Sword of Dawn

Page 136

After a while, Cohen saw some new visitors walking into the living room—these visitors were still carrying the cold outside, and the first thing they entered the room was rubbing their hands and walking towards the fireplace, obviously they had just arrived.

Are they "recruiters" who came earlier in the day?Came here again to attend the party in the evening?

The party that Santis is going to hold this time is not small... He really deserves to be someone who can spend noble money.

Cohen's thoughts diverged, and slowly he noticed an unusual thing:

Many of the people who came to the party were familiar faces, which is not surprising in itself, after all, the circle of mages is limited, but none of these people came from aristocratic families or members of a certain mage faction!

You know, even Santis, who is down and out, should know one or two members of aristocratic families or factions... At least he should have a friendship with him who studied in the same mage tower, right?

Deliberately not invited?Or... is this gathering really special, with all the family members and faction members excluded?

Cohen's heart moved, and he couldn't help but increase his concentration.

He instinctively felt that the so-called "second meeting" tonight might not be simple...

And in the process of thinking about it, the first bell in the capital rang.

The tinkling bells rang, and among the bells calling for believers to pray and praise the Lord in various churches, Cohen noticed that the attendants left the hall one by one, while the soldiers in Cecil armor stood guard instead of the attendants. At various entrances and exits, the sound of latches closing also came from the direction of the gate.

The people at the scene were a little uneasy, but soon, the side door of the hall opened, and Santis, who was wearing a black mage robe, entered the hall accompanied by Jibri and Pierce.

Santis scanned the people in the hall silently, and he found that at this time, he was calmer than expected.

Then he spoke:

"Everyone, is anyone interested in the magical skills of ancient Gondor and the knowledge of the lost realm?"

In the southern border, in Earl Hossman's castle, Earl Karlov Hossman, who was wearing the earl's golden red costume and had sharp eyes, stood at the banquet hall, holding a golden cup full of Karna wine in his hand, smiling He looked around at the guests present.

Amidst the melodious sound of lyre and tambourine, the earl said loudly: "Everyone, is anyone interested in the 'Magic Web' technology from Cecil?

"I want to tell you a piece of good news—with the efforts of several wise magic consultants and scholars from the Horsman family, I have cracked its secret!"

Chapter 0327

Count Karlov Hossman stood in the center of the banquet hall, watching with satisfaction the expressions of surprise and admiration on the guests he had invited.

As ever, he's still the center of attention here, the focus of all eyes.

With an elegant and decent smile, his gaze scanned every face on the scene. Viscount Carroll, Viscountess Grande, and Earl Pepper are very important figures. There are gentlemen and ladies of pure blood and glory in the south who have the right to speak. Some of them have inherited titles, and some are important heirs in the family or big figures who can speak on behalf of the family. It is not easy to invite these people together, especially It was in this cold winter month - the visits of these big figures are enough to prove that the appeal of the surname Hossman in the southern border is as strong as ever, and in order to further consolidate the authority of his surname, Earl Hossman is of course prepared to A "big meal" that was enough to match this banquet.

That was the magic net technology that he had spent a lot of effort and finally got with the double efforts of big money and good luck.

People applauded, Earl Karlov Hossman smiled reservedly, and after the applause lasted for ten seconds, he shook his wine glass slightly, showing a humble look: "I must admit that the resurrected ancestor is a Respectable man who built something incredible - maybe with a little 'help' from some alien friends, but either way, Ley technology is amazing and something this good should obviously Share it with everyone."

A nobleman in a dark blue velvet coat took Earl Hossman's words just right: "But if I remember correctly, Duke Cecil did not prohibit the exodus of the magic net—it is said that through Viscount Leslie Guarantee and introduction, as long as enough money is paid, Cecil Leader will send craftsmen to help those in need build the magic net, and even build various devices based on the magic net."

