On a pouring, rainy night, a lonely boy cried loudly in front of the burned-out courtyard.
The boy didn't even realize that someone was approaching him. When the big hand fell on his shoulder, Arthur shivered.
Feeling that the hands on his shoulders were not exerting any force, Arthur slowly turned his head, and what came into his eyes was the face of a fat woman.
"Aunt Nightingale." Arthur quickly wiped away his tears.
"Follow me." Nightingale said nothing, picked up Arthur and left.
Arthur was pulled through the streets quickly. Nightingale didn't say a word along the way. Arthur couldn't help but ask questions several times, but Nightingale stopped him.
Nightingale led Arthur to the back door of a back alley before stopping.
Arthur remembered that this was the back entrance of the Nightingale Bar.
After leading Arthur into a large, warm and comfortable room, and bolting the door, Nightingale ignored Arthur's wetness and hugged him tightly, "My child, it's great, you're still alive!" There is finally someone alive in the Blue Enchantress!"
Being a little out of breath from the surge in Aunt Nightingale's chest, Arthur felt a little embarrassed and turned his face to look at the layout of the room with his peripheral vision.
This is obviously Nightingale's boudoir. Even the gauze curtains on the bed are all pink. Only the two crossed swords hanging on the side wall hint at Nightingale's identity as a mercenary.
Although Nightingale has become a fat middle-aged woman, the decoration in the room is still full of the atmosphere of a little woman. It seems that it is not a rumor that Nightingale was pursued by countless men when she was young.
"Tell me, are Keynes and the others still alive? How did you survive?"
Although Nightingale is not a member of the mercenary group, he seems to be very close to the mercenaries of the Blue Enchantress, and he even likes Arthur. Arthur has always regarded Aunt Nightingale as half a relative, so he has learned from the encounter in the mountains. From the beginning until the ambush in the canyon, I told Nightingale one by one.
When it was said that Cairns, Adeline, Angus and others all died in the Solon Gorge, Nightingale couldn't help but shed tears and sigh.
"Aunt Nightingale, Deputy Commander Randall and Tony are still alive? Who burned down our mercenary group?" This was a question Arthur wanted to ask Nightingale several times along the way.
Nightingale sighed and said: "No one left behind in the mercenary group survived. The charred corpses were finally recovered by the city lord's palace. I think Randall should be inside. As for Tony, he never came back at all. The murderer didn't leave any traces, but I guess he is the same group of black-clad killers who ambushed you in Solon Canyon."
Think about it, that killer organization secretly followed the mercenary group all the way, how could they allow Tony and others to survive?
Arthur was immersed in grief, lowered his head and said nothing.
"You haven't eaten yet. I'll go ahead and get you something to eat." Nightingale said and turned around and went out, leaving the boy alone for a while, which might be more effective than comforting words.
Not long after, Nightingale brought over a large plate of juicy potatoes and beef, served with rye bread, and a large amount of ale.
Tempting food has the effect of soothing sadness, not to mention Arthur, who is already hungry after starving in the mountains for more than a month.
Sitting aside and watching Arthur wolfing down his food quietly, Nightingale showed a smile.
"Aunt Nightingale, how come you happen to be near the headquarters of our mercenary group?" Arthur asked while eating.
"Auntie runs a bar. Anyone who is interested can get any information as quickly as possible. Don't think you are smart. Someone noticed you as soon as you entered the city, so I guess you will go back to the mercenary group first."
At this point, Nightingale's face suddenly became serious, "You must leave immediately after eating. It's too dangerous here! If those who ambushed you know that there is someone alive in the 'Blue Fairy', they will definitely not let you go." of!"
Arthur was stunned for a moment, then lowered his head feebly, and whispered: "But where can I go?"
"Go to the Royal City, it's much safer there." Nightingale said, pushing a small rectangular wooden box to Arthur.
"For me?"
"Randall left it for you."
Arthur stood up excitedly, "So Uncle Randall is still alive?"
Nightingale took Arthur's hand and asked him to sit down. "It was placed here before that incident. He may have had a premonition of something, so he put the things here for temporary storage in case something unexpected happened. This kind of thing has happened before. Yes, so I didn't care. After what happened to the mercenary group, I thought that no one survived, so I opened the box, and there was at least one thing in it that Randall left for you. "
Arthur opened the box with trembling hands.
On the top was an envelope edged with gold, with two ledgers underneath. Arthur had seen the ledger, which was used by Randall for daily accounting. It recorded all the daily financial income and expenditure of the mercenary group.
There are also several crystal cards the size of business cards placed under the account book. The surface of the cards has a strange luster, as if there is energy material flowing inside. Arthur counted, there were five in total.
"Is it because of the things in the box that attracted those mysterious killers?" Arthur looked at Nightingale with doubtful eyes.
Nightingale shook her head, "I looked through the ledger, but nothing important was recorded. Those cards you haven't seen are called crystal coins. Each one is worth a thousand gold coins. This money is considered a huge sum of money in Huey Ores." But in the eyes of those big forces, this little money is nothing. As for the letter above, you can open it and read it yourself."
Pull out the letter and write a few lines of text on a piece of light cyan paper.
This paper is called Huanhua Jean, and it is a valuable paper commonly used by the rich and nobles.
Arthur has learned a lot from Randall over the years, and he knows that this is a recommendation letter written to the Blood Lao Royal Academy of the Kingdom of Isaac. The recommender is Arthur Shield, and the recommender's signature is Gene Patrick, with the family coat of arms stamped with a stag's head.
After reading the letter, Arthur was still confused, "Who are the two people in the letter? Do they have anything to do with me?"
Nightingale couldn't help laughing, "Silly boy, you are Arthur Shield. Shield, that is Keynes's family name. I think he gave his surname to you."
In the continent of Ireland, no matter the human race or the beast race, only noble families with ancient inheritance can have surnames. Commoners only have first names. They are never allowed to add surnames without being given by the royal family or nobles.
"As for that Gene Patrick, I don't know who he is, but he must be a big shot. The surname Patrick is one of the four gates of the kingdom."
"Blood Yao Royal Academy!" Arthur repeated in a low voice...