Chapter 308: The Nostalgic Lich
Creating an "encounter" with Prince Andre is only the first step. Next, Hal must quickly establish a new connection with Prince Andre, whose friendship has been severed for several years. The freshness of a long-awaited reunion can only last for a while. If you make the other person feel boring or even annoyed before the novelty wears off, then this "encounter" will jump directly from the beginning to the end.
Hal would never let this happen, and after a brief reminiscence, he quickly developed a new topic, telling the prince, who had never left the capital, about the strange stories he had encountered after leaving the capital. He especially focused on describing the border of the Rhine Kingdom and the legendary .
"Have you seen the demonized humans with your own eyes? In the Sorenson Mountains? Did you run in there?" Prince Andre asked in surprise.
"Yes, Your Highness, that was truly the most terrifying experience, even more terrifying than the out-of-control village I passed by in the southern part of the Kenyan Empire." Hal touched his chest with a look of fear, "Perhaps you still remember that I said goodbye to you six years ago, no, seven years ago and headed south. At that time, I planned to try my luck in the extreme south with my companions, but the sea was very stormy at that time, and we didn't want to wait in Moses Port for several months, so we went to Inadli and planned to take the land trade route from there..."
Well, actually, Hal and his core members of the bandit gang made a lot of money in the capital, so they fled to avoid the limelight. Then they learned that the Sorenson Mountains were a good place to occupy the mountains and become the king, so they simply ran over and fought with a bandit gang and occupied their camp...
Next, Hal described in vivid detail the various extremely bizarre monsters transformed from the Fallen that he had seen in the Sorenson Mountains. Prince Andre was amazed, and even the two greasy-haired and powdered young men who vaguely regarded Hal as a "competitor" were startled.
For people living in big cities protected by high-ranking priests, religious orders, and night watchmen, the Fallen and monsters are all quite distant, imaginary creatures that seem to exist in different dimensions.
In a large city like the capital with a population of one million, if there is an out-of-control person anywhere, the Night Watchmen will deal with the out-of-control person and the pollution source . Even if the incident itself is not resolved, those who try to spread the incident will be quickly dealt with...
Even in a small place like Innadri, any place involving abnormal phenomena would be banned by the church and related news would be blocked, not to mention the royal capital.
In other words... in the general understanding, the horror of words like "out of control" and "crazy" is not that great at all. In the eyes of some people, the harm caused by an out-of-control person is even similar to that of a drunkard.
Important members of the royal family or core members of aristocratic families would not be so ignorant, but Prince Andre was undoubtedly a marginal figure in the royal family. A young man who would cling to such a marginal figure might not be valued by the family, which gave Hal the opportunity to show off.
Of course, it is not enough to simply show off your knowledge to attract attention.
After using the description of the Sorenson Mountains to introduce his own experiences and build his own personality indirectly, "I have been doing a very promising business in the south in recent years", Hal casually brought out the purpose of his visit to the royal capital - he came to the royal capital to discuss business with the butler of the Odysseus family.
The character of having business dealings with a noble family like the Odysseus family is much more important than being just a knowledgeable businessman. Prince Andre's attitude towards Hal became more polite, and even the two young masters who originally disliked Hal, the rough "foreigner", became more respectful.
Only the man wearing the ball mask seemed to be dissatisfied with Hal's character, but the strange thing was... this man did not speak out to disrupt his performance, but just watched Hal's performance in silence.
Out of fear of this mysterious man, Hal did not reveal too many details of his cooperation with the Odysseus family. After talking with Prince Andre for a while, he said goodbye and hoped to visit him later. Prince Andre gladly agreed.
After leaving the club, Hal immediately went to the Bounty Hunter Association and paid for clues about the mysterious man around Prince Andre.
"In the royal capital, it is not allowed to easily leak royal information." The deacon of the bounty association politely rejected Hal.
"Oh?" Hal gave a malicious grin... Although I'm a wanted criminal with a hidden identity, don't I know how much SHI your bounty association has?
