The thick beef broth has a silky aroma, and the coffee-colored miso is wrapped in dishes such as potatoes, carrots, and broad beans. A clean clay plate sits on a few small muffins and bread, and a jar next to it contains jam and two large glasses of yellow ale.

For the small citizens who live in Nancheng all year round, this can be regarded as a hearty meal. Lu Xi picked up the cutlery and feasted on it, but the eldest lady Karin just helplessly picked up the soup with a spoon, and finally didn't put the food in her mouth.

"You said it was a late-night snack, and I thought I'd be invited to Alain Ritzlais for tiramisu and muffins......" Karin pursed her rosy lips and muttered under her breath.

"Hey, I'm just a national civil servant who gets a dead salary, how can a dim sum shop that sells flour for more than gold be able to afford it?"

"At least it has to be the Black Forest cake on Bedantilou Street, right?"

"That's just a change from gold to silver, okay! Is there a difference for the poor? Is there a difference? ”

"Hmph, dating a beauty like me, it turned out that the meal was such a popular place...... What a man who doesn't understand the amorous feelings, or is it like this for all you magicians? ”

"After shopping for most of the day, the thing I bought turned out to be a sword, and the woman is not qualified to say that I am ...... Wait, are we dating this? ”

"A man and a woman who came out for a walk in the middle of the night and are now sitting at the same table in a dimly lit little bar are not dating? Do you have to go to a hotel to open a room? ”

Such a powerful answer reminded Lu Xi of Primra and Sesilyu inexplicably, and he could only laugh dryly, take a large sip of ale, and then quickly change the subject.

"Like those places you just said, the sons and brothers who are willing to invite you can stand in line on the Glorious Avenue for two rounds, why should you be annoyed? It's only in this kind of remote shop that you can really taste the real deliciousness. ”

Karin looked at the fluffy beef cubes stewed in the miso soup, and couldn't see anything special: "Really delicious?" I really can't see it. ”

"That's because you can't learn to appreciate." Lu Xi put down the spoon and stared at Karin's eyes, "There is a taste of happiness in this ordinary bowl of beef soup." ”

"The taste of happiness? Hehe, that sounds pretty romantic. ”

"For these people living in the southern city, does the luxury and elegance of the northern city, the intrigue of the princes and nobles, and the glory and power of the empire have anything to do with them? After a hard day's work, sitting in a small bar like this with friends, drinking a glass of ale, laughing and scolding loudly, and if there is also a hot beef soup, it is extremely happy for them. ”

"Oh...... It's very different from the education I received. ”

"Of course, a lady like you should have received the most orthodox bridal course since she was a child, right? Well, basically they will spend their time at endless tea parties, banquets and dances, and the people around them will talk about expensive jewelry, and of course, they will also talk about the sons and daughters of the same lords, who are more handsome, who have more wealth, and who will be more pleasing to women. ”

"Gee, how do I smell a lot of sourness? Are you jealous? It must be jealousy, right? ”

"Come on, I prefer this environment to the glittering, but lifeless aristocratic life." Lu Xi spread his hands, surrounded by the noisy noise, laughter and scolding accompanied by the unique slang and swear words of the market filled his ears, and the boiling breath mixed with the stimulation of sweat and alcohol lingered in his nasal cavity. …,

"How? A very dynamic world, right? Lu Xi raised his glass.

A skirmish ensued at a small table next to it, and the jubilant gamblers quickly turned the argument into a brawl, with a man punched in the nose and falling less than two metres from Karin. The rugged man opened his eyes in confusion in pain, just in time to see Karin's amber eyes. As if he wanted to show his masculinity in front of the beautiful woman, the man struggled to get up, but a sneak attack bottle hit him on the head. The man collapsed on the ground and never got up again.

Looking at such a scene, Karin looked at Lu Xi with a smile in her eyes. She raised her glass, "Well, it was an eye-opener." ”

The two clay cups full of ale touched each other heavily, and Karin looked at Lu Xi, learning from the other party to raise the clay cups and drain the wine in one gulp.

"Happy!" The two of them let out a happy sigh at the same time.

