Brando listened to Tirste's story quietly before replying: "You reap what you sow."
However, he was actually quite surprised to learn that the Lionheart Sword had such an experience before it was in Freya's hands. When he first met Grandmaster Bosley in the basement of Abies Castle, the Philosopher's Slate suddenly resonated with him. Now that he thought about it, it must have been the All for One that activated the Lionheart Sword. However, they were too naive. The Knight of the Lake who guarded the Lionheart Sword was Captain Krentel, Erik's Knight. Even before he became a Heroic Spirit, he was already as strong as Mephisto. Furthermore, after he swore an oath to protect the Lionheart Sword, his will to battle would only grow stronger. Tirste, a mere Gold-ranked, dared to challenge such a monster.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have wasted so much effort to obtain the Philosopher's Slate if he knew that the Lionheart Sword was hidden somewhere near the Lake of Mists.
Speaking of the legendary Knight by Erik's side, Tirste suddenly remembered that the person who followed Freya around like a ghost had been appearing less and less recently. This seemed to indicate that the Lionheart Sword had fully acknowledged Freya as its master. Now, he would only occasionally catch a glimpse of the Knight in the courtyard of Abies Castle. The servants in the castle even treated the appearance of the Knight as a ghost story.
Tirste did not refute Brendel's words and replied: "You're right, Count Brendel, I brought this upon myself. I've even forgotten the reason why I went to look for the sword, and I feel like a complete clown. Ever since I left the Lake of Fog, I've been following that person. My mind is muddled, and it's as if there's a voice in my heart urging me to do so. I can't think, I can't rest. I can only move forward day and night. I can feel time leaving me, but I can't resist it. It's as if I'm in an endless nightmare. I'm like a lonely ghost, suffering unbearably. "
"But it seems like you're still conscious, aren't you?" Brando looked at him and asked.
Tirste nodded. "When I woke up today, I felt that I was still near the Lionheart Sword."
"You can feel the Lionheart Sword?" Bran was slightly surprised.
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Now that I've seen you, my lord, I know that the Lionheart Sword is still nearby. But before that, I could only feel a strong sense of calling. It was as if there was a gray and decaying world in front of me, and there was only a pale path in the wilderness. I could only follow that path forward, and then I arrived here."
"But it sounds like you're no stranger to what's happening in the outside world."
He was conferred the title of Count after the battle of Ampere Seale, but from Tirste's tone, it seemed like he didn't have much time to interact with the outside world.
"I'm not sure, but everything about that sword seems to enter my mind." Tirste replied with a hoarse voice.
Brando raised an eyebrow. It sounded like there was some sort of connection between him and the Lionheart Sword, but it didn't sound like recognition. It sounded more like a curse. He suddenly remembered a legend that said that anyone who was not recognized by the Lionheart Sword and tried to lay their hands on the sacred sword would suffer misfortune. The last victim was the last emperor of House Seifer. After that, the Lionheart Sword went missing until it reappeared today.
However, Tirste's condition was very similar to that of a nameless person. A nameless person was someone who had lost their faith and self. He didn't expect the curse of the Lionheart Sword to have such an effect. Even though the members of All For One were a bunch of lunatics, their faith was still very strong.
He looked at Tirste again and asked, "You didn't come here just to tell me this?"
"Of course, my lord. I believe that there must be a reason why the voice brought me here today. Right now, I'm just looking for an escape. I don't want to live like a walking corpse anymore. "Tirste replied tiredly.
"You don't need to beg me for something like this."
"Death won't solve the problem." Tirste sighed in pain. He used to be an arrogant person, but now he looked like a half-dead old man: "I've died many times, but it was like a dream. When the dream disappeared, I would wake up in a different place."
"That sounds like a fate worse than death." Brando nodded. He didn't have a good impression of the members of All For One. Even if he didn't take pleasure in their misfortune, he didn't need to sympathize with them either. He looked at Tirste and asked: "You said you wanted to tell me some secrets about the past. It seems like you want to use this to make a deal with me."
Tirste nodded.
Brando pondered for a moment. To be honest, he was very interested in Tirste's secrets. But the problem now was that he wasn't good at curses, especially when it came to curses related to the Lost Names. It was a very dangerous thing to do. When he was in the Deadly Tundra, he dared to enter the dreams of the Lost Names because he understood the characteristics of the dungeon. But now, if he wanted to solve the problem of the viscount, he would have to enter his dreams. As long as the viscount had the slightest malicious intent, this trip would be very dangerous.
If the viscount was someone else, it would be fine. But he was a believer of All For One. Brando wasn't noble enough to risk his life for an enemy. He thought for a moment and refused: "To be honest, I don't want to deal with people like you. I can even extend a hand of friendship to the nobles I despise. I can also tolerate the arrogance of the Cruz people, but I don't want to have anything to do with All For One."
