Two years
A few days later, Inger had breakfast and Alex went out to a meeting.
During this time, Ola came to see him again, but during this time, Alex did not come back.
Ola looked at him for a long time, not knowing how to start the conversation, so he stood at the window, smoked a cigarette, and asked, "Do you mind?"
Inger was about to say that it was bad for the body, but when he saw the shadow in Ola's eyes, he stopped talking and shook his head.
Ola held the cigarette in his mouth. The lighter lit up, and a small flame jumped out of the cigarette tail, which went out, leaving behind a red burning star.
The smoke in this world is very similar to the products of his original world, and of course it is not good for the body.
But he could understand that people who worked non-stop for months needed it.
Ola pursed her lips at his actions.
She looked out the window and thought about the night she took Alex for a walk in the garden.
Seeing that Alex was reluctant to talk, she said to him, "There is definitely more to you than just those painful memories. Do you still remember? Do you want to tell me about it? I want to hear your story."
She had never thought about this before.
But she discovered that their bond was deeper than she had imagined.
Just like she and Christine have all kinds of memories.
Inger is different to Alex.
She had never seen Alex look so distressed.
She had never seen Alex look so happy before.
Alex took a long time to sort it out.
But he still spoke slowly.
He has always been a frank person.
It is not his nature to run away, and he will also accept the hand extended by those who are eager to help him.
When he told her every detail of their past, the smile on his face was real and full of vitality, that of an ordinary person without the dazzling golden glow.
For the first time, Ola knew
In front of Inger, Alex is not a perfect prince.
He is a willful, playful, noisy, cheerful, and coquettish guy who acts like a big golden retriever.
Alex knew that Inger liked to eat light food, not because he had a bad stomach, but because he liked it.
Inger prefers sour to sweet and hates bitter things.
Alex remembered that Inger said that he didn't dislike sour or sweet, but if he had to choose one, sour would make people sober, while sweet would make people addicted, so he preferred sour. But he didn't like bitter because the aftertaste was too strong and the taste would stay on the back of the tongue for a long time.
So he never teased him with bitter melon again.
Inger preferred popular fiction to classical drama, and he believed that the essence of comedy was tragedy.
Inger always viewed class and history as a spectator and judge, which made him feel unattainable.
Inger hates exercise and would rather lie at home all day long, but he hopes there are relatives walking around in the house so that he can lie there more comfortably.
He always dislikes his friends' quarrels, but he always smiles with satisfaction amidst their noises, without even realizing it...
and………
And many more...
After Alex talked a lot, he suddenly stopped.
Finally, he laughed, his tears still wet, and said, "Yes, why should I cry? I should laugh."
He later went on to talk a lot about his family and other friends.
They are all memories of his childhood.
Ola used to envy this child who grew up surrounded by love. If they had not cooperated and understood each other, she might have always been jealous of him or even hated him.
She still envied him, but she thought more about his vulnerability.
Protection is more difficult than destruction.
Alex has so many people and things he wants to protect, and he returns as much love as others give him.
He is strong because of his protection, but also becomes vulnerable because of it.
He has been gifted since he was a child. He is capable of protecting most people, so he is full of confidence. But what should he do when he can't protect the people and things he is supposed to protect?
Aura remembered that she had felt this way before.
She witnessed the scene with her own eyes when young Christine was pushed down the stairs by Rodolfo, but she could do nothing and endured it for so many years.
But she thought about it, if her memory of Christine was taken away, even if Christine wanted it, she could not forgive herself for meeting Christine and treating her as a stranger.
Then Ola spoke up. She said to Inger: "I don't want to blame you for what you did. I am one of the people who helped you. But you have to know this fact...you did something to him that you absolutely cannot do. You took away his most precious memory. You turned him into a person that he even hates. For the rest of his life, he will be consumed by the time he forgot you in his dreams at midnight."
Inger's heart tightened. He said softly and unconfidently, "I don't understand... He cherishes so many people..."
Ola exhaled a puff of smoke and said bitterly: "Everyone relies on his strength, but no one sympathizes with his weakness. His only selfishness is hanging on you. Alex is infinitely close to a saint, but you made him a real person."
Inger was speechless.
"Inger, I beg you to think from Alex's perspective. Every time you are about to do something, think about Alex. I have never seen anyone as gentle as Alex, but it is his gentleness that always makes Alex suffer. Don't let him down. I don't deserve it, but I am still half his sister. I don't want to see him cry like that again."
Inger was shocked by these words and grabbed the quilt tightly.
Ola finished smoking a cigarette, said this and went out.
Inger knew that Ola would never think of helping him out again.
And he only found out today that Alex was crying.
