It's spring, the tenth year since the founding of Majik.
"... In this way, they ended their final battle at the top of the world. The evil Pope was defeated, turned into flying dust and sand under the magic, and received the punishment he deserved. But the real hero turned against the light and disappeared on the other side. of the cloud.”
The rich and deep monologue rang in everyone's ears.
Then, the lights dimmed little by little, and the gentle and melancholy violin played. A few seconds later, thunderous applause erupted in the theater.
After the applause ended, the curtain on the stage was completely opened, the lights were turned on, and the actors took their final bows one by one. It was eight o'clock in the evening, another performance ended at the Fore Theater, and soon the audience left from the gate. It can be seen that the walls on the left and right sides of the gate are covered with posters. The title of the poster - "Dynasty", followed by a series of slogans: "Adapted from real historical events, the most popular play in the past ten years has been staged again. It will not be tolerated." miss!"
Outside the door is the outer city avenue of Havenright.
The ongoing celebration made this area look very lively.
The streets are filled with strings of lanterns, and the elements emit bright red and green light in the lamp tubes. Crowds of people came and went, adults led children, couples held hands... The people of the royal capital were immersed in festive joy, and the rune neon signs along the way made them colorful.
After watching the performance, the audience in the theater poured into the street with great interest. Most people continued to play along with the crowd, or walked to nearby pubs and restaurants, but only a few people chose to turn around and leave.
Nina and Sandy belong to that small minority.
—The sisters stayed away from the crowd, pushing their bicycles and preparing to go home.
"What a pity. Today is Her Majesty the Queen's birthday. If you miss today, you will have to wait another year if you want to participate in the celebration again." Sandy couldn't help but look back, glanced at the bustling crowd, and said reluctantly, "Sister, Can’t we stay a little longer?”
"No!" Nina said with a straight face and without hesitation, "Go home quickly, you have to get up at six o'clock tomorrow, otherwise... if you can't make it to the reporting time, the Royal Capital Magic Academy won't want you, you what to do?"
"Okay, okay..."
Thinking of the hard-earned opportunity to study, Sandy pursed her lips, took one last look at the crowd, turned around, and sat on the back seat of the bicycle. Nina checked her a few more times, stepped on the pedal, rode her bicycle, and drove along the path toward the outside of the city.
On the way, Sandy held her sister's waist, but kept her head down and didn't speak.
"...What's wrong? Are you still sad?" After driving for about ten minutes, Nina felt a little soft-hearted and turned around, "I can't help it. You can be admitted to the Royal Capital Magic Academy. This is something that no one can ask for." The opportunity. The celebration will be held next year, but it is so important for you to be able to enter there and learn magic!"
Sandy came to her senses and shook her head.
"No, I'm not sad about that."
"Then what are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking about the plot just now." Sandy rubbed her red eyes and said, "I mean, that story... is that really it? The church was defeated, but what happened after that? I always feel... I always feel a little sad, like it shouldn’t have ended like this.”
There was an indescribable depression that made it difficult for her to let go for a while.
Nina sighed and comforted: "Don't take it to heart. It is just adapted from the founding history of our Majik country. There are many discrepancies in it. Don't take it too seriously."
"But... many places are still the same, right?" Sandy said immediately, "At least, as the last monologue said, no one knows where Benjamin Reese went, even the history books I have read There is no record. Tell me, where will he go?"
"this… "
Nina didn't know how to answer, so she could only keep her mouth shut and keep her head down while riding the bike. The rubber tires rubbed against the uneven road, and the bicycle made a squeaking sound.
After leaving the city gate, we headed west and arrived at our destination—Huaishu Cemetery—about half an hour later. This is a newly built cemetery after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Due to the rapid development of magic technology, reconstruction of the city's interior began soon after the establishment of the New Kingdom. In order to build factories, a large amount of open space needed to be cleared, so the relocation of cemeteries became part of the process. The Sophora japonica Cemetery outside the royal capital was built accordingly.
Nina got off the car, switched from riding to pushing, and pushed the bicycle and her sister towards the cemetery.
"When I become a mage, I will definitely buy a house in the city and take you out, so that you don't have to live in a place like this." Sandy glanced at the gloomy cemetery and said suddenly.
"What are you talking about?" Nina heard the words and smiled, "Someone has to guard the cemetery. This is my job. If I don't work, how will I get the money to feed you, clothe you and go to school? Besides... isn't the environment here very good? ?very quiet."
Sandy shook her head in frustration, but said nothing more.
It was already past nine o'clock in the evening. The cemetery was dark and there was no one there. Only the chirping of cicadas could be heard. The government seems to have plans to install street lights in the park, but unfortunately it has not been put into practice due to lack of manpower and energy. So, Nina could only take out the lantern from the back seat of the bicycle, press the switch, and illuminate the road ahead with a weak white light.