"Yes, we are notorious." Tirste replied weakly. He frowned and his tone became anxious: "I understand that, my lord. It may be difficult for you to accept, but —"
"No," Brando shook his head and interrupted him: "That's not the reason. It's because you people are too crazy."
"Crazy? No, my lord. Some of us seek truth, some of us seek power. But I don't think we are as despicable as the people you deal with. "Tirste's tone was weak, but there was a hint of contempt in his words.
"It's despicable people who seek benefits for themselves. It's despicable, but at least it doesn't make me feel uneasy." Brando replied: "No one wants to deal with crazy people."
"Don't play riddles with me, Count Brendel. I know you're interested in my secret … …" Tirste interrupted Brendel anxiously: "Why don't you give me a chance? Give us all a chance! My secret will satisfy you! Don't give me a chance! Give us all a chance! My secret will satisfy you! My lord, it's related to the safety of one of your subordinates, a lady close to you! "
Brando looked at the half-dead man and his heart skipped a beat. The first person he thought of was Scarlet. The Highlander girl had been missing for quite some time. Abies and Anthony had sent out all their scouts and spies, but they couldn't find any trace of her. He even asked the Bugas for help. Because it was related to the Azure Lance, they readily agreed, but there was still no news.
He looked at the viscount and asked coldly: "What did you say?"
Tirste gripped the rusty iron bars and glared at Brando. His face was pale, like a ghost. He stood there for a long while, as if he was hesitating if he should tell Brendel everything he knew. He did not know if Brendel would lie to him, but an obvious anxiety had already spread between his eyes. "I don't have much time, Count Brendel. You and I have no grudges in the past. Perhaps there was a small misunderstanding at that time, but there is no need for us to take such a small matter to heart. I believe in your character. As long as you give me a promise, I will tell you the secret."
"Do you still have any room to bargain in this state, Viscount Tirste?" Brando took in Tirste's expression. Although he was curious as to what could torment the proud viscount to this extent, all his attention was on the Highlander girl with the red ponytail. He didn't have the time to think about why the viscount was suddenly so anxious.
"My lord, you really have a heart of stone. You don't even care about the safety of your subordinates!" Tirste's face suddenly contorted as he gripped the iron bars tightly and wailed: "I only want a promise from you!"
"Alright," Brando finally relented: "As long as your secret is valuable to me."
Tirste seemed to be relieved. His face contorted as he replied: "… … My lord, the lady beside you … … Ah!" His eyes suddenly widened and he screamed: "No, no! Wait, wait … … My lord, listen to me … … Ah … … It was Megeschke's men who went to look for Borg Nesson's daughter … … If you still care about this, let me go … … No, don't take me away! I beg you! Ah … … "
Following a mournful wail, Tirste's voice suddenly turned into a series of terrified roars. At that moment, Brendel felt as though something was moving through the night sky, and a glowing shadow flashed across the surface of the river. The shadow seemed to be an army of thousands, and it directly dragged Tirste into it. When he blinked, the viscount had already disappeared without a trace. Brendel finally reacted and rushed to the riverside to take a look. The surface of the water was as calm as ever, without even a single ripple.
But when he looked down, he saw that the rusty iron gate had been torn apart, as if it was proof that what he saw was not an illusion.
Brando stood by the riverside, bathing in the cool night wind. He stood there in a daze, feeling a chill run down his spine. Tirste's last words were still echoing in his mind. [Borg Nesson's daughter … … Isn't that Amandina? What does that guy know? Did he say that Megeschke is looking for Amandina?] He knew Megeschke as well. He was the former commander of the White Winged Cavalry and a high-ranking member of the All For One. He was later caught in the great purge after the battle of Ampere Seale. He should have been burned at the stake by now.
But why would this mess have anything to do with Amandina?
He originally came to Bruglas for family matters, but he didn't expect to encounter such a situation. He almost couldn't react in time. But why would the All For One look for Amandina? He could not help but look back at the dilapidated building. Under the night sky, the building was like a crooked shadow, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws. It reflected the dim lights in the distance, making it even more eerie and terrifying. He took a small breath, feeling a little uneasy.
A moment later, the boy who left earlier ran back, panting. He saw Brando's gloomy face and felt a little strange. He could not help but ask: "Did I come back too late, sir?"
Brando did not answer. Instead, he asked: "Did you hear anything just now?"
"Sound?" The boy showed a puzzled expression and shook his head.
Brendel looked at the iron fence one last time before he took the package from the boy's hands. He opened it and saw hot bread and bacon, as well as a few baked potatoes. It did not look like the food that was sold in the inn, but more like it was taken out from the boy's house. But although it was not sumptuous, it was better than the cold bread he ate when he slept in the wilderness. He put away the package and threw a silver coin to the boy as a reward.
