Heart of the Castle

Chapter 599 Missing the target and winning the first battle

Following the voice of the elf secret archer Larry Moonbow, the bowstring of the steel war bow suddenly vibrated, and the sharp arrow flew straight to the branch of the poplar tree 300 meters away with the sound of piercing the air. The goal.Since passing the secret archer trial, he has shot such a target too many times. Larry Moonbow didn't even take a second look at his target. He confidently put down the steel bow and waited quietly like a bombardment. Thunderous cheers sounded.

Sure enough, he heard a sound like thunder, but it was not cheering, but annoyed and unbelievable shouts.

"Damn it! Missed the shot!"

"What happened? It didn't even touch the edge of the target!"

"Larry? Moonbow, you are simply not worthy of holding a bow!"

"This...it's impossible!" No words can describe the fear and anxiety in Larry Yuegong's heart at this moment, the blood color faded from his cheeks, making his face look similar to clotted yogurt.He almost ran towards the big poplar tree like crazy, intercepted the elf who was in charge of reporting the target on the way, and snatched the tomato used as the target from his hand.

That tomato looked very healthy, with a ruddy and crystal-clear skin, exuding a layer of watery luster, which made people want to bite into it.But Larry Moonbow didn't pay attention to these at all. He turned the tomato upside down and looked at it carefully several times, but in the end he couldn't find even the slightest trace.Then he raised his head again, looking for the arrow he had shot among the branches of the poplar.This time it took him a little longer, and with a sigh, the elf secret archer's entire body became stiff.

"No...it's impossible...how could I...how could..."

No matter how much Larry Moonbow didn't want to admit it, he saw the long arrow he had shot in the middle of the branches of the poplar tree.The long arrow was more than ten centimeters away from the place where the tomato target was placed. The sharp tip of the arrow bit deeply into the tree trunk, and the tail feathers were still trembling slightly.

Larry Moonbow let out a low moan, covered his face with his hands, and his body slowly went limp.He knew very well that his reputation had been completely ruined by this arrow. As an elf marksman, it was a great shame to miss the target, and it happened in a contest with a human marksman, and he did not leave any gains. room for understanding.

Theoretically speaking, since the first round was tied, although Larry Moonbow lost badly in the second round, there is still a third round to tie.The elves did prepare a third round of competition, which happened to be their best show off.The magnificent archery skills possessed by secret archer Larry Moonbow can completely convince Sir Grace.

However, all these plans vanished with the long arrow that deviated from the target. Larry Moonbow certainly lost his fighting spirit, and the other elf sharpshooters also looked dejected.Even the Elf Queen and the Great Elder felt ashamed. After the Great Elder who presided over the ceremony of the peace ceremony reluctantly announced that the human mission had won the first round of competition, the members of the Elf King's Court would not be able to Under the premise of being rude, they left this poplar forest that hurt them physically and mentally as quickly as possible.

Only the Sunsinger did not leave right away. After the initial gaffe, this determined leader of the high elves has recovered his calm and personable appearance, but the scorching sparks are still shining in the depths of his eyes, showing his innermost feelings. Not as calm as it appears.

"Your Excellency the Regent of the Human Kingdom... No, Levi Ston, I think it is more appropriate to call you this way. The elves have lost to the human conspiracy this time, but there will be no next time. Any chance to win the next two contests." He promised in a cold tone, and then left with his head held high without waiting for Li Wei's answer.

Seeing the back of the Sun Chanter disappear into the dense forest, everyone in the human mission burst into cheers, but Marquis Osiris seemed a little unhappy.He hastily expressed his congratulations to Sir Grace, and then came to his former friend—— Larry Moonbow, the elven secret archer as fast as he could.

The elf secret archer was obviously traumatized psychologically. When Marquis Osiris squatted down beside him, he didn't react immediately, but continued to kneel and sit on the ground, his eyes were empty, his expression was blank, and he seemed to be immersed in In a nightmare from which he couldn't wake up, he kept muttering to himself.

"How... how could it deviate? I've clearly... aimed at it, and I've never missed it... Such a target, such a target, I have shot it hundreds of times!"

Li Wei squeezed out from the crowd. His eyes were shining with excitement, but after seeing Larry Moonbow like this, the light in his eyes disappeared and replaced him. What he saw was a look of guilt and apology intertwined.

"I... I think I should say sorry." Li Wei swallowed his saliva, and then said softly. "During the contest of bow and arrow skills just now, I... we did use some disgraceful methods."

The voice of the Griffon Lord reached the ears of the elf secret archer, causing Larry Moonbow's body to tremble violently. "What... oh, it's you, Lord Li Wei..." The elf secret archer raised his head, his handsome face was as pale as parchment that had just been polished, and his voice was trembling and broken, "I don't know... what is it?" Can the disgraceful means affect me and make me miss the target that I must have hit?"

"That method...I mean...the trap is placed on the steel war bows we provide. These weapons are all manufactured using the standardized technology in alchemy, and they are all the same in terms of quality and size, so only You need to be familiar with one of them, and you can easily use all the steel war bows."

