Chapter 417 Mercy? you? Demon King?
The side hall of the palace of the Lion Kingdom has a solemn and solemn atmosphere.
There is no smell of the unique smell of parchment and ink in the high tower of Xuebang, nor can you see the complex star charts and magic arrays hanging on the walls. Instead, there is the smell of ancient oak and steel, and bright red tapestries with glory embroidered with gold threads.
The portraits of kings throughout the ages cast silent and majestic gazes from the walls. They were wearing heavy armor, holding warhammers or swords, and their eyes were as sharp as eagles.
Every object here is silently telling the long history of this kingdom and the royal power based on glory and bravery.
But in such a place filled with a solemn atmosphere, there sat a thin magic apprentice who looked out of place with the surrounding atmosphere.
His name is Leon, he is a mage from the Yuanfa School, and he is also the youngest disciple of the Great Sage.
Many people saw the great sage's care for him and thought that he was a distant relative of the great sage, or even the illegitimate son of the great sage. However, only he knew that the matter was not that complicated. The sage just liked his magic talent.
Of course, having said that, sometimes he himself is confused about what his so-called talent is. He asked himself that his ability may be a little stronger than that of his peers, but it should not be strong enough to attract the attention of the great sage.
This preference and cultivation occasionally made him feel uneasy.
Just like now, he never thought that one day he would come to this martial land alone as a messenger of the Xuebang, and shoulder such an important diplomatic mission alone, or even... uh, the future of mankind?
Leon smoothed the wrinkles on his Origin Law School robe over and over again, trying to make himself look more stable in this way.
However, the more he worked hard towards meaningless things, the worse things tended to become, but the originally smooth robe looked more wrinkled now.
In order to calm down his racing heart, and to divert his attention, Leon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The scene when he received the mission in front of the Great Sage a week ago clearly appeared in his mind again...
It is the Brass Pass that stands on the eastern border of the empire. The howling wind rolls up the yellow sand and beats the magnificent city wall built by the dwarves like a ghost crying and a wolf howling.
The threat of Chaos is approaching from the direction of the dimensional desert. However, his respected teacher, the great sage Dosuk, did not look outside the raging yellow sand, but looked far away in the direction of the Kingdom of Lion, with unprecedented worry in his eyes.
"Leon," the great sage's voice was blown a little erratically by the wind, but it reached his ears very clearly, "I am not worried that the Brass Pass will fall. The legions of chaos will never be able to break through the empire's barrier from the front, and those monsters entrenched in the desert will never be able to take a step beyond this majestic pass."
His voice paused for a moment, but then the topic changed.
"However, what worries me is the Kingdom of Lane behind it. Since ancient times, the strongest fortresses have often disintegrated from the inside."
Leon only remembered the great sage's tone was heavy, as if he had foreseen the tragic future.
After a while, the respected old man handed a token engraved with the mark of the Yuanfa School into his hand and gave him solemn instructions.
…"You go to the Kingdom of Llane, give this token to their king, Theoden de Valu, and tell him for me."
"The corruption of Chaos has been like a plague, quietly sneaking into the land under his command that is proud of honor and loyalty."
"It's not too late to do something now."
The memories ended, Leon opened his eyes, but the tension in his heart only increased.
How could he convince a proud king whose country was founded on chivalry that there was a despicable traitor among his people?
This seemingly caring advice sounded more like a vicious insult...
Just when Lyon was frowning at this, the door of the side hall was pushed open silently, and an old man wearing the uniform of a palace steward walked in.
His expression was as serious as a stone sculpture, as if it were a statue that had come alive. He nodded slightly and announced in a decent and emotionless tone.
"Sage's messenger, our Majesty is ready, please follow me to the audience hall."
Leon stood up from the chair suddenly, but because he moved too quickly, his knee hit the coffee table in front of him, making a muffled sound.
He ignored the pain, but he couldn't help grinning and blushing in embarrassment under the supervisor's scrutinizing gaze.
It is said that he does not even know the etiquette of nobles.
·Xuebang obviously has so many nobles from the Kingdom of Lane, I really don’t understand why the sage asked him to come.