"In consideration of our past cooperation, I can give you a piece of information for free, 'Razor' Hal." The steward of the Bounty Association did not want to offend this madman who had been famous for many years and had clung to the Nightmare Butcher, so he lowered his voice and said, "Since April, His Majesty has only left the palace twice."
Hal understood immediately...
The old king is in failing health.
"I see." Hal said, stroking his chin.
In the rear, Inna Deli learned this information through Hal's vision, which even the Bounty Association dared not sell for money. Yang Qiu also touched his chin and said, "I see."
The old king is dying and the crown prince is about to succeed to the throne. The third prince Kolov is proposing to the Odysseus family at this juncture, obviously wanting to take a last gamble.
Prince Andre, who is sixth in line to succession, is surrounded by mysterious men who provide close protection. It is obvious that the capital city at this moment is not as peaceful as it appears on the surface.
"By the way, this golden-haired guy looks quite familiar, as if I've seen him somewhere before..."
Yang Qiu thought about it for a while but couldn't remember anything, so he simply ran to the City Hall and woke up Kingsley who had just fallen asleep.
After listening to Yang Qiu's description of the blond man Hal saw next to Prince Andre, Kingsley, who was sitting on the bed in his pajamas, crossed his arms and thought for a while, then tilted his head and said, "Strange, I also feel like I've seen this person before, but I can't remember where?"
"His cognition has been distorted. It seems to be the influence of mental magic." Yang Qiu understood. "He is deliberately hiding it. This guy probably doesn't have a good reputation."
"...Don't you feel embarrassed when you say something like that?" Kingsley said expressionlessly.
"I'm not the kind of person who hides his head and shows his tail. I'm upright no matter where I go." Yang Qiu said seriously.
Kingsley gave Yang Qiu the middle finger.
Yang Qiu generously forgave the old man's unkindness, and before leaving, he did not forget to remind him to find the collapsed demon world as soon as possible.
Hal continued to stay in the royal capital for two days before he brought gifts and visited the fourth prince Andre.
Except for the crown prince, adult princes and princesses are not allowed to live in the palace . Instead, they are arranged to live in an area in the central city close to the palace according to the old king's favor.
The fourth prince Andre was not liked by the old king, but fortunately his mother, Princess Harriet, was strong enough to secure a duke-standard mansion for him.
Of course, compared to the Duke's Palace, Prince Andre's Palace is much more deserted. There are not so many servants, and even no private soldiers. The royal families of various countries have suffered enough from allowing the nobles to raise private soldiers. Those with a little bit of brains will not allow royal members other than the first crown prince to hold troops.
Unless this royal family member is willing to give up the succession order, leave the capital and become a local lord...
Hal, who came to visit, found to his surprise that... the blond man was also in the prince's mansion.
When the servant led him into the living room, the blond man sat next to Prince Andrei, still wearing a ball mask on his face.
Prince Andre stood up and introduced with a smile: "Harvey, this is the man my mother asked to guide me--"
"I know him." The blond man said.
The moment he heard this voice, Hal, who was thinking about how to get rid of this troublesome guy, froze in expression.
"Hey, Mr. Envy, you also know Harvey?" Prince Andre said in surprise.
"Yes." The blond man took off his ball mask, and his dark eyes, similar to those of the Sokri people, swept across the stiff Hal. There seemed to be a flash of red light in the depths of his pupils. "Old acquaintance, in Sorenson."
"Oh yes, I forgot that you have also been to the Sorenson Mountains before." Prince Andre did not notice that the atmosphere between the two was wrong and laughed.
Hal broke out in a cold sweat.
He had never seen the face under the mask of the blond man, but he had heard this deep, soft, and beautiful voice that seemed to have a natural melody.
"It turns out to be you." Hal forced a hearty smile and tried his best to stay calm. "It's been a long time, Mr. Envy."
In the rear, Inna Deli, who was "sharing" Hal's vision, slapped his thigh and said, "It's this guy!"
"Lich" Envi!
There are not many people on this continent who can interfere with the cognition of high-level spellcasters.
