Chapter 417: Mercy? You? The Devil?
The atmosphere in the side hall of the Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Ryan was solemn and dignified.
There was no unique scent of parchment and ink mixed in the academy's tower, nor were there the intricate star maps and magic circles hanging on the walls. Instead, there was the smell of ancient oak and steel, and bright red tapestries embroidered with gold thread depicting glory.
Portraits of kings of past dynasties cast a silent and majestic gaze from the wall. They were dressed in heavy armor, holding hammers or long swords, and their eyes were as sharp as hawks.
Every object here silently tells the long history of this kingdom and the royal power built on glory and bravery.
And in such a place filled with solemnity, there sat a thin magic apprentice who seemed out of tune with the surrounding atmosphere.
His name is Leon. He is a mage of the Source Law School and also the youngest disciple of the Great Sage.
Many people, seeing the great sage's care for him, thought that he was a distant relative of the great sage, or even the great sage's illegitimate son. But only he himself knew that the matter was not that complicated. The sage just liked his magical talent.
Of course, even so, he sometimes felt confused about what his so-called talent actually was. He thought to himself that his abilities might be a little better than his peers, but probably not strong enough to attract the attention of a great sage.
This preference and cultivation occasionally made him feel uneasy.
Just like now, he had never imagined that one day he would come to this martial land alone as a messenger of the academic nation, undertake such an important diplomatic mission alone, and even shoulder... uh, the future of mankind?
Lyon smoothed the wrinkles on his Source Law School robe over and over again, trying to make himself look more calm.
However, the more he tried to work on meaningless things, the worse things became. His robe, which had been smooth to begin with, now looked even more wrinkled.
In order to calm his wildly beating heart and to divert his attention, Leon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The scene of receiving the mission from the Great Sage a week ago once again emerged clearly in his mind...
That was the Brass Pass standing in the eastern border of the empire. The howling wind blew up the yellow sand, beating against the magnificent walls built by the dwarves like the howling of ghosts and wolves.
The threat of Chaos was approaching from the direction of the dimensional desert. However, his respected teacher, the great sage Dosulfuk, did not look outside the pass where the yellow sand was raging, but instead looked far away in the direction of the Kingdom of Ryan, his eyes filled with unprecedented worry.
"Lion," the great sage's voice, a little hazy on the wind, reached his ears with uncanny clarity. "I'm not worried about the Brass Pass falling. The Chaos legions will never be able to breach the Empire's defenses head-on, and those monsters lurking in the desert will never be able to cross this mighty pass."
There was a slight pause in his voice, but he changed the subject.
"However, what worries me is the Kingdom of Ryan behind it. Since ancient times, the strongest fortresses have often begun to collapse from within."
Leon only remembered that the great sage's tone was heavy, as if he had foreseen the tragic future.
A moment later, the respected old man handed him a token engraved with the seal of the Source Law School and gave him solemn instructions.
"...You go to the Kingdom of Ryan, give this token to their King Theoden de Valu, and tell him for me."
"The corruption of Chaos has crept into his land, a land that prides itself on honor and loyalty, like a plague."
"It's not too late to do something now."
The memory ended, and Leon opened his eyes, but the tension in his heart increased.
How could he convince a proud king, whose kingdom was founded on chivalry, that a vile traitor had appeared among his people?
This seemingly caring advice actually sounded more like a vicious insult...
Just as Leon was frowning over this, the door of the side hall was silently pushed open, and an old man dressed in the clothes of a court steward walked in.
His expression was as solemn as a stone sculpture, as if he had come alive. He nodded slightly and announced in a proper, emotionless tone.
"Messenger of the Sage, our Majesty is ready. Please follow me to the audience hall."
“Okay…Okay!”
Leon stood up from the chair suddenly, but because he moved too quickly, his knee hit the coffee table in front of him, making a dull sound.
He ignored the pain, but couldn't help grimacing, his face flushing with embarrassment under the steward's scrutinizing gaze.
It turns out that he doesn't even know the etiquette of aristocrats.
There are so many nobles from the Kingdom of Ryan in Xuebang, I really don’t understand why the wise man asked me to come.
"The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Ryan doesn't have that many magical props. We are used to using the most traditional tables and stools instead of injecting magic into them."
The butler coughed lightly and adopted a gentle tone, offering the young magic apprentice a way out. "I'm sorry for not being able to take good care of you."
"No, nothing happened. I was careless."
Leon hurriedly waved his hands, forced an embarrassed smile on his face, and explained.
"Also, we didn't actually inject magic into the tables and chairs... We usually use magic on bookshelves or windows."
The butler raised his eyebrows slightly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Oh? That's really interesting. We can chat about it later if we have time. As for now... please follow me. Don't keep His Majesty waiting too long."
“Okay, okay!”
Leon took a deep breath, and the anxiety and tension in his heart eased a little.
After calming down, he quickly caught up with the steward, and every step he took seemed to be based on his own frantic heartbeat.
Passing through the long stone corridor and archway, the two soon arrived at the audience hall of the palace.
This spacious stone hall towers like a church, and sunlight filters through narrow stained-glass windows, casting dappled shadows on the red carpet.
Dust shadows illuminated by the sun floated in the dry air. There was no trace of magic or mystery, only the solemnity and awe of power.
On both sides of the red carpet stood knights in light armor, as well as nobles and courtiers in gorgeous costumes.
Some of them were whispering to each other, while others had blank expressions on their faces. All of their sharp eyes were focused on the solitary figure in the center of the hall, and they looked at him curiously.
Envoys from the Academy are rare in the Kingdom of Ryan, especially this one who was sent by the legendