At sunset, the day of public prayer of the Emerald Celebration is coming to an end, but the entire Emerald City is brightly lit, and many streets are still bustling with gongs and drums, and from time to time, fireworks shoot up into the night sky from all directions, as if the carnival has just begun.
But Prince Thales was not in such a good mood.
When Glover, D.D and the team sent to support them returned to Kongming Palace, almost everyone was injured and all suffered losses:
Toledo's knife-wielding hand was dislocated and there was a big gash on his shoulder; Morgan remained silent and applied medicine to his wound; the disgraced Rolf needed to replace a prosthetic leg; Niecy broke
He had a head injury and seemed to have a slight concussion; Miranda had multiple minor scratches, but she refused treatment and just sat silently holding her sword; Paul fired ten arrows in a short period of time, straining his muscles and fingers.
He also needed to be bandaged; Glover was covered in blood and looked very scary, second only to his terrifying expression when he came back, as if he wanted to eat everyone alive.
Morale is low and the atmosphere is heavy.
"When we arrived, the wool merchant named Diop had been silenced, along with his mistress."
Mallos followed Thales and reported gloomily:
"We rescued Glover and D.D, and also fought against the murderer in black who had special powers. The result... As you can see, most of the people were slightly injured, and Glover was the most seriously injured.
Buddha, fortunately he is thick-skinned and thick-skinned, but..."
"Just?" The prince comforted the dizzy Nexi and turned to Marius.
Mallos paused for a second:
"It's just the killer's superpower... Toledo has been suffering from nausea and vomiting, Aaronde has suffered from headaches and auditory hallucinations, Nixi is a little anxious, and has to pinch himself every few minutes to make sure he is not dreaming...
"Glover was in the most serious condition. He was in a coma for an hour before he woke up. The process of his recovery was also quite thrilling. I almost wrote an obituary for Piroga's family saying 'killed accidentally while tending to the injured'..."
"Morgan didn't say anything after he came back, but he has been silent for two hours... Rolf's symptoms were the mildest. He was able to walk after replacing his legs. Of course, if he really had any symptoms, he probably couldn't tell clearly.
"
Thales frowned, and Mallos's expression became colder as he spoke:
"Although everyone is getting better, obviously, everyone, everyone who has met the killer is..."
"Damn it, you can't imagine how nervous you were at that moment, it was such a critical moment!"
A voice with an obviously different emotional tone sounded from the other side of the room, attracting the attention of Thales and Mallos.
"I know, I know, Guard Officer Doyle," Wyatt frowned, holding a notebook, "Just, can you tell me more about the killer in black? Especially his abilities?"
"certainly!"
D.D, who had a bandage on his head, slapped his thigh and saliva flew everywhere.
"I saw him holding a zombie in one hand and Miss Miranda in the other. He was about to raise the knife and drop it, but I yelled, 'Hey, Doyle is here,' and stepped forward to fight with the killer.
The situation is fierce with the flash of swords and shadows..."
"Wait a minute, he's holding someone with both hands, how can he lift the knife and drop it?" Huaiya questioned.
"Oh, really? Then maybe I remembered it wrong. Oh, don't interrupt me. You see, I remembered it wrong when you interrupt me..."
Thales and Mallos stood in the distance, squinting their eyes together.
"Well," Mallos' eyebrows arched subtly, "maybe not everyone."
Thales squeezed the stuffed bear on his hand with an unpredictable expression.
"It doesn't matter," the prince said calmly, "As long as everything is fine."
Mallos glanced at his embarrassed subordinates, and many of them turned their heads in shame.
Among the crowd, Glover gritted his teeth and stood up: "Your Highness, it's me..."
"It's my fault," Mallos turned around. "My layout underestimated the enemy. Although the murderer was hit by an arrow, he was cunning and agile. The route he chose was extremely tricky. He could either break in through a window or use indoor cover.
Either you hide yourself in the shadow of the courtyard wall or the eaves, where the crossbows of Itarriano and Paolo will not be able to hit them, and it will be extremely difficult for us to intercept them."
Thales held the stuffed bear tightly and remained calm.
"At that moment, the teams from the Security Department and the Emerald Legion arrived, led by Captain Seychelles himself. Many citizens were alerted and came to watch."
Thales exhaled:
"It came so quickly."
Mallos nodded:
"To be on the safe side, I asked everyone to give up chasing the murderer, immediately cover their tracks, and disperse into the crowd to retreat. After all, if the Star Lake Guards, especially Glover and D.D, who were covered in blood and looked suspicious, were caught at the murder scene, then say
I don’t know, the trouble and loss this will bring to Your Highness is far greater than letting the murderer go."
Mallos raised his head:
"Therefore, it is my responsibility to let the murderer go."
After the words fell, no one in the lounge dared to speak. Everyone looked nervously at the prince who was slowly stroking the bear, waiting for his response.
"You made the right decision, Thor."
