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The Imperial Prison is located in the northwest of Watan City, occupying a whole small peninsula that stretches into the sea, the width of the mouth of the peninsula connecting the mainland is less than 200 feet, a huge heavy iron gate separates the city of Watan and the peninsula, the high wall of the prison and the wall of Watan City are connected here, and the smooth bluestone road leads from the city to the big iron gate of the Imperial Prison - the outer wall of the prison built around the island is also not inferior to the height and strength of the wall of Watan City.

O'Sullivan walked alone along the long avenue known as the "Road of Punishment", and in the shadow of the high walls on both sides, even the sun rarely shone on this avenue. Is the path of punishment...... Watching the prison door open slowly but without stopping, O'Sullivan recalled the first time he came here when he was twelve years old, and couldn't help but be slightly stunned.

"Sir, your presence here is really to make our prison shine, and we are fortunate to carry forward the past and forge ahead with the times...... Warden Cassandra curled his stout body into a ball, his two fat hands rubbing each other constantly, and his face was full of baby-like smiles, which made his big face without a beard look very funny.

"I said, Kassandra, read more books, don't just open your mouth and shoot guns!" O'Sullivan looked at the oncoming warden, who was more than two laps taller than himself, but he didn't stop.

"Hehe, hey, sir, you are really knowledgeable, you teach your son well, I will definitely learn more from you, and strive to be full of sweat, Wei Bian three unique ......" The two of them said as they walked into the prison gate, and then there was a creaking sound of the door closing behind them.

O'Sullivan raised his hand and motioned to Kasandra to stop his inappropriate words: "Old way, you are busy with your going, I will be back in a while!"

"Well, sir, you know, these things have been going on lately...... It's hard for me to do it, it's really difficult, step by step, danger is everywhere, it's difficult to ride a tiger, it's a dilemma, the council is ......" At this time, Cassandra saw O'Sullivan's gaze through the morning mist, as if he was electrocuted by something: "Okay, okay, you go slowly, I wish you a happy journey and all the best......"

Prison is the place where humanity is most dehumanized.

The narrow vents on the old stone walls seem to lead to deep caves, and they do not reveal the breath of life. O'Sullivan walked alone in the prison, unusually familiar with the road, as if it were his home - the huge Imperial prison was so empty that even the patrolling jailers were rarely seen, and the Imperial Prison was rarely used since the mages gradually grasped the authority of Argus, and the mages had countless ways to imprison souls and lives, and the prison was only the most lenient and merciful one.

O'Sullivan turned and walked forward, passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints, and finally entered a quiet courtyard. It is strange that there is such a place in the middle of the prison, it is not like a cell, it is not like a place for the jailers to rest or work, there is a jar of flowers and plants in the middle of the courtyard, and the surrounding small buildings, although old, but they are pure and elegant, and they do not fit in with the square forts and high walls—this is the place where the nobles who have committed crimes are kept in the imperial prisons, and wherever they are, the class and the resulting different treatments are always there, even for the prisoners.

O'Sullivan walked to a half-hidden door, and without knocking, gently pushed the door in.

The layout of the room is very simple, some shabby but very clean beds, tables and chairs, except for being spacious and bright, this place is not much different from the usual prison cells.

The slightly dimly lit room smelled cold and damp - no matter how well it was packed, this was a prison, and a prison for most of the sea.

"I'm glad to see you're safe, Yuri, but the battle didn't work out. "There was a man at the desk with his back to the door, reading intently by the light coming in through the window.

"Just as you predicted, father. ”

"So......" The man turned around, the stubble on his chin made him look a little older than his actual age, his emaciated face was slightly wrinkled because of the lack of light, and his deep eyes revealed the trials and tribulations he had gone through: "What are you going to do next?"

Isabella's private residence was in the port district southwest of the city of Watan, far from the central imperial city and the tall buildings that symbolized the power of the empire, and she herself rarely went out, neither to the mage quarter, where the council headquarters was located, nor to the red-robed mage stronghold in the trade zone, but to spend her days in a place where the three sects and the nine streams of the three sects gathered, as if the sailing ships returning from distant Maztic and the salty and wet sea breeze of Victoria Bay were more attractive than the large library of the mage district.