"The palace of the Kingdom of Ryan does not have so many magic props. We are used to using the most traditional tables and stools instead of injecting magic into them."
The steward coughed lightly, changed into a soft tone, and handed the young magic apprentice a step, "I'm sorry for not being able to take good care of you."
"No, it's nothing, I was just careless."
Leon waved his hands hurriedly, with an embarrassed smile on his face, and explained.
"Also, we actually did not inject magic into the tables and stools... We usually use magic on bookshelves or windows."
The manager raised his eyebrows slightly and raised an imperceptible smile at the corner of his mouth.
Leon took a deep breath, and the anxiety and tension in his heart eased a little.
After gathering his emotions, he quickly took steps to follow the manager, and every step he took seemed to be stepping on his own frantic heartbeat.
Through the long stone corridors and arches, the two people quickly arrived at the audience hall of the palace.
This broad stone hall is as tall as a church. The sunlight shines through the narrow stained glass windows, casting mottled light and shadow on the red carpet.
There are dust shadows illuminated by sunlight floating in the dry air. There is no trace of magic or mystery, only the solemnity and solemnity of power.
Hand on both sides of the red carpet stood knights in light armor, as well as nobles and courtiers in rich costumes.
They were either whispering to each other, or had expressionless faces. Their sharp eyes were focused on the lone figure in the center of the hall, and they looked at it curiously.
Envoys from Xuebang are rare in the Kingdom of Lane, especially this one sent by the legendary great sage.
On the throne, King Theoden de Valu, like his ministers, also looked at the young messenger from the academy.
This young man has short, flaxen hair, delicate features, and clean brows. Those sky-blue pupils were just like the mage robe of the Source Law School on his body, shining with the wisdom and pure light of a scholar.
However, other than that, there seems to be nothing more special about it.
At least with Theoden's perspective, which was used to seeing big winds and waves, he couldn't see anything more worthy of his time from this young man.
However, the token representing the identity of the great sage is real. As the king of the Lion Kingdom, he should give this friendly envoy due courtesy.
"...Young magician from the north, you have worked hard on your journey." Theoden spoke slowly, his voice was slightly hoarse, but still full of energy, "Is the great sage Dosuk still in good health? The wind and snow in the north must not be as warm as the sunshine in the south."
Leon bowed deeply and answered respectfully.
"Thank you for your majesty's concern. The great sage is still in good health. He asked me to send my most sincere greetings to you and the great Kingdom of Lane. Although the wind and snow in the north are cold, the enthusiasm of the school to explore the truth is as hot as the chivalry spirit of the Kingdom of Lane to defend the glory."
This decent response made the king nod with satisfaction, and a majestic smile appeared on his old face.
"Very good. Tell him for me to take care of his health. His wisdom is the wealth of the entire empire and the strongest shield of His Majesty the Emperor."
"I will tell you."
Leon nodded respectfully and promised.
Seeing that the king seemed to be in a good mood, he immediately seized the opportunity to get straight to the point and tell all the great sage's predictions.
"Your Majesty, in addition to sincere greetings, the great sage also asked me to bring a piece of... advice to your respected Majesty."
"Oh?"
Theoden raised his eyebrows and said in a generous tone, "It is an honor for ordinary people like us to be able to get enlightenment from the wisdom of the great sage. Come and listen."
Leon lowered his head and conveyed the not-so-beautiful prophecy to His Majesty in the most tactful and respectful way possible.
"When the Great Sage was at the Brass Pass, he felt that the shadow of chaos was approaching your beloved kingdom... He asked me to tell you, please be careful."
Theoden was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then he burst into a hearty laugh, and the courtiers standing around couldn't help but smile.
The shadow of chaos is approaching...
This sounds like a proverb to scare farmers.
Any knight of the Kingdom of Lane knows clearly, when did the wind and sand in the dimensional desert stop blowing westward?
The laughter echoed in the hall, dispelling the somewhat solemn atmosphere.
Theoden raised his sleeves and gently wiped the droplets on his beard, grinned at Lyon and said: "Young magician, thank the great sage for the reminder. But you don't have to worry, the brass gate of the empire is impregnable, and the minions of Chaos will never set foot on our land."
