This is the most beautiful day (Part 2)

"The kids who bought the book were just discussing this. It is said that someone wrote to the author and asked him why the new book was called Today. He said, because we live in today."

Christine was talking and laughing, and Mason was staring at the two people in the picture, and he felt that this scene was familiar. But no matter how hard he tried to recall, he could not find the reason for the familiarity. The knight put a hand on his shoulder: "Do you want to look for it somewhere else?"

Mason came back to his senses and nodded vigorously: "Yeah!"

They bought it and started their journey again.

A red-haired girl came out of the blacksmith's shop, her face covered with sweat. The flax-haired child asked her, "Do you know who the king is?"

"Oh, who knows. Maybe the god of the furnace? Hopefully he'll make me a good blacksmith."

She smiled at Mason, and a voice came from behind the door: "Barbara, come and help!"

The girl hurriedly said, "I'll be right there!"

A loving couple was walking hand in hand on the street. Upon hearing the question, the woman looked at her husband lovingly and said, "He is my king."

"Then you are my queen, dear Sophia."

The endless stream of sweet words was a bit too corny, so Mason fled and bumped into a Pegasus parked on the side of the road.

It was very similar to Christine's Pegasus, also pure white as snow, and was lazily chewing something. The elderly knight stood beside the horse and said something, while the Pegasus flapped its wings and looked grumpy. As Mason walked past him, he heard the small door on the side open.

An old lady came out and smiled when she saw the two of them: "Isn't this little Mason? Haven't you eaten yet? Do you want to come to my house for a meal?"

The old man obviously liked children very much and tried his best to invite the two of them. Mason remembered his father's instructions and shook his head firmly.

The old woman felt very sorry and said: "Okay, I must try my cooking next time."

The two men responded and ran away before the old woman changed her mind. After leaving the door, they could still hear the voice coming from inside: "Hawthorne, call the children to eat and stop playing with those ponies."

"When I was little, I always ate with Pegasus, so how can I call him a pony? He is our brother and sister!"

"Are you going?"

"Go, go, I'll go right away. I'll always obey your orders."

"......"

The two looked at each other and laughed at the same time. Even the stubborn old knight was still a soft-hearted man who would obey whatever his wife said.

"You are finally back. Abner and the others are waiting for you."

As soon as he entered the restaurant, he saw two men setting the tableware. One had linen hair, and was his father, Abner. The other had blond hair, blue eyes, and a traditional knight's temperament, and was Ronald. Ronald instinctively raised his head when he heard the voice, and when he saw Christine, his eyes suddenly widened. He straightened his back instantly, and was a little nervous and at a loss.

Abner patted him on the back and said jokingly, "Knowing that you like him, you are as stiff as a stone. If you don't know, you would think you were petrified by Medusa."

...but you didn’t tell me before I came that my idol would have dinner with me!

Ronald gave his boss a rare accusatory look, but Abner pretended not to notice.

Christine accepted it well: "You are the child of the Dabernacle family. They taught you very well."

Ronald's voice straightened up: "Yes! The master of the family has always been grateful for your guidance. You are the benefactor who taught the Dabernacle family!"

"Okay, okay, why do you have to stand to talk?" Fayrel pursed his lips and smiled: "Hurry up and sit down. Don't make the children wait anxiously."

The hostess spoke, and the rest of the people dared not disobey and sat down according to their seats.

Faile's cooking is excellent. The potato pancakes are steaming hot and the skin is a perfect brown color. The red leaf tea with ice cubes is refreshing and refreshing. It is a delicious drink with a lemon flavor. The potato stew is cooked to the perfect temperature. The crispy cake dipped in the sticky soup is unimaginably delicious.

The knights ate voraciously, and Mason listened attentively to their idle conversation as they ate.

It is said that an evil dragon is sealed in the valley in the south of the kingdom. Many people want to try to be dragon riders. Of course, many people also want to be dragon slayers. There seems to be a new halfling chef in the city, and the food he cooks is very delicious. The Sirens have been moving more and more in recent years. I wonder if it will affect shipping...

As they talked, the topic gradually turned to Mason.

Abner took a sip of red leaf tea. "Did Mason give you any trouble?"

Christine smiled and replied, "He's a very obedient child. It's not hard for him."

Abner blamed him but was actually very happy: "That's good. I've been worried that this kid would cause you trouble. I was planning to teach him a lesson when he came back."

