Heart of the Castle

Chapter 582 Death Standing shoulder to shoulder with the night
When the dawn was twilight, Satien Hell, the star mentor, pushed open the long and narrow wooden door, staggered to the balcony outside the bedroom, and bent down to look down.Because the Kingdom Mission led by the Griffin Lord Levi Ston had just left not long ago, the square of Green Castle was in a mess, and the male and female servants were busy coming and going with cleaning tools, including green dragon excrement, leftovers, etc. The rubbish including the remains of the cow bones and the fine feathers that fell from the griffins were all cleaned up.

From the west side of the square, there was the sound of metal clashing against each other. It was the morning drill of the Green Castle guards.Heavy infantry wearing heavy armor and holding elongated spears lined up in a neat array, practicing assassination and parrying with each other; archers in gray-green cloaks are following the command of "take the arrow! Draw the bow! Let it go!" Shooting at the target, the rain of arrows swished across the air, as if thousands of bees came out of the nest; a group of knights bursting with fighting spirit all galloped towards a row of puppets made of wood, accompanied by a terrible collision With a sound, those sturdy puppets were instantly torn into pieces.

"Damn it, this is all a show of force, is it for us to see?" Satien Hull cursed in a low voice, turned away from Dawn, and returned to his room.The good firewood in the fireplace was burning vigorously, and the flames crackled and rose up, licking the furnace wall like a shiny tongue.However, perhaps because the room was too large, Teacher Star still felt the chill piercing his bones. He could not help shivering, and then wrapped the scholar master robe made of thick velvet more tightly around his body.

Satsyn Hull sat down against the heavy table and found a horoscope chart among the inkwells full of dried hard wax drops, quills stuck in them, and crumbling paper.He originally wanted to relieve his nervousness by observing the astrology, but the astrology map he was very familiar with melted into a mess in front of his eyes, and the stars all deviated from his position, and the combination of them made the star teacher unwilling. recalled faces.

Not long ago, those faces were allies who swore to join hands against Levi Stern, but now they have become members of the Griffin's wings. Mentor Star thought of the familiar figures he had just seen from the square, slack because of old age The drooping cheeks couldn't help twitching twice, and a barely audible sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Time is ticking, we must speed up now, otherwise once the Griffin Lord's position is stabilized, I'm afraid it will not be so easy to bring him down, even if you take out...that trump card..." Satien Hull sighed, He crumpled up the astrology chart in his hand and stuffed it under the table, then raised his head again and looked out the window against the gray morning light.

The weather was cloudy, and the light gray clouds were low and low over the Green Castle. At first glance, it looked as heavy as a lead block that could be touched by hand.Flocks of birds with ominous black wings shuttled across the sky, many of them were just ordinary ravens or crows, but there were also big crow scouts under the Griffin Lord, their sharp eyes kept watching the green movement around the fort.

The gloomy weather did not help to relax the spirit at all, but made the already very depressed mood worse. Satien Hull looked back tiredly, stretched out his right hand and grabbed the brass bell beside the table, but did not shake it immediately , but stared blankly at his arms.

As he was over seventy years old, Satsien Hull's arms were thin and thin, and looked extremely haggard. The blue veins on the back of his hands twisted like little blue snakes, and the skin that was dry and thin as parchment was covered with spots and wrinkles. He couldn't help feeling sick when he saw it.

"With such a pair of aging arms, can I hold on to the power of the kingdom again? Maybe... I should take a step back, and the idea of ​​spending my old age in peace doesn't sound too bad." Star Teacher muttered to himself As he spoke, the expression on his face was as stiff as a mask, and his eyes were full of confusion and loss.However, this emotion only lasted for half a minute at most, and his contemplation was quickly interrupted by a voice.

"Master Tutor, please forgive me, someone is visiting." Bachelor Qi He's voice sounded from outside the door, his voice was very cautious and low, as if he didn't dare to disturb the meditation of Tutor Xingchen.Satsien Hull immediately put away the weakness just now, and re-armed himself with sharp eyes and dignified appearance.

"Qi He, who came to visit me early in the morning?" When Teacher Xingchen spoke, his voice had become calm and wise, almost the same as usual.

"It's two strange guests." Bachelor Qihe replied respectfully, and Satien Hull could even imagine his students bowing to the wooden door of the room, "They claim to be from the Eastern Kingdom's Great Contest Lei Jun, entrusted by someone, has important matters to discuss with you."

"Great Serey County?" A hint of interest flashed in the eyes of Instructor Xingchen, "Scholar Qi He, invite them in."

Obviously, Bachelor Qihe blocked the visitors in the corridor, because after a full minute, the door was knocked lightly again, and then Bachelor Qihe walked in briskly. He was dressed in a plain linen scholar Robes, with a scholar necklace made of silver, purple gold, and bronze around his neck, but the degree of refinement and the amount of precious metals used are far inferior to those of the star mentor.