In the night he can't see, in the corner he can't see.
He was distressed and anxious, hoping to have a good talk with Alex again, but in fact, even if he wanted to, it was Alex who refused. His previous attempts had all ended in failure.
What should he do if Alex doesn't want to speak up?
However, he has not yet come to any conclusion.
Not long after, Alex came back.
He sat quietly by the bed, like a statue in deep thought.
Inger said to him, "Alex, let's talk, please, don't be silent."
Alex glanced at him and asked, "Did Sister Aura come to talk to you about something just now?"
Inger said, "No matter what she said to me, I always wanted to have a good talk with you."
Alex was silent for a while, then shook his head. "No, there's nothing more to say."
Inger's face turned pale, and just as he was about to say something, Alex took out the key from his pocket and unlocked the locks on his body one by one.
Inger looked at him in disbelief.
Alex just sat there and gave him a smile.
For no reason, without any excuse.
Inger suddenly burst into tears and covered his face with his hands.
Although he was laughing, he could hear the sound of his heart being torn apart.
Alex handed him a handkerchief, patted his back gently and said, "Ying, don't cry, I'm fine, you should have a good rest. You've worked hard recently. I'm sorry for keeping you locked up for so long. It's all my fault."
Inger once thought that he would never regret the decision he made, but today, he wavered.
He realized that he had never really considered Alex's feelings.
He trusted his own strength and power too much and was unwilling to see his vulnerability, even though he had seen him cry.
How could he ignore this?
Now, he couldn't even say "I'm sorry" or "Thank you", and any words were in vain.
Since then, Inger got his nameplate back, but apart from that, he still never left the room. All the insulation locks on his body were gone, but it seemed that he had put on a transparent shackle for himself.
As Alex said, there was nothing much to talk about between them. Apart from official conversations, they no longer spoke to each other. But it seemed that they had magically returned to the time when they could understand each other without speaking.
When Ola came, it always seemed that the two of them were still in a cold war, but Inger would always say that this was not the case.
Inger will contact Florence when Alex is out.
Fei Leng asked him, "I couldn't contact you some time ago. What happened to you?"
His voice sounded anxious.
Inger said, "I'm fine now. Didn't Lesha contact you? I taught her the nameplate."
Fei Leng: "Why did you give it to her? She is the least skilled in using magic props, and I guess she is waiting for me to contact her. She has not contacted me yet. Have you forgotten that I don't know your situation here?"
