After the second day of the martial arts competition, the four Guerrillas returned to the Guerrilla Association to report to Ainan. When asked to find a suitable training venue, Ainan took out a copy of the underground waterway of the royal capital.
The key was handed to Jin, the team leader.
"This is one of the underground waterway keys managed by the Royal Capital Branch. Use this key to open the entrance to the underground waterway next to the Wangli Arena. After entering the area over there, you may encounter quite powerful monsters. Esty
Ersan, Joshua San, Agathe, and Mr. Jin, I heard that you successfully entered the finals. Although it is a bit regretful for Cruz and the others, I heard that the competition was very exciting."
"Well, I originally thought it was a fierce battle. But it can't be compared with the next one. Compared with the seniors, our strength still needs to be improved..." Estelle is still a little bit
Self-aware.
"Although that Second Lieutenant Lawrence lost, he is still a great master. And silver hair is really rare among Liber people." Jin recalled the true appearance of Second Lieutenant Lawrence.
"Brother Jin, have you forgotten? Silver Flash Sherazade also has silver hair." Agathe said.
"Yes, I accidentally forgot about Sheila-kun. I'm sorry, but compared to Sheila-kun's hair color, Lieutenant Lawrence's hair color is more golden. It seems to be called 'pale blonde', right?"
I didn’t expect that he would be eliminated in the semi-finals. Things are so unpredictable.”
"It's useless to think about that. We have to fight that guy tomorrow, and we have to work harder," Agathe said.
"Brother Agathe is right, that is not an enemy that can be easily fought. We need to carefully study the tactics we will use tomorrow." Joshua said.
"With this kind of ambition, I think you will continue to make progress." Ainan nodded to them.
While Ainan was talking, the guerrillas who had returned first also walked down the stairs. The blue-haired Karuna and the red-haired Kurac chatted a few words with Team Jin.
"You have to participate in the finals tomorrow. As representatives of the Guerrilla Association, it's up to you tomorrow. Well, actually, it's not our turn to say these things. Fortunately, your team will win. If our team faced that stronger team
You are such a shameless oriental martial artist, we probably have no chance of winning," Karuna said.
"Although we lost today, the game itself does not make me regret it at all. Agathe, let's learn from each other and improve after you return to Perth." Kurac, who is also a sword wielder, recognized Agathe.
After gaining strength, the attitude towards Agathe is no longer the same as that of seniors towards juniors.
"Okay, no problem. I'll go back to Perth after I finish my business in the royal capital." Agathe agreed immediately.
After coming out of Wangli Arena, Qiaoste did not return to the embassy immediately, but asked Ling to go shopping with her. Looking at Qiaoste lingering in front of various shops asking questions, Ling felt that she was not real
It's shopping, but it's a job similar to gathering intelligence.
"Of course. Since you want to enter the social circle, the places you have been to before will become indispensable topics of conversation. Now that you have come to Liber's Flower City, wouldn't it be in vain if you don't check out the local customs and customs here?
Already."
"I don't see that you are quite understanding. I thought you were the more open-minded and heroic type."
"Well, you want to say that I'm careless, right? But even so, I'm still working hard." There was no anger in Qiaoste's words. Moreover, when she treated Ling, she was not as respectful as she was at the beginning.
Respectfully. We spent an afternoon watching the game together and chatting together in the arena, and we have almost become familiar with each other.
"But compared to our Erebonian Empire, the situation in the Kingdom of Liber is really complicated. The Queen, the Royal Army, and the Intelligence Department, I can't tell who is the leader of Grancel. I heard
Lieber completely abolished the aristocratic system a hundred years ago, which weakened the royal power, right? In our empire, His Majesty the Emperor is the highest authority."
"Haha, Rivers, who lives in the countryside, probably doesn't feel it. The situation in the imperial capital will only be more complicated. Let me give you a vaccination, whether you are aristocrats or reformists, they are our 'enemies'." Airey
The level of chaos in the Bonian Empire is far higher than that of the Liberian Kingdom. If you don't stay vigilant about this, you will definitely be led by the nose by the old foxes and little foxes in the imperial capital.
Ling had fun with Jost for a while, and then returned to the Imperial Embassy when it was almost dusk.
At the door of the embassy, Soldier Campbell was heard complaining again, "Why do people in the embassy allow people like Olivier to go out? Can't they just lock him up in the embassy..."
If it was at noon, Jost would not feel anything after hearing this, but after knowing Olivier's true identity and hearing this again, she would feel a strange sense of alienation and understanding. Because she agreed to Ling
Olivier's identity would not be revealed to the public, so she pretended not to hear Soldier Campbell's words.
After finishing her meal at the embassy, Ling returned to the historical museum.
She planned to use her evening time to finish tomorrow's translation workload in advance.
Agathe, who had a bruised nose and face, was being treated by Estelle's guidance magic. At the request of Estelle, Joshua, and Agathe, after knocking down the monster entrenched in the underground waterway, Jin
He used his real skills to beat them up.
"But that kid Joshua is really awesome. At the beginning, he was completely unable to parry and was shot away just like us, but gradually he was able to keep up with Brother Jin's movements."
"Of course, my Joshua is very powerful!" Estelle said proudly.
"But just being able to keep up is not enough. The accumulated injuries are already serious. It is only a matter of time before we lose this time." Agathe said, looking at the situation.