The two of them walked forward through the dim light, which was dim. Sandy complained a few times that the rune core of the lantern should be replaced, but Nina just waved her hand and excused it casually.
Just as they were chatting, suddenly, a figure appeared on the corner in front of them.
Nina was startled, but when she saw the figure clearly, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good evening, sir, are you here to offer flowers again?"
The other person was wearing a cowboy hat and looked a little worn out. He had no lights on in the dark night. Most of his face was covered by a hat, so he couldn't see clearly. However, both sisters recognized this man - he had a friend buried in the Sophora Tree Cemetery, so they often came to pay their respects.
However, he always chooses his time very strangely, and he always appears in the dead of night.
Nina also felt puzzled, but as for the reason... she had asked before, and the other party's answer was simple: "There are few people at night, so it's quiet."
The other party had already said so, and she didn't intend to ask further questions. They moved out of the mountains three years ago and lived in the royal capital area. She has also stayed at the Sophora Tree Cemetery for a year and a half. Guarding the tomb for a year and a half has taught her not to ask too many questions about the stories in the cemetery.
"Well, I'm bored, so I came over to take a look."
The other party replied like this without any intention of talking more. He nodded and passed them by, minding his own business and walking towards the outside of the cemetery.
What a weirdo…
Nina thought in her mind, but she didn't stop and continued to push the car and Sandy forward. After walking about twenty meters, they saw a bunch of white flowers placed in front of a certain tombstone not far away. The petals were still stained with dew and were full of moisture. It was obvious that they had just been picked and brought to the tomb.
They were not surprised, that weirdo would put flowers here every time.
However, unlike other tombstones, this tombstone is very simple. There is no biography of the deceased on it, and even the last name is not known. It just writes one line - "Miles' Grave".
What a mystery...
The lantern in his hand flickered again, and it was obvious that the rune core inside had reached the end of its lifespan. Seeing this, Nina quickly speeded up, taking three steps and two steps, and returned to the hut where she was the caretaker before the lantern was completely extinguished.
After entering the house and turning on the lights and radio, Nina slumped in her arms and breathed a sigh of relief as she listened to the sound of music drifting into her ears along with the whining elemental noise.
"Remember to go to the city to buy a new rune core tomorrow. Don't delay it any longer." Sandy said as she parked her bicycle in the corner of the room.
Nina nodded.
Suddenly, she sat up from her bed, touched the magic gun and amulet placed on the bedside, and then felt much more at ease. Although nothing happened in the Sophora Tree Cemetery, and she never actually shot at anyone, these two things have become an indispensable part of her life, and it would be difficult to feel at ease without them.
—In any case, she is also a guard here!
While Nina was lost in thought, Sandy suddenly came to her, sat down on the bed, and patted her shoulder.
"elder sister… "
Nina came back to her senses: "What's wrong?"
"Dynasty... is the name of that play, right?" Sandy hesitated and said, "Where did the deeds in it come from? Are they really made up by the playwright himself? It is recorded in the history books It’s not that detailed, but many places feel very real.”
Nina shrugged and said: "I don't know, but ten years ago, it was said that there were still many troubadours in the country. They compiled the major events that happened at that time into ballads one after another. In the end, the playwright These ballads were collected and written into the stories we see in the theatre.”
When Sandy heard this, she nodded and sighed again.
"What's wrong?" Nina asked.
"I...can't tell." Sandy frowned, as if she was carefully feeling the feeling in her heart, and then tried to express it in words, "It is obviously a very happy ending, all the bad guys were defeated, and a new country was established. , everything is prosperous, and people can finally live happily and steadily, but why...why do I feel a little sad after reading it?"
When Nina heard this, the corners of her mouth curved slightly, she stretched out her hand and touched Sandy's head.
The cheerful guitar sound came from the radio, and the tune was full of rhythm, the kind of melody that makes people want to dance. The walls of the room were a little yellow, and the light from the element lamp was also yellow, making their shadows appear long on the wall.
Nina stared at her sister tenderly and said:
"I don't know, but maybe... the author himself felt a little sad at the end."
(Complete book)
Elizabeth
Elizabeth slowly put down the report in her hand.
"The New Empire Alliance... still refuse to let go?"
The palace hall was spacious and bright. She sat on the throne, sighed, handed the report to the waiter on the side, and said so.
Down the hall, the bright red carpet was spread all the way, and there were several respectful figures standing on it, all of whom looked young. These people, dressed in official uniforms, raised their heads with expressions of helplessness or anger.
One of them stepped forward and said: "We even sent people to communicate privately with Freden and Carites. Their attitudes are exactly the same, and there is almost no possibility of estrangement."
Suddenly, Elizabeth felt a headache, closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples.
Things are getting tougher.
Frieden, Ikol, Carites... Since the establishment of the New Empire Alliance, the connections between these three countries have become more and more closely linked. They have a united front and even have a tendency to rebuild the empire. But Elizabeth knew that once the empire was rebuilt, the pressure on her side would increase dramatically.
