Darkus sat at the dining table, holding his lower cheek with his left hand, and flicking the beans on the plate with a fork with his right hand. The delicious breakfast had no influence on him at all. He didn't get a good rest last night. Although the vines made the forest house less shaky than the buildings next to it, they didn't block the sounds and smells.
The Beicheng District, which is not yet the future Mage District, is now a slum. The residents here have not yet moved to the Dongcheng District. This has caused the current Beicheng District to be a low-level district in Altdorf, notorious for criminals and rebels. Just like the city guards of Krakarond rarely patrol civilian areas, the human guards are similar to the city guards of Druchi. There is no essential difference. They will pretend not to see chaos and riots, and usually don't even notice. will come in.
The arrival of the team and the absence of Trancas caused another disturbance to break out in Beicheng District last night, so much so that the vendors in the morning did not go out normally. Darkus knew that the source of the commotion lay in the arrival of the team. After all, those elf warhorses were too attractive to the imperial men. The team was targeted from the moment they entered the city, just like Krakalond's Just like gangsters, human gangsters also have the support of human dignitaries.
Buildings ignited by fire announced the beginning of riots. When the riots were ignited, they were accompanied by the smell of burning, chaotic shouts, the clash of blades and the bang of firearms. These sounds and smells kept coming in. Darkus's senses made him wake up from dreams, as his sleep quality was not good. It was as if he hadn't slept at all that night.
But the other elves were happy. The guys from the Forest House and the companions in the team who were responsible for guarding the elf horses had a great time killing each other. Maranur, who came back from the fight, and the companions who came with him, broke down the roadblocks set up by humans. Block the human gangs and mercenaries who are attacking the Forest House.
Darkus nodded to express his thanks to Enil who came over to put milk on the table. Under normal circumstances, he might be confused by Enil who was playing the role of a maid. Lauren Loren is just an ordinary Enil.
But in Altdorf, this maid is a mini-BOSS-level existence, which is a complete dimensionality-reducing blow to human gangs and mercenaries. Last night, the war dancer maid took advantage of the night and transformed into a midnight killer with double blades. , killed like those witches and spirits in Nagaros, with a sea of blood flowing into the sky. After his hands were stained with blood, he continued to play the role of a maid the next morning like nothing happened.
Who is Trancas? This is a strange man, a strange spirit. According to the description of the war dancer maid and Enil who has been to Altdorf, he is the boss of the Forest House and the agent of Queen Marist in Altdorf. At the same time, he also operates other hotels and casinos, but he acts as an agent and does not appear directly. He mainly collects funds and provides intelligence. A bit like the old human man who was stabbed to death by Naya Darin, the humble king of Middenheim, the underground king.
Trancas is a spell caster himself, but his rank is not that high. He has not yet reached the level of a high-level spell caster. He is proficient in life-based magic. His special skills are using vines to block lead bullets and extinguishing incendiary bombs. He is good at doing it in narrow terrain. In combat, he is really specialized in urban humans...
However, Darkus came at the wrong time. Now Trancas was not in Altdorf, but went to Marienburg, where Trancas's industry was also located. , it will take a few days to return to Altdorf after finishing the matter.
Going back to the Forest House, last night, when Darkus entered the Forest House, he discovered that the prices on the menu here were staggeringly high. This was beyond the reach of the common people, and there was nothing like a bar. That kind of wine and service, all it takes is to write the word "Black Shop" in Rick's language outside the door and advertise it widely. Compared with their counterparts in Middenheim, these days the high-end Enil waiters mainly focus on leisure.
Darkus also asked the maid, and the maid told him that part of the funds were spent by a group of wealthy human noble widows. These widows were attracted by the charm of Trancas, even though the location of the Forest House was very dangerous. But the group of widows would still enter this slum in a carriage under the protection of the guards to appreciate the charming charm of Trancas.
Forest House is a place for those widows to enjoy afternoon tea. As long as they don’t look at the scenery outside and block out the noise coming from outside, the interior decoration and catering standards of Forest House are no less than those in Xicheng District. A luxury hotel specially opened for the rich and powerful. But as I said before, Trancas is not here during this time, and it is morning now. Even if it is afternoon, Trancas will not come if he is not among the group of widows.
