The Amber Sword

The river sparkles in the sunset, and every time the river floats in the window, the hotel lobby turns red. Through the window, you can see the emperor standing on the sky, a magnificent shadow, the tower and the walls of the city leave a strong oblique shadow in the shadow of the pale sun.

Setti wiped the last table, got up straight and wiped a sweat with her hands on the back, and she looked in the direction of the door - the light at the door darkened and walked in a few travellers in capes - unexpectedly as a guest. She was slightly surprised that there were guests this time of year. Since the start of the war in Metz, there have been many fewer businessmen on the road. The business of the hotel is lighter than a day. The owners of the hotel intend to close temporarily.

First came a foreigner, a long dark brown hair rare in the empire, with a slightly handsome face, although not very heartwarming at first sight, but at least five official handsome shows, a pair of brown eyes with deep warmth, inner divine color, as if to make people feel kind at first glance.

Behind him, the individual looked taller as his companion, more handsome, with a hood - although he took it off as soon as he entered the house, revealing slightly curly Qil's short hair, and he measured it four times, with a thick, cynical look in his eyes.

And then there were a few girls, and Seti couldn't help but feel very strange. At this time of year, she couldn't help but suspect that it was a bunch of slave traders. But she soon realized that she was different, and the girls were obviously not easy, and a few of them just looked at her in the eye and dared not look at her, an aggressive temperament she had seen only on the real big men in the city, how could she be a slave?

“What a strange merchant team.” At this time, Setti has noticed that caravans parked outside the hotel are only used by pedestrians to and from the Banker area.

And the nature of walking into this hotel at this moment is exactly Brando's pedestrian.

Thankfully, the old caravan bought from Eleven Leafs finally arrived safely at its destination before it broke apart - a hotel with the sign ‘Cat and Beard’ on it.

Situated on the banks of the St. Mercury Bridge, not more than 10 miles from Rusta, this old building is flat on the outside, just a little too sour - the sign and the paint on the door are severely detached and there are many patches on the roof, but the windows are clear, there are a few pots of ivy on the windowsill on the side of the door, and the branches and leaves are well cared for by the owner.

The business of the hotel looks very cold, probably because of the location, Delphine mentioned that this is the furthest hotel outside the east gate of Rusta, where only some merchants with little money will temporarily set foot.

But that's exactly why they chose this place.

Remoteness means safety ——

The waitress at this hotel was a mountaineer, and Brando noticed that the young girl had long red hair like fire under the sunset, but when a pedestrian went upstairs, Charles turned back and said with a smile: “It looks like the little girl is suspicious, so as Ms. Sidney said - our disguise is not so good. ”

Brando turned to God and replied, "This was something that I had always expected. ”

“I thought you'd be worried about that, my lord. ”

“I won't be upset about nothing, I just don't want to be useless. ”

“What do you mean 'useless'?” Charles exclaims: “I haven't heard a word from you, Lord, for a while. ”

Brando patted his mouth angrily: "It just doesn't make sense. ”

At this time, Roman, who walked forward, noticed the conversation between the two of them, and of course she kept her ears up and eavesdropping. As for the previous boredom with Brando in the carriage, she had long been thrown out of the Nine Clouds. When she heard this, she couldn't help but deliberately lean back and glare at her eyes and ask:

“But how can it be meaningless? If Her Majesty grabbed us, would he hang us from the gallows? I heard the nobles treated their prisoners like this. If so, should we disguise ourselves or something? ”

'Cause it doesn't work. ”Walking aside, Delphine replied.

Since she began taking the Fountain of Youth, the scars on her face have faded considerably over these days, at least not looking so gloomy and scary, and some places have even begun to peel, revealing new skin as glossy as sheep grease below.

Most importantly, wheelchair reliance is no longer required for movement, and while it is still somewhat inconvenient, it is at least as free to move as a normal person.

