Soul of Burning Steel

It was a thin blond young man with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He looked very elegant. He was standing at the back door of a tavern in a daze. He turned his head subconsciously when he heard footsteps, and then saw Joshua, he was a little dazed at first, but after he realized it, he laughed excitedly—but before the blond youth could say hello, a hand like iron clamps grabbed his throat.

"Chris, I didn't expect to see you here."

Picking up the blond young man with one hand and pressing it heavily against the wall of the alley, Joshua turned his right hand and thrust the spear into the ground, showing a kind smile: "Long time no see, how are you doing recently? ?”

"Uh-cough cough--"

"Oh, forget that you can't speak like this." Joshua slightly relaxed the strength in his hands.

"Cough...cousin, what are you doing?"

The blushing face of the blond young man named Chris returned to normal a little bit. Although he was strangled by someone, he didn't look very scared: "There's no need to treat me like this as soon as we meet, right?"

"Based on the word cousin, we have a good relationship if we didn't kill you on the spot." Joshua was not moved at all: "I don't even think about what your father did."

As the dialogue said, the blond young man Joshua met in the alley was the son of his cheap uncle, his cousin, Chris Radcliffe.

It's really lucky, he even doubted if it was a trap.

"Even so, our relationship is not so bad."

The blond young man tried to justify: "At least you shouldn't act like you're going to kill me as soon as you meet."

After hearing this sentence, Joshua couldn't help but nodded. In fact, this cousin and Joshua had a good relationship. The two played together in the snow field when they were young, and they were quite brotherly.

But even so, he still didn't let go.

"Regardless of the previous relationship, Chris, since your father planned to snatch the title, we have never had any friendship." Said very simply, Joshua didn't bother to care why Chris was here, he Straightforwardly, he gave two requests: "Exactly, now you must tell me how many guards there are in the lord's mansion, and who is your father's backing hand. I will give you ten seconds. If you don't know, you will be slaughtered by me. "

After finishing speaking, he stared into the eyes of his cousin in front of him, and began to count down: "10."

Looking at Joshua, Chris's blue pupils behind his glasses were constricted, and his head was covered with cold sweat. He was not stupid, and he could see that Joshua was serious. If he didn't get the answer he wanted in ten seconds, this ruthless There is no doubt that the guy will break his neck bone decisively regardless of the previous friendship.

"There are twenty-four guards in the lord's mansion, fifteen of them are low in silver, and out of six, three are high in silver." The blond youth decisively reported the news he knew, and he said quickly in a cold sweat, "Behind the back I don’t know about the helping hand, but I have a guess—by the way, in fact, I don’t support winning the title at all, I sneaked out!”

Speaking of this, Chris spoke very fast, afraid of being interrupted by Joshua: "Look, my brother, I was very happy when I first met you. I believe you can also see that I am indeed with you. They're not on the same team!"

"……makes sense."

No one would lie under such circumstances. Joshua's face softened a little, but he still held his hand: "But even so, it's more convenient for me to take you as a hostage than to break in by force. If you are accidentally injured, just Blame your father."

"Wait a minute! The mastermind who took the title this time is not my father at all. He is just a pawn. Those real gangsters can't take my life seriously!"

Realizing that Joshua didn't intend to break his neck right away, Chris breathed a sigh of relief, but after hearing the next sentence, he immediately became anxious: "Think about it carefully, my father's son was not a nobleman that time. How could it be possible to hear the news of Uncle's death so quickly?"

Speaking of this, the blond young man's eyes were very serious: "On the second day after uncle passed away, a large group of people suddenly appeared and surrounded my house. They negotiated with my father for a long time, and then they set off together - but whether it is me or My father doesn't believe in this group of people. There is no good thing in this world to help for nothing. My escape last night was also because of my father's hint and connivance. Otherwise, with my black iron level strength, how could I leave quietly? ?”

"But anyway, there is no doubt that he wants to be an earl."

