Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Infiltrating

Borric was watching the fireworks. From the open front door of the hotel, he, Guda, and Neko had an excellent vantage point, and the other side of the square facing the Royal Colosseum was packed with people.A colorful fireworks display was presented in the night sky, and a group of people were stunned on the ground.Gu Da seemed to have temporarily forgotten his bad mood, while Naike was engrossed like a child.Borric had to admit it was the most memorable sight he had ever seen, better than any King's celebration in Lylanon. Su Li appeared quietly, slipped to Borric's side, and waited for him with a glass of ale.The one job this boy was better at than the other three was gathering intelligence; he was a poor thief, but he was also a seasoned beggar and a half-hearted rumor-monger.

"Something very strange has happened, Master," the boy whispered. This attracted Guda's attention.Ever since the aborted plan to seek help from local thieves, the mercenary has been in a bad mood.He is currently serving two teams, the Royal Soldiers and the Thieves Guild, both black and white are looking for them, the lives of the four can be said to be counted by minutes, or by the hour.Gooda no longer cared about Borric's promised rewards, for even if he took them he would have little chance of enjoying them. "What happened?" he asked. "Many important people came and went in and out of the palace tonight, which is different from every festival. There are also cavalrymen rushing from the upper city with news. Many guards rushed from one place to another, and the rest The guards had nothing to do. It seemed that something really happened, maybe war, riot or sudden natural disaster. But you didn't get any clues from the coachmen and sailors of the caravan. The palace also came and went. There are many strange people walking around."

This shocked Borric, "What are you talking about, there are many strange people walking around in the palace?" Su Li shrugged, "I will try my best to explain, master, those who are not true blood will leave the palace after the dinner, usually before midnight. But because of something, they returned to the palace from the lower city. The fireworks are again in the palace The dining room was lit, as if they were preparing food for hundreds of people. Usually the cooks who make breakfast don't work seven hours before the morning." Borric pondered the few cash politics he had studied, none of which explained all of the above. "There are hundreds of nobles in the courtyard in the city. Those nobles who are not true blood will be summoned into the palace because of some urgent matters. The food is to ensure that they will not feel hungry when discussing things. Plus their Lieutenant, in a few hours, thousands of people will pour into the palace from this mountain." He was thinking about what benefits this would bring him. "How did they get into the superior city? Did they take the straight road up the mountain?"

Su Li shrugged again, "I'll find it." He slid off his chair and returned to the crowd in the square, which was crowded with citizens returning home after the fair.Normally, most shops are closed in the two hours before midnight, but the celebration brings countless business opportunities, and taverns, hotels and brothels are still open to welcome customers.Borric was somewhat surprised by this.He had seen the bustling streets of Klondor at noon, but he had never seen a city that was still crowded four hours after sunset. Guda, "Are you planning another crazy move, madman?"

Borric, "It depends on what Suli finds out. I'll let you know when he comes back. Now keep an eye out for the thugs from last night's alley to follow us." Guda, "According to what I know about the royal guards, those who survived the riots in the brothel will now be squatting in the prison in all likelihood, waiting for the city defense officer to decide whether to send them to the slave pen. The empire's The law is fair: her punishment will be the same, whether you are guilty or innocent." Su Li went out for about twenty minutes.When he came back, the boy looked a little overwhelmed, "That's strange, master, but it looks like all the passages to the Upper City are open, providing the most time-saving route for those who need to return."

Borric narrowed his eyes. "Will there be many entrances? How are the guards?" Su Li shrugged his shoulders, "There are not many guards at the four or five entrances I have observed, Master." Borric stood up and put on his black leather gloves, which he had used as part of his disguise.All evening he endured the third make-up done on him in the previous week, thanks to Nike's pocket and the income from the sale of the army horses.His stubbled white hair turned dark reddish brown, and he wore black armor and a black cloak.With a cold look, others would regard him as a soldier of the Imperial Internal Affairs Corps.Close inspection, he is an unnamed mercenary who came for the celebration.Su Li was still wearing his desert suit, and Naike had changed into another blue robe, which was more ragged than the previous two.