"Master Tutor, these two are guests from the East." Bachelor Qihe briefly introduced, and then stepped back, revealing two visitors behind him who were all hidden under a thick hooded cloak, which is also an adventurer Their favorite attire doesn't look like it has any character.

"I'm Satsien Hull, what can I do for you two?" Instructor Xingchen asked casually. He seemed very busy, and he didn't raise his head when he was asking questions. He wrote and drew on the star map in front of him, and occasionally picked up the bronze peeping tube beside the table to look for the position of the golden sun outside the window.

The two visitors glanced at each other, and they seemed to feel a little strange about Teacher Xingchen's indifferent attitude. One of them thought for a while and replied in a low tone that seemed a bit weird, "Your Excellency, Teacher Xingchen, we are the Sheriff's Office of Daserei County. The guard knights, under the order of Lord Thomas Youngson, Lord Sheriff, who is also the head of the Death Knights..."

"Wait a minute." Satsien Hull stopped the calculation in his hands, then raised his head, and there was a scrutinizing gaze behind the monocle crystal glasses. "You mean the sheriff...Thomad Jansen? If I'm not mistaken, shouldn't the sheriff of Grand Cerre County be Lord Jay Elvalon?"

"Some time ago, Daserai County was attacked by a troop of demons. Tengshi Town and two nearby villages were reduced to ruins. Hundreds of manors and farms were burned down, and thousands of farmers were killed. County Governor Ayer The Earl of Wallon personally led the troops to pursue, launched a bloody battle with the demons, and defeated the main force of the demon army." The guest paused when he said this, and then changed his tone, "It's a pity that the demon commander is full of tricks. , set a trap of continuous fireballs before fleeing, Lord El Valon was very heroic when he died in battle..."
Although the visitor's tone was deliberately heavy, there was not much sadness in it.Satsyn Hull could well sense this, but he wisely didn't bring it up, but sighed at the end of the visitor's words.

"Merkativo, the Lord of Wisdom..." the voice of the teacher of the stars seemed compassionate, "This is indeed a story that one cannot help feeling sad about. The kingdom rests forever."

"May he rest in peace." The two visitors said in unison.

Bachelor Zihe's cheeks twitched twice, and he opened his mouth to speak, but was blocked by a stern look from Satien Hell, so he had to tightly shut his mouth.

"Since you are the envoys sent by the new sheriff of Daserey County, why don't you go to see Her Royal Highness Princess Fleisher, but look for me, an old man who has put down the burden from his shoulders?" Star Instructor said slowly He picked up the quill in the ink bottle again, as if the two visitors couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, and were about to refocus on the calculus astrology chart.

No matter what the real intentions of the Star Teacher are, this attitude is enough to prove that what he needs is straightforward rather than beating around the bush. The two visitors once again looked at each other for confirmation, and then the person who spoke just now took a step forward and said in a low voice: "Your Excellency, Instructor Star, the reason we came to visit you is very simple. Levi Ston took advantage of his extraordinary relationship with Princess Fleischer to designate himself as the Guardian of the Kingdom of Arthur, and also suppressed the noble king. They are all wealthy, so that you adults cannot participate in the decision-making. This despicable practice undoubtedly violates all the laws of the kingdom, and it also makes Sir Tomad County Sheriff full of righteous indignation..."

Instructor Star coughed lightly, interrupting the visitor's eloquence. "Forgive me, if Master Thomas Yangsen just asked you to bring these condolences, then I can express my gratitude to him, and then ask the two of you to go out to rest. After all, I have more important things to deal with." He said He pointed to the astrology map in front of him, "Compared to illusory promises, maybe the stars in the sky will give me a more accurate prediction."

This is obviously ridiculing the visitor's words are not true, and there is no substantive content.Hearing the irony in Instructor Xingchen's words, the visitor standing behind couldn't help but move his feet, and wanted to go forward to say something, but was stopped by the visitor in front with a raised hand.

"Your Excellency, Instructor Star, please forgive me." As the visitor said, he raised his hand and tapped his chest lightly.Satsyn Hull's expression became serious in an instant. This is the etiquette of a knight, and judging from the visitor's skilled movements, it is obvious that he has gone through many drills. "Master Thomas Youngsen told us to be cautious, because the Kingdom of Arthur is currently in turmoil and cannot withstand excessive turmoil. If our real purpose is discovered by Levi Stern's minions, then no matter for the kingdom or It will be a terrible disaster, my lords."

"It seems that the scythe of the god of death is not content with the Eastern Kingdom, and is ready to make some big moves?" Satien Hull's eyes showed a flash of sharp light, and he commented in a flat tone, " However, this probably has nothing to do with North Border County, after all, King Capital Fermeyer has fallen into the hands of the demon army, and the passage between North Border County and Great Serey County has been completely blocked."

"Not all the passages, Your Excellency Star Instructor." The visitor's voice seemed extremely mysterious, "The oath river route passing through Firmeyer was indeed blocked by demons. Before the king's capital was recovered, Guangyao Avenue could not communicate with all parties. But there are still some remote paths that can be passed through. We arrived at the territory of Northern Border County safely through one of the unknown paths."

