Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A dash of night and death

More than half of April has passed, Mafar's spring has been freed from the spell of cold, and the flowers among the grass are blooming one by one.In just a blink of an eye, the outdoor world has changed from a vast expanse of whiteness to a dazzlingly colorful world.The plants seemed to be unsealed, seeing the signs of life dancing on the ground, and the animals also benefited from this piece of life, and became active one after another. Even after the sun goes down and the whole land is dominated by darkness, that darkness itself becomes part of spring.The gentle and cool air at night transmits the fragrance of flowers to people's noses one after another.People on the street moved their tables to the atrium and balcony one after another, as if they were using their whole bodies to actually feel the natural soft sweetness.

The plenipotentiary ambassador of the Kingdom of Zrunagra, Duke Zaychel, was galloping on the streets of returning to his country in a carriage at this time.Calculated by Mafar's mileage, there is still a thousand stadia (about 200 kilometers) away from the country's border, but the surrounding area is already a mixed area of ​​mountains and forests, and the surrounding people have gradually decreased. Since Kalman is still quite interested in the marriage between the royal families of Mafar and Zrunagra, then this marriage should be established as soon as possible.After all, this kind of political marriage between the two countries may produce various variables at any time.

Just as Duke Zaychel was thinking about this marriage and his own role in it, the knight who was sitting in the carriage with him as a guard suddenly yelled, which caught the attention of the ambassador. .The knight said that there was a shadow that had been following them through the night since the very beginning.The Duke frowned in displeasure, but the original calm was broken at this moment, and the sound of arrow feathers sharply tore apart the peaceful twilight. The three arrows shot in a row all hit the target.One shot the driver in the left chest, one shot the horse's neck on the right, and another shot the rider in the face as he poked his head out of the window.The momentum of the bow and arrow is really frightening.The originally peaceful night burst into pieces amidst the screams of people and horses.

After the carriage rolled up a loud sound and dust, the entire body turned over.The frightened wild bird screamed sharply, flapping its wings and soaring into the air.The right side of the carriage was overturned on the ground, but the two wheels on the left were still spinning desperately. The door on the left side was open to the sky, and when Prince Zaychel climbed out of the car, blood was still bleeding from the broken skin on his forehead.He attached the scabbard indiscriminately, grabbed the overly decorated ceremonial sword on his body, and sat down on the ground moaning.And when his car overturned just now, his ribs were probably broken.Just as he was frowning in pain, a figure covered the moonlight in front of him.Zaichel raised his head, and after his eyes gradually adapted to the darkness, he recognized the other person's face clearly, and he couldn't help being surprised.

"It's you? General Lasalle...!" Ambassador Yarudi watched the panting Ambassador Zrunagra calmly, almost grimly.He put the bowstring in his hand back on the saddle, took off the scabbard of the long sword, and began to talk to the other party in Mafar. "Since I let you see my face, I can't let you live no matter what. Duke Zaichel, although I sympathize with you, I still have to take your life." "You, what are you talking about? Are you planning on my life from the very beginning?" "That's not the case. I tried to tell you once, but villains should have lines suitable for villains!"

Maybe he was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't pleasant at all.On Zaichel's forehead, the sweat of fear was constantly coming out.Lassalle was unhurried, jumped off his horse briskly, and approached the Duke. "Why, why did you kill me?" "Oh? Do you want to know why?" Lassalle's eyes, teeth, and the sword in his hand shone brightly at the same time. "Then let me tell you, Duke Zaychel, the reason is because I hate you, so I want to kill you." "Bastard!" Before a person is about to be killed, of course there will be no justification for any reason. For the person who was killed, all the reasons may be unreasonable.Lassalle does not believe that truth is necessary for the dead.Even those who are still alive in this world, few need real facts.

Then the sound of the sword sounded very sharp and piercing, but it was over only once. The blue-white moonlight poured down like a waterfall, and Lasalle shook off the human blood stained on the sword.After confirming that the victim had completely died, the alert and dangerous assailant put his sword back into the scabbard, and took a full breath of the blood-smelling spring night air. "Next, how will the new emperor react? For the surviving people, the real good show is only on stage!" After pulling the arrows back from the corpses of the man and the horse, Lassalle jumped on his own horse.After the young General Nine Pillars saluted the unfortunate ambassador of the neighboring country immediately, he still left the killing scene with a bold and fearless expression on his face.

All that remains behind him is night and death. The news that the ambassador of Zrunagra, Duke Zaichel, was murdered by an unknown person reached the imperial capital, Onogur, after half a day.In the morning light, Emperor Karman was sitting at the breakfast table when he got the news from his courtiers. "This way of dying is quite bizarre. However, death has its purpose. Fortunately, after he had already spoken about Princess Yadelhodo's marriage, this is probably the reason for shortening his life!" Calman muttered inwardly, tilting the silver cup to his lips.The white wine brought by the deceased was gradually spreading the rich aroma into Karman's mouth.