Guda refuses to replace any of the equipment on his body, which in his opinion will not help in the face of his own destruction.He had bought a new red smock, to keep Borric from being recognized by thieves and royal soldiers, but it had more of an effect on Borric's silence. All four stood up, and Borric turned and walked into the crowded square.Passing through the crowd, they came to the boulevard, where there was still a string of soldiers guarding it, preventing the residents of the lower cities from walking on this road that would have a noble team passing by tomorrow morning.Borric sneaked a glance at the empty boulevard, dozens of buildings along the avenue were illuminated by lights.The doors of many homes are left open at will.A man hurried across the avenue, and immediately a soldier stepped forward to question him.The two spoke briefly, and the soldier waved him to let him pass.The man continued on his way and entered another house.

Su Li, "These buildings built on the front of the mountain are actually part of the palace. The lowest-status true blood lives here, but they are still true blood. Many suites here are connected to the upper buildings." Borric glanced around and saw that there were too many guards blocking pedestrians from crossing the avenue, "This place is too eye-catching, let's move to another place." Gu Da followed behind him and asked, "What do you mean changing to another place?" "You'll know." Borric said. "I'm afraid you'll say this." Guda said.

Borric followed the boulevard to where it bordered the highlands, and the city on this huge mountain was immersed in the darkness of night.Another avenue intersected it, and Borric felt he had found what he was looking for. "There!" he said, nodding his head to show the others what he had found. "What?" Guda asked. "That street corner in the distance, samurai," Nike said, "do you see it?" At a street corner, an open passage was clearly visible, unguarded, only a few servants rushing in and out.Borric glanced left and right, and quickly bent over to get through the blocking rope.He hurried across the avenue without hearing the shouts, for his black armor would frighten the guards a block and a half away.Others followed him as if he was leading them through.

Entering the passage door, they saw an upward ramp lit by torches every hundred paces.Guda, "What do we do now?" "We are going to the palace," replied the prince. "Then how do we get there?" "I think only idiots think about it so early. Follow me, whatever you do just make people think you know where you're going. There's one thing I know about this palace and her servants. They don't want to know anything ...and that includes having guards coming in and out to carry out their duties." He was making up stories as he watched the other side of the passage, and he found nothing. "When you come to a place where you are not supposed to be, staring blankly, looking left and right, and turning around in place will make those who belong to that place invite you out of there. If you look straight and have a clear direction, servants and guards will not will stop and question you because their instincts tell them you're from here; they're afraid they'll be punished for disturbing some people."

