Imperial Crown

Dark night, Fox Castle.

The family dinner of the Fox family was as quiet as ever, with only the crisp sound of the knife and fork hitting the plate.

Montreal enjoyed his dinner in a serious manner, and his movements were perfectly in line with the etiquette of the nobility. Even the royal etiquette officer could not find fault with his behavior.

Guldan stood straight, like a proud rooster.

He was always very particular when eating, and the maids he trained had very smart eyes and reactions. They had to remember to wipe the sauce on the edge of the plate at all times, but they could not interfere with his eating at all.

Only Sanchi, the youngest son of Montreal, leaned his left hand on the table, and his right hand casually hung on the plate, picked up a large piece of steak with a fork and stuffed it into his mouth, eating until his mouth was full of oil, and then washed it down with red wine.

So he ate the fastest.

Using a napkin to wipe the grease from the corners of his mouth, Sanchi stood up with dark circles under his eyes: "I'm done, father, elder brother."

He pushed the chair and was about to walk out.

Gul'dan put down his fork, took the silk scarf handed to him by the maid behind him and wiped his mouth: "My dear brother, can't you take some time to spend some time with your family?"

"My dear brother, look who's sitting here!" Sanchi stopped and turned back helplessly with a sneer: "An imperial earl, the first heir to an earl. And me? God, I have no official position, no title, and I have to sit with these two big men. You should also consider my feelings, right?"

Gul'dan frowned and was about to scold his unruly brother. Montreal put down his fork with a snap: "I've been discussing with Archbishop Thomas recently, and I got an admission permit from him to the Stormwind Seminary."

"Sanchi, are you interested in going over to take a look?"

Sanchi showed a very An exaggerated surprised expression: "Wow, Stormwind Seminary, that's really an amazing place. I heard that in the Kingdom of Lozeren, if you don't have a theology degree, you can't even inherit the family title!"

"My dear father, you have arranged this. Have you left me a piece of land in the Kingdom of Lozeren?"

Montreal looked directly into Sanchi's eyes: "I'm asking for your opinion now."

"Ask for your opinion?" Sanchi sneered: "Do I have room to refuse?"

"But I still want to thank you for not notifying me on the day of departure."

"Well, please forgive me for being rude. I have to prepare for this cross-continental trip."

After saying that, Sanchi pressed his left hand on his chest, raised his right hand high, crossed his legs and squatted down to perform an exaggerated farewell salute, then turned around and pushed open the door and left the restaurant.

Gul'dan muttered: "This guy is getting more and more outrageous."

Montreal didn't answer. After all, the Papal States is far away in the east of the continent. Sanchi is going thousands of miles away. Why should he leave a bad memory before leaving?

And in the final analysis, Sanchi's becoming like this is not unrelated to his father.

Seeing his father silent, Gul'dan thought for a moment and changed the subject: "I heard that Raven successfully dealt with the small civil strife in Snow Maple County, and also stationed troops in Koja County. Now he can be regarded as a powerful helper for us."

"Your vision in choosing a husband for Nancy is really far-sighted."

Montreal just nodded to this flattery, and then suddenly asked: "Have you been in touch with Nancy recently?"

"No." Gul'dan shook his head: "But I heard that since she married Griffith, her previous bad temper has changed a lot. She will organize a cocktail party every once in a while. Not only Snow Maple County, but also many noble ladies from the five northwestern counties have attended."

"After all, she is the blood of my Fox family." Montreal smiled.

The ability of a noble lady is reflected in the establishment of a social circle, and a cocktail party is the only way to build this network of relationships.

A long-term and stable social circle can provide strong help to the husband, whether it is collecting and exchanging intelligence or bringing the noble families closer.

For a baroness, being able to organize a cocktail party for the ladies of knights in the territory is a foundation; being able to win over the wives of the surrounding nobles is an ability; and like Nancy, being able to attract the nobles of the entire county and even the five northwestern counties as a baroness is outstanding.

"In this regard, the one in your family should learn more from Nancy." Montreal nodded at Guldan lightly: "After all, she will become a countess in the future."

Guldan looked a little embarrassed. His wife was born in a viscount family. She was spoiled since childhood and had no talent in socializing.

And she was quite jealous. Guldan occasionally showed up at a cocktail party. If he looked at the ladies or young ladies of a family for a few more times, he would quarrel for half a month.

But Guldan couldn't complain about this to Montreal.

Just like the Fox family motto says, a noble who can't even manage his family well can't manage his territory.

