"Because you need a person, someone who has nothing to do with secret knowledge, make sure that after discovering the treasure, those two who can kill you easily will not embezzle it?" Zelin looked at the two professors. He remembered that Hawke had said before that yesterday there were two professors looking for help in the square. "Did you hire a mercenary group yesterday? They wear this badge?"

The mercenary group usually does not have a few people, and one or two famous fighters can gather many followers.

"This? That's right. They also claimed to be able to deal with an entire pack of wolves, but they disappeared when they entered the sewer, and 80% of them were killed by the monsters inside. You are a demon hunter, and you are definitely not afraid of monsters. Wait until we find the treasure. Later, we will divide you half of the bonuses issued by the academy. How about?"

"We'll talk about the bonus later." Zelin put the badge away. "I can protect you from entering the sewers, but I want to find mercenaries wearing this badge."

"Do you know them?"

"There are some personal issues with them. But rest assured, this will not affect you. It is not a serious personal grievance, I just want to find them to understand some things."

"Well, please come with me." The professor made a please gesture to Zelin. "Our partners are waiting in the tower to the northeast. The tower has a spiral staircase that leads directly to the sewer. Have you ever seen the sewer built by the lizardmen? It is huge, and there are even rooms separated by them. I really doubt them. I usually live in it, and only come to the city at night."

Zelin did not participate in their chat, but searched for sword oil in the package. The monsters that often haunt the sewers should be water ghosts. Although Zelin is not afraid of them, no matter how weak the enemy is, he will be fully prepared, just in case.

"Your partner is also a mercenary? Or a warlock researcher?" Zelin asked suddenly. "The mage of Ben Ade Academy??"

"It's a warlock, two warlocks, one is called Albert, a southerner, and the other...Harid, what's the name of the other female warlock?"

"Did you forget? Cynthia, the Korver Warlock."

The first thousand eight hundred and eighty chapters of transactions within the empire

"The news is confirmed. Ashley is dead."

On the second day after Ashley's death, a report was presented in the most luxurious tower in the city of the Golden Pagoda, the imperial capital of Nilfgaard. Standing on the balcony, you can not only overlook most of the imperial capital, but you can also see the Gate of the Sun in front of the pier. Few people can experience the feeling of looking down at a miracle combining engineering and magic in such a luxurious tower, but the person present is one of those few people.

"Not surprisingly, Hillard did it."

Thirteen high-back seats surround the mahogany round table, which is inlaid with gold and jewels, and each backrest is engraved with a unique logo. The signs belong to an ancient family, but each sign is under a larger sign-a golden flame inlaid in an inverted triangle, Nilfgaard Merchants Association.

"He did a great job." The voice came from one of the tables and chairs, under a red lion sign. There was no one on the chair, only a square microphone. "Baron Fez Ojestelan always circulates around the kings like an old vulture on a corpse. If the vulture is released, it will not come back without prey. But our dear emperor will not like this. In the event, the Anachen family of Vikvaro lost an important archmage. They must consider which side they will stand next. Undoubtedly, Enhill is sitting on his throne, thinking about this The attack came from somewhere. I dare say that this shrewd old **** is thinking about how to uproot us."

"Don't forget, there is another ancient family that supports him." The second voice came from the sign with three five-pointed stars. "Towsonte, Towsonte's Henrietta family, Anna Henrietta and Enhill are cousins."

"That's just a family ruled by women. Women have ruled Tocente for nearly a hundred years. Duchess Anna is a naive little woman. She doesn't understand politics and only longs for peace and justice. It is easy to be manipulated. We only need to do a little bit. Little things, just have a few allies in Towsonte's court, don't worry about her, what is really important is the other archmage, the Wei Ge family, that **** family of magic."

"Fringeira Wige will be charged with the same charge as Ashley Anachen, and will send a knight to Towsonte quickly and execute her before Enhill can react." This time the person who spoke was dressed in a dress. The man in the pale green robe, leaning on the back of the chair, holding a glass full of liquor in his hand, dangling it rhythmically. The gleam of the crystal lamp illuminates the edge of the cup. "But the emperor will give us so much reaction time? Excluding the archmage who supports his family is helpful to our next plan, but we must appease the lion. Without meat, it will treat the breeder as meat. Eat it."