"That's it!" Jin used Yuehua Palm to knock away the two swords Joshua used to parry his attack, and stopped five miles in front of his chest.
Panting heavily, Joshua's legs weakened and he fell to his knees.
"The consumption of physical strength and energy has almost reached the limit. If you continue to practice, it will be a burden on your body. How about we stop here tonight?" Jin said.
In just one hour, the three of them have been defeated dozens of times together. But compared with the situation when they were beaten to death by Jin Yongyuehua Palm in the first few seconds, the current situation is much better. Although it will still happen
They were completely suppressed in less than three minutes, but it was a leap forward compared to the beginning. It was not because their frontal strength had been substantially improved, but because after accumulating experience, they could see their position clearly.
.No longer rush forward recklessly and kill people, but wait for opportunities to look for opportunities, so you can survive longer in the battle.
"Okay, okay. I thought I could practice all night, but I didn't expect that we couldn't hold on for just an hour." Agathe nodded with difficulty.
"Haha, you are all very qualified. Your performance is much better than my original performance. Maybe you squeezed out your potential at the critical moment. There is still time tomorrow morning, we can practice again, don't worry too much
Don't worry. Victory and defeat are normal things. Don't worry too much about it. Only by constantly pursuing higher is the path we should really take."
"Well, Mr. Jin, you talk about big principles in the same way. Just like the teachers in school." Estelle felt a little dizzy when she heard the big principles.
"Oh, I'm really sorry about that. It's a human fault to be a teacher. I didn't notice it at once, haha. Don't take it to heart."
After Jin finished speaking, he looked at Joshua again, "Joshua, are you okay? Are you exhausted? I didn't strike lightly. Your burden just now was heavier than Estelle and Agathe."
"No, I don't have a problem. It's better to say that I'm gradually finding the feeling. I used to feel awkward in swinging the sword, but now I can completely control it." Joshua pulled out the Black Chidori and White Chidori and swung it a few times.
The sharp sword light cut through the airflow to form multiple wind blades, which made people feel a fierceness.
"Estil and Agathe have made significant progress, but the one who gained the most today is Joshua. I was a little concerned when I fought with you before. You were just imitating the swordsmanship of Lieutenant Lawrence.
?”
Hearing what Jin said, Estelle and Agathe both looked at him with suspicion.
"Huh? Is that so?" Estelle asked.
"Good boy, let's go together with me." Agathe also said.
"How should I put it? Although Lieutenant Lawrence used a big sword, he walked in a light and fast way. It is similar to the wind style that my father taught me. Because my father no longer uses a sword.
, so I didn’t know how a swordsman should fight before. This time I got inspiration from Second Lieutenant Lawrence’s sword moves and learned a lot. Don’t make fun of me, I have my own style.
It should feel like swinging a sword like this. When I was fighting with Mr. Jin, I would think about how Second Lieutenant Lawrence would draw the sword at this moment, and then my body would act instinctively. I didn't expect that I could really keep up.
." Joshua said a little embarrassed.
"When martial arts reaches its peak, different paths lead to the same goal. Although the schools are different, the principles we all understand are similar. Estelle, you study spirals, right? Although my major is the immovable style, our master style also has spirals.
I have also mastered some basic moves of this type. If you don’t mind, you can learn more from me while I’m staying in the Kingdom of Liber.”
"Ah, Mr. Jin, thank you so much!" Estelle bowed to Jin.
They separated after leaving the underground waterway. Jin went back to the Calvard Embassy to rest, while Estelle, Joshua and Agathe dragged their exhausted bodies back to the association.
"You are back. It seems that everyone has gained a lot. By the way, a reporter from Liber News Agency came to see you just now. I told him to go back first since you were not here."
"Ah, it must be Mr. Nair! I forgot about it!" Estelle stuck out her tongue, only to realize that she had almost let him go because she paid too much attention to the martial arts competition.
"Actually, we asked reporters from Liber News Agency to help collect intelligence a few days ago. Maybe there is news, so we will go and check the situation."
Estelle and others had been looking for a way to contact the queen before participating in the martial arts competition. After meeting Nairbands who had a relationship with the Luan area at the Yulibel News Agency, they agreed to exchange information with each other if there was any news.
To the guerrillas, reporter Nair, who was involved in Mayor Delmon's malfeasance case, is a trustworthy person.
"If I had known earlier, I would have told reporters that you, brother Ainan, are trustworthy. That way you wouldn't have to make an extra trip."
"Haha, don't mind. I look forward to your good news. Do you need me to inform Mr. Jin at the Embassy of the Republic?" Ainan asked.
"No, no, no. It's just an exchange of information. There shouldn't be any big problems. We'll explain it to Mr. Jin tomorrow," Estelle said.
After leaving the association, the three guerrillas went straight to the news agency.
It was already after get off work time, and there was only one person on the second floor. They saw Nair, who looked like a sloppy uncle but was actually not yet thirty years old.
"Hey, Nair!" Estelle called someone's name in a long voice.
"Excuse me." After seeing the other party turning his head, Joshua nodded to him.
Agathe did not speak, as he was not familiar with Nel. Since he was known to both Estelle and Joshua, he felt free to leave it to them to negotiate.
"...Oh, I'm finally here. It's not in vain for me to go to the association myself." The green-haired young man with a cigarette in his mouth looked at the three people from the Guerrilla Association.
