At nine o'clock in the morning of the next day, Annan set off as promised.

Grand Duke Ivan originally wanted to give Annan a winter hand, but Annan firmly refused.

Annan believed that the existence of the Winter Hand would make Vasika Rasputin too worried to say what he really thought.

It just so happened that Annan himself looked harmless and cute, and at the same time had faint dragon features. It is possible that Vasika will look down on Annan very much, or if he will have great respect for Annan, and this will expose his own position.

But if you add the Hand of Winter, neither of these possibilities will be there.

This actually turned into "a conversation under the watchful eye of Grand Duke Ivan." Instead, it will make the other party hide something...... This is even more detrimental to negotiations.

Annan is not afraid of his nonsense.

Betrayal can be detected in his left eye.

And a proper lie itself exposes more information.

Why did he lie? Why here? What does he care about? What is he trying to hide? What does he want me to think? What should I do with him?

And...... What floor is he on? And what tier should I be on?

As long as these things can be understood, the other party's lying behavior will reveal more information.

Although the sole heir of the principality was alone in the meeting, it sounded too dangerous to face a transcendent and grand ceremonial master of at least the silver rank on the opponent's home turf......

However, considering Annan's ability and the Rasputin's loyalty to the Winter family, Ivan finally agreed to Annan's plan.

Annan didn't bring Doreen, the wolf girl. Instead, she was temporarily placed in the Grand Duke's Mansion...... Because she resembles Bella, the betrayer, and is a werewolf, the other Winter Hands are very unhappy with her existence.

But with the loyalty of the Winter Hand to Winter, and the "silence" principle of the Winter Hand...... No matter how hostile they were to Doreen, they would at least not take advantage of Annan's absence to rush into Doreen's room and hack her to death.

Then let Doreen huddle in her room and shut herself up.

It's also a good thing for her to be scared by the Winter Hands and impress Doreen with their murderous aura.

Whether Annan tried to use these winter hands to intimidate her, or used "swindlers and missionaries" to comfort her, it would have achieved quite good results.

"'Fourth Exhaustion Collection'...... Here it is. ”

Annan muttered.

This is exactly the address on the card.

He had already looked into it last night.

It is an art collection invested by the Rasputins. The inner hall is closed to visitors and can only be entered with a one-time invitation letter or a special ID card.

- The black card with metal filling is a special identity card.

Its outer hall is a collection of various works of art; In the inner hall, there are some rare spell materials and spell objects.

There are even handicrafts made by Mason himself, paintings painted by Paper Hime, and fragments of the armor of the Eiki.

There are some things that are for exhibition only, and some things that are allowed to be rented. Others are auctioned off on a regular basis.

And today's inner pavilion will only receive Annan alone.

A tall gatekeeper wearing thick black leather armor that almost covered his entire face at the entrance of the inner building took Annan's card and inserted it into a jade hammer that looked like a long-handled ice cream that he was holding in his left hand. Then Annan stretched out his finger and wrote his name on the surface of the jade hammer shaped like a large ice cream. The jade glowed green.

…… This ID card detection device with signature is quite advanced. Even a touch screen.

Annan thought to himself.

The reason for not using fingerprints is probably that it is much easier to change your fingerprints or palm prints in this world than to change your real name.

And after the green light came on, the tall doorman said in a sullen voice, "Honorable guest, you can go in." ”

Annan vaguely saw that the other party's wrist was inlaid with a silver bracelet like handcuffs.

…… Do the janitors use heavily armed silver-tier transcendents?

That's a bit of a big deal.

"Okay."

Annan nodded, tightening his cloak.

After all, this is the Frost Province, not Noah or a remote town.

There is a saboteur in the streets, and there must be at least eight nobles or ministers among the people killed.

The people who know Annan here say a lot and a lot of talk.

Although Annan left from the Grand Duke's Palace. It is not difficult to get information about his travels...... But at least Annan doesn't want to make the process too easy.

Otherwise, even Vasika Rasputin really didn't have any thoughts about Annan.

There is no guarantee that there will be no local nobles who suddenly have bad intentions.

So Annan not only covered his mouth with a scarf, but also put on a thick white cloak. This is the shape of a "winter walker" unique to the Duchy of Winter...... This dress is probably equivalent to the camouflage suit of Noah's hunters tied with leaves.

The Winterwalker is a gray profession that gathers supplies in the wild.

The reason why it is said to be a gray profession is because in the wilderness outside the small barrier, no matter what happens, the evidence will be buried by heavy snow...... And in the winter year when supplies are scarce, the best way to collect materials is naturally to other people.

Sinners banished beyond the Barrier, travelers trying to make it through a blizzard to the city next door, and other Winterwalkers...... Anyone you meet can be killed. In the same way, anyone you meet can be killed.

This snow-white body is to disguise itself in the snow.

At least don't be attacked...... Once you get injured in the wild in the dead of winter, you will basically die. Whether you are shot by an arrow or a bullet, it is easy for the wound to heal itself due to a lack of sufficient heat, which in turn can lead to worsening of the infection.

Even bandaging or immobilizing a wound will almost inevitably result in a significant loss of body temperature.

Therefore, it is difficult to save a few lives in the hands of every winter walker—enemies, prey, and partners. They don't have to be transcendental, but they do have to be ruthless.

So winter walkers rarely show their faces.

This is to prevent people from finding out their true identity and then retaliating against their families...... Or they are targeted by people who have a vendetta against themselves in eating or drinking water.

This cannot be formed in hunters in warm zones.

Disguising yourself as a winter walker is the best way to keep others at arm's length from you.

So although Annan turned around and walked towards the inner pavilion, the other tourists were a little curious, but no one dared to follow.

Annan paced into the empty inner pavilion.

There are a lot of glass cabinets here.

The glass craftsmanship of this era, although it is more than a little stronger than that of the same period on earth...... But the technology of bulletproof glass has not yet been invented.

Alternatives to bulletproof glass are runes and ritual fields carved into glass.

After all, there are all priceless treasures inside......

Of course...... For the average person, everything is a dangerous item to avoid.

The ice-blue candle that burned with black flames all the time, the gray mist that churned like a dark cloud in the shape of a cat's head, the right hand of a man crawling around in the cabinet by himself, the human brain with dense eyes, the stone skull without hair and eyelashes, but the eyes open and looking with interest at Annan's stone skull, the beating bird heart made of rubies......

"How are you feeling?"

A voice that gives a sense of elegance sounds.

Annan looked back.

Came out of the darkness silently...... is a "human".

If it could be called human.

Her pupils are dark golden vertical pupils that are close to orange, giving people a sense of danger; She has four ears – two human, two cat.

The dark brown ponytail at the back of the head is tied up high and divided into two bundles, one draped over the left side of the chest and the other tied into a ponytail in front of the right side.

Her left eye is a dark green evocative eyeshadow, while her right eye is black. Her two fingernails are also black and red.

Her legs are still human legs. The right foot wears a boot, but the left foot does not. The sound of her footsteps seemed to be swallowed up by darkness, silent.

She was at least a head taller than Annan, looking down at the cloak of white-clad walkers.

"Annan...... Your Majesty? ”

Catwoman whispered.