A few minutes later, Thales shook his head:
"Think about it, 'Prince Thales indulged his subordinates in home invasion and murder' Zhan must be very happy to see that scene, and if any of you fall into his hands, not only will it not be easy, but it will also become the best excuse and
Chips.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"And not only that," Thales said with a deep expression, "Think about it, you found the murderer's murder scene, but he happened to not leave. What is the probability?"
Miranda looked sharply:
"Your Highness, are you saying that the killer in black is there specifically waiting for zombies and Doyle to come to your door?"
Hearing this, Glover frowned, and D.D also stopped talking.
"If you hadn't arrived for support," Thales raised the bear in his hand, his eyes flickering, "I guess one of them would have been killed and the other injured, unconscious, and then captured by the security department who 'just arrived'.
Sent to trial for murder."
Glover sighed, and D.D's eyes widened.
"But luckily," Thales raised his head, "Thor, you made the decision to retreat immediately and didn't let anyone else take the blame."
Then, Prince Tails' days of playing around in the Emerald City will come to an end with the shocking news of "Star Lake Guards breaking into a house and killing people."
Thales thought:
Hilley is right, in the Emerald City, no action can be hidden from Zhan En.
From Moss, to Diop, to now... he is at an absolute disadvantage.
"It's just good luck," Mallos shook his head, "and we should do better."
"Excuse me for interrupting, Your Highness, everyone."
Huaiya stood up, held him up and asked all the way down, memorizing the densely packed notebook.
"So, the Kevin Dill family secretly raises an extreme swordsman with special powers and the ability to create illusions, who is responsible for silencing people and killing people?"
Wyatt's question silenced everyone, and many people who had been to Diop's mansion lowered their heads.
"wrong."
Miranda spoke suddenly.
"Mira?"
"I have seen masters who have truly reached the extreme level, and I have even fought against them. I know what it feels like." Miranda hugged "Eagle Soar" in her arms tighter, "But that killer in black, he...
My feeling is very strange."
"Ms. Allende?" Mallos asked.
"The exquisiteness of his swordsmanship and the keenness of his consciousness are the only ones I have seen in my life, and even surpass some of the extreme warriors I know."
Miranda shook her head: "But his movements, his strength, and the coordination of his body can only be said to be average, far behind his swordsmanship and consciousness. It seems that he has suffered some serious injury, which has affected his health.
I can’t use my full strength.”
Miranda stared at the black-gloved palms, her eyes tranced.
"Thank God," Nexi said weakly, "Fortunately."
"But he is very young," Glover added. "His voice sounds like he is in his thirties, no more than forty."
Huaiya thought for a moment and quickly remembered something:
"So, he is a rising star who is one step away from the extreme realm, or in other words, an extreme master who has been injured before?"
"Not a rising star," Itarriano sighed, "I don't want to say this, but I saw it clearly from the rooftop: when he broke through the four of you, the scene was like a cat playing with a mouse."
Toledo, Nishi, Morgan and Rolf's faces turned ugly.
"I think he definitely has far more combat experience than imagined, and may be a battlefield veteran." Itarriano concluded.
"Not a veteran," Morgan said with a cold snort. "Veterans who have been on the battlefield, fought in crowds, and know how to fight in groups don't fight like him. That guy is more likely to have been trained on the training ground and the duel stage."
."
"A master of swordsmanship, with extraordinary consciousness, but not at the extreme level. His body is lagging behind and he has been injured. He is in his thirties. He is a young rising star with rich experience, but he is not a veteran on the battlefield..."
Huaiya read the key points he had just memorized and said with a headache:
"Damn it, why are all these pieces of information contradictory?"
"One more thing," Mallos suddenly said, "the limitations of superpowers."
Thales looked at him:
"Thor?"
The watchman took a deep breath and looked at everyone:
"The world is fair. If a person wants to develop his superpowers enough to fight, the effort, concentration and time required are no less than practicing the power of termination and becoming a super swordsman. If you are greedy
, training your superpowers and swordsmanship at the same time, the most likely result is that both are useless."
Thales asked: "In other words, it is difficult for a person to become a warrior who is both proficient in supernatural powers and possesses the power of termination?"
But Huaiya was even more confused:
"But that killer in black has good swordsmanship and super powers..."
"I remembered," Miranda's eyes flashed, "He did say that you can't control your own powers."
"But it's enough to knock down everyone who comes within one foot of him, faster than taking drugs." Anger flashed in Glover's eyes.
A gust of wind blew, attracting everyone's attention: Rolf made a gesture on the wall.
"What did he say?" Mallos asked
Thales looked at Rolf's gesture and said doubtfully:
"He said that influencing others... well, the ability to influence minds is very rare, and often comes at a heavy price, with serious sequelae. Even among people with superpowers, very few people can achieve that kind of effect."
At this moment, an unexpected voice sounded, hesitantly.
"Your Highness, sir, I think I may know who that guy is."
Mallos frowned:
"Doyle?"
Everyone's eyes turned to D.D. He took a deep breath with a complicated expression:
"That killer, he knows the 'Legion 10', Teacher Joaquin's 'Legion 10'."