"By the way, you must have won today too. That guy Dorothy was very happy when he came back."
"Ah, um. I didn't even notice that Miss Dorothy also went to watch the game. Ah, speaking of which, Ling-chan is also here!? Ah, I regret it..." Estelle looked annoyed.
"So, Mr. Nair, about that matter..." Joshua saw that Estelle was about to change the subject, and quickly brought it back.
"Oh Duo, let's get to the point right away? Here you go... I've collected the resumes of the main members."
Nair took out a black-covered folder and handed it to the guerrillas.
"Is this the personnel file of the Royal Army?" Estelle asked after reading the label on the cover.
"Well, although the level of confidentiality is not high, it is still prohibited to take out. I worked hard and finally borrowed it from my friends in the military. Your association must not tell others." Nair stared at Ai.
Steele and Joshua, especially Agathe, who was not familiar with him, said with serious expressions.
"Don't worry, we know the severity." Agathe responded.
"I understand." Joshua also nodded.
"Then let's watch it here."
After Estil finished speaking, she came to the table, opened the black file and started browsing.
Colonel Alan Richard
In the year 1168 of the Qiyao Calendar, he was born in the urban area of Luan, Kingdom of Liber.
After graduating at the top of his grade from the Military Academy, he joined the independent mobile force led by Colonel Cassius Bright. During the Hundred Days War in 1192, as a subordinate of Colonel Cassius, he repeatedly made military exploits in counterattacks.
.
When the counterattack was about to achieve final victory, the Empire began to attack the Kingdom like jumping over the wall. Colonel Cassius and General Morgan held an important military meeting at Reston Fortress for the final victory. The front line was tasked with delaying the Imperial Army.
It was handed over to Major Richard, who had performed outstandingly in the previous counterattacks.
Major Richard used clever deployment of troops to hold back the Imperial Army troops commanded by the one-eyed General Sykes, and finally bought precious time for Reston Fortress to launch a counterattack.
After Colonel Cassius retired, Richard was promoted to a cadre of the Royal Army Operations Center and made great contributions in the process of organizational reform.
In 1201, Colonel Richard proposed to select elites from the royal army to form the Intelligence Department. Later, he was recognized by Queen Alicia and became the first commander of the Intelligence Department.
"How should I put it... This is the so-called elite. He is number one in the grade." Estil said with emotion.
"He is indeed a very powerful person. And he was my father's subordinate ten years ago. He can deal with the famous one-eyed Sikes of the empire with a weak force. No wonder he is so admired by the citizens of the royal capital."
"Well, it turns out that dad was really a colonel. If it's so great, why did he resign from the military? If he hadn't left the Royal Army, he would be a general now. Then we are also the second generation of the army?" Estelle
The first time she heard that Cassius was a former senior general of the Royal Army was when she was assisting the Royal Army in handling a case in the Perth area, but she still didn't have much sense of the truth until now.
"Astiel, are you dissatisfied with being born and raised as a commoner?" Agathe asked.
"That's not true. I think my childhood was quite happy." Thinking of the fact that Agathe lost her last relative due to the Hundred Days War, Estelle felt that the atmosphere was not right and she quickly shut up.
"Oh, don't mind me so much. I know your mother also died during the Hundred Days War. We lost loved ones in the same way." Agathe's words made Estelle sigh in relief.
"Well, let's continue reading." Joshua said, bringing their attention back to the personnel files of the Kingdom's army.
Captain Kenona Yamaldia
In the year 1175 of the Qiyao Calendar, he was born in Grantel, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Liber.
After graduating with honors from the Military Academy, he was promoted to a staff member of the Royal Army's Combat Center.
In 1201, when the Intelligence Department was established, he was transferred to the Intelligence Department on the recommendation of Colonel Richard. After that, as Colonel Richard's adjutant, he was responsible for assisting him in combat command.
Kenona's file was much shorter than Colonel Richard's, but it still made Estelle feel a tightness in her chest.
"Graduating with excellent grades...another elite."
"She has been working under Colonel Richard since she became an officer. She seems to be quite loyal..." Joshua said after recalling his contact with the female officer.
"I also discovered something interesting during my investigation. Lieutenant Julia Schwartz, the squadron leader of the Royal Guards who is currently wanted on suspicion of treason, was in the same grade as Captain Kenona at the Military Academy."
Nel interjected.
"Is there such a thing?" Estelle's heart of gossip was aroused.
"Their relationship doesn't seem to be very good." Joshua recalled the tit-for-tat scene between the two female officers when Luan was dealing with Mayor Delmon's misconduct.
"After all, they are the top competitors in their grade. There is Kenona in literature and Yulia in military affairs. They seem to be the equivalent of two poles." Nel continued to explain.
"I see... you can imagine it. That feeling must have continued to this day," Joshua said.
"Yulia-san is majestic, just like the knights of the past." Estelle nodded as she recalled someone she had met once.
They continued to read.
Lieutenant Lorensberg
In the year 1175 of the Qiyao calendar, he was born in a mountain village in the northern part of the Perth area of the Kingdom of Liber. He disappeared when he was a child, and his experiences between the ages of eight and twenty are unknown.
When he reappeared, he had become the captain of the mercenary unit Jesta Chassis Regiment. He was hired by the Royal Army Operations Center and met Colonel Richard during the border bandit suppression mission.
