The Book of Hibernation

When Ryan returned to South Fishing Port, it was already daylight.

He didn't need to take this long.On the way back, he was in a trance, and he was a little unsteady on the horse, so he had to get down and walk slowly.

This was a feeling he had never felt before. Although he didn't have any physical pain, his mind was so sluggish as if he had an illness.

Halfway through the journey, he let go of the leash, patted Lushui, and let it leave freely.Lushui is so smart, she will definitely be able to find her home by herself.

He walked slowly, and Lushui slowly followed him. He chased him away a few times, but Lushui seemed to like him very much, and refused to leave no matter what.

He stroked Dew's neck and said, "You'd better go back. Although Anaconda is not a good person, he can definitely take good care of you. You don't have to follow the gods, and you don't have any allegiance to anyone, so...in fact, you have no obligation to follow Me. You have helped me for so long, it is enough, it is ok...you should go back, his life is better there, it is easier for you..."

As he spoke, Ryan's voice weakened, and he felt even more uncomfortable.

He simply pretended to be angry and drove the dew away viciously.Lushui hesitated at first, but finally turned around and trotted away.

In the slums of South Fishing Port, Duoling also stayed up all night.Holding a simple wooden stick, he stood outside the shed area all night, waiting for Ryan.

When he saw Ryan's figure, he forgot for a moment that his feet were still limping, and he was about to walk up to him.

There was a strong tingling pain when the injured foot touched the ground, and Dorin staggered and fell forward. Fortunately, Ryan reacted quickly and ran over to catch him in two or three steps.

Dorin asked Ryan how things were going, who he met, and what he talked about, but Ryan didn't answer, and didn't let him go, just hugged him to his chest.

Dorin looked up with difficulty.Lane's eyes were calm, but also scary.

His posture didn't look like hugging a friend at all, or even hugging a living thing, but more like hugging something casually when he was lost, finding a sense of fulfillment and security, and he didn't want to let go.

After a while, Ryan finally said: "Let's go. Leave Harbor City."

"Now?" Dorin asked.

"Yes, now. Come here, if you can't walk, I'll carry you."

"Wait!" Duo Lin struggled, "There are still things that have not been investigated clearly, such as the owner of the black fish boat, I want to inquire about his whereabouts again, and my Xinying has not returned yet..."

Ryan shook his head and hugged him horizontally without any explanation.Dorin struggled a few times, but he couldn't resist Ryan's strength. He didn't insist on staying, but was a little worried about Ryan's mental state.

Because Dorin refused to cooperate, Lane had to stop before going far, and put him on a low wall half a person's height by the side of the road.

Dorin looked at Ryan, and found that Ryan's eyes were red, as if he had just cried.

Ryan calmed down a little, and said with a sullen face: "Dorling, you don't know the situation. I have traveled a lot these days and met a lot of people, and I already understand it. There is nothing to investigate, what chamber of commerce, the dock , city hall, city guards, merchants, fishermen... the people here in Harbor City are all in the same group, they are all in the same group! There is no need to stay in this place any longer, and it would be disgusting to stay here for one more day.”

Dorin wanted to comfort Ryan, but didn't know what to say.

At this moment, Ryan turned around suddenly, drew out his sword, and faced a dark shed area.

Dorin was also taken aback, and calmed down to listen, when he heard footsteps approaching from all directions.

A female voice came from the bushes not far away: "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous! I am not your enemy, I am not here to fight with you, no one will fight tonight, really!"

Following the sound, a figure with red hair and red clothes came out.

She was unarmed and a single woman, so she certainly looked harmless, but Ryan didn't see it that way.

In the middle of the night, he had just met this woman—a guest of the anaconda, the "Witch Deliss" from the Carlos family.

De Lisi walked out of the cover completely and stood under the moonlight.She waved to Dolin on horseback, smiling brightly: "Are you an elf from the Isle of Yor? I also have blood from the Isle of Yor, and we are fellow villagers!"

"Who is from the same town as you!" Duo Lin looked around, "You brought so many people here, and you still say that they are not our enemies?"

De Lisi shrugged and looked around.In the bushes, in the passages and crevices of the shed, there were armed men lurking everywhere, several times more than the number of people who attended the dinner party with her.

"As you can see, I'm just a weak half-elf woman," Doris shrugged. "The night in Harbor City is very dangerous. I have to protect myself, right? Ryan, as a temple knight, you have to deal with an unarmed women show their weapons, is that appropriate?"

Of course, Ryan didn't put away his sword: "What do you want to do?"

