Chapter 5 Chapter V: Masked Corps

Qifu, Yeram, and Gaswand arrived at Herat, the capital of Churk, on December 1 with 300 soldiers and prisoners.The season has entered winter, and the cold air in the mountain country is severe, and the roads are frozen into ice, making it difficult for travelers.On the cliff, the fog and snow swirl constantly, and the group also encountered an avalanche.Fortunately, there were no casualties. "How I wish I could warm my cold body with the skin of a young woman on days like this! It's more useful than a hundred furs or a thousand glasses of wine." Gaswand hid beside Chief and kept trembling.It's not because of fear, but because this man who was born and raised in the southern country is a hood against the heat, but he is helpless against the cold.From this point of view, Gaswand is not the best candidate to be an envoy, but in terms of diplomatic skills, this is also a last resort.

The overall elevation of Churk's land is extremely high, and the sunlight is extremely strong, so people's skin is tanned light black. Chief is extremely strict about the appearance of the Churk women: "And their smell. I really don't like the smell of goat oil, and the women in Pals are the best." "I heard that the women in the country of silk are also beautiful!" Naram originally intended to tease the elm, but Qifu seriously recalled the previous experience. "When I was in Kilan Port, I had a good time with the women from the Kingdom of Silk, but I don't think I can give them the highest evaluation. I still have to go to the Kingdom of Silk to see for myself. It is just a matter of letting someone like Master Dalong go. I ended up entering Baoshan and returning empty-handed.”

Part of the reason Chief talked so much was to keep his tongue from being blunted by the cold.Gaswand seemed to have been frozen long ago, and became as silent as Tes, who was proficient in iron locks.Even if the day is opened occasionally, it is just repeated in Pars and Sindra: "It's cold! It's cold!" The sky was gray, and although the sunset that the citizens of Herat had imagined was not visible, the majesty of the stepped palace also made the people of Pars stare wide-eyed.Even though they were used to the prosperity of the royal capital Yekbadana, they had never seen such a huge building soaring into the sky.Although Yekbadana also has a tall tower, the stepped palace is taller and wider.Thousands of windows gleamed in the sunlight, and it seemed to Yeram that a thousand-eyed troll was looking down on the proud Parsians.

"If there is a woman in every window, King Churk is also a very sentimental person!" Said Chief, who always takes himself as the benchmark anytime and anywhere.However, as soon as the Churk soldiers leading the way led them into the palace, he put on the most serious expression as if he were an envoy of King Pars.Chief could exhibit the best taste and the most elegant manners if he wanted to. In the lobby of the audience room, Qifu and the other three met King Kaluhana of Churk.The stone slabs are warm because of the many pipes that have been wound around the ground, and the smoke warmed by the stove is flowing around.The throne is a wooden chair covered with snow leopard fur.After greeting formally and presenting fine wine and pearls, King Kaluhana immediately brought the topic to the point:

"Then, let me ask you a necessary question. If we maintain a peaceful relationship with Pars, what kind of benefits can our country get?" "Does it need to be said? Peace itself is a kind of benefit. I think your wise majesty should have understood it long ago." After Qifu answered cleverly, King Kaluhana twitched the corners of his mouth mockingly: "Who is the peace that benefits? Isn't this a very important key issue? We, Churk, are not as eager for peace as Pars!" "Your Majesty is so ambitious! But..." Kaluhana did not allow Qifu any time to display his eloquence, and immediately retorted excitedly:

"If Pars really wants to maintain a peaceful relationship with our Churk, he should at least send an envoy who can speak Churk! It's not my intention to speak Pars to you like this. However, I still accept the gift from King Pals first." King Kaluhana looked at the "gift".Not wine, not pearls; but Churk's general, crouching before him, trembling. "Grubb! It's good to be back!" "Yes Yes……" "It's really good to be back! What do you think will happen when you come back?" King Kalushana's voice turned into ice flakes and fell on the hall, even the messengers from Pals felt chills down their backs.Although the conversation between them was conducted in Churk, it did not hinder the comprehension ability of the Parsians.

King Kaluhana gave certain orders to his attendants, and the people of Pars saw a strange sight. As soon as the door opened, a group of teenagers entered the hall; there were eight of them, ranging in age from ten to fifteen years old. They wore swords at their waists, and light armor woven of goatskin.One of them shot a hostile look at the Pars people, and then threw the club he was holding in both hands at General Grubb's feet. "Because of your incompetence, these children watched their fathers being killed by Pars soldiers. I called them here to dispel their father's resentment, blame the defeated general, and let them reaffirm their respect for Pars. hatred."

King Kaluhana strongly reprimanded the defeated general. "Grubb, get the stick!" As if being whipped, General Grubb picked up the stick lying on the ground as he said.He was originally one of Churk's top generals, but now, his face was completely covered in blood, his whole body was trembling, and he couldn't grasp the stick firmly. Eight boys surrounded Grubb with swords in their hands.Their swords were longer than Pars's short swords, but they were not long swords.They flipped their blades, swung them, and narrowed the encirclement in silence. A boy made a strange sound and stabbed Grubb.Grubb swung his club, parrying the sword.The strong force made the boy unable to stand upright, and his body shook violently.Grubb immediately struck the boy's feet with the club, and the boy fell to the ground.The other boy threw himself on Grubb's back at an even faster pace.Grubb flipped over and knocked the boy's sword to the ground with a stick.The hall was filled with strange shouts and the sound of blades, and the clatter of eighteen pairs of shoes on the flagstones was reflected in the hall.

Perhaps people would think that Grubb would never lose to these teenagers, but a teenager who was knocked down by a stick rolled on the ground while sweeping his sword horizontally.The blade sank into Grubb's right ankle.Grubb staggered, propping himself up with his stick against the floor.The boys flocked to Grubb from the front and rear, stabbing out their swords, piercing through and stabbing again.The screams and blood splattered gradually faded away, and finally, Grubb rolled to the ground in a humanoid blood clot. The eight boys pressed their bloodstained swords to the ground and knelt down to the king, and Kaluhana nodded in satisfaction.