While the team was still eating, the Enil waiters also changed their clothes. The brown-green hoods wrapped around them looked particularly bloated against the bulging things inside. If Darkus is right, this group of Enils active in Altdorf is obviously different from the Enils active in Lauren Loren. Under the cloaks of these Aenil waiters, they not only carry the classic Aenil He also carried a steel crossbow suitable for use in a narrow environment. The most important thing was that it must be armor-piercing, and the armor was very thick. It seemed to be specially designed for human firearms.
"You eat first, then just leave it there after we finish it. We will clean it up when we come back." When Trancas was away, the head of the Forest House was the maid who brought the milk to Darkus. She shook Akira said with the shield in her hand. After seeing the questioning look from Darkus, she smiled, and then said in an angry tone, "There is a hatred that needs to be settled! Immediately! Immediately!" The elves in the team
said They were amused by the maid's tone. They knew that the maid was imitating the dwarf's voice and words. They also knew that the maid was leading people to find trouble with the gangs and mercenaries. Maybe if it was later, those gangs would run away and get out. Hiding from the limelight.
"Those guys are disobedient again. Last night was not only because of your arrival, but also today is a specific day." When the maid said, she nodded to the elves on the table, and then led some of the guys from Forest House from Departed from the side door.
"Special day?" Liv stopped eating and asked in confusion.
"It's not a festival for those monkeys. You can interpret it as... collecting protection fees?" Kewell said calmly. A large part of the Mogar family's industry is concentrated at the docks of Krakalund. As a descendant of the Mogar family, he Of course he knew what the maid meant.
"Strange, my guilt suddenly disappeared." Ren said with a smile.
Ren's words caused laughter from his companions, and the cheerful air filled the restaurant on the first floor. They had previously thought that riots against them broke out because of their arrival, but it seemed that there was more to it than that. Perhaps that group of gangs had been dissatisfied with the protection fees collected by the elves. Taking advantage of their arrival, perhaps the human dignitaries made some extra promises, with a give-it-all attitude. If they succeeded, they would not have to pay tribute to the elves. At the same time, you can also get some benefits from the human dignitaries. If you fail...
"Did you gain anything last night?" After laughing for a while, Darkus asked, feeling a little tired.
"Forget it, after walking around there was nothing but some moving skeletons! Bad luck!" Maranur said angrily.
Darkus nodded and didn't say anything, and he didn't comment on anything. Everyone has a little quirk, right?
If Darkus remembers correctly, the first time Maranur fought against each other was when they went to find the soul dagger together, and the second and subsequent times were in the Lustria continent. Strictly speaking, the Void Lake, The fights in the Guicomo Ring Pit and the Underground of Queza were counted as fights, as were the fights at the ancient holy ruins of Obien. He couldn't remember how many fights he and Maranur fell together in between. He has to spend some time thinking about it. If not counting the Dragon Forest, Maranur's last fight was to excavate the dwarf army ruins in the Frostfall area.
If it takes a long time, it is inevitable that there will be impotence, no... if it takes a long time, it will inevitably get some quirks. After all, it is a real product, but it is not a one-time product. Maranur led to the wrong place this time, which was one of the reasons why Darkos didn't go there except to rest.
Moorish Garden is a noun used to describe a specific location that can be found in any city or larger town throughout the Empire and even the Old World, just like the cemetery in Saint Denis in Big Cousin 2. At best it's called Moor's Garden, at worst it's the place where the dead are buried. The Moor Gardens at Forest House has a name that rarely goes unmentioned, the Tomb of Altdorf.
To put it more unpleasantly, although Darkus did not go to the tomb of old Altdorf, he knew that the poor people buried there were the main customers from the residents of the northern city who are still in the slums. Good thing? Maybe there is, but it's hard to find, just like going to Panjiayuan to look for antiques after the 20th century. Even if there are plug-ins like Golden Eyes, it's useless, because there are no antiques there at all, they are all special handicrafts.