Gul'dan coughed to cover up his embarrassment and asked, "Speaking of which, father, if Anthony comes back, how should we deal with it?"

"After the last competition, he should know that our Fox family is deeply rooted in the Nord Province and cannot be shaken by an outsider, even if he is the governor." Montreal said slowly: "And even though Slater has been silent, they don't want another big man to appear in the Nord Province to suppress us."

"So, the next step is to show off every move. If Anthony knows how to measure, then we might as well give him some face; if he insists on suppressing us, we might as well shrink back, but if it goes too far..."

Guldan nodded slowly. He could now basically understand seven or eight points of Montreal's words.

The Fox family did not just focus on the province. Through clues, they also learned that the empire was planning a war on the northeastern border. At this time, there must be no chaos within the empire.

And the Fox family has the ability to cause a turmoil in the Nord province and completely destroy the entire province!

Therefore, if Anthony wants to sit in the position of governor for a long time and gain some political achievements, he cannot do without the Fox family. No matter how many conflicts there were before, he could only hold his nose and endure it.

Thinking of this, Gul'dan touched the Hate of Hyperion on his waist with his fingers. He was looking forward to what Anthony's expression would be like when he saw the sword hanging on his waist.

"Father, I will take my leave now." Gul'dan stood up and saluted.

At this moment, a burst of chaotic footsteps came from outside the door, and shouts of killing occurred one after another throughout the castle.

With a bang, the Montreal Guard Captain burst open the door of the restaurant and howled: "Your Majesty, there is a thorn -"

He choked up before he could finish his words.

With a muffled sound, a rapier penetrated his back and stabbed out of his chest. Purple electric light burst out from the rapier, turning into a sizzling electric grid, completely covering the guard captain.

Green smoke rose from the armor, and the guard captain howled miserably, his eyes popped open, his skin was burnt and shriveled, exuding an unpleasant odor, and then he fell to the ground with a pop.

The sword tip was retracted, and a man wearing a black robe appeared.

He is less than 6 feet tall, that is, about 1.75 meters. He has a black soft hat with a curly brim that suppresses his naturally curly long brown hair. He wears a black mask that can barely cover the upper half of his face. Under the mask, It is a pair of mustaches with the ends curled into a swirl shape.

Zhi——

The two stabbing swords in the man's hands overlapped, and a burst of dazzling lightning burst out: "Count of Montreal, it is an honor to come to take your life."

"You can call me J. When you meet your ancestors, you can talk about anything you want."

"J?" Gul'dan sneered: "What an ignorant and fearless thief."

"Where do you think this is? This is Fox Castle, the territory of the Fox family!"

Fiery fighting energy spurted out from his whole body, and a silhouette of a human figure that looked exactly like him was outlined behind him, and he suddenly drew out the stabbing sword at his waist.

"Back off." Montreal suddenly said.

Gul'dan was stunned: "But father..."

The man who called himself J nodded and praised: "Haha, Lord Earl is indeed very discerning."

Just as he was speaking, Gul'dan suddenly felt a little stiff all over, and all the hairs on his body stood up.

Immediately afterwards, surging electric light suddenly surged and exploded from J's body, condensing into a substantial human figure behind him. The figure's face was blurred, and then suddenly collapsed and spread, flowing onto J's body.

Like a thick brush, the disintegrating shadow left traces of light on his body. When the traces of light faded, silvery lines like small snakes appeared on his face and hands, pulsing A sliver of electric light.

Gul'dan's pupils shrank.

War pattern, fourth level strong man! ?

And Montreal didn't give in at all. The fire all over the body swayed, from orange-red, to dazzling white, to dark blue, stopped slightly at light green and then turned into misty purple!

The fifth-level flame fighting spirit spread vigorously, and the fighting spirit quietly flashed behind Montreal, and then opened his arms to embrace him, as if it was washed in magma, and dark purple ravines flowed on his skin, especially on his forehead. On it, a flame pattern with five flames appeared.

At this moment, J's whole body was covered with electric light, turning into a bolt of lightning and heading towards Gul'dan!

His figure opened up a scorch mark burned by the electric light on the carpet, and Gul'dan could clearly see that the slender pile of the carpet was scorched into red, and then turned into black carbon filaments.

But Gul'dan couldn't move his body and could only watch the lightning getting closer and closer. His hair began to stand up one by one due to the lightning, and he could even smell the smell of his beard being burnt. !

However, the sword stopped firmly an inch in front of him.

J moved his feet forward and backward, still making an assassination gesture, but his body was nailed to the spot.

