"But I found out later," Augusta's voice fell. Just now, he still had a little feeling and honor of recalling the past, but now there is only coldness left, "He did that on purpose. Everything is in his plan."
"You mean, he intentionally injured you to use illegal spells to get you out?" Kefir asked.
"Yes. That's it." Augusta turned her head. He had thought that the dark flame of hatred had already been extinguished, but he didn't expect that there were still sparks of fire in the seemingly cold and dead embers, which would ignite again when the wind blew. He originally wanted to bury these past events forever, but why did the hands of the flood of memory refuse to let him go, insisting on dragging him into the bottomless abyss again
"How do you know? If he did it on purpose, why would he disclose it to you casually?"
"Because the truth is not a weakness to him, it's another weapon. He's already planned when he's going to use that weapon against me. No, maybe on the contrary, it's my weakness. Carvody En has already figured out my character and how I will react, so she will tell me the truth."
"Did he tell you that himself?"
"Yeah." Augusta lowered his eyes, "That was one year after the competition ended. A certain archmage at that time—of course he has passed away now—wanted to recruit a disciple, and Cavodian and I were both candidates. Candidates must pass the various tests set by the archmage before they can be selected. I thought this was just another contest between me and Cavodian, but I didn't expect that Cavodian found me in private Say… "
That voice appeared in his mind again, and he thought that he was a valuable friend, but he didn't expect that it was his closest friend who betrayed him. "I was wounded on purpose," said the voice, "and I knew you would use illegal spells to save me, because that's what you are: an arrogant badass. I'm the exact opposite of you. If I had to Only by using you can I achieve my goal, then I will use you without hesitation. Because I must win in the competition, I want to prove to everyone that I come from an ordinary family, but I will not lose to any noble family. Of course I I can also choose to fight you upright, but I don't have the confidence to win. What's more, I can't bear the consequences of losing to you in the duel, so everyone will say, "That Cavodian is really capable, but that So what, it’s not Augusta who lost to Hollich’. No! I can’t take this kind of risk! If I want to pursue a 100% victory, I have to get rid of you as an obstacle. So I deliberately injured, let you I was out of the game because of the violation. I also paid the price, but... everything is worth it!"
"How can I keep calm after hearing this kind of words? If it wasn't in a public place at that time, I might have killed him directly to vent my hatred! But Cavodian has already calculated everything, even me His mentality and actions were all calculated. I was so shocked by his words that I naturally performed abnormally in the test the next day and failed. So Cavodian became the winner again."
Kefir said excitedly: "Why didn't you tell the truth? Why didn't you expose him?"
"Do you think I didn't tell you?!" Augusta yelled uncontrollably, "I told several 'friends' about this, but none of them believed it! I even found the archmage and told everything , begging him to give me another chance to test my true strength, but he kicked me out, ridiculing me for fabricating rumors to slander him because I was unwilling to lose to Cavodian!"
He still clearly remembers the situation that day. He was kicked out of the house by the great mage and walked in the icy rain, but his heart was colder than the autumn rain. He looked at the withered leaves and the lake rippling in the rain in the distance. For a moment, even he himself doubted whether everything was imagined by him? Unwilling to lose, the brain automatically fabricates a false truth to comfort itself? What is the difference between him and a lunatic? No, he's not crazy. He's not the type to live off delusions. Cavodian had literally betrayed him twice, taking what was rightfully his... or at least what he was entitled to.
Looking at the gray lake, he recalled the day of the boat race. He nearly drowned, but Cavodian rescued him and nursed him sick. Is that also fake? He is now drenched in freezing rain. If he falls ill again, will Cavodian come to take care of him? No, definitely not. Even if he died of illness and lay on the bed, Cavodian would probably not come to give him a hand. Maybe Cavodian has been plotting since then how to win him over and use him. He is not good at dealing with people, and his friends are even more pitiful, so everyone's friendship is very precious to him. Why would someone who was once his best friend betray him? Why is there no one around him who is willing to believe him? If even Cavodian can betray him, how many other "friends" around him treat him sincerely? How much of the "friendship" he had was fake? When he sees other friends, a demonic voice in his heart whispers to him: he or she may be as double-faced as Cavodian, secretly thinking of how to use you, look at them - how hypocritical smiling face!
"At that time, I was very disappointed with everything around me, so I left the metropolis and ran back to my hometown without saying a word, locked myself in this old house, never saw anyone again, never cared about what happened outside, nor I don’t want the outside world to care about me. For a few years, I didn’t step out of the house. Then the situation improved a little.”