"Summon the ambassador of Yarudi, if he hasn't escaped yet." However, Lasalle, the ambassador of the Yerudi Kingdom, immediately came to the palace in response to the emperor's summons.Despite his calm expression and attitude, Kallman did not give up his doubts because of his appearance.After the exchange of salutes, they immediately entered the theme. "Ambassador Yarudi, you should already know that the ambassador of Zrunagra died strangely, but where were you when he died?" Lasalle raised his face, looked at the young emperor from the front, and began to speak in extremely fluent Mafar:

"Your Majesty, what you said seems a bit strange. Your Majesty doesn't even know when and where Duke Zaychel died. If Your Majesty didn't tell you the correct time, how should you answer?" "It's true, it's true..." Kalman originally didn't think that the Yerudy ambassador would show his feet because of such a problem.Kalman then gave Lassalle a blatantly ironic look while briefly explaining what had happened.In this, two people slash at each other, the weapons used are not swords, of course, but the sharp voices and expressions of each other. "Once Mafar and Zrunagra form a joint monarchy system, the whole situation will be the most unfavorable for Yarudi. So it is not unreasonable for you to be suspected."

Facing the accusations that could not be refuted at all, Lasalle still adjusted his breathing without changing his face, and then fought back. "Forgive me for your boldness, Your Majesty, such a thought is too short-sighted, and it is hard to associate it with His Majesty's wise appearance. Although from the surface of the matter, your doubts are indeed taken for granted." "As your majesty just proved, at this point in time, once Zrunagra's plenipotentiary ambassador suffers such a death, my Yerudi Empire will immediately become the object of suspicion. However, if the entire assassination process If it is directed by my subordinates, then things should be handled more beautifully." If anyone in this world knows the whole process of this incident, they must be amazed by Lasalle's boldness and fearlessness! "His Majesty Danilo IV, King of Zrunagra, is an unparalleled love saint in neighboring countries. He has many children, and more than fifty people have been claimed. In addition, the factions in the palace are thin and detailed. There are many, none of them can make a big deal. However, with your Majesty Karman's appearance, they also have a sense of crisis and temporarily unite together, hiding their fangs of conspiracy." Karman chuckled softly. "That's true. According to what you mean, once I enter into a marriage relationship with Princess Yadelhodo, the enemy I make will not be elsewhere, but in Zrunagra's court, right?" "That's true, Your Majesty. Once a coalition of monarchs is established, the thrones of the two countries will be monopolized by one person. It is a matter of course that your Majesty Karman's talents and capabilities are originally taken for granted, but the villains are bound to be jealous because of this. In this way, it should be very obvious where the tragedy of Duke Zaychel was caused. From our standpoint, instead of shouting innocence, it is better to ask His Majesty to look into it. Sincerely. " When Lasalle lowered his head, his bronze-colored hair immediately drooped down, completely hiding his expression. Kalman, on the other hand, said nothing. After Lassalle withdrew, Kallman turned around and asked his entourage, the young military attache Ferenc, for his opinion on what he just said. "Personally, I don't believe what General LaSalle says." Hearing Ferenz's answer, Kallman nodded as if he felt quite sympathetic. "I think so too, but why do you think so?" This time, Ferenz couldn't answer right away.If it is because of my subjective impression that I cannot trust Ambassador Yarudi, this is not a reason at all; this kind of answer will definitely not satisfy the sharp lord.So the boy desperately tried to organize his opinions in an orderly manner. "Your Majesty, the death of Ambassador Zrunagra was directed by Ambassador Yarudi, wasn't it? Such a eloquent person makes people feel hypocritical..." Kalman tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. "Even if what La Salle said is all false, it doesn't matter. If the death of Duke Zaichel is related to the struggle in Zrunagra's court, then there is just an excuse to send troops to Zrunagra. For me, That's where it really matters." "But, Your Majesty, didn't you fall into the scheme of General Lasalle? The reason why General Lasalle said such words to