Inger held his forehead and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't think of that."
Fei Leng's breathing tightened, and he said, "Since you are okay, find a way to contact Xia and let her come to my side. I need her."
He had taken Kate and Duper away, and now he needed Lexia as well.
Inger seemed to hear someone else's voice in the background, but the voices were mixed together and he couldn't hear clearly, "Why? Are you in danger?"
Fei Leng said to him briefly: "It's to save people. As expected, 'Mother' is pregnant with a very dangerous thing. She has started to collect food, and I have to protect these humans. Tsk. Lixia's ability can conceal her existence, which is very useful. When can you be ready?"
Inger frowned: "Give me some time, how long can you hold on?"
翡冷喘了幾口氣，飛速道：“列霞要是能平安和我們彙合，至多只能撐兩年，那個花胎的孕育時間，據我觀測，也至少需要兩年時間，東大陸剩餘的生物不足以支持‘母親’誕生出一個怪物，她現在甚至會反捕一些魔族和魔人，還有她最讨厭的海洋生物，總之你們盡可能快地過來，那個東西，我們必須趕在他出生之前，幹掉他，否則後果不可想象。”
這是上一次沒有的情節，那個時候，他們互相都沒有給彼此時間。
英格爾想了想，結束了和翡冷的對話，他基本上能猜到翡冷如今的處境，他給諾梨華寫了封信。
他讓諾梨華準備一些幹燥且能長期儲存，易生長容易攜帶的農作物種子，與一人份一月份的幹糧，還有一袋高純度魔石，與一封附信一起交給指定地點的一個叫列霞的人。
他知道艾利克斯将那些魔人安置在了一個廢棄福利院中，他交代了人保護他們照顧他們，并讓知曉實情的騎士去教他們語言和文化。
[魔石是聯絡用的，給翡冷。種子是給你們作為生存物資的，如果那邊人比較多，要好好規劃資源，盡可能長久地堅持下去。我們一定回去救人的。]
信是菲涅幫忙送出去的。
列霞接到了他的所有東西，看完了信，她踏上了自己的路途。
艾利克斯如常找他看公文的時候，英格爾突然問他：“你們打算什麽時候出發去東大陸？”
艾利克斯沒想到他會問這個問題，而且他注意到他用的是“你們”，他道：“目前.....不确定，至少得等全部穩定下來。”
英格爾道：“大致需要多久，你心裏應該有數吧？”
“.......兩年左右。”
英格爾點點頭：“嗯，和我想的差不多，時間拖長了确實容易出變故。”
艾利克斯想，【他又有什麽事情在瞞着我。】
他悄悄深吸了一口氣，閉上眼睛，裝作什麽都沒察覺，坐回去。
英格爾卻突然道：“艾利克斯，有很多事，我确實在瞞着你，我現在不能說，你大概也不會相信的，但是我向你保證，等人類真正勝利的那一天，我會将一切真相，都告訴你。”
艾利克斯沒有回答他，但捏着筆的手，緩緩松了勁。
是的，無論多久，他都會等。
只要他給他肯定的承諾。
1900年的12月初，艾利克斯向全世界公布了魔族母樹的存在，丘涅、黎微爾和薩合三國聯名宣布組建人類聯盟軍，暫定兩年後出兵讨伐東大陸的魔族。
這兩年的時間都是用來籌備的。
英格爾負責撰寫魔族相關信息的科普書籍，供戰士學習。他将目前所知的一切信息整理起來，希望能盡可能增加人們對于魔族的認知。他們所得的一些魔族和魔人的屍體也用于醫學解剖，這也是他的素材來源之一。
一開始也的确有很多飽受戰争之苦的人在質疑，是否真的有必要跨越重洋去讨伐魔族，但是等到書籍編輯出版之後，這樣的話語就漸漸消失了。
書籍畢竟是人編寫的，一定帶有主筆人的主觀傾向，英格爾在編寫的時候特意強調了斬草除根的重要性，這是為了以防後患，他強調了魔人作為受害者與貼近人類的屬性，業全都是事實。
他請了埃裏克幫忙。她有認識的出版社人員，她甚至用了些許女神的戒指的力量。
他們在商讨讨伐軍隊人員組成的時候，意見統一了：為了避免不必要的大量犧牲，他們決定以少數精英組成隊伍前去讨伐。五級以下的騎士和巫師都不會進入讨伐軍隊。
這兩年，在恢複期間，學院和軍隊又吸收了很多優秀的人才，由皇家騎士團、玫瑰騎士團的騎士們，以及巫師營的巫師進行訓練指導。
比比代成了重騎士的教官，以其鬼才般的嚴厲而出名。
昆佩烏在艾利克斯身邊積累了不菲的戰績，盡管等級才不過五級騎士，但他确實指揮官中的領頭者，他會去學院尋找可塑性強的孩子，将軍事戰略教育徹底地灌輸給他們。
奧拉在執行政務之餘，時不時也會去巡視。
謝麗爾和烏瑞則還是作為教官訓練有天賦的狙擊手，不過這次他們是從高水準的人才裏頭進行選拔。
紅桫椤主動要求去了醫學院進修，她希望學到更多專業的知識。
邁西莉卡和希裏亞會總是來找英格爾請教魔法相關的事情，他們倆幾乎住在了魔法研究院裏頭，瑪帝瑪拉教授經常也會有圖紙寄給他，他腦子裏的靈感如同不竭的泉水，但都屬于非常實用的，英格爾再忙也會抽空回他們一下。
各大公爵回了自己的領地，安守本分地做該做的事情，在人類命運的存亡面前，領地之間的紛争已經不算什麽了。
妮妮芙經常跑丘涅和黎微爾，主要是向他們讨要各種技術以及訓練騎士巫師的法子，先前受了她巨大恩惠的兩國自然不敢吝啬，這兩年，三國之間實現了歷史上難得一見的和諧交往，互幫互助、攜手共進。
就這樣，兩年過去了。
在皇宮裏被侍女長撫養長大的艾德英利已經三歲多了，因為好吃好喝供着，他又圓了一圈。
可能是因為他天生好動，整天能從一個房間跑到十幾層樓上的另一個房間去，不至于擔心影響健康了。
侍女長會經常抱着孩子去艾利克斯那裏。