"Pals' envoys! This is Churk's approach. Although strictness is not necessarily good, a person who is incompetent and unable to perform the task should be punished as a matter of course. Isn't it?" Hearing what the king said, Chiff pretended to be nonchalant and replied: "For talented people like us, Pals is a relatively easy country to live in." "Oh? Is the new king of Pals kind to the incompetent?" "Unnecessary strictness is unnecessary. For example, our king does not forget that General Grubb has children." Although King Kaluhana's approach was harsh, it also made sense from another perspective.It may be appropriate for those innocent war dead that he let the survivors of the dead soldiers carry out the execution of the defeated soldiers.However, Yelam disagreed:

"Perhaps it is reasonable in some respects, but I don't like it. Because such a king is tantamount to dominating his subjects with fear. This is different from His Majesty Arslan." King Kaluhana accepted the reaction of the Pars people with a sneer.He asked the boys to retreat, and after ordering General Grubb's body to be taken away, he faced the Pars envoy again.Still with a sneer on his face: "If I always have to fight Pars sooner or later, I can kill you as proof of the declaration of war. What do you think?" "It's the work of villains. I don't think a king should do that." Chiff replied calmly.At least in the eyes of the Churks, it was a hateful indifference.This is also one of the reasons why Narsas chose him as an envoy. "Your Majesty Kaluhana, if His Majesty were a hero, he wouldn't kill the powerless messengers and applaud them. I think you should pamper us well and send us out of the city. This is the measure of a king. " "You're literally singing funeral songs to a lilting tune. Come on, tell me!" "We Pars and Syndra are a close alliance. As you can see, there are also Syndra among our envoys." "I know. It's hard work in the middle of winter." Chifu ignored King Kaluhana's taunt: "Do you want to use Churk as a country to fight against two countries at the same time?" "It's not necessarily impossible to fight, I have my own plan. But, I can't tell you." King Kaluhana smiled lightly.Just because of the weird appearance, after making such an expression, an evil shadow flashed past that even the odd man could not help but be afraid of.King Kaluhana is not just an evil character, he can be both evil and ruthless when necessary. "If this king and Prince Sirmes really join forces, it will be quite dangerous." Yelam couldn't help thinking so.He did not think it possible to ask whether Prince Hermes was in this country; they would have to be very careful to find out what information they had to find.After making this decision, Yeram carefully put away his expression. The envoys from Pals were brought into the lodge. There are not many troops deployed around the hotel.However, this is not a proof of King Churk's friendliness.If the fortress gate on the cliff was closed to block the road, Pars's envoys would not be able to leave the valley. The hotel is a stone building with small windows and thick walls, giving it an eerie feeling.However, due to the severe cold here, this kind of construction method is to meet the needs of the environment, so there is no choice. "The reason why His Majesty chose us as envoys is because he believes that we will not easily fall into the hands of the enemy, right? We have to find a way to achieve our goal, and then escape from here, making King Churk gnash his teeth with hatred." Gaswand opened his mouth very rarely, and it seems that he doesn't like King Churk very much either.Yeram understood his feelings well.As for Chief, as soon as he put his luggage in his room, he was ready to go out. "Master Chief, where are you going?" "I don't know? Go and inspect Churk's customs! You should go too?" Naram and Gaswand knew exactly what the custom that Chiv was concerned about.If he was left alone, the result of this inspection could be imagined; thus, the two of them decided to go with Chief.After Gaswand ordered the soldiers to rest early, they put on their fur coats. The hotel is on a high platform, and you have to go down the ramp to go to the city street.Throat and nose were sore from the dry and cold air.The roads are formed of protruding clods, sending dust flying with every step. "It's not a fun city at all!" Chief complained, looking up to the sky.Flocks of black birds are flying in the gray sky, and there are towering stone towers below.Looking at Chief's puzzled expression, Gaswand replied: "That's the Tower of the Dead. Because Churk has the custom of burying birds." "So, where is General Grubb's body?" "Well, I don't know." Gaswand tilted his head in a puzzled manner.Although it seems to be a strange custom in the eyes of foreigners, bird burial should be a sacred ceremony.General Grubb was