Page 57

Page 57

Wang: "Shut up! Let me speak!"

Elizabeth was startled by the king's sudden increase in volume and shrank her neck. Marika also looked at the king in confusion.

Bruce stood up, walked around his sister and her loyal drow, and took a few steps towards the wizard: "Go ahead, I'm listening."

The king spread his hands and said, "If I were you, not only would I not stop your sister from taking risks, I would also equip her with a group of followers of the highest standard."

Bruce finished the wine in his glass and asked with a little interest, "Why?"

Wang: "Look, all we know about the mastermind behind the apocalypse is an old church in a picture frame. We know basically nothing. Although we decided to start with the architectural style, it is possible that there is no architectural style at all, and it was just built like this by accident.

“Or maybe it’s a combination of several architectural styles, and we have to travel at the intersection of two styles to find a needle in the haystack.”

Bruce: "Doesn't that make this trip even more inappropriate?"

Elizabeth: "It's no use talking to my brother like this. I know him too well. Unless we come back after killing the emperor, we can persuade him together..."

Wang: "I don't think so. Through my observation of him, I judge that he is a realistic politician. All realistic politicians can be persuaded by interests."

Bruce seemed to be in a very good mood. He smiled and said, "Indeed. But I haven't heard the 'benefit' part yet."

Wang: "Look, we are the only ones dealing with this crisis now, and we have so few clues. It is basically certain that the crisis will develop to the next stage. Even the third stage. By that time, the whole world will know the existence of the crisis.

"If you announce loudly now that you will send your sister to resolve this crisis, when the crisis is fully exposed, you - and even the entire Kusaniya - will be the monarch of the country that first responds to the crisis."

Bruce narrowed his eyes and gently stroked the carving on the rim of the wine glass with his fingers.

King: "Then you can organize a meeting in your capital city for the monarchs of the world to attend and discuss countermeasures! Just because your sister was a member of the team that initially responded to the crisis!

"In this way, the bad reputation brought by the bloody banquet will naturally disappear. The best part is that when the crisis is over, Elizabeth will return home with honor, and you can still marry her off at that time."

Elizabeth's face turned dark and she bit her lips hard.

The king didn't notice at all and continued, "On the other hand, if you don't let Elizabeth go now, the legend will become that you weakened the Crisis Team and refused to provide support. The bards will say that you are more than just a foolish tyrant."

Bruce was shocked and looked Wang up and down again: "Do you know? No, you probably don't know. In fact, it doesn't matter what happens to my sister. I just hope you can stay in Langdon County and be my advisor.

"I detained my sister only to...keep you. You have brought me all the victories. Your intelligence and wisdom are what I desire most.

"So you don't have to say so much. Just answer me one question: If I take my sister away, will you still set off on your journey?"

Wang answered firmly: "Yes. If you detain me as well, I will rack my brains to escape from prison. I will set out to travel no matter what. This is my primary purpose when I leave the Mage Tower."

"Since there is a primary purpose, there must be a secondary purpose." Bruce Langdon asked curiously, "What is it?"

Wang: "Making friends, isn't that natural?"

Bruce Langdon looked at the king with a half-smile, and after holding back a laugh, he finally burst into laughter: "Hahahaha, it seems that Lord Langdon really can't keep you. Your suggestion just now makes sense, I really should let my sister become a special envoy.

"But I have one more request. I will let you go only if you agree to it. Are you willing to be my friend?"

Bruce said, holding out his hand.

The king shook it without hesitation: "Of course. The future emperor of Kuosaniya, this friend must be made."

Bruce looked very satisfied, and after shaking hands, he continued, “But now we have suffered heavy losses, and we can only think of a way to provide you with a good ship and enough supplies.

"Of course, I will select loyal sailors from the Chamber of Commerce controlled by my eldest brother, and pick a few fine horses for you. Other than that, I can only provide the documents, symbols and flags of the Landon Territory. Of course, there are also some beautiful clothes. After all, my sister is the most beautiful woman in Kusania."

