Chapter 33

The small hole in the corner was a secret known only to the two of them. Winster knew from the letter that he would come back to visit during the holidays. If he wanted to leave a message, he would definitely choose to hide in this place.

The boy picked up a folded piece of paper and a ring, oh, to be more precise, a space ring!

Elphis poured out the contents and looked through them in confusion. There were a few pieces of fine clothes that roughly fit his body shape, a few gems, and a rough estimate of more than three hundred gold coins. That was not all, there were also dozens of magic plants, some beautiful and soft monster furs, and a pile of colorful magic cores!

To Elphis now, these things were not that precious or useful, but it was obviously the best gift that Winster could give him. As a brother, he should be touched and comforted, but... was this something a twelve-year-old civilian child should have? ? ?

Elphis had always thought that the child was hiding outside, starving, but he didn't expect... that the kid was living a pretty good life.

He began to read the letter with mixed feelings.

Overall, Winster said that he learned swordplay, found a well-paid job, was not dangerous, and did not need to worry about him.

Elphis: "..." What kind of job can allow a twelve-year-old kid to earn so much? Why can't you elaborate on it?

In Elphis' eyes, Winster has always been a calm, sensible, smart and precocious child. However, with such a character and the fact that he has been excluded by the crowd since childhood, it is easy for him to go astray in the newspaper industry.

At this time, Elphis' mind was full of bad guesses such as hit-and-run, fraud, murder and robbery. When they meet next time, if Winster can't explain it properly, he will definitely give him a beating!

However, the letter later said that Winster was investigating something outside, so he couldn't come to see him.

The complicated mood was replaced by worry. Elphis had no idea what Winster was doing outside, so he imagined a little wolf cub with wounds all over his body, but a firm and fierce look in his eyes. He just hoped that the little wolf cub could trust him a little more and ask him for help when he was in danger.

Not knowing when they would meet again, Elphis wasn't even sure he would see the kid Winster again.

After all, he couldn't let go of the little guy whom he had raised as his younger brother. Before leaving Lise Town, Elphis left the space ring in the small pit and put potions, enchanted robes, swords and other things into it, and of course, a reply letter.

Since the child is learning sword, he will look back to see if there is a better sword, and put it here when he comes back next time for Winster to take it.

After saying goodbye to Grandpa Calvin and the townspeople, Alphis began his anticipated yet anxious holiday journey.

Why was he so conflicted? Because he wanted to practice in a more dangerous place, but he also wanted to try his luck near Silegusen to see if he could meet elves, go to the beach to see mermaids, go to the Iron Mountains to see the dwarves and their alchemical products, go to the Hundred Races Territory to see the orcs, and go to the Maze Forest to see how greedy and cunning the goblins were...

After the War of Gods, the surviving gods fell into a deep sleep for unknown reasons and no longer cared about the disputes among their followers.

The human race in the lower world is in power. Other races have trade relations with the human race, but they can only barely maintain peace and are not close.

Their appearance is one reason. For example, orcs, elves and mermaids are easily coveted, and dwarves and goblins are easily ridiculed. Not to mention other complex factors, it is understandable that they are unwilling to go to places where humans gather. For this reason, Elphis has been traveling through time for more than ten years and has never seen other intelligent races. He has become extremely curious.

However, the places were far apart, and it would take a lot of time to go back and forth to any place. In addition to practicing magic, he also wanted to spend some time learning some swordsmanship from his parents to improve his physical fitness. He didn't want to become a fragile wizard.

There were too many things he wanted to do and too little time. Elphis thought for a long time on the way to the city with the teleportation array before finally making a decision.

——

Elphis was very happy when he was in school, and he didn't expect that he would be even happier during the holidays. It turns out that there is no student who doesn't like holidays!

On the first day back to school, classmates who had worked hard to improve their magic skills during the holidays but had forgotten a lot of knowledge were feeling a little guilty and scared. When they learned that Elphis had been traveling around and had only returned to the royal city two days ago, they felt more at ease - they really thought that the travel Elphis mentioned was just pure play.

Halfway through the second semester, Elphis reached his sixteenth birthday, which was calculated according to the real birth date of this body.

The Lancaster family had never found an opportunity to show off their baby to the outside world. Elphis had firmly rejected their idea of organizing a banquet to introduce him to the dignitaries, and he did not attend the court dinner. Everyone thought that he was not used to the presence of so many family members and the noisy and complicated social environment, so they did not insist.