“Useless? ”

Brando nodded: "Weren't there patrolling knights on the road when they passed us? ”

“Isn't that a good thing? ”

“The point is the frequency, too many patrol knights we encounter along the way, and as far as I can tell, knights like this will only conduct a routine patrol along the periphery of Tidu in the morning and before dusk. This suggests that Her Majesty increased security on the periphery of the Empire, but did not order them to conduct an inventory of the flow of people entering Rusta. ”

“Is that so? ”

“Yes," Delphine nodded, somewhat surprised to look at Brando, about not expecting the latter to be so familiar with the place, knowing that many locals born in Rusta did not necessarily know how the guard force on the outskirts of this imperial capital operated.

Charles laughed and obviously knew the answer to the question: “This means that Her Majesty the Hospitality is taking a tight precaution, and she seems very confident in her tentacles, just because we don't go into town. ”

“So if we go into town, she'll find us? ”

Brando nodded: “Now it seems that at least the Silver Queen thinks so. ”

Miss Merchant analyzed her gains and couldn't help but twist her little eyebrows: “In that case, Brando, are we going to split up? ”

“Hmm?”

“In other words, let me take Brunhild with me to the city to draw the attention of Her Majesty, and you and Miss Mayfister will find a way to sneak into the city to rescue Cee--”

Brando couldn't help but be angry and laughable and photographed her glorious head: “What are you thinking? Things aren't that serious yet, I don't think the Silver Queen would have gotten hurt that early. ”

Roman quickly hid behind his forehead and asked, "Why? ”

“I don't know why,” Brando shook his head and replied softly, "but I have a feeling the Silver Queen is waiting for us to enter the city...”

……

When the sun set below the horizon, the night really covered the city of Rusta. In the darkness, the stars lit the lights. On the distant horizon, it was like a star descending from the sky. Further afield, from time to time there was a flash on the pitch-black sky. Only those living in Rusta knew that it was actually a Nazer wing.

Due to Rusta's proximity to the Nazeri border, both sides are stationed in large numbers on the eastern border, and even at night there are still groups of flying horseman knights patrolling and reconnaissance in the intersection of canine teeth in the sky.

Fiina stood by the window and stared at the river that flowed quietly under the moon. She could not help but recall what it was like to come to the Emperor last time. However, at times she had crossed the border and herself fell from a respected identity to the cloud, not to say to maintain the halo of the past. Even her father and brother were held in front of her in the frightening belly of this‘ giant beast '.

But I don't know why, but at this moment in her heart is a tranquility.

Admittedly, a knocking noise suddenly broke out of the door, and the others in the room turned their heads and just saw Metisa push herself into the door, dressed as a pusher.

She closed the door with her opposite hand and relieved herself before looking at Brando: "Lord. ”

“Madiso, how's it going?” Brando nodded to her, who had previously asked her to go out and pry into the news, and now seemed to have something to gain.

Metisa did say, "Fine, not too much trouble. I made it clear, Lord, that the engagement ceremony took place half a month later, when the White Rose Garden at the Palace of San Cantipe held a banquet and the city held a celebration, and in fact Rusta had already begun to prepare for the celebration a week earlier. ”

Brando couldn't help but snort, and apparently what the Cruz did to Sy made him despise: “It looks like the Silver Queen wants to use it to defuse the atmosphere of panic in the Emperor, but I don't think it's going to work too well, and she doesn't want to think about what she did before. ”

“It's just the removal of the opposite.” Delphine replied softly.

The Prime Minister's thousand-gold opening made Metisa look at her, and she frowned slightly before continuing to report: "Countess Varache - I mean Cee, she is said to have been living in a castle outside Rusta City, but I went to that place to see it, and it was empty. ”

“Is it a fake message or is it being diverted?” Brando asked.

“It must have been a diversion, Lord, and I was afraid that the Silver Queen had left her sights in the vicinity, so I didn't dare stay too long, but then I checked elsewhere, and the castle did live in a big man before that, but she moved away a few weeks ago. ”

“It follows that the Silver Queen had long anticipated our arrival, otherwise she would not have had to do so.” Delphine was indifferent to Metisa's gaze, analyzing it with a faint voice.

Brando did not answer, but there was no objection in his heart, which he had long anticipated, until Antina's analysis was the same.

“What about the others?” He asked again.