In addition to Pastor Moore and the guards, Moore's Garden is a place where smugglers and grave robbers and other criminals operate. There are good things that have been rummaged through. Perhaps because of the special circumstances last night, Maranur and the others did not encounter them, but only encountered the moving skeleton.
After arranging the rotation of sentries, part of the team set off with equipment, hoods and some candles. Franais walked in front of Darkus with a bright walking barrier, as if he wanted to fight for Dark. Us's stance of blocking a bullet.
"Hey! Good guy, acquaintance!" Smelling the burning smell, Darkus looked at houses that had been extinguished and had nothing to burn. He had just walked not far when he saw something with shiny tiles. , he laughed after taking a closer look.
The scarce sunlight in the northern city followed the ruined walls of the houses and shone right on that thing. That thing was none other than the head of the leatherworker yesterday, the bald head that showed the way to the messenger and bowed to Darkus. Leatherworker.
Darkus did not think that the leather worker lying among the corpses on the ground deserved to die. Perhaps when the leather worker bowed to him, he had already targeted him and spread the information. During the day, a leather worker is a leather worker, and at night, he is a gang member, just like a simple old farmer who relies on mountains and rivers to feed himself. Otherwise, why would you go out and run around at night? Your house will be set on fire? Mixed in a pile of corpses full of gang members, being coerced and used as a shield? There may be a chance, but it should be very small. Whether it is or not, he doesn't care.
Surrounded by unkind and confused looks from humans and a few dwarves, the team walked toward the university district in the northern city.
Before the Mage District was established, there were still a small number of dwarf activities in the slums of Beicheng District. After the Mage District was established, there were very few dwarf activities in Beicheng District. Although they are not sensitive to magical winds, they still feel uneasy being around the academy buildings.
Dwarves regard rune magic as a gift from the ancestral gods, but most dwarves see no benefit in Pointed Ears teaching stupid human magic, as they understand that magic can cause corruption and eventually lead to Chaos.
Therefore, the dwarves have been blaming and questioning Magnus's policies. However, the dwarves of the Empire are just like that. They are the second largest population in the empire, but they have no political influence and are powerless to make human political decisions. What they can do He just reluctantly admitted this fact and moved to Dongcheng District to live with other dwarves. The influence of dwarves in imperial politics is not even as good as that of halflings. After all, the halflings' Mutt leader still has a vote, although it is of little use in the era of Darkus.
"Whatever." Darkus said, shaking his head to Druch who looked at him.
"Is this what you want to do?" Maranur put his arm around Darkus's shoulders and whispered in his brother's ear with a solemn expression.
"To be honest, I don't know either." Darkus shook his head and said. To be honest, he couldn't understand his inner thoughts, because he knew that what he did would cause more elves to die next, and he He also killed a lot of elves when he first came here. In the Charis Kingdom of Ulthuan and in Krakarond, he felt that he was a bit... He was still one step away from being a ruthless politician? It's like being outside a door and never being able to open that door.
"Since you want to change, let me help you get started." After finishing speaking in a low voice, Maranur patted his brother on the shoulder.
"You go too." Darkus looked at Drusala beside him and sighed.
After the team emerged from the North City District, they came directly to Tulm Garden Street in the University District. Unlike the slums to the north, this is a relatively quiet neighborhood. Everywhere you look are white stone houses similar to townhouses. Currently, half of the Asur are not living here. Most of the people staying here are human professors, scholars and doctors, which are somewhat similar to teachers in Western universities. In the apartment area, few students come in and out.
This is called Tulm Garden Street because there is a mysterious elm park. Darkus and the others are in the garden now. There is a landmark building here, a broken ancient city wall from the era of Kor Vanas. The elven city wall, under the quiet shade of the trees, he temporarily forgot that he was in Altdorf, as if he had returned to Lauren Loren. The walls were planted with flowers and plants, and were dotted with candles that were either lit or burned out. Not far from the team, several dwarves were also placing candles.
"Them?" In a solemn environment, Kewell asked quietly, pointing to the group of dwarves.