It was the hardest to admit at first, but then Li Wei's voice became much smoother. "Since Sir Grace took the lead in familiarizing with the unfamiliar longbow, although it did not really affect the outcome of the contest, as the number one marksman in the mainland, you will definitely not give up willingly. As long as the sun chant proposes By exchanging weapons, the outcome can be roughly determined."

Larry Moonbow shook his head lightly, "Lord Levi, this cannot be said to be a disgraceful method. I am talented in using elf bows, and Sir Grace is also familiar with using human longbows." , after we exchanged weapons, Sir Grace took a little less time to get familiar with weapons than me, so at this point, I can admit that my skills are not as good as others. But... But how could the last arrow miss the target? I ...I can be sure that there is no problem with the steel war bow, if there is a problem, it will have been reflected in the rapid fire link."

"If it's just used as a weapon, those steel war bows are of course no problem, and the quality is very good." Li Wei explained calmly, "But as a weapon to compare the skills of using bows and arrows, those steel war bows have a kind of hard to find The hidden characteristics. When manufacturing those weapons, Master Frederick added an incomplete array of alchemy magic patterns on the back of each steel war bow through alchemy, and each refined There is a missing part of this magic pattern array on the long arrow."

"This is impossible." The one who said this was the Marquis Osiris, the elf sky knight raised his head, and there was suspicion in his green eyes, "Master Li Wei, those weapons have been passed by including the Great Elder and Lu Yeyong. They all have profound attainments in alchemy and natural magic, if magic is attached to the iron war bow, it is impossible to escape their eyes, right?"

"No matter what method you use, you can't check it out, because the two have no effect when they are separated, and of course they don't have the characteristics of magic weapons." Li Wei shook his head vigorously and explained in a raised voice, "But when the bowstring is pulled When the bow is full, the long arrow and the magic pattern on the back of the bow will just form a small magic pattern array. This magic pattern array is called the precision magic pattern. The effect of a sharp arrow."

"Precise magic array?" Marquis Osiris was still puzzled, "I have heard the name of this magic pattern array, there are several famous magic longbows with precision magic array attached to it, but with this magic pattern array Doesn't the array make it easier to hit the target?"

"Xiu Fengbiao... I actually lost here!" Unlike the puzzled Marquis Osiris, Larry Moonbow, who is a sharpshooter, suddenly understood, his expression stiffened like a mask, "This is me As an elf sharpshooter, I have always been proud of my ability, but I never thought...it would become a fatal mistake!" There was a feeling of suffocation in the voice, as if a huge stone was suppressed on the chest, and it was necessary to breathe hard to release the fresh air. Air is sent into the lungs.

"Wait a minute, there is one more question." Marquis Osiris suddenly remembered this key question, "Why was the magic array on this steel bow not activated during the first round of competition?"

"In the first round of the competition, the distance to the target was relatively short, and rapid shooting was required, so the steel war bow was never fully drawn, and the effect of the precise magic circle would not appear." Sir Grace's voice came from the other side The sound sounded, and the number one sharpshooter of the Kingdom of Arthur walked up to Larry Moonbow and knelt down on one knee with an apology on his face.

"The glory should be yours, Lord Larry." There was no excitement after victory in his voice, and the color of his eyes was as dark as smudged sapphires. "From the standpoint of a member of the Arthur Kingdom Mission, I do not regret using means to win; but as a marksman, I am a thief who stole the victory."

"No, it's not your fault." Larry Moonbow showed a sad smile, shaking his head too weakly to describe in words, "As an archer, you must be as familiar with the longbow in your hand as you are with your own body , This sentence has been engraved in my heart since the first day I held the longbow in my hand. However, after passing the trial of the secret archer, my heart was gradually blinded by pride, so the failure of this contest was my fault. It's my fault...it's the punishment of Alara, the Goddess of Life."

"My Lord, Elara." The Marquis of Osiris prayed in a low voice, "Larry Moonbow, the elf royal court may punish you severely for this failure. Are you psychologically prepared for the worst outcome? ?”

"I can guess what the elf court will do to me, exile, there is no other possibility." Larry Moonbow murmured in pain, his face was bloodless, as if his own life was also taken away. Same as peeling.

"The consequences are so serious?" Li Wei's face became even more ugly. Before he went to the Moon Whispering Forest, he had learned many customs and habits of the elves from the Marquis of Osiris.As a life-loving race, the kingdom of elves does not have the death penalty of deprivation of life. For them, being exiled outside the Moon Whispering Forest and never returning to their hometown is the most severe punishment. "We can't let this happen. If we go to Her Majesty the Elf Queen now and explain the situation to her, can we avoid the result of Lord Larry being exiled?"

"I'm afraid it won't help." Marquis Osiris pondered for a while, and then objected, "It is impossible to have absolute fairness in a contest, and the ancient rules of the gift of peace are just as perfect as possible. As a sharpshooter, Larry Moonbow didn't find out No matter how you explain the secret hidden in that steel war bow, it is an unforgivable serious mistake."