Perhaps it was the first time she had drunk like this, and Karin's face quickly flushed: "I now know why my grandfather and grandmother liked to come to these places when they were younger. Sure enough, it's more real here than a serious court. ”

Speaking of which, your grandfather and grandmother weren't very serious. Sure enough, it's a family history!

"It's natural that these ordinary people are the cornerstones of the country and society. If the rulers think that the court and the nobility are the whole world, then that is the real disaster. Well, looking at it this way, your grandparents and grandparents were also wise men. ”

Karin nodded very helpfully, it seemed that she loved her grandfather and grandmother very much, but she said, "Hehe, are they as great as you say?" I think they just think it's easier places...... Well, just like me. ”

"That's better than the aristocratic arrogance of the high-minded." Lu Xi said with a smile: "If the upper level is willing to experience the life of the bottom and is willing to communicate with the people at the bottom, then no matter how unreliable it is, it will not be unreliable." ”

"I took this as a compliment to my grandparents and Miss Ben." Karin squinted her eyes and smiled, her red face shining even more through her snow-white skin: "But, after all, my grandfather is old, and he actually listened to my uncle's pout, and wanted to marry me to a son-in-law who had never even met him." ”

"The old man may want to see his beloved granddaughter put on a wedding dress and be a bride happily." Lu Xi shrugged his shoulders: "However, why your uncle?" What about your parents? ”

As soon as he said this, Lu Xi regretted it a little, since Karin was talking about her grandparents in and out of her words, it can be seen that there are many stories in the family. Fortunately, Karin's personality is more chic than Lu Xi imagined, a trace of melancholy flashed on her face, but her tone was a little indifferent, indifferent to quiet, but there seemed to contain a kind of sadness that made Lu Xi even heartbreak: "My mother died in childbirth when she gave birth to me." As for my father...... He has not been in good health, and he went two years ago. ”

"That...... I'm sorry. ”

"It's all right for him to go to heaven to accompany my mother, but I am left alone and alone, and I have to be bullied by my uncle, who is not in tune...... Do you think I'm going to say that? Karin's words suddenly changed, and a bright smile crept up on her face, and the so-called gloom and sadness seemed to be nothing more than floating clouds, "Do you really think that Miss Ben is the kind of Cinderella who will be bullied without a father or mother?" ”

…… That's why Zhang Wuji said that women can deceive people, and the more beautiful women are, the more they will deceive people.

"Actually, if you think about it, my uncle is good to me. He wanted to marry me off, maybe he was instigated by my unscrupulous aunt. Karin tilted her head, as if in serious thought. …,

"Isn't it because I can't stand you anymore that I will let you marry someone in a hurry to harm others?"

Karin didn't refute, but nodded seriously: "It's also possible." ”

It's really self-aware......

"Your in-laws must be pitiful in the future, right?"

"That's why I'm looking for a stronger man...... Well, although your appearance is far from strong, I still like it. Why don't you seriously consider eloping with me? ”

"Don't. I don't want to be a substitute for your hard-pressed future husband. Besides, don't you know? The biggest dream of my life, in addition to being an otaku for a lifetime, is to open a crystal palace. Isn't having a queen in a crystal palace the equivalent of keeping sharks in a goldfish bowl? ”

"You men's desires...... It's really clear at a glance, and it's unbearable. Also, who are the sharks? Who do you call sharks? ”

If Karin's parents knew that the daughter they had cultivated with so much effort and money would actually chat, drink and flirt with a man who had just met each other in such a small bar that only "inferior people" went to, I don't know how they would react.

In this noisy environment, whispers rang out at the adjacent table.

"Hey, have you heard? A few days ago, the people of the Northern Army fought with the forbidden army again. ”

"What's so strange about that? Don't they have to fight so many times a day? ”

"Now after all, it's the emperor's birthday, and people from other countries are here...... Isn't it a shame to fight in front of the emissaries of so many countries? ”

"Anyway, it's for the supreme jade throne...... It's just a fight now, and when the fire comes up that day, I'm not surprised at all......" The third voice sounded abruptly, a somewhat clumsy and low tone, with a distinctly confused drunkenness.

