple and clear map matched the words to figure out the intentions of the Sivaliers, and Bernie frowned, and then he sighed again.

"We had to change the itinerary, change the destination, get to Vavasika. Bernie said, and Ivan nodded, "Vavasika is a military town, and if the defenders set out, they might be able to stop them on the plains before they reach Avenella. ”

"Well, that's it. Bernie nodded, and the young archer, the one who almost shot an arrow at Henry, said with a look of fear, "But, if you want to go to Vavasika, don't you have to go west, and the forest is probably full of Sivalier's army now......"

"Jericho, this is a major matter related to the city-state and even the existence of **, how can you be cowardly because of such a small matter!" Ivan scolded him angrily, and Jericho immediately lowered his head, and the fear on his face became more and more vigorous.

"Let's just march in stealth, and while it's night, this number will be as fast as we can, and we should be able to run before the West Valijes find out......" Bernie said, and suddenly turned his gaze to Henry—and so did the others.

"Ahh

Henry...... I would like to ask you to once again be our guide. Bernie said this to Henry very earnestly, and the sage immediately held out his hand to him with the empty bowl.

The blonde squad leader was stunned for a moment, then reacted to the fact that the other party was asking for payment, and he immediately laughed again.

"Hahahaha, so you're really unpredictable, obviously with unique skills, many things are just as simple as a child. He shook his head, and then took out a small leather bag from his body: "At this time, don't ordinary people show their intention to die generously in a righteous and awe-inspiring manner, the one who dies for honor or something." ”

"Two Avenela gold coins, with a face value of about 3,200 dennos, how much does that cost?" he asked, and Henry nodded and took the coin, but his hand still didn't retract.

"Isn't it enough?" Bernie's face turned a little displeased, the high price of two gold coins was already a bit of a bargain, and this man would be a little ignorant if he had to get an inch—he thought, and Henry nodded, then shook his head again.

"Spruce tea, it's not enough, bring me some more. The sage said this, and then Bernie was stunned again, and he shook his head angrily and amusedly, and looked away, but the iron pot was already empty.

"Rodney!" the blonde-haired squad leader stood up, calling out to the chunky mercenary in charge of the freshwater.

"Rodney!!" Bernie shouted, but his eyes searched everywhere and there was no sign of Rodney. He thought of something for a moment, then turned his head, and Lyza's figure was indeed not there.

"This guy. Bernie sighed and shook his head helplessly, just as everyone heard a thud from the ceiling.

"Knock knock-" The dull sound made Mira and Minna, who were talking in a whisper on the other side, also look up, and Bernie shouted again in a loud voice, "Rodney!!Is that you!

"Squeak-"

"Squeak-"

There was silence in the "......" bedroom.

"Oh, that's not Rodney, damn it. Evan and Jericho stood up from the floor with their weapons in hand, and looked left and right, while Mira and Minna instantly ran to the stove and stayed by Henry's side.

"We should have blocked all the doors and windows, how did the damn these things get in—" Tyre, who was resting next to him, cursing and cursing on his injured arm, ran over and picked up his weapon, while Henry frowned at this point.

"Didn't you plug the ventilation pipes?" he asked, as Ballodian buildings always had many ventilation ducts, just like the soldiers' resting quarters before them. Till, who was in charge of the third floor, turned his head and asked in a somewhat stunned voice, "You mean those little quadrangular openings that are only three palms wide?"

He spoke, and Henry stood up in silence.

"They are called rats for a reason......" the sage picked up his great sword from the wall of the stove beside him, "not because they look like rats, but because they are almost the same as rats—just as prodigiously fecund, and as fond of living in all kinds of sewers." ”

"Especially the sewers of the castle because they are spacious enough and cold and damp. Many modern castles are designed with iron fences to prevent rat dragons from entering them to breed, and the kingdom even has a special hunting team that regularly enters the sewers to clean ......"

"And when it comes to the most mouse-like thing about this kind of miscellaneous dragon, it is actually its powerful and pervasive ability. Ratasaurs, like rats, were able to shrink their ribs to make their ribcages smaller, allowing them to burrow into a variety of tight spots to escape larger predators. Therefore, the only thing that determines whether it can burrow into one place is the skull that cannot be deformed, and as long as the head can get in, then it can burrow in its entirety. Henry spoke slowly, while Bernie in front of him nodded.

"Thank you for spreading this knowledge, now, we are ready to fight"