As a legendary fighter, Joshua can clearly know whether the other party is telling the truth or lying by virtue of blood flow and muscle movements. Hearing this, he let go of Chris and put Chris down. The young man coughed and shook his head and said, "If he doesn't want to be a pawn, no one will come over. Even if he is used as a pawn, he must be used willingly."

Having said that, he pulled up Chris who was sitting on the ground, and asked seriously: "You said you have some guesses about the origin of that group of people, then tell them all."

"The Wilsons."

Touching the neck with obvious pinch marks, and straightening his glasses, Chris's tone was a bit apprehensive, but very clear. He said decisively: "The four counties of the Northland, and only the Wilson Territory has the motive to attack you. , they are a forging family that deals in high-quality weapons and magic accessories, but due to the lava pool, there are more and more dwarves in Moldavia. Although the magic accessories are not affected, the weapons are being suppressed in all aspects, which is direct conflict of interest."

"That's why it's boring."

Joshua feels that the reason for this is inseparable. Moldavia has been friendly with dwarves for generations, so refined ore is the main industry. However, due to the increasing number of dwarf blacksmiths who are willing to be hired, they have also begun to try to forge and sell weapons and armor. field, which undoubtedly affected the Wilson family's business.

There are not many ways to make money in the Northland. Although it is boring, this reason is enough for the Wilson family to do it-speaking of it, only nobles at the earl level can produce dozens of silver knights and hundreds of soldiers.

If Moldavia hadn't faced the Kuroshio, and the main force was in the Black Forest Fortress, Joshua could actually pull out a hundred Silver Knights, but now, he can only face the enemy alone.

Thinking of this, Joshua suddenly asked curiously: "Chris, you seem to dislike your father's decision very much. You know, even if it is used as a pawn, it is still the title of earl. When your father really succeeds Success, even the Wilson family can't really control it, the most is to regain market share - don't you want to be an earl in the future?"

"Not everyone wants to be an aristocrat, Joshua." Sighing, the blond young man pushed his glasses, shook his head helplessly, and said, "Everyone has their own pursuit."

"I like alchemy, I like doing business, I like a relaxed and leisurely life - the life in the Northland is too hard, it's different from the peaceful south, where it's cold and uninhabited, there will be a black tide every winter, and My father and I are not strong enough to lead a team to slay powerful monsters, so it is better to be a commoner in the south than to be a nobleman here."

Speaking of this, Chris's expression was very serious, and he sighed to Joshua: "Listen, I have a fiancée in the south, and I have my own alchemy laboratory. Here, I have nothing but my hometown. Being a nobleman is a privilege, and it is also a privilege." Responsibility——I am crazy to want to come to this place where I want to fight the Kuroshio first, and then I want to explore the mountains, where there is nothing to play, and the winter can kill bears to be a nobleman!"

Joshua: "... Hearing what you said, I suddenly don't want to compete with your father for the title."

What Chris said is the truth. For Joshua who grew up here, the Northland Mountains are indeed a beautiful scenery, but for Chris who has lived in the prosperous southern part of the empire since he was a child, no matter where it is The atmosphere or the humanities here are really not in the right way for him - a rite of passage is to kill a bear with bare hands, and a fighting race site where he is embarrassed to greet people if he can't do it. How can he live as an elegant alchemist?

"All in all, cousin, I fully support you in this matter." Chris pretended not to hear Joshua's words, his expression was cold: "If you succeed, then my father will do as you please."

"It doesn't matter if you kill it?"

"It's not that I killed him. In fact, he betrayed my mother, but I have only one son. Our relationship is nothing more than that." Chris didn't seem to be joking: "Of course, it's best to look at the same blood, Save him."

"You treat your father like this? He really is his own son..."

Joshua was talking and laughing, but Joshua's eyes were extremely cold. During the question and answer that Chris cooperated with just now, he silently pulled out the short knife he had snatched from his waist, then turned around, and slammed towards the end of the alley. A corner shade throw away!