Seeing that His Majesty was completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem, Lyon couldn't help but feel a little anxious.
Especially thinking of the melancholy eyes of the great sage, he subconsciously raised his voice, and his clear voice seemed particularly clear in the quiet hall.
"Your Majesty... please don't be too superstitious about the majesty of Bronze Pass. The great sage told me that strong fortresses throughout the ages have been broken from the inside. Chaos cannot cross the natural chasm of the Wanren Mountains, but they will extend their claws to your subjects!"
As soon as this statement came out, the ministers were in an uproar.
"Unbridled!" An old knight with a gray beard held down the hilt of his sword and shouted angrily, "Do you mean that there are traitors who betray their honor among the knights of the Kingdom of Lane?"
"I, I didn't mean that -" Leon hurriedly raised his hand to explain, but was sharply interrupted by the old man holding the sword.
"What an insult! I want to duel with you! Compete... swordsmanship!"
Leon: "???"
“Huh, the magicians in the school always like to make alarmist statements. I think the cold wind in the north has blown their minds.” Another palace minister in luxurious clothes sneered, speaking out the harsh accusation in an understatement, “Of course, also. It is not ruled out that they want to interfere in the internal affairs of my kingdom."
"The Great Sage is not that kind of person!" Leon argued eagerly, but after all, he was still a little too green. How could he outlast this group of time-tested courtiers?
"He is just a young boy. The great sage sent him to spread such ridiculous words. He is really going back to life."
"Your Majesty! We cannot pretend that we have not heard this insult! I suggest that you write a letter to the Holy City immediately and submit it to the church tribunal for arbitration!"
"Enough!"
King Theoden raised his hand, and the hall fell silent instantly. The smile on that face had disappeared, replaced by a hint of obvious displeasure.
However, after all, this old nobleman is a decent person, and there is no need to embarrass a young man, let alone write a letter to the Holy See for such a big deal.
So he just said to the young messenger.
"Our messenger has come a long way, he must be tired and needs a rest... Mr. Scrier, take him down."
The palace steward who brought Lyon in bowed and saluted.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing the palace steward leading two guards walking towards him, Leon, who didn't know it was a step, was stunned for a moment and defended eagerly.
"Your Majesty, I'm not tired! Compared with rest, the threat of Chaos is imminent, and we should discuss countermeasures immediately!"
"Countermeasures?"
Hearing these careless words, Theoden's lips suddenly opened with an oppressive smile, and he raised his hand to signal the palace steward who was about to take Lyon away to stop.
The vast audience hall was completely silent, leaving only the majesty of the king.
"The people of the Kingdom of Lane are simple and honest, and everyone values honor. No rat will ever sell his soul to Chaos! This is our strongest line of defense! As for you saying that I am superstitious about the towering brass gate? It's ridiculous, when did I ever say that my reliance is there?"
This inexperienced boy really doesn't understand anything.
No one who knows the history of the Kingdom of Lane would say this. No one on this continent is more pious and traditional than them!
Even if one day the empire abandons its faith, as the "hometown of knights" they will never abandon their yearning for the Holy Light!
Siodeng's haggard body leaned forward slightly, his cloudy eyes stared at Leon, and he spoke word by word.
Find it, otherwise I won’t pretend that I didn’t hear what you said today, let alone treat it as a joke. ”
Instinct tells Leon that if he refuses, he may not be able to leave this audience hall.
He swallowed and nodded tremblingly.
"It's... Your Majesty."
He wanted to say that he was just a messenger, but it was useless to say anything now. He could only blame himself for being too impatient and not very smart.
Hioden slowly leaned back on the throne and waved to his palace steward.
"Take him down."
He actually didn't want to embarrass this young man, but as a king, even if it was to maintain his own dignity, he had to teach this boy a profound lesson.
Siden planned to wait for him to come back with his tail between his legs, hold a "celebration banquet" for him, and then let him go after the humiliation was over to show his kindness.
Of course, it would be better if this guy ran away.
Sleeping away like a clown after failing to pretend to be a magician is the best lesson for those arrogant magicians.
"Yes..."