"Of course, if you pay enough, Duke Cecil will 'help' us build the magic net," Earl Hossman raised his glass to the noble representative, then shook his head with a smile, "but that's a lot of money." Money! Our founding duke wants to use a carriage to transport all the gold coins in our castle—and more importantly, things in other people’s hands are unreliable after all, aren’t they? Cecil led It is true that we will send people to help build the magic net, but that is not so much helping as it is holding the technology firmly in our hands. If the magic net is broken or not enough, we need to spend a lot of money to replace those Artisans, please come back...Compared to this almost endless investment, don't you think it is more cost-effective to get the technology to build the magic net?"

"That's true," Earl Pepper, who had pale golden curly hair and a slightly chubby figure, walked forward with a smile, "My old friend, how did you get that technology into your hands?"

"With a little bit of luck, I happened to meet two rune craftsmen who were in charge of building the magic net in Tanzania Town, and these two rune craftsmen happened to want some better development prospects," Karlov Huo Earl Sman said unhurriedly, "They brought the blueprints of the magic net and some construction techniques—of course, for the sake of safety, I asked my scholars and mage consultants to participate in the specific trial production work, and the final result Satisfactory, I made a working magic net that is as effective as the mine magic net in Leslie Land. Guys, you can look up the magic spar lamp in this castle, if you have the opportunity You are also welcome to visit the magic tower behind the castle - they are now powered by magic nets!"

"The mages in my territory will definitely be interested in this!"

"I'm interested too—I'm a mage myself."

"Count Horsman, how do you plan to 'share' these achievements with us?"

Aristocrats, big and small, gathered around one after another, and exchanged information about the magic net with Earl Hossman with compliments and sincerity, because each of them knew the changes in Leslie's collar in the past few months. ——Although they have some complaints about Viscount Andrew Leslie, who has completely fallen to the Cecil family, they must admit that in the past few months, the ore produced by the mine in Tanzan Town has been crushed It generally occupies many raw ore markets in the southern border, with huge output and extremely low cost, which makes several southern nobles who originally competed with the Leslie family in the ore business miserable.

Of course they want to get the same mining equipment and magic net system as Leslie collar, but the price is really daunting, and they are even more afraid of the rapidly developing Cecil collar, and they don't want to directly contact Cecil. There are too many entanglements with the collar - especially in the basic technology of "magic net".

Now, Earl Hossman successfully "stealed" the magic net, how could they not be tempted by it?

Although mining equipment still needs to spend a lot of money to buy from Lesley Land or Cecil Land, at least they have solved half of the problem, and it is still the basic energy problem.

The nobles are mediocre, but they still have brains. They know the difference between the magic net and the mine magic machine-the latter is just a magic tool, and if it is broken, it is just a loss of money. The former is the foundation, the energy of the territory. If they can only rely on other people's craftsmen to build it, they are absolutely worried. Only when their own craftsmen master the technology of laying the magic net, can they dare to use that thing with confidence.

But at the same time that the nobles, big and small, gathered around Earl Hossman, a tall and thin figure quietly left the banquet hall.

Wearing a black wool coat, with a beard and a crystal monocle, Viscount Carroll walked around the waiter with a wine glass, walked out of the banquet hall alone, and came to the corridor outside the hall, slightly Sighed.

The castle is indeed brighter than before—it’s not the first time he’s been a guest at Earl Horsman’s castle, and he can see that many magic crystals have been added under the corridors, in the courtyard, and even on the outer walls of the main building of the castle Stone, under the abundant supply of magic power, the bright lights almost made this ancient castle appear crystal-like and bright. It seems that Earl Hossman was right, he did get the magic net. technology - and can't wait to use it in his own castle.

Viscount Carroll looked at the courtyard illuminated by lights. Under the bright light around him, the bright starry sky above the courtyard seemed to have dimmed a bit. His gaze swept across at will, and suddenly he found that the people standing outside the hall were not Not just myself.

A thin lady wearing a black court dress and a black wide-brimmed hat is standing not far from her. The lady's clothes look very thin, but there is a faint layer of magic protection The shield enveloped her, blocking the cold wind from the winter night.

Countess Roperney Grant, the wealthiest in the south, but possibly the luckiest widow.

"Ms. Luo Penny," Viscount Carroll walked over with a glass of wine. He couldn't let such a lady stand alone outdoors in such a cold winter night. "Do you also feel that the hall is stuffy?"