incite Your Majesty was to make our country go to war with Zrunagra?" Karman stared at the young man who served as the military attache with some surprise. "You're really thinking too far, Ferrence, you don't look like a fifteen-year-old kid at all!" "And will you cancel the attack on Zrunagra?" Facing this question, Kalman smiled again.If there is anyone in this world whose smile is more terrifying than anger, then this is the kind of smile that is showing on Kallman's face at this moment. "I'm such a fool, I fell for Lasalle's scheme so easily. It seems that I will continue to be fooled by that guy, and go to attack Zrunagra!" "His Majesty……?" "Next, I may eliminate Zrunagra, or maybe before I eliminate Zrunagra, I will finally discover the conspiracy of that guy Lasalle. At that time, the only thing that can calm my anger is only one The method is to immediately recruit all the soldiers and horses to attack Yarudi; the reason is that Yarudi is trying to destroy the relationship between Mafar and Zrunagra." "……what!" Ferenz let out a small cry.The clever boy understood one thing. It turned out that Karman had already seen General Lasalle's strategy.Kalman was deliberately fooled by Lasalle, but in fact he wanted to use his tricks in reverse, trying to wipe out Zrunagra and Yerudi in one fell swoop. "Lassalle, a self-righteous strategist, will probably understand in the next year or two that it was his own scheme that led to the demise of the motherland." Kallman muttered to himself in a flat tone as if nothing had happened; but his attitude made Ferenzi feel a deeper sense of courage and oppression.Karman's eyes had a depth that made people feel frightened for no reason, as if they had penetrated the wall of the palace and were staring at the other side of the wall. Does His Majesty want to annex Yerudi and Zrunagra in his generation to establish a super Mafar Empire?Firenze felt that the blood vessels in his body were starting to heat up from the inside, and his heart was beating even faster. "Firenz." "Yes, Your Majesty." "In the near future, you will be able to see the capital of Zrunagra and Yerudi. As for the moment, don't mention this matter for now!" It seems that Munchell is not the only one who is really ambitious.Kalman himself actually has huge ambitions. After Lasalle returned to the embassy, ​​he walked into his office without changing his clothes, and at the same time summoned his subordinate Gunnar.Gunnar hurried into the chief's office, and saw Lasalle burying his head in front of the table, swaying the quill quickly in his hand.After seeing his subordinates, Lasalle put down the pen in his hand, rolled up the parchment, and issued an order to his subordinates: "Immediately send this letter back to the country, so that the country is ready to dispatch the whole army at any time." . Treat this time as a mission that is critical to your life, without any delay, and of course you must not let this secret letter fall into the hands of Mafar, otherwise you will never forgive me!" Lasalle's eyes shone with a cold, piercing light, one could not help but think of winter thunder.Gunnar accepted the officer's order tensely, but couldn't help asking Lasalle to explain the reason. "The Mafar army should send troops to attack Zrunagra, but it may suddenly change direction halfway and kill Yerudi. So we must not be careless." This is the ambassador's answer.Gunnar was taken aback.Almost dropped the parchment delivered by the boss to the ground. "You mean the Mafar army is going to attack Zrunagra? Is that true?" "Yes, I designed it." But Lasalle didn't say anything.He chose the appropriate words carefully, and told his subordinates prevaricationly that Emperor Mafar suspected that the murder of Ambassador Zrunagra had something to do with our country. "This is a gamble. Guennar, if there is a slight mistake, it may lead to the demise of Yarudi. Although it is dangerous, we can't just sit by and wait for the relationship between Mafar and Zrunagra to form a brotherhood A coalition regime. There is nothing we can do but drag Mafar in to fight Zrunagra." "Is this a gamble? General Lasalle, are you betting the kingdom of Yerudi!" "Is this blaming me?" A bold and fearless smile appeared on Lasalle's lips like a flash in the pan, and then disappeared immediately. "However, once the thrones of Mafar and Zrunagra are monopolized by Kallman, the future of Yerudi will be as dangerous as eggs sooner or later. Isn't it?" "Yes, indeed." A tremor ran through Gunnar's body again.After Mafar annexed Zrunagra, the balanced relationship that has