The whole tavern fell silent again.

"Dean?"

"Big Dean?"

Ricky stroked his chin and said suddenly, "In 'Dante's Great Sword', that flexible, skillful, and promising Dean?"

Russell was silent, and the hammer nodded in acquiescence.

"Your informant...... It's really deep enough. Ricky shook his head.

"Hmm, Dante's greatsword?" Boss Tampa frowned and scratched his chin.

Ricky raised an eyebrow.

Wait a minute.

That is to say......

At that moment, the eyes of many mercenaries, including the kidnapped tavern owner Tampa, followed Ricky and turned to the other side in unison, converging on the wide-eyed Tails and the sluggish fastrope.

What the?

Tails, who had regained the focus, thought stunned.

"Hey," Marina turned to Sonny with a suspicious look and whispered, "I remember, these two people, aren't they in Dante's great sword......"

The mercenaries began to whisper.

Ricky looked at the two with interest, as if he had realized something.

In the face of everyone's scrutiny, Tails could only pull out a subtle and awkward smile.

"You've got a great idea," Tails maintained his expression as he watched the crowd, his lips moving and his disgruntled bass to the fastrope, "Come to the 'professionals' to dispose of the corpse?"

He desperately controlled his gaze to avoid subconsciously looking at the ...... at his feet The human-shaped sack.

"What now?"

Next to Tails, the former Prince Exeter was also twitching his face, putting on an embarrassed look that couldn't be laughed or cried.

"Calm down, calm down," Fast Rope wiped his sweat and gave a flattering smile to the vicious mercenaries around him:

"There's always a way. ”

The guests outside of the blood whistle noticed these small changes, but they obviously didn't have the time to take care of the little things inside the mercenaries.

I heard Russell cough:

"Anyway, that's our goal, and although the initial clues are lost, we still have a solid intelligence insider......"

But at this moment, Ricky withdrew his attention from the two Tails and raised his hand.

"Wait, this Mr. Russell Vader. ”

The leader of the Sword of Calamity said lightly.

As he spoke, the lights in the tavern flickered slightly, bringing up and down figures.

Ricky looked up and smiled.

"We haven't agreed to work with you yet. ”

Russell was stunned.

The man with an aristocratic demeanor straightened his face and looked at the chisel.

"When you notify me...... I thought you had convinced them?"

The chisel spread his hands and put on a helpless smile.

"It's a lot of good things. ”

Russell's brow furrowed, just enough to contain his displeasure.

"We didn't come to any deal, Mr. Vader," Ricky smiled, "and in fact, we suddenly welcomed you uninvited guests on the eve of the operation, and we wanted to 'cooperate' with us...... Until now, we are still very 'surprised'. ”

Clay snorted, meeting Ricky's words.

The surrounding mercenaries held their weapons one after another, their faces showing displeasure.

The chisel raised his hand at Russell, "So you have to be there in person - I'm not enough." ”

Looking at the unkind expressions of the Swords of Calamity, Russell was slightly stunned.

He read the atmosphere of the scene.

"Okay. ”

He nodded, quickly sorting out his emotions, his tense face revealing a sense of competence.

This made Tails inexplicably familiar.

"of blood, or the Sword of Calamity," Russell said, holding up a finger:

"I think it's important for us to reach such a consensus. ”

Ricky looked interested and made a "please" gesture.

"You intend to rob the Prison of Bones," Russell said, looking around, holding up his second finger with a serious expression, "and we are determined to capture the Star Prince." ”

"In Camp Bladefang, these two things can't be done separately. ”

Ricky narrowed slightly.

"If you invade the Prison of Bones tonight," Russell said solemnly.

"In just a few hours, the entire Bladefang camp will be awakened, and thousands of regular Kingdom forces will flood here, bringing cordons, search parties, patrols, all the trouble you can think of. After that, it will be impossible for my people to get rid of the Prince of the Stars. ”

Russell gestured to the chisel, who nodded respectfully in approval.

Tails was even more puzzled about their relationship.

Russell's words changed: "In the same way, if we rob the Star Prince tonight, before dawn, there will be a lot of alarm in the camp, and any suspicious forces and gatherings, including mercenary groups, will become the first target of the Star People. ”

"The conclusion is clear: we are like two people tied to the ends of a rope, if we don't push in one direction, if we go our separate ways regardless of it," Russell turned, his words full of force:

"It's just a two-pronged effort, and no one gets what they want. ”

Ricky exchanged glances with Clay and the others, seeing the caution in each other's eyes.

"So, folks, do you understand why we came late at night uninvited?"

Russell ignored the blades around him and said loudly:

"Do you understand the need for us to work together?"

