Ten days later at noon, the ship of the Beluga Chamber of Commerce saw the huge city on the coast in the distance.
Selun came to the city-state of Moros again.
But this journey has not been smooth.
There used to be several mature shipping routes from south to north to Romania. Not to mention calm seas, at least it could ensure that merchant ships traveling between them would not encounter storms for eight or nine months out of the year.
But this time, Su Lun and the others encountered very dangerous weather several times, with tornadoes and terrifying waves. If it weren't for Tani's excellent sailing skills, ordinary seagoing ships might have sunk to the bottom of the sea.
After the sea-going ships entered the port, Su Lun found that the once bustling port of the city-state of Moros was also particularly deserted. In all likelihood, all the docks were empty. Only a few merchant ships were still unloading and loading cargo.
Most of the dock workers and slaves were idle.
There were groups of people playing cards and chatting, all of them lazy and lifeless.
"Hey, I haven't had a good time these days. The amount of goods delivered in a day is only one-tenth of what it used to be. Now the food has increased tenfold, and I can't afford to eat anymore."
"Without the arrival of grain merchants, it would be strange if grain prices didn't skyrocket!"
"Who the hell dares to come here? In the first half of the year, eight ships came from Hastelling, but they all sank into the sea in a storm. In the middle of the month, some grain merchants saw the price of grain soaring, and a dozen more ships came to transport grain.
We also encountered a storm, and in the end only three ships docked. The damn weather is getting worse and worse, who dares to come?"
"This is not a weather problem. I heard that Poseidon wants to punish Roman. Did you hear about the 'Alcatraz Island' thing?"
"Shh, don't talk nonsense."
""
Su Lun and Mr. Jing got off the boat.
Even if you don't listen deliberately, you can still hear the dock workers talking mostly about complaining about the poor transportation business.
In order to deceive others, the Beluga Chamber of Commerce brought a load of food on board. As soon as it docked, those skilled workers gathered around the ship, trying to compete for the job of unloading the ship.
The unloading matter will be handled by the stewards of the Chamber of Commerce, so Su Lun and the others don't need to worry about it.
They walked along the pier and saw the "Princess Stika" and several frigates docked in the harbor.
The two of them walked along the footpath towards the city gate.
The identity of the grain merchant was very useful. The Roman guards at the city gate did not dare to create any difficulties, and the two of them walked in smoothly.
The city is still the same city, but its popularity is much less.
Su Lun had been here once before. At that time, there were a large number of foreign merchants, adventurers and pirates gathering in the city, making it lively and prosperous.
Now all the shops are deserted, and there are only a few pedestrians on the deserted streets, who seem to be locals.
The two walked all the way and stopped near the central square.
Mr. Jing squinted and looked at the [Statue of War God Tyr] in the square. He didn't know what he was thinking about. "It's strange. Why is the power of faith in the city so thin?"
Su Lun turned his eyes and looked around.
He didn't feel any power of faith, but naturally there must be something wrong with what his senior sister said.
After a long while, Mr. Jing's frown did not relax. She still didn't seem to understand, "The Agaparthenon Temple existed thousands of years ago and should not be underestimated. You should be prepared. I will go to the city to see it first."
look."
"Um."
Su Lun nodded and didn't say much.
The two of them dispersed and walked away.
Mr. Jing received information, saying that the high priest of the Agapanaon Temple used mysterious means to predict some scenes, and he probably knew that the Dawn Group would come to the Moros city-state.
No one was stopping me. I thought it was something that was bound to happen, and there was no point in stopping it.
The masters of the North Sea Fleet are most likely already in the city at this moment, waiting for them to appear.
However, Mr. Mirror is not in the prophecy.
Before the war, they had to go to the city to check out the situation.
After the two separated, Su Lun wandered around the city alone.
He walked around the central square and unconsciously remembered that he had met the "God Painter" Vincent F. Van Gogh here. The guy also provided him with very important information.
Now that I think about it, there is a high probability that it was Katyusha's handiwork.
The marriage between the North Sea Fleet and the Marfa Empire is definitely something the Lance family who wants to control the North Sea does not want to see.
So the assassination of Princess Stika is justified.
