Heart of the Castle

Chapter 474
After Li Wei and Earl Ansair had an audience with Arthur XII, they both had a very pessimistic view of the serious injuries suffered by His Majesty.Whether it is the Archbishop Mystra of the Temple of Glory or the Archbishop Bovava of the Temple of Storms, they all expressed the same meaning in terms of Arthur XII's injury.Because although medical magic is very effective in healing wounds, it can't do anything for injuries that have been severely festered to the point that the internal organs are severely damaged.

They have tried their best to alleviate the pain of His Majesty Arthur XII, but His Majesty's physical condition has not improved.Not long after, the Knights of Ashes, led by the Knights of the Iron Guard, blocked the gates and corridors leading to the central castle, and no one was allowed to enter except for the royal attendants and the two archbishops.This action caused quite a stir in the hearts of the nobles residing in the Holy White Stone Castle. Many people could hardly sleep at night, holding secret meetings with each other from time to time, and the number of people whispering to each other in the castle also increased a lot.

But none of this has anything to do with Li Wei. After Arthur XII granted him the qualification to serve as an important minister of the kingdom, the young Griffin Lord was both excited and worried about this tricky gift.In this regard, neither the Cursed World nor Mr. Dish can help him, because the former knows nothing about the rules of the power game, and although the latter knows a thing or two, he is no better than an ordinary lord. do better.

According to Mr. Dish, everything that Li Wei is worried about is not a problem. With Castle Heart and Alchemy Warriors, it is absolutely possible to ensure that Li Wei's position in Firmeyer is stable enough.If someone raises an objection, they can take out all kinds of rare treasures to buy them, or let Cursed World Black Sun hit the door with a giant iron sword of stars.

Li Wei could only respond with a wry smile to this rude behavior that ignored all the rules of the game. At the same time, he seemed to understand why magicians, a wise group of people, are usually incompatible with governing the country, even more so than rude knights and greedy people. The lord has reason to behave even worse.

Their way of thinking about problems is too straightforward. Everything is pursued in the simplest and most efficient way, and the factor of emotion is not taken into consideration at all.

As a rising aristocrat who rose up in the northern border as a comet, a large part of the doubts and hostility Li Wei received was due to the pride and jealousy of the rich and nobles. , it is difficult to integrate into the power class of the royal capital.

The result of not being able to integrate is confrontation.Although the Griffon Lord is not afraid of the challenge of open and dark arrows, it is contrary to his original intention to take over the position of the Kingdom's important minister. What he hopes is to use the influence brought by this position to protect the people, deter the young, and eradicate traitors , instead of falling into endless internal friction with the nobles of the royal capital.

After inspecting the defense of St. White Rock Fort with Earl Ansair, Li Wei returned to his room to rest.Although he was quite tired from being busy for several days, perhaps because of confusion and worry, he tossed and turned on the bed and couldn't fall asleep for a long time. There seemed to be countless voices in his mind, until the east was slightly white, Just close your eyes.

He returned to the familiar land in the northern border, riding the Griffon King, flying freely in the sky, overlooking the earth, he saw that although the Green Castle was broken, its still towering body was like a giant supporting the sky; He saw the Great Wall of Ice standing on the south bank of the Black River, winding past like a gray-white dragon, guarding the northern border of the kingdom; he also saw Fort Frozen, Mine Town, Dayan Village... and other villages and towns on the territory, The residents there are reclaiming the land and picking fruits, a scene of living and working in peace and contentment.

However, looking far to the north, Li Wei found that the terrible threat was not far away.The Laojue volcano began to erupt again, erupting large groups of sulfur clouds and high-temperature magma to an altitude of several thousand meters, and the flames burned half of the sky red.Countless red and black shadows are crawling out of the crater, like living magma, rushing towards the villages, towns and fields, trying to destroy everything in terror.

There are many ferocious figures in the army of demons, the bronze armor of the abyss refiner gleamed viciously, and the nightmare under the knight's crotch stepped on the river of flames.A huge flaming figure was behind all the demons, waving a long flaming whip, whipping the mountains, rivers and the earth, and the crazy laughter was like thunder rolling across the sky.

The west of the kingdom was shrouded in a sea of ​​flames. Villages, farmhouses, towns, and castles were all burning, and smoke columns of various thicknesses rendered large groups of black dirt on the blue sky.However, it is not only the subjects of the Kingdom of Arthur who are struggling in the sea of ​​flames, many demons are also swallowed by it.A tall green figure rode a ferocious and savage ground dragon, charged all the way with a blood-stained giant ax in his hand, followed by countless brutal green-skinned orcs, rumbling footsteps shook the earth, and everywhere he passed into ruins.