sentenced for the crime of losing the war. He was a sinner in name, and it is unknown whether he would be able to perform bird burial.After withdrawing their eyes from the flock of birds flying in the cold sky, the three of them headed towards the city street on the dusty ramp. When Pars's envoys went out to inspect the customs of Churk, King Kaluhana called Sirmes, the guest, to his room for a discussion.Compared with King Hessein of the Mythru Kingdom, Kaluhanatu can be said to be a person who values ​​strategists more. They put aside the affairs of the Pars envoys for the time being. Sirmes inspected the northern border and had just returned from investigating the situation in Teran. Teran, who failed to invade Pals three years ago, lost their elite.Including the fierce general Daruhan, countless veterans died in battle, and even the then king Teketemixiu was included in the ranks of the dead.Although he was killed by the royal family Iltrish, however, Iltrish also disappeared among the defeated army, and Telan formed a situation without a leader.Simes' suggestion is to get Tran first. King Kaluhana tilted his head slightly. "Tran is a barren land, even if it is captured, it is meaningless!" "It's just the opposite." Simes said.His intention was not to capture the mainland of Telan, but to hire the remaining fighters of Telan as Churk's mercenaries.Although they lost many elite troops, if the surviving people and those who did not participate in the aggression were gathered and were responsible for defending the mainland, they would have at least 10,000 to 20,000 troops.They and their families will still have to live in the future, but, in Tran, there is no other industry except nomadism.On the one hand, they are very poor, on the other hand, they do not have enough power to launch a large-scale invasion, so they can only continue to carry out small plunder.If King Churk paid them to attack Pars or Syndra, it would be a great threat to other countries, right? "Sure enough, it's a good strategy. However, Tran's veteran generals were all defeated in the battle with Pars. Is there anyone else who can command more than 10,000 cavalry?" Kaluhana was worried about this, and Sirmes immediately replied: "If His Majesty is willing to appoint, I hope to be able to undertake this task." "You're willing to take charge? That's the best thing to do. I'll give you full responsibility and do whatever you want." Although Kaluhana is cruel to the incompetent, once he can gain his trust, he can be regarded as a man of great measure. Schirmes hopes that this relationship of trust can continue for a long time.However, when it is necessary, each other will still take their own positions as the priority, right? "You don't have to be polite about the funds you need to spend. Is there anything in particular you want me to support?" "Then, I won't be polite. Can Your Majesty prepare a hundred silver masks for me?" "mask?" "Yes. I want a commander for every hundred cavalry, and let them wear that thing. The people in Pars will be surprised and suspicious when they see the mask, and they don't know which one is the real one. Simes." "It's very interesting! I'll order people to do it right away. This is the first masked army since the founding of Churk!" King Kaluhana clapped his hands happily.Sirmes will report to Karuhana again.He had already handed over a thousand gold coins to the elders of Telan on the border with Telan, asking them to select fighters and send them to Herat, the capital of Churk. "Oh, your movements are really fast!" Karuhanas nodded in admiration, however, in a split second, his eyes shone like needles. Hiding his expression, Sirmes accepted the gaze.If you show your skills too much, it may make the other party unnecessarily wary.He continued nonchalantly: "At the beginning of next year, we can immediately form a cavalry regiment of 10,000 soldiers and attack the country of Syndra." "However, the long winter is about to enter. Isn't it too difficult to go over the mountains to conquer Syndra?" "It's because it's winter." Here is Simes' answer.Syndra never imagined that Churk would fight against heavy snow, ice and cold wind in the cold winter.At this time, you can take advantage of it. After plundering the warm Syndra, retreat like the wind to Churk.It is impossible for Syndra soldiers who are afraid of the cold to cross the snow-capped mountains and chase them to the country of Churk.At best, they can only consolidate the national border and prevent the future southward movement of Qiuer Yuke's army.King Rajtra II of Syndra will definitely ask Pars to send reinforcements in order to avoid excessive wear and tear on his own army.At that time, you can proceed to the next stage. "Let's just wait eagerly! By the way..." King Kaluhana changed the subject and mentioned the messengers from Pals.When they