Chapter 415 I came to say goodbye to him
When leaving the tower garden, Luo Yan still had that calm and warm smile on his face, as if he had benefited a lot from the previous conversation.
However, when he walked down the spiral staircase leading to the lower level alone, his back was soaked with a layer of fine cold sweat.
He raised his hand calmly and wiped away the chill that seeped from his forehead, but the turmoil in his heart could not calm down for a long time.
If the Holy City is the soul of the empire, the candle that embodies the faith and glory of the old world, then the tower under his feet is the brain of the empire, the crystallization of the minds of all human beings and even alien races on the continent of Os.
And now, the plague from the void has spread to its skull...
"Youyou, we may have underestimated the Empire."
Taking a deep breath, Luo Yan spoke in a voice that only he and Youyou could hear.
"...I originally thought the Empire beneath our feet was at most a languid old man, but now it seems its problems are even more serious than we imagined. Before our corruption spread here, Chaos's corruption had already permeated it, leaving it riddled with holes."
What made Luo Yan particularly troubled was that this great sage had just returned from the Brass Pass, the eastern barrier of the empire. Judging from his relaxed smile, the Brass Pass, which stood firm, was in real danger this time!
Arrogance and conspiracy are not enemies, nor are nature and the flames of destruction.
From the Demon King's perspective, he didn't need to worry about the safety of the empire. However, he understood that when the nest is overturned, no eggs can remain intact.
Once the Empire's defenses are torn open by Chaos, the entire Aos continent will be engulfed in war. Even if his backyard, the Janna continent, can survive in a corner, it will not be safe forever.
The current situation of the planet Kao is a lesson for us.
A planet corrupted by Chaos will eventually become a dead wasteland, and all souls will be imprisoned in eternal purgatory, unable to be reborn.
As if sensing his worry, Youyou, a ball of white mist, emerged beside him, her voice filled with unprecedented worry.
"Master Demon, what should we do?"
Luo Yan was silent for a long time, deducing and analyzing countless possibilities in his mind, and finally spoke slowly.
"No big deal."
"But……"
"Dolsulfuk is already a demigod, and the Chosen One of Chaos," Luo Yan said in a calm, emotionless voice. "Yet he still chooses to remain dormant within the shadow of the tower, not daring to openly raise the banner of rebellion. This shows that there are still things on this continent that he fears."
He paused, and a sharp light flashed in his deep eyes.
"We need to find out what he is afraid of."
Just as Luo Yan was communicating with Youyou in his mind, a slight "ding" sound came from the elevator not far away.
Professor Uriel Ackley walked out from behind the metal door powered by runes.
This scholar from the Holy Energy School had a gentle and compassionate smile on his face, like a devout theologian.
He held a scroll of invitation in his right hand, and it seemed that he had also been invited by the great sage. The joy that could not be hidden under his brows revealed the expectation in his heart.
Recalling the other face beneath Dosulfoke's mask, Luo Yan looked at Professor Uriel with a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
Poor child.
He saw the shadow of Ariste in him.
Just as Luo Yan was looking at Professor Uriel, the latter also noticed him.
Obviously, the professor did not expect that His Highness Colin had also received an invitation from the great sage, and even before him. His elegant and easy-going expression was obviously stunned for a moment.
But within two seconds, that fleeting moment of surprise was replaced by a smile as warm as the sun. Seeing Prince Colin approaching, Uriel quickened his pace and took the initiative to greet him.
"Your Highness Colin? What a pleasure to meet you! I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Nice to meet you, Professor Uriel. I've wanted to meet you for a long time." Luo Yan smiled and nodded in response to his greeting.
Although Luo Yan thought this was just an ordinary greeting, it sounded particularly harsh to the ears of people with ulterior motives.
Have you been wanting to meet me for a long time?
What does this mean?
Could it be——
Before Alistair was defeated, he had already set his sights on himself?
Uriel felt a chill in his heart, but he maintained a calm smile on his face and spoke in a kind voice.