"It should be to commemorate the ancestors who fell in the Battle of Revenge?" Renn, who was standing next to Kewell, responded in a low voice. Then he raised his head towards Maranur, who was walking towards the city wall, and looked at the man next to him. Druch gestured. Then, except for Darkus who was still standing, the Druchi also followed Maranur and lit the candles in a decent manner. He felt that his mind was blank, and he didn't know where the so-called stream of consciousness was going. He just quietly watched the elves and dwarves lighting candles, and watched the swaying candles being blown by the wind.
In addition to Aenir and the dwarves who live in Altdorf, Finubal, who was on a mission to Ersin Alvin before, also came here. According to the Ainil guide, Finubal and the others often stayed here for a whole day. , will not return to Xicheng District until evening. It seems that here we can recall the glorious age of the elves, the golden age, instead of like now, the elves will appear in another way in their former Kor Vanas.
"Can you feel it?" Darkus asked in a low voice to Asanok, who had returned and was standing next to him.
"To be honest, it doesn't make sense even if you see it. It's more of a reflection and an echo. Maybe I know him? Can I still remember his name?" Asanok shook his head first, and then expressed his sadness with a sense of desolation. .
There's a reason why this elm park has a mysterious prefix. When the moon is full, it changes and the gardens merge with a secret place that Altdorf's Aenir calls the Weave and Bretonnians call the Otherworld. , there have even been incidents of humans mysteriously disappearing in the garden. On that night, an elf ghost will float in the streets of Altdorf, looking for lost family members and relatives. This is not a rumor or ghost story, but a real existence. However, the Enils have studied it and found that the ghost is like The soul of Asur in the Waystone of Ulthuan is the same, but fundamentally different, more like an echo.
After the lit candles burned out, the team set off. When they came out of the park, they saw several dwarves who were about to enter. The strange thing was that this park seemed to have some kind of enchantment, and there was no barrier between the elves and the dwarves. There was no baring of teeth, no provocation or abuse. Instead, they nodded to each other and left.
"Can I go there?" After walking out of the park, Asanok said, pointing to the Rick River in the distance.
"You are... of course..." Darkus responded. He wanted to say that you belonged to the landlord, but the atmosphere and time were wrong.
Darkus came to Altdorf just to visit, to inspect, to look around, to study, and to have a reference. After all, he did not study urban planning, nor was he an art student who failed. No matter where you go to see something, it’s always a matter of time.
However, the team was rejected. The human guards guarding the elder's residence were a little crazy. These hysterical guards prohibited everyone from entering, and even after negotiation, it was of no use.
"Is this place important to you? Or is there anything to say?" Darkus, who had been rejected, did not force his way in. He asked Asanok. He had learned from the Enil guide before. I know there is a saying here that this island hanging on the Reik River was the site of the emperor's last resistance, that is, the place of the final decisive battle.
Darkus is now operating under the banner of Enil. He wants to avoid direct conflicts with humans, so as not to cause disadvantage to Enil. Besides, it is not so easy to deal with Marist's life. In Marist, When I really trust him and agree with him to do this, it's a bit disgusting for him to do this again. But things are not absolute. He is not allowed to go through the main entrance, nor is he allowed to go through the side entrance. As long as he wants to, there is a way to enter, but he needs to evaluate it.
"This island used to be my residence, but that is no longer important. What is important is, do you know why this place became like this?" Asanok did not respond directly to Darkus, but pointed at the elder. The residence asked the casters.
Something is obviously wrong with this island known as the Elder's Residence. Even during the day, the island is shrouded in fog. In the center of the island stands a huge and fortified castle, which looks dark and scary against the fog. It was obvious that there were terrible secrets hidden in this island. The winds of Urku were unnatural. Even standing on the other side of the bridge, Darkus could feel an uneasy and evil influence permeating the air. In his opinion, it would be strange to not be stunned after staying here for a long time.
There is a saying in Altdorf that being sent to the elder's residence is seen as a punishment and a disguised exile. Superstition prevails among the humans unfortunate enough to serve here. The soldiers stationed here often go crazy and noisily howl with bestial apparitions. and unexplained ritual hallucinations. In the worst cases, soldiers jumped from the castle heights and ended their lives.