been maintained in the past will be changed.Mafar can form a semi-encirclement of Yarudi from two directions. "Emperor Karman may personally lead troops to attack Zrunagra in the near future." At that time, as long as there is a slight loophole in the Mafar army, Lasalle will immediately take the opportunity to lead a group of husky cavalry to assault the base camp of the Mafar army and kill Emperor Karman.It was the only way Yerudy could win, and for LaSalle himself, it was the shortest path to his ambitions. "Kalman is a heroic and brave man, and I might be the one who will be beheaded. In short, if he takes a wrong step, the ending will be unimaginable." Lasalle raised a hand and waved: "You don't need to know other things. Hurry up and send this secret letter back to your country safely!" "Yes, this subordinate obeys." "Remember to bring enough travel expenses with you. Also, it's best to travel during the day when there are people coming and going, and try to choose a lively place to stay. Don't let the assassin take advantage of it." After listening to the boss's careful instructions, Gunnar walked out the door nervously. Lasalle sat down on the table and gasped for breath; the scar on his cheek appeared crimson. The arrow has already left the bow. If the arrow does not continue to fly, it will only fall to the ground.Just like what Gunnar said just now, there is no other way but to find a way to win this dangerous gamble.All this is not for anything else, but for oneself. "Even so, the so-called power is like a beautiful woman with a bad heart. Although I know that this may cause me to be killed, but I can't calm down when I see the hint in that beautiful woman's eyes." Munchell is probably the same, right?Although the young and cautious Duke of the Golden Crow looked slender, this appearance could not fool Lasalle.Once the situation develops to the point where the three countries of Mafar, Yerudi, and Zrunagra are all involved in the strife, there is no reason for the Duke of the Golden Crow to stand idly by.What will he do then?Will you sit back and wait for the fisherman's profit?La Salle fell into deep thought, and the red line on his cheek emerged more clearly.Yerudi, the young nine-pillar general, seems to be having a brain congested. For Munchell, it must have been quite helpless to be regarded as someone of the same level as LaSalle et al.Because General Lasalle, who is not familiar with the overall situation, is nothing more than a doll dancing in Munchell's palm in the end.However, La Salle's decision and quick action really surprised Munchell.He played a few tricks and passed on the idea of ​​the late Duke Zaychel to Lasalle. In less than an instant, an assassination scene was staged.But anyway, Munchell's sense of it all is that things have sped up. Whether it was Kurant or Zrunagra, perhaps he should have been born in a country other than Mafar.In this way, he can successfully obtain the throne of a country without competing with Karman.Munchell thought this way, but when he looked back, he couldn't help but smile wryly at the trajectory of his thoughts.Because, whether it is Kurland or Zrunagra, if you are born in these countries, you will also have some local obstacles entangled in yourself. As Munchell walked from the study to the balcony, his inner thoughts traced back to the past.Light and darkness intersected quickly, and a gray scene truly burst before his eyes. Munchell, who has been both civil and military since his boyhood, sometimes hears the singing of elves.It was in the early summer season, and the dazzling sun and the lush green trees made people feel dizzy for a while.The translucent elf, which seemed to be crystallized by sunlight, appeared outside the window and sang to Munchell: "Do you want to have me? Do you want to have me? If you want to, come and grab a look! Because only the strongest and most courageous man can get me..." Once falling in love with these beautiful elves called ambitions, Munchell can only try to make himself a model lover, only in this way can he win the favor of the elves.At the same time, this elf also has a side like an evil dragon, and this evil dragon, after the death of the former emperor Boguda II, has already raised its neck like a snake in the depths of Munchell's heart and looked around. "Take the throne. After you win it, you will implement a virtuous government. Such an approach is definitely not to bring misfortune to the people. If there is a crime in doing so, you can only make up for it by making yourself a good emperor." However, once you have this kind of