In 1201, when the Intelligence Ministry was established, he was recruited by Colonel Richard and left the Jesta Hunter Regiment to become a member of the Intelligence Ministry. He also served as a martial arts instructor in the Intelligence Ministry.
"Tch, you are three years older than me, and you are indeed from Perth..." Agathe remembered the words of Lawrence when he invited him to join the Royal Army. He had guessed the origin of the other party before.
"That silver-haired elder brother has been a mercenary, and his previous experience is unknown? What's going on?" Estelle is quite good at picking out words.
"The so-called Chasseur Regiment is a title that can only be held by the highest-level mercenary troops. And those who can serve as captains among them are absolutely outstanding in martial arts. We have all seen the strength of Second Lieutenant Lawrence." About.
Shuya provided additional explanation.
"Hey, that's it. Is it because of his strong fighting ability that he was recruited by the colonel?" Estelle asked.
"Well... it's possible. In principle, the Liber Kingdom does not allow the Chasseur Regiment to operate in the country. Once discovered, it will attract a merciless attack from the Royal Army. This is expressly stipulated in the law promulgated by Her Majesty the Queen. But in
As for the border, it’s just a side shot. I think I’ve heard of this name somewhere, the Jesta Hunter Regiment.”
"Yeah, I've heard about it too. It seems to be a very high-level regiment. Although it's not as good as the Red Constellation and Zephyr Brigade, which are known as the twin walls of the mercenary world, it's comparable to Nidhogg and the North's Hunters.
It's probably on the same level. I heard that it mainly operates in the Empire and the Republic, but I didn't expect that it would be related to our Liber. Although the record only said that it was 'suppressing bandits', in fact... Haha, it seems to protect the country.
It’s more difficult than I thought.” Agathe said with emotion.
"Well, one name after another is a name I have never heard of. Forget about Brother Agathe, why do you know about Joshua too?" Estelle said with some dissatisfaction, realizing that she was the only one who seemed to be relatively ignorant.
"Why do you have no common sense at all? The Chasseur Regiment and the Guerrilla Association can be said to be commercial competitors. The regulations of our Guerrilla Association are that we cannot participate in wars between countries, and for them, war is business. In disputes
For the sake of the safety of ordinary residents in the constant border areas, our association has been in conflict with them many times. Well, these things are still too far for you quasi-guerrillas. Joshua will know that he is really paying attention.
Ah." Agathe thought for a moment, and the tasks in the border areas would not even be entrusted to the lower-level defg-level guerrillas. Only C-level guerrillas would get involved. It seemed a bit confusing to Estelle.
Far.
"Ah, no. This is the first time I have heard the names of those Chasseur Regiments." Joshua quickly explained.
After that, the three of them browsed the information of other members of the Intelligence Department, and they were all transferred from the Royal Army. Some were from the Border Guards, some from the Independent Mobile Force, some from the Airborne Forces, and some from the Assault Cavalry.
There are even people from the Navy who joined the Intelligence Department immediately after graduating from the officer academy... but there is not a single one!
"Thank you, Nel, we finally have information about the enemy." Estelle thanked reporter Nel.
"I wish I could help." Nair also silently put away the black file. He would have to return this thing tomorrow.
"It's getting late, just leave it to me to report back to the association. Estelle and Joshua, just go and have a good rest," Agathe said.
As soon as Agathe left, Nair stopped Estelle Joshua again. He suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to say something.
"Also, to talk about a topic that has nothing to do with the military, have you ever heard of Princess Clodia?" Nel asked.
"Princess Clodia... I seem to have heard of it somewhere." Estelle had a vague impression but didn't think much about it.
"She is the daughter of Crown Prince Eudis and his wife who died in the shipwreck when the passenger ship Ediluna sank in Calvard territorial waters fifteen years ago, and is also the granddaughter of Her Majesty the Queen." Joshua gave Esti
Er explained.
"Well, although she is not very famous, she is a direct lineage in the royal family genealogy. She seems to have been living in the Queen's Palace in Grancel City. It is said that a certain person is looking for a blind date for His Highness recently." Nair
explain.
"Blind dates are not uncommon for rich people, but they always feel a bit pitiful." Estelle thought for a while and said.
"Estil, the problem is not there. At times like this, that person is the problem, right?" Joshua reminded Estelle.
"Haha, I feel quite keen." Nair said.
"That person... could it be Duke Dunant? I saw him on the rostrum during the martial arts competition. It seems that he is now in charge of government affairs in the capital." Estelle thought for a moment and said.
"No, it should be Colonel Richard. You don't think that Duke Dunant, who only plays all day long, would worry about such a thing, do you?"
"That's right." Estelle agreed with Joshua's analysis.
"Well, Joshua is right. In fact, the person who sent people to other countries to find suitable candidates seems to be Colonel Richard." Nair confirmed Joshua's judgment.
"So that's it...but isn't that weird? Why does Colonel Richard want to help the princess find a marriage partner?" Estelle asked.
"So, I'll leave you with that part of the matter." Nel asked.
"Why?"
"If you win the game tomorrow and are invited to the Royal City Dinner, go and find out the inside story about that part. That's what you mean, right?" Joshua reacted immediately.
"That's right, it's about information exchange." Nair said it would be mutually beneficial.