Metissa turned her head: “Miss Delphine, your father and grandfather are locked up in Tesbourg, as is the leader of the Green Legion and the Grand Duke of Flowers. But to the best of my knowledge, the high level of the temple is not being held there, and very little is known about the whereabouts of the Grand Holy See. Many do not yet seem to know what happened to the temple of the day, nor is it clear that the temple of flame is now divided into two parts. ”

Hearing this, the Virgin of the Lion's Sacred Palace sitting on the edge of the bed frowned slightly like Sidney, and Faina revealed a desperate look: "Metissa, I...”

“Tesbourg is not a special prison," Delphine interrupted, “it's a different palace in the royal family, so they're just under house arrest. After all, my father and grandfather, and Grand Duke Flower Leaf, didn't stand up against the Silver Queen. ”

“That what they're gonna get caught?” The businesswoman was counting the expenses of recent days and she had to look up and ask strangely when she heard that statement.

“The Silver Queen has too much to do this time because they did not make a statement at the first time, and she will minimize all factors of instability in advance for the sake of insurance. ”

“Miss Delphine,” Metissa heard her say, and the discontent on her face had to become more obvious: "According to you, I can't see why you have chosen Lord Silver Queen. What Silver Queen needs is the attitude of the Nedevins, and you represent exactly the attitude of the Nedevins. I don't know what your idea is, but if you dare to hurt Lord in any way...”

The Fairy Princess held her lips and didn't finish her words, but looking at her cold eyes, Delphine also knew what the second half of the sentence would be.

Brando was also slight and couldn't help but look at Metisa with some surprise, knowing that Metisa had in fact never really accepted the Prime Minister, but this flag was a clear indication of attitude, for the first time.

Delphine smiled slightly, and she looked up at Brando with her pale purple eyes, unanswered.

“Miss Delphine...” Brando couldn't bear to say.

“Don't you trust me, Count? ”

“But you do have more options, don't you?” Charles finally plugged in, and he chose to stand by Metissa.

Delphine couldn't help shaking her head gently.

Brando sighed: "Because of Ivy's change, right? ”

Prime Minister Jinjin turned around and revealed the 'you do know' divine colour on her face. She hesitated for a moment and nodded softly: “But that was only one of them. My grandfather never supported the previous emperor in passing the throne to the Silver Queen, so His Majesty would support the Paloot family, in order to balance the power of the Prime Minister, which they used once when the royal family confronted the temple, only this time it was not good enough. ”

“The Ivy Changes," what surprised everyone was that Medfis, who had been silent at this time, suddenly opened his mouth: “Does that mean that thing? ”

Everyone's eyes cast on him.

“… I, I just happen to understand. ”

“Medfis, aren't you Madara's dead spirit?” This is how Brando reacts, he knows very little about his vampire sisters, he knows about the past of Metisa, Charles and Tigers and Flo mercenaries, and even Hippamilla occasionally mentions some of her experiences while practicing in the Temple of the Earth, but Medfis and Andrig have been silent about their origins.

Until then, he had always thought that before they became card creatures, they were just ordinary dark nobles of Madara, or a little bit of a descent, but when he heard Medfis, he understood that he was wrong.

Medfis was not Maddalla's dead spirit, he was most likely born in Metz, otherwise it would not have been possible to understand what had happened.

Faced with his eyes, Medfis nodded his head: "Lord, you are right, neither my sister nor I are a dark nobleman from Madara. We were Krutz before us, and Metz was our home. ”

Brando said, “So it wasn't by chance that I summoned you out in the grave that day? ”

“I don't know much about fate cards, but maybe it should be. ”

“I see,” replied Brando, "since you were Metz, should you have been the relatives of that incident? ”

“Not entirely a relative, but I did go through that dark, sunless history of Sister Andrig, and I remember my own loved ones - family and friends - dying in that upheaval, even myself, that history was more cruel than in the narrative, of which Sir Rorison, whom you have seen, was but the tip of the iceberg. ”

Medfis smiled slightly: "I really don't want to remember much about that history, and I wouldn't even want to mention it if Lord Lords hadn't happened to mention it. ”

“I'm sorry.” Brando couldn't help but apologize for inadvertently revealing the scar.

