The Bemat people were originally a mercenary force of the previous regime. They had been entrenched in the mountains and forests near Tegubins before the war. Before the Battle of Tegubins started, the church lobbied this force and disintegrated the Bemat people.

The fragile alliance between the Te people and the Te Gubins led to the Bemat people standing aside during the battle, which led to the final fall of the Te Gubins.

After the battle, the Bemat people begged the church to recruit them, but the church had a grudge against their loyalty and kept delaying the matter. Later, the Bemat people also understood what the church meant, and simply accepted the church.

He settled down in the war-torn city of Turgubins, unwilling to have any more involvement with the church.

The church has always regarded the Bemat people as useless. Different factions in the church also have obvious differences in their attitudes towards the Bemat people. Some people suggest sending troops to exterminate them to avoid future troubles. Others believe that the existence of the Bemat people is not a threat to the church.

On the contrary, it will play a certain role in promoting the development of Nodiya. Some people think that the Bemat people have always been brave and good at fighting. Exterminating them requires investing too many resources, so it is better to let them go. They may be useful at a critical moment.

This contradiction left the church's policy towards the Bemat people unresolved, and the Bemat people have survived to this day in the cracks of this contradiction.

During the training process, Kevin had already admired and had a good impression of Riggins. After officially becoming a soldier of the Guard Corps, he asked Herak to incorporate him into Riggins' squadron, so Riggins led the team to

An investigation mission was carried out in the old city, and Kevin also went with him.

This is the first time Kevin has set foot on the land of the old city.

Although there is only an underground passage between the old city and Nodiya, Kevin has been indoctrinated by adults since he was a child, thinking that the old city is a place where bad people gather, and there are many murderous demons living there, so Kevin never blinks.

The idea of ​​going to the old city to hunt for novels never occurred to him, and his playmates had all accepted this kind of teaching, and no one wanted to take the risk. As a result, Kevin had no idea what the old city was like.

Now that he was there, Kevin could truly feel the vicissitudes of life, dilapidation and desolation. In comparison, Nodia, which was mediocre in his mind, turned out to be a beautiful and peaceful place.

This old city could have turned into such a dilapidated state.

From the exit of the underground passage to the center of the old city where the Bemat people live, there is a large area that is almost uninhabited. Although the original outlines of the buildings here can still be vaguely seen, the incomplete corners of the houses are broken.

The roof beams, black window openings and moss-covered stone walls are all filled with the smell of mold and rot. If it weren't for the unknown plants growing wildly between the buildings, covering up the dark scars left by the war, I'm afraid no one would be worried.

Sighing at the pain caused by the war.

This kind of pain can be felt not only by humans, but also by spiritual birds. Although this area is uninhabited and has enough plant coverage, the birds are almost invisible and their sweet chirps cannot be heard.

Here, apart from rats, the only living creatures that can be seen are the occasional wild cats and dogs scurrying around.

The route Kevin and the others took should have been a spacious and flat avenue, but now it was occupied by scattered bricks, broken wood and miscellaneous garbage. Although the caravan cleared a path that was passable enough, the path was still full of traffic.

It was the mud and puddles that made Kevin feel a surge of disgust from the bottom of his heart.

Fortunately, after entering the old city center, the situation has greatly improved. Here, the buildings still look dilapidated, but at least they have been repaired and restored to their former appearance as much as possible. They are not at all like the incomplete and desolate buildings.

Figure. The streets have also been cleaned up relatively clean. Although garbage can still be seen everywhere on both sides of the street, at least there is no rubble. The noisy vendors and people coming and going make this place a lively market.

The arrival of the soldiers from the security regiment brought uneasiness to the people on the street. The lively market gradually became quiet. Most people stopped what they were doing and stared at the soldiers walking through the market.

Kevin was not used to being looked at like this. Whether it was men with ferocious faces, women in dirty clothes, or children with black faces and little hands, what came out of their eyes were contempt, ridicule, resentment and even provocation.

.Kevin knew the reason why these people were hostile to the security group, and he also knew that they did not dare to openly provoke the security group, but he just couldn't escape from everyone's eyes, let alone meet these eyes. He felt that those eyes were like countless cold eyes.

The awl pierced his spine, which was cold and painful. It made him not only depressed but also uncomfortable. He could only choose to lower his head and follow his teammates in a hurry without saying a word.

The president of the Chamber of Commerce had dealt with Riggins, and was very polite to the security group. He respectfully let Riggins into the living room, asked Riggins to sit down, and immediately brought him a glass of hot milk, then sat down beside him and looked at him.