Su Lun didn't know why, but he suddenly thought of the previous experience of being beaten by Archduke Lance, and his cheeks seemed to still hurt.
"The majestic Duke, you are really not easy to attack."
Su Lun was speechless, shook his head and continued walking.
I was just wandering around the city aimlessly. As I was walking, I unknowingly came to Walrus Street in Dongcheng.
This is the tavern district of town.
Drunkards will not stop drinking because of the economic downturn, but the place will become more and more lively.
Without the outsiders, the sailors who originally relied on ships to make a living had no jobs and spent all day drinking in taverns to drown their sorrows.
This was the busiest place in the city, so Su Lun thought about it and walked in.
He found a seat by the window and ordered a shot of rum.
It was still broad daylight, and the tavern was full of drunken sailors.
There were constant shouts and curses.
There are more people, but most of them are poor sailors, and there are no outsiders who can really spend money.
"Hey, Oval, pay the damn money you owe yesterday for the drink first."
"I said, boss, we are all old friends, how about we settle the accounts first? No adventure group has gone out to sea these days. When I find employment, we can get married together."
"Haha, in this situation, do you still want to hire someone to go to sea? Last time, hundreds of thousands of adventurers went to 'Alcatraz Island', and in the end I heard that only a few thousand people came out alive. Who the hell dares to come to Roman!"
If I hadn’t bought this tavern in the city with all the money I earned over the decades, I would have left long ago.”
"Hey, there are rumors now that the treasure is a conspiracy deliberately released by the temple, hoping to attract adventurers to use it for the 'Sea Festival'. Whether it is true or not, there are hundreds of thousands of people now, who outsiders dare to come
, who dares to take risks at sea?"
"What a bullshit rumor! Do you really think that the current storm on the sea is fake, and that hundreds of thousands of people died are fake? If those people in the temple hadn't done some shameful and dirty things, how could it be like this?"
"Hush, don't say this nonsense."
"What's there to say? Who doesn't know that this is Poseidon's punishment? Damn it, the priests in the temple usually pretend to be pure and fair, but in the end they are all superficial."
"Stop it, offending the temple priest is a serious crime."
"Offended? Hahaha. Now the news has spread. Who doesn't know about it in the city! [The Muse's Harp] is placed in the city. If it is true, don't you go to some priests and play it to find out? God
Do those cousins in the temple dare to show their faces? If the merchants really dare to come if there is no food, do you know how many people Luo Man will starve to death? I’ll take it lightly!"
""
Drinking makes people bold, and these drunken rough men all blushed and cursed more and more energetically.
Su Lun sat there and listened for a while, and gradually became interested.
He was a witness to the "Alcatraz Incident" and naturally knew that what these sailors said was true.
But what puzzled Su Lun was that the news shouldn't spread so fast.
If he were Roman in power, this kind of negative public opinion would definitely be suppressed at all costs.
Moreover, the temple is the belief of the Roman people after all, and the authority accumulated over thousands of years cannot collapse just because of some "rumors".
What's going on with those people who keep saying "show me"?
Although Su Lun knew about the scandal in the Temple of Agaparthenon.
The high priest Helvier was Oleg's sweetheart and gave birth to an illegitimate son, Onis Popov, the captain of the Third Fleet. That guy was not a fuel-saving lamp, and he made all the priestesses in the temple angry.
.
But ordinary people shouldn’t know about this kind of scandal!
"Is someone deliberately spreading this news?"
Su Lun immediately guessed something.
He had heard of the [Harp of the Muses] before. It was also a lost sacred object in Roman legend.
Legend has it that only the purest girls can pluck the strings and play the most beautiful music in the world.
In the past, the temple priestesses would often play it during major holidays to collect treasures of faith.
And what a coincidence that the harp, which had disappeared for hundreds of years, appeared at this juncture?
Nowadays, the priests of the Temple of Agapathenon are not virgins, so naturally they cannot play the strings.
If it had been any other thing, it would have been destroyed by the Romans long ago, but this [harp of the Muses] is a sacred object of faith, and no one dares to touch it.
Therefore, Mr. Jing previously wondered about the reason for the collapse of faith in the city. Is this the reason?
Isn't this a divine assist?
Su Lun thought this was good news.