—Magic is still a new country with an unstable foundation, so it will be difficult to compete with them.
This is not to say that the two sides must be hostile. At least since the founding of the country, their relationship with the New Empire Alliance has been considered good, and they have established trade relations and shared magic technology with each other. In fact, had it not been for the discovery of the Salan Islands, they might still be as close as one family today.
But... the Salan Islands are another resource that they will find difficult to give up.
"Why are they so confident?" A general below said angrily, "Our fleet discovered that archipelago first, that place should belong to us, and they should not compete with us."
"What can we do? We only landed fifteen minutes earlier than them." The official next to him sighed and shook his head. "Besides... a lot of important resources have been found on the island. They will definitely not be able to use this reason alone." Will agree.”
"So we just handed over the islands to them?" the general asked immediately.
Others echoed: "Yes! Have you forgotten how much manpower and material resources we sacrificed at sea to finally find the Salan Islands?"
For a while, several people in the hall had their own ideas and couldn't help but argue. Seeing this, Elizabeth felt even more tired. She waved her hand, stopped them, and said slowly: "Okay, you can go down. In addition...invite the director of the Magic Academy for me."
Hearing this, everyone had no choice but to shut their mouths, salute, and turn around to leave. Immediately afterwards, the waiters on the side were also sent away, leaving Elizabeth alone in the huge main hall of the kingdom. The crystal chandelier rotated slowly, illuminating her shadow a little lonely.
About ten minutes later, a figure flew in from the door of the palace hall.
"See Her Majesty the Queen."
"No need to be polite." Elizabeth quickly stood up from the throne and walked down the steps, "Lord Wallis, I'm so sorry. The college is about to start, and we are very grateful that you can take some time out of your busy schedule."
After hearing this, Wallis waved his hand: "Your Majesty, how polite you are. How Shalan Island belongs is a far more important matter than the start of school."
Elizabeth was not surprised: "It seems... you also heard about this."
Wallis nodded.
"In fact, to be honest with you, the New Empire Alliance contacted us yesterday. They hope that the Magic Academy can stand on the side of the alliance and help them fight for the ownership of the Salan Islands."
"Then... what is the college's attitude?"
"We are not taking any side." Wallis put his hands behind his back and said with a smile, "This is the principle set by the previous dean from the beginning. The mission of the academy is to study magic and benefit mankind, and it will not become a political struggle. Tools. Even if our main scientific research strength is currently concentrated in the branch in the royal capital, we will not be biased towards you because of this."
Elizabeth heard this and nodded.
"I understand, but if this matter is not handled well, it may even trigger a war." She stared into Wallis's eyes and said word by word, "War, this is also something the Magic Academy does not want to see. Bar?"
Wallis remained calm and said with a smile: "Sorry, we can't stand on your side."
Upon hearing this, Elizabeth shook her head in disappointment, turned around, and returned to the throne.
However, what surprised her was that Wallis did not leave either.
"Your Majesty, although we cannot stand on your side, we can help you build a bridge for negotiation." He continued, "War is the outcome that no one wants to see. If a large-scale elemental disaster is triggered, this continent will All will be destroyed. Therefore, we hope that the Majik Kingdom and the New Empire Alliance can resolve the ownership issue of the Salan Islands through peaceful negotiations."
Elizabeth frowned.
"Then if the negotiation fails, no one will back down?"
"No matter what, the Magic Academy will try to avoid war as much as possible."
Elizabeth sat on the throne, holding her head, with a tired look on her face, losing the aura of a superior person. After a long silence, she suddenly sighed and said, "If... that person was still here, the situation would definitely not be like this."
Upon hearing this, Wallis shook his head, showing a helpless look.
"Dean... He has disappeared for ten years. You can't place your hopes on him."
Elizabeth nodded too.
After a moment of silence, she asked again: "Where is the current dean?"
"It's not the same as before." Wallis suddenly smiled bitterly and said, "I never paid attention to the disappearances every three days... After the previous dean disappeared, she was the only immediate family member left. At that time, we There is no other way. Besides, she was once a powerful legendary mage and has the ability to serve as the dean. But none of us expected that the people in the Rise family...are really more unique than the last."
When Elizabeth heard this, she smiled helplessly.
Suddenly, a waiter hurried in and interrupted the conversation between the two. He first saluted Elizabeth, then turned around and said, "Director Wallis, um... there seems to be something going on at the college, and they are asking you to go back."
Wallis was a little surprised, but nodded anyway.
"Your Majesty, school is about to start, and there are still things to be busy with at the college." He bowed to Elizabeth and returned to his businesslike appearance, "I'm sorry, I have to take a step first. Your Majesty's affairs will be like this for now. We Let’s discuss it in a few days.”
Seeing this, Elizabeth could only wave her hand.
"My lord, go and do your business."