entered the palace, Sirmes had already seen their silhouettes in the secret place.The king asked him if he knew those people? "I remember seeing that person. They are called traveling musicians or bards, and they have been following Arslan for some time." "Well, it's a clown!" King Kaluhana wrinkled his nose and showed a contemptuous expression.Sirmes shook his head quietly, denying King Kaluhana's decision: "His eloquence is not hindered, and sword and bow skills may be even better. It is probably the idea of ​​the military adviser Narsas who chose him as the envoy? There are many clowns in the court of Arslan with special abilities Talented people." Sirmes' voice was full of impure emotions.Kaluhana deduced that he might be worried that he didn't even have a single subordinate?Kaluhana gave him the residence of Sirmes and sent him an attendant, but he did not lend him any staff.He thought it would be difficult to do so. In the past, Sirmes had an aide named Chadi, who was the son of Karan, the commander of Wanqi.Although I have helped him a lot, however, there has been no news for several years.Maybe Sirmes can choose talented people from the Tran people as his staff.In addition, he also needs to ask King Kaluhana to set up a supervisor of the Churk people.This is a political consideration. A thousand warriors from Tran came to visit Sirmes on December 19th.Sirmes couldn't help being surprised by how quickly they responded.The severe winter in the north is coming with the wind, and it is covering the mainland of Tran. If they want to survive with their families, they don't have time to discuss this and worry about that. So they had no choice but to immediately respond to Sirmes' proposal. Simes received them immediately. Those who come are rarely in their twenties to forties.From this phenomenon, it can be seen that the failure of the invasion of Pals has had an impact on Trundeau.All the bones of the youth and the adults, who were in their vigorous age, were piled up in the fields of Pals. "Well done, what about the others?" Sirmes asked a question, and a man in his early years who spoke Palsian answered on behalf of the group.Now, summonses are circulating across the country, recruiting volunteers.As long as a thousand riders are gathered, they will form a team and head towards Churk.There should be more than 10,000 rides within a year. "I understand. When all 10,000 riders arrive, we will send food and clothes to Churk. ​​Every soldier can get fifty Churk silver coins. And the materials looted in the future , half to His Majesty King Churk, and the other half to all of you." After the old man translated Sirmes' words into Tran, there was a burst of cheers. "However, in my opinion, the reason why your father or brother lost to the Pars army was because you were weaker than the Pars army. Do you admit it?" When Sirmes changed his tone and asked the question again, the Tran people immediately put on expressions of dissatisfaction.Their expressions clearly read: In terms of fighting skills, we are definitely no worse than the Palsians, and our defeat is due to their tricks. "No. Let me say it again, your father and brother were defeated because you were weaker than the Pars army." Simes asserted coldly. "As long as you insist on your own strength, you don't lose to others but to swindle, or you have bad luck; then, you will never have a chance to win. The winner is king, isn't this the creed of the Telan people?" The soldiers could not refute, but fell into silence with sullen faces. Churk and Tran share a common distant ancestor.However, with the passage of time, many differences have arisen in culture and customs.The Tlan people who maintain a nomadic life tend to look down on the Churk people who settled in the mountains, and the Tlan people despise the Tlan people as "rootless weeds".And now in the poverty situation, the Telan people have to accept the stipend of King Churk to maintain their lives. This must be a last resort for the Telan people, right? "I never asked you to fight for Churk. ​​As long as you faithfully obey my orders, you will naturally serve Tlan; and most importantly, it is for yourselves." "We get it. We'll do what you want, but what shall we call you?" "Well, just call me Silver Mask-sama." Simes remembered having the same conversation with Chardy before.The Telan stared at Sirmes' face, with a puzzled expression on his face.The questions raised by the delegates, however, were another matter. "Which country shall we fight first?" "Go south to attack Syndra." After Sirmes finished speaking, a group of Tran people looked at each other. "If Syndra suffers, Pars will definitely come forward to fight the injustice. Just like a lightning strike will surely strike the earth, this prediction cannot be wrong." "Can you take revenge on the Parsians?" asked a young Tran who