De Lisi said: "I just want to see you. You just said you want to go? Just go. How about I take you away by sea? It just so happens that this place is very close to the South Fishing Port."

Ryan and Dorin looked at each other.Of course they didn't believe her, and they even became more nervous. When she said this, it sounded like she was going to take someone to the boat to silence her.

De Lisi waved her hand: "Hey, Ryan, can you help your little elf friend first? Either help him sit up, or hold him down. You see, he has inconvenient legs and feet, and his body is weak. There's no way to keep your balance on that uneven and narrow wall, don't you find it uncomfortable in his position? How can you be so inconsiderate?"

Ryan froze for a moment, looked at her, then at Dorin, feeling a little at a loss for a moment.

In the end, he stuck the sword on the ground beside him, and he really obeyed De Lisi's instructions. He went to help Dorin up first, and found him a less uneven and more suitable position to sit on.

De Lisi nodded with satisfaction: "This is much better. Just now, the elf said that he wanted to stay and investigate other situations, while Ryan said that he would leave immediately. Let me tell you, Ryan is right, you should leave Harbor City as soon as possible."

Ryan pulled out the sword on the ground and resumed vigilance: "What do you mean? What will happen if you don't leave? Is the anaconda going to kill us?"

De Lisi said: "If the anaconda wants to kill you, you are already dead. His eyeliner is everywhere in Harbor City. Do you think he really doesn't know that Duolin is hiding in the South Fishing Port? And Ryan, the anaconda must let Did you walk here slowly? Did he kindly let you two meet for the last time? "

"Who is going to kill us then? Kanai?"

"Anaconda and Kanai are the same thing," De Lisi sneered, "Don't look at Kanai like that, in fact, all his actions revolve around his brother's interests, and he will never disobey his brother's decision."

Dorin trembled and said, "But, that mage caught me..."

De Lisi said: "He wants to pry your mouth open, of course he has to use some means. If he really intends to kill you, why would he ask someone to give you medicine and splint you? He is that person, It is indeed more cruel, but it is not a pervert with eccentric hobbies."

"What on earth are you trying to say?" Ryan growled impatiently, "Are you here to say good things to them?"

De Lisi restrained her smile: "I want to say that your lives are still in danger, but this danger does not come from the anaconda, but from a more unknown... perhaps more powerful person. So I advise you to leave as soon as possible and stay away from the anaconda. This is a place of right and wrong. If you mistakenly think that the most dangerous enemy is the anaconda, and delusional to stay and participate in these messy things...you may die without knowing why in the end."

"The most dangerous enemy is not the anaconda, so who is it?"

De Lisi put her finger in front of her mouth: "I don't have any real evidence, so I can't talk nonsense."

"Then...then why did he want to kill us? We are just irrelevant people."

"You are not irrelevant," De Lisi said, "You were involved in the incident at the dock, but the anaconda let you go. Just based on this alone, you are enough to be regarded as future troubles."

Ryan said: "What about you? Why did you come to remind us? You are from the slave trader family, right? How can you be so kind?"

De Lisi smiled and said: "I think you two are very beautiful, and I don't want you to be in danger."

"What are you talking about..."

"Really, there is a reason," De Lisi said. "In addition, our family is a businessman, not a gang of bloodthirsty killers. We don't like to see bloodshed. We like to make friends, not enemies."

After she finished speaking, she made a gesture, and dozens of warriors in leather armor came out of the cover, put away their weapons, led out a few horses, and formed a formation quietly and orderly.

Lane noticed that two of the horses were pulling a rough wooden cart with four dirty sacks stacked on it.

At first glance, this thing should be some kind of material transported by De Lisi... But Ryan couldn't help noticing that it was "four".

Four lifeless, bulging burlap sacks...

...four cells, four caravan bodyguards.

Ryan clenched his fists.He looked at Dorin, who didn't seem to be paying attention to the sacks.

When escaping from the mansion, Duo Lin was injured, too busy to take care of himself, and did not pay much attention to other cells.

Lane looked at Dorin's still-healed ankle, and ultimately said nothing.

At this moment, De Lisi asked: "I'm leaving. We'll take a boat from the sea, will you come?"

Lane said, "No, we'll go overland."

"The city gate is closed. I won't open it for you even if I beg for mercy. You have to wait until morning."

As soon as she said it, Ryan realized that the city gate had been closed.Just now when he insisted on taking Duo Lin away immediately, he didn't consider this issue at all.

At this time, Duo Lin, who was reluctant to leave just now, said, "I know there are other ways to get out of the city, without going through the city gate."

