Heart of the Castle

Chapter 701 Under the dawn, the haze rises

The golden morning light sprinkled the streets and alleys of Dirk City, revived the city that had just experienced the war, and the noise began to ring out in taverns, bakeries, and markets, and everyone had excited smiles on their faces: The lazy apprentice quickly filled the cart with goods, the stingy baker generously gave each guest a discount or zero treatment, and the chubby tavern owner announced that every guest who walked into the tavern could come With a free glass of iced ale, even the air seemed to be filled with triumph.

However, these enthusiastic emotions did not reach the vicinity of the sheriff's mansion. At the end of several roads leading to the mansion, there stood a small group of heavily armed griffin knights. kite-shaped shield and knight sword.It was early summer, and the morning sun was already quite strong, but these knights were meticulously wearing full-face helmets, motionless like steel statues.

Just this ruthless appearance is enough to make ordinary people hesitate to move forward. A few nobles from Dirk City mustered up the courage to strike up a conversation, wanting to test the possibility of seeing His Excellency the Regent of the Kingdom, and these Griffin Knights also used He clearly refused in a polite but unquestionable tone.Whether they begged softly or revealed their identities, the answers they got were almost the same.

"Sorry, my lord, His Excellency the Regent is currently on urgent business and refuses all unannounced visits."

For this formulaic answer, many nobles of Deke City couldn't help sniffing. The army of undead who sued the deceased had just been defeated, so what urgent official business should His Excellency the Regent of the Kingdom handle in person?But at least they knew that their identities were not enough to slander Li Weiston's decision, so they could only leave their names, and asked those Griffin Knights to convey their greetings to His Excellency the Regent, and then left unhappy.

Not all visitors are rejected, however.After Angelo Carter, the new president of the Balance Chamber of Commerce, announced his name, the leading Griffin Knight stopped the quill he was recording, and raised his eyes to look at the slightly fat face of the young president.

"Sir Angelo Carter?" Griffon Knight's voice seemed a little dull after passing through the visor, but the seriousness in the words could be heard, "The balance chamber of commerce is in the battle to defend Dirk City. You have contributed a lot, not only donating a lot of supplies, but also actively sending the chamber of commerce guards to join in the defense. Two knights and forty guards were killed in battle. Even Sir Anglo Carter died to protect Dirk City. Blood."

The leader of the Griffin Knights raised his right hand stroking the hilt of his sword, and knocked on the breastplate with a clang, and the rest of the Griffin Knights followed suit. "Squad No. 12 of the First Griffin Regiment pays tribute to you, Sir Anglo Carter, and His Excellency the Regent will be happy to spare time to meet you, please come with me."

Anglo Carter knocked his chest in a hurry to return the salute, and then bowed deeply, the expression on his face even seemed a little bewildered.Although the Tianping Chamber of Commerce has a certain influence in Dirk City and even the entire North Border County, it is only a chamber of commerce after all, and it is far from being able to compare with the behemoths such as the Knights' Association, the Temple of the Storm, and the Adventurer's Union. The long-standing noble family is not as good.Seeing that there were several viscounts and barons who had been rejected in front of the Griffon Knight, he never thought that he would be received by His Excellency the Regent.

Seeing the back of Anglo Carter following the Griffin Knight, many celebrities in Dirk City couldn't help showing mixed expressions of envy and jealousy, especially President Conrad of the Wine Merchant Alliance, who secretly gritted his teeth .Just two years ago, Anglo Carter was just a playboy hanging out with his son Dorn. However, after an accidental conflict at the Thunderbolt Pig Tavern, the two chose completely different paths.Anglo Carter gave up his easily-obtained high-ranking knight qualifications, but traveled like an ordinary apprentice knight, and did not return to Dirk City with scars until the news of the fall of the four southern counties came; and his son Dong En was sentenced to exile by the Earl of Ansair, the governor of Deke City, for the crime of colluding with the thieves' union. In exchange, a large chunk of the rights and interests of the Wine Merchants Alliance was obtained.

After Earl Ansair died in a duel before the gods in the Holy White Rock Castle, President Conrad's situation did not improve, but fell into a worse situation.Li Weiston, who was born in a poor country, was actually promoted to viscount, then became the guardian of the northern border of the kingdom, and later became the regent of Arthur Kingdom, who was in charge of the military and political power. The speed of his promotion was dizzying.The old story of his son's conflict with Li Weiston was unearthed by those despicable people who were trying to curry favor with the Griffon Lord, and then spread it with embellishment. The wine merchants alliance almost collapsed because of this, and many people left one after another. , under the shelter of other chambers of commerce, including that damned balance chamber of commerce.