The group enjoyed a delicious meal. Abner wiped his mouth with a napkin and suddenly remembered something: "There is a celebration in the city tonight. If you want to go, be careful."

"Okay, Dad."

Mason swallowed the beef and suddenly asked, "Mom, Dad, Mr. Ronald, do you know where the king is? Not the one who lives in the palace, but His Majesty who is hiding in the city."

Faile thought for a moment: "Everyone is his own king, why do we have to find him somewhere?"

Abner groaned for a moment: "You want to be the king? This is a little difficult, but it is not impossible... Hey! Why did you hit me?"

Faile snorted: "Listen to what you are saying. Is that something you can say in front of a child?"

Ronald survived by answering the question reliably: "I don't think there is a correct answer to this question. If you are not looking for His Majesty the King in the palace, then anyone can be your king."

Christine ate his potato pancake and added, "Having said that, you can still walk around more and ask more questions. After all, it's always good to listen to what everyone says."

Well, since everyone said so, Mason was persuaded to follow the public opinion.

After dinner, Christine, the only free man, took on the role of guardian and walked around the streets with the child. Passersby who were stopped by answered all his questions after hearing them.

"Where is the king? Even if you ask me, I don't know."

"Perhaps in some noble lady's bed."

"The real king is in my heart."

"Um... in the tower?"

"What's the problem?"

"The king is counting his gems behind his throne!"

The answers varied, and Christine accompanied Mason to tour the city for an afternoon. Gradually, the child stopped asking "Where is the king?"

He saw lovers hugging each other, children playing, and mothers and fathers talking in soft voices.

He saw old men walking along the water's edge, smiling at their still-young elf companions, and young bards singing until the mermaids listened.

He saw the stoves lit in the tavern. The soldiers were laughing and joking, and the dwarves were slamming the table in anger, arguing that their artillery was absolutely no worse than that of the Mechanical City. The halfling was carrying a large basket of vegetables, shouting "Make way! Make way!", and rushed into the kitchen in a crooked manner.

When night falls, the city becomes noisy again. Various stalls are set up in the streets and alleys, and everyone rushes to the streets to discuss tonight's celebration. The two follow the flow of people to the square, and the crystal fountain sprays beautiful water.

Everyone looked up in anticipation, and the lights illuminated the entire city. Even the noisiest children waited quietly for the ceremony to begin, their sunflower-like faces chasing the stars in the sky.

"Three, two, one, ready—"

The magicians stood on the city wall, their black robes attracting respectful glances from the people. The power of magic was always so magical. They waved their wands precisely and chanted spells in sync.

"Great goddess of magic, you are the symbol of wisdom. Please grant me the power to control flames. A ray of fire, an exploding ball of light!"

Fireballs shot up into the sky, exploding into dazzling flames. The alchemists were not to be outdone: "Hurry up and bring everything over, the time is almost up!"

Immediately, an apprentice came running over with a box and loaded the shells into the cannon one by one. The alchemists checked carefully, with satisfied looks in their eyes.

"Heat the furnace!"

"Anchor the target!"

“Launch—!”

The colored powder filled in the air exploded in the sky, and the brilliant colors attracted everyone's attention. I don't know who was the first to shout, "Long live the kingdom!"

The rest of the people laughed and shouted together: "Long live the kingdom! Long live His Majesty the King! Long live the good life!!"

The cool night breeze blew through Mason's hair, and the world was brilliant and beautiful.

The blond knight walked towards the crowd. The originally huge sound waves seemed particularly distant and vague at this moment. The child could only hear the footsteps of the other party approaching.

Christine had two candy canes in his hand. He walked over to Mason and handed him one.

"The stall owner said that kids love this, and I thought you might like it too."

"...Thank you."

Mason reached out and took it. Gorgeous fireworks spread above his head, and the tiny light powders gathered into a vast galaxy, extending endlessly into the distance.

At some point, the cheers beside him gradually faded away. The moment he bit the candy cane, all the memories came back to his mind like a tide. Mason turned his head subconsciously and saw Christine standing beside him, with deep and calm eyes.

The young man looked handsome and gentle, with golden hair shining like the sun, and his appearance had not changed for centuries.

Mason's lips moved, and he finally remembered everything: "Who are you?"

"I am the person you most want to be."