"Fire and?!" The first voice looked a little frightened, "It won't be in the imperial capital, right?" ”

"Who knows," the second voice was a little helpless, "so many high-ranking big people are fighting, how can they control the life and death of us ordinary people......"

"Emperor Xià doesn't care?"

"Hey, I'm getting older, so naturally I can't take care of it."

It seems that no matter what era or country it is, as long as it lives in the capital, even the most ordinary people have special intelligence channels - the efficiency and scale of their information are far greater than those of ordinary local lords. Of course, these "intelligences", which are mainly extracted from gossip and rumors, are easily unrecognizable in the process of dissemination, but they will not affect the love of the common people of the imperial capital to "discuss state affairs". This is quite similar to the nine-city lords of the other world.

Of course, it can also be seen from this that the Oakland Empire under the Sun Emperor is quite enlightened.

Lu Xi secretly paid attention. In his opinion, the information that these drinkers talked about would not be more real than the gossip of the neighborhood, but at least it could be seen that the contradictions caused by the succession of the imperial throne had become very clear.

The line of defense, which consists of six fortresses and twelve border cities in the north of the empire, is the front line of Auckland's defense against the Virgia Empire in the northwest and the orc tribes in the northeast, and the most elite border troops of the empire are naturally stationed there. Marquis Gorros van Dolheim, who was in charge of the Northern Frontier, was the most famous general in Auckland and the world, the Knight Protector of the Templars, a member of the Board of Directors of the Aurora Holy Hand Society, and the brother-in-law of the late Crown Prince and the uncle of the Princess.

Of course, such a clear kinship has already been decided: Gorros must be the faction of the emperor's granddaughter.

The emperor's second son, Iken, has been regarded as the best choice for the future throne since the death of his eldest brother. He took the place of the elderly emperor for a long time, and he was fair and strict, although he was suspected of being mean, but he gradually won the support of the nobles of the imperial capital and some local lords, and took control of a part of the forbidden army. …,

Now that the contradictions between the two factions have gradually become clear, there is just one chance to explode. The most important problem is that the supreme ruler of the empire, the Sun King, Gaius the Great, has not only failed to prevent this crisis. His ambiguous and vacillating hesitation is the best catalyst for intensifying the contradictions.

"The Sun King is really old......"

In this world, what is more embarrassing than aging is probably only the twilight of heroes. Lu Xi sighed in his heart, and then saw that Karin's face also showed a trace of unnatural twitching.

Since Karin was also born as a nobleman in the imperial capital, her family must have also been involved in the War of Succession. Maybe many of the friends who grew up together are now in each other's factions, and she must be very miserable.

If a girl on a date is depressed, it must be a sign of the boy's incompetence. Lu Xi decided to find a way to make Karin happy. He was silent for a moment, and pulled out a dice clock from under the table, which contained six dice. In a tavern like this, almost every table is equipped with such gambling equipment, so that customers can easily access it at any time.

"Don't play?"

"That's fine, but I won't, you'll have to teach me."

"It would be strange if you could." Lu Xi said, "Let's play the simplest, the size." ”

"Just to see which of us throws the most points?"

"Well, it's too boring to be bigger, so why don't you be smaller?"

In other words, the smallest should be six one...... Ah, no," Karin frowned and thought for two seconds, "the smallest one should be stacked on top of each other, which is one." ”

"Hehe, you're so icy." So it's not cute at all to say that a woman is too smart.

"So how much to bet?"

"As I said just now, I'm just a civil servant who eats dead wages, isn't gambling with you, a young lady, looking for death? Besides, gambling money is too emotional, and it's very vulgar. ”

"You can't gamble on nothing, isn't that boring?"