"You have to be careful with some officers and petty officers. Officers like to stop people they don't know - but with thousands of people moving every day, it's a matter of luck. The only threats to us are the petty officers, The mind wants to make itself into an important person." Gooda: "Sounds good, madman. But you're talking better when you're dealing with those thieves." Borric froze for a moment. "Look, here I am. If you fear for your life, now, after we're gone, why don't you turn around and leave?" Guda seemed to consider the suggestion, but immediately said, "Now the Imperial Household Corps and the Thieves' Guild are hell-bent on sending me to hell. Thank you so much, Madman. I'm like a walking corpse." This way, I can walk back and wait for someone to recognize me, or get caught here. But every time you always come back unbelievable, so I live until now, waiting to take my money .So I'll stay here." There were footsteps in the passage, Borric glanced, "Su Li? Do you want to exit now?" The boy was trembling, but he shook his head firmly. "You are my master and I am your servant. I will follow you." Borric looked up at Nike beside the boy. "What about you, Warlock?" Nike grinned, "This is so funny." Gu Da glanced at the sky, "Interesting." But he didn't say anything, and followed Borric into the passage. Nothing Borric had seen in his life could compare to this palace.This place is as big as a town, and the flow of people walking in the spacious corridors is not much worse than that in a city avenue on a trading day.The people in a hurry provided some convenience for Borric and the others, so they would not be found out immediately.Until now, Borric dared to assert that no one had evidence to point out that they did not belong here. But the problem is that no one has given them any clues as to where they are going.Asking for directions is too risky, and everyone here will know that they are outsiders. They walked around the palace for about an hour.It's almost midnight now, and the Kesh's day ends hours before then, a good time to move after most honest townspeople have gone to sleep. Borric led them to a place that didn't look too crowded, and then walked down a passage that seemed to lead to a private residence.Frightened, it wasn't until they hid in a small garden that Borric breathed a sigh of relief.Gu Da knelt by the fountain and took a few sips of water, then asked, "What are you doing now?" Sitting down by the Borric Fountain, "I think it's best to scout the surroundings, but it's best to wait until the surroundings are quieter." He took off his cloak and armor, "When I go scouting, these things Best to stay here." He surveyed the garden, noticing a tight hedgerow at the edge of the garden, "you hide there, and you won't be found unless someone comes to search." Just as Gu Da was about to answer, there was a sudden sound of a gong in the distance, "What happened?" he asked. A few seconds later, another gong sounded, and then another... Then there was the sound of running people walking and beating gongs.Grabbing his armor, Borric rushed to the hedge and crouched.Sitting cross-legged with his mates, he said, "Damn it! I wonder if they're looking for us?" Through the fence, Gu Da secretly observed there, "I don't know, if they want to search this small corner, we can definitely see that there is only one entrance here." Borric nodded, "Let's wait." Eland and Sarana were awakened by the sound of the gong at the same time.After making love, they were immersed in that gentle, amorous doze, and they were not fast asleep.The girl's attractive looks, but also her youth, exuberance, and thoughtfulness captivated Erlander, who was exhausted after making love.But it was a wonderland of exhaustion, and he couldn't think of anything better to wish for than to make the moment last. But the sudden sound of the gong wiped out his mood, "What's wrong there?" Sarana jumped off the big bed, and the maid opened the bed curtain for her, "Court clothes!" The maid dressed the princess in her skirt and blouse while Eland groped to dress herself.She explained while fastening the skirt buttons on her short skirt, "That's an alarm! It means sealing off the entire upper city. Something must have happened." After Eland finished dressing in a hurry, the two walked out of the garden together and entered Aland's suite.A contingent of true blood, a mix of Palace Guards and Black Armored Household Regiment, awaited her.The soldiers bowed in unison, and one of the officers said, "Your Highness, your servant told you to be here when we were looking for you. Her Majesty ordered us to invite you to see her." The princess nodded. When Ellander was about to go with the princess, the officer stopped him, "We have no order to take this person with us, Your Highness the Princess." The princess turned around and said, "This man!" She pointed at Eland, "He is the heir to the throne of Ayer! He is of royal blood!" Her voice revealed her power and majesty, and her face flushed with excitement.She was almost yelling at the soldier, "Talk to him as you would to my uncle, he's on the same level as Avery! That's my order!" Eland was surprised that the girl would get angry because of such a trivial matter, and