looked like a teenager in broken Parsian. "Because there are often situations where revenge fails and is killed, so if you want to take revenge on Pals, 10,000 riders must follow my instructions. Just gathering 10,000 brave men will only become Pals the prey of the Sri Lankan army." On that day, one hundred silver masks were delivered to Sirmes from King Kaluhana.In addition, there are 10,000 cotton turbans.The silver mask was the same one that Sirmes had worn before, and it was worn by the officer.The turban only opens around the eyes and mouth, which is for soldiers to wear. Thus, the establishment of the Masked Corps was completed.Consisting of the Tlans, commanded by the Parsians, and paid by King Churk, it was a strange army. On the other hand, the Pars people are under semi-house arrest in the hotel.King Kaluhana forbade them to go out because he was worried that they might see Telan people on the street.Keef, who went out only once and failed to meet the ideal beauty, stared hard at the fire in the hall. "It seems that there is no good plan. Obviously, they are buying time, but we can't just fly out like this!" Yeram replied while throwing the firewood into the stove: "Why buy time? I want to know!" "It must have been an attempt to do something bad anyway to make people cry." Chief spoke as if he were a very good man.Then he even pointed the finger at King Kaluhana. "First, look at the king's face! That face is like twins born holding hands with the wicked. If that guy is allowed to run amok, women in the world will fall into misfortune. I can't Sit and watch." If any misfortune happened to the men, it didn't matter to Chief.However, the gods may cast a curse.Not long after, the envoy of King Kaluhana visits, and Qifu falls into misfortune. After entering the hall, the messenger immediately explained the matter to them. "His Majesty's will: I hope that the Pars mission will leave before dawn tomorrow and embark on the journey home." Naram couldn't help being shocked and angry at being asked to leave the place so suddenly. "If there is an imperial decree for us to return to the country, we must do so. Can you show us King Kaluhana's credentials?" "His Majesty does not like to do things that are wasted effort." "Then, if we ask for an audience with the king, it is not permissible?" That's what Chief said.However, the thorns of ridicule can't hurt the messenger's thick skin. "You are right. His Majesty the King has already gone to the Li Palace to avoid the cold. Your Majesty has indeed conveyed the order." After the messenger left, Qi Fu and the other three looked at each other in disappointment in the hall. "It seems that King Churk intends to drive us out of the capital very magnanimously, so that we will freeze to death on the way." "Does he really want to fight Pars?" Gaswand raised his eyebrows, and Naram answered him: "He seems to be very confident that even if the Pars army invades, he can use the natural danger to repel the Pars army." In any case, in this case, they must return home as soon as possible.During this period of time, the cold air has been very cold for a day, and the amount of snow has increased.Walking on the mountain road will be more difficult.Now that King Churk's malice is known, there is no need to waste time here. "Okay, just be obedient this time!" Chief came to a conclusion. "Although we can't make a judgment, the court painter must know. We must go back alive and report the ins and outs to everyone as accurately as possible." Chief was right, and both Yeram and Gaswand were deeply moved.However, the musician immediately showed selfishness: "All in all, I don't want to die until I see the beauties of Pals again. If I end my life in this country full of goat fat, I will be so sorry to Miss Franz." Jerram and Gaswand were not so fond of goat oil; by comparison, Chief was a man who smelled every woman's body.Once there is something in the heart, the mood of praising women will also be sluggish. The group immediately started preparations for departure, and the soldiers who received Gaswand's instructions moved quickly.They packed their bags and drew out their horses and stood side by side.Chief and Yeram discuss countermeasures in front of the fire. The soldiers brought from Pals were exceptionally strong and alert men.If the strategy is proper, it can even withstand a thousand enemies, but the terrain and climate have become a big obstacle. "And we need food too. Go to the store outside and buy it!" "Perhaps the stores have been ordered not to sell us anything." Although Qifu was afraid of such an encounter, Yelam finally bought a large amount of barley flour and dried meat safely.However, the success of the shopping has aroused Yeram's doubts.Could the opponent deliberately let the Parsians relax and then launch a surprise attack on the way back?Because in this