Throne Steps

"dragon?"

The next morning, Saenz received a question from the black swan.

The pure white hair of the blonde didn't even look at the person who asked the question, but just flipped through the book in his hand: "Why are you asking this?"

Li Chen tentatively asked: "I heard there is movement in the Northeast Sea?"

Saenz finally raised his eyelids to glance at him, then smiled and threw the books together on the table: "If you don't plan to answer me, I won't give you the answer either."

"This..." Li Chen had no choice but to reply honestly, "I heard that your 'merchant ship' team has recently gone north."

Saenz looked at him: "Amoya is really your eyes."

Li Chen laughed twice, but before he could reply, Saenz said again: "What else did you exchange, let's finish it at once. For example, he found alliances with those Northland merchants, for example, how he plans to expand in the Northland Another example is the matter of the Shuguang judges taking bribes."

He made three "examples" in a row, and Li Chen was really afraid that he would say something about the investigation of "Lawrence's death", but luckily he didn't.And he guessed that Li Chen was related to Pesa's bribery incident, because Li Chen wrote a letter a few months ago when he said he wanted to suppress the limelight of the Fujalal brothers and sisters.It didn't take long for Pesa's scandal to break out.Saenz really couldn't help but consider the relationship between the two.

Just these few items are enough for Li Chen to talk for a while.

Regarding Amoya's expansion in the Northland, Li Chen only gave a rough idea, because that's all he knew.He even handed over most of the black swan business to Amoya, let alone interfering in Amoya's own business.However, regarding Pesa's bribery scandal, he did get involved in it.

It is not so much a meddling as a start.

"Do you still remember that before Xia Luo beat Cocolin at the Shuguang Conference, I gave the judges secretly... well, is it a blatant gift?" Li Chen said frankly, "But the gift at that time was just a gift. A reminder of justice."

What happened more than ten years ago, the protagonists were not very important people, and Saenz actually doesn't remember much.Fortunately, he was impressed with Li Chen's sudden gift to the judges, so he nodded.

"Actually, this matter has never stopped since then." Li Chen said, "I did it a few years ago, but then I didn't... I changed my face and handed it over to Amoya. Since then Since then, real bribes and fake bribes have been mixed together, and everyone confiscated them on the surface, but in fact, there are also some secretly sent and secretly received."

"So, except for the one who was exposed..."

"Yes." Li Chen nodded, "Actually, if Amoya hadn't poked him out, he wouldn't have been exposed. Because to be honest, Amoya has hardly made any demands on the judges, and even if he did, he would not be biased." It’s not particularly obvious. After all, no matter how fair the judges are, they are still human, there will always be students who like and dislike, and occasionally judge with some emotional factors, everyone can understand.”

Li Chen paused, and then said: "Compared to this, Mr. Pavchenko, who let military-sponsored students win the championship as soon as he became a judge, is simply more suspicious, isn't he?"

"I was going to ask you." Saenz said, "Pavchenko was also pushed up by you?"

"No, that's really not the case. My original intention was just to use an explosive scandal to overshadow the good news about Fujalal and Lairelle, otherwise they would keep taking the lead in people's attention and blessings. It’s not easy to touch them.” Li Chen replied, “However, it’s not a bad thing for Pavchenko to come from us. The champion openly stated that he would join the Southwest Garrison after graduation. Just think about it, the royal family will definitely move the Southwest Garrison this year. conscription quota."

There are two excuses for mobilizing the conscription quota: one is that the disaster-stricken areas of the Northland are in a state of waste, and the scale of conscription needs to be increased to help rebuild the Northland; It's okay to transfer some.

Therefore, Pavchenko's plan to use the Dawn Champion to promote the Southwest Garrison may cause his Highness mixed joy and sorrow.

However, in Li Chen's impression, Pavchenko always does such superfluous things, so Li Chen thinks that he is not very important in Fugeral's faction.

After Li Chen finished answering Saenz's question, he finally brought the topic back to his original purpose.

"So...Your Highness, about the dragon...?"

Saenz glanced at him.

"Just right, ready to go, are you going?"

Li Chen, who was planning to slip away from Saenz again, was taken aback when he heard this.

"Aren't you going back with us?"

Unexpectedly, it was Menzel who was the first to express concern and objection after hearing that Li Chen had left the Black Swan schedule.

Li Chen didn't drive him back in advance, just waited to see when he would start.Now it seems that the wait has finally come, Li Chen's face is not obvious, he just glanced at him indifferently: "Why?"

"I just have one question." Menzel walked closer, "Northeast sea, is it?"

Li Chen narrowed his eyes.

He turned to Menzel, staring at him with distinctly questioning eyes.He was noncommittal to Menzel's question, but asked rhetorically, "Do you have anything to explain?"

His question meant something, and Menzel seemed to understand the meaning of his words. What's more, Menzel seemed to be waiting for him to ask this question.

The newly promoted black swan was silent for a few seconds, and finally said: "This news...is false, you don't need to go."

Li Chen didn't say a word, waiting for his explanation.

"This news was released on purpose, and the purpose is to make a statement." Menzel seemed to be paving the way for a formal topic, and said slowly, "If you are really interested in this news, you can go to the North Peak of the Samuel Mountains Try west."