If it weren't for the fact that family members often mentioned Elphis with pride to outsiders, those nobles who attached great importance to rituals would have thought that this child was not valued by the Duke's Mansion.

Before Elphis could even open his mouth to refuse the birthday party, several people made expressions as if they were about to cry: "You have grown up so big, and we haven't even been with you once on your birthday. Why don't we hold a party to make up for the lack of excitement and gifts in the past?"

Even his mother, who always had a cold and intelligent face, looked at him with a guilty expression.

Elphis really hated his character of being soft-hearted and not hard-hearted - he nodded stiffly.

Then Aunt Amber immediately smiled brightly, "Great, by the way, Felicia has wanted to see you for a long time, I'll ask her to prepare a gift."

The woman looked gentle but moved vigorously and swiftly. After she finished speaking, she walked away with the clatter of her long boots. Elphis looked at her back: "..." How come he remembered that Felicia was the name of Her Majesty the Queen?

Oh, his memory for names has always been unreliable, he must have remembered them wrong!

——

The first birthday party in Elphis's two lives was so grand that he never could have imagined.

In addition to the friends of the elders, the Lancaster family invited all the powerful families in the royal city, as well as Elphis's teachers and classmates in Aurelion, and some of his acquaintances in the Church.

According to Elphis's observations and understanding over the past six months, the relationship between the three parties seems to be close and peaceful, but in fact there are undercurrents. Especially Aurelion and the powerful forces, they have always avoided mentioning the ideas of the Holy See, but have allowed it to grow into a behemoth over the years. Elphis has not found the reason yet.

In short, he was a little worried about the fact that his family members so casually gathered together several people of high status in the behemoth. He hoped that everyone was decent and could talk to each other properly.

The other people in the family were more worried than him. They only recently realized that their child didn't even have anyone they wanted to invite!

Doesn't this mean that Al has no friends? !

Woo——Such an excellent kid in their family actually has no friends. How lonely he must be on weekdays...

With this in mind, the family invited everyone who had interacted with the child! When attending the dinner, Al will not be so absorbed in studying. I hope he can take this opportunity to make friends with one or two people he can talk to!

Just as Alphis was worried about Winster's social problems, his parents were also worried about his social skills.

It was a holiday on his birthday, and Alphis, who had some time, spent the whole day being dressed up by the three ladies in the family. He tried on so many clothes and jewel accessories that he lost count. He also had to listen to them arguing about whether to tie his hair up, let it down, or braid it - he felt like he was being treated like a Barbie doll.

That night, luxurious carriages kept driving along the path outside the huge manor, and exquisite glass lamps extended from the gate to the mansion.

At the door, the silver-haired boy stood with his parents. He finally declined those complicated outfits and wore a formal and simple white shirt, but he did not look plain. The collar was layered but not exaggerated with pleats. His silver hair was wrapped with a few gold threads, braided into a loose but not messy braid hanging in front. His lips were light red and his eyes were deep blue. Several beautiful colors plus the boy's peaceful and gentle smile intertwined to create a delicate and holy beauty. If he had worn something more luxurious, this beautiful picture might have been a little messy.

There were several noble girls of similar age to Elphis who had greeted the boy along with their families. They were at the age when love began to stir. Their heartbeats quickened because of his family background and appearance, but they suddenly remembered that this boy with excellent conditions was a perfect candidate for magical aptitude and could not get married and have children at all. Their heartbeats calmed down immediately!

Oh my god, I don’t know which damn heartless priests set these requirements!

Elphis didn't notice the regretful looks of the girls. He was busy greeting the visitors and acting as a ruthless gift-receiving machine!

There is just one problem that I need to worry about - wouldn’t it be embarrassing if I meet these people in the future and can’t remember who is who?

While all the carriages had to park outside the manor, a luxurious carriage with extravagant decoration and embellished with jewels was pulled by a black horse and stopped at the door of the mansion.

Luxury is not the point. Elphis looked at the golden patterns on the car wall and thought they looked like magic patterns often used by alchemists on their creations, but they usually don't like to buy big things unless... someone really gives them a lot.

Hearing the people around him exclaiming "Your Majesty", Elphis twitched his mouth: Can Aunt Amber really call Her Majesty the Queen so casually to celebrate the birthday of a little kid like her!!!