thinking, you may have revealed your own fragility.However, Munchell had other ideas in his mind. Before he became the emperor, Albad, the founder of the Marfar Empire, planned many conspiracies, sacrificed many lives, and caused many innocent people to bleed.But all these crimes have been washed away by the light of the founding legend, and only the justice of the victor can be passed on to future generations.Munchell's justice will also be guaranteed because of his victory.Or it should be said that apart from this, there is nothing else that can protect him. The Duke of the Golden Crow listened intently to the tone of the breeze. "It's about time for Angelina to see Lidvan..." Munchell's younger sister, Princess Angelina, went out of the city to the northern outskirts today to welcome Lidvan who returned to the imperial capital of Onogur from the Black Sheep Principality.Angelina rode with Ridvan's son Paal on the front wheel of the saddle.And Holdy, who lived in the mansion of the Principality of the Golden Crow, also brought his four dogs, and accompanied the princess to pick up her.Holdi originally accompanied Lidvan to the Principality of the Black Sheep, but he returned to the imperial capital before Lidvan in order to inform Lidvan of the date of return.Angelina's hair, the color of the winter sun, swayed slowly following the horse's footsteps. "Pal, you'll see Dad soon! You can proudly tell Dad that you've always been a good boy!" When Angelina spoke, Pal nodded energetically.Holdy deliberately said narrowly: "Yes, Paal is such a good boy. This is all due to the upbringers after Ridvan left!" Holder traveled around with his four dogs, allowing people from all over the world to watch the dogs' performances, while collecting folklore from various places, and then compiled them into a book.In addition, he is also proficient in martial arts, which shows that he is by no means a pure "travel scholar", but he and the people around him deliberately do not mention this.Although he is only in his thirties, the top of his head is bald, and it is still shining brightly under the caress of the spring sun.At this time, he was leisurely, with a pleasing expression on his face, sitting on the horse and looking around the streets around him.The streets in this spring are very lively because of the bustling people and horses, and the conversations of travelers are also rushing around in the spring breeze.Holdy looked up at the sky, his sensitive ears had picked up a faint sound coming from the sky. "It's spring thunder..." "The Rain Goddess seems to be blowing her horn already, we'd better go fast." After Angelina looked up at the sky, she said while lightly kicking the horse's belly.Paal held the horse tightly by the neck, grinning delightedly.Angelina looked at Pal and couldn't help thinking, what a brave boy he is.But Angelina's thinking might be a bit like the psychology of parents pampering their children. The three of them and their four dogs walked north along the streets lined with palm trees on both sides.On the way, they avoided the thunderstorm at an inn, and after having lunch, they arrived at the meeting place with Ridvan at three o'clock in the afternoon.It is located on the edge of a town called Portonui, quite far from the center of the town; there is a dense bush forest on the wide plain, so this bush forest becomes a good target.After a rain, the traffic of people and horses was temporarily interrupted, and the street suddenly became empty, and the humid air made people feel a little bit of chill.Holdy still had a leisurely look on his horse as if nothing had happened, leaning slightly towards Angelina. "Princess, have you found out?" "You mean those six suspicious people who have been following us since just now?" "Oh, the princess' insight is really admirable." "I really don't really want to find them. Logically speaking, there should be a handsome man among the six, but there isn't even one." Holdy blinked. "Huh? Can you tell what they look like from this distance?" "I know, if it's a handsome man, you can see a shining halo on the top of the head. This has nothing to do with the distance, anyway, I can know it." Angelina smiled as if coping, and then lightly patted Pal on the shoulder who was sitting on the front wheel of the saddle. "Pal, there may be a little noisy sound later, I'm afraid it will have a bad influence on the children, so you stay with the dogs for now." Angelina was about to pick up Pal's small body so that he could be put on the ground; but this little boy, who turned six years old this year, jumped down