"Hecate's brass ring." Before the spellcasters could answer, Asanok turned to Darkus and said seriously.
Darkus's face changed when he heard the words Hecate's brass ring, and the spellcasters also made an uproar because this thing was so special.
A long time ago, maybe in the last era, or maybe in this era, anyway, it was not the era when Hecate had fallen. He forged eight rings for Kane, eight mediocre and invincible brass rings. These eight rings Corresponding to the eight magical winds, each ring is infused with a magical wind. Due to endless strife among the gods and other reasons, these rings were lost and reappeared in the mortal world.
As for why Hecate cast eight rings for Kane, it was because He liked Kane, but Kane didn't like him, but Kane still accepted it... The
relationship between these elven gods was very confusing, and Kane seemed to like love. Sha, and Elsa likes Kunos, Kane's sister Anes Lema likes Kunos and also likes Kane (yes, you read that right), and because of Kane's relationship, Hecate not only The relationship with Assati is not good, and the relationship with Laima is not very good, but it is not that evil, but there is definitely jealousy. This seems to explain why Kunos did not show up last time?
"In other words, the current appearance of this island is caused by a brass ring? Is it a brass ring infused with the wind of Urku?" Darkus asked, pointing to the elder's residence. If the wind of Urku was injected into it, The Hecate brass ring is really on this island, which can explain why the island has become like this.
"Yes, I got it accidentally when I first came to Ersin Alvin. I thought it was just an ordinary decoration. I didn't even think of the brass ring until I accidentally activated it one time. Ring. That ring is so powerful that it must be sealed. I am now very sure that the seal is still there, but due to the lack of maintenance for a long time, there is a problem with the seal, which has led to the current situation. It looks like."
"Let's come again tonight. By the way, do you think you can use it now?" Darkus's assessment was over. Such an important thing must not be placed here anymore, he asked casually.
"Still can't! Only the two of them can barely do it. While they are proficient in shadow magic, they are also Hecate's divine choices." Asanok shook his head and pointed at Drusala and Colonia, He paused and then continued, "Remember, it's forced! Don't use it until the situation is very critical. If other casters use it forcefully, there will be only one consequence! They will be torn apart by the raw power contained in the ring in an instant. Into pieces!"
Darkus nodded. He knew that the brass ring he hadn't seen yet was an extraordinary item. Only extremely powerful elf spellcasters, such as Malekith and Anna, who was also chosen by the God of Hecate, Sara, Morathi, or the Slann Demon Priest can only control it. Just like the wrists and chest ornaments he obtained in Queza, if they were used by ordinary people, the only outcome would be to kill themselves. There is no other way. choose.
"The legendary thing actually appeared in front of us. If... I remember correctly, that person very much hopes to find these rings. Once this one appears in Nagaroth, our relative, tsk tsk tsk... "Maranur, who had been listening, suddenly interjected.
"If she doesn't come to us, I will go find her!" The only response to Maranur was Darkus's disdainful sneer. After laughing, he turned his head and looked at the Druchs sinisterly and said. He knew what Maranur meant. Although these eight rings were made by Hecate, the ownership rights belonged to Kane. Once the brass rings appeared in Naggaroth, the followers of the Lord of Murder would definitely act like crazy. Crazy on top of madness.
After receiving the response, Maranur laughed, showing a cruel smile, his pupils flashing with eagerness. He knew that his brother's actions would inevitably lead to conflicts with the group of Kane believers, and there would be disputes after returning to Nagaroth. ! He doesn't care, he will always stand on the side of his brothers, his family, and the Witch King. It's not the turn of Naggaros to speak to the followers of Kane.
Just when Maranur was about to say something, there was a roar in the ears of the elves. For a moment, the entire Altdorf was no longer calm, and an uproar broke out. They looked up at the sky and saw three red elves. The dragon is soaring in the sky in a perfect triangular formation with its huge body and majestic aura.
These three red dragons were flying like flames, their bright red scales burning. Their wings cut through the air, bringing up a storm. The howling wind swept across Altdorf with a thunderous roar. The huge figure cast a huge shadow in the sky, making the whole of Altdorf tremble.