The boy looked flattered. Although he was a little scared at first, but for the sake of money, Brando was finally a little more amiable in his eyes. Brendel took a fancy to the youth's character and asked him to leave a way to contact him. It was like hiring a temporary follower, and the youth was naturally more than willing. He could not wait for Brendel to hire him for a period of time. A Thor in the market was almost a week's salary for a skilled craftsman, and Brendel's reward was enough to keep him busy for a while. Such a generous employer was not something that could be found all the time.
Not to mention there was extra money.
After Brando told the boy to report to him the next day, he took one last look at the Bucce River that crossed the city, and then turned back to go upstairs. When he returned to the room, he found the two girls sitting at the desk. Freya was reading a very thin book under the candlelight. Brando glanced at the name of the book – "Suliman's Cavalry Notes". This book was very famous in Erouine. It was one of the standard cavalry tactics textbooks of the Royal Academy. Although it was a little old, this girl from the countryside of Bucce would revise it whenever she had free time.
He turned his gaze to Amandina. Amandina was not as strong as him or Freya. Her physique was only about the same as an ordinary person's. After riding for days, she was now exhausted and had fallen asleep on the desk. However, this Amandina was so stubborn. Even though she was so sleepy, she still did not want to sleep alone. Brando saw this scene and could not help but shake his head with a wry smile. He closed the door and walked over to put the food he found next to Freya. Freya seemed to have just noticed Brando's existence. She was startled and recovered from the world of the book.
Brando hurriedly made a shushing gesture to her and pointed at Amandina. The latter then realized that Amandina, who had been sitting next to her, had fallen asleep. She showed an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Brando, I was too engrossed in the book, Miss Amandina, she …" She hurriedly replied, but Brando waved his hand at her and gently helped Amandina up. He held the latter's back with one hand and put his other hand under Amandina's knee to carry her up. Amandina was sleeping soundly. Her long eyelashes fluttered under the candlelight as if she was having a beautiful dream. Brando only smelled a delicate fragrance that belonged to a young girl lingering at the tip of his nose and could not help but be startled. Freya saw this scene from the side and for some reason, felt a little jealous. She whispered, "Brando, do you need my help?"
Brando hesitated for a moment before remembering that it was indeed more appropriate to let Freya do it. However, when he saw Amandina sleeping so weakly on the desk earlier, his heart was full of pity. He only wanted to protect this unique Amandina well and forgot about this for a moment. He paused for a moment and finally shook his head gently. He had already done it. If he stopped now, it would seem awkward. He walked to the bed and gently put Amandina on it, then pulled the quilt for her. He looked up at Freya again and saw the latter turn her head slightly.
"You sleep with me too. I'll keep watch for you."
"No need, Brando, I'm not sleepy." Freya refused.
She picked up the booklet again and flipped through a few pages, but found that she was too distracted to read a single word. After a moment, she looked up and saw that Brando was already sitting where Amandina was sitting. When he saw her look over, he asked, "Did you hear anything earlier?"
"Sound?" Freya was just about to ask him about the matter between him and Amandina, but was startled by Brando's sudden question. She thought that this guy must be changing the topic. There was no sound just now. She shook her head: "No."
Brando frowned slightly. Tirste's last scream was not soft, at least a hundred meters away along the river. He had also asked the youth from before, and his answer was the same as Freya's. This was strange. He knew that there was only one reason for this to happen, and that was that he had encountered an illusion. However, the crack on the iron gate clearly reminded him of what had happened.
He thought about Tirste's words, and suddenly remembered the first time he and Roen met Amandina, and the patrolling cavalry.
At first, he thought that they were just trying to extort money, but now that he thought about it, there were many suspicious points. Even though Erouine was rotten to the core, nobles had their own set of rules. No matter what, Amandina was still a noble's descendant, and the patrolling cavalry would not be unaware of this. If they wanted to earn some extra money, there were many better targets to target, and there was no need for them to cause trouble here. Tirste's words made more sense. Brando knew that Braggs's patrolling cavalry was also from the Whitewing Cavalry.
That meant that the people he met that day were probably Megeschke's subordinates. But if Tirste was not lying, then what did the Unifying Guild want from Amandina?
Thinking up to here, he could not help but look at the princess sleeping on the bed like a fairy tale princess. His heart was filled with confusion.
"Forget it."
Brando shook his head in the end. Since Amandina was right beside him, if the Unifying Guild wanted to cause trouble for her, they would have to ask for his permission first.
… …
(PS: I forgot to post it when I uploaded it. Luckily I remembered before I went to bed.)
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