Around his waist, a python-like purple flame whip was wrapped around his waist, and the other end of the whip was firmly held in Montreal's hand.

Montreal raised and flicked his wrist, and the whip suddenly straightened, lifting J's feet off the ground, and slammed them against the wall, creating a human-shaped dent!

J coughed out a mouthful of blood and grinned: "Haha, I originally wanted to kill Gul'dan first to give you a gift, but now it seems that I won't be able to do it unless I kill you."

Montreal's body was full of fighting spirit, and the whip in his hand suddenly tightened, and purple flames burned along J's body.

Gul'dan's eyes flashed with amusement, but Montreal's face remained as dark as water.

Just when his whole body was about to be ignited by the flames, J suddenly opened his mouth, and a bolt of lightning shot out from his mouth, turning into three flying knives and suddenly piercing the air!

One was shattered by Montreal, while the other two violently cut off the long whips made of flames.

"Level 5, Level 5!? How can there be such a young Level 5!?" Gul'dan's eyes widened, and he was extremely flustered.

Although this J covered his face, Gul'dan could see that he would never be over 40 years old.

But the method of condensing elemental weapons with fighting spirit was clearly only available to Level 5 masters!

The severed flame whip exploded, and a thick smoke with purple flames ignited in the house.

Montreal held a long sword, his eyes fixed on the depths of the smoke.

His ears suddenly moved, and he slashed downwards at the void in front of him. There was no movement when he raised the sword, but when the sword fell, it clanged and slashed out a rapier that flew at high speed!

The rapier spun and fell to the ground, inserted into the floor, and at the same time another rapier flew out of the thick smoke. Montreal frowned and turned sideways, and the rapier passed by him and nailed to the wall behind him!

The next moment, a giant python-shaped electric light, as thick as a water tank, rushed along the ground with a clang, sliding on the ground, and eroded a smooth and round dent on the hard granite floor wherever it passed!

Amid the sound of bursting electric light, the giant snake arched its body, suddenly bounced up, and bit Montreal!

Montreal took a deep breath, and the sword tip was engulfed by the purple flame and turned into a torch. He suddenly slashed forward and got stuck on the fangs!

Boom——

The terrifying sound wave swept across the room with the impact wave, the smoke and dust dissipated, the tables and chairs flew and shattered, the purple flames collided with the dazzling white electric light, and a sun was created out of thin air on the ground!

The figure of J appeared in the giant python, and in his hands were two rapiers made of pure electric light, which were against the long sword in Montreal's hand!

Although he was also at the fifth level, he was still too young. Montreal was confident that his fighting spirit was far superior to his, but for some reason, J's mouth suddenly curled up with a smile.

Buzz!!!

The two rapiers knocked down by Montreal, one behind him and the other at his feet, suddenly buzzed, trembled and flew up suddenly, with brilliant lightning, and suddenly pierced into Montreal's body!

One pierced into his back, and the other inserted from his side!

"Explode--" J roared wildly, and the lightning that was originally surrounding him and formed the shape of a giant python dispersed, and flowed along the two rapiers on Montreal's body!

Montreal's eyes suddenly widened, and the fighting spirit around him burned unprecedentedly, and the battle pattern on his body seemed to be deeply engraved into his skin!

The lightning and fire intertwined and collided, producing a violent explosion!

The aftermath of the explosion knocked J out, and before he landed, the battered ground finally couldn't bear it, cracked, shattered, and then crashed down!

In the ruins, J slowly stood up, and the battle pattern on his body was slightly dim.

He raised his arm to wipe the blood from his lips, and casually stabbed a maid who ran to his side in a panic. Looking at the ruins in front of him, he chuckled and then cast his eyes into the corner.

There, Gul'dan was holding his chest and panting violently.

Falling from the second-floor restaurant to the first-floor hall was not enough to hurt the third-level Gul'dan, but the impact just now was really imprinted in his heart.

J condensed two rapiers with lightning in his hands, kicked away the gravel in front of him, and walked towards Gul'dan step by step.

"...You, who are you?!" Gul'dan screamed, "Who asked you to come?!"

"Master Gul'dan, your memory is not very good. I told you that my name is J." The man smiled softly, "As for who asked me to come - you can't even think of this, you really deserve to die."

He took a step forward slowly, but it was this step that made his face suddenly change, and then he looked to the left in disbelief.

Just in front of him, the ground had turned into molten magma at some point, separating him from Gul'dan.

Tracing back to the source of the magma, Montreal, who was bathed in fire, was slowly standing up from the melted boulder.