For believers in God, the power of faith is the most important source of power that determines combat effectiveness.
Once the temple loses its credibility, Roman's warriors may not obey their orders.
Just like now.
In addition to sailors, there were also many Roman locals in the tavern, and there were even some soldiers wearing standard armor.
But listening to the sailors cursing at the temple, these warriors were all drinking heavily, and no one was complaining.
But knowing that he has done something shameless, no matter how brave a soldier is, he has no confidence in his heart.
The "war god Tyr" believed by the Romans represents integrity and justice.
They are not afraid of life and death, but they are not ashamed of despicable and dirty methods.
Moreover, the Romans would face problems and solve them head-on, instead of the temple's current approach of avoiding them.
This really makes everyone full of doubts
"Who is spreading this news?"
Su Lun felt more and more curious.
People in the North Sea Fleet will definitely feel that the biggest enemy is the "Dawn Regiment" who is spreading rumors.
But Su Lun knew that it was not them who did it!
"The natural reason for doing this kind of thing is to weaken the strength of the North Sea Fleet and destroy the foundation of faith in the Agaparnon Temple. Those who have this motive are none other than the Luying royal family and several big nobles in the north."
Su Lun cleared it up in his mind, and suddenly thought of something, and thought to himself: "Is it the Lance family behind Katyusha?"
I had met the "Tulip Duke" Bartolo Reims in Beihai before. He was a majestic grand duke. He was definitely not just here to beat me up. He probably had other plans.
Su Lun thought of this, took another sip of wine, and didn't think about it any more.
Anyway, this is good for their Dawn Regiment.
He took out his communicator and contacted Mr. Jing and told him the information he had obtained.
There was also news from Mr. Jing, who originally planned to ask the Chamber of Commerce to contact Kai to see if he could redeem him. Now it has been determined that he can't, and he must be prepared for a fight at all times.
Moreover, she also discovered many powerful people in the city.
However, everything went as planned
After hanging up the communicator, Suellen drank the whole bottle of rum.
He didn't plan to stay in the tavern any longer, so he stood up and was about to leave.
But at this moment, a man with a cloak covering his face walked in from outside the tavern, looked around the tavern, and then walked straight to Su Lun's table.
"Sir, can you buy me a drink?"
The voice is very soft and pleasant to the ear.
Even if you don't see the face, you can guess that this must be a girl with a good face.
But Su Lun's expression became very surprised.
From the moment this person entered the door, he recognized this familiar soul and asked: "Katyusha?"
The cloaked man lifted the brim of the cloak but did not take it off, revealing his bright smile: "Mr. Su Lun, long time no see."
The tone was still intimate, as bright as the sunshine in spring.
Su Lun saw a girl's face and frowned.
But it was not the Katyusha he knew.
There are no freckles on her face, and there are no big flaxen braids, but a very beautiful purple hair.
This is an aristocratic lady who is so beautiful that one would be stunned at a glance, enough to be called an aristocratic lady.
The purple-haired girl smiled and sat on the high stool opposite Su Lun. The details of her behavior were full of the elegance and self-cultivation of a top noble lady. She put on her cape again and said, "Sorry, my appearance is...
It’s not very convenient to be exposed here.”
Su Lun felt strange.
After pondering for a moment, he asked: "Should I call you 'Katyusha' or 'Miss Ekaterina'?"
"Everything is fine."
The purple-haired girl tilted her head, her big watery eyes showing an eccentric expression.
She heard the emotional fluctuations in Su Lun's tone and responded: "I never lied to you. 'Katyusha' is my nickname. Only my closest family members would call me that."
"oh."
Su Lun was inexplicably a little disappointed.
The originally young girl suddenly turned into a graceful noble lady in front of her.
It does look better.
But this was not the friend he knew.
The Katyusha he knew was an innocent girl, as pure as a blank sheet of paper, but also poetic.
Although the person in front of me concealed it very well, it really wasn't true.
And when I met here, there was an air of conspiracy.
Su Lun vaguely guessed something.
Seeing Su Lun like this, the purple-haired girl's innocent smile slowly faded away, and the luster in her eyes was extremely deep.