"Please address me by my title and surname, Mr. Viscount," Ropeni Grant glanced at Viscount Carroll. Her eye sockets are deep, her cheekbones are high, and she still has a tinge of morbidity, although she can still see that she is a A beauty, but there is no doubt that her beauty is declining in poor health and mood - but for many young noble men, she still has a lot of appeal, "It's a very formal banquet."

"But we are outside the banquet hall," Viscount Carroll said with a smile. After realizing that his humor had not been responded to, he changed the subject calmly, "Then Viscount Glenn, what do you think about the magic net? Not interested?"

"Count Hossman just needs someone to flatter him. After the flattery is over, the real money will come. I don't need to waste time and energy before that," Ropeni Grant said in an almost bitter manner. Her speaking style has always been like this, "And to be honest, I really don't have much interest in the magic net. If the price offered by Earl Horsman is not suitable, I will leave directly."

Viscount Carroll nodded with a smile: "I understand, Miss Grant is waiting for you to go home."

It was only when she mentioned her only daughter that Ropeni Glenn's face softened a little. She turned her head to look at Viscount Carroll, and asked casually, "What about you? Are you not interested in the magic net?"

Viscount Carroll thought for a while, and showed an exaggerated distressed expression: "To be honest, I am interested, but I dare not be interested."

Roperney Grant finally had a look of curiosity: "Oh?"

"The things from Cecil's collar are full of weirdness," Viscount Carroll said in a slightly lower voice, but the volume was just enough for people to hear clearly. His subtle speaking method always arouses the curiosity of the opposite sex. It’s always beneficial, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but now the southern border is full of new gadgets from Cecil Territory—all kinds of alchemy potions, magic nets, mining machinery, and the high-quality coins they minted, almost Overnight, before everyone could react, Gawain Cecil was everywhere..."

Speaking of this, Viscount Carroll paused and opened his hands: "Even myself, I see Gawain Cecil's face at least countless times every day—when counting money."

The corners of Ropeni Grant's mouth turned up slightly: "I'm fine, I only like the silver and gold shields of the kingdom."

"You see, you are also a humorous person," Viscount Carroll immediately complimented, then held his glass and looked towards the courtyard, "Many people are not aware of this penetration, but I have a sense of crisis ... The 'new thing' led by Cecil is so convenient and cost-effective that no one can resist it, but you should also know that the more poisonous something is, the more it will tempt your sweetness in disguise. Man... those wonderful creations from Gawain Cecil seem to me no less than a dose of poison..."

As Viscount Carroll said, his gaze inadvertently swept across the soldiers in the courtyard. Under the keen eyes of the low-ranking knights, he saw a hole protruding from the belt bag of a Hausman soldier. Barrel-clear crystal bottle neck.

Cecil's logo was still stuck on the crystal bottle neck.

"I'm afraid we've been poisoned to the core."

Ropeni Grant glanced at Viscount Carroll: "Then will you refuse these poisons?"

Viscount Carroll was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Sometimes, poison is also a cure--as long as everything is under our control, as if right now, I'm going back to the banquet hall to go We have entered the stage of 'real money' with Earl Horsman."

Chapter 0328 Good news from all sides

Ropeni Grant watched Viscount Carroll disappear into the gate leading to the banquet hall, a sneer slowly emerged from the corner of her mouth.

She knew very well why Viscount Carroll said that—poison is also a good cure for diseases, which is indeed true, because Viscount Carroll has been the transportation to the Holy Spirit Plain in the south for the past few decades Essentially, if the medicinal materials from Kant and other places in the southern border want to be sent to the Holy Spirit Plain, they must basically be concentrated in the Carroll Viscounty, and then transported northward after forming a large-scale caravan. A considerable part of the various outputs, including common ores, magic materials, furs, etc., are transported through the Carroll collar, so from the very beginning, the Carroll family was very good at selling business.

They are a family that doesn't do production, but rely on controlling the traffic arteries to grab huge profits, so the members of the Carroll family have a habit of thinking, that is, they don't care who the goods come from, they only care about the goods Can you sell it with your own hands?