"To put it this way, I once heard a piece of information from Ainan from the association. It seems that on the day of the Queen's birthday celebration, a member of the Erebonian royal family is coming to Grancel. However, the association has not heard about it.
Who is coming?" Joshua told Nel what he knew.
"The royal family of the empire? Since the Hundred Days War broke out ten years ago, the royal family of the empire has not visited Libel once. Thank you, this information alone is worth the price of admission." Nair hurriedly said
It was recorded in the work manual, and he decided to investigate the identity of the visitor tomorrow.
"There is such information, why didn't Brother Ainan tell me about it?" Estil said in confusion.
"I remember you should be there, Estelle, during the lunch party." Joshua asked strangely.
"Hmm..." Realizing that she seemed to have missed the information because of her desertion, Estelle immediately changed the subject, "The royal family of Erebonia? We have no idea what kind of people they are. It sounds like we know each other."
The only Imperial people are Olivier and Ling-chan. Maybe they will know something?"
"Well, what you said makes sense. After the game tomorrow, go to the Imperial Embassy to inquire." Joshua suggested.
After bidding farewell to Nair, the two left Lieber News Agency.
On the way back to the hotel, Estelle and Joshua met patrolling Royal Army soldiers. After the soldiers recognized them as martial arts competition finalists, they escorted them back to the Ronbaum Hotel where they were staying out of kindness.
.
"Well, thank you for escorting us back." Estelle said.
"Thank you for taking care of me." Joshua said.
Regardless of whether Estelle and Joshua really needed an escort, the other party had good intentions, so they both nodded politely.
"It's okay, we are also your supporters. Come on for tomorrow's game."
The two returned to the third floor, and when they were about to return to the room, they suddenly heard the sound of "Puda Puda" flapping its wings from the room.
"Hey? Is there any sound?" Estelle looked in the direction of the sound.
And Joshua, who was beside her, also whispered to remind her to be careful.
"Enter the room while maintaining a combat-ready state, and then confirm the situation inside."
"Huh?"
"They are probably intruders. They may have set up explosion traps, so be very careful."
"Wait...wait a minute, are you kidding me?"
"Please, do as I say. If there is any problem, you can just wait here."
"Just kidding! I'm ready. Anyway, let's go in and take a look."
Seeing the serious look on Joshua's face, Estelle also took off the Tai Chi stick from behind and held it in her hand.
When I opened the door, I saw no one, only the open window.
"It seems to have escaped." Joshua observed it and said, "But it's strange, no one seems to have been here. There are no signs of traps or anything."
"Can you even see this? How omnipotent you are, Joshua!" Estelle felt that her family, who she had been with day and night for five years, always surprised her recently.
"Not to mention this, it seems like he just sent us a gift."
Joshua walked over to the carpet and opened it to reveal a letter.
"That's...a letter?"
After he opened the envelope, both he and Estelle saw the contents of the letter.
Please come to the cathedral at ten o'clock tonight. Also, please don't tell others.
"That's all? The Great Cathedral refers to the big church in the West Block. It's going to be there soon at ten o'clock tonight. Although there are too many suspicious places, people often say, 'You can't catch the tiger's cubs if you don't enter the tiger's den.'
.Now, Joshua, do you want us to go and accept the appointment? Or should we wait until Brother Agathe comes back from the Guerrilla Association?"
When Estelle spoke, she didn't notice that Joshua beside her fell silent.
"no!!"
The sudden burst of volume startled Estelle.
"What, what's wrong?"
"I'm sorry for being so loud all of a sudden. By the way, didn't you think those soldiers just said they would strengthen patrols at night? This place is quite far from the West Street District, so the possibility of being discovered and interrogated is very high."
"Ah, I forgot. But just leaving it alone will make people feel very concerned."
"So, I can go alone."
"Why?"
"In this case, it is much more concealed to move alone than with two people. If I am alone, I am confident that I can bypass the soldiers and enter the cathedral."
"………………"
"I just went to confirm the situation. I think I am enough alone. So you wait here for Agathe to come back..."
"I said……"
Estelle held down Joshua's shoulders and moved his face closer to stop him from continuing to speak.
"I'm a guerrilla. I can take care of myself, and I will never hold you back. No matter how sweet you talk, you can't fool me."
"Estil, I have no plan..."
"I know, it's not that you don't trust me. If you say you're worried, it's probably not just because of this. Have you already guessed something?"
After hearing Estelle's question, Joshua was silent for a moment.
"I shouldn't have exposed any flaws, why did you even notice this?"
"Pfft, there are too many flaws. You are the only one who can't feel it. Besides, I am a Joshua observer. No matter what you think, I will know it."
Estelle released her hands that were holding Joshua down.
"I understand, I won't stop you. There's not much time until ten o'clock, let's go to the Great Cathedral as soon as possible."
"Ah... um."
Because of her reckless behavior just now, Estelle's face felt a little feverish. But fortunately, Joshua didn't seem to notice it.
"However, I have to make an agreement with you in advance. If something happens, you must follow my instructions. A moment of misjudgment may lead to death."
"Well...I know. Then let's leave quickly."
When Ling had almost finished translating the three volumes of ancient documents, there was a knock on the door.
Standing outside the door was Professor Yaruva. He invited Ling to watch a good show together, and the venue was Qiyao Church.
