"If I don't come back tonight, tell the Mage Tower and the Scavenger immediately that Augusta Olmedo is colluding with the rat people."
"You still want to go if it's so dangerous?" Francois said with a frown.
"Because that's the way to get answers."
Augusta Olmedo did not know that Annan knew that he was the murderer behind the scenes - this was Annan's advantage. The Rat Man's conspiracy in Breeze City was destroyed, which was a perfect time to observe Augusta Olmedo's reaction.
"Do you need us to come with you?" Michael asked, but Annan refused.
After meeting Agarwal, the master of the mage tower, Annan had a clear and intuitive understanding of power - he had no means to compete with an epic mage.
In the evening, Annan arrived at the Olmedo family mansion.
Standing outside the gate and looking out, the meticulously pruned shrubs and branches seemed to reveal the old-fashioned and lawful nature of the manor owner, which gave Annan a new doubt - why would a lawful, rigid, and ancient aristocrat turn to Chaos?
A carriage with the emblem of the Olmedo family drove up to Annan, but it was not Olmedo who came down.
"Cousin!"
Martin, carrying a jeweled sword, jumped out of the carriage and embraced Annan passionately, with the buttons on his chest struggling to hold him up.
"You're fat."
"You should address me with respect!"
"What honorific?"
"You should call me... uh... call me..."
Annan's eyes moved from Martin, who was drooling with thought, to the housekeeper who opened the door.
"Your Excellency Annan, Master Martin, Master and Master Jeffrey are waiting for you two in the restaurant."
Annan and Martin followed the butler into the mansion and came to the dining room illuminated by dozens of candlelights.
Augusta sat in the main seat and Olmedo sat next to him. It was like the serious atmosphere in the parliament hall that made it difficult to relax.
Annan felt tired before dinner even started.
Even though the servants were serving food, the silence of the restaurant was not disturbed. It was Martin who tried to break the deadlock by stuffing a whole chicken leg into his mouth and making a grunting sound.
Annan remained quiet, not foolish enough to ask Augusta Olmedo what he thought of what happened last night.
"Father, Annan saved the Mage Tower and Breeze City yesterday."
Olmedo spoke for Annan.
The old Augusta was neither happy nor resentful, as if it had nothing to do with him:
"Child, everything in this world is entangled with threads, and everything we do affects these threads..."
"Don't you think I should find the Skaven in Breeze?"
"If Colani had not bought the pearl, the kingdom would not have been destroyed." Augusta Olmedo said this.
The origin of this allusion is that a prince, Kelani, who was preparing to support the royal capital, passed by a caravan station when he was marching. He stopped there to buy a pearl. As a result, he was delayed, the royal capital fell, the country was destroyed, and that
A pearl became the culprit and the story spread.
Annan happened to have read this story and had a different opinion: "Prince Kelani rushed to the royal capital, and he might end up being buried with the royal capital. The smart thing to do at this time would be to establish a new territory."
"What about you? Annan, do you want to have your own territory?"
"...I don't understand what you mean."
The old man on the main seat said: "I can apply to the royal capital for noble status and allocate territory for you."
"When you didn't come, my father told me that you had the potential to become a lord." Olmedo said with a smile, "You have the cheekiness and brains to become a lord."
He was releasing his kindness, but he still forced himself to leave Breeze City.
"Because only if you become a lord, you will not usurp the position of the city lord." Augusta Olmedo seemed to have guessed what Annan was thinking.
Olmedo's expression became complicated.
"What's so hard about this?"
At this time, Martin raised his head from the dinner plate, smacking his mouth full of grease: "Cousin, you can marry him."
Annan fell silent, Olmedo stiffened, and Augusta silently picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth.
"I want to find the murderer first."
Annan really wanted to have his own territory, but how could Augusta Olmedo, who had ruined his plot, sincerely give away the territory?
In any case, Martin's gag made the dinner less heavy.
If Augusta Olmedo's invitation was the first shock tonight, back at the manor, the news of the arrival of Master Irilanze was the second shock.
"The elf said that the gift for you was placed in the room." The head maid said.
Annan hopes it won’t be a gift box that can hold one person...
An Nan came to the bedroom anxiously. Annan did not find the suspicious gift box, nor did he see the strange bulge in the quilt.
After checking the balcony, under the bed and in the closet, Annan picked up a casually pressed note on the dressing table that didn't look like a love letter.
[I am Della Annan. I must confess that I deceived you... In fact, I am a rat-man. The rat-man lurking in the Winchet family. Becoming your guard was an accident. The priest asked me to continue after knowing it.
Lurking]
[Your actions last night made the priest angry. That guy asked me to kill you. I didn’t want to do that, but I couldn’t disobey the order, so... I stole the leaves that the elf left for you. It can help me get rid of you.
The dirty blood of the rat men. These names are the rat men I know who have sneaked into the city. I know this is not enough to repay the debt, so I owe you]
[Goodbye little guy, maybe one day in the future, I will appear in front of you as an elf]
Scanning these words quietly, Annan didn't feel much betrayal, only the sadness of his friend leaving - maybe for a boy, the temptation of eternal life is not as good as that of the girl next door.
It's just that Della stole the gift from the elf mentor. The "leaf" that can turn the rat man into an elf... Could it be the leaves of the World Tree?
Annan couldn't think of anything that could be compensated for the elf mentor. The only valuable things he owned were Omlado rays and the countess's gemstone necklace.
"Dara?"
There was no response to Annan's call, and Della had indeed left...
…
Early the next morning, Annan told Michael and the others about Della's identity and departure.
"How is that possible?!"
Michael couldn't believe it: "Isn't she also killing ratmen..."
"So she chose to help me instead of helping the rat people."
The elf mentor was not there, so Annan took the opportunity to hand the gem necklace to Evelin as a prop to be used later.
"Thank you, Jack." Evelin held up the gem necklace in surprise.
After a while, the room was lit with warm and ambiguous candlelight.
Red Ghost and Betty were standing in the corner. Evelin was lying on the sofa wearing a gauze skirt that outlined her youthful figure, shyly but firmly looking at Annan in front of the drawing board.
Annan, who was holding a paintbrush and pretending to paint, suddenly noticed that Evelin's lower abdomen was flashing purple patterns. He stared at it for a few times in confusion, moved the oil lamp next to the sofa, and looked again.
The lines reflected on Evelin's lower abdomen disappeared.