nimbly by himself, and then looked up at the beautiful and brave The princess said, "Angelina, be careful!" The four dogs on the ground immediately wagged their tails and walked towards the child standing on the ground.Almost at the same time, the six men on horses also approached them at high speed.A burst of killing intent and ferocious momentum swept towards them silently. The four dogs growled menacingly at the same time, and as if they wanted to protect their two-footed friend, they formed a fur defense wall in front of the child and on the left and right respectively. The defense wall also had sharp teeth, It looked very fierce and terrifying.Once there is this defensive wall, then there is no need to worry about Pal's safety. "You are Princess Angelina of the Golden Crow Principality, right?" "Something wrong." "Some?" "If what you're talking about is the lovely and handsome Princess Angelina of the Principality of the Golden Crow, then you're really referring to me. If you want to be my guests, you'd better spend more time learning social rhetoric !" The princess laughed brightly, but by comparison, the malice on the six men seemed even darker and deeper. After a burst of sword lights intersected, a man who tried to kill Princess Angelina from the right rear was lying in a pool of blood in a blink of an eye. It turned out that he died under Holdy's sword.Holdy seemed to be leisurely and carefree anytime, anywhere, but at this moment he swung the sword in his hand quickly.Another man who was trying to slash at Holdy was pierced by the slender sword in Angelina's hand from under his jaw, and then rolled from the saddle to the ground. In terms of time, he was only shorter than the companion just now. Three seconds slower.The sound of swords and swords slashing continued, and human roars and screams screamed frantically in the air. Suddenly, there was a tragic wail of horses.Among the assassins was one who slashed at Angelina's steed, causing a severe fatal wound in the horse's neck.The poor horse began to stagger, his feet became useless, and then he fell with a thump like a door that has loosened its screws. When Angelina rolled around on the ground and then jumped up, the slender sword was held in her hand, which did not give the assassin any chance. A knight vigorously drove his horse forward and rushed towards Angelina.The horse's snort was mixed with the thunder of the horse's hooves, and the dark figure of the knight gradually approached Angelina's sight.An unsheathed sword even glowed white in the corner of the line of sight. Angelina jumped up, but she didn't jump back to avoid the murderous men and horses, but unexpectedly jumped up, and while jumping, she swung the sword in her hand. After a sword light flashed past, a blood light flew out.A powerful vibration was transmitted from the blade back to Angelina's hand.An arm that was still holding a sword between its fingers flew down into the air along the trajectory of spurting blood, and a tragic wail burst out from the assassin's mouth.After losing his balance, the knight began to shake wildly on the saddle, kicking his feet in the air, and finally fell to the ground.At this time, Angelina was already like a bird flying around in the dense jungle, jumping onto the enemy's horse with a light body.During this period, Holdy also beheaded an enemy. After the assassin was injured and fell off his horse, his throat was torn by a big dog. In just a short while, only two of the six assassins remained.Just when the two-to-two battle is about to start... "Lid! Lid!" Paal stood on tiptoe, and screamed desperately, making everyone focus on one point.I saw a figure in front of me that was rapidly expanding toward the dense bushes.Immediately, the only two remaining assassins began to waver. They gave up their original purpose, pulled the reins of their horses, and attempted to retreat. "Lidwan, grab that man! Don't kill them, keep them alive!" This is the first sentence these two men and women who seem to be lovers meet when they meet after a long absence. Without saying a word, Lidwan kicked the horse's belly, turned the horse's head forward, and ran directly from the slope, so as to block the escape route of the assassin.The long sword in his right hand was already shining brightly.The two surviving assassins were forced to face the difficult problem of fleeing or fighting, but they seemed to have made a decision quickly.Holding swords in their hands, they attacked from the front left and front right of Ridvan at the same time.Lidwan didn't just sit back and wait for death. He