She restrained her pretense and smiled politely to herself: "I originally wanted to meet you as an acquaintance. But it seems like it was self-defeating."
The words explain,
The two fell into silence.
Su Lun knew that meeting here would only involve seeking personal gain.
He sighed slightly in his heart and asked directly: "Miss Yekaterina, what do you want from me?"
Ekaterina was also very straightforward: "I want to make a deal with you."
Su Lun was not surprised at all: "About the North Sea Fleet?"
Seeing this person, he knew that everything in Beihai's situation had her shadow.
The slave-hunting plan in Silent Forest, Shanyin's reform movement, the assassination in Pirate City, and the current fermentation of public opinion in Roman City
This is a politician whose skills and scheming are outstanding.
Ekaterina shook her head and responded: "Originally, this was one of the purposes. But it is no longer."
Su Lun raised his eyebrows: "Oh?"
This answer really exceeded his expectations. If it wasn't for the upcoming battle, then why?
Ekaterina said calmly: "The North Sea Fleet and Princess Namafa have set up an ambush here waiting for you to come. Everyone thinks that your 'Dawn Group' will definitely be destroyed."
After saying this, she stopped and raised her glass and gestured.
Su Lun clinked the wine glass politely and took a big sip of wine.
Ekaterina also took a sip, elegantly, and only tasted it briefly.
She is no longer the silly little girl who got herself drunk.
She added: "I originally wanted to remind you that Oleg is here in person. But since you are here, my warning is unnecessary. It seems that your mysterious leader of Dawn should also be here."
Su Lun glanced at her, "How did you know?"
Yekaterina's eyes were as bright as the stars, as if nothing could be hidden from her: "It's not divination. The high priest of the Agapanaon Temple didn't have the ability to predict that kind of existence.
I just know that Mr. Su Lun, your character will not be so reckless. Even though you knew that there was an ambush in the Moros city-state, you still came, so you must be sure. I thought that only the mysterious leader of your Dawn organization came.
"
""
Su Lun didn't respond.
After pondering for a moment, he asked again: "So what is the content of the transaction?"
Upon hearing the inquiry, Ekaterina did not rush to answer.
She swirled her delicate white fingers around the rim of the cup, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said a few words: "I need to marry into the Raigadi family."
The voice was very low, but Su Lun frowned instantly when he heard it.
He understood something immediately.
Political marriage
Su Lun almost forgot that he also has the identity of "Fick Regadi"
Su Lun is not Fike, and has no interest in any kind of marriage.
Hearing this, he took a sip of wine expressionlessly.
Now that I think about it, many things become clear.
The reason why I was assassinated by Young Master William of Leiga was because of this marriage.
Although I don't know why she didn't choose William, who was obviously better, but chose "Fick".
But it makes no sense anymore.
Su Lun has always been brooding over his death.
But now that I know the truth, it doesn't seem to be important anymore.
Why do I feel so irritable in my heart?
Is it because of the meeting in Blizzard City that Angry, a friend who can drink, has become part of the machinations?
Yekaterina continued: "This marriage will not have much impact on you. What matters is the identity of 'Fike Regadi'. Mr. Su Lun, you are still Su Lun. The only thing you need to do is
, that is, to appear in Linton three months later and accept Her Majesty the Queen's blessing with me. Only then will all the nobles in Lu Ying recognize this marriage. Before and after that, we can have no contact."
The essence of political marriage is the exchange of interests.
There was no personal emotion in the words.
The largest noble in the north and the ambitious Leijiadi family in the south have joined forces. This is an existence that even the Lu Ying royal family is afraid of.
Lu Ying's political situation is about to change.
Yekaterina added: "As a condition, I will help you in this battle. I will also give you more resources and convenience later. This will cover the future cooperation, protection, development, etc. of your Dawn Regiment."
Su Lun listened silently and had nothing to say.
This "Miss Ekaterina" is extremely smart. She has already considered everything before she opens her mouth.
This marriage also has huge benefits for Su Lun.
A useless "identity" in exchange for endless benefits.
But Su Lun didn't know why, but couldn't arouse the slightest interest.
He felt very irritable, did not respond to Catherine's condition, and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
The atmosphere became gradually unfamiliar.
The purple-haired girl sitting in front of him is still calm, calm, rational and steady.