They can do business with Earl Hossman and actively respond to Earl Hossman's call, because Earl Hossman can provide magic net technology, and the Carroll family can sell this technology to the nobles of the Holy Spirit Plain to earn money. A lot of money, but Luo Penny believes in one thing very much, that is, if the Cecil leader is willing to hand over the alchemy potion business that is almost equivalent to flowing gold coins to Carroll, then Viscount Carroll will appear within four days In the drawing room of Duke Cecil.

If the road conditions are better, then two days.

Viscount Carroll has a good keen eye. He can see the status quo of Gawain Cecil's creation permeating the entire southern border, and smell the danger from it, but he miscalculated the danger. He thought he She's just a reseller, so she can stay out of it, but Ropeni Grant knows very well...

What the Grand Duke Gawain Cecil did was not just to grab money, nor was it simply to infiltrate and spy on other noble territories, although she still couldn't figure out the specifics of the revived Duke. The goal and the means to achieve it, but she is very familiar with this kind of behavior style that is open and plotting, but makes everyone have to fall into the trap.

Her husband was a similar person during his lifetime.

Because of this, she knew exactly where the scariest part of this conspiracy was.

Countess Ropeni Glenn turned around, staring at the brilliant lights in the courtyard with sunken and indifferent eyes, and the Housman soldiers who had already carried alchemy potions as regular supplies.

She knew very well that with these alchemy potions, those Hussman soldiers had already had a huge advantage when fighting ordinary noble private soldiers.

And when the magic net is paved and the mine's magic energy machinery is installed, these soldiers will be equipped with more and more sophisticated metal swords and armors. The mage tower on this territory can also obtain a steady stream of magic power supplies.

And Earl Hossman himself will also get huge wealth at the same time.

This is the scariest part - no one can refuse Gawain Cecil's gift, as long as one person accepts this "poison", then all those who refuse the poison will only die more than those who took the poison morning.

The arrogant Karlov Hossman can only see the benefits, probably not the dagger behind the benefits, but Luo Peini does not intend to make any reminders, she believes that even if someone makes a reminder, they will be dazzled by the benefits The big and small nobles in the head will blindly ignore all dangers, and think that even if the situation changes, everything is under their control.

Regarding this, Luo Penny herself was not sure, after all compared with the entire southern border... Gawain Cecil, a duke with no reputation, was still too lonely.

……

When the lord was singing and dancing in the banquet hall of the castle, celebrations were also held in other places in the castle. A small banquet was held in the side hall in the southeast corner of the castle. Scholars and advisors of the Horsman family Gather here, drink the fine wine given by the lord, enjoy the desserts and meat that are usually hard to eat, and laugh and laugh.

They have successfully mastered the full set of technology to build the magic net, and realized the operation of the first magic net in this ancient castle. It is a rare honor to feast until dawn.

In this small banquet, the center of attention were two young men, one tall and one short, in off-white padded robes.

Someone stepped forward to toast the two young men, and a middle-aged gentleman with a broad forehead said with a smile: "Allegiance to the Horsman family will be the most correct decision in your life—you will know soon, the Earl The generosity is unmatched by that Viscount Andrew."

"Talented young people will be welcomed everywhere," another scholar-like person also came over, and said with the tone of an elder admiring the younger generation, "When the weather gets warmer, I will definitely invite you to my hometown in the suburbs. I am a guest at the small estate where the best honey tea in the area is served..."

"There are two unmarried daughters, right?"

So the audience roared with laughter, and the atmosphere became even more cheerful.

However, the two young men who were surrounded by the crowd seemed a bit overwhelmed with alcohol. After trying hard for a while, they were so dizzy that they had to go outside to blow the cold wind. The others continued to drink to their heart's content, while the two young men left the side hall one after the other with a cup of sober tea soup.

With the cold wind blowing outside, the tall young man glanced back at the lighted porch slightly, and sneered softly: "The whole set of technology for building the magic net... do these people really understand what 'technology' is?"