way, the Churks can still get back the grain sold to the Parsians. Yeram was right to be skeptical.At the same time, Sirmes ordered a thousand-riding masked army to attack the Pars mission in the mountains.This is by order of King Kaluhana. "Do you want to kill them all? Silver Mask-sama?" "It's not necessary." After answering Tran Bing's question, Sirmes immediately made a correction. "No, let's kill them all!" The Pals soldiers were originally tough, and although the commander was a man who loves drama, he was also a rare swordsman.Let the knights fight with the heart of putting the enemy to death, maybe there will be better results.And the most important thing is to let young soldiers have actual combat experience. Although the horse riding skills of the Telan soldiers on the plains were unparalleled in the world, they were not used to riding horses on mountain roads full of snow.Sirmes wanted to take this opportunity to confirm the actual combat capabilities of the Masked Corps. Riding on the mountain road in Churk, Chief felt very unhappy.Although it won't make his mood fall to the bottom, it just makes him feel bad.He wondered why he came to such an unpleasant and useless country from a country full of beauties and beautiful scenery? Snow flakes fell from the darkened sky, like King Kaluhana's malice.Chief felt himself suddenly gloomy.With the gray sky above his head, he uttered a very exaggerated metaphor: "It's unbearable. It's like getting a serious illness after being swept away by a hateful woman." "Have you had this experience?" Yeram asked slightly maliciously.Even if Chief had stolen property from women, it was impossible for someone to do this to him. "Don't try to grab me. I'm just using a metaphor. If I were a woman, of course I'd say it the other way around." Gaswand turned the horse's head from the front.He wore one more coat of fur than Yeram and Chief, and he looked plump.His brown face was stiff, and it wasn't just from the cold. "Have you noticed? A strange team has been advancing there since just now, in the same direction and at the same speed as us." On the right side of the road is a valley, and there is a road on the opposite side.Through the falling snowflakes, a group of horsemen can be vaguely seen.And the knight riding his horse ahead seems to be wearing a mask on his head. "Silver Mask!" Yelam couldn't help but swallowed a breath. His teacher Narsas had previously told him in detail that Prince Sirmejin might become Churk's guest minister.Yelam was already prepared in his heart.However, when he saw Sirmes, he still couldn't help but feel a shock.The distance between the two sides is about 200 gas (about 200 meters).If there is no valley between them, this distance is enough for the two sides to drive their horses to start a hand-to-hand combat. "Ah! It's finally out?" said Chief sarcastically, shaking the snow off his clothes. "However, I thought they would hide until the end! I didn't expect to show up so shyly now. What's the plan?" Qifu stopped his mouth, and looked back at Yeweim with deliberately exaggerated movements: "Hey, Yeram, this hateful country seems to be messing with my eyes. How many people are there in Silver Mask?" Yeram turned his gaze across the valley again in surprise.The cold wind blows, and the snowflakes are like flying curtains.As the snowflakes stopped falling, Yeram saw a sight he hadn't wanted to see.In the horse-riding queue, silver masks reflecting light can be seen everywhere.After counting to the fifth, Yelam no longer wanted to count. "Which one is true?" "Or is it all fake?" Chief's voice sounded cheerful.For Chief, he would rather fight the formidable enemy in front of him than fight against the gloomy cold.Once this man is in a state of high fighting spirit, even if there are millions of soldiers, it is not enough to make him feel flinched. Yeram is also not afraid of enemies.It's just that the enemy in front of him is really uncomfortable.Those without silver masks also covered their faces with black hoods.It seems that it is not Churk's regular army, so where did the unknown army come from?It's really hard to guess. "Hold the shield to the right, and the opponent may shoot an arrow." Gaswand gave instructions, and the Pars soldiers lined up their shields side by side on the right side of the formation.The snow was getting stronger and stronger, and the two armies marching in the two Siams of the valley were about 2,000 steps apart. The reason this confrontation ended was because the width of the valley narrowed considerably.The Masked Corps built an unsightly but strong bridge by laying timbers on boulders.The whole army began to cross the bridge.The bridge board slammed, and the masked corps immediately drew their swords and charged towards them full of hostility. The people on Pals' side were also prepared.Gaswand gave an