He had a set of plate armor on his body at some point, with a pure black background, and the lotus-like patterns had all turned into gorgeous purple, burning brightly.

J frowned tightly: "Melting fire embers!"

He finally knew why Montreal could survive after being hit by his annihilation serpent!

Standing up from the lava, Montreal reached out and pulled out the two slashes that had been charred and twisted, and threw them on the ground, letting the lava swallow them.

A trace of cold sweat flowed down J's forehead. A fifth-level strongman with a fourth-level enchanted armor is not as simple as 1 plus 1!

The lightning on his body surged, gathered on his feet, and slowly floated into the air, waiting for Montreal to move a little and then he could respond immediately.

Montreal moved, he raised his arm and clenched his fist.

A trace of doubt flashed in J's eyes, but suddenly he saw that the shadow in front of him became clearer than ever before.

He lowered his body and pounced forward suddenly. There was a bang behind him. He turned his head and saw a flaming hand more than 3 meters high slamming on the place where he just stood, smashing out a pool of lava!

If he stayed, he would die!

J's eyes locked on the window not far away, and his body was wrapped in lightning and rushed forward suddenly.

A huge flaming palm gathered in front of him. J was prepared. He jumped up with his feet, but what greeted him was another flaming palm.

Snap——

Lightning flashed, flames burst, and J was slapped to the ground like a fly. Before he could struggle, the ground had turned into magma and wrapped him up.

Lightning fighting energy condensed into armor on his body, briefly protecting his life, but J could no longer escape because a giant palm was pressing down on him, holding him firmly inside!

Montreal condensed a purple flame sword in his hand and walked towards J step by step, leaving a string of burning footprints.

"Wait!" J breathed heavily, his eyes trembling: "Don't kill me, I can tell you who sent me!"

Montreal ignored it, released his palm, and the purple flame sword turned into a meteor driven by fighting spirit and stabbed J.

He had already guessed who did it, so he couldn't leave anyone alive, not even the body.

But at this moment, a gust of wind blew in the hall, a gust of cold wind.

It scraped close to the ground, and where it passed, the magma solidified, the flames were extinguished, and even the flame fighting energy on Montreal's body was weakened.

And everything surrounding J, including the magma, the giant hand, and even the fiery sword that was about to fly, were all wrapped in solid ice.

Ta, da, da...

Following the sound of high heels, Gul'dan looked toward the door and froze on the spot.

What a tall woman!

She is a full 7 and a half feet tall, which is about two meters.

On top of her head was a dark purple pointed mage hat with an extremely wide brim, but it looked appropriate on her head.

Not only is she tall, she also has big facial features. She has watery eyes on her oval face, bright purple lipstick on her lips, and her pearl earrings sway with her steps.

The soft mage's robe is also pure purple, with a low neckline and an exaggerated scale that looks like a lactating female animal. Even the mithril necklace cannot steal the attention of others.

Under the pure purple mage's robe, only the frilly edge of the skirt that opened to the top of the thigh had a golden pattern, revealing extremely plump legs, and the edges of the black fishnet stockings were even more plump.

The nails on her fair fingers were dyed purple. She was holding a wine bottle in her left hand, and on her right hand...

It's a head with a frightened face!

With a snap, the head was thrown in front of Monterey. It shook a few times and then stopped. Its dead fish-like eyes were fixed on Gul'dan.

Gul'dan's heart suddenly twitched, and unprecedented fear and anger exploded from his chest.

And Montreal bowed down and let out a beast-like roar:

"Sanchi——"

After that, there was no more human sound.

"Q, you're finally here." J breathed a long sigh of relief: "Huh, if it were any later, I would really die!"

"Uh-huh, I should teach you a lesson." A smooth and greasy voice flowed out of Q's plump lips. The sound made people feel like a snake crawling on him: "We agreed to sneak in secretly, who let you Created such a big battle?"

J spat: "Come on, if you hadn't been obsessed with drinking and couldn't maintain your invisibility, how could I have been exposed so early?"

Q didn’t argue. He drank the last of the wine in the bottle and threw the bottle on the ground. He smashed it into pieces: “Tears of an Angel…it’s well-deserved!”

"Count of Montreal, there is still not enough wine in your house..."

Before he finished speaking, Montreal suddenly roared, raised his hands high, took out a purple flame sword, and chopped it off at Q's head!

The sword edge cut into her shoulder and emerged from her ribs.

Misty water vapor rose vigorously, and with a bang, Q's upper body hit the ground and turned into broken ice.