Sclair nodded respectfully, looked at the magic apprentice standing in the hall like a wooden man, and sighed slightly.
Perhaps he is getting old and confused, and is not as quick-thinking as when he was young. He suddenly can't understand the wisdom of the great sage...
...
On the other side, in the sky over the northern wasteland, an airship with a unique shape is slowly traveling in the noisy air current.
Logically speaking, this "small boat" traveling among the mountains should be extremely bumpy.
However, the cabin was completely calm at this moment. Not to mention the ups and downs, not even a slight sway could be felt.
This is of course not because of Alberto's outstanding design, but purely because there is a magician with diamond-level strength sitting on board the "Voyager".
At this moment, Luo Yan was sitting leisurely by the window, tasting the black tea that Sarah had just made for him.
Compared to Xuebang's scented tea with various condiments, he really enjoys this pure and simple taste more, especially since his cat can always grasp his preferences just right.
By the way, this airship is currently in an "unmanned" state. The invisible airflow is like a big transparent hand, holding the rudder and joystick in the cockpit.
Everything is under the control of Luo Yan's spiritual power and magic power.
Although Alberto diligently recommended some experienced apprentices to him, Luo Yan saw that the young guys were so excited that they were incoherent, so he politely rejected his proposal.
It’s better to do it yourself than to act like a bear.
Furthermore, it is not appropriate for unrelated people to know about the prince.
Although it was his first time to fly this airship, he operated it surprisingly smoothly, and there was no sign of "capsizing" at all.
And his diamond-level strength gives him almost infinite fault tolerance.
Even if the airship fell apart in the next second, he could wave his magic wand and make the entire cabin float in the sky again safely.
As for the turbulence caused by high-altitude air currents, it did not exist from the beginning.
An invisible shield has already enveloped the airship, which not only prevents migrating birds from accidentally hitting the airbag, but also perfectly avoids the impact of violent airflows at high altitudes.
He didn't want to leave his beloved apprentices with a confused look. Prince Colin's mask was the dreamland he had finally weaved for those young boys and girls.
Of course, having said that, Mr. Alberto’s design is still perfect, and it’s not to the point of falling apart.
With slight improvements, it should be popularized in Janna continent!
Not far away, the restless Taff was curiously pressing her face against the porthole, excitedly overlooking the endless snow-capped mountains below.
When this little guy first got on the boat, he was still holding on to the handrail, as stiff as a stone, but now he has completely relaxed.
As for Sarah, she stood in the shadow of the corner as always, closing her eyes and falling asleep, as if she had entered a "hang-up" state.
Although she said she hated the dazzling sunlight, Luo Yan always felt that she might be afraid of heights.
When she was in Xuebang, she didn't like to be near the window.
As if she had seen enough of the scenery, Tafu suddenly withdrew her gaze and looked at Luo Yan, who was drinking tea leisurely, and said her swordsmanship in her usual malicious tone.
"Hey, you flew away without saying a word, without even a farewell ceremony. Aren't you afraid of breaking the hearts of those young apprentices who admire you?"
Luo Yan looked at the boundless sea of clouds outside the window and replied with a smile: "It is a kind of kindness to leave without saying goodbye."
I can't let them know that he still has a home in the far south.
And it’s the devil’s labyrinth.
"Puff, puff, mercy? You? Demon King?"
Tuff made a strange laugh and said cowardly.
"I guess the little blond girl named Ophia doesn't think so. She is probably in her room right now, drawing circles and cursing you while secretly wiping her tears."
Hearing this, an intriguing expression appeared on Luo Yan's face, and he paused for a moment before saying.
"If this can make her disillusioned with the illusory mask of 'Prince Colin' and grow up faster... that would be a good thing."
Taph was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but complain: "How come it feels like everything can turn into a good thing in your mouth."
Luo Yan smiled and said nothing.
Congratulations, classmate Tafu, you have finally discovered the secret to becoming a god.
It's a pity it's too late.
"Speaking of which, don't you feel regretful?"
Tuff said lazily.
"What are you regretting? I had a good time eating and watching the theater. You hairless monkeys can still survive. This kind of thing will never happen in the Zeta Empire!"