"An unknown path?" Star Instructor's tone sounded interested, "This is good news. Maybe all parties in the kingdom can support each other and jointly fight against the attack of the demon army?"

"This...that path is rough and difficult, I am afraid that only the most elite troops can pass..." The visitor's tone seemed a little embarrassed, "and it is impossible to carry supplies and mounts, and some steep and precipitous cliffs can only be passed by those who have mastered the strength of fighting spirit." only knights can pass."

"Oh, then it's of no value." Satsien Hull showed a deliberate disappointment, "The rugged path that only knights can pass can't bring much support. It can only exchange some news."

"No, Master Xingchen, maybe it is of little value in fighting against the invasion of demons, but what a small and elite army can do is not only against demons." The visitor explained meaningfully, "In Northern Border County, Levi Stern certainly possesses quite powerful power, even if the Death Knights are all dispatched, they will not be able to cause much threat. However, in front of the sharp swords that are close at hand, the Griffin Lord is just a man who has just stepped into the world. It's just a high-ranking knight who is at the threshold of dissipating fighting spirit."

"I can't give an answer to this matter right away." Instructor Xingchen lowered his head and pondered for a few seconds, then raised his head and said to them, "I must call together the nobles of the royal capital, and after a joint discussion, I will give you an affirmative answer." reply."

"For such an important matter, you should seek the opinions of other adults." The visitor nodded affirmatively, then took a step back, and gave Satien Hull another knight's boob salute. "Then let's take our leave first, Your Excellency Star Instructor, I hope you can make a decision as soon as possible. By the way, please don't send anyone to look for us. We will visit you again in two days."

"Master Tutor, are these two people really the emissaries of Thomas Yangsen?" Seeing the backs of the two visitors disappear at the end of the corridor, Bachelor Qi He said worriedly. "Even if they are really the envoys of Thomas Jansen, why do you cooperate with such an ambitious guy? You are as wise as you, you can't be deceived by their false words, right?"

"Qihe, what do you mean by false words and deceit?" Instructor Xingchen showed an encouraging look, and looked at Bachelor Qihe very seriously.

"Of course it was the cause of the death of Lord Earl Alvallon, the sheriff of Grand Serre County. I don't believe that Lord Earl died in a devil's trap." Bachelor Zihe said bluntly.

A shallow smile climbed up the corner of Instructor Xingchen's mouth, "Of course it's not a devil, otherwise, even if Lord Thomas Jansen possesses extraordinary strength, he would still be just an acting head of the regiment under the fence of others, not the power of a county in his hands. An important person." When talking about Tomad Jansen, the old man's eyes sparkled, making Bachelor Zihe shudder involuntarily.

"Master Tutor, why do you still want to cooperate with him?" Bachelor Zihe frowned after thinking about it, and persuaded him, "In my opinion, this Lord Thomas Jansen is more powerful than Lord Levi Ston." Be... a hundred times more ruthless, if you cooperate with him, I'm afraid..."

As soon as Bachelor Qihe was halfway through his words, he was interrupted by a cold snort from Satien Hell.The young bachelor then closed his mouth, bowed with a pale face, and said, "Sorry, sir, I have judged your meaning presumptuously."

Instructor Xingchen stared at his students coldly, his face looked gloomy, and his sunken eyes seemed to be burning with cold flames, but when he saw that Bachelor Qi He had always maintained a look of fear, his expression finally eased .

"It can't be blamed on your misjudgment, Zihe." Satsien Hull explained softly, "I never thought of cooperating with Lord Thomas Jansen, I just wanted to use him to deal with Li Wei? Ston's aggressive pressure. This Lord of the Eyes is different from the Griffin Lord, he will never try to enter the high-level of the kingdom, so there is no threat to us."

Bachelor Qi He still had a puzzled expression on his face, "My lord, I don't want to question your judgment, but... what is your basis?"

"Speaking of which, this should not be considered a secret. Her Royal Highness Princess Fleischer once had a very good relationship with Lord Earl Ansair, the sheriff of the Northern County and sword dancer, and Lord Earl Ansair died in Thomas The hand of Lord De Jansen. Although it was a fair duel before the gods, Lord Thomas Jansen probably did not expect that it was this duel that ended all possibilities for him to hold the supreme power of the kingdom."

Seeing Bachelor Qi He nodding his head suddenly, Teacher Xingchen smiled slightly, and then yawned, feeling sleepy like a tide flooding his body.After all, he is already an old man in his seventies, and the exhaustion of his sleepless night and the contemplation just now made him feel exhausted.

"Help me to my bed, Zich," he said to the young maester, "and tell all our allies to gather at Sir Harricos's estate at nightfall, and I will tell you all about Thomas. I would like to pass on the news of De Yangsen to everyone, it may be the best news in this period of time for the rich and nobles of the royal capital."

(End of this chapter)