O'Sullivan got out of the carriage, and several little beggars who were about to gather were swept away by his gaze and dispersed. It was the busiest time of the afternoon, when the taverns on both sides of the street were opened, and the sailors and dock workers who had been busy all day laughed rudely, and they were ready to have some fun, and the air was filled with the smell of sea breeze and fish, which made O'Sullivan, who had just passed through the solemn and luxurious aristocratic district, feel like two worlds.

Knocking on the door, O'Sullivan waited quietly.

A crack opened in the copper-clad door, and an ugly bald head covered with tattoos poked out and looked: "What's the matter?"

O'Sullivan followed the bald warrior who was equivalent to the red-robed mage's royal bodyguard and thug to the living room on the second floor, and then the bald man turned around and left, leaving O'Sullivan alone in the living room, without even a glass of water.

The living room is small, but the décor is extremely luxurious, with heavy scarlet curtains blocking out all outside light, and the room is a little too dim lit by only two wall-mounted lampstands, but fortunately, there is no problem with vision.

O'Sullivan stood in front of the fireplace and admired a portrait hanging on the wall that seemed to be some years old, it was obvious that it was the hostess here, dressed in a scarlet robe simple but full of all kinds of ambiguous information, the face that could not see the age was soft and noble, the only thing that made people feel a little chill was Isabella's bare brain case that did not have a single hair, this head even added a bit of funny and even weird atmosphere to the whole picture.

O'Sullivan's attention was then drawn to several smaller frames placed above the fireplace, one of which was a picture of Isabella with another younger, red-robed mage, needless to say, her student, Morriel.

Both of them were smiling slightly, but Isabella smiled more kindly, while Moriel looked more stern, and just as O'Sullivan wanted to look at a few more of the other portraits, there was a slight noise behind him.

"What a rarity...... Lord O'Sullivan. It's Isabella, and her loungewear is even the same red robe as she wears in the picture, the only difference is that now her silky and shiny black hair is combed into a delicate cloud sideburns: "Please be seated...... What are you doing standing stupidly?"

"It's a presumptuous thing to disturb you without first announcing you......" O'Sullivan took out a small gift box from his bosom: "This is a raw material for the witchcraft ritual performed by the local barbarian natives when I was patrolling in Maztika, although it is a completely uncivilized race, but after I happened to visit their ceremony, I thought it was quite interesting, so I took a little, maybe it can be of some use to a knowledgeable mage like you!"

"Hehe, I didn't expect you to be so caring!" Isabella habitually covered her chin with her hand, and let out a laugh similar to a falsetto voice again: "Thank you so much!"

"So, what do you want from me?"

Isabella's words immediately after that made O'Sullivan's heart tighten when he had just relaxed, this girl is really not an ordinary person.

"Lady Isabella is really a very cheerful person, in fact, I heard that your student Lady Morrill successfully defeated the elves on the front line several counterattacks, and also destroyed their evil ritual of vainly trying to summon demons, I don't know the specific situation, but Lady Moriel has made great contributions is an indisputable fact, and my situation may have been heard of by you, I hope that through your relationship, as well as Lady Morrill's recommendation, I can return to the Imperial ** team and serve the Empire......" At this time, the bald warrior with a dull face finally walked in with a tea tray, and O'Sullivan ended his speech in a timely manner, looking directly at the red-robed mage elder in front of him, with a look of neither humility nor arrogance.

"You are indeed an outstanding aristocratic young man......" Isabella waved her hand, and the bald head who had placed the drinks for the host and guests immediately retreated: "But it is really sad that the illustrious O'Sullivan family has also fallen to such a state!"

O'Sullivan's two fists on his knees were clenched tighter, but his tone did not change in the slightest: "People should look forward, at least I will not close myself out of the center of power because of an accident, and what I have lost will taste even more luscious after I regain it, do you say, Lady Isabella?"