Really?
Is it possible that it's because you are just a "magic apprentice" and a preparatory student, and you can't even find the door to the labyrinth trial anywhere.
In fact, even if such a big thing happened and the impact was so bad, only the three thousand apprentices in the Tower of the Great Sage have actually experienced this trial.
In addition to the Tower of the Great Sage, there are hundreds of mage towers on the snowy plains, and there are also twelve large mage towers of their own.
In the face of such a huge base, this little storm is not worth mentioning at all.
Luo Yan smiled faintly and did not irritate Tafu, but said in a gentle tone.
"I'm not talking about life, but virtual realms. Do you still remember the spaceship model we saw on the border of Xuebang? The magicians of Xuebang should have obtained the virtual realms related to your hometown, but it's a pity that the two virtual realms I got are not."
Taph picked her head.
"...Isn't this a good thing?"
Luo Yan laughed.
"It seems so."
It is a pity that Tuff's hometown was not persecuted.
Always listening to the bragging of the brat, he was quite curious about what the hometown of the legendary "Dragon God" looked like.
At this time, Tafu suddenly squeaked.
“What’s wrong?”
"If the magicians of Xuebang...accelerate the world behind the virtual world, does it mean that the time difference between the two worlds has completely changed?"
Hitch seems to think that his expression is a bit abstract, Tuff thought hard, and changed his statement.
"I mean... if they keep pressing the fast forward button, will one day suddenly the Zeta Empire disappear with a bang?"
This made her feel a deep sense of frustration, as if her efforts in the first half of her life were completely meaningless.
From the beginning, they were murals carved on stone slabs. Their past and future were determined from the moment the universe was born.
As if everything that has not happened yet is something that has already happened.
Luo Yan thought for a moment, looked at those confused eyes and answered.
"This sounds like two problems. First, the time when the two worlds meet is not infinite, and we can't always see the ending on the opposite side of the virtual world. It's just that when our mental frequencies happen to be similar, we accidentally caught a glimpse of you in another universe."
Tuff couldn't help but let out a puff.
"The spiritual frequency is similar to yours? You? Puff..."
This laughter is a bit deliberate.
Luo Yan smiled faintly, ignoring the ridicule and fear of the noble and highly civilized people, and continued in a calm voice.
"The second question is, all we can drag is the progress bar, and the interference we can exert can only amplify a certain part of the voice in your heart, and cannot directly determine your future and past."
"If I want to make further guesses, the space-time observed by Xuebang is probably the parallel space-time A after you are no longer there. If you go back, enter Of course, it is the space-time B where "you exist". "
"As for the specific time point as the branch node, it depends on whether you really go back and when. We probably can't observe this timeline, and the discussion around the outside of the horizon is meaningless. "
He paused and continued.
"But? With your current condition, is it necessary to go back?"
Tuff was stunned.
She lowered her head and was silent for a long time, and finally muttered something.
"I didn't say I wanted to go back... I just asked."
Luo Yan nodded happily and stopped continuing this topic that made a certain little female dragon feel heavy.
In fact, there was a third question. He heard the implication of her words, but did not answer it.
The unspoken concern in Taph's heart is actually the truth of this universe, at least the truth of the universe under their feet - time does not actually exist.
The Solipsi people who are infinitely close to the end have told him the answer.
However, even so, life is still real and truly belongs to oneself.
The same goes for the current feelings.
Since he is no longer a god, let’s just be a mortal, or a mortal dragon.
For the vast majority of souls, living in the present is the most important and meaningful thing.
Hence returned to silence in the cabin, with only the sound of the breeze as the airship passed through the clouds, accompanying them as they flew from the harsh north to the warm south.
Sarah, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly raised her stiff neck and asked curiously.
"Are we just going to fly directly to the Principality of Campbell?"
"Of course not."
Luo Yan smiled, put down the tea cup gracefully, and said something that made both Taff and Sarah's expressions change wildly.
"After all, this is the first real airship built by Mr. Alberto. Strictly speaking, it's just an experiment."
h "I don't expect this thing to really carry us all the way to the Principality of Campbell."
(End of this chapter)