“Never mind, Lord, time always erases all scars.” Medfis laughed: “It was just after the Jihad that the Temple of Fire was facing a general recession and confusion of faith. The dead and the cults entered the empire in vain, and the temple of Fire flourished within the Empire. The temple of Fire was infiltrated by the return of all things to its worst period, that is, at that time, and even to this day, left a number of historical legacies. I remember in the most chaotic days, East Metz and Mehotofen, close to Arjan, were the first to strike, when even several dukes were bewitched ——"

“Me and I heard about this,” Fayna said suddenly: "I heard my nanny talk about the scene at the time, when it was said that many people died, that countless people were crucified every day, and that there were assassinations and plots between nobles, the darkest days in the Mets, between the countryside were witches and heretics, and they cramped and skinned people and tortured the priests and believers of the temple with the harshest means. ”

“The same is true in cities, where witches are picked up every day and punished with fire, and similar scenes take place all the time.” Remembering the scene, Medfis frowned.

“I didn't expect this to happen in the Empire," Charles was somewhat surprised. Although he had heard of the unrest, he could not imagine how serious it was without first-hand experience: “What happened then? ”

“Later, the so-called Ivy change, the chaos in East Metz turned into a real riot, in which several famous nobles died, some of whom were warriors and best friends who had fought alongside Nederweyne," Sidney said, speaking at a time when, as a party to the temple, she could say the person who knew best what was happening at the time among the people on the site: “In anger, the old prime minister was ordered by the Silver Queen to lead the army into East Metz, calmed down the rebellion, and even captured two of the twelve shepherds at the time. ”

“Two?” Brando noticed.

“Rocclaire, the bloodstained lord, and Lenny, the withered whip, escaped during the escort. ”

“Said to have fled, but my grandfather had always suspected that Her Majesty had let him go," Delphine finally said: "At that time, Her Majesty and my grandfather had a great disagreement in dealing with these cults - in fact, according to the laws of the Temple, these cults were long overdue, but the last to flee, one still held in a thorny fortress, and most cults and corrupt dark lords were sealed and not completely destroyed, and Sir Rorison was just one of them. ”

“These were all orders from the Silver Queen herself," she sighed: “What bothered my grandfather most was that the temple had retreated. ”

“This buried a mustard between Her Majesty and my grandfather, not just for personal reasons, but because my grandfather saw something else in Her Majesty's heart at the time. Although he did not favour the Temple, as an old-fashioned imperial faction, he was also reluctant to see the royal family truly divided from the Temple, leading the Empire to the abyss of immortality. ”

She took a slight breath: “So you see, now that everything is happening, my grandfather is even more unlikely to stand with Her Majesty, which is why Her Majesty secretly designed me to leave the Emperor's capital, which I should have seen long ago, only to blindfold hatred. ”

“Me, too," Faina looked at Brando and bit his teeth: “I can represent Mehotofen, Brando, and I'll be on your side, and I'm the first successor to the leaf collar, and I can make that promise. ”

“Miss Faina,” Metisa glanced at her, comforting: “Don't worry, we're not after you. ”

“Thank you, Metissa.” Her Royal Highness the Leaf Collar couldn't help but blush.

Delphine said something about Metisa as if she didn't hear it, and she looked back at Brando and said, "So Lord, what do we do next? ”

“Half a month to go," Brando replied, "it looks like there's plenty of time left, and we'll try to find out where Sy is under house arrest, because I'll only consider launching it directly on the day of the celebration if I have to. Until then, we will find a way to break into Tesbourg, on the one hand to save you and Fayna's family, and on the other to gain more allies for us. ”

He glanced at Sidney: "It would be better if we could find a place where the temple's upper levels are being held. ”

“Will they be killed by the queen?” Charles suddenly interjected.

“She wouldn't do that," the statue of the Virgin of the Lion's Sacred Palace finally said, "and before you get the sword Orpheus...”

“Let's do this,” replied Brando, "although the Silver Queen has the confidence to pull us out, until then we have time to play hide-and-seek games with her. ”

He paused for a moment.

“I'll surprise her. ”

……