So Wallis turned around and hurried away from the door. After that, the waiter was sent out of the palace hall by Elizabeth.
She was alone in the entire hall again.
She raised her head, looked around the empty palace hall, and suddenly let out a long sigh.
Before you know it...it's been ten years.
The original appearance of the four walls and gates is still vaguely visible, but after years of modifications, the decoration has become completely different from the former Horli Kingdom. Suddenly, she felt physically and mentally exhausted, and a few strands of her tied long hair fell loose from her forehead. She tried to smooth her hair, but in the end it made it even more messy. She had no choice but to give up, feeling that she definitely didn't look like a queen.
Maybe... maybe Benjamin was right.
She didn't want to admit it, but she couldn't help but recall the conversation back then.
At the beginning, she was determined to ascend the throne for her father's last wish and for the Silent Academy's last wish, but she did not expect that the throne would mean such a heavy responsibility. Ten years have passed, and according to the new evaluation standards issued by the academy, her magic level has stopped at four stars and has not improved in ten years.
She couldn't even remember the last time she meditated.
The complicated government affairs almost made her forget that she was also a mage. In other words, from the moment she became queen, the country no longer needed her to meditate, but needed her to devote her whole life to the high-rise report on the right.
Elizabeth looked at the pile of reports, feeling a surge of physical boredom in her heart.
Because of this, she stepped down from the throne again and slowly walked to the center of the hall. She looked out along the bright red carpet, and saw the spring sunshine and breeze coming towards her, making her feel a little better, but also making her feel a little dazed.
The color of this carpet... is very familiar, the same as the day in my memory.
It was difficult for her to forget the scene at that time.
It was in this palace hall, on the bright red carpet, that Benjamin argued with her about the throne for the last time before disappearing completely. At that time, this country was still called the Kingdom of Hori. Elemental lamps and rune energy vehicles had not yet been invented. The church had just been eradicated. The people were immersed in expectations and uneasiness, not knowing where it would go in the future.
In fact, Benjamin's attitude was not very firm at the time. Elizabeth remembered that the man just looked a little disappointed after hearing her answer.
"Do you really want to sit on this throne? For Duke Colin, for those dead silent academy mages... What about yourself? If you sit on the throne, you will lose your life from now on. Mages are not suitable to be the leader of a country. ruler."
"Yes, I think."
"Is this your own wish?"
"This is my own wish."
So, Benjamin no longer objected.
Elizabeth remembered very clearly that at that time, Benjamin lowered his head, was silent for a while, and then suddenly bent down to make an inviting gesture. The sun shines in from outside the gate, just like today, outlining his outline very clearly.
"Beautiful lady, please forgive my rudeness, can you please dance with me?"
At that time, Elizabeth was stunned.
When Benjamin saw this, he smiled slightly, put away his posture, turned around, and disappeared into the dazzling sunshine outside the door...
He was never seen again.
Ten years passed, and Elizabeth was a little confused. The color and style of the carpet were very similar to that of that day, which always gave her an inexplicable illusion, as if those things happened yesterday, as if she was still full of energy and had not been deeply tired by the past ten years.
She looked out the door, a little dazed for a moment, just like ten years ago...she thought Benjamin would come back soon.
Then, someone came in from outside the door.
"...Your Majesty?"
Elizabeth woke up as if from a dream, and looked forward again, and it was her maid who came.
"Your Majesty, General Rick wants to see you."
At that moment, the bright elemental light fell, awakening Elizabeth from her memory. Finally, reality came to her and overwhelmed her again. A cold look slowly crept into the corners of her eyes and brows, and she realized that some things could no longer be changed.
This is her choice, and besides... she has done pretty well in the past ten years.
The Kingdom of Magik needs her.
So, as if some instinct had been awakened, she tied up the loose hair on her forehead, and her whole body was tight and tight. Then, Elizabeth sat on the throne again, wearing the shining crown, and nodded expressionlessly to the maid.
"Call him in."
When she spoke, her majestic tone was very familiar, faintly revealing the royal demeanor she had accumulated over the past ten years.
But it sounded... a little strange to her.
Michelle
Jessica recently met a new friend.
Not long after she turned ten, she moved with her stepfather to a narrow road north of the royal capital. Next to the newly built highway, the family of two made a living by opening an inn. From the royal capital to the old site of Pearl Lake, there were many more pedestrians than a few years ago, but there was still only one household nearby. Jessica felt extremely lonely. It felt like she hadn't seen a child of her own age for a long time.
Therefore, when she discovered "Michael", she was as happy as if she had gotten the first box of candy in her life.
"Uncle George, I went to play with Michael!"
After welcoming two more travelers to the front desk, Jessica turned around and shouted to her stepfather, then quickly turned around and disappeared from everyone's sight through the back door.
The stepfather looked at her disappearing back and couldn't help but sigh.