"Your Excellency, it is really rude to attack a lady secretly." The sound of footsteps sounded, and Q Ziji slowly appeared from his side. He raised his hand and grabbed a dark purple staff: "I originally wanted you to die before you die. After spending more time with my family, I can only apologize now.”

She waved her staff and tapped it lightly, creating an invisible crack in the air.

A wind as cold as an ice prison blew from the crack, and a pair of sharp claws made of ice protruded from it, grabbing the edge of the crack, and then suddenly tore it open on both sides!

A huge triangular head poked out from it. This head alone was as big as a carriage carriage!

A sense of despair began to creep into Montreal's heart, and he knew exactly what it meant.

Elemental rift...

Sixth level mage!

"Run, run -" Montreal roared.

This roar awakened Gul'dan who had fallen into fear. He took a deep look at the head on the ground, smashed the window, and jumped out without looking back!

Q's expression darkened, he raised his staff and pointed it at Gul'dan's back. Cold light condensed on the head of the staff, pulling up a thin silver line and chasing after him.

But just when the light was about to fall on Gul'dan's back, a giant flaming hand lifted up the floor and blocked its path.

Galala...

The light fell on it and disappeared immediately, replaced by vigorously growing ice, covering almost half of the hall!

"Don't be stunned." Q glanced at J coldly: "If you can't deal with Montreal, Gul'dan will be left to you."

J jumped up from the ground: "Don't worry..."

After saying that, he was wrapped in lightning and rushed out of the hall.

However, Montreal's figure blocked him like a city wall!

"Amengo!" Q gave the order, and the frost beast that had already struggled half out of the crack opened its huge mouth and roared out a stream of cold wind!

The smallest water vapor in the air was precipitated at this moment, turning into a cloud of ice shavings that blew towards Montreal with the biting cold wind. The light of the molten embers on his body was suppressed, and ice marks began to spread and grow on Montreal's body. .

Although he was not frozen for a while, his movements obviously could not keep up with J's speed!

But at this moment, he took a deep breath, and the battle pattern on his body quietly disappeared, turning into a martial spirit floating behind him, and the martial spirit also collapsed at this moment, flowing into a raging fire attached to him!

The molten embers on Montreal's body were ignited again, and he suddenly flashed and grabbed J's ankle in mid-air, and threw it back violently, leaving a fire mark on the ground.

At this time, in the crack, the frost beast named Armenger finally struggled out of it. Even with four feet lying on the ground, it was still more than 5 meters tall.

Its inverted triangular head was like a bison, but the sharp teeth protruding from the corners of its lips showed its ferocity. A dark blue ice crystal was embedded on the top of its head, and the horse-like mane on its back was like a frozen flame.

The forelimbs were human arms, with sharp razor-like ice claws; the hind limbs were like horse hooves.

Overall, it looked like an ice sculpture made by a child, but it was covered with smooth cross-sections like processed gemstones, and on each cross-section, there was a faint reflection of a wailing and twisted soul.

The rift did not close, and more small and medium-sized ice elemental creatures began to emerge from it.

Struggling to stand up from the ground, J said sternly: "He is burning his martial spirit!"

Looking at the torch-like Montreal, Q shook his head gently: "Since you know who asked us to come, you should know that resistance is meaningless, and the destruction of the Fox family is a foregone conclusion."

"Why bother?"

There are not many combat skills on the continent that burn martial spirits, but each one will completely burn the user's soul, which is a more miserable end than death for the Nords who pursue the return of their souls to the side of their ancestors.

What responded to her was the cloud-like flames surging out of the melting fire embers.

...

In the distance, in the sky, Gul'dan rode on the family's horned hippogryph and hurriedly flew away to the northwest.

He held the horned hippogryph's reins with both hands woodenly.

Today's shocking change was far beyond his ability to bear. His mind was still in chaos. His thoughts were as chaotic as a mountain torrent sweeping through the village. He could not find a clear idea.

Boom--

Gul'dan looked back unconsciously as the explosion sounded. He saw that in the hall on the first floor of Fox Castle, it was as if hundreds of barrels of kerosene exploded at the same time. Sticky purple flames gushed out from the gate, windows, and broken walls, bringing up debris and the bodies of servants who had no time to escape.

Before Gul'dan's hope was ignited, the ice spread, freezing the flames, ashes, and burning corpses and debris, as if imprisoning time.

Until it enveloped the entire castle.

Then, there was no change.

Gul'dan turned his head like a piece of wood and flew into the night sky that seemed like an abyss.

…