The "lich" Enwei, who took off his mask and had a face that Yang Qiu once described as "world-weary", looked at Hal coldly. He had no intention of exposing him, nor did he have any intention of joining in the drama for him.
Hal's heart, which had risen to his throat, sank a little. This guy didn't reveal his identity. It was obviously not because he was concerned about him... The name of "Razor" Hal might scare ordinary people, but it had no deterrent effect on high-level spellcasters. Obviously, the "Lich" could only be concerned about - Yang.
Hal felt the bottom line of the "Lich" in a flash. He quickly adjusted his strategy and suppressed the idea of getting rid of this guy. He sat down on the sofa as Prince Andre invited and greeted the prince with a smile.
Prince Andrei has no ambition to compete for the throne, but he has obviously realized that he cannot always be a prince relying on his mother's protection, and is preparing to develop his career through his own efforts. Hal, who came to him as a successful businessman, obviously meets the needs of the prince. After a brief greeting, he took the initiative to ask about Hal's business with Odysseus's family.
Hal, who was well prepared, readily boasted about the "big business" he was cooperating with the Odysseus family and the new Lord Innadri - the fleet provided by the Odysseus family would transport the goods exported by the Lord Tarantan, whom Hal was serving, through the Barcelo River; some of the goods would be considered to be shipped to the capital and handed over to the deacons of the Odysseus family in the capital for sale.
When the identity of "Follower of Lord Talanla" was revealed, "Lich" Envy had a blank expression on his face, and His Royal Highness Prince Andre was dumbfounded.
"The Lord of Tarantan... I've heard of him." Prince Andre never expected that his "old friend Harvey", whom he thought he could use to gain support, would throw out such a thunderbolt. Wiping his sweat, he said, "I have to say... well, this is a very unexpected person, Mr. Spellcaster."
The lich that his mother hired at a huge expense to protect him was sitting next to him, and Prince Andre was embarrassed to express his disdain for the black magician.
"No wonder you are so surprised, Your Highness. Before I met Mr. Yang by accident, I was also misled by false rumors." Hal lied against his conscience, endured the nausea, and gritted his teeth, "But I have to say that Mr. Yang does not match the image in the rumors..."
The lich Enwei rolled his eyes without disguising it... Fortunately, Andre was concentrating on listening to Hal's nonsense and didn't see it.
Hal pretended not to see it, and after suppressing his nausea, he boasted about Yang's character, then quickly changed the subject, praised the Tarantan products to the sky, and showed the samples he brought to His Royal Highness the Prince.
There is no doubt that the Tarantine products are extremely attractive. Prince Andre was so excited that he almost pulled Hal to join him on the spot, but he forced himself to hold back when he thought of his status and his mother's usual instructions.
Hal was not in a hurry to achieve success. He left the samples as gifts and mentioned casually before leaving that Lord Tarantan was proposing to Miss Phoenix of the Odysseus family and that the two families might possibly get married.
Prince Andre's jaw almost dropped to the ground when he heard this shocking news.
The lich Enwei, who was sitting nearby and watching coldly, almost couldn't keep a straight face.
As soon as Hal left, His Royal Highness Prince Andrei, who instinctively sensed that something was wrong, immediately hurried into the palace to find his mother - he had not forgotten that he had just heard about the third prince Kolov proposing to Phoenix not long ago!
"Is there such a thing?"
Princess Harriet, who was over fifty but still charming and looked like she was in her early thirties, smiled at the lich who came with her son and said, "Mr. Envy, you once had a close relationship with the Nightmare Butcher. What do you think about this?"
The lich Enwei put on his mask again and twitched his lips. He was probably not used to the princess' description. He was silent for a while before saying coldly, "Impossible. That guy must have ulterior motives."
Princess Harriet smiled and nodded.
Prince Andre was confused: "Mr. Enwei, are you saying that Harvey cheated me? Why would he do that?"
The lich Enwei didn't want to answer.