turned his horse's head again and rushed towards the assassin on the left. While the shadows of the two riders intersected, there was a metallic sound of swords and people's howling. sword, causing a crimson flower to bloom in the air. As the flower withered, the last man charged so hard that the saddles of both sides almost collided.In the shining pupils of the assassin, Ridvan saw himself. The blade rubbed against each other, and the invisible claws were ruthlessly tearing the eardrums of both sides.The violently striking sword burst into fierce sparks, the mount under his crotch leaped forward, and the two people on the saddle were almost in a half-jumping posture, slashing each other back and forth. Princess Angelina's explanation was really difficult, and Lidwan had to smile wryly in a very short time.The opponent is obviously a master with a sword, and it is actually the most difficult to capture him alive.Among these assassins, he may be the strongest in martial arts, and he may also be their leader. Portonui, a town with many inns and inns along its streets, was disturbed for no reason during the day. The horse's hooves clattered on the gravel road.People on both sides of the street stuck their heads out in surprise, and then retracted their heads in surprise.When the two swordsmen on horseback met, they not only made fierce sword sounds, but also the footsteps of the horses underneath did not slow down, sweeping across the streets of the town like a black whirlwind. The assassin gave a loud shout and swung his sword vigorously. A long and huge sword flew over Ridvan's head, chopping the sign of the tavern jutting out of the road.The indescribable noise and large and small pieces of wood caused a whirlwind, blowing across the knight's face.Lidwan immediately slashed at the assassin with sharp eyes and quick hands, making a fierce whistling sound in the air. The urn was overturned; the chickens raised by the people on the street started to cluck, cluck, cluck; the puppy also barked, and all the fur on the cat stood on end.An old woman galloped out of the house, yelling "What the hell!" and slamming the horse under the two uninvited guests with a broom.In such a chaotic scene that almost feels comical, the two are still fighting desperately.Ever since Ridwan started using the sword, there were not many opponents who could fight as bravely as this swordsman. Suddenly, Ridvan's mount wailed and began to stagger.It turned out that the assassin stabbed the horse in one of the eyes with his sword.This technique is exactly the same as what happened to Princess Angelina. It seems that stabbing the opponent's horse is a common tactic of this assassin.Ridwan realized that it would be foolish to forcefully stop the horse from falling at this moment.So Lidvan threw his body to the ground, and the horse that fell to the ground became a shield between the assassin's sword and Lidvan. Lidwan's boots stepped hard on the gravel ground, and in just half an instant, the space where Lidvan stayed just now was split in half by the sword wind.Although the power of the slash was fierce, the force used was too much, so the swordsman's center of gravity on the saddle began to become unstable.Lidwan took advantage of this moment of emptiness and suddenly grabbed his opponent's wrist, trying to drag him off the horse. The swordsman turned somersault from his horse.The dismounted horse neighed loudly and fled the scene of the human struggle.The swordsman rolled around on the gravel ground; however, he used soft movements to minimize the possible damage to himself, and then stabbed Li Dewan suddenly from the ground.Just when the tip of the sword was about to stab the face, Lidwan blocked the opponent's attack with his own sword, and then took advantage of the situation to launch a fierce attack on the swordsman.The attack is blocked, the opponent then counterattacks, and then the other side counterattacks.The sword strikes you came and went were extremely brutal, but it didn't last long. Ridvan's sword entangled the opponent's blade, and after a sharp sound, the assassin's sword snapped. 银灰色的长条形金属片，反射着落日的余晖，像风车似地回转着，然后便弹落到地面上。失去武器的男子，虽然发出短短的呻吟声，但是却仍然未丧失他的战意。他用眼角瞥见了斜靠在民家墙壁上与薪柴放在一起的斧头。于是他将折断的剑对准利德宛的脸部掷了过去，往旁边纵身一跃，抓住了那把混在薪柴里面的斧头，然后连着薪柴一起高举过顶，再度对着利德宛打了过来。 如果稍有差错，利德宛立刻就会被薪柴痛殴，并且被斧头击碎头颅。不过，仅仅因为一个极小的误差，双方便分出了胜负。这名用斧头朝敌手猛砍的男子，因为剑与斧头之间重量的差距而稍微失去了平衡，就在这一瞬间，利德宛的剑已经刺进了他的右肩口，一直往下砍到锁骨的下方。 这男子浑身沾满鲜血与苦痛，不支倒地了。 利德宛稍微调整了一下呼吸，便低声地询问道： “你是什么人的手下？哪一国人？耶鲁迪、兹鲁纳格拉、或者是库尔兰特？” 从自己的少年时代开始一直到青年期，利德宛就经常到各地去流浪，他所曾经越过的国境线，总数比他两手的手指头加起来还要多。一般说来，只要是和马法尔有缔结外交关系的国家，利德宛大致都能够说、而且能够了解该国的语言。 