No one answered him, only the hammer patted his left wrist with his right hand and smiled.

Ricky stared at the new guest with solemn eyes and remained silent for a long time.

Until Russell coughed impatiently.

"Your eloquence is good," Ricky said lightly, squeezing his chin, "It doesn't look like a Shadow Shield person." ”

"Vida...... Who the hell are you?"

Russell froze, but did not reply.

But the masked man beside Ricky spoke.

"I remembered. ”

The masked man squinted at Russell and snorted coldly, "Clay, you just said that this guy's surname seems to come from a small family under the command of Longxiao City?"

Clay snorted in response.

Ricky turned to his companion.

The masked man said quietly: "Six years ago, King Nunn appointed a low-ranking nobleman with a good reputation as an envoy of Exeter, and sent an envoy to the Kingdom of Stars to enter the Fuxing Palace to seek justice for the Moral prince who died in a foreign land. ”

"The messenger's name happens to be the same as this guy. ”

At this moment, Russell was slightly shocked!

But he's not the only one who is out of control.

On the other side of the tavern, Tails hid his surprise in a low cough, and the fast rope beside him looked aggrieved with a look of "why am I again".

Tails remembered.

He, Tails Bright Star and Russell Vader.

It's really not the first time we've met.

So......

Tails looked at Russell in a daze, and then at the drill.

Exter, the shield of the shadows.

Those who are here today are all "old friends" who used to be six years ago.

And the only thread that binds them together......

"King Nunn and King Chaman were entrusted with the task at the same time, but you failed. ”

"Tell me, Baron Vida. ”

I only heard the masked man disdainfully speak: "For the Northlanders, a humiliating mission that has failed to the whole must have troubled you?"

Russell Vader's face turned pale.

The chisel coughed and came out to ease his cheeks: "Can we ......?"

But Russell interrupted him.

"I don't deny my failure. ”

The former Emissary clenched his fists and said solemnly, "That is indeed a stain on my life. ”

His voice trembled slightly:

"And I paid the price: I was no longer a baron. ”

The masked man scoffed.

"I guess, didn't Long Xiao City deprive you of your title for no reason, and the Black Sand Collar can't give you any compensation?"

The masked man slowly walked up to Russell and looked down into his eyes.

"After all, no one likes a betrayer who is loyal to Longxiao City on the surface, but behind the scenes he is in cahoots with the Black Sand Leader. ”

He said coldly.

As soon as these words came out, Russell looked up suddenly!

The former envoy of a country glared angrily at the masked man.

But the masked man seemed unaware of it, and continued to chuckle, "So you can only come to a foreign country and take care of some shady affairs." ”

Russell's fists clenched tighter and tighter.

Ricky, Clay and the others looked at this scene with indifferent faces, but the chisel on the side frowned.

"A shadow assassin who betrayed the Shadow Lord, and a Northland nobleman who betrayed the former king," the masked man continued to sarcastically, "What a combination of betrayer and betrayer." ”

Russell snorted heavily.

"It's not your turn to judge me, mercenary. ”

He gritted his teeth and glanced at the bloody whistle in the tavern.

"According to this statement...... Russell said angrily, "we here tonight, on either side, are shameful betrayers. ”

"After all, you're nothing more than traitors to the Tower of End!"

The voice did not fall.

"Bang!"

More than one blade unsheathed sounded at this moment!

Marina already had her sword in her hand, Sonny gritted her teeth and pulled out her axe, and more mercenaries stepped forward in unison, pushing the outspoken messenger with bad intentions.

The tavern was suddenly filled with murderous aura.

Feeling uneasy, Tails forcibly resisted the urge to reach for the weapon.

"Take it easy, everyone!"

The sound of the chisel sounded among the murderous mercenaries:

"We're not here to fight. ”

At the moment of tension, I saw Ricky gently raise his right hand, as if it was commonplace.

He shook his hand gently.

The mercenaries who whistled their horns in blood were resentful, but they ordered them to withdraw their blades and return to their original positions.

The look at Russell became more and more unkind.

"I see. ”

"A nobleman who is no longer in the limelight but unwilling to do some inconsequential chores in the border area," Ricky said flatly: "I want to win back the trust of my master by a rare feat." ”

Russell took a light breath, seemingly reluctant to admit the fact.

"So, Russell Vida, you represent Chaman I. ”

"Exeter's Parent-Killer King. ”

Ricky's tone was slightly solemn.

And the content of his words caused a lot of commotion among the mercenaries, and they exchanged heads and ears, and the color of shock was overflowing.

Tails felt the fast rope beside him tremble.