"Hello, we would like a large room with two beds. Are there any vacancies here?" The two travelers came up, wearing somewhat mysterious cloaks. The red-haired woman in the leader smiled and looked towards he asked.
The stepfather turned around and said, "...Okay, please register your names here."
"No problem." The other party nodded, took the small notebook he handed over, and murmured in a low voice while writing, "Joanna Hall, Lila White... Brother, don't worry, we have a clear path, They are from the New Warfare Alliance and will not cause you any trouble."
The stepfather took the book and looked at it twice, then checked the badge on Joanna's chest, nodded, and smiled warmly.
"Welcome to you guys. Don't worry, we still have a lot of rooms here."
Suddenly, Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. Laila glanced towards the back door where the girl disappeared and said casually: "Is that your daughter? Such a lively little girl."
"She is my stepdaughter." The stepfather sighed again, looking a little helpless. "She is usually naughty, and... her mother died not long ago, and then her behavior started to become a little strange. If she offended a few adults, Please forgive me."
"I'm sorry," Laila said immediately.
Joanna was a little curious: "What's the strange method?"
"It's just that... she can talk to the air. Not long after we moved here, she announced that she had met a new friend named 'Michael', and she stayed in the backyard every day, but as you know, our family is the only one around here. I’ve never met that friend of hers either.”
Hearing this, Joanna laughed a few times and said, "I fantasize about a friend coming out. I did this kind of thing when I was a child!"
Laila quickly poked her on the back to remind her not to make a mistake. Fortunately, Jessica's stepfather didn't care, but smiled with relief and said, "Really... I'm just worried that something is wrong with her, but Seeing how hard it was for her to become happy, she couldn't bear to tell her."
"It's okay." Joanna comforted, "She is just a little lonely because no one is with her. It will be fine when she is older."
The stepfather nodded and said nothing more.
Soon, he turned around, led the two of them up the stairs, and led them into the guest room. The guest room looked very simple, with nothing else except a window, two beds and a lamp. But it was clean, and the two of them were not picky and accepted it with a smile.
With a creak, stepfather left the room and closed the door. Joanna and Laila lay down on their respective beds, finally able to relax.
"This mission is really troublesome." Joanna sighed. "We have to go to the Pearl Lake ruins again... Why do we still have to wipe the church's butt after ten years? I don't know what kind of mutation has happened below the rift valley. There are always monsters. If they come out, they won’t be able to kill them all.”
Laila didn't take it seriously: "It's okay, it's all about killing monsters. It's not killing anywhere."
"Well, after all ten years ago... I don't really want to go to that place anyway." Joanna shook her head, suddenly sat up from her bed, and said, "Do you know? It is said that this was the road where the dean escaped for the first time. The road we walk out of the capital is the same as ours."
"It seems so."
"I don't know where the dean has gone... I really can't stand the new dean. The last time we met, she said my hair looked like red tumbleweeds."
"Just get used to it." Laila showed a helpless look, "Anyway, we are not considered teachers in the college now. We don't meet every day. The students inside are miserable. I heard that she scolded and cried for more than 30 times last month. Scholars are already very friendly.”
With that said, she also sat up from her bed and slowly walked to the window.
Outside the window is the backyard of the inn, which looks quite spacious, with clothes and sheets hanging to dry. And in an open space at the edge of the backyard, she saw Jessica again—the little girl who welcomed them in.
Jessica stayed there alone, dancing and looking very excited.
Laila frowned slightly.
"About that imaginary friend... did you really notice anything wrong?" She suddenly turned around and asked.
"What's wrong?" Joanna was confused.
Laila looked serious, looking at the little girl playing alone outside the window, and said slowly: "Maybe I'm too worried, but... when the little girl led us in, I could feel that she had a faint trace of... The breath of the undead.”
"Undead?"
Suddenly, Joanna's expression became serious.
She walked to the window, and the two looked at Jessica together. At dusk, the backyard of the inn looked extremely peaceful, and they could not sense anything wrong. But the way a little girl talks to herself in the corner still looks a bit weird.
—As if she was actually talking to someone.
"Are you sure it's the undead?" Joanna looked at it for a while and said hesitantly, "In the world of the living, the undead will destroy themselves after a short time of existence, and there are very few things that can cross the abyss and come over there... If there are really undead activities here, it must not be simple."
"I just sensed a vague aura." Laila frowned and replied.
The two looked at each other with extremely serious eyes. Finally, they decided to get closer to confirm.
Descending the stairs and turning into the backyard, both Joanna and Lyla braced themselves for a fight. They held the pendants on their chests tightly, activating the runes inside, and built an invisible mental wall around themselves to ensure that they would not be attacked by any hallucinations.
Jessica is squatting on the ground, playing with things like a doll mirror in her hands...
So, the two put away their serious expressions, acted as if nothing had happened, and walked towards Jessica.
"You are... two big sisters, why are you here?" Jessica was stunned when she saw the two of them, and soon showed a bright smile.