He turned his head and looked towards the south again, where the pale bones were densely packed like ants, and the ominous green figure was flying in the air, screaming sharply, stretching out the claws of death and corruption towards the earth.Countless death knights form a huge black formation, like a sharp sword, pointing directly at the holy white stone castle in the blade rift valley, the fortress that once stood unshakable under the onslaught of an army of [-] undead seems to be falling It fell apart like a decadent iceberg, and then submerged in the black turbid current.

The dark clouds of death covered the sky in the north, west and south, and only the white figure of Firmeyer, the city of glory, had not been swallowed up. The lights of swords and armor on the high walls shone brightly, and the banners of crowns and swords fluttered in the wind.

Li Wei originally thought that it was the last hope of Arthur's kingdom, but soon he saw that the swords in the Glory City were not facing each other with their sharp edges, but stabbing and slashing at each other.A tall giant in crude iron plate armor held a pitch-black scythe, and ruthlessly chopped down many figures in noble costumes to the ground; The gray shadows fought fiercely; the figure made of flames stood by with the old man in the starlight robe, watching the shining crown hanging over the city.Beside them, there are many blurred figures, some are laughing, some are crying, some are drinking blood, some are dying on the ground, no matter the living or the dead, every face is facing the crown in the sky, the eyes full of greed and desire.

However, no one noticed that while they were scrambling for the magnificent crown, thick black fog had penetrated from all directions. Gradually stained with traces of dark green, the door latch is cracking, and the darkness as thick as black rotting blood seeps into the gap!
The City of Glory is already in jeopardy!

Li Wei wanted to speak out loudly, reminding these people whose eyes were obscured by power and delusions that danger was approaching step by step, but his throat seemed to be stuck in pliers, and he couldn't speak a word.Then a voice sounded, whispering in his ear, every word seemed to carry a temptation as sweet as honey.

"Give up, Levi, leave here, your territory and people are in the north! Drive away the evil, resist the undead, and reap the glory. The Griffin flag will fly high in the north. The ending will surely become the dust of history, and you will be crowned king!"

"No!" Li Wei found his voice and roared towards the sky. "Devil, stay away from my ears, I refuse to accept your temptation!"

"I'm not a devil, Levi Stone. Covering your ears won't stop my voice, and refusing to accept it won't stop my whispers." The voice chuckled, and Levi felt a sense of familiarity that made his whole body shudder. "Put your palm on your chest and feel it carefully. I am you, the real voice in your heart..."

The voice suddenly disappeared without warning, just as it appeared.The rapid knock on the door awakened the young Griffin Lord from his dream, and Li Wei realized that his heart was beating wildly, his cheeks were covered with hot tears, and his forehead was drenched in cold sweat.For a moment, the Griffin Lord was even stunned by the terrifying scene in his dream.Then he woke up, sat up from between the tangled blanket and quilt, opened his eyes, and grabbed the clothes and saber beside the pillow.

"My lord, His Excellency the Marquis of Osiris is here to visit." A voice sounded from outside the door, and Levi collected himself, only then did he recognize that it belonged to the familiar voice of Baron Hughes. After Glenn Worm disappeared, he is now temporarily serving as the griffin lord The post of servant.

"Marquis Osiris?" Li Wei repeated in surprise, while looking at the still dark blue sky outside the window, it was obviously still early. "The sky knight should be seriously injured, why did he come to visit me? And why did he choose such a time?"

However, Li Wei obviously had no reason to refuse, "Baron Hughes, please tell Your Excellency the Sky Knight, I will come as soon as I change my clothes." He got up from the bed as he spoke, and at the same time reached out to take the viscount's dress from the hanger.

Although this gorgeous attire is decent, it is complicated and trivial enough. It would take a few maids and servants to work for a few minutes to get dressed neatly.However, after some discussions and improvements between Baron Hughes and Mr. Dish, one person was able to solve the dressing problem within half a minute, and there was nothing unseemly on the surface.

Levi opened the door, Baron Hughes stood in front of the door holding a candlestick, and beside him was a tall and thin man wearing a hooded cloak embroidered with emerald green leaves.The man's hood drooped down, blocking most of his face, but Li Wei could still see the slenderness and grace unique to elves from the outline of the lower half of his face.

"Your Excellency the Marquis, please come in." Li Wei stepped aside to open the door, "Sorry, it's a bit messy inside, but I think this should be tolerable compared to what made you come to me so early."

Marquis Osiris nodded silently, then lifted his hood, Li Wei found that his face was as pale as milk, and immediately felt a strange chill grabbing his throat.