Lu Xi tilted his head and thought for a while, then suddenly raised his head and showed a mischievous smile: "If I win, I'll kiss you, if you win, you can kiss me, how about this?" ”

"Oops, you're also very icy." Karin scoffed, "Sounds like a good idea, but I'm still refusing." It's better to do this, if you win, I'll let you kiss, but if I win...... You jump on the table and shout three times, 'I'm Xiaoshou, please be fostered'!" How's that? ”

"Hey, that's too vicious, isn't it? Having said that, how can you know so many tricks? ”

"Oh, yes, even if it's a young lady, you have to have your own intelligence channels. In short, do you play or not? ”

"Play, why not? I'm just a dead civil servant, barefoot and not afraid to wear shoes, so there's no reason to lose to a young lady who is not diligent and doesn't distinguish between grains! ”

"Okay, then I'll shake it first." Before Lu Xi could react, Karin had already waved her hand and grabbed the dice clock, and she gently shook the dice inside, listening carefully to the sound of wood colliding, discerning the subtle differences. She squinted her eyes slightly, didn't say a word, and looked like she had entered a state of old monk meditation.

At the same time, Lu Xi, who was a magician, felt a subtle change. A divine and majestic, arcane energy unlike arcane was slowly brewing in Karin's body.

"Wouldn't it, just play dice, and this also requires the Holy Breath?"

The so-called holy breath is the use of divine magic and prayers by priests and paladins to bring the body into a state of full spiritual consciousness, so that they can acquire more acute five senses and intuition.

After a few minutes, Karin seemed to have captured the subtle changes in the center of gravity and one side of each die. She raised her head, smiled at Lu Xiyan, and suddenly flipped her wrist, and the small dice clock seemed to have turned into a living elf, beating and dancing in her hands, dazzling the other party. …,

"Bang!" The dice fell on the table, and Lu Xi reacted at this time.

"I'll do it."

"Let's go." Lu Xi said helplessly. In fact, you don't need to open him to already know the result. Just from the technique just now, it can be seen that Karin is definitely a master of Templar magic and martial arts, although it is the first time, but playing a few small dice is not easy to catch.

Sure enough, in the open dice clock was a typical pillar of optimus, and the dice directly above were still turning, but the obvious red dot on the top could already be seen.

"It was a tie at the last time." Karin smiled like a little fox, "It couldn't be any smaller than this." ”

"Then I'll let you see it, Miss!" Lu Xi picked up the dice clock with an expressionless face. He was silent for a few seconds, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he heard a faint but unusually dull explosion, and a sudden puff of smoke rose from the dice bell.

In Karin's dull gaze, Lu Xi flipped his wrist, and pieces of dice fell out of the dice clock, piling up a hill on the table.

"I didn't order it."

"Humble ...... Vile! After a long time, Karin gritted her teeth.

"If you are allowed to meditate with divine magic, I will not be allowed to use magic?" Lu Xi raised his head triumphantly, he leaned his face over, and kept knocking on the table, "Hurry up, willing to lose the bet!" ”

Karin pursed her lips in dissatisfaction. She gritted her silver teeth and looked at Lu Xi's deliberately obscene expression - in addition to her own blood relatives, it was the first man to put his face so close to her. So, it was as bold and cool as Karin, and she couldn't help but show a proud ruddy, and she was just about to say something, when a middle-aged man suddenly walked to the table between the two and sat down straight.

"That's not good." The man said dissatisfiedly, "Gambling is gambling, and what magic should be used on the battlefield." Doesn't it feel like a blasphemy to use it here? ”

"Your friend?" Lu Xi asked Karin.

"I don't have any middle-aged uncle's friends." Karin shook her head.

"Okay, that's the first time we met, so I'll give you a lot of advice." Lu Xi shook hands with the middle-aged man, "I said, uncle, aren't all the same ways you like to play?" Anyway, it's just leisure, huh? ”

"If it's leisure, then of course it's no problem. But isn't the greatest pleasure of gambling its unpredictability? Think about it, and completely surrender your wins and losses, life and death to the completely invisible hands of fate...... You must have never experienced such charm and temptation, right? The man's expression was very indifferent, but his eyes suddenly surged with a fierce frenzy like a flame at this time, and Lu Xi couldn't help but be shocked.

"And what are we supposed to do if you say so?" Karin was curious.

"It's very simple, let's have a game, of course, with complete gambling methods, and we can't use any abnormal methods to interfere with the answers that fate gives us."

"If you can interfere, it's not fate." Lu Xi smiled slightly, "But it does sound a little interesting, I'll follow!" ”