"That's really... what a coincidence. To be honest, like you, I've wanted to visit the legendary Prince Colin for a long time."
The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.
To be honest, Luo Yan's interest in him was no longer as great as when he first came to Xuebang, especially after seeing the other face of the great sage.
However, he didn't know if it was his illusion, but Professor Uriel was extraordinary enthusiastic towards him and kept talking to him.
Luo Yan could sense the tentative tone in his words, but he really didn't want to waste his time playing a game of hypocrisy with a guy who didn't have much time left.
Just as he was thinking about ending this charade and leaving, Professor Uriel's eyes seemed to inadvertently sweep over the direction he came from, and he said in a nonchalant manner.
"Speaking of which, Your Highness, you just came out of the Great Sage's garden?"
Luo Yan nodded.
"Yes, what's the problem?"
Seeing the doubt in Prince Colin's eyes, Uriel quickly smiled and waved his hand.
"No, no! Please don't misunderstand me, Your Highness. I'm just... a little surprised. It seems the Sage truly favors you. Haha, I hope he's not venting his anger on you because of Professor Ariste's corruption. We all know you're innocent. In fact, it was because of your righteous act that we avoided even greater losses..."
On the surface, these words were a greeting and compliment, but in reality, they were a subtle test of the content and atmosphere of the meeting between the prince and the great sage, in order to judge the great sage's true attitude towards the prince.
However, just as Uriel was trying to test the waters, he didn't expect that the prince would see through his little thoughts at a glance and respond in a way he didn't expect.
"Professor Uriel, there's no need to beat around the bush. I had a very pleasant chat with the Great Sage, and... we didn't talk about Professor Ariste."
Looking at Professor Uriel whose face turned red in an instant, Luo Yan's decent smile did not change at all.
Without waiting for the professor to open his mouth to argue, he answered the former's questions in a gentle tone, and also answered the old man who was waiting on the spiral staircase and watching everything silently.
"I came to say goodbye to him."
"Goodbye?! Wait, you mean…?"
Uriel was stunned. It took him a long time to recover from the shocking news, but he didn't know what expression to express.
Luo Yan nodded slightly and patted his shoulder as he passed by him.
"I'm leaving now. Good luck."
…
On the spiral staircase, a pair of eyes silently watched the room downstairs, watching Colin's back disappear in front of the elevator door.
It was not until Prince Colin walked away that Uriel came to his senses as if awakened from a dream, turned around and walked towards the garden above the spiral staircase.
Wish me...good luck?
What's the meaning?
Uriel couldn't help but feel a little creepy in his heart.
Just as he was racking his brains to figure out where this feeling came from, he suddenly discovered that a great sage in a gray robe was standing in front of the garden gate, staring at him.
Uriel collected his thoughts and bowed quickly.
"Sage..."
"You're here."
Doluluke, dressed as a gardener, smiled warmly and gestured for invitation to the reserved Uriel.
"Come in and sit wherever you want."
Uriel nodded stiffly, then quickly followed the sage's footsteps and walked into the garden at the top of the tower.
The surrounding scenery dazzled him.
He saw the moon grass that was said to grow only in the elves' homeland, and the wind chimes that could sing sweet songs with the sound of the wind... The air here was filled with a refreshing fragrance, as if just sitting here quietly could nourish one's spiritual strength.
This feeling is really wonderful.
Especially for magicians.
Uriel once dreamed of coming here to take a look and see the legendary miracle.
However, for some reason, when this moment really came, he did not feel the excitement he had expected. Instead, he felt a little empty because of the brief conversation he had just had with Prince Colin.
"Good luck."
Those words, spoken lightly, were like a thorn that could not be removed from his heart.
Following the great sage into a pavilion carved from moonstone, Uriel sat down opposite the elder.
He hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't suppress the great confusion in his heart, so he asked a question.
"Respected Sage..."
"What's wrong?"
"Excuse me, but why did His Royal Highness Prince Colin leave?"