He leaned forward and asked, "I wonder why you have made a special trip here today?"

Riggins said: "I came here today on the orders of Captain Herak to inquire about something from you, President."

"Your Excellency, please speak."

"May I ask, President, whether the Chamber of Commerce has arranged for personnel to pick up the goods at Nodia Pier in the past two days."

"Yes, I sent four carriages and a dozen coolies to Nodia two days ago. I have a batch of goods coming from the sea. I arranged for them to transport the goods. Logically speaking, it should arrive today. Why?

?Did something happen?"

"Nothing serious happened." Riggins had already thought of his lines, and he said unhurriedly, "There was a strong wind on the sea a few days ago, and those cargo ships probably took shelter from the wind. No ships have docked in the past two days.

As a result, caravans waiting for goods gathered at the dock. Last night, two groups of people drunkenly caused trouble in a tavern near the port. They not only destroyed the tavern, but also injured several people. We arrested both groups.

Get up, after interrogation, one of the group said they were your subordinates, so I came here today to verify."

"This idiot." The president cursed in a low voice and hurriedly smiled at Riggins. "That Stone is a stupid guy. He likes drinking and drinking. He will get himself drunk when he drinks. When he is drunk, he will make trouble.

If I hadn't seen him as reliable in his work, I would have fired him long ago. This time I specifically reminded him not to drink, but he still made such a big fuss. I'm really sorry for causing trouble to you. I also want to ask a question.

Sir, are they seriously injured?"

"They are just superficial wounds, not serious. It's just that these people made trouble in Nodia, and Captain Herak was very unhappy. He said that those who made trouble would be severely punished. Since the president is a cheerful person, he admitted that they are

Your subordinate, the president, should you think about it and take some responsibilities?"

"Of course." The president winked at the person next to him, who nodded and retreated. The president continued to say to Riggins, "This matter cannot embarrass you. Our Chamber of Commerce will handle it properly and will continue to do so."

Discipline this Stone well so he doesn't cause trouble for me next time."

While they were talking, the man who had just stepped back came up with a small box. The president opened the lid of the box a crack in front of Riggins, revealing the golden coins inside. He said softly to Riggins: "Can you please help me find it?"

The doctor will treat the wounded on both sides and pay some compensation to the tavern. At the same time, I also ask you to say a few more good words in front of Captain Herak, and ask the Captain to be kind and let my idiots go as soon as possible."

Riggins glanced at the gold coins in the box and thought that it would take far less money to hire a doctor and pay compensation. The president's intentions were too obvious. Riggins decided to accept the money first so that the president could relax.

Be careful. When the president asks about other things later, the president will not be too suspicious. Thinking of this, Riggins saluted the president and said: "President, you are taking too much trouble. I will take care of the aftermath for the president."

Don't worry, the commander has taken care of it. As for your subordinates, I will plead with the commander when I get back and let them go as soon as possible after teaching them a lesson." After saying that, he motioned to Kevin, who was standing aside, to take the cash box.

The president smiled knowingly: "Thank you very much, Your Excellency."

Riggins laughed a few times, then calmed down slightly and said, "I have one more thing I need to ask the president for."

"Just ask, Your Excellency, and I will tell you the truth."

"When the security team arrested them yesterday, two or three people took advantage of the chaos and ran away. You must know that this kind of behavior is resisting arrest. This is a serious crime. If you are caught, you will be sent to jail. Later we interrogated your men

That Stone, he said that there were only a dozen of them in total, and they were all caught, and those who escaped were not part of their group. So what I want to ask the church leader is, how many people did you send to Nodia?

"

"Thirteen people, including Stone, there are thirteen people in total." The president knew that no matter whether the escaped person was his subordinate or not, as long as he could make it clear now, he would not be implicated. After all, Riggins had already received the money.

How much will remain.

What Riggins was thinking about was something else. Thirteen people! The number given by the president in this case must not be false. In other words, Herak and Sobian believed that there were still people alive in the caravan.

This is no longer true, unless someone else followed the caravan into the underground passage, but who could this person be? And where should we find clues about this person?

The president saw that Riggins' face was uncertain. He wondered if he was dissatisfied with the lack of money. He was about to order his men to get more money, but Riggins pulled him back: "President, according to the number of people you gave, those

The person who escaped is probably not one of your men, so you don’t have to worry about it. I have other tasks, so I’ll leave first.”