Others soon arrived upon hearing the news.

A handsome young man with blond hair and green eyes stepped out of the carriage first. Everyone put one hand over their heart and bowed slightly, "Your Highness."

Auston nodded with no expression on his face. Although he was young, he looked like a serious and steady heir.

A white and slender hand stretched out from the curtain, and Austin, who was standing beside the carriage, took it and helped down a beautiful woman with long black curly hair and purple eyes.

As a princess, Chloe has a noble and elegant temperament, but she is not arrogant or domineering. In addition, she has a good talent for magic. It can be said that she is the most charming unmarried woman in the royal city.

Elphis had a good impression of the two heirs, so he became a little curious about their trainer, the current Queen.

The woman who slowly walked out of the carriage had a face as bright as a full moon, and had the same black hair and purple eyes as Her Royal Highness the Princess. Her black hair was neatly combed, and an exquisite and heavy crown was firmly placed in her hair. The color of her eyes was much darker than the Princess's, making her look deep and unpredictable.

Her Majesty the Queen is so majestic that people feel the pressure as soon as she appears.

Everyone greeted in unison, thinking in their hearts that the Lancaster family was indeed favored by His Majesty, as they would personally bring their two heirs to their children's birthday parties.

Felicia folded her hands in front of her stomach, raised the corners of her lips and said considerately: "Don't worry about me, what are you doing just now, just continue now, I don't want to be a spoilsport."

The queen took her two children to the protagonist of the evening, and the others tactfully stayed away.

"You must be Al, right? I was looking forward to meeting you at the palace dinner, but I didn't expect you to be busier than me."

Elphis did not hear any dissatisfaction or reproach, but felt the queen's intimacy with him. He pursed his lips in embarrassment and said, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I didn't know you were worried about me. If I had known earlier, I would have asked my uncle to take me to the palace to see you."

They had already walked to the wide lawn. There was no one around, so Amber was less polite when talking to the queen. "Alas, our Al is timid and reserved. He is not used to such a crowded environment. Don't blame him."

Cowardly? Felicia laughed at that.

She had lived to this day and had experienced a lot, so her judgment of people was still good. She had only met him for a while, so she didn't know much about his personality, but it had nothing to do with being timid. It was more like he was cold by nature and found these things too annoying.

Amber had previously told me that they coaxed the little guy for a long time before he agreed to host the birthday party, and then they discovered that Al didn't have any friends. Felicia actually thought that the child was used to the casual life in the mountain town, and became inferior and restrained after coming to the royal city.

But Felicia didn't mind Elphis's coldness.

From a poor child to a talented magician, to a candidate for the Son of God, and then to the treasure that the Duke's Mansion had been searching for with great difficulty, most people would be stunned by any one of these things, and then become ecstatic, and more or less impetuous.

But Al didn't look proud or impetuous. On the contrary, he looked clean from the outside to the inside. Felicia liked this cleanliness very much...

"This is your birthday present. I hope Al will be free from all hardships and will always be as free and carefree as he is now..." Clean and simple.

Elphis took the smooth brown wooden box with both hands, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Privately, you can just call me aunt."

Elphis didn't know how good the relationship between his family and this girl was, so he changed his words and called her aunt. Felicia touched his head happily and chatted with him for a while. They got along very harmoniously and there was no difference in status at all.

Only Prince Austin remained silent. Elphis accidentally saw him curl his lips and look unhappy. Only then did he realize that the calm and wise appearance of the other party when he first appeared was probably fake...

Elphis' parents hadn't returned to the royal city for a long time. Her Majesty the Queen had something to talk to them, so Amber asked him to go greet the teachers and classmates.

Unexpectedly, His Highness Austin also followed him all the way. Elphis had no choice but to find something to talk to him about in order to avoid embarrassment.

Auston maintained his usual calm demeanor on the surface, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Aunt Amber said before that this kid doesn’t have any friends, so please ask him to communicate more with Alphis.

I was a little uncomfortable with my mother being so gentle to this kid just now, but now I feel comfortable with her...

Forget it, his mother must have felt sorry for him for having been living away from home since childhood, so she touched his head so gently. As the heir to the royal family, he should focus on the overall situation, and he should not care about such trivial matters!

Elphis was trying hard to make small talk, totally unaware that the pretentious prince next to him was thinking about taking care of this poor little thing in the future.