"At best, it's a full set of skills in building the magic net," the short young man, who didn't look drunk at the moment, muttered in a low voice, "but you can't make too high demands on them—if you don't experience it yourself, Who would have thought that the deepest laws of runes are hidden in the minimalist hexagon?"

The tall young man showed a slight smile and looked at his companion: "After tonight, the magic net will take root everywhere in the southern border..."

The short young man also showed the same smile. He gently raised the cup in his hand and replaced the wine with tea: "A hymn of loyalty."

"A hymn to loyalty."

"By the way, do you know why the leader wants to use this sentence as a code for field operators?"

"Who knows—but we should proceed with caution in the future, and refrain from bringing up 'over there' unless necessary."

"I see."

……

A few days later, Amber brought the long-awaited information that Gao Wen had been waiting for.

"Our people have successfully entered Earl Hossman's castle," the half-elf lady reported solemnly, "As you said, the earl is really trying to get the magic net construction technology... He summoned The aristocrats in the southern border are going to sell the magic net construction technology they have 'stealed' to other people, to those who are allies with him."

Gao Wen smiled with satisfaction: "In this way, everything will develop as I planned."

"Buying is worse than stealing, stealing is worse than not being able to steal..." Amber sighed, she understood Gao Wen's real intention in such a troublesome way to leak the technology to the nobles and nobles in the southern region at the first time. She has rich experience in thieves, "In this way, they won't have any worries when they got the technology after a lot of twists and turns. It won't be long before they will spread magic tricks on a large scale in their territory." It's online."

"Even if they don't need mining machinery, the magic net can also supply energy to their castles, to the mage towers on the territory, to the magic traps and other defensive facilities in various fortresses... in this place In the world of magic, the magic net itself is a very universal thing," Gao Wen nodded, "but according to my estimation, at least one-third of the nobles need mining machinery, and there are many mining industries in the southern border... …Notify Viscount Andrew and let him vacate the pier, I guess many sneaky guests will come to his territory to buy magic engines soon.”

"Actually, we can do this business by ourselves..." Hu Po pouted, "In this way, there will be fewer middlemen to make the difference..."

"Not yet. Cecil's almost unlimited supply of cheap alchemy potions is already shocking the world. I don't plan to continue to attract so much attention in other places." Gawain shook his head. "All the news released so far are cryptic Point out that the production capacity of Cecil Territory has reached the bottleneck, and the new mining machinery is manufactured in Tanzan Town. If this is the case, then I will continue to release this news, so that the nobles and nobles in the southern border will underestimate Cecil. The production potential of the leader, so as not to scare them."

Amber waved her hand: "It can also make them relax their vigilance, right? I understand, I understand."

Gawain was quite satisfied with Miss Half Elf's progress during this period, he nodded in relief, and then suddenly said: "You can help me take care of it, I..."

Amber continued without waiting for Gao Wen to finish speaking: "Are you going to 'meditate' again?"

"Yes."

This time, the half-elf lady didn't say a word of nonsense, she simply nodded: "Okay, I'll help you watch."

Gao Wen then slowly let go of his mind, but before he was about to fall into a dream, he heard Amber's voice coming from the side: "But let's talk first, you must be the first to tell me when you can speak." I!"

"Don't worry, I won't forget."

After a brief period of darkness and dizziness, Gawain appeared in the endless space with clear water and blue sky.

The old magician Daniel stood in front of him, bowing down respectfully.

"My lord, I have lived up to your will—I am already the top person in charge of the Eternal Sleeper's 'Information Security and Network Architecture' project, and I will also undertake the task of building the first-generation database."

Gawain blinked.

This old man is so efficient!

He was taller than any other boy in his territory!

emmmmm... If I take up the line a little slower in the future, I'm afraid this old magician will soon become the pope...

Chapter 0329 Doubt

Of course, Gao Wen was just thinking about such a good thing in his heart, and he also knew that such a dreamlike thing as "training a younger brother to go undercover in a hostile organization, and then suddenly found out that he became a shareholder behind the hostile organization after being undercover for three years" was impossible. It happened to him—according to his estimation of Daniel, the old magician can penetrate into the bishops of the Eternal Sleepers at most, which is already the limit.