The Green Lion walked into Levi's room. Baron Hughes then held a candlestick and wanted to follow in, but Marquis Osiris blocked the door with his hand, and a slightly blunt but beautiful voice sounded, "Please step back, Hughes My lord, only the Griffin Lord himself can listen to His Majesty's oral orders."

Baron Hughes had a worried expression on his face, but then Levi waved to him, signaling him to obey.So Baron Hughes nodded, stepped back, and watched the door close before his eyes.

"Please sit down, Lord Marquis Osiris." Li Wei pointed to the seat by the table, and after the elf sat down, he sat down himself, "I can guarantee that no one is near the room, now you can announce that Your Majesty orally."

The Marquis of Osiris did not speak immediately, but looked at Li Wei with emerald green eyes like jasper jade. Although his expression was still as indifferent as a sculpture, it looked sad, which made the Griffon Lord feel a little nervous secretly.

"Lord Marquis Osiris." After a few minutes of silence, Li Wei couldn't help asking again, "You can announce His Majesty's orders now."

Marquis Osiris' eyes flickered for a moment, and then he said word by word, "His Majesty the King is preparing... to return to the royal capital, Fermeyer."

These words made Li Wei's throat a little dry, and his brows were tightly frowned, "Return to Firmeyer? Your Majesty's body...has healed?"

"His Majesty's condition is very bad. It can be said that he is in danger." Marquis Osiris said bluntly, "He was in a coma for more than half of the time during the day, and he was not very awake for the rest of the time. He could hardly eat anything."

The surprise on Li Wei's face was completely from the heart, "Filmeyer has to ride a horse from St. White Rock Castle for two full days. If he walks, this number will be tripled. Your Majesty's body is so weak, how can you How about enduring a long journey?" He resolutely objected, "This is too risky! Unless His Majesty's health improves..."

"Lord Li Wei, there are no exceptions." Marquis Osiris said firmly, "His Majesty the King cannot die here, and must return to Firmeyer immediately, while he is still alive... This is His Majesty's own intention."

"I understand, Lord Osiris." Li Wei nodded with a heavy expression, "But why did you come to me? The elites of the kingdom gather here, and there should be quite a few people who can escort His Majesty to leave, right?"

The Marquis of Osiris shook his head slowly, "Master Li Wei, there are not many trustworthy people in the Holy White Rock Castle, and even fewer people who are capable of ensuring the safety of His Majesty the King. Earl Ansair needs to stay and guard the Holy White Rock Castle. The guardian knights of the Temple of Radiance are equally untrustworthy, and I can't think of a better candidate for this matter than you."

"The loyalty of the Iron Guard Knights is absolutely reliable, and the Ash Knights are not inferior to the Griffin Knights. Although they suffered setbacks in the previous battle, they are His Majesty's most loyal steel shields, escorting His Majesty back to the capital. It is their unshirkable duty." Levi pointed this out to Marquis Osiris, "Master Osiris, you asked me to do what they are supposed to do, and I fear it will be taken as a malice against their honor. insult."

"Both the Knights of the Iron Guard and the Knights of Ashes must stay to maintain the illusion that His Majesty is still recovering from his injuries. And I don't think they are completely reliable, otherwise His Majesty will not be harmed by poisoned wine and sharp swords." Marquis Osiris Said in a cold tone, Li Wei could detect the cold killing intent hidden in his emerald green eyes. "I will give you an account of this matter after Firmeyer's situation stabilizes again."

"In this case, then I will obey." Li Wei stood up, "I will order the Griffin Knights under my command to get ready to go...Hey, Lord Osiris, His Majesty's body...Can you move casually now?"

"Your Majesty's injury is fairly stable, and with his strong character, he should be able to withstand the rush to Fermeyer. In addition, the Archbishop of the Temple of Storms, Bovava, will walk with us and use healing techniques to maintain His Majesty's physical strength." " Marquis Osiris explained, and then his face looked a little embarrassed, he hesitated, and said reluctantly, "Now my injury is far from healed, although there is no problem with riding a horse, ordinary opponents can barely handle a few , but once a strong enemy appears, the safety of His Majesty the King will be entrusted to you."

"Please rest assured, Lord Marquis Osiris, I will make Sir Rodriguez and Master Frederick ready, and I will also have the eyes in the sky to guide us, scout the enemy, and return to the glorious capital of Fermeyer." Safety on the road can be guaranteed." Li Wei replied in a confident tone.

"I hope so, Lord Griffon." Worry flashed in the emerald green eyes of Marquis Osiris, and then he stood up from the table, "Get ready, we will set off tonight."