This request for an audience can be said to be the last effort made by President Conrad. If he can get an audience with Levi Stern, even if he pays half of the family property as a price, he can take the opportunity to revive the wine merchants alliance. However, when he After his request was politely and coldly rejected by the Griffon Knight, he felt his mind go blank, and even whispered from the crowd behind him.

"I'm finished, and the Conrad family is also finished..." Chairman Conrad walked staggeringly on the way back to his mansion, staring straight ahead, his expression as if he was in a nightmare and couldn't wake up , muttering in a low voice, "Even if Li Weiston doesn't remember what happened back then, those despicable people who are eager to curry favor with His Excellency the Regent but have nowhere to go... will definitely use all kinds of tricks on the Wine Merchants Alliance." Dirty tricks... I know, I will... because that's what I did ten years ago... Ah, my Chamber of Commerce, I'm all over!"

"No, President Conrad, the matter has not yet reached the level of despair." A low, unfamiliar voice sounded from the ear, and President Conrad's whole body was shaken suddenly, and he suddenly woke up. "You, who are you?" He looked at the figure slowly emerging from the opposite alley in horror, while holding the hilt of the over-decorated thorn sword at his waist with his right hand, "If you hide your head and show your tail, if you don't reveal your identity If not, I will call the guards!"

The man was wearing a very common adventurer's attire. The wind and sand-proof hood drooped down, covering most of his face, leaving only thin lips and a strong chin like a line of wounds.Facing President Conrad's stern threat, he just responded with a cold smile with twisted lips, "That's too bad, Mr. President." The stranger's tone was full of mockery, "Dirk The city is full of lackeys and eyeliners of the Griffin Lord, if you call out loudly, I’m afraid I can only catch you without a fight, and then take all the words you just said to yourself as confessions.”

President Conrad tried his best to appear calm, but it was obviously a complete failure. Whether it was the sudden pale face or the veined hands, all of them exposed the fear in his heart, and even the voice of rebuttal became trembling and broken , speechless.

"I, benevolent Father God, I didn't say anything just now! Your Excellency the Prince Regent will never believe you...your nonsense...absolutely!"

"It's great that you can really think like this, Mr. President." The stranger took a step forward, his eyes flashing cold and piercing under the hood, "Then what are you waiting for, go and get the guards? Tell me There is a person here, a person who is malicious to His Excellency the Regent, but after confrontation, it may not be easy to distinguish whether that person is you or me, right?"

These words were like a heavy hammer on the head, and President Conrad staggered back dizzily, "I... this gentleman, what kind of hatred does the Conrad family have with you, and you want to use such despicable means to retaliate?" ? If it is for money, then I... I am willing to..."

"I'm not the kind of liar you imagined." The stranger raised his hands, indicating that he had no such intentions, "Master President, there is no hatred between us, and I am not trying to blackmail money from you, on the contrary , our organization is also willing to provide a considerable amount of money so that your wine merchant alliance can regroup."

President Conrad's cheeks twitched, and the paleness on his cheeks faded a little, replaced by strong doubts, "I'm not talking to a devout believer of a great benevolent man, am I?" After the panic subsided, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, who had experienced a lot of troubles, regained a bit of cunning on the negotiating table, "In Northern County, no matter which direction a considerable investment is invested, it is better than injecting it into the wine merchants alliance. A sinking wreck will pay off much more, sir, how do you want me to believe your promise?"

"It's very simple, because we all have a common enemy, His Excellency the Prince Regent of the Kingdom of Arthur, the Dawn of the North, and the Griffon Lord Liviston." The stranger replied bluntly.

This answer did not surprise President Conrad, but when the stranger readily admitted it, the cunning and cunning president still couldn't help but take a breath, "Mr. I misunderstood something." He immediately denied it in a firm tone, "Maybe you and the organization behind you are planning to make an enemy of His Excellency the Regent, but I don't regard that Lord as an enemy."

"It's such a pity, does Chairman Conrad of the Wine Merchants Alliance only have such short-sightedness?" The stranger sighed pretentiously, his hood shaking slightly as he shook his head, "If you haven't forgotten, your His son, Master Dong En, seems to have had a lot of friction with His Excellency the Prince Regent, and even played a disgraceful role in a poisoned alcohol incident?"

"Thank you for your reminder, but this is not a question of short-sightedness or not, but I understand how much power the Wine Merchants Alliance has." President Conrad showed a bitter smile, "For His Excellency the Regent , The strength of the Conrad family is insignificant. As long as he is willing, everything I own will be wiped out in an instant. Dong En once made mistakes, but Earl Ansair has punished him with the laws of the kingdom. The Ladd family will no longer make mistakes, and I believe that with His Excellency Leviston's always benevolent approach, they will never bring up the past again."