hit the soldier with her hands.He guessed that the princess might order the soldier to be punished, but the princess simply ordered the guards to go. Ailander noticed that the officer's face was pale and covered with sweat, and felt that he would not have a good night.But as they turned a corner, Sarana's voice became sweet again, "I think the alarm was sounded by your father's unfortunate act of sending troops. I guess nothing really dangerous happened in the palace. Not in the Upper City." what happened." Elland wanted to listen to this lovely girl who was berating the officer just now and now was smiling, but he couldn't. They came to the side court of the Palace of Light, where the queen governs the country.Eland had never been here before, not even when he was summoned by the queen.Every time he met the queen in the meeting hall. But now he walked into the center of Kesh's cabinet. Darkness had never had a place in this palace, because there were tens of thousands of candle wall lamps lighting here.The room is bathed in light, as if under the sun, there are almost no shadows in the hall, and the sun's rays only have one angle, but there are 20,000 light sources here.Even in the midst of the deliberations, groups of servants took turns replacing the dying candles, and darkness was never allowed in the Palace of Light. They walked briskly through the long entrance passage where many officials gathered.The group at the forefront were officers from Abujaka's Bulldogs.The queen sits on an upholstered golden throne. Rows of seats are fanned out around the throne where members of the Cash Gallery are located.When Elland walked to the throne, many people were still entering the arena, walking quickly to their seats. The palace was filled with the hum of whispered conversations among nobles, and there was nothing to suggest the seriousness of the meeting.Although a major incident happened, the people in this room showed an unimaginable calmness. As Sarana and Eland took to the canopy, Kesh's ceremonial officer began hammering the ground with the bottom of his staff.The falcon at the top of the staff seems to fly away from the golden sun disc under its claws under this blow. "Attention all! She's coming! She's coming! Mother Kesh is going to have an arbitration!" Immediately, the room fell silent.The queen signaled Sarana to come over the canopy, and the girl complied with a puzzled expression.Unprecedented in imperial tradition, no one has ever set foot on the imperial canopy except the queen's ceremonial officer, who will stand a few steps from the queen and deliver the official documents for her to read.The princess stopped on the last few steps, but her grandmother beckoned her forward again.The girl walked up to the queen and knelt down.Queen Regisa of the Great Cash Empire took her granddaughter in her arms and began to cry.The entire hall remained absolutely silent under this spectacle, and no one wanted to remind the Queen of her existence. Finally, the old woman let go of her confused and worried granddaughter and stood up.She took a deep breath to regain control and cried out, "I declare a murder in my palace!" Tears rolled down her cheeks again, but her voice was still loud and powerful, "My daughter is dead .” There was a discussion in the hall.The nobles in the gallery looked at each other, unable to believe the news they heard. "Yes," the queen said loudly, "Sujana was taken from me. Now she has come to the light before me." Then Regisa's voice turned to anger, "We were deceived! We put a welcome into my home the man whom we serve and who brings us death!" Eland saw the Queen's gaze on him, and he lowered his head, secretly looking for his companion.Both James and Jamina stood at the back of the hall, "guarded".Jamina's voice told him, *James said to keep quiet no matter what.He thinks we're being-* Before she could finish speaking, the queen roared, "Ayland! Prince of Kang Dongyin's family, did you come to this country to do evil?" Ailand took a deep breath and said calmly, "Please make this clear, Regisa." The Queen's name has not been forgotten among the Cash nobles.Eland is asserting his royal rank as heir to the throne of Ayr.He knew that no matter what happened, his status and diplomatic immunity would keep him safe. Glancing at Eland, the queen roared, "You already know exactly what I'm talking about, poor thing. My daughter Sujana will rule this country after me, but she died in her bedroom, you know it well Chu. She died at the hands of your people." Eland searched the hall again, but there was no familiar face he was looking for, and heard the queen continue, "My daughter was murdered by a man you brought into my house. If there is any evidence that he was murdered by you If you are appointed, then your royal status will not play any role." Eland softly read a person's name, "Locklear." "It is he," cried the Queen. "Lord Locklear has fled after the murder. The palace has been cordoned off and searched. When he is brought before us, we shall learn the truth of the plot. Now , don't let me see you again; I've had enough of the AIers." Erlander turned around stiffly and walked out of the hall, followed by James and Jamina, surrounded by guards.No one spoke