Joanna walked in front and smiled at her.
"Jessica, what are you doing here?"
While saying this, the two of them used their spiritual power and scanned towards this corner. I have to say that the corner of the backyard is really a bit eerie at dusk, surrounded by bare flat land, but behind Jessica, a clump of green grass grows in the ground very eye-catchingly, lush and green, and there is a subtle incongruity. .
But... they found no trace of the undead.
This made Laila look a little hesitant.
"I'm playing with Michael." Jessica raised the knight doll in her hand, showed it to the two of them, and said happily.
"...Michael?"
The two looked at each other with strange expressions.
Could it be that... the little girl said that the new friend she met recently was this rag doll
It was a doll that looked like it was still 20% new. It was rough in workmanship and only looked like a knight. It could be bought in many places. From the doll, they did not sense any fluctuations in mental power, nor did they sense the unique death energy of the undead. It was just a very ordinary doll.
Laila also became more and more uncertain, because the undead breath she smelled on the little girl before disappeared again.
Is it really her illusion
The last time she went to the world of the dead was more than ten years ago. Since that time more than ten years ago, the huge bone dragon has been guarding the edge of the Ghost Abyss, and no one can enter. As a result, the academy's research on the undead has gradually stagnated, and no one has the opportunity to contact the undead.
Therefore, she really wasn't sure.
"Can you show me this doll?" Laila asked after hesitation.
"Okay." Jessica agreed without hesitation.
Lila took the doll and looked at it several times with Joanna, but finally found nothing. For a moment, the scene was a little awkward. Jessica looked at the two of them with curious eyes, but Joanna had no choice but to shamelessly return the doll.
"That... very cute doll." She forced herself to say this.
"Thank you." Jessica smiled, took the doll, and said, "By the way, what's wrong with you two big sisters? Are you not satisfied with the room? If you want to change the room, go to Uncle George, but you'll have to pay extra. "
"No, no need, we are just strolling around."
In this way, the two of them lifted their guard, chatted awkwardly with Jessica for a few more words, and then turned and returned to their room. There is no doubt that the little girl just gave her doll a name and called it a friend. It has nothing to do with the undead or anything like that.
They are indeed overly concerned.
"Get some rest early, we have to go on the road tomorrow morning!"
As night fell, after meditating, the two of them felt extremely tired. They turned off the lights early around nine o'clock, lay down on the bed, and fell into a deep sleep. There were not many passengers in the inn today. As the time got later and later, soon the whole building became quiet, and the last few bright windows also darkened.
Around one o'clock in the morning...
With a soft creak, the door to Joanna and Laila's room was gently pushed open a crack.
A short figure came in through the crack.
At this time, the two of them were still lying on the bed, sleeping soundly without any alertness. The moment the door was pushed open, an invisible force field seemed to cover the room, and the air was subtly red. The force field descended on the two of them, causing them to sleep even more deeply than before.
- Even if someone walked to her bedside, Joanna would not wake up.
"Are we... really going to do this?"
Looking at the sleeping Joanna, Jessica held up the wood-cutting knife in her right hand, lowered her head, looked at a badly worn tooth in the palm of her left hand, and asked.
Her teeth remained motionless, but Jessica's expression became more hesitant, as if she heard someone's answer.
"But... but... I don't think they are bad people." She said tangledly, "Michael, they haven't really discovered you, so they won't threaten you. Tomorrow morning, these two eldest sisters will leave. Today's How can they take this matter to heart?"
After she finished speaking, she stared at her teeth again, as if she was patiently listening to something, and the room fell into silence.
After about half a minute, Jessica sighed.
"You are lying to me, right?" She lowered her head in frustration and looked at the tooth, "Michael, you like to lie too much. They are not bad people at all, but very powerful mages. Just because they may have noticed you , you are going to kill them and silence them... This is too much!"
"Michael, please wake up, this is not the you I know at all!"
"Why do you hate them so much? Have you known each other before? If you don't know each other, then why do you hate them? I don't believe you hate everyone. Do you hate me too? No, no... You are a good person, I believe it. You are a good person, don’t become bad..."
She stood by the bed, talking to herself as if she was arguing with the teeth in her hand, and became more and more excited as she talked. Joanna and Laila on the other side slept like dead pigs. The scene was extremely weird.
After a while, Jessica wiped away tears.
"Michael... why do you say that about yourself? You are not a bad person..."
However, just when she was sobbing softly, the lifeless teeth suddenly started to move - as if pulled by an invisible force, it jumped up, jumped out of Jessica's hand, and went straight to the sleeping Joanna. go!
Jessica screamed at that moment.
"don't want!"
What she didn't realize was that the moment the teeth jumped out of her hand, the power that enveloped the room suddenly faded, and the red vision returned to its original state. The two sleeping Joanna also suddenly woke up from their dreams after the force field faded.