Li Chen stared at him for two seconds, and then said: "I'm actually not interested in the real destination of this news... You know, I'm not interested in who released this news... I even said that all these years I am more interested in who is releasing information about the 'Dragon'."

Li Chen found a chair, turned around, and sat down facing Menzel: "Tell me, who posted the news, who... threw you to me?"

His words were so plain that Menzel relaxed his tense nerves a little.Menzel also dragged a chair, placed it in front of Li Chen, and sat down.

"Actually, you have guessed something, haven't you?"

Li Chen raised his eyebrows: "I have my guess, what does it have to do with the standard answer you want to say?"

Menzel smiled helplessly: "Okay. I'll announce the answer, and this person—is the one who gave you the copy of "Manipulating Time."

"Manipulating Time", a textbook on alchemy formations written in a non-common language, its original owner didn't think twice, but it only reminded Li Chen of one person.

The first person he saw after he came to this world was the Necromancer.

And the origin of Menzel is thus determined.Fortunately, Li Chen had already felt it, and concealed Menzel's possible origin from everyone, otherwise this news would really poke a hole in the sky.

However, although the answer in his heart was confirmed verbally by Menzel, Li Chen did not let him go so easily.

"In this case..." Li Chen said, "It seems that your so-called loyalty contract is just talk."

"That's not right. Don't you know whether the loyalty contract is successful? It won't lie." Menzel smiled, "If you doubt it, why not use it now...uh!"

Suddenly oppressed and clenched, Menzel was struck speechless by the sudden fidelity pact.Even if it's only a moment, it's not fatal, but the feeling of sudden cardiac arrest still gives people the illusion of "dying".

"Even so, I can't completely trust you." Li Chen said, "Show me the shackles he gave you. Don't be stupid, I know there must be."

Just like the anklet on Li Chen's feet.

Menzel smiled wryly, stood up, and began to unbutton his shirt.The coat, robe, and underwear were thrown one by one on the chair where he was sitting, and Li Chen didn't show any shyness or avoidance.

When the upper body was stripped, Menzel turned around, showing his back.

A palm-sized black pattern like a formation appeared like a tattoo on Menzel's lower back near his lower back.Li Chen squinted his eyes, and couldn't help but hooked his fingers: "Come here."

Menzel took two steps back toward him.

Li Chen leaned forward, and his fingers gently slid along the pattern.Menzel chuckled twice, tilted his head and said, "Is this action a bit ambiguous?"

Li Chen ignored the teasing at all, and whispered the circle of words around the pattern, which of course was not in a common language: "'Position'...'Response'...'Sense', 'Induction'?"

Because the text is really illegible, Li Chen can only read this far, but he can probably guess the corresponding content: "Something that lets him know where you are at any time, huh?"

"...That's right." Menzel walked back to the side of the seat and began to put on his clothes, "Speaking of which, I showed you my 'shackles', should you reciprocate according to the situation... Cough!"

Menzel was "taken care of" by the loyalty contract again, and had to dress honestly.

With an expression of not doing anything, Li Chen asked calmly, "So, are you monitoring me for him?"

"It's not so much about monitoring, but about looking after and protecting?" Menzel put on his belt, "He let me see what you're doing, help you, and pay attention to your safety when necessary."

"Safety?" Li Chen said cheerfully, "Do you have any skills to suppress the bottom of the box? I will rely on you when I am in danger?"

"To be honest, no." Menzel put on his coat and shrugged his shoulders, "I only found out when I signed a loyalty contract with you. You are actually directly connected to that person. This security is comparable to mine. much more reliable."

Because he was afraid that Lichen would be rebelled by the people he was bound by the contract, all the loyalty contracts on Lichen were linked to Saenz's contract.Therefore, the targets of allegiance are not only restricted by Li Chen, but also suppressed by the power of Saenz, which can be perceived at the time of the contract.

Li Chen continued: "And...protect me? Are you kidding, is this what he told you?"

Li Chen always believed that before he came, the death of this body was closely related to the necromancer, and since he had been imprisoned for so many years after he came, it was hard to imagine that the necromancer actually wanted someone to protect him.

"You don't seem to believe it..." Menzel just sat back on the chair and smiled wryly, "What I said was the truth, he seemed to have mentioned that he was entrusted to take care of you, but his tone was very casual at that time , I can’t tell if it’s true or not.”

Li Chen was taken aback.

Thinking about it carefully, this is not impossible.After all, when external forces "invade", Li Chen's body will immediately protect and resist in addition to the power from Saenz, and another layer of "shackles" around the heart will also fluctuate.

This was exactly the case when the Elven King Mogadishu was investigating.If it weren't for the pure power of Mogadishu itself, it might not even be able to escape Saenz's counterattack and the tracking of the "shackle" force.

Li Chen has always doubted the identity of his own body. If the necromancer is indeed entrusted with temporary care... then it can only be said that the way he raises children is really rough.

Li Chen accepted Menzel's answers for the time being—believe it or not is another matter—and then thought of another corner question: "Speaking of which, who gave "Manipulation of Time" in the first place? It couldn't be You, otherwise Yulia would not have recognized you."

"Oh, that's another story, but it's okay to tell you." Menzel smiled, "I'm an old acquaintance of yours... Edren, do you remember?"