That night, Elphis was thankful that the invited Bishop Edgar did not come. He had been afraid that the other party would invite him to return to the Vatican tomorrow to communicate with God.

Among the people from the Vatican, only one candidate, Daphne, came. Abner, who was most friendly with him, had not returned yet because he was out dealing with a small-scale epidemic.

Strangely, Daphne's attitude towards him became much better, making Elphis unsure whether she came here on behalf of the Holy See or the nobility.

If at the beginning the other party viewed him as an insignificant existence, not worth wasting too much expression on, today he smiled like a free and gorgeous mountain flower.

It was a strange metaphor, but Elphis did feel like she had broken free from some restraints.

Until the banquet was almost over, the prince had been following him, which made Elphis very confused: Isn't it true that there are so many noble children present, but there is no one you are familiar with? Don't you have any friends? ?

Until his family and His Majesty came over, Amber smiled and said, "Oh, the two children have played together for a whole night. Have they become good friends? That's great."

The other elders nodded with satisfaction.

Elphis: “…” I understand. This prince really has no friends, so his family arranged for me to be his playmate.

Austin: Phew, Aunt Amber's request has been fulfilled. I'll find a chance to bring this kid out to play with and get familiar with him.

——

Late at night, Elphis was opening presents in his room. These things were almost filling up his space ring, and he had to clean them up.

Most of the people who came were rich and powerful, so the gifts they brought were naturally valuable. Elphis always felt guilty holding so many things that did not belong to him, so he prepared to sort them and give those that were suitable for his family members to use.

The butler heard some noise coming from his room and knocked on the door. "Young Master, there is a gift on the stone table in the garden. I wonder which guest forgot it there."

"Okay, please bring it here."

The white-haired old man smiled and told the young man to go to bed early.

Elphis opened the mahogany box he had just received and found a black hooded cloak inside. The wide cuffs and hem were printed with dull silver-gray patterns. They were not patterns, but ancient magic patterns that had a certain defensive effect.

The collar was not sewn with laces, but with dark red buttons the size of half a thumb. Elphis felt it was a little warm when he touched it, as if the fire magic core had been ground into the right size.

This cloak is not as precious as the gift he just opened. His family will definitely not like it. It is better for him to keep it. He will definitely have a chance to use it in the future.

Seven days later, the vast sea of ancient forests.

At night, eight adult men and a young boy were grilling meat around a fire. Everyone swallowed their saliva, wondering where Winster had gone a while ago and brought back such a fragrant powder.

During the casual conversation, Hansen suddenly remembered something and looked at the quiet kid next to him with a sad face, "Why don't you grind that level 4 magic core? Has it been ground out?"

That's the magic core of the blood fire bird! How many gold coins can it be sold for? But this prodigal son wants to grind it down!

But that was something they got themselves, and they had no right to stop it...

The stern young man frowned unhappily and said, "I've given it away." His gift must not be as valuable as others', so his brother must not like it...

As for how much of a storm this simple answer caused in the team, he didn't care.

——

Smooth days passed one by one, Elphis' magic power improved day by day, and his understanding of this world became deeper and deeper. Everything was fine except that the control of the Holy See over him was not as loose as it was at the beginning.

Already 20 years old, Elphis's appearance becomes more and more attractive, but the holy aura on his body always reminds the young boys and girls who are in love - this man will be either the Son of God or the Archbishop in the future, anyway, he is the man you can't get!

Bah! Damn the heartless Church!

After five years of easily beating my classmates, another long vacation came.

Elphis looked at the map and decided to go to the vast sea of Gusen to take a look.

It was only a few years ago that he learned that the forest next to the town of Lise was called the Hanhai Gusen, but the townspeople did not know this, they only knew that the place was very big.

It is indeed very big. Even if you walk five days from the town, it is still the outskirts. The resources are so scarce that it cannot attract any monsters, so the town can live in peace.

Elphis plans to temporarily join a bounty hunter group to take on a mission and experience what that profession feels like. By the way, those people have traveled far and wide and have seen the world, so they must be able to tell a lot of interesting things, so this holiday won't be boring.

If there was enough time, he could go directly through Gusen and return to Lise Town to visit his grandfather and others.

After making plans, Elphis told everyone where to go and prepared to set off. Oh, there was only one thing that was not in the plan - Prince Austin, who had become his best friend, also came along.