When Joanna opened her eyes, she saw the tooth that fell down in front of her.
She summoned the flames almost instinctively.
flutter! A small ball of flame appeared out of thin air and blocked the tooth. The tooth made a muffled sound under the heat of the flame. Joanna was still a little confused at the time. She had no idea what was happening. She just subconsciously cast a spell and released a large amount of fire elements stored in her runes.
Then, the teeth were completely engulfed in flames, and waves of waves came from inside. Joanna stared at it blankly, a strange feeling rising in her heart, as if the flame was wrapped in a living thing.
It was as if... there was a soul howling in pain inside.
Laila, who woke up, was also stunned.
"M-Michael..."
Jessica looked at the white fire, with tears on her face, and she was stunned. She saw the teeth melting bit by bit in the flames, and she felt Michael's soul dying, and that familiar feeling was passing quickly with time.
Why…
After a few seconds, a vague shadow rose from the flames.
She seemed to be a young woman. Her appearance could not be clearly seen, but she could see her golden pupils as sharp as a cheetah. Jessica looked at the figure. In fact, this was the first time she really saw the true face of her "friend", and it was also the first time she realized that "he" turned out to be "her".
She was stunned, but there was unreasonable sadness in her heart, just like the day her mother was buried.
"Why do you want to… "
She tried to ask something, but the shadows in the firelight began to dissipate. Soon, the teeth were burned clean in the flames, and Joanna also withdrew her magic in confusion. Then, the flames dissipated and calm returned to the dark room, as if nothing had happened.
A deep female voice sounded in Jessica's ears.
"I'm leaving." The voice said, "And it's time for you to grow up."
It was the first time she heard her friend's voice—and, of course, the last.
Gu Bei Chapter
At dusk, in the west of the Majik Kingdom, a line of tents was stationed on the vast plain.
Under the light, the curtain of a tent on the side was opened, and a young girl slowly walked out. She took a deep breath, looked around to make sure no one noticed her, then turned around and walked towards the small tent in the corner.
"Should... not be kicked out."
When she came to the door, Caroline did not walk in immediately. Instead, she stood outside the tent and encouraged herself in her heart.
This was her first attempt to express her affection for the opposite sex.
—Recently, a stranger came to the troupe, whom they met in Freden's territory. The other party said he was just on his way, and called himself a magician. He performed several tricks, but no one could tell. The leader saw that he didn't look like a bad guy, so he asked him to join, and he followed the tour from Freden to Majik. In several performances, his performance was outstanding. Everyone in the troupe was full of praise, and no one said a word behind his back.
But Caroline found this man extremely mysterious.
Like the name he gave, North Watts... Looking North? How could anyone come up with such a strange name? Judging from his age, he should be only in his twenties or thirties, but he always reveals a certain maturity inadvertently. No one knows where he comes from, no one knows what kind of story he has. He could talk happily with everyone at the dinner table, but he always left quietly inadvertently. When Caroline looked back, she saw the unusually lonely back of the other person, as if this person was not from the same world as them.
Although she didn't want to admit it, a man whose origin was a mystery... wasn't bad looking, which gave her an unexpected feeling of palpitations.
Within a month and a half, Caroline found that she seemed to like this person a little bit.
Realizing this, she didn't want to coy anymore. Overtly and covertly, she made several subtle hints, but the other party seemed to be blind and showed no reaction at all, which made her very discouraged. She knew that some people were particularly insensitive to this, so she was not discouraged. Finally, she mustered up the courage to come to the other party's tent door tonight.
Looking at the faint light coming from the tent, Caroline knew that the other party was there.
But uneasiness and hesitation made it difficult for her to take the next step.
She had a vague feeling in her heart that although the other party had been very harmonious since joining the troupe and everyone got along well, this person... he would not establish a connection with any of them. Perhaps one ordinary morning, he would disappear without warning, as if he had never appeared.
Thinking of this, Caroline was very disappointed.
There was no way he would accept his favor.
But soon, she cheered up and walked into the tent with her eyes closed. It wasn't until a few seconds later that the other party's confused voice came from the front that Caroline opened her eyes and tried to force out a sweet smile.
"What's up?"
The other person was sitting on the bed, frowning and looking at her.
"Nothing, um..." Caroline organized her words in her mind and plucked up the courage to say, "Tomorrow the leader will give us a day off. There happens to be a lake to the north and the scenery is very good, but it seems a bit dangerous for me to go there alone. ,What should I do?"
Hearing this, the other party tilted his head, thought for a while, and said, "It's okay, it's just a lake. There are no monsters nearby, so where is the danger?"
Caroline was so angry that she almost stamped her feet.
"But... there are no magic beasts, there may be other beasts or bandits and bandits. It would be really dangerous for me to go alone!"