The president breathed a sigh of relief, and finally felt relieved. He quickly stood up and sent Riggins and others to the door. He said another polite word before watching Riggins leave.

Riggins was confused and couldn't think of a clue, so he could only suppress these thoughts for the time being and wait until he went back to report to Herak before discussing it.

After the group left the Chamber of Commerce, they went straight to the lair of Zaka, the leader of the Bemat people.

Zaka's camp is located in the central church of the old city. This church was once a landmark building in Tegubins and was the last fortress captured in the Battle of Tegubins, so it was much more damaged than other places.

It was much more powerful, but Zaka took a fancy to the geographical location of this church and its former identity and status, so he spent a lot of money to rebuild it. Although the renovated church was not as gorgeous as before, it still retained the original charm.

Spectacular, it can still be called a sign of the old city.

As soon as he entered the front door of the church, Kevin felt that his eyesight was not enough. The complex structure and unique architectural style of this church were something Kevin had never seen before. The stone sculptures in the middle of the courtyard and the surrounding arches

The corridors, the uniquely scattered watchtowers, and the tapered spires of different heights completely attracted Kevin's eyes. He almost didn't pay attention to the expressions of so many Bemat guards around him, until the comrades beside him used their elbows to

After bumping him and reminding him to be more alert, he realized that the atmosphere around him was different.

There are heavily armed guards standing everywhere on both sides of the road, under the eaves, and in the circular corridors. The clothing of these Bemat warriors is obviously different from that of the guard regiment. Their upper bodies are almost naked, with only two thick leather belts around them.

The shoulders are crossed at the front and back, exposing the muscles of the arms and chest unbridled. They wear brown and black leather trousers and a pair of high leather boots. They are either holding a big knife or carrying a big knife in their hands.

A long ax, coupled with a cold and ferocious face, and a look of hatred and contempt, made Kevin feel an invisible pressure coming towards him.

Kevin subconsciously put his hand on the hilt of the sword, his heartbeat began to accelerate, and his palms began to sweat. He looked around at his comrades in arms and found that except for their solemn expressions, no one showed fear. Kevin relieved himself and told

Don't be afraid, tell yourself that Bemat people are afraid of the church and will not easily stir up trouble.

The prayer hall of the church was converted into a huge conference hall by the Bemat people. In the middle of the hall, there was a long table that could seat more than twenty people. The table was littered with wine glasses, dinner plates and other various items.

Utensils, as well as some shabby old candlesticks, and not much of the stained glass on the surrounding glass windows was left, replaced by various animal skins and cloths, so the entire hall seemed very dark.

Dozens of guards with murderous faces stood around the hall. Only one person sat at the far end of the long table, coldly watching Riggins and the soldiers walk to the opposite side of the long table with his hands in his arms.

This person is Zaka, the leader of the Bemat people. Although the light in the hall is not strong, his smooth head is still eye-catching. An obvious dark black scar runs from the corner of his small left eye.

The cut to the chin made the already ferocious face even more bloody.

Looking at Xhaka's appearance, Kevin's mind went crazy, guessing that this must not be someone who is easy to mess with.

Riggins couldn't help but feel angry when he saw Xhaka being so arrogant, but he knew the purpose of coming here, and he also knew that he was in the core area of ​​​​the Bemat people. There was a huge disparity in power between the two sides. In the event of a conflict, his side would suffer even more losses.

, so he suppressed the anger in his heart, gave a brief salute to Zaka, and said loudly: "Chief Zaka, I am entrusted by Captain Herak to pay a special visit."

Zhaka sank into his seat and replied lazily: "Zhaka appreciates the good intentions of the captain. Your Excellency, please come back."

Riggins was a little embarrassed that he was rejected, but in order to complete the task, he had to find another way. He turned around and ordered his men to hand over the bribe he had just received, and opened the lid of the box in front of Zhaka so that Zhaka could

He clearly saw the gold coins inside: "Chief Zaka, in order to thank you for your help to Nodia over the years, our leader has specially prepared a small gift. I hope Chief Zaka will accept it."

The Bemat people are not good at farming. They used to focus on hunting when they were entrenched in the mountains and forests, but now they focus on trade. However, due to the decline of the old city, their trade is not prosperous, so their life has always been relatively difficult. Riggins took out

The gold coins did make Zaka's heart flutter, but he was not stupid. He guessed that the security group must have other purposes, so he leaned back into the chair and said, "Zaka doesn't understand what you mean."
To be continued...