[Christine] looked at him with a smile, her blue eyes sparkling in the night.

"I am your epitome of hope, the guide you recognize, the people you want to save the most but cannot, your regrets, your regrets, the tragedies you knew would happen but could not stop. These emotions come together and finally emerge in the appearance you recognize."

"I am your desire, Mason."

They desire to obtain the power to redeem everyone and they desire a happy and beautiful future. Because they are powerless to redeem those people and things that have ended, they hope to give them a perfect ending in their dreams.

[Christine] took a bite of the candy cane and slowly licked the icing off his fingertips. The brilliant light reflected between his eyebrows and eyes. The surroundings were silent. The huge square was empty, leaving only the two of them.

"Do you want to see the city?"

[Christine] took the initiative to extend her hand. Mason hesitated for a moment, but still put his hand on it.

With each step, the boy's figure grew taller, and before long, Mason had regained his true self.

Christine took him and they walked in the empty city.

The door of the flower shop was still open, and the carefully tended potted plants were neatly arranged. The lights were on in the old knight's house, even though it was quiet. The stove in the stall was sizzling and smoking, and the chef who was chopping vegetables was nowhere to be seen. Fireworks were set off continuously in the sky, even though no one had lit the fuse of the cannon.

The whole city is prosperous and bustling, yet lonely and cold.

Finally, they returned to the square and stopped in front of the fountain.

The sound of a bell rang out from nowhere, exactly twelve times. The majestic sound echoed throughout the city, and the crystal fountain sparkled.

The hard texture gradually melted and stretched, forming a magnificent and exquisite door. The ruins and corpses of the city were reflected inside the door. Across the distance of the door, the reality and illusion of the world stood in opposition.

[Christine] said calmly: "It's time."

Mason hummed and repeated softly, "It's time."

"Do you want to stay?"

[Christine] tilted her head and spoke slowly.

"As long as you are willing to stay here, disaster will never come. Time will stop on this day, and the reflection in the mirror will never disappear. All the pain will disappear, and you will be the master here."

The boy looked at him silently. The latter got the answer from his gaze and smiled helplessly.

The blond knight stopped insisting and asked, "Have you found the real king?"

Figures walked in from the entrance of the square one after another. They had faces that Mason was familiar with: the King, Fayrel, Abner, Amira, Pica...

All the people he had met today gathered in the square, and they all looked at Mason gently, waiting for an answer.

After the crystal door appears at midnight, bring the real king to the square and push him into the door to gain the king's recognition.

He asked many people and got different answers. So who is right, who is the king, and where is he?

Mason's eyes slid from face to face. People he had seen once in a while, people he had loved, people he had been forced to leave, people he thought he would never see again, all appeared before him.

It seems like there really was such a time when there was no pollution from black fog, no sorrow and death, when everyone lived in the same city and when you looked up you could see fireworks blooming and starlight flowing into a long river in the night.

That’s great.

The boy thought.

That's great.

He opened his arms and took a step back. Under everyone's gaze, he fell backwards and fell straight into the door.

——Who is the king?

He is the only survivor in the city, a ghost who is reluctant to leave because of the beauty of this place, and an obsession imprisoned here.

It is the shadow that suddenly appears in the ordinary life, it is the sudden and shattering fate, it is the soul polluted by the black mist, it is the bricks and tiles that build this city.

It is the reluctance, the longing, the sadness of wandering alone in a lonely city, and the longing to return to the past even though one knows that one cannot return to one's hometown after the world has changed.

From the beginning, he was the closest to Mason, looking at the city he loved with his eyes.

The sky looked like a black velvet carpet inlaid with countless diamonds. The night quietly covered the winding roofs, and the aroma of food came from every household in the distance. The moonlight quietly sprinkled in the center of the square. This beautiful scene was reflected in the boy's eyes, like a butterfly frozen in amber.

The air from the door flowed out, turning into a cold tide that drowned him. Life was draining from Mason at a speed visible to the naked eye. His hair turned gray, his body became hunched, his body was covered with scars, and his face changed.

In just a few seconds, Mason looked like a completely different person.

At the same moment, Christine's figure disappeared from the spot, and her low voice echoed in the king's ears, calm and gentle.

“How are you feeling today?”

The person being questioned gazed at the city bathed in lights, at this eternal picture.

He said with a smile.

“It’s the most wonderful day.”