Wait a minute.

Tails subconsciously sensed suspicion.

Something seems to be wrong?

Russell was King Chaman's emissary, and his informant was Dean.

Dean discovers Tails' trail and informs Russell.

And Russell sensed something was wrong with Dean's breach of contract and wanted to save the situation?

Wrong.

Something must be wrong!

Ricky looked at Russell and said, "Your king, do you want to win us over?"

Russell raised his head, showing a faint haughty.

"If you can cooperate with us," Russell said softly, "return to Exeter with valuable loot and prove that you are a capable army, and of course Your Majesty will not spare his rewards and rewards." ”

Ricky raised an eyebrow, as if surprised.

But soon, he looked at Clay and the masked man and laughed.

The mercenaries also scoffed.

Russell's face tightened as he laughed.

Finally, the Swords of Calamity had enough of laughing.

"Drill, no wonder you have the confidence to carry out these small actions on your back. ”

"You and your Shadow Shield," Ricky shook his head and sighed, "When did you start getting involved with that cold-blooded king who killed his brother?"

When, mixed together?

Tails suddenly remembered the day six years ago, when he and Thelma were in the carriage of Rumba, he had seen the scene of the Grand Duke of Black Sand talking to the hammer face to face.

Russell frowned.

But the drill on the side was smiling, and there was no sense of being offended.

"As I said, I can not only provide you with the means to rob the prison," said the hammer, raising his hands, and turning to greet everyone in the tavern, so that they could see his smile:

"It will also give you a way to escape from the threat of the stars—and perhaps your choice of shelter in the future, so that there will be no more hiding and covering, no more hiding and fleeing, no more fear and worry. ”

The mercenaries began to whisper again.

Ricky muttered and repeated, "Support, shelter?"

The chisel nodded.

Russell, on one side, solemnly straightened his clothes.

"Once it's done," Russell said,

"I promise that your Majesty will have a place for you, and with Exeter's protection and support, you will not have to fear threats and retribution from the Kingdom of the Stars, no matter how much trouble it may be. ”

Ricky groaned for a moment.

"The premise is that we must be subordinate to him and become Chaman Rumba's watchdog and shepherd dog?"

He looked straight at the chisel, his smile still there, but there was an undisguised chill in his eyes.

"Tell me, Hammer, what price did you sell yourself and the Shadow Shield?"

This is unceremonious, and even a cheeky person like a chisel can't help but stiffen.

But the chisel quickly reacted, coughed lightly, and rubbed his hands.

"It's not about the price code, it's about the market and demand. ”

Like the most professional businessman, he said with a smile on his face: "Eighteen years ago, Teng claimed to want to create a suitable soil for the survival of the Shadow Shield, so he led the assassination that shocked the world. ”

The masked man snorted disdainfully.

Tails clenched his fists.

Since he embarked on the path of the prince, there have been many signs that the assassination of the Bright Star Royal Family in the Year of Blood has been many strange and far-reaching, and it has affected the fate of many people.

And the source of that assassination ......

Right in front of you.

"But Teng was wrong. ”

The drill is unequivocal.

"The best time for us Assassins is not a world of starvation and chaos, much less a time of peace and prosperity," he said, raising his voice and looking serious, "but a time of peace and conflict, of opportunity and danger, of employer and purpose." ”

Ricky frowned.

"As we all know, we are assassins, brave men who take risks and look at death as if they were their home," said the hammer calmly, "and you are mercenaries, or swordsmen who wield swords, or swordsmen—whatever you want to call them." ”

The mercenaries looked at each other.

"Assassins and mercenaries, apart from everything else, we all live by our own skills, and we all work hard for others to keep each other running - but what do you think is what sustains us both?"

"Money, lust, hatred, hatred, ideals, future, hope, or love and justice?"

Many of the mercenaries looked strange at the words of the drill, but many more began to think in silence.

But the chisel then turned around in a big stride and said categorically:

"Neither!"

"What really sustains our survival," he said with rare coldness, "is the need that calls us to help." ”

I saw a deep voice from the chisel:

"It's power. ”

He stretched out his right hand and slowly clenched it in mid-air.

"Power, this is the foundation of our livelihood, just like war is to heroes, and bones are to famous generals. ”

Ricky's face grew more and more solemn.

The drill spun around, as if to convince everyone in the tavern:

"The powerless want to take power and seize power, and the powerful want to expand and centralize power, so they come to us, or hire or buy, to fill the power vacuum or consume excessive power with unconventional means. ”

"And we, we are beasts that feed on power, living in the ambitions and ambitions of rebels or rulers - you and us, assassins and mercenaries, we are born to live in the cracks of power. ”

Tails listened silently to the Shadow Assassin's philosophy.