As soon as this statement came out, most people were confused, and only a few people's expressions changed slightly.
"Who is Joaquin?" Thales asked.
"Knight Joaquin, or Master Joaquin," Mallos said solemnly, "He used to be the prince's attendant before the coronation of the late King Eddie, and later became the chief swordsmanship instructor of the Bright Star Royal Family and the chief swordsman of the royal family's standing army.
The instructor is a famous swordsman in the kingdom and one of the representatives of imperial swordsmanship. Of course, he is also the teacher of Guard Officer Doyle."
After the words fell, many people's expressions changed, including Thales, and the way they looked at D.D was also different.
The former king's attendant.
The chief swordsman of the Canxing Royal Family.
Chief swordsmanship instructor of the Standing Army.
Master of swordsmanship.
And D.D’s teacher.
Wait, was that last title misplaced?
"Judging from his tone, he knows Mr. Joaquin," Doyle said calmly, his eyes focused, "We have a lot of connections."
The watchman frowned:
"But precisely because of Master Joaquin's status, there are thousands, not to mention tens of thousands, of people who have been mentored and influenced by him and have drawn nutrients from the 'Ten Forms of the Legion', not to mention that these people will later spread their skills.
Doyle, are you..."
But D.D shook his head:
"I know what you mean, sir, but Teacher Joaquin's other students or further disciples have more or less their own swordsmanship styles after they become teachers."
D.D's eyes slowly focused, showing a seriousness that Thales had never seen before and could hardly imagine seeing in Doyle.
"But the man in black, his 'Legion Ten Styles', is definitely the purest, Teacher Joaquin's style," Doyle said in a daze, "Only those who have been around him for many years, and who have been taught by his words and deeds day and night, can
Only then can it be done.”
"Over the years, you mean..." Mallos said.
D.D took a deep breath and looked at everyone:
"Yes, those knight attendants who have followed Teacher Joaquin and regarded him as their knight master, taught him one-on-one skills according to the ancient knight method, and inherited his inheritance, only they can do it."
Mallos's expression changed slightly:
"If it's true, then...are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Doyle said with a rare look of worry on his face, "in the name of the bedside bear."
Thales subconsciously looked at the bear in his hand.
Everyone was silent for a while, and Mallos raised his head:
"As far as I know, before his death, Knight Joaquin took in nine attendants..."
"Eight and a half."
D.D. interrupted Mallos in a rare move.
"He passed away before I could complete my training."
Doyle still looked like he was in a state of confusion. At the end of the sentence, he curled up the corners of his mouth with unclear meaning.
Everyone looked at D.D's expression in surprise at this moment and started whispering ("Let me just say, that power still has an impact...").
"Okay, then we need relevant information."
Mallos nodded to Hugo Fubi, who was holding the flag.
The flag officer had no expression on his face when he heard this, turned around and left the room.
Everyone fell silent, and for a while the only sound was the rustle of Wyatt taking notes.
"Okay, let's not talk about the killer in black for now," Thales sighed, feeling everyone's depression, "Now, Dagory Moss has gone to see this Diop, and then, now both of them are
died."
"They were all silenced." Miranda said coldly.
"There must be something wrong with him." Glover clenched his fists.
Mallos nodded: "Diop is dead, but he must have left something behind. I will let others take a look to see if there are any clues."
But Thales raised the bear and shook his head with it.
"No. First of all, the Emerald Legion and the Security Hall will leave nothing for you. Secondly, we almost fell into Zhan's trap. We can't make the same mistake again."
Everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Someone told me that Zhan's control over the Emerald City is beyond imagination," Thales said, "Now I understand."
"Your Highness?" Mallos asked.
Thales came back to his senses and looked at his subordinates seriously:
"I remembered that Moss mentioned that if he wanted to do something that was not officially known to the authorities, he had 'connections' in the New Suburbs and the Canal District..."
"Connections?"
Thales nodded: "'The Alpha Wolf' Lazanchi Feisuo and the 'Wanderer' Fogg, try to find these two people."
Glover's expression changed: "Head Wolf, Wanderer, Your Highness, they are"
"The Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, yes, underground gangs," Thales said with certainty, "are outside of Zhan's sight."
Mallos was silent for a while and looked at Glover and Rolf.
"Now, forget what happened today and have a good rest," the prince said solemnly, "and I am going to meet Zhan En and ask for some interest from him."
Marius accepted the order.
Thales took a step forward, and Huaiya quickly put away his notes and followed.
But Thales didn't even take two steps before he stomped his feet.
D.D was thinking deeply about something when he suddenly felt a weight in his arms.
He stood up in a hurry, only to find that what appeared in front of him was the one he was very familiar with.
Ragdoll bear?
Eh?
Danny Doyle looked up in surprise.
"Tsk tsk, don't you even look in the mirror?"
Under everyone's surprised eyes, Thales shook his head and walked out of the room:
"My eyes are so red, sleep well and don't stay up late."