until they entered James and Carmina's suite.Aland turned around and ordered to the leader of the guards, "You guys leave." The officer hesitated for a moment, and Aland took a step forward and shouted loudly, "Get out, now." The officer bowed, "Yes, my lord." Then, he and his men retreated outside the house. Elander turned to face Jamina and asked softly, "Can you find Loki?" Jamina replied, "I'll try." She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them suddenly, "Borric!" Eland, "What!" Turning her language into teleportation, she said, "For a moment...just a moment, I thought..." After a pause, she continued, "I don't know what that is. For a moment I was in contact with a familiar The human mind, I just recognized him...but when I first recognized him...he disappeared." "Disappeared?" James asked. "There must be a mage out there. Only a mage can cover his mind so quickly and completely." A trace of sadness filled her thoughts. "That can't be Borric, he can't be in this palace. I'm both Tired and worried. I may have misunderstood and had an illusion just now. Now I continue to look for Locklear." The two sat on the bench and watched Jamina, watching her set to search the palace with telepathy.Erland moved closer to James so that his speech would not disturb Jamina. "Did you find anything before this?" he asked about James' scouting at the palace earlier in the evening. "No. Many places are strictly guarded," James whispered. "My best result is to spend a month exploring all the secret places in your father's palace, but there are not as many as one-tenth of here. .” Elland sighed, "I thought you might...find something." James was equally disappointed, "I think so too." The two fell silent, waiting for Jamina to finish her search.Half an hour later, she opened her eyes. "No," she said curtly. "There's no sign of him." Erland blurted out. "No," she replied, "he's not in the palace. " Leaning heavily on the cushioned back of the chair, Eland said, "I think all we can do tonight is wait." He stood up and left James and Jamina without saying a word. Borric almost jumped up behind the bushes. "What—" He just opened his mouth, but Gu Da dragged him back before the guards noticed.Five minutes after the sirens sounded, hurried guards began rushing through the door, all running in one direction.There are both true blood palace guards in white skirts and internal affairs legionnaires in black armor.All Borric could think was that someone had seen an odd group of wanderers in the palace and sounded the alarm. Guda, "What do you want to do?" Borric, "I think I just heard someone talking behind me." Nike grinned, "That's some kind of magic." "What magic?" Borric and Gooda asked simultaneously. "Some kind of magic. Someone is searching here. They have access to your mind for a split second." Borric was confused. "How do you know this?" Nike didn't answer the question, "But I dealt with it. They can't find you now." Before Borric had time to think about this, a group of black-armored Internal Affairs Legion soldiers walked into the garden and began to search the place carefully.Gu Da slowly and carefully drew his sword from his shoulder, ready to jump out to face the soldiers who were getting closer to them.As the lead soldiers approached the bushes where they were hiding, Neko jumped out, yelling, "Wow!" The leading soldier was almost overwhelmed by the madman who suddenly jumped at him.Before Nike could show off his dancing moves, a dozen soldiers charged at him. Borric's eyes widened, and he could hardly believe how time and time again the little wizard eluded someone, no matter how close he was.The first soldier and another person were almost on top of him, but the wizard, who had been laughing all the time, quickly jumped out of the way, allowing the two of them to escape.Then he dodged one soldier's clasped arms, tripped another, and sprinted for a third.No one could figure out what happened, but when his arms were about to hug him, he suddenly fell to the ground and rolled on the spot. Several soldiers immediately rushed to the wizard who was rolling on the ground, but he jumped stand up.Pairs of outstretched hands finally grabbed only air.The strange screams and ridicules made the soldiers even more chaotic. Finally, the leader of the soldiers gave an order, and the soldiers spread out and surrounded Nike.The little man reached into his pocket and took out an item the size of a walnut.He threw the walnut to the ground as the soldiers rushed towards him together. There was a blinding white light as the thing hit the ground, followed by a cloud of smoke and that foul smell Borric had smelled in Gilrogg Prison.Dazed and bewildered, the soldiers stood there for a moment, then realized that Neko was no longer within their circle.A smirk made the soldiers turn, and the Isalani were standing at the door of the passage behind them.Whistling sharply, Naike challenged the group of soldiers, and then ran to the inside of the palace. Guda, "How did he do it?" Su Li whispered, "He must really be a magician." Borric stood up. "They'll be back when the leader remembers they haven't scoured the garden thoroughly. We'd better find the next hideout quickly. Quick." Gu Da glanced at the