Clay frowned, and the masked man snorted even more dryly.

"Teng may be a madman, and his arrogance and self-indulgence have finally brought about his own doom," he continued, unmoved, "but his original intention to convince us was correct: we, the Shadow Shield, needed an era suitable for our existence, and we had to take the initiative to create it, rather than wait for the era to eliminate us." ”

"And what we really need is what power needs for us – a power that is strong but still needs us, and that's what keeps us alive. ”

The hammer turned again, facing the three people facing the Sword of Calamity, their eyes exuding an unusual fanaticism:

"So we need such a power, a ruler who owns both the state and the army, the land and the people, to buy the services that employ us and keep us alive. ”

"But he can't be too strong, so strong that he tries to control us, tries to annex us, just like the Kingdom of the Stars controls the secret department, and he can't be too weak to support us or protect us, just like the poor Sparrowtail Guard of the Duchy of Alonzo. ”

The chisel raised a finger and nodded at the corner of his mouth: "This is the secret of the immortality of the assassins and mercenaries." ”

The Assassin finished his speech, but the mercenaries looked at him suspiciously.

"So, this is the power you've found for us?, the King of Murder?" Ricky raised an eyebrow.

The chisel let out a sigh of helplessness.

"Thanks to Teng, the Kingdom of the Stars is already our destined enemy, and the Stars are recovering and rising, which is really not good news for us, in this case, I guess, there are not many options left. ”

The chisel smiled mysteriously, as if remembering something:

"And I have to say that His Majesty Chaman is a very special king. ”

"Moreover, Chaman I fits our criteria very well: he is strong and powerful in his own right, and he has recently completed the purge of the Black Sand Realm, and has become the most prominent lord in Exeter, and secondly, Exeter is in the midst of internal strife, and although he is in full swing, he is also in trouble, the Grand Duke is in full swing, and the foreign enemies are eyeing him, and the internal disputes are difficult to settle, while the ambition of King Chaman is very unfortunate to be all-encompassing—he will need us. ”

As he spoke, he glanced at Russell on the side, who nodded.

"Have the doubts been solved?" Russell asked lightly, "By the way, the premise of all of the above situations is that we can live up to expectations and recapture the goal today." ”

But Ricky apparently has something else.

"Power is the basis for our livelihood?"

He rubbed his chin: "Interesting statement. ”

"But you're half the story, chisel. ”

The chisel raised his hand to show that he was listening.

Russell frowned, seemingly unhappy with the group's uncooperation.

Ricky leaned forward and pointed his index finger at Russell.

"The King of Kin-Killers, or any other power, will slowly grab us by the throat as they develop step by step, and when he is completely strong, he will not leave us with many choices," his gaze slowly focused:

"He'll turn you into gossip-mongering chambers and secrets, and we'll turn us into white-knuckled guards and royal guards, if you don't want to......"

The masked man snorted angrily and folded his arms.

"Moreover, once Charman Rumba becomes strong, it is strong enough to ensure the stability of one side, the prosperity of a country, and the peace of ...... world" Rich sneered: "As you said, the chisel, the peaceful and indisputable virtuous and prosperous world is not suitable for assassins. ”

The drill smiled silently, but Russell didn't move.

"So, what you want is not allegiance or attachment," Ricky's words took a turn abruptly, and a chill froze:

"It's parasitic. ”

The smile on the hammer froze on his face.

"What you want is not attachment or belonging, but parasitizing on King Chaman's body like a leech, and while serving him, you can strengthen yourself with his strength, and cover yourself with his presence. ”

Ricky pointed to the hearts of the people and hit the nail on the head:

"And when he is strong enough to break out of your grasp, when the chaos and lifelessness of this world is about to be shattered by the power of power, it is time to abandon him, use the blades and claws he has made for you against him, secretly aid his opponents, join his enemies, find your new host, and always make sure that you are in the cracks of power. ”

At this moment, even Russell's expression became ugly.

"In this way, parasitism, growth, moving, parasitism, regrowth, repeating your cycle over and over again, living with power, coexisting with conflict—where there is power, there is a shadowy figure. ”

The masked man snorted softly in approval.

"Be careful, Baron Vader," Ricky said coldly:

"Leeches suck too much blood, and they will backfire. ”

His tone made both Drill and Russell look solemn.

Ricky stared at Russell, who had his hands behind his back and furrowed his eyebrows.

After a few seconds, Ricky spoke again.

"And yet ......"

"Tonight, we can work together, whether the target is the Prison of Bones or the Prince. ”