order, and the parsian hid his body behind his shield, and then shot arrows at the enemy on the bridge.Ten or so horses fell and rolled over the bridge, and soldiers rolled over with blood and snow.However, the strong mountain wind blew from the left to the right, and the arrow deflected, without causing much damage to the enemy.The two sides then staged a meat war. A silver Kamen Rider jumped in front of Chifu. "...Prince Xiyumes!" Hearing the sound, the other party responded, not with a voice, but with a sword.With the sound of the knife being unsheathed, the blade released a silver flash. The metal clashed with a sharp sound.Silver Mask's slash was bounced off by Chief's sword.After five or six rounds of confrontation, Qifu put away his knife and pulled back his horse. "This guy is not Prince Sirmes!" Chief judged so.He doesn't need to listen to the other person's voice.Although Silver Mask's sword is powerful, his technique is not refined enough.If it was Prince Sirmes, he should have displayed his flawless sword skills more smoothly. The silver mask suddenly beheaded.He held the entangled weapon, flipped his wrist, the metal made a harsh sound, and the sword of the silver mask broke away from the sword owner's hand and flew into the air.Silver Mask also lost his balance, his body swayed, and he rolled headlong from his horse onto the snowy road. Keef wanted to give the opponent a hard blow, but at this moment, the horse that had lost control and Keef's mount collided with the natives, and Silver Mask took advantage of the gap to escape into the ranks of his companions. At this moment, Chief's gaze caught a point in midair.黑烟从雪山的一角朝着深灰色的天空直升。在奇夫来不及思索那是什麽东西的时候，强风就把黑烟吹散了，在卷起的雪和风的漩涡当中，双方继续厮杀。 耶拉姆把马停在桥的附近，搭起了弓，将桥上的敌人一个一个射落。加斯旺德的剑也左右挥闪，把敌人从马上斩落。敌我双方持续挤在桥和路之间的狭窄空间中混战了一阵子。就在奇夫想挥落剑上的血渍之时——又有一个银假面出现了。对方的马蹄踢散了雪花，朝奇夫逼近，看来自信满满的样子。斩杀过来的帕尔斯兵在不到一回合的时间内就被一刀斩落在雪上了。第二个士兵的下巴喷出了鲜血，从鞍上滚了下来。银假面来不及喘息就和第三个对手交锋了。那就是奇夫。 刀身交锋而过，火花随著刀呜声迸散。银假面翻转过手腕，以勇猛的突刺瞄准了奇夫的咽喉。奇夫同时翻转了手腕和身体，承接这一击。火花再度迸散，银色面具的表面反射著火花，闪过彩虹般的色彩。 “难道这家伙就是真正的……？” 令人战栗的冰刃在大胆的乐师的背上滑过。然而，奇夫的特色就是不会为任何情势所压倒。 “真令人痛心啊，席尔梅斯殿下。在辛苦的流浪之後竟然沦落到这种边境当土匪。只要你恳求亚尔斯兰陛下大发慈悲，或许还可以当个王宫的守卫兵哪！” 只要银假面发出愤怒的声音就可以知道他到底是不是正牌货了。奇夫就是抱著这种心理故意加以挑拨的。然而，银假面不发一语，只是一昧地斩击。当双方你来我往将近二十回合的时候，角笛声压过了风声响彻山谷，在山谷间卷起了漩涡，同时响起了踏踏的马蹄声。是一群急驰中的马队。队伍前头有一面黑旗在风中翻飞著。 “是轴德族的黑旗！” 耶拉姆大叫。他把本身的惊讶和喜悦一并丢给自己的同伴： “看吧！轴德族来救我们了！援军来了！” 欢喜声响起，乘著风在山谷间回响。 在由白色和灰色所支配著的这个风雪世界中，在雪风中翻飞的黑旗看在帕尔斯兵的眼里就等于看见了神明神圣的衣服一般。 假面兵团显得有些畏缩了。他们是特兰人，当然不知道轴德族。然而，他们一眼就可以看出这是一群受过训练的骠悍战士。 奇夫明白了，刚刚看见窜升在半空中的黑烟就是轴德族放火烧了邱尔克军的城塞所产生的。 这不可能是偶发事件，一定是亚尔斯兰王及那尔撒斯大人事先就布署好了的。 掌著轴德族黑旗的一骑策马急驰，并驾齐驱的另一骑在马上搭起了弓，和假面兵团一交错，便以近箭射荡对方。技术不亚于奇夫，脸上带著不怎麽愉快的表情，耶拉姆对这张脸有印象。他就是率领轴德族的梅鲁连。 这个年轻人相当顽固，到现在还在坚持：“我只是暂时的族长”。他的意思是，妹妹亚尔佛莉德虽然是个女流之辈，但是她才应该是族长的继位人，尽避她现在住在王都，也不管她是不是要和宫廷画家成婚，事情都不会有什麽改变的。在不得已的情况下，他只好待在族里，统率著轴德一族。 梅鲁连不理会想出声跟他打招呼的耶拉姆，迳自策马跳进混战的漩涡当中。和奇夫没有分出胜负的情况下，银假面被人马的波涛给分开了。梅鲁连射出了箭。 箭撕裂了寒风，命中银假面的坐骑颈部。马儿发出悲痛的叫声，溅起了一阵雪烟，横倒下来。梅鲁连心中大声叫好。他放下了弓，拔起了剑，驱策著自己的坐骑。马蹄踢散了积雪，逼近落马的敌人。银假面是四年前杀死梅鲁连的父亲赫鲁达休的仇敌。不管他是不是王子，也不管他是哪一国人，都跟梅鲁连没有任何关系。 然而，就在梅鲁连的剑尖要触上银假面之前，一道斩击从侧面袭过来。在激烈的交锋一回合之後，梅鲁连不由得发出了声音；因为守护银假面的对方也一样戴著银假面。 “这是什麽闹剧？” 就在梅鲁连怒吼声中，混战就像潮水退潮一样结束了。假面兵团骑在马上顺势抄起战死的同伴的尸体，渡桥撤退了。帕尔斯军当然没有穷追不舍。 奇夫把剑收进剑鞘，对梅鲁连道了谢，後者顶著一副无趣的表情回答： “这是宫廷画家拜托我做的。他要我们比你们晚十天越过国境，因为这一次他不想动用正规军。” “果然是这样没错。” 奇夫很了解。如果让正规军侵入邱尔克国内的话，一定会引起某些问题。但是若换成轴德族任意穿越国境的话，在外交上尚有辩解的馀地。就算事实被看透了，在这种情况下，要捏造说词也比较方便些。 帕尔斯人调查了己方的损伤情形。三百名士兵中战死了二十一名，重伤者十三名，轻伤者八十名。在这麽激烈的缠斗中只造成这麽少的牺牲，说来很讽刺的竟然是拜寒冷所赐。穿在甲胄上的皮衣挡住了敌人的刀刃。加斯旺德因为怕冷，穿得圆滚滚的，使得行动受到了限制，身也有十四个地方被砍到，却只受了一处轻伤。加加减减之後，似乎没有任何损失。他们把死者埋在雪堆中，只把头发带回祖国。包括轴德族在内一共有五百人，实力大为增强的帕尔斯军护卫著重伤者快速地彻退。 假面兵团也在半法尔桑（约二．五公里）之外的山中调查损伤情形，重整队伍。 没有必要再追杀帕尔斯军了。回国後，他们一定会谈到假面兵团的事，而帕尔斯军一定会对这支队伍感到纳闷吧？ “刚才承蒙你的帮助，多谢了。” 席尔梅斯道谢的对象是一个年轻的特兰骑士。他把银色面具夹在腋下，一张脸暴露在寒气中，一只脚跪在雪地上。看来似乎还不到二十岁。甲胄上的红色斑点是回溅的血迹，证明他的骁勇善战。 “你叫什麽名字？” “布鲁汉。” 席尔梅斯注意到包围著布鲁汉的特兰人们脸上冷淡的表情。可能是对受到褒奖的人表现出来的嫉妒之情吧？席尔梅斯再三追问到底发生了什麽事情，年轻人这才坦白说出来。他的兄长叫吉姆沙，以前是特兰数一数二的勇将之一。 “我的兄长失败了。他中了帕尔斯人的奸计，把同伴引至大败的下场，然後就行踪不明。听说他现在厚颜无耻地在帕尔斯的王宫任职，真是令人难以置信。我虽然不才，但是，我希望能在银假面大人身旁建立功勋，讨伐帕尔斯国王，洗刷兄长的污名。” 不流利的帕尔斯语让席尔梅斯回想起了一件事。那就是在邱尔克的王都赫拉特问“可以报复帕尔斯军吗？”的声音。本来他不相信声音的主人会是那麽能言善道的年轻人，不过看来他是有许多事情已经憋了好久了。席尔梅斯用力地点点头，激励这个年轻人： “我明白了。今後就看你的表现了。” 然後，席尔梅斯又转向特兰兵，告诫他们不可以将兄长的罪过怪到弟弟的头上。 布鲁汉或许是深受感动吧？他再度深深地低下头，直至雪堆就要碰触到他的头发。 密斯鲁国的冬天看在邱尔克人的眼里根本不值得称为冬天。风从北方的海洋吹来，可能是因为经过暖流上方，所以没有刺骨的冷冽感。天空晴朗得呈现硫璃色，原野为常绿树的叶子所覆盖，到处是一片绿。能不羡慕密斯鲁人的大概只有辛德拉人吧？尽避如此，人们服装的袖子还是变长了，家家户户都燃起了火炉。 在王宫内部一个房间里，密斯鲁国王荷塞因三世正对一个人讲话。 “怎麽样，席尔梅斯大人？” 被如此称呼的男人仰躺在宽广豪奢的睡床上。整个脸上都包著绷带，只有两眼、鼻孔和嘴巴的部分露在外面。他把视线朝向荷塞因三世，嘴也动了动，不过，没有发出声音。荷塞因三世似乎也没有刻意要得到答案，他把带来的木盒放在睡床的一端，打开了盖子。 “我为你准备了这个东西。在拿到帕尔斯的王冠之前，这个东西就是你的一切。” 密斯鲁国王荷塞因三世从盒子里面拿出来的东西是一个将整个头部都覆盖起来的面具。用黄金打造而成的面具在荷塞因三世的手掌中灿烂地散发出光芒。 “听说，以前席尔梅斯大人总是戴著银色的面具驰骋在战场上，让帕尔斯兵和鲁西达尼亚兵闻风丧胆。这一次你可以用黄金面具显示你王者的威容，让那个僭王亚尔斯兰浑身发抖。” 黄金比银更值钱。在这一方面，荷塞因三世的美感显得相当庸俗。如果让那尔撒斯或奇夫听到的话，想必会嗤之以鼻的吧？然而，荷塞因三世有他的想法。反正他也没有必要做出和真正的席尔梅斯所戴的银色面具一模一样的东西。因为没有密斯鲁人看过实物。既然如此，就乾脆彻底地上演一出戏好了。反正这只是一出把帕尔斯王位给这个冒牌货，让密斯鲁王家的血统取代帕尔斯的大戏罢了。 “席尔梅斯王子”从绷带的隙缝中凝视著黄金面具，两眼就像野心和没有地方发泄的愤怒在煮沸的洪炉内沸腾般。他发出了短促的呻吟声，伸出两手接下了黄金面具。 