However, the three red dragons of different shapes did not attack Altdorf. They were more like simply passing by, flying towards the south of Reik's territory and towards the gray mountains.
"I'll try my best to help you fight for it." After the three red dragons flew by, Darkus stopped looking up at the sky. He recognized that the red dragon flying in the front was Splinterwen. He knew the distance was agreed. The time is getting closer. Maranur was not there when Splintwen visited Golden Pool. He could see the desire and admiration in Maranur's eyes, but this time he did not swear, but spoke in a tactful tone.
Since there is no Azul in the college area, there are no restaurants opened by Azul here. The team arrived at the only restaurant on Tulm Garden Street, a restaurant that specializes in serving the surrounding middle-class groups. The decoration is not so gorgeous, but it has an intellectual atmosphere. Darkus can’t tell what it is, but it’s just It smells like that.
At noon, there are not that many customers in the restaurant. Unless it is a holiday, the group of consumers usually stay in the university at noon. The waiters in the restaurant are all part-time students in the university or trying to get close to the tutor in some way. The students, after seeing that they were all immortals, became attentive and ignored the weapons they carried. After getting a considerable tip, their attitude became more attentive, but these students still maintained a trace of literati style and did not become arrogant and courteous, and often made ugly appearances.
The arrival of the procession filled the tables near the street, each with a brass whale oil lamp and matching curtains that separated the adjacent table for privacy. The table could seat four, Drusala said. Sitting opposite Darkus with Genevieve. After he waved and said hello to the humans looking out of the window from the street next door, he picked up the menu and started reading. The group of humans had been following them since they set out in the morning. This was Altdorf, and this was He was wearing Enil's clothes, so this group of humans could always follow him.
"Eels, don't pickle them, don't want eel jelly. Tell the chef to remove all the entrails from the eels, cook them normally, don't have a fishy smell, and don't cook them too long. Apples from Stimigan? This is Kalede My favorite, three apple pies, a basket of dessert bread decorated with cinnamon and honey spirals, and, by the way, a bottle of brandy from Bretonnia."
Darkus looked through the menu . When he got up, he ignored the sullen waiter. The eel he ordered was prepared as if it were a bowl of spicy hotpot, not spicy, not spicy, not hot. After ordering, he flipped the menu over on the table and pushed it towards the two ladies.
When you come to Altdorf, you must try the local specialty: eel. After peeling off the skin and bone spurs of the eel, sprinkle some lemon peel on the fish meat, then cut it into long strips, roll up the long strips tightly, and pour salt water into the pan. Add lemon juice and bay leaves and simmer for two hours, then turn off the heat and allow the juice to solidify. Then add mashed potatoes and seasoning sauce, and a plate of stinky eel jelly comes out.
However, Darkus is not used to eating this stuff. He still likes it steamed without frying, and he can't stand it even more when it is pickled. The eel has a strong fishy smell, and it becomes even more stinky after being pickled. When he was at the river just now, he smelled a fishy smell coming from eels. The port in Altdorf mostly sells pickled eels, which are cheap, plentiful, salty, and can be eaten in one meal, so they are very popular among the lower classes. .
There is something about the apples of Stimigan, and they are deeply loved by the red dragon Caleder, the Scythe of Fire. After receiving her certification, Rick led the fruit farmers in Stimigan to release several barrels of apples every year. Offer it to her in a clearing in exchange for not burning farmland or eating humans with her breath.
Even though Caldera hasn't appeared for a long time, there are still several barrels of apples placed in the open space every year when the fruit is produced, and they are rotated throughout the harvest season to ensure freshness, so as not to find her when she suddenly returns. The tributes were nowhere to be seen. The barrel was also stamped with the "Dragon Approved" logo, and over time Stimigan's apples became famous in Reikland and Nuln.
After ordering, Darkus looked out the window, thinking about his afternoon trip to the university town, and that ordinary ring. He was thinking about how to maximize the various effects of the ring, maybe...
Damn, After searching, why is it half Aisha and half Isa?