Ryan looked back at him, and he nodded, indicating that he did have a way.

"That's good. Let's go," said De Lise.

She fetched a horse and sent it to Lane.Before Ryan had time to express his refusal, she said "you're welcome", then waved her hand and led her men to the old pier.

The crowd gradually disappeared into the night.Ryan looked around and confirmed that there was really no one around, so he put away his sword and returned to Dorin.

He glanced at Duo Lin, and lowered his head in shame: "I'm sorry...was it too aggressive when I urged you to leave just now..."

"Nothing, let's go," Dorin said.

"You agreed to leave?"

Dorin nodded: "She makes sense. After thinking about it carefully, I also feel that there are other things behind this incident... For example, when Kanai was interrogating me, he repeatedly mentioned the boat rented by the rescue team …At first, I thought this matter was not worth mentioning, but now I feel that there is something wrong. The rescue team rented a human clipper, but they couldn’t tell the identity of the owner. They don't know the common language of the elves, and most humans don't know the island language... In this case, who did they rent a fast and easy-to-manage boat with? It's strange... However, these are all Let’s talk about it later. Let’s hurry up and leave Harbor City as soon as possible.”

Ryan nodded, first picked up Dolin and helped him get on the horse, then sat neatly behind Dolin, turned the horse's head, and galloped towards the direction Dolin pointed out for him.

================

At noon, Aldin heard a rapid knock on the door again.

After knocking for a while, but getting no response, the people outside kicked the door with their toes instead.

This way of knocking on the door was too familiar, obviously it was Kanai.

Aldin walked over slowly and opened the door.After seeing him, Kanai put his hand on his forehead: "Can't you put on your clothes and open the door, some of our maids are still unmarried."

Aldin folded his arms calmly and leaned against the door frame: "The maid will not disturb me, it must be you who knocked on the door."

Kanai looked inside the door: "Does the half-elf like this new residence?"

"He's still sleeping, so I haven't had time to take a closer look."

Kanai sighed: "It's already noon. He used to get up early to go to the laboratory."

Aldin said: "Today's situation is special. After all, I don't go to bed until dawn, so I must sleep a little longer. It's normal."

"...Be kind, don't go too far."

Aldin nodded casually, stroked his chin, and looked into the room, obviously reminiscing about something.

Kanai put his hand on his forehead again: "Okay, don't think about it, let him sleep alone. Put on your clothes, I have business to discuss with you."

Aldin went to the floor to pick up his underwear, and he was quick to put them on.Kanai had already turned and walked away. Aldin followed behind, buckling his belt and asking, "Is it a good thing or a bad thing? Let's give a brief summary first, don't let me hang up."

Kanai said: "Xinying sent a message. The chief of the chamber of commerce knew about the small turmoil a few days ago. He didn't care much. He just told us to clean up Harbor City. But he specifically mentioned the refiner and said that if he had the opportunity, he would Want to see Winter Thistle."

Well, neither good nor bad.Aldin nodded, not surprised by this.

When a full-fledged refiner starts to get involved in materials and masterwork workshops, it will definitely attract attention.They were prepared, and even waited for this moment.

Kanai lowered his head and hurried his steps, obviously not finished speaking.

"One more thing..." Kanai finally continued, judging from his tone, the second thing must be a bad thing.

He said: "The free city-state of Fesisit abandoned the riverside border, retreated the defense line, and gave up most of the Gem Forest."

Aldin was stunned: "No way, has the news been confirmed?"

Kanai said slowly and clearly: "Confirmed. The official news has been received from the capital today. From then on, people on the Frost Plains can cross the Shiwa River from Feixit to go to the Gem Forest to grab whatever they want. s things."

"That area is under Gorman's control," Aldin said. "He is the oldest person in charge in the chamber of commerce, and he is also the one who does things the toughest... How could he allow this to happen?"

Kanai stopped and looked back at his brother: "Gorman is dead."

"what?"

"Gorman died. It was said to be a sudden illness, and the details are unclear," Kanai said. "He died ten days ago, but I just received the news yesterday. It is said that it was cremated, and the body is gone. Now, five members of the Chamber of Commerce There are only four left in charge."

Aldin was silent.Kanai looked at him for a while, and said in a low voice: "I've been thinking recently, who wants chaos in Harbor City, and who needs to provoke our relationship with the Carlos family... But I dare not think in that direction, Because...it doesn't make sense at all..."

Aldin pressed his brother's shoulder with one hand and shook his head: "Okay, let's talk in your room. Remember to open the isolation shield."