"Luciola is going to visit relatives, Bulublan is protecting the flowers, Valut has to prepare for the competition, and the elusive Ken Parella can't find anyone. In addition, Levi needs to monitor the construction progress of the guide ladder, so to speak
Professor, I seem to be the only executor you can find?"
"Haha, after all, I am a magician who is incompetent in close combat. Based on risk management considerations, it is the most reasonable travel plan to travel with a partner of a combatant."
"Believe me, you're the only one who has a ghost. Okay, wait for me and I'll be here right away."
In the beginning, Ling stayed with Wiseman to monitor his actions, but unknowingly she became less wary of him. When did it start? Probably after she got the absolute suggestion? But Wiseman’s
The same goes for Bian. I don't know if it was an absolute hint that gave him confidence. Whenever there is any action to be taken, Ling will be taken with him.
As soon as she walked out of the historical museum, Ling felt something was different.
Although the capital was heavily guarded a few days ago, it was only during the day. In the evening after dinner, only a few people were usually left to continue patrolling. Like now, there are many people in the East Street District alone.
A squadron of security forces is on patrol.
"Starting from today, in order to prevent terrorists, night patrols will be strengthened. Ordinary citizens are advised not to go out at night."
From what the patrolling soldiers said to the citizens on the road, Ling learned what happened.
With a "click" sound, Wiseman snapped his fingers and activated some kind of spell.
"Uncle Wiseman, did you develop the invisibility technique yourself?"
Seeing the patrolling soldiers passing by and turning a blind eye to the two of them, Ling was somewhat curious and used her perception ability to explore some kind of buff effect that Wiseman had just given to her.
"It's not invisibility, but cognitive interference. The human brain will unconsciously filter out the part of the information that is considered useless, and even if it is seen, it will be treated as if it is not seen. I just released a little confusion on us, so that
Others cannot correctly perceive and identify us." Wiseman explained the principle of the spell to Ling.
Although it is not an invisibility technique, it is almost as effective as the invisibility technique. The so-called "darkness under the light" is seen but ignored. Compared with the simple "invisibility", the concealment may be better.
.
The two of them soon arrived at the Grancel Church of Qiyao Church in the West Block. The lights were brightly lit in the church, and evening prayers were still going on. Ling and Professor Yalua found a stool to sit down together and listened.
Priests and nuns recite hymns on Sundays.
After the evening prayers, the elderly Archbishop Callan left first, followed by the priests, and finally the nuns. However, there was one nun who did not leave. As a church official, she continued to do evening classes.
"Here comes the drama." Ling felt the auras of two groups of advanced warriors approaching quickly outside the Great Holy Cathedral, and they were very familiar ones.
Estelle followed Joshua three times to the left and three times to the right. After a lot of effort to avoid the eyes of all the royal army, she finally arrived at the Great Cathedral in the West Block.
"Great, we're finally here." The ten-minute journey turned out to be more tiring than running for several hours. Seeing that she finally reached her destination, Estelle finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Don't let your guard down, Estelle, I'll go in first and you follow me." Joshua reminded Estelle.
"Um."
After opening the door, the two saw only one nun chanting hymns in the empty auditorium. This was completely different from what they had expected.
"Sorry, Estelle, I seem to have made a mistake."
"Why?"
Before Joshua could answer the confused Estelle, the nun turned around and spoke to the two of them.
"...Haha, you are finally here."
"You are..." Joshua guessed the other person's possible identity.
"That nun I met on the Albert Tour a few days ago?" Estelle said directly without thinking too much.
"Thank you very much at that time. Besides, it is really courageous to accept the invitation after receiving that letter."
"That letter turned out to be written by you, nun. But why did you adopt such a mysterious method?" Estelle asked in confusion.
At this time, Joshua beside her breathed a sigh of relief.
"I see, I finally understand. It's you, Lieutenant Julia Schwartz!"
"Why?"
"Haha...Joshua-kun is really perceptive. I'm sorry, so I'll take off this disguise."
After taking off the veil and wig on her head, the nun's demeanor suddenly changed, revealing her true appearance.
"Ah! It's true!"
"Haha, long time no see. Estelle-kun, Joshua-kun. I believe you will definitely come."
"Long time no see, Lieutenant Yulia. We haven't seen each other since we said goodbye at the airship pad in Luan last month." Joshua put the black and white swords back into their scabbards and completely let down his guard.
"Well, yes. It didn't take long, but it feels like it was a long time ago."
"Wait, wait a minute. Why is Miss Yulia dressed like this? And why did you call us to this place?"
"I'll answer them one by one. The first is this outfit. Qiyao Church and the Liberel royal family have had close contacts since ancient times. Grancel Cathedral has a long history. This year is the 1120th anniversary of its establishment. And the Liberel royal family's relationship
The history is almost the same. Due to some reasons, our royal guards had to flee everywhere, but fortunately we received a lot of help from the church."
"That's it." Estelle nodded.
"As for another question, I actually asked you to come here because I want to ask you a favor. If you win tomorrow's game, can you attend the dinner in the royal city? By then, I hope you can go and meet Grancel
Meet Her Majesty the Queen in the city."
"Ah..." "Oh..."
"I know this request is a bit overwhelming, but we are wanted now and it is impossible to sneak into the royal city. So, I can only ask you."
"This... things turned out to be such a coincidence." Estelle scratched her cheek and said with a smile.
