At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind the guards.

"I said, we are all soldiers. Although we belong to different departments, everything must follow procedures. Do you think so, Your Excellency? After all, we have orders." A middle-aged officer came to the dock and scratched his head.

With messy gray hair, he smiled.

Seeing his arrival, the guards who were very nervous for a moment breathed a sigh of relief. It was their commander, the old guard captain of the Plesia Gate.

When he also saw the arrival of the old guard captain, the Roman officer on the ship's face darkened slightly, but what he cared about was not the guard captain himself, but the guards who were gathering behind him.

"So, what do you want?" the officer asked coldly.

"We are directly ordered by the palace to search all passing ships. Everything is a routine matter. Please forgive me." The old guard chief said in a neither humble nor overbearing tone. "As long as the investigation is completed, you can pass. We will never stop you."

"What if I don't agree?"

"Then I can only say sorry. It is impossible for us to disobey the palace's order and release the people without permission, unless you can produce the release order granted by the palace." The old guard commander directly refused.

"Who has time to apply for a release order at this time?" The officer raised his voice in anger, "Our mission on this trip is not something you can afford to delay."

With a sound of "Clang--", the long sword from the officer's waist was half pulled out, glowing coldly under the sunlight.

Seeing that the long sword had been unsheathed, the guards at the dock showed no signs of weakness and displayed their weapons one after another. The atmosphere became tense for a moment.

"You can come up and search, provided you can bear the consequences!" The unruly officer pulled out his sword and pointed it at the guards under the ship, only to see Romfaya's sword on the edge.

The inlaid Roman pattern shines in the sunlight and enters everyone's field of vision.

It's the sword in the palace! The old garrison commander and other soldiers suddenly felt a twitch in their hearts, and they suddenly became more wary of the identity of the visitor.

The people who can use this kind of weapon are obviously the palace guards. It seems that the people on this ship have a lot of background. Could it be that they really have some important secret mission? The city defense army guards could not help but be in a dilemma at this time.

In such a situation, a forced search will inevitably conflict with these people, and if something goes wrong, they will offend the palace. Even if they are acting under orders, will Emperor Alexei III let them go like this?

The guards were shaken.

It is well known that the martial law in the city is an order issued by the palace council controlled by the queen, and there are many conflicts of interest between the imperial party and the rear party involved. Although these city defense guards would not know, they also know that it is absolutely impossible to get involved without authorization.

It will be very ugly to die.

Just when they were hesitating, something came from the deck and the words from the ship finally made the final decision.

"Okay! Brother, since they want to see His Majesty's warrant! Then show it to them honestly! Why waste time here? It won't be us that His Majesty will blame."

Following a lazy voice, a young man poked his head out from the deck. Although he was young, the armor he wore was the silver chain mail armor that could only be used by the Varangian guards in the palace. This pair of Plessian gates

It is all too familiar to the city defense guards.

"Good morning, old Jims!" Igor greeted the stunned guards below the ship very naturally. In this place that he had patrolled several times, he was very familiar with each other, but the two parties had previously been bribed by smugglers.

The problem is not very pleasant.

And when the old guard captain saw Igor, a Varangian warrior (even though he was only a half-hearted person in his eyes) appearing on the ship, he finally believed that the Dromon warship was the one in the palace.

It's related.

"Okay, then I'll let them come up." On the bow of the ship, the officer roared and backed away, then turned around suddenly and strode away. At the same time, he looked at the soldiers behind him and shouted: "Put down the planks of the ship!"

His men responded neatly, grabbing the planks from the ship's racks and preparing to lower them to the dock. At the same time, the spears in their hands also poked out of the ship's side in a neat row. Suddenly, the chilling atmosphere became more solemn, and

Below, the old guard captain Jims remained as silent as an ice sculpture.

After a while——

Finally, this experienced veteran finally chose to let go. He didn't know why Igor appeared on the ship in front of him, but from the current point of view, these people must have something to do with the palace. A small role like himself is still

It's better to mess with less.

"Let go!"

At the last moment when the ship's planks were about to fall, the old garrison commander yelled and ordered the soldiers to open the sea-blocking cables to let the Dromon warship in front of them pass.

…

When the warship with its long sail sailed out of the Golden Horn, the split sea waves left a few white ripples swaying as if mocking the increasingly decaying city behind it.

Everyone on the boat finally breathed a sigh of relief at this moment. This was completely an adventure, but their situation at this moment forced them to make such a choice.

Standing on the bow of the boat, looking at Donkari, Neorian, Perama, and Galata as it passed by, Igor enjoyed the rare comfort brought by the sea breeze. Behind him

, at the top of Constantinople, the outline of the Hagia Sophia became increasingly smaller. The ship sailed toward the northeast. After they passed the ruined city of Chrysopolis, the road to the Black Sea was clear.