艾利克斯處理公務的時候是專心致志的，因此無意識地臉上的笑容會消失，這對他反而是能夠放松的一段時間。
而每次艾德英利來的時候，他臉上都會不自覺露出溫暖的笑容。
就算每天再忙，他都會陪孩子玩一會兒，要麽就是把孩子扔到英格爾的床上。
“爸爸爸爸爸爸！！”小艾迪聲音像是奶酪，又像果凍，又糯又滑，咬字很清晰，艾利克斯毫無抵抗力，被他拽着頭發，摟着脖子亂晃。
艾利克斯打理好的頭發不一會兒就被糟蹋成了頂破雞窩。
英格爾冷着臉呵斥道：“下來！艾迪！”
他一開始本來懶得管他，但是如果沒人管着他，他就會一直騷擾艾利克斯，侍女們不敢罵他，艾利克斯又舍不得罵他，就會嚴重影響艾利克斯的工作。
小艾迪手一停，瞅了眼英格爾，沒有生氣，反而是跳了下來，朝着英格爾那邊撒丫子奔過去：“麻麻麻麻麻麻麻！！！飛飛飛飛飛飛！！！”
侍女長抿嘴憋笑。
英格爾臉唰得一黑，擡起手，把小艾迪扔上了天。
艾德英利漂浮上去，把腳丫踩在天花板上，笑聲從頭頂灑落下來。
“哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈哈！”
這小子笑得更歡了。
小家夥有個毛病，就是天生的樂天派，被甩臉子也不怎麽生氣，沒心沒肺的，一歲之後就沒怎麽見他哭過。
摔疼了也不見哭，都是笑着爬起來的。
只有餓了的時候嚎得最大聲，給吃的又立馬笑起來，變臉比翻書還快。
英格爾頭大了起來，手指捏住了眉心。
正在他玩得正歡的時候，英格爾收回了魔力，艾德英利摔在了柔軟的床墊上，掉在了英格爾的腿邊。
英格爾面無表情地扯他的嘴巴：“來，跟我叫，應叔。”
小艾迪咧開嘴巴，伸出手把他的手指扯開，一不留神鑽他懷裏：“麻麻麻麻麻麻！飛飛飛飛飛飛飛飛！！！”
英格爾的臉比炒糊的鍋底還黑。
侍女們背過身體去捂住嘴。
艾利克斯低頭敲印，很明顯忍不住在笑。
“你故意的吧。”
這小子一周歲不到就能說話了，兩歲多詞彙量已經很不錯了，艾利克斯讓語言學家教他語言，讓頂級的戲劇音樂家來教他發聲的技巧，他現在都能唱完最簡單的聖歌了，不至于不知道這些最簡單詞彙的意思。
“不叫應叔，不給你飛。”
他絕對要把這家夥的稱呼扭轉過來！這像什麽話？！
“嗚嗚嗚嗚~~嗚嗚嗚嗚嗚~~~~~！”小艾迪聞言撅起嘴，奶聲奶氣地在床上打滾撒嬌。
雖然圓，但是他和他沒有半點血緣的爹有着一脈相承的美貌，金色的短發，赤金色亮晶晶的大眼睛，羽毛般的長睫毛，小屁孩卻長了一張天使的臉，再加上小孩天生的奶音，對于各年齡階段的女性來說簡直是大殺器。
旁邊的侍女們眼睛裏都要冒淚花了。
英格爾捏着他的腳踝倒提起來，“這招對我沒用，叫應叔，不然不放你下來。”
小艾迪晃了晃手，眼珠子一轉，舉手上攀，順着他手臂爬上了他的頭頂。然後蹿了下去，從床上來了一次跳水運動，滾到了床的另一邊，和可可抱在了一起，他們倆一起摔下了床，栽在了滿地的軟墊裏。
英格爾無語地看着精力過分旺盛的小家夥，和人類幼崽相處實在太累人了。
他揮揮手讓人趕緊把他送出去。
Unexpectedly, the little boy struggled and jumped out of the maid's arms.
He jumped onto Alex's lap, grabbed his hand and placed it on top of his head: "Daddy, daddy, daddy! Touch! Touch!"
Alex put down what he was holding and gently stroked the two soft horns on his head.
"Hahahahahahaha!" Little Eddie was shaking with laughter.
Alex smiled and pinched his cheeks and kissed his forehead. Little Eddie stretched out on his legs and lay on his back, smiling brightly at him, showing his white teeth. The golden-scaled tail swayed behind his buttocks, announcing his silly happiness.
Inger moved his fingers, and Ed Yingli flew back into the arms of the head maid.
Ed Yingli held up three fingers to Alex and Inger respectively, "See you at dinner!"
He kissed the maid who was holding him on the cheek, and they went out happily again.
Inger exhaled and leaned back, feeling like his life span was being cut in half every time he came.
Alex started working again. As he sorted things out, he said, "I see Yingli's spoken English is improving quite fast. Didn't he sing a song last time? Next time we'll try to see if his purification range has increased. He can start learning to control it consciously."
"Well, he's quite smart, maybe he's already learned it." Inger paused.
He knew what Alex meant.
The progress on Aide Yingli's side is reassuring, which means they are about to set off.
Alex did not reply to him, but instead stamped the national seal on the official document authorizing the dispatch of troops.