"That's right, and I'm also the leader of the elf archer team. The high elves have coveted this for a long time. They will definitely seize this mistake, deprive me of my position, and expel me from the Moonwhispering Forest." Larry said. ? Yue Gong regained some of his calm mind as a sharpshooter, and said in a cold tone. "Now is the most rare opportunity, because the failure of this contest has caused great damage to my personal honor. I am afraid that those marksmen who originally supported me have changed their attitudes."

Li Wei saw crystal tears in the eyes of the elf secret archer, and was so guilty that he could hardly speak. No matter what method he used to comfort him, it seemed a bit hypocritical from the standpoint of the griffin lord.Fortunately, Larry Yuegong quickly regained his composure, stood up, and bowed deeply to Li Wei.

"Actually, I should be grateful to you, Your Excellency the Regent."

This sentence almost made Levi think that he had auditory hallucinations. In his imagination, after Larry Moonbow learned the truth, it would be a normal reaction for him to curse or stare coldly at each other.However, the words of thanks were so sincere that Li Wei couldn't believe his ears.

"Larry? Master Yue Gong, this is..."

"I once swore an oath in front of Goddess Elara to follow His Highness the Crown Prince Lothian forever. I should have followed the oath and given up everything the moment I recognized the identity of the Crown Prince Lothien. However, as the leader of the bow and arrow troop and an elf The position of the secret archer makes me hesitate..." The elf secret archer turned his gaze to Marquis Osiris, and then knelt down towards him, touching his forehead to the ground and placing his hands on both sides of his head. "His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Lothian, please forgive me for being shaken. From now on, Larry Moonbow will swear to follow your side, dedicating all glory and life, and will never change in this life."

Elves seldom swear a lifelong oath, for their lives are so long that, without the threat of sword or disease, the oath would last as long as the recorded history of the kingdoms of Men.Marquis Osiris showed a hesitant expression on his face, but when Larry Moonbow raised his head and looked at the Sky Knight without blinking, Marquis Osiris knew he had no choice.

Many exiled elves ended their lives in despair, and he had to give his friend, Larry Moonbow, a reason to live.The sky knight's eyes turned dignified and solemn, and the wrath of nature with a faint green light slid out of the scabbard with a clear clang, and then lay flat on Larry Moonbow's shoulder.

"I accept your oath to follow for life, Larry Moonbow. As the head of the Knights of Ashes and the head of King Arthur's Iron Guard, I appoint you as one of the brothers of the Iron Guard. The Iron Guard takes loyalty as a wife and Honor is your son, and I swear to defend my king, even if I turn into ashes, I will die without regret." The magic epee lightly patted Larry Moonbow's shoulders and the top of his head, and then Marquis Osiris said every word. Say, "Get up, Brother Larry!"

Larry Yuegong stood up, although his face was still not very good, but he finally became more bloody, "His Royal Highness Prince Lothien..." He was interrupted by Marquis Osiris just as he opened his mouth.

"Call me Osiris, Brother Larry." The green lion's tone was very serious, "No matter what the original name represented, I am now the Marquess of Osiris of the Kingdom of Arthur, just like you, this is me in front of the goddess of life. sworn oath."

Larry Yuegong nodded half-understood, but at least he knew how to change his words, "Lothian... Oh, Lord Osiris, when you said you swore to defend my king, did you mean the Lord Regent, His Excellency Levi Ston? "

A trace of sadness flashed across the face of the Marquis of Osiris, "The Iron Guard Knight is the most loyal shield and sharp sword of His Majesty the King of the Kingdom of Arthur, but His Majesty the King died not long ago, and the new king has not yet ascended the throne, so before that... ..." He turned his gaze to Li Wei, "...Your Excellency the Regent is a substitute."

The griffin lord, who was called a substitute, couldn't help feeling a bit dumbfounded, "Your Excellency the Sky Knight," he said loudly pretending to be angry, "will I always be a substitute? Could it be that I can't gain your wholehearted allegiance ?"

The Marquis of Osiris glanced at Li Wei with exaggerated confusion, "Your Excellency the Regent, I thought you would never consider usurping the throne, but I didn't expect you to have ambitions for the hard golden throne?"

This is a humorous side that His Royal Highness Crown Prince Lothien has never shown. Although Larry Moonbow's heart is heavy, the corners of his mouth can't help but curl up.Seeing the elf secret archer relieved from the pain, Li Wei and Marquis Osiris looked at each other, feeling relieved. "Lord Osiris..." Li Wei was about to say something when a sound of footsteps sounded from behind, making him swallow his words again.

Coming from behind was Mr. Dish, followed by a young elf. Levi noticed that the old magician seemed to have a slight worry on his face, and then he bowed to Levi with a very standard gesture, " Master Li Wei, the elf royal court has sent a messenger to deliver a letter, which contains the content of the second round of the ceremony of peace."

(End of this chapter)