The night is dark, with singing and laughter accompanied by the aroma of fine wine and barbecue, Saint White Stone Castle is immersed in a joyful atmosphere—at least on the surface, yes, the victory banquet hosted by the Earl of Ansair, the Sheriff of the North Border County, is in full swing Then, the long table was filled with gold and silver utensils and delicious food and wine, so many that it almost bent the table.The nobles of the kingdom gathered together, and even King Arthur's iron guard knights were no exception.Few people noticed that two faces did not appear at the banquet. Apart from Viscount Leviston, who had always been at odds with Earl Ansair, who did not attend, Marquis Osiris, the sky knight who had not recovered from his serious injury, was also absent.

Far away from the noisy southern city gate, the team returning to Fermeyer was ready to go. The Griffin troop with a larger target had already left early in the afternoon and met at the agreed place outside the castle.Night Breeze whispered in his ear, as if talking about all kinds of dangers in the wilderness, until the chill permeated everyone's heart.Levi Stern stood at the front of the queue in light armor, followed closely by the dark body of the Darkmare of the North, like a dark shadow, and the black horse's eyes were like two coals, shining brightly in the night .Twenty heavily armed Griffin Knights stood quietly in the shadows, without making any sound more obvious than breathing.

The silver moon hangs low, hanging on a corner of the high wall, and sprinkles the white and cold moonlight on the ground.A small group of ashen knights holding halberds patrolled the wall, looking at the group of troops who were about to set off from time to time. The side door of the central castle opened with a creak, and a sealed stretcher was then carried out by two royal servants. Marquis Osiris and Archbishop Bovais followed on either side of the stretcher.They joined up with the Griffin Knights, without disturbing anyone, quietly opened the south gate leading to the Avenue of Glory, and then disappeared into the vast night.

Relatively speaking, this is a night that is not suitable for stealthy operations. There are no dark clouds in the sky, and the silver moonlight illuminates the cliffs on both sides of the Blade Rift Valley. The movement of the team can be seen clearly.However, under the arrangement of Earl Ansair, the Ash Knight took over the task of patrolling and sentry at night without any trace, and the team only needed to stay away from the Holy White Rock Castle as quickly as possible.

At the beginning, no one spoke, and everyone walked silently through the narrow valley bottom. They could only hear the small metal sounds of chain mail sliding with their steps and combat boots rubbing against the ground, and because of their sophisticated equipment, even these sounds were very faint.Their actions were very fast, and the lights of the Holy White Stone Fort quickly disappeared behind them. After passing through the Sword Blade Rift, the surroundings suddenly became clear, and many people involuntarily let out a sigh of relief, and their pace also slowed down. .

The road to Fermeyer is not too short, and it takes about a week to walk. Although Li Wei has a sufficient number of griffins that can be used as transportation mounts, Arthur XII's body is already extremely weak, and he is in a stable and airtight environment. The stretcher may still be able to support it, but if it is replaced by the inevitable bumpy air travel, His Majesty the King may die directly.

Although there is no lack of village farmhouses or rest hotels along the Guangyao Avenue, the group is not prepared to delay if it is not necessary.After all, arriving at Fermeyer one day earlier would reduce the possibility of leaking news. Even Levi, who has no experience in power games, can guess that once the news that His Majesty the King secretly left St. What a terrible upheaval in Arthur's kingdom.

The army king Arthur VII was ruined because of this, and then he was replaced by his younger brother Gonitz in the unanimous criticism of the whole country.Although the contemporary prince Raul Adams has the "reputation" of a powerful grand duke, he has always shown indifference to the gorgeous throne.But this does not mean that he will not suddenly jump out when the situation is favorable to him. You must know that before the battle for the throne of the king broke out, many people were wearing the same harmless masks to cover up the sharp and bloodthirsty lips. tusks.

This kind of situation is not uncommon in the centuries-old history of the Kingdom of Arthur. Both the Marquis of Osiris and the Archbishop of Bova are well aware of this, so they urged the team to move on without any hesitation.

The discipline shown by the Griffin Riders was enough to satisfy the most demanding chiefs. They marched silently in the darkness without complaint, and at the same time formed a spindle-shaped formation, and the two men who were carrying Arthur XII's stretcher The royal attendants guarded the very middle of the line until a loud griffin cry was heard overhead.

"Everyone hide on the spot!" Li Wei's tone seemed a little nervous, his body tensed like a bowstring, "The Griffin troop scouted and found out that there are traces of demon troop activity not far ahead!"

(End of this chapter)