"War." The fourth voice came from the spar projection. "Enhill has been dissatisfied with the Hinterland Peace Treaty for a long time. He wants to completely annex the North. He needs coins to mobilize the army loyal to him, but his treasury is empty. In exchange, the Merchants Association will give him the opportunity to mobilize 30,000 soldiers. Gold. This is not a small number. With 30,000 professional soldiers, the gold coins needed can flood Enhill's palace. If he doesn't accept the exchange, I guess he will not be able to accumulate the military pay for the next expedition until he died naturally."

During the Second World War, Enhill recruited 150,000 soldiers. It has only been two years since the Battle of Sutton Hills ended to the Nilfgaard Army crossing the Yaluga River again. In order to raise military expenses, the emperor used tax privileges in exchange for high loans. According to the original plan, when the legion completely conquered the north, the emperor could receive immigration taxes from the north and high-value commercial taxes centered on Novigrad. What the Merchants Association gets is the southern countries that have been conquered before, have been rebelling, and are in urgent need of reconstruction.

But the imperial legion suffered a terrible defeat in Brunner and was driven back to the south of the Yaluja River. Today, the Merchants Association controls most of the domestic commercial activities and the right to tax exemption for many years. The only thing left for the emperor is the former imperial homeland of the provinces surrounding the imperial capital.

"Assemble all the generals who are loyal to us." A thin man stretched out his arm, propped his elbow on the table, and waved his hand. "There are mercenaries who are willing to fight for gold, and be fully prepared. A hungry lion is likely to grab food at all costs, and all we need to do is to remind Enhill that compliance with the contract is the most important thing in the world. "

"I don't understand, gentlemen." This time, speaking was a rich old man, his voice was slow but full of power. "The Hinterland Peace Treaty is not good for the empire. The Northerners publicly declared that our empire is nothing more than a clay statue. It’s good for the Empire. But why, good gentlemen, you don’t seem to be interested in breaking the Hinterland Peace Treaty?"

"Because in that war, the one who really won was us, Prince Fries. The reason you think the peace treaty is harmful to the empire is that you still insist on believing in the past. The way to declare victory is to wave a banner and shout: "Everything I saw belongs to me! I won!" No, Your Royal Highness. We don't think so. Victory should be like this-the loser has to buy supplies from the winner and is still willing Purchased because the victor’s materials are better and cheaper. In this way, the victor’s currency will be more valuable than the loser’s currency, and the victor will have more confidence in its own culture and system. This is what Victory."

"The peace agreement that year must be signed, and it must be signed as soon as possible at all costs, because the war has hindered the circulation of commodities and seriously affected commercial activities. But now, the northern countries are trying to form an alliance that can hinder the inflow of more southern commodities. A political entity in the north. Launch a war and establish a strong contract to abolish the economic blockade, retaliatory tariffs and the implementation of trade protectionism. Enhill wants a war, then we give him money and let him go Initiate his conquest. And your son, His Royal Highness Morfan, will become the leader of the army and the chief general of Nilfgaard."

"My son knows how to make money, how to make the noble lady fascinated, and puts the beautiful maid beside him to bed by the way, but leads the soldiers to fight? He knows that he is not that piece of material."

"War is never the key. Let His Highness Morfan become a general and stay in the army for a few years. When the new emperor is elected, he can get the support of the army. Veterans like to support people who used to be generals, just like the Senate The usual process is the same as giving a speech, promising to give more placement fees and tax-free years to veterans, and they will shout "Long live"."

Prince Fries did not speak any more.

He can already foresee how much gold will flow out from the Sungate Harbor under the tower and be thrown into the swamps and forests of the north.

Ships under the Gate of the Sun come and go, day and night.

"The poisonous snake hiding in the cave is ready to take action." A thin, black-haired man looked out the window and said, holding a letter in his hand, and the envelope on the table was stamped with a secret report. "They killed Ashley Anachen."

The old general who was filling the emperor's golden cup with wine gently put down the jug.

Chillak Ep Grufid, Cahill's father, and also the lord of the royal court and Dan Defra, bowed his head deeply. His wife is Ashley's niece and cousin of Duchess Vicvaro.