The great sage Doluk took a sip of tea, and a gentle smile appeared in his wise eyes that seemed to see through everything.
"Oh? He told you?"
Uriel nodded and said nervously.
"Yes."
"It seems he has made up his mind."
Doluluke smiled kindly, as if he had just heard about this, and answered Uriel's confusion in a very soft voice.
"There are many reasons why he left, but I think... the most important reason is probably that he couldn't adapt to the local climate."
"Uncomfortable with the local climate?"
Ouriel was even more confused.
"But sage, with all due respect, Prince Corin seems to be adapting very well here... He has made remarkable achievements in his research and is very popular among magic apprentices and scholars."
Dosulfuk smiled gently and did not answer the question directly. Instead, he cast his gaze on a purple-red vine climbing the stone wall outside the pavilion.
A young flower bud is adorned on it, with sparks of light emanating from it, like a firefly that may go out at any time.
"Uriel, do you see that 'Sunfire Flower'?"
Uriel was slightly stunned, and looked in the direction the great sage was looking, with a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"This is actually a Sunfire Flower? Incredible... I always thought it only grew in the south."
"To be precise, it only grows in volcanic craters in places with extremely hot temperatures."
Dosulfuk smiled and continued patiently.
"I've put so much effort into creating the most suitable environment for it. However, here, it can only barely survive, and will never be able to bloom as freely as it does in its homeland."
He turned his gaze back to Uriel, who was lost in thought, and his eyes became meaningful.
"Our Prince Corin is like this sunfire flower. He is remarkable, but his roots are ultimately in the soil of Holy Light. The cold winds and rules of the tower are not suitable for him. Forcing him to stay will only cause him to wither. Leaving here is the best option for him."
He had never ordered anyone to exclude Colin and those around him, but almost everyone in the tower had been unconsciously doing this for him recently.
The loyal and rigid Porphyry would use his strict rules to scrutinize every "out-of-line" move of Prince Colin. The editor-in-chief of The Sage would instinctively reject subversive "scientific" papers out of a desire to maintain "tradition."
Even those seemingly neutral professors and mentors would spontaneously distance themselves from the "outsider" from the empire in order to maintain their own status and the interests of their school.
It was true that the Sage Council had debated Colin's paper, but that was because he had not expressed his views. The mascots sitting on the twelve chairs were also undecided about what they wanted to do, so they could only test themselves by expressing their own opinions.
He deliberately did not express his opinion.
Let them quarrel over things that are not important at all, try to figure out your own superior thoughts, and then reveal the answer. Watch them quickly gather around you like wild dogs fighting for food, either wagging their tails happily or tucking their tails between their legs in frustration... This is a dog training technique in itself.
Of course, he didn't do this just for the sake of taming. He never denied that he actually enjoyed doing it.
He, Dosuluk, is probably the only one in the entire Os continent who can train amethyst-level warrior to such a docile level.
Even the respected Emperor has never been able to make the superior extraordinary people above thousands of people behave like dogs in front of him.
The great sage's metaphor made Uriel think deeply.
He seemed to understand something, but also seemed to be still immersed in the fog. Finally, he nodded respectfully.
"The students... have learned a lesson."
“Although I am not your mentor, it is my honor to be your inspiration.”
There was still a warm smile on Dosuluke's face, and there was no trace of condescending arrogance in his humble and kind attitude.
In fact, apart from the reasons that ordinary people can interpret, there is another most direct reason, which is the tacit understanding he and Colin reached during that meeting -
Before the end of the "real" crown, the Chosen Ones of the Crown of Pride and the Chosen Ones of the Mist of Deception will not invade each other's territory.
However, there is no need to tell this reason to Uriel in front of him.
He is not worthy of being a guest in this garden; he is just a plant in this garden waiting to be pruned.
Doluluke gently put down his teacup, as if he had just finished an insignificant incident. Then his wise eyes refocused on Uriel, and his tone became serious.
"Okay, let's not talk about His Royal Highness."
"Let's talk business."
(End of this chapter)
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