Of course, even today, Augusta is not very willing to go out, as if outsiders are all gorgons, and their sight will kill him.
Kefir clenched his hands on his knees involuntarily. "Aren't you still friends with Lord Cavodian now?"
Augusta gave an ambiguous "hmm". "We made up later."
"You forgive him?"
"'Reconciliation' does not mean 'forgiveness'. It's just... a certain kind of reconciliation was reached. I have been self-enclosed in this house for several years, and one day Cavodian suddenly came to the door. I used my best space magic A seal was woven around the house, and all uninvited guests would lose their way and end up returning inexplicably. But Cavodian rudely broke my magic, broke into my house, and demanded a duel. "
"Why a duel?"
"He apologized to me and said he deeply regretted what he had done in the past and should not have trampled on the friendship of a friend like this - although he would do it again if he was given another chance. He vowed to try to make up for it in the future, but first I want to fulfill my long-cherished wish and compete with me in an upright manner. I agreed without hesitation. Now that I think about it, I was so ridiculous at the time. I actually had to prove my worth by defeating Cavodian. Didn’t I become and Cavodian-like people—the kind I hate the most
"We found a group of people to be witnesses, and ran to the island where the challenge was held for a duel. As a result..." He sighed half disappointed and half resigned, "I lost again. The archmage has learned many rare spells, while I wasted my time in a broken house. We used to be on the same level, but now the gap between me and him is an insurmountable gap. But that duel made me sober: I can't go on like this. I'm studying and doing research again, and the seals around the house are removed, and friends who want to visit me can come at any time—although there are not many people in all. I made a settlement with Cavodian. I still can't let go of the bad feelings in my heart, can't forgive him, but we can sit down and talk like ordinary people, and we don't throw fireballs at each other. I even occasionally think about the old days-the one who didn't break up with him Live—and think it’s a good life. Maybe that’s what people do, no matter how painful they are, they forget about the pain once it’s healed.”
"Do you still... still hate him?"
Augusta stared at Kefir with weird eyes: "Of course I hate it. It can be said that I was killed by him for the reason I became like this! Of course I also know that it is abnormal to stay at home all day long! I Want to change too! But whenever I…”
He suddenly became dumb, turned to the opposite direction, raised his hand to cover his eyes, as if he didn't want to be seen. After a while, Kefir realized that transparent tears were overflowing from under his fingers.
"Every time I try to go out, I can't help but be afraid, and I can't help thinking and hesitating: What if the so-called 'reconciliation' is also calculated by Cavodian?" Knowing the sincerity of others, will everyone be hypocritical to me, and put a hypocritical mask on the treacherous heart? How can I trust others? Is there anyone worthy of my trust? Even the person I regard as my lifelong friend Will betray me, let alone others? I kept torturing my heart, and the result was not to encourage me to go out, but to let me shrink in my protective shell forever, so that I would not be hurt again... Don’t I know this This mentality is very abnormal? Am I willing to spend my whole life in an old house moldy? But I just... no matter what, I can't... I can't convince myself... "
A hand grabbed Augusta's wrist and pulled away, exposing his red and swollen eyes. He panicked and wanted to cover his face with his other hand, but the other hand was also held by Kefir.
"You still have me, Your Excellency Augusta!" the werewolf youth said, "I will not betray you! I am stupid, I will not plan this or that, and I will never use you and trample on your good intentions! You still There is me! Just trust me!"
Augusta tried to break free from his grip, but failed. Not to mention that he is still ill, even when he is healthy, he is no match for werewolves.
"But one day you will leave me!"
"Why do you have such an idea? I will always be with you!"
Augusta struggled again and failed again. He simply gave up resisting, and could barely cover his face with his elbow.
"You're young, and one day you'll find out that there's so much to do outside. When you step out of this house into a world of infinite possibilities, you'll never want to come back! Then you'll have a headache Leave me without turning back! I believe in you now, but I must risk losing this trust in the future, and the only thing I have learned from Cavodian is... Never take a risk when you are not sure!"
Kefir shook his head violently. "No! No! That's not the case! I won't leave you! Please believe me! I don't care about the outside world! All I need is you!"
"There are many things in the world that are more exciting and interesting than a boring magician. Can you guarantee that you don't care? You can't predict the future, how can you know that you will not be attracted by those things in the future? What if you meet What if you want to leave?"
"No! If I really come across something very attractive, I will take you to see it together! Since it is such a wonderful and interesting thing, I am willing to share it with you. I believe you will like it too. I will take you to see that vast world... No, I will bring you that vast world, instead of leaving you alone to pursue those things!"