"Chirac, write a letter and send it to the Imperial Guard camp."

The housekeeper immediately took out the pen and the paper fixed on the wooden board, stood up straight, and waited for the order.

Enhill looked away from the window and paced back and forth between the window and the table with his hands behind his back, silent for a while.

"Tell my mouth. This order must be carried out immediately. The order is as follows. Send the best soldiers, ride the fastest horses, and immediately rush to the Duchy of Towsent to arrest the sorcerer Fringeira Victor. But she is not allowed to move her. Without my order, she is not allowed to injure a vellus hair. If someone tried to stop the arrest, or arrested the female warlock without the emperor’s order, he was declared guilty, and the Guards Have the right to execute them for treason."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Chirac took down the letter paper, bent over and bowed.

"And, a message to Cynthia in the north." Enhill raised his hand. "Unlock Lomugne's secrets as soon as possible and bring back the necessary things. The demon hunter has arrived in that city. Don't be out of the blue, return to the empire as soon as possible after collection, and send the samples to the medical school for experimentation."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Chirac didn't know what the sample was referring to, but he knew that in medicine, the Imperial Academy of Magic was better at human experimentation and antidote than research on disease vaccines and antidote. He also didn't want to know what exactly it was, north, ancient, and witchcraft. The three together must be terrible things.

Really know what the sample is, I am afraid that only Emperor Enhill and the sorcerer Cynthia.

However, this letter should have arrived in Lomugne a few days earlier.

Now, Cynthia was looking helplessly at the two professors who were excited about leaving to unlock the secrets of the underground, and sighed heavily. She asked these two northerners who seemed to only know how to read and teach to find some helpers who could fight, preferably warriors who could use swords and scared their pants without seeing monsters. In the end, who would have thought

"Tell me, Cynthia." At the gloomy sewer entrance, Zelin put his hand on the hilt and stared at the woman in front of him. "Give me a reason not to arrest you now? As a spy related to the Kingslayer, you dare to come to Lomugne. I must admit that you have the courage."

The first thousand eight hundred and eighty-one chapters of female spies' intelligence

"Sorry, I don't know you have personal grievances, but..."

"Please shut up first, Professor Harid, this matter has nothing to do with you, but I hope you can understand what kind of person your partner is."

Zelin raised his hand, motioned for the professor to be quiet, and then pointed to Cynthia. "I guess she definitely didn't tell you her identity, but I can tell you, Professor. This woman is a spy for Nilfgaard. I don't know what you are looking for, but she may cause you two to go together. Wanted orders from the northern countries."

"What, what?" Professor Khalid opened his eyes wide and looked at Cynthia in surprise. "Wait, this lady said, she is a warlock from Corwell, from Long Essett University..."

"How can a spy write the words'I am a spy' on the face?"

The professor closed his mouth.

The entrance to the sewer has collapsed in the past, and later generations re-excavated it and erected wooden beams to support the rock. A wooden table was placed in the center of the entrance, and two warlocks holding a staff stood by the wooden table. A male warlock with a short thorn, and a female warlock with a hood and tight shirt. The two Osenfurt professors stood at the entrance somewhat at a loss, not knowing whether they should turn around and leave or stay to continue exploring.

"Maybe you can give me some time, Demon Hunter." Cynthia leaned forward, holding the staff in her right hand and resting her left hand on her chest, with a signature smile on her face, just like a restaurant waiter did when she saw customers. "You are not under the king of the north. I know why you are wary of the empire. It is because the king killer is the same type of person as you. You are worried about your reputation and business. But we can make an exchange. You help me, no If you tell the story here, we can divide the value of the treasures collected in the sewers according to a certain percentage, and then I will provide you with an information that is related to the Kingslayer."

"Cynthia, you can't do anything to betray the empire." The male warlock's tone was high, and his eyes were full of fanaticism and glory. "This is a matter of national interest. For the future of the empire, how do you deal with the enemy?"

"Little Warlock, Cynthia is helping you fight for a chance to survive." Zelin said coldly.

"If we must die, then we will proudly sacrifice to serve the emperor!"