被人用剑顶着喉咙的这名男子，用他那稍微有些迟钝的憎恶眼光狠狠地瞪了利德宛一眼，然后就突然地闭上眼睛。利德宛一惊，急忙想用剑尖撬开这男子的前齿，预防他咬舌自尽，但是却慢了一步。鲜红的血已经像小蛇似地从他的嘴里流了出来，这男子在全身痉挛之后就逃走了，逃到一个获胜的人所无法追去的地方。 当利德宛叹着气，一面从地上站起来的时候，便听见了有人在呼唤他的声音。帕尔对着他跑了过来，并且扑进他怀里，利德宛抱起帕尔，然后抬头看着骑在马上的美丽公主。 “太可惜了，公主，这就是你所看到的，已经无法活捉他了。” “这也是没办法的事，这个人虽然其貌不扬，不过却是很值得钦佩。” 安洁莉娜闭起了眼睛，为死者祈求冥福，张开双眼后，用手拨了一下她那头颜色像是落日余晖的头发，然后对着帕尔的父亲笑着说道：“好久不见了，利德宛。哦，不，利德。” “是吗？无法得知来历？”听完妹妹的报告之后，蒙契尔交叉着自己的手臂。 这里是位于帝都的一处，距离皇宫相当近的金鸦公国国公邸。迎接妹妹安洁莉娜与友人利德宛之后，蒙契尔此时正站在一片夜光下，花朵盛开、绿意盎然的中庭里。他的两手在身后交叉着手指，以身体的左侧对着妹妹。利德宛与帕尔已经先行告退回到客房，所以中庭里此时只有他们兄妹两个人。 这事件显示有某个人正怀藏着某种阴谋；或者是某些人正怀藏着某些阴谋也说不定。事实上，在这个国度当中，最大的阴谋家正是蒙契尔；不过今天派人袭击妹妹的当然不是他。 唉，自己竟然不能够看穿这背后所有的阴谋，蒙契尔不禁对着自己苦笑起来。这些刺客到底有什么目的呢？杀害安洁莉娜、或者帕尔会有什么利益吗？有什么理由要刻意引起利德宛的愤怒或者蒙契尔的敌意呢？难道是为了想要陷害某个人吗？或者说，只是因为某件更单纯的事情所引起的呢？ 目前能够判断这个中原由的资料还不足。蒙契尔决定不再多费心力去思考了。不久，他那端整的面容上浮现出恶作剧的表情，他注视着妹妹，然后若无其事的宣布：“对了，安洁莉娜，并不是故意要学皇帝陛下，这回哥哥我也要娶新娘了。” 由于过去的许多政策婚姻，金鸦国公的家族也流着皇室的血。不过，对蒙契尔来说，最好能够更进一步在自家的血统里注入更浓厚的血缘。 “是和皇室有关系的女子对吗？” 安洁莉娜之所以会这么问，是因为她对哥哥内心对于结婚的真正想法有着某种了解的原故。哥哥绝不是个因为爱情而结婚的人。 “对。不过和权势与财富可没有关系。你大概也知道吧，就是帕萨罗威兹侯爵家。” “那侯爵家里有什么妙龄的女子吗？” “有啊，依德莉达公主嘛！” “依德莉达公主……！” 安洁莉娜简直是目瞪口呆。从那一对宝玉般的眼眸中所流露出来的表情，是厌恶更胜于惊愕。 “可是，哥哥，那依德莉达公主不过只是个十岁的孩子吗？” “不，是九岁。”蒙契尔冷静沉着地制止了妹妹的惊愕。 “不要这么惊讶。又不是现在马上就结婚。等十年以后，新郎虽然稍显老态，不过新娘可正值人生的春花娇艳期哪！年龄上差个十八岁的夫妇也不怎么稀奇吧？” 没错，年龄上有差距的夫妇确实没什么稀奇。不过，安洁莉娜不认为哥哥有喜欢小女孩的偏好。不论是地位、权势、才干、相貌或者财富，蒙契尔的条件都是一流的。从他十几岁的时候开始，宫廷内外就经常流传着他的艳闻，而对方都是和他同年龄，甚且年龄在他之上的成熟女子。蒙契尔如今说他要与一个九岁的少女结婚，很明显地是为了追求政治上的利益，除此之外别无其他。 醲郁的花香在兄妹两个人之间弥漫着，令安洁莉娜感到呼吸有些困难。整个中庭笼罩在一片由黑夜所织成的柔软丝绸当中，安洁莉娜一时不知道自己应该把视线投向何处，一番犹豫之后，终于还是从正面注视着哥哥。 “哥哥，那么以后我得要称一个比我小十一岁的孩子作嫂子啰？” 妹妹怅然的声音从自己的耳际流过之后，蒙契尔刻意让自己的嘴角微笑起来。 “啊，说得也是。这也挺好的不是吗？你们倒是很相称的一对姊妹哪！” "elder brother!" “哦，对了，你和利德宛现在怎么样？感情有没有进展啊？” 为了岔开话题，这问题却显得有些不近情理。因为这些日子以来，利德宛一直在黑羊公国，而安洁莉娜身在帝都奥诺古尔，身上既没长着翅膀，两人的感情如何能够有进展呢？ “还是像哥哥您所知道的老样子。” 回答过后，安洁莉娜有些严厉地反问哥哥：“哥哥，您是想利用九岁的孩子来作为达成野心的道具吗？” 年轻的金鸦国公停下了自己的脚步。蒙契尔注意到自己的鞋尖几乎践踏到三色董的花朵，于是把脚抬了起来。他低声地叹着气，然后连着二、三次摇了摇自己的头，年轻的金鸦国公最后开口道：“我太意外了，安洁莉娜，难道在你的眼中，哥哥不过是个小人而已吗？” 哥哥的脸上当然是充满了受伤的表情。 “我不是这个意思……” 突然间，安洁莉娜意外地明白了。对哥哥来说，顺序应该是颠倒的。哥哥并不是因为想得到什么所以才需要这名少女，而是为了将他已经得到的某项事物加以正当化，所以最好能够有这名少女在他身边。尽管如此，这无疑也是企图利用少女的行为。不过，或许他是想要为帕萨罗威兹侯爵家带来繁荣也说不定。 帕萨罗威兹侯爵家虽是名门，却和世俗的权势与财富绝缘，过去曾有几个学者和文人出自于这个学问和艺术的门第。然而却也因为如此，该家族经常与皇室联婚，在马法尔国内的政治争端之外，为皇室保留着浓厚的血统。该家族根本没有什么可称为家产的财物，世世代代为皇室管理图书馆与植物园，过着质朴的生活。依照蒙契尔的看法，这么作或许就可以避免未来的外戚威胁吧。 这时，一阵战栗突然掠过安洁莉娜的心脏。 如果卡尔曼大公与哥哥交战的话，那么利德宛该靠向哪边呢？ 不管再怎么骁勇，利德宛本身也不过是一介骑士。不过，他的儿子帕尔却具有继承虎翼公国国公地位的资格，而利德宛本身在阿尔摩修大老的殷殷期盼下，未来也极有可能接掌黑羊公国的国公。 如果他们父子两人统领了两个公国，也就是二十个州的领地，那么这将是马法尔的历史上史无前例的。在过去皇室一直努力不让这种事态发生，所有的皇帝也都不允许让特定的国公拥有特别强大的势力。 但是，假设利德宛接掌了黑羊公国，而他的儿子帕尔成了虎翼公国的领主，这对父子一旦与蒙契尔联合起来的话，那么将形成一股由三公国、三十五州领地所集结而成，一股不容忽视的势力。此外，再加上蒙契尔的智略与利德宛的骁勇，那么整个事态的变化将不是人们笑笑就能算了的。 利德宛本身既没有这样的野心，也没有如此的欲望。但有一点是无法否认的，那就是抱持着如此的想法，或者怀疑的人还是可能存在的。假使蒙契尔就是前者，而后者便是卡尔曼的话，那么马法尔全国或许将会变成战乱的火山口。 卡尔曼、蒙契尔以及利德宛三个人在少年时代，曾经是王立学院里同桌读书的同伴。他们三个人曾经一起翘课，一起在街上游荡，一起上山钻山洞，把身份显赫的父母所为他们操的心置之不理，三个人一起徒步去旅行。有一回他们在山上迷路，当时正值寒冬，蒙契尔发了烧，还是利德宛背着病人，卡尔曼在后面推，才终于走到有人的村落。此外，他们也一起研究历史、一起学习兵法、一起舞剑弄枪，其他像骑马、射箭、音乐等课程也都是在一起。虽然他们共同渡过的只是短短的两年，不过却是留下最多回忆的两年。尽管他们三人都知道这两年在他们的人生中是如何的深刻，可是…… 安洁莉娜最后向哥哥行了一个礼，便转身从中庭走向屋内。蒙契尔对着妹妹在屋内灯光的映照下显得漆黑的背影，喃喃地低声说：“哥哥实在是无能为力啊，安洁莉娜。如果我能够对现在的地位感到满足的话，我也希望就这样继续下去。你以为我喜欢背负篡夺者的罪名吗？” 蒙契尔用手掌轻轻地拍打着自己的脖子。却一面对自己的想法开始嘲讽起来：“哎呀，怎么连我也会这样，说得自己好像是个背负着宿命的善人似的。” 翌日，安洁莉娜、利德宛、帕尔、霍尔第四个人，在公邸的图书室内消磨着难得的闲逸。室内的天井微低，且摆设适宜，让人不由得产生一种沉静的感觉。混和着香草味道的红茶袅袅地飘送着香气，几千册的书本也发出一股皮革封面的独特味道。 自称是“旅行学者”的霍尔第，把书本、羊皮纸和木版摊开放在大地板上，帕尔探着头看著书本的内容，看得津津有味。霍尔第歪着头，双手在胸前交叉着。 “根据这边的故事内容，说是穴熊母子帮助了主人翁，可是这边的传说却说是刺猬夫妇。嗯，这到底是怎么回事呢？” “是呀，怎么回事呢？”帕尔也学着霍尔第的样子，把双手交叉在胸前。 “或许，在这个时代里面，塔托露特亚山地确实有穴熊住在里面，因为以前也曾经有穴熊从贵族人家的宅邸里逃出来而最后变成野生的情形。帕尔弟弟，把那边那本红皮封面的书递给我。” 从孩子的手中接过书本之后，霍尔第便翻开羊皮纸的那一页，开始找起插图。而帕尔热心的视线随着霍尔第那粗胖的手指在书本上游移着。此时的安洁莉娜靠在桌边，一面把红茶送到嘴边，一面噗嗤地笑着说道：“利德宛，哦，不，利德，霍尔第好像总是想把继承你衣钵的儿子，训练成学者的助手耶！” “说不定作为一个学者比剑士更适合帕尔的性向呢！” 利德宛的感慨并不单纯只是玩笑话。剑士整天挥着剑，在刀口舔血，和这样的生活方式比较起来，作为一个搜集古老历史与传说，然后有系统地加以研究的学者，应该是有意义得多。 就这样，利德宛父子两个人平安无事地渡过了几天难得的相处时光。就好像严寒冬日里的吹雪中，偶尔也会有小阳春的出现。
皇帝卡尔曼二世的随从武官菲连兹，今年十五岁了。他是前银狼国公柯斯德亚最小的儿子，父亲与长兄都为卡尔曼所杀，其他五个哥哥有的下狱、有的逃亡、有的被放逐、有的自杀、也有的战死，父兄六人分别走上了各不相同的末路。对菲连兹而言，卡尔曼既是他父、兄的仇敌，一方面又是拯救自己性命的恩人，以及心中所敬爱的主君。令人感动的是，他承诺将来一定会复兴银狼公国。既有怨恨也有恩情，在憎恶之外，还有敬爱的存在。少年的心情一点都无法保持单纯。不过，先撇开这些不谈，现阶段的他已经有了初步的结论，就是所有的一切等恢复银狼公国以后再说。在这之前则善尽自己作为一个臣下的职责，忠实地效忠陛下。即使日后要为父亲和哥哥们复仇的话，也一定是要堂堂正正的。 这天午夜之后，皇帝和女官艾菲米雅一起进了寝宫；菲连兹回到自己的房间，钻进坚硬的卧铺里。由于自己所担任的职务是随从武官，所以即使是在睡觉的时候，手也不可离剑。菲连兹于是就只下半身盖着毛毯，半坐半卧地用一个大枕头靠在背后，然后用上衣披在肩膀上。 不久后，睡魔便拉着他的手，顺着通往睡眠国度的斜坡往下走。可是突然间，菲连兹的意识却意外地被拉回。他张大双眼，环视着周围逼人的黑暗。 “爸、爸爸，是您吗……” 菲连兹的声音颤抖着，握剑的手像化石般僵硬；他听见有个声音，一个来自死者的声音正呼唤着他。那是死去的父亲柯斯德亚。低沉、又带着模糊余音的声音，侵入了他的听觉。 “……我的儿子，你忘了吗？你难道忘了那卡尔曼正是你杀父的仇人吗？你怎能侍奉、并且效忠杀父的仇人呢？” “爸爸、那是……” “不肖子啊，赶紧醒过来，杀了卡尔曼，把他血淋淋的首级供在我的墓前吧！在你没做到以前，我的灵魂将会一直停留在人间，夜夜提醒你还没有善尽身为人子的职责啊……” 那声音愈来愈微弱，最后被周遭的黑暗给骤收了。方才一直像是化石般的菲连兹，勉强地稍微移动自己的身体之后，感觉到汗水濡湿了自己的脖子。一股冰冷又沉重的触感贯穿了他整只手指。菲连兹凝视着黑暗，感觉到自己的全身被一种令人难受的不祥预感给攫住了。