Wang bowed slightly to Bruce: "Thank you very much for your generosity."

Then he turned to Elizabeth, "It's done. I said you can leave it to me, right?"

Elizabeth and Marika looked at each other.

Xiaobai: "You humans' messed up conversations are so complicated that I can't understand them. But I guess we can cheer now?"

Bruce: "I still have some official business to attend to. You can let Merlin take you to the armory now and take whatever you want from it. This is one of the sponsorships that Langdon has provided to you."

Dwarf: "Oh, that's great, but I'm fully armed now. Unless you have something better than a masterwork warhammer. Maybe you can get Gotrek a new axe."

The barbarian nodded in agreement: "Great!"

**

After leaving the round table conference room, Elizabeth immediately called Wang: "Wang, I'm sorry just now. I just think that I should be better at this kind of thing."

Wang nodded: "If I had not observed him for a long time and determined that he was a realistic politician, I would have handed him over to you."

Elizabeth was a little surprised: "Will you?"

Wang: "Of course. But it was before our poet joined the team. My teacher said that the poet is the negotiator in the team and will take care of all the cheating and deception."

Elizabeth: "What should I do after the poet joins the team?"

Wang: "Shoot out a scorching ray."

Flint laughed. "I must say, Princess, you are very competent for this duty. You shoot very accurately."

The barbarian echoed: "High!"

At this moment, the cat-man Misha Sara suddenly said, "Although I shouldn't spoil the mood when everyone is excitedly imagining the upcoming trip, but... I have something very important to say."

Having said that, the cat man just stopped.

Everyone who was still walking forward stopped at this moment, turned around and looked at the cat-man in confusion.

Merlin, who was leading the way, heard the noise and walked a few steps before stopping a little further away.

The bright summer sun shone in from the windows on the side of the corridor, shining on everyone.

Misha Sara looked at the king and asked seriously, "You just said that the world-destroying crisis will definitely advance to a very serious stage. Is that true? Or is it just a rhetoric to fool the Duke?"

Wang: "Do you think I have mastered such advanced skills as speech?"

Misha Sara: "So, cheap healing scrolls will appear, the undead will gather, liches will appear in large numbers, and armies of the undead will roam the land?"

Wang: "Yes. This is a reasonable guess based on the current situation. Unless we get lucky and find the cult's headquarters directly. But you see, the cult now has a seven-ring wizard who almost wiped us out. Even if we find the cult's headquarters, we can't defeat it."

Misha Sara sighed, "It sounds like the whole world is doomed. So I have to go inform my tribe. I have a younger brother who is the warrior leader of the tribe. He also married a beautiful white cat."

Wang spread his hands and said, "Sure. Anyway, we won't set off right away. Langdon City is in such a mess right now. It will probably take about a week to prepare the ship."

Misha Sara smiled. "My tribe's hunting area is on the other side of the World Mountains. I have to take the Shield Road to cross the World Mountains. The journey home will take more than a week to go back and forth."

The king suddenly looked disappointed. "Are you leaving our adventure? We will really need you as a lookout as we go down the river."

Misha Sara laughed heartily: "If I wasn't already familiar with you, I would have taken your words as contempt. Don't worry, you will have a new lookout."

Wang: “But…”

He paused and gently stroked his chest with his hand.

"I see. Is this what it feels like to say goodbye to a friend?"

Misha Sara smiled even more happily: "A future legendary wizard regards me as a friend. My short life is not in vain."

Elizabeth stepped forward and took Michaela's hand: "Why so sudden? Yesterday - no, this morning, it seemed like you were going to travel with us."

"I'm a cat person," Michaela answered succinctly, gently stroking Elizabeth's silver hair.