.

"I think you can take away that sword now! It's too disturbing." Igor shrugged and turned to look at the frosty girl. He was motionless and was not leisurely looking at the sea.

I'm tired of looking at the scenery, but I'm just afraid that a hole will be poked by the opponent's sword.

But behind him, the girl did not put down the sword in her hand. From the moment she walked out of the cabin, the dangerous and cold sword tip was pressed against Igor's back, but the girl was holding a broad sword that was not light.

There was never any erratic behavior.

At this moment, a long-lost voice sounded.

"Okay, Alyssa, you can put down your sword." Licinius, who came out of the boat, finally looked up and saw the rare daylight. He patted his daughter on the shoulder and told her not to be so harsh.

After receiving her father's order, the silent girl put the sword back into her scabbard. However, she seemed not to be interested in the scenery on the sea, and then walked back to the cabin alone.

Finally no longer feeling like sitting on pins and needles, Igor could finally let out a long sigh of relief and relax.

"I think our cooperation just now was quite pleasant!" Although he was no longer the prisoner of the other party, the embarrassing situation made Igor not dare to go too far as a guest. He looked tentatively in front of him

said the Sicilian man.

But Licinius in front of him was noncommittal and said flatly: "Even if you didn't show up just now, it's actually not a big deal. Since we chose this method, we are certainly not unprepared. Of course, we still have to thank you for saving us a lot of time."

trouble."

Although Igor was a little angry at the understatement, when his eyes fell on the desperadoes on the ship and the weapons they carried, he couldn't help but agree with what the Sicilian man in front of him said.

But obviously, now is not the time to pay attention to this. The continuation of the stalemate in such an atmosphere is not what he wants to see.

Taking a deep breath, Igor said: "I think your goal has been achieved now. As long as I draw the navigation chart for you, I think I will have no use value to you, so you can let me go!"

This was the condition he and Licinius finally negotiated. He handed over the nautical map in exchange for his escape. He had been familiar with that map since he was a child and had already remembered it in his heart, and he was familiar with the map on Crete.

For Igor, who had studied surveying and mapping in the monastery, it was no problem to draw it. And now that the other party had left Constantinople, he could also convince the other party that he had no reason to betray the other party.

Just when he thought everything was going well, Igor didn't expect what happened next.

Licinius, who was very relaxed, slowly replied: "Actually, Mr. Igor, I have changed my mind now. I found that there was no need to go to so much trouble in the first place, since you said you had completely memorized the map.

, then I would like to invite you to join us on this voyage, wouldn’t it be great! Not only will you have a talking navigation chart, but you will also have a reliable guide.”

The gentle man straightened his collar and spoke elegantly, but every word he spoke was as sharp and merciless as a sword.

And Igor, who received such a reply, couldn't believe his ears.

Going to sea with them! This is completely unacceptable! He also went back to Crete to see his seriously ill father, how could he wade into this muddy water with the likes of them.

But it was obvious that Licinius did not believe in Igor's promise, let alone the situation he was in. This seemingly gentle and stable middle-aged man finally revealed his true face, as ferocious and sinister as a bird of prey.

There is always only his purpose in his eyes.

At this moment, looking at the warship with its long sails spread out, it was getting farther and farther away from the land, and its last hope was already slim. With blood rushing to the top of its head, the young man from Varyag stared at the opponent and let out a roar, ready to give it a try.

:

"You are going back on your word!"

However, before he could pounce on him, several strong men on the left and right of the deck had already pinned him down with their old fists so that he could not move. Igor, who was in pain and could not straighten up, felt that the blood foam in his mouth was almost ready.

He choked and found it hard to breathe. He was no match for these people.

Looking at the young man at his feet, Licini looked at an ant and said: "I think you still need to calm down for a while, Mr. Igor. But in any case, you are welcome to join us on our long journey - we...

The long journey of sinners.”

Under the soft whisper of the man from Sicily, Igor's vision gradually blurred. And in his ears came a low-pitched singing that lingered in his ears and echoed in the sound of the waves for a long time.

stop.

"Why are travelers who are far away unwilling to rest and stop?

Just because some people's desires can never be satisfied

Someone advised me not to lose my way

But I don’t know that I have already strayed from where I should go

This is the long way for sinners

Go to the hometown of ghosts

Why are you panicking about passers-by?

Is it the devil who brought you to this place?

Or is it because of the harsh laws and harsh government that leave you nowhere to hide?

Death, where is your victory?

Death, where is your sting?

The sting of death is sin
Chapter completed!