For the first time, a stunned expression appeared on the stranger's face, and then he sighed, "It's unimaginable that even you, President Conrad, who is known as the cunning fox, is so impressed by Levi's reputation for benevolence. So much trust. Haven't you ever considered that the so-called benevolence is probably just a fig leaf woven with hypocrisy?"

"Even hypocrisy is far better than cruelty, and with all due respect, even you who are the enemies of His Excellency the Regent can't find any evidence that he once violated the motto of the knights, otherwise rumors would have been flying everywhere It is." As the verbal confrontation continued, President Conrad's mood has gradually calmed down, and his attitude has become more swaying, "Sir, no matter how powerful you and your organization are, you and the Conrad family It doesn't matter, if your organization wants to fight against His Excellency the Regent, then feel free to show your strength, but please forgive me for not participating in the life-and-death game between two behemoths."

"I'm afraid you can't make other choices, my lord." The stranger threw away his mask of kindness, and his voice suddenly became cold and ruthless, "Do you think that the organization sent me to negotiate with you, and there are no other means prepared? ?”

"Then take it out." Chairman Conrad said, while slowly backing away, at the same time, he showed his left hand, which had been tucked in the sleeve all along, and the sapphire ring on the index finger was emitting a bluish-white light. , countless small runes are flying in the light, anyone who has studied magic can see that it is a special light and shadow effect belonging to the teleportation technique; the diamond ring worn on the middle finger emits layers of translucent As long as a command word is triggered, it will impose a sixth-ring protective magic known as the most difficult to break-Sherlock elastic barrier. This magic completely gives up all countermeasures, but it is protective against fighting spirit and magic. The ability is second to none under the nine rings. Even if a stranger has the strength of a great magister, he still has to try his luck if he wants to break this protective magic.

These two one-time magic rings that can be used by ordinary people are very valuable. Although the Conrad family is quite rich, only President Conrad, who is the head of the family, can own it.After President Conrad put it in the waiting state, he slowly backed away with the idea of ​​saving money, hoping that the stranger would be calm enough not to do futile things out of impulsiveness.

His guess was half right. The stranger did not attack brazenly, but he did not intend to let him slip away. Instead, he took out a crystal pendant from his bosom, and the seven-colored light immediately appeared on Conrad's face. Jumping over the long face, it was not any magic, but the effect of the pendant reflecting sunlight, but it made President Conrad's whole body stiffen immediately, and his face suddenly turned ashen.

"This pendant!" President Conrad gritted his teeth, every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, with a creaking ending, "It really is a good method, how did you treat my son? How is it?"

The stranger showed a winning smile, and the crystal pendant on his finger lazily twirled around, projecting colorful lights in all directions, "He is safe, very safe, our organization is protecting him. Mr. Chairman, As long as you make the right choice, absolutely no one can hurt him."

"Dawn is my only son, that's right. I can do a lot for him, but that doesn't include the entire Conrad family." Chairman Conrad's tone seemed a bit difficult, but it was firm enough, "If you think If you grab my son, you can threaten me to submit to you, that would be a big mistake!" He suddenly raised his right hand, and the fuze of a magical firework was hissing, and sparks splashed on President Conrad's body. on the back of his hand, but he didn't even blink. "Let my son go, or I'll let the whole city know you're here!"

The stranger obviously underestimated President Conrad's fierce reaction, his fingers spinning the crystal pendant froze, and almost let the pendant fly out of his hand. "Master President, don't be impulsive, you have to consider the safety of Master Dong En!"

"I'm thinking about it!" President Conrad's voice sounded like the wailing of a wild wolf bereaved, "Let Dong En go, or I'll confess everything to the Griffon Lord, you have no other choice!"

"I have!" The stranger yelled back at the loudest volume that would not disturb others, "President Conrad, your son Dong En was not held hostage by our organization, but he joined our organization on his own initiative. His Pledge of Allegiance is on me, would you like Liveston to see it?"

"Gods, this...rebel!" President Conrad's roar stopped, his face turned like clotted sour milk, and there was a gloomy despair in his pallor, "This rebel, you... ...you ruined the Conrad family..."

The stranger tentatively approached him, gently took the burning magic firework from his hand, and put it in the palm of his hand, then a light of fighting spirit flashed on his hands, and a weak and dull explosion sounded , the magic fireworks annihilated and disappeared.When he did all this, President Conrad remained silent, as if he didn't even have the interest to speak.

"Master President, there is a proverb in the ancient country of Yahan. A slender branch wants to stand firm, but the howling wind does not allow it to stop. I think this sentence is the best explanation for your current situation." Stranger He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his evaluation of Chairman Conrad slightly improved, but anyway, he has completed his mission, and Chairman Conrad and his wine merchants alliance have been tied up. The chariot on his own side successfully laid an important wedge in the rear of Levi Ston - the important town of Dirk in Northern County.

(End of this chapter)