Princess Harriet had no way to deal with her stupid son. She said helplessly, "For something like this that can be solved by sending a telegram to Odysseus's house, why would I have to go all the way to the capital to deceive you? This 'Harvey' didn't deliberately find an excuse to fool you and not spread the matter, did he?"
Prince Andre: "Uh..."
"In any case... Lord Tarantan's proposal to a great noble in his country is a major event that cannot be ignored. The royal family must continue to pay attention to it." Princess Harriet hesitated for a moment and said, "You should tell your brother about this, Andre. You haven't seen His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for a long time."
Andre was somewhat afraid of his serious elder brother, and replied dejectedly: "Okay, mother."
After sending her son to curry favor with the Crown Prince, Princess Harriet sighed as she looked at Andre's back and bowed slightly to the lich Envy: "Please take good care of little Andre for me, Mr. Envy."
"I'll try my best." Enwei nodded slightly, paused, and then said, "No matter how this matter develops, I don't recommend Andre to have close contact with... Lord Tarantan, including his people."
The farther away from that lunatic Yang, the better - this is what Enwei wants to say.
Princess Harriet smiled and nodded, then shook her head and said, "Mr. Envy, I just hope that Andre can live a peaceful and smooth life."
The implication is... if it can help Andre, then the princess is not opposed to letting Andre associate with him, even if that person is the infamous Nightmare Butcher.
The lich Enwei frowned and looked at the princess without saying a word. He stood up, bowed slightly and said goodbye, then turned and left.
Hal continued to stay in the apartment for two days. When he visited the prince's mansion again, he learned from Prince Andre that the news of "Lord Tarantan proposing to the Odysseus family" had spread among the royal family members, and he was greatly relieved.
Anyone who knew about this, unless it was the third prince Kolov himself, would have to quickly curry favor with the crown prince.
In the rear, Inna Deli kept an eye on the situation for several days and confirmed that the lich Enwei who suddenly appeared did not deliberately interfere, so Yang Qiu was relieved.
"That cold guy still remembers the old times. When the Mage Tower is completed, why not invite him to Innadli as a guest so that we can reminisce about the past." Yang Qiu thought with satisfaction as he held a cup of tea and admired the progress of the Mage Tower as usual.
During the time Hal was busy in the royal capital, the construction of the Mage Tower made quite good progress. The height of the outer wall had risen to 20 meters, parallel to the lord's palace.
Seeing that the construction of the Mage Tower was going smoothly, Zhao Zhenzhen also came over, hoping to install an ultra-high-power broadcast signal transmitter in the Mage Tower - the kind that could cover half of the Napalm continent, provided free of charge by the expert group - Yang Qiu reluctantly agreed.
The players were dissatisfied with the fact that the "new popular NPC" Queen disappeared after completing the battlefield mission. They criticized her and cursed the planner's entire family on the forum - but Yang Qiu pretended not to see anything.
Anyway, for players, scolding planners is just a daily routine on the forum, and if Yang Qiu gives any more looks, he will be considered the loser.
As the sky gradually darkened, the workers began to finish their work. Yang Qiu, who had completed his daily task of "paying attention to the progress of the Mage Tower", immersed himself in the matrix as usual to check on the status of online players.
When it "switched" to the perspective of elder sister Yang Ying, Yang Qiu paused as she was refilling the enamel teacup with milk tea.
Sister Yang Ying and her friend Jia Luo did not stay in the wild to kill monsters as usual, nor did they run to the orange cat boss's knight to play, but... appeared in a caravan!
Yang Qiu: “???”
Yang Qiu quickly switched back and forth between the perspectives of Yang Ying and Jia Luo, and confirmed through their visions... that the two of them had indeed infiltrated a caravan that had left Innadri and entered the territory of Adler.
The caravan members nervously surrounded the two undeads to prevent them from escaping; but the two female players had no sense of being kidnapped, and followed them obediently while excitedly sharing the "cross-map hidden mission" that they accidentally triggered with others in the Blood Alliance channel and friend list.
Yang Qiu: “…”