But she seemed to see something, and an imperceptible emotional fluctuation quietly passed through her eyes.
At this time, she finally took out a box she carried with her.
Su Lun had seen this meteorite treasure box before, and he still clearly remembered that the treasure box once contained many exquisite and precious small meteorites.
Now open,
There is also a scored gold coin hidden inside.
Ekaterina took out the gold coin, put it on the table, and said solemnly: "Mr. Sullen, you once gave me this gold coin. Now, can I use it?"
Su Lun naturally recognized the gold coin at a glance.
"I owe you a favor", this is what he said when he took out this gold coin and gave it to Katyusha.
Now that he saw it, Su Lun's expressionless face suddenly burst into a sneer.
At this moment, a certain thought in my mind seemed to have stopped.
There was nothing to hesitate about. He picked up the gold coin on the table and said without any emotion in his tone: "Okay! I will appear in Linton in three months."
With that said, he got up and left.
With a flick of his finger, he didn't take away the gold coins and left them on the table again.
But this time, the gold coin used as a token was used to buy wine.
From beginning to end, Ekaterina showed the calmness and wisdom she should have.
But at this moment, a different light burst into her eyes.
The moment she watched the man turn around, she suddenly spoke and said a very poetic sentence: "Meeting must be because of fate, not any other factors."
Su Lun chuckled lightly.
Never looked back.
Nothing matters anymore.
He walked out of the tavern, and his back looked inexplicably sad.
From the moment I turned around,
He knew he had lost a very good friend.
The storage ring, and the letter left by that good friend.
"I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. Because, this is the best ending I can think of for the story."
"Mr. Su Lun, you must remember that we once saw this starry sky together. I hid my face among the stars. If you really think of me occasionally, just look up at the stars at night. The stars will give you
Bring my blessings."
"If we continue writing, Katyusha will become a carefree great troubadour in the story. But our story ends here. We will probably never see each other again, so you should take good care of yourself. Katyusha
Sha
「」
It turned out that she had already said goodbye.
Only then did Su Lun realize it later.
Suellen is gone.
Ekaterina lowered her head and looked at the gold coins on the table. Her beautiful face was completely covered by the cloak.
No one saw her nose wrinkle slightly, and there were sporadic sparkles in her eyes.
The first secret love in a girl's life may not be a lot of love, nor may it be very sweet. But the innocent love of spring is a hot emotion that she will never forget in her life. It is also the only time in her life. Be brave and sincere. Just like the brilliant wild flowers in poetry, they bloom spontaneously. Although they are not delicate enough, when you look back at the flowers, their colors are still bright.
Surun is not only a romantic poem in Katyusha's life, but also many unique and beautiful pictures.
Take that bite,
I will probably remember it for many years.
Thoughts are racing.
Wait until the sparkle in your eyes completely dissipates,
this moment,
She finally settled into the holy realm.
Yekaterina looked at the figure walking further and further away from her heart, and murmured to herself: "You are the only man Katyusha has ever been attracted to. In this case, then write a poem as a farewell. .”
She looked out of the window and looked up at the southeastern sky, with a cold smile on her lips.
She dipped her wine in wine and wrote a line of poetry on the table:
The blue sky sparkled with dewdrops,
golden clouds,
scratched,
listen,
The wind howls;
look,
The stars sparkled in the flames;
On this day, my dream woke up and it left me far away;
Like the meteor falling during the day, the light of an instant blooms with dazzling beauty~
Before the handwriting was dry, Yekaterina's eyes were already full of ruthless sternness.
She shouted softly: "Astrological Alchemy·Red Emperor!"
Outside the city, someone suddenly started shouting.
"It's not good! Look at the sky!"
"Stars falling in the day, my God, is this a punishment from the gods?"
"The meteor seems to be heading towards the temple!"
""
There was a commotion in the city-state of Moros. Everyone crowded on the streets and looked at the sky, shocked.
At the same time, in an unknown ancient street in Xicheng, Mr. Jing was strolling leisurely on the stone road. She seemed to have noticed something. She looked at the strange image that suddenly appeared in the sky, and smiled and said to herself: "Su Lun is still here." You really have a great friend.”