荷塞因三世走出病房。他已经确认了“席尔梅斯王子”已完全在他的支配之下了。他感到很满足。可是，“席尔梅斯王子”要能健康地活动可能还要花上个十天的时间吧？在这期间，荷塞因必须以国王的身份处理各种政务。他有八个妃子，公平地对待她们也是一个国王的义务。 在看过十张左右的诏书之後，荷塞因在谒见室见了六十名左右的男女，接受赠礼，并且听取他们的陈情。其中有一个很奇怪的客人。他是一个身强体壮的男人，虽然蓄著胡须，但是看来来还很年轻的样子。这个男人自称是帕尔斯人，开始说著他那令人难以置信的经历。 “我叫查迪，父子两代都追随席尔梅斯殿下。殿下在离开帕尔斯国之後，我也在各国流浪。这一次我听说席尔梅斯殿下以客卿的身份待在密斯鲁国，特地赶来这里，希望得见殿下一面。” 查迪表明自己虽然力量微薄，但是希望能助席尔梅斯殿下一臂之力。这个自称为查迪的帕尔斯青年把额头贴在地板上。从他的表情和言语看来，他对席尔梅斯王子的忠诚是无庸置疑的。 塞因三世如此判断，不过他并没有任何感动。荷塞因三世勉强地咋了咋舌。如果出现这样的忠臣的话，“在密斯鲁国的席尔梅斯王子”是冒牌货之事就会被一眼看穿的。好不容易计画的谋略也就无法成立了。 “杀了他吗？” 这个决定涌上荷塞因三世的心头。然而，就在他呼叫御前的士兵之前，一个更狡猾的想法闪过他脑际。荷塞因三世咳了咳，调整了一下自己的呼吸，叫查迪抬起头来。 “我知道你的忠诚心。席尔梅斯大人也一定有这种强烈的感觉吧？不，应该说，我也希望像席尔梅斯大人一样有这麽好的部下。” “那麽，可以让我见席尔梅斯殿下吗？” 查迪眼中闪著光芒，荷塞因三世举起一只手制止了他。他沈重地告诉帕尔斯人，席尔梅斯王子前几天遭逢不幸事故～脸上受了伤。伤口刚好就在以前火伤的地方，脸上的伤并无大碍。可是，伤势波及声带，只能发出呻吟的声音而已。目前需要一段时间治疗和静养，因此不能见任何人。再过十天就可以见客，在这之前就请客人在客房里等候消息。 “真令人痛心啊～，请陛下尽全力为殿下治疗，此恩此情绝不敢忘。” 查迪流著泪恳求著。荷塞因三世表示同情并答应好好照顾席尔梅斯之後，便命侍从把查迪带到客房去。 在国王身旁沈默著的马西尼撒压低了声音进言。 “不能让那个人活著。今天晚上我就带兵去烧了客房吧！” “没有人下这种命令。你最好不要多管闲事。” “是。但……” “那个帕尔斯人有用处。你就安安静静地看著吧！不许你轻举妄动！” 马西尼撒微微有些不满地退了下去。荷塞因三世又接见了几个人，然後，当天的政务就算结束了。 荷塞因三世打算利用查迪的忠诚心。他要让查迪深信那个开不了口的假面人就是席尔梅斯王子，同时让他竭尽他的忠诚。除此之外，有以前随侍在旁的忠臣跟随著，假面人是真正的席尔梅斯土子的可信度就更加提高了。对荷塞因三世而言，这是再好不过的事了。 “那个叫查迪的男人或许会发现事实，到时候再杀了他就可以了。因为如果现在杀了席尔梅斯王子的忠臣，反而会招来不必要的疑惑。” 荷塞因三世从宝座上站了起来，开始走向他自己的房间。今天晚上预定要和第二个妃子共进晚餐，然後再进卧房休息。第二个妃子以前不但美丽而且颇富才气，然而，最近不断地肥胖起来，而且嫉妒心也加重了，越来越难以应付。老实说，荷塞因三世实在不怎麽喜欢她，可是，他还是得像疼爱其他的妃子一样地宠爱她才行。国王的私生活确实也相当辛苦啊！ 帕尔斯王国的宫廷画家兼副宰相那尔撒斯大人似乎在想著什麽事情似的。王宫里正忙著新年祭的准备工作。因为典礼的事务不是那尔撒斯的责任，所以他反而得以空闲。于是，他在王宫内自己的房间里摆好了绘画的用具，对著画布画起来了，只是，看来好像心不在焉的样子。一样无事一身轻的亚尔佛莉德为他送来了早餐。达龙对亚尔佛莉德手艺的评价是至少要比那尔撒斯的绘画好太多了。在罗嗦的耶拉姆到外国去的这段时间，亚尔佛莉德有意待在那尔撒斯身边照料他。 “那尔撒斯，你在想什麽？如果是想著耶拉姆的话，那你尽可放心啦！他那种人不被杀个五、六回是死不了的。” “不，如果我会担心他就不会让他出去了。我是在想其他的事。” 那尔撒斯担心的是那许久以前早该处理好的皇陵遭盗之事。 “最近我老是有这种感觉，我是不是忘了什麽重要的事了？” “可是，我听说只是土被挖起了一小块而已，灵柩没有被破坏啊！” “是啊！灵柩的表面是没有任何异状，但灵柩的内部又如何呢？安德拉寇拉斯王的遗体真的没事吗？” 亚尔佛莉德的脸上现出了不安的表情，那尔撒斯看著她苦芙道： “胡说八道，我到底在担心些什麽啊？” “是啊！这不像是那尔撒斯的作风啊！” 这时候，同样也没事做的达龙来了。他瞄了一眼那尔撒斯的画： “哦？新画的？要不要我猜猜名字？是叫'混'沌吧？” “还没有决定。” “我觉得除了这个名字之外不作他想。” 就在这一瞬间，那尔撒斯的笔掉落到地上，他呆呆地凝视著半空中。莫明所以的达龙捡起了落在地上的笔，问道：“怎麽了？” 他知道那尔撒斯不应该因为自己的画受到不好的评价就有这麽反常的表现的。在相当漫长的沈默之後，那尔撒斯嘴里发出了呻吟般的声音： “……或许我被耍了。” “你被耍了？怎麽回事？” “难怪总是觉得有事情藏在我头脑的某个角落，现在我终于明白了。是地行术。” “地行术？那是什麽玩意儿？” 那尔撒斯做了说明，那是亚尔斯兰王太子一行六人朝著培沙华尔城进行危险的旅程时的事。 在离开卡歇城塞之後，和同伴分散的那尔撒斯继续单独行动，途中遇到了轴德族的少女亚尔佛莉德。在他们两人同行的旅途当中，曾经在一个无一生存者的村子里过了一夜。他们在那个村子里和使用奇怪魔道术的人物作战，并将之击毙。那个人物就是使用可以在地下自由行动的魔术“地行术”杀了每一个村人。 “我想起来了。那真是种教人不舒服的魔道法术。” 原本充满活力的亚尔佛莉德闻言不禁直打冷颤，缩起了脖子。达龙皱起了眉头，那尔撒斯站了起来，拿起了上衣。 “如果还有其他会使用地行术的人的话，就可以从地下打破棺木，没有必要从地上去挖。皇陵管理官也因为棺木平安地埋在地下，所以就没有再详细调查。” 那尔撒斯赶忙到年轻国王面前参奏。他虽然尽可能地用平稳的语气和态度来说明事情，然而，他要求的内容竟然是要挖开陵墓。亚尔斯兰吓了一跳，当然也就没有立刻回答。不过，就算他有所犹豫，总还是抵不过他对那尔撒斯的信赖。亚尔斯兰自己拿起了笔，写了一张给皇陵管理官费尔达斯的文件。于是，那尔撒斯、达龙、亚尔佛莉德立刻就策马驰向王墓。 当听到要挖掘王墓时，费尔达斯不禁吓了一大跳，然而，王命就是王命。他立刻动员了五十名士兵，在神官颂唱了安抚死者之灵的诵文之後就开始作业。 于是，达龙、那尔撒斯、亚尔佛莉德及费尔达斯这四名高官就在一旁观看，安德拉寇拉斯王的墓就被挖开了。 “如果有诅咒，就由我来承担，不要怕。” 达龙激励士兵们，他自己也拿起了工具挖土。 或许是士兵们希望赶快结束这个工作的关系吧？灵柩出乎意外地很快就被挖了出来。在调整了一下呼吸之後，那尔撒斯把手搭在灵柩上，打开了盖子。 灵柩里面是空的，而灵柩的底部开了一个大洞。洞穴延伸向黑暗的士中，松软的泥土覆盖在洞口上，没有办法确认是朝哪个方向延伸？延伸有多长？皇陵管理官费尔达斯半失了神，差一点就要落进洞里去，那尔撒斯赶紧把他抱紧。 “啧！”达龙用力地咋了咋舌。 “也许是冬天的风的关系，我总觉得有一股寒意。” 达龙微微地缩了缩脖子。云快速地流动，光和影映照在地上，北风吹拂过墓地，现场弥漫著一股不寻常的气氛。即使是活力充沛的亚尔佛莉德也因为左右方有那尔撒斯和达龙护卫著，才使得她较为心安些。如果只有她一个人在场，想必会落荒而逃！ “在陵墓上引起骚动只是为了掩饰地下的行动吧？只是，如果一开始就不引起骚动的话，我们可能永远也不知道发生了什麽事。” 达龙怀疑地说道，那尔撒斯半嘲讽似地回答： “或许他们认为早晚总会被发现吧？姑且先争取时间是他们的目的。事实上，就因为我一时疏忽，也的确让他们赚到了近两个月的时间。” “他们到底是谁？” 亚尔佛莉德的问题是理所当然的，那尔撒斯却无能回答。如果是地上的事，不管什麽难题那尔撒斯都可以回答出来的，而天上的事情就该由神官来负责。可是，如果是地下的事，有些事情实在是猜不著的。 “不管怎麽说，必须先向陛下报告。” 达龙为了避免思路陷入迷乱的危险而这样提议，催促那尔撒斯和亚尔佛莉德赶快离开。他们把善後工作委托给费尔达斯大人，严厉禁止士兵们走漏消息；然後，三人再度骑上马，朝王都叶克巴达那奔回。半路上，“漆黑而巨大的翅膀”，也就是黑夜降临到大地上来，亚尔佛莉德在穿过王都大门之前一直无法挥走那毫无缘由的不安。 在那尔撒斯等三人不在的那一段时间内，亚尔斯兰也没有偷懒。他和文官代表宰相鲁项、武官代表大将军奇斯瓦特等人一起处理国政。不管王者如何用心善政，总还是会有麻烦的事情发生。这一天让亚尔斯兰感到头痛的是贫穷的平民和解放奴隶获生了激烈的斗争。就法律的处理方面而言是很简单，可是，事情发生的背景却是不容忽视的。 对一部分的贫穷平民而言，奴隶制度的废止并不是一件好事。她们的心情是：“因为一想到还有人比我们还凄惨就感到安心了，然而，现在大家都成了平民了，一点都不好玩”。这虽然是个错误的想法，但这种想法是根植于人心最黑暗的部分。所以，想要斩除也不是那麽容易的事。 平民只要一想起：“只不过是解放的奴隶，有什麽了不起的！”就想揍人。当然，另一方面的人也没有沈默地让人揍的义务。 “再也没有其他事情比人心更难测的了。而社会制度就助长了这个趋势。那尔撒斯曾经说过：不要和人心牵扯上关系。” 亚尔斯兰的师傅那尔撒斯曾教导过他“国王是一种为民众服务的存在”，可是，也不能将民众神圣化。 “民众以利益为依归。如果陛下不断给他们利益，民众就会支持陛下的。” 那尔撒斯的话有双重意义。一味地逢迎民众的自私是无法推行政事的。虽然说不能太执著於人心，却可以使他们的生活安定，健全教育制度，兴建学校，教导他们人口贩卖和奴隶制度的坏处，这些都是必须做到的事。亚尔斯兰突然想起了以前读过的文章： “王者的野心如一艘船。如果逆历史的洪流而行，一定会惨遭灭顶，坐在上面的人们都会落到水里面去权力越强，祸害也越大。” “野心……” 亚尔斯兰的野心又是什麽？他没有王家的血统而坐上了王位。在各国的历史上，那些被称为枭雄的人物都是在用尽了武勇和权谋，引起大量的死亡和憎恨，花了几十年的心血才达成目标的；而亚尔斯兰却在十五岁的时候就拿到了这项荣耀。 因此，亚尔斯兰必须从别人的终点处出发，朝遥远的高峰攀升。 “启禀陛下，古拉杰的使者求见。” 奇斯瓦特前来报告。古拉杰是港都基兰的海上商人，是一个智勇胆略兼备的男人，说话技巧更是不作第二人想。他把自己及部下经海路所经历过或听过的事情记录下来，然後说给亚尔斯兰听；亚尔斯兰很喜欢听他说故事。 事实上，古拉杰是帕尔斯的海军司令官，是海上情报的负责人。基兰港、各国的情势、气候及气象的变化、海盗的动静等情报都汇集到古拉杰的手上。由于帕尔斯语可以通行国内外，因此帕尔斯人都有倦学外国语言的坏习惯；不过，古拉杰和他的部下们都能流利地说几种外国语言来从事买卖、收集情报。 而现在古拉杰派他的心腹鲁哈姆带来了一份报告。鲁哈姆把辛德拉的珊瑚艺品连同古拉杰的报告书呈给年轻的国王。报告书的内容是前些日子，来自密斯鲁国的使者经海路拜访辛德拉，好像是有意要求缔结同盟。可是，辛德拉国王拉杰特拉二世只收下了礼物，把密斯鲁的使者赶回去了。 “拉杰特拉陛下没有特别交代些什麽……” “那个人好像还打算揉搓著计谋的粘土，塑造出欲念之像。” 亚尔斯兰闻言不禁笑出来，回头一看，达龙回到王宫来了。还有那尔撒斯和亚尔佛莉德跟在他後面。 达龙他们也带回了报告。第一件是关于王墓之事。有人挖开安德拉寇拉斯王的棺柩，盗走了遗体。这个消息让亚尔斯兰倒吸了一口气。宰相鲁项和大将军奇斯瓦特也沈默地听著报告。 听完了报告，亚尔斯兰先对大家说道： “皇陵管理官费尔达斯没有罪，不要责怪