There was a slightly awkward silence in the small living room, and O'Sullivan picked up the teacup in front of him and sipped it gently, looking very calm.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I can help you much, Christina is my student, but she has now joined Argus's army...... And you should know better than me about these things in the army, if you want to say that the person who is qualified to recommend you Earl O'Sullivan, when will it be my little girl's turn, in fact, the key to a qiē is still in the Supreme Council, right?" Isabella's voice was unhurried, only when the name Christina was mentioned, there was a subtle fluctuation.

"Christina?"

"That's another Moriel name. Isabella holds up the teacup in a natural and elegant gesture: "When she was my student, the name was used. ”

"Exactly...... As you may have heard, there has always been some misunderstanding between our O'Sullivan family and the Mage Council, and in this regrettable long-term disagreement, there will inevitably be sacrifices that I don't want to see......" O'Sullivan suddenly seemed to be a little absent-minded, as if he was caught in the memory.

"It's not that simple as a misunderstanding, is it...... Really, in fact, I'm just an insignificant little woman, and being able to gain a foothold in Watan and have the privilege of talking to a young and promising person like the Lord is only relying on the shadow of our red-robed mage......" Isabella didn't seem to notice O'Sullivan's gaffe, and continued to herself: "Anyway, Morriel can have what he has achieved today...... Thanks to you, Lord O'Sullivan!"

"Oh...... Oh?" O'Sullivan seemed to have just come to his senses: "Thanks to me?"

"Forgotten, as far as I know, it was you who ordered Moriel's residence in Rain City to be searched and obtained Lum's research notes, and eventually lost most of them due to the scramble between them, so that Morrill can still use it as a capital to cling to the hearts of the Archmages of the Supreme Council who are determined to win Lum's notes......"

"You're saying that Morriel got where she is now by virtue of the fact that she's the only one who has seen Lum's magic pages?"

"Isn't it incredible?" Isabella put down the teacup in her hand, there was not a drop of drink left in it, not even a water stain, as if it had been roasted: "It seems that you don't have enough understanding of the importance of that set of research notes, I suggest you re-examine the armament power of the Empire, what Moriel brought to the Mage Society is not just a mage who can be put into battle!"

The Mage District on the eastern hillside. Seven mage towers, taller than the other, towered in a spiral, and the silver-white spires that jutted into the clouds shimmered with the brilliance of magic, even overpowering the reflection of the sun.

Perhaps compared to the Imperial City of Argus, this is the center and strength of the Argus Empire, and the towers not only look down on the entire city of Watan from a high position. And whether it's a merchant ship sailing into Victoria Bay or a traveler coming from a long distance on the plains of Tarnori, the first thing to notice must be the towering and majestic Seven Towers, and there is a sense of awe of the powerful and mysterious power beyond imagination.

Singh's study was on the top floor of the tallest Archmage Tower. Looking out the window, you can even feel the white clouds floating leisurely not far away. And the supreme head of the Mage Council, almost at the pinnacle of mortal power, Singh, the strongest archmage of Argus, was sitting in his wide chair, using a magnifying glass to study a parchment scroll of spells of unknown age in front of him.

"O'Sullivan's imp has gone to prison?" The obscure symbol on the parchment made Singh's brow never lift.

"Yes, he drove to the prison early the morning of the second day of the Palace Ball. A mage who looked about as old as Singh, but was respectful like a schoolboy in front of him, replied.

"I can't wait...... He can't catch up with half of his old man. Singh said slowly.

"We've sent someone to listen to what they're talking about, and rest assured that nothing he's going to hide from the council. ”

"No...... It's nothing more than looking for him to get an idea, and I think that yesterday's invitation to fight at the banquet was also taught by Feet...... There is no need to worry at all. ”

"Yes, no matter how shrewd and capable he is, he is just a martial artist. ”

"You can't say that...... I've been playing chess with the O'Sullivan family for decades, and it's fun to guess my opponent's next move every time...... For an old man like me, that's all that's all that's fun. Singer still squinted his eyes and studied carefully through the magnifying glass, without raising his head: "But you need to have more snacks in the war with the Night Elves...... It's been a bit of a surprise lately, and as you know, I'm the least of my favorite thing. ”

"Yes, don't worry......" The old mage bowed back, did not turn to open the door, but somehow disappeared