Flint: "She's a cat-folk. When we dwarves make a decision, we need to think for days, smoke a stone or more of tobacco, and drink several barrels of beer. Cat-folk are different. They always make decisions immediately and then put them into practice."

Michaela: "That's right. Don't worry, once I've notified the tribe and confirmed that they're all right, I'll turn around and catch up with you. If you don't have a ranger by then, count me in as one."

After saying that, the cat-man looked at the king: "So what do you say, Captain?"

The king nodded, "Well, I can't stop you from informing your relatives. So have a safe trip."

Misha Sara nodded, then firmly pushed away the reluctant Elizabeth, and said to Butler Merlin in a hearty voice: "I want a fast horse, now."

Butler: "Please follow me. I will have my deputy take you to the armory."

Then the cat man and the butler left into the sunshine.

Everyone stood there and watched them leave.

Wang suddenly said, "This is parting. I suddenly understand the poem that my uncle often sings. My uncle taught me that only after experiencing parting can we know the value of friends. I finally understand."

Elizabeth: "Are you... feeling uncomfortable now?"

Wang: "It's not that bad. It's much better than before when I thought about the possibility of saying goodbye to all of you forever. If the level of pain back then was set at five, is it probably one now? We need more samples to be sure."

Several people looked at each other, obviously shocked by the mage's immediate quantitative analysis - perhaps they didn't know the term quantitative analysis.

Xiaobai: "So let's go find a new ranger now?"

Wang: "No, we don't need to. If we look for new team members now, there might be spies and scoundrels sneaking in. We should wait and see, maybe we can meet the right one."

**

A week later.

An inland waterway vessel, which had just been towed out of the dry dock, was parked at the pier.

The entire pier was decorated with lights and the blue and white lion and shield flag of the Langdon family was hung everywhere.

All the workers at the dock stopped moving goods, giving up their piece-rate wages and just watching. Besides them, there were men, women, and children from all over the city, and the whole scene was even more lively than when the former emperor was hanged.

Everyone was talking about the doomsday crisis, the cat's recovery, etc. On the contrary, no one cared about the changes in healing techniques that the nobles were concerned about. After all, ordinary people rarely received treatment from priests when they were sick, and it was a great fortune to be treated by a passing paladin.

It should be said that healing spells have nothing to do with most people's lives, so naturally no one cares.

Another focus of everyone's attention is Elizabeth's upcoming journey. Some gossips say that this is actually the honeymoon trip of the Saint Lady and the Wizard, while others say that the princess is pregnant and will soon give birth to a child with dragon blood.

Everyone was discussing excitedly when the band began to play music. To the sound of the music, the Duke's family's car drove into the dock.

Bruce, the Duke of Newland, who had just finished the formal title succession ceremony, rode a tall white horse and walked at the front of the queue. Careful people would notice that the buttons on his cloak were decorated with golden olive leaves, which was an accessory that only the emperor of the empire could have.

Langdon's young lion made no secret of his ambition.

Behind the Duke was the commander of the Duke's army, Sir Wayne Langdon. The paladin was wearing new armor and the holy light seemed to be permanently on him.

Behind him was the hero of this great victory, the legendary wizard's apprentice king. He held a shining dragon-headed scepter in his hand and rode a giant snow-white wolf.

The people chanted one after another: "This is the future Grand Master."

"I heard that he single-handedly charged into the emperor's army and captured the emperor!"

"What do you mean by single-handedly? That's called a lone wolf."

The wizard looked very expectant, his eyes fixed on the sailboat moored at the end of the long bridge at the pier.

Behind the wizard, a barbarian with war patterns painted on his face was riding on a horse almost as strong as him, with a brand new battle axe on his back.

There was a basket tied to the back of his saddle, and inside it sat a terrified dwarf.

"I told you I can walk! Why did you insist on putting me on the back of this beast? Oh, Carlisle Newman! Let me get off the ground and walk!" The dwarf shouted at the top of his lungs, almost drowning out the sound of the band's music.