distance, "Everywhere is dead, madman." Borric looked back at the mercenary for a while, then said coldly, "Our purpose is not to die, Guda." Guda shrugged, "I'm not arguing about this. Where are you going now?" Borric glanced at the passage door. "Go in the opposite direction the soldiers were searching. If we can bypass them and go where they searched, we'll buy some time." After speaking, he did not wait for an opinion, but calmly walked towards the entrance of the passage, as if he knew his goal clearly.In his heart, he really hoped so. Ailander sat there alone, thinking quietly.None of this makes sense.What happened in the past two days really made him unable to believe that the queen really thought he had brought this catastrophe into the palace.There is no motive, no reason, no explicable reason for this, except for the obvious factor.The man who wanted to create turmoil between empires and kingdoms has struck again, and he has accelerated the pace of progress.The only known hint is that those who planned the plot hoped to cause an armed conflict in the city during Queen's Day. Erlander wished he knew better who was the madman causing trouble between the two countries, and he'd be more than happy to get rid of him—or her, he corrected; the women of Cash's court were as dangerous as the men—men In the eyes of the queen, it is like a chicken waiting to be cooked.He intends to contact Sarana to reassure her that he had nothing to do with her mother's murder. Then he reconsidered.Even after he killed Sujana with a knife or poison, he would claim his innocence.Immediately another thought hit him strongly: How was Sujana murdered?If Locklear was a suspect, where was he now?He was not a burglar, but a nobleman of the kingdom, a baron under Prince Krondor.Even if there were conflicts and even arguments at times—even at their most emotional—Locklear never hurt a single woman. Eland knew that Locklear had become the murderer's scapegoat, but how could he prove this? Miss Miya walked into the room and bowed slightly. "Ayland," she whispered, "the Queen has ordered that your scope of action be restricted to this suite." Eland sat up straight, furious, "How dare she do this! She disregarded the practice of diplomatic immunity." Mia sat next to Eland. "She lost her daughter. Her advisors warned her not to ignore your king and punish you and your companions, risking retaliation, and no ambassadors would dare to set foot in Kesh's borders." Alright." The girl sighed and put her arms around Alander's shoulders, "I'm sure she'll change her mind in a day or two. Then you can go see your companions, but you must have The guards will follow, and you may go to the chamber only when the Queen summons you." Eland, "How was the princess murdered?" Miya's eyes were moist, but she didn't cry out, "Her neck is broken." Elland's eyes widened, "Broken? Was it caused by a fall?" The girl shook her head, "No. There are bruises on her throat, which was strangled by someone." Eland, "Mia, this is very important. Locklear didn't kill your relatives." Mia looked at Elland seriously for a while, "How can you be so sure?" "Locklear wouldn't hurt a woman for a reason, except in self-defense. You see, even a reason..." Eland organized his words, "Even if there is a reason for him to be angry...it's not like his character...he will not kill Sujana. Locklear is a swordsman, he is strong in skills but lacks neck bending strength. The princess is not a petite woman. If anything like her daughter, there is strength hidden beneath her charming exterior." Mia nodded, "Sugana is stronger than she looks. All... all my relatives are like this, they look weak, but they are not." She paused for a moment, then continued, "But if it wasn't for Luo Claire killed her, who could it be? And why is Locklear not here?" Erlander, "I'm afraid the two answers will converge. If I'm right about what happened, Locklear is in danger...if he's alive." "I think I know who can help you." "Who?" "Lord Nilom. He always wants to hear people's reasons. Sujana's death has made the tension in the courtyard even worse. They support Sujana as the next queen, and many people are unwilling to admit who is more powerful. The young heir. Lord Nilom is disturbed by this, and he is doing his best to reduce the tension in the court. Finding out who killed Sujana will help more than anything else." "I wonder..." Erlander said, thinking, "Who's on Avery's side?" "Master Ravi and some other nobles who are worried about matriarchy. Now many people who originally supported Sujana have also switched to supporting Prince Avori. They only support her because the princess is the eldest daughter. I don't know What reason can be related to his accession to the throne." Eland, "Please go to Master Nilom. We must stop this crazy behavior before more bloody disasters come." The girl left, and Erlander sat down, closed his eyes, tried to picture Jamina's face in his mind, and transmitted his thoughts to her.A minute later, her voice came, "Hi, Elland, what's the matter?" "Could you and James come into my quarters. I don't think it's time for me to go to sleep. There's something we have to talk about." After a while, Jamina told him, "We're going to your place right now."