"One of the purposes of our participation in the martial arts competition is to meet Her Majesty the Queen. There is no need to hide the matter from you. In fact, we are also very clear about the ins and outs of the matter. Lieutenant Yulia, you and the Royal Guards were captured by the Royal Army.
The Intelligence Ministry framed this matter, and we know the inside story."
Joshua opened his mouth and explained to Yulia the information obtained from the conversation between Agathe, King and Lieutenant Lawrence, as well as the fact that they accepted Dr. Russell's mission and came to the capital to inquire about the Queen's true intentions.
While the three of them were talking on the stage, they were completely unaware of the presence of two audience members below the stage.
"Did Archbishop Callan inform you about the Royal Guards? Uncle Wiseman?" Ling was a little confused about Wiseman's intentions and what role he played in this matter. She originally thought that Wiseman
He was just behind the scenes to promote the Intelligence Department's actions. I didn't expect that he would also have someone behind the scenes.
"No, there is no need to bother senior to come forward for a matter of this magnitude. The Royal Guards can also play its due role in cleaning up the aftermath."
"So you are on the side of the Guards? Are you ready to abandon the chess piece of Alan Richard? After all, Colonel Richard's mission is just to help our association complete the construction of the guidance elevator. Is there anything else going on later?
He doesn’t care anymore.”
"Haha, after all, Colonel Richard is not a fool. After the first seal under Grancel is lifted, he will realize that he has been tricked if he cannot find the Ring of Glory. If he is given the power, the Royal Army will
My mobility is a problem, and it may have an impact on our plan. Try to reduce the variables in the plan as much as possible. This is the suggestion you gave me, Ling."
"Should you prolong the chaos in Liber Kingdom as long as possible until the second seal is lifted... Although it is indeed my suggestion, I feel a little complicated at this time."
Ling continued to listen to the conversation between Lieutenant Yulia, Estelle and Joshua, and suddenly became concerned when she heard the number 1120th anniversary.
"In the year 0082 of the Seventh Calendar? So it turns out that Grancel Cathedral and Heimdall Cathedral were built in the same year. What on earth did the church do at the origin of Heimdall?
, not only the starting point disappeared, but also the Holy Beast of Earth and the Holy Beast of Fire were trapped. Uncle Wiseman, do you know the inside story?"
Ling was asking about nothing else but the truth about the empire's curse. Before the Dark Dragon incident, even the Black Riding God could not use the power of the curse to strengthen itself. It was just a slightly more powerful Riding God than other Riding Gods.
It cannot meet the current specifications.
"Unfortunately, that part of the information has been erased long ago. I don't think even the King of France knows what happened back then. Alberich and the others just cleaned up the mess afterwards, and they also don't know the truth."
She didn't get any useful information from Wiseman, and Ling didn't care.
While listening to the speeches of the people on the stage, she recalled what she knew about the intersection between the plot and the gospel plan. Then she discovered that throughout the entire movie Trails in the Sky, the actions of Ayo and Yoko seemed to have no impact on the gospel plan at all.
?The experiments that should be done have been completed one by one, and the seals that should be lifted have been lifted one by one. The guerrillas would be a step late every time, if it weren't for Professor Wiseman's last evil intention to kill Joshua
Just do experiments on yourself, hand over the Ring of Glory to the leader early in the morning and nothing will happen.
During FC, even if Xiao Ai and Xiao Yue did not take any action, Richard might even be directly killed by Fantasia after Fantasia ran out... Well, it might also be Cassius who came to the rescue and let him retrieve it.
Yi Ming. Fantasy Music was sent by Huan to lift the seal. In other words, Fantasy Music is naturally a collaborator in the gospel plan.
Professor Wiseman currently doesn't know about the existence of Fantasy Music, so he started making arrangements in advance to prepare for dealing with Richard who has a big tail.
But for Ling, the necessity of causing trouble for Richard is not very high. On the contrary, Ling also wants to use Richard to complete another plan of her own.
Wiseman probably doesn't know yet that after Ling helped Valut cheat, his strength is no longer what it used to be. It wasn't his full strength in the semifinals.
Unless some miracle happened in the competition between Team Jin and him, they would probably miss out on the championship. The guerrillas could not attend the dinner in the royal city, which meant that whether it was Ayo, Yulia or Wiseman's action planning
Everything will be in vain. Although it may be a pity that there is no way to see Joshua's maid uniform, there will be opportunities in the future anyway.
And the reason for everything is just because Ling gave Valut a gravity bracelet that she made casually two weeks ago?
The cause-and-effect relationships in this world are so wonderful that they are so unpredictable. Thinking of the shocked expressions of a large number of people whose plans failed due to her own interference, Ling thought it would be very interesting.
Stop, stop, Ling suddenly felt that she seemed to have become a bit evil. Could it be that she had stayed with Wiseman for a long time, contaminated his habits, and was led astray by him? It's not a big deal to be led away by feelings.
Good thing, she felt that she needed to find time to review basic martial arts lessons such as knowing one's mind and one's nature, and think about her true feelings.
"Excuse me, we are members of the Royal Capital Guard. In order to prevent terrorists, we are currently patrolling the city and investigating various major facilities. I'm sorry to bother you so late. Can you let us go in and take a look?"
The sound coming from outside the house suddenly interrupted the chat of the three people on the stage.
"Please wait a moment, I'll open the door right away."
Lieutenant Yulia disguised herself as Sister Ellen and went to open the door. Estelle and Joshua followed Lieutenant Yulia's guidance and used the back door leading outside from the altar room to leave the church.
They detoured all the way from the west block to the east block. Estelle and Joshua finally got rid of the patrol.
"Huh... I dodged the patrols along the way and walked so far without realizing it. It seems like there are no patrolling soldiers nearby."
Estelle looked around and found a nice small garden as a resting place and walked over.
"Well, the night patrol should be over. Let's take a short rest and then go back to the hotel. Brother Agathe must have been waiting for a long time."
"OK"
After sitting down on the bench, Estelle let out a long sigh.
"Woooo~ So many things have happened, my mind is already in chaos."
"Haha... indeed. I didn't expect that the person waiting for us in the Great Cathedral would be Lieutenant Yulia."
After hearing Joshua's words, Estelle quickly turned her head and looked at him.
"Ah, by the way, the messenger you first thought of was not Miss Yulia, right? Could it be... someone you knew before?"
"...This..." Joshua looked away for a moment.
"Ah... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't say anything. I accidentally made a foul, a foul." Estelle apologized sincerely.
"Estil..."
"As long as you are unwilling to talk about it, I will never ask you about your past experiences. We made an agreement when you first came to our house, right. Although I have always paid attention to this issue, I accidentally forgot it.
"
"Estil, I...I think...traveling with you has made me a little stronger than before..."
"Why?"
"Under the same sky, there are all kinds of people living, and everyone has a different life. The hearts of people are intertwined in this way. As long as I touch these, I can find what I have lost. I
It will always feel like this.”
"...Joshua...?" Estelle tilted her head in confusion.
"...Maybe it's just an illusion. But, I still..." Joshua said, his tone gradually becoming firmer. "I want to thank fate for allowing me to spend this time with you. Thank you for this sky.
,Thank you father. Of course, the one who should be most grateful is you, Estelle.”
"Joshua..."
"So, I promise you. If this matter can be resolved smoothly, after my father comes back safely, I will tell you my past and all my experiences before I met you."
"Really, really...?"
"Well, I am willing to swear to this starry sky."
"Okay! I've decided!" Estelle jumped up from the bench.
"Estil?"
"How should I put it... In short, my worries have been cleared away! After this incident is completely resolved, I also have something to say to you."
"Ah, oh. Could it be the trouble you mentioned before?"
"Yes, that's it. You have to be mentally prepared!"
"If I am mentally prepared, I think I will be ready at any time. Even if you say it now, I will..."
"Well, that's not okay. No matter what, you have to choose the right time to say that kind of thing. Well~ although the atmosphere is very good now."
"I hope I can continue to be with you in the future."
"……Why……?"
"Hmm? Is there any problem?"
"It's not that...that...together...means...what?" Estelle's tone suddenly became a little hesitant. Under the dim moonlight, no one noticed that her face was as red as
It's a ripe apple.
"Well, we have already obtained the letters of recommendation for full guerrillas from the four branches across the country. We only need to get the letter of recommendation from the Grancel branch to become full guerrillas. Generally speaking, quasi-guerrillas become full-time guerrillas.
There is no need to form a team to take on the mission. But I think we understand each other’s personalities and habits very well, so we might as well continue to work together.”
"Ah...it refers to the work of the guerrillas. What, I thought you wanted to confess further..." At this point, Estil quickly covered her mouth.
"Uh..." Joshua was stunned, not thinking about how to answer the question.
"Wow. I didn't say anything! Forget it!"
"Estil, you..."
Just when the atmosphere between the two was very good, an inappropriate voice suddenly intervened.
"Oh, the young people nowadays are really enviable. As the saying goes, flowers in front of the moon...did I disturb you?"
The two of them were suddenly startled. They turned around and saw that two people dressed as scholars, one large and one small, were standing next to the small garden at some point.
"Professor Yaluwa...and Ling-chan! It's so late, why are you here."
"The Historical Archives is in the East Block. Those annoying patrols have finally left. It's not surprising that they would go for a walk before going to bed. What I want to do has nothing to do with you, Estelle." Ling said calmly.
explain.
"Um...Ling, is there anything that makes you unhappy? Why do you seem so angry?" Estil asked weakly.
"Estil, it has nothing to do with you"
"Haha, the girl is probably in a bad mood. Please bear with me. Ah, as an apology, I might as well give you a gift. Although it is not a valuable thing." Professor Yaluwa made a gesture to extend his hand.
Actions.
"Shut up, professor." A terrible air pressure burst out from Ling's body, suffocating the breath of everyone present. "I don't want to cause trouble."
Watching Professor Yaluwa being dragged away by Ling, Joshua and Estelle had cold sweat streaming down their foreheads.
"Even if he looks like a harmless little cutie, an expert-level martial artist should not look down upon him." Estelle murmured, and now she began to reflect on whether her previous actions were too reckless.
Feeling Ling's aura at close range that was no different from Jin and Varu, the ambiguous atmosphere between Estelle and Joshua just now disappeared.
"I hope the professor can still see the sun tomorrow. Let's go back to the hotel, Joshua."
"Well, well, let's go." Joshua shook his head and no longer thought about the strong strange feeling that Professor Yaluwa and Ling brought to him.