"Then take the elemental gun with you." The other party immediately turned around, took a gun from the table, and threw it back, "There are also guardian necklaces. There are many at the captain's place. You can borrow one and take it with you. Don’t be afraid of bandits coming.”
“…”
Caroline held the elemental gun in her hand and her face was ashen.
"you… "
"Anything else?"
Hearing this, she sighed and shook her head.
Caroline knew very well that she had made it obvious enough, and the other party... had also made it obvious enough. The remaining words she didn't say were just because she didn't want to make the atmosphere too embarrassing. Therefore, disappointed, she chose to turn around and leave.
The troupe's night was as peaceful as ever, as if nothing had happened.
And inside the tent.
Gu Bei watched the other party leave and shook his head.
He suddenly stood up and pulled out his luggage from under the bed. The suitcase was already packed with clothes and miscellaneous items. He didn't bring anything with him, so it only took him a moment to pack it up. Besides, it was almost time and he was planning to leave tonight, but it was just an unexpected interlude.
Thinking about it, it seemed like he hadn't been with a group of people for more than two months in a long time.
The theater troupe, the mercenary team, the tavern... none of these places belong to him.
Gu Bei still remembered the feeling of loss ten years ago when he was flying in the air and looking down at the vast Hori Kingdom continent after leaving the palace hall of Havenright. He did not return to the camp of the Black Nightmare Army. The church fell. The Black Nightmare Army had completed its mission. Those who should go back to their hometowns should go back to their hometowns, and those who should get married should get married. The people of Hori happily welcomed their new life, and Elizabeth welcomed the throne with great longing. The country no longer needed him.
So, he flew straight back to the Magic Academy without stopping.
He remembered that at that time, the college was conducting midterm exams. Wallis seemed to have settled the troublesome parents. Although many students died in the war, after returning, the college was still full of young people holding books. They debated whether to choose A or C for the last question, or put on their robes and hurried to the playground for a practical test.
Gu Beifei was in the air, looking at the college, raising the corner of his mouth, then gradually lowering it.
It seems like this place no longer needs him.
Recalling the memories that belonged to Benjamin, he knew that he was not very competent as the dean. All the big and small things were left to Wallis, and he would run out every now and then. Even without him, the college could still develop well. And more importantly, in Gu Bei's mind, no matter how vivid those memories are, there is always a certain distance.
—He came from another world, and the memory of modern life is just as vivid as here.
Therefore, Gu Bei turned around again and left without anyone knowing.
For ten long years, he wandered on this continent, looking for a way home. He once flew over the boundless ocean at the southern end of the continent, over the archipelago, and eventually even discovered a primitive continent on the other side of the ocean; he once explored the empty and barren desert on the east side of the continent, and found a new country at the end of the desert... He met many new people. He even completed a successful bargain with gestures despite the language barrier, but he never found a way to travel through space.
He knew that the answer was probably hidden in the world of the dead, but when he tried to enter there, the bone dragon guarding the border was still staring at him, waiting to tear him into pieces.
Gu Bei had a particularly deep memory of the scene at that time.
—The bone dragon was prostrate at the other end of the abyss, staring at the flames in its eyes, looking around tirelessly like a robot. At the foot of the bone dragon, Miles's body fell there, surrounded by the aura of the undead, with a relieved look on his face, and not a trace of decay.
So, Gu Bei spent half a year trying his best to lure the bone dragon away, and finally fought to the death to bring Miles' body back to the world of the living.
He buried Miles in a cemetery outside the royal capital. No one knows when Miles forced his way into the world of the dead. Therefore, Gu Bei could only regard the day of his burial as his death anniversary and pay homage every year.
But apart from that, he is still wandering in every corner of the continent, looking for something that even he is not sure he is looking for.
He...can he really go back
Gu Bei didn't think much about it, but he knew in his heart that although he did not belong to another world, after experiencing so much, he was no longer the ordinary modern person he used to be. The two memories overlapped, and no matter which world he was in, no one would understand what he had experienced.
Thinking about it carefully, this must be the reason why he pushed Caroline out the door without thinking, as well as the many fates he encountered in the past ten years.
"They will all meet better people."
After saying this in a low voice, Gu Bei picked up his luggage and walked out of the tent in the night. Through the induction, he knew that Caroline had hid in her bed and cried, and no one noticed her departure.
At this time, a mechanical voice full of disgust sounded in his mind:
"Big idiot, I'm going to live alone."
The evening breeze blows gently and the green grass floats. At that moment, the corners of Gu Bei's mouth curved slightly.
He was not angry, but raised his head and looked forward. On this trip, he was going to the Warcraft Mountains to the west. The Majik Kingdom has never stopped exploring the Warcraft Mountains, but there has been no major discovery so far, and this time it is his turn to appear.
-In fact, during the long wandering, Gu Bei gradually found his own fun.
He touched the stubble on his chin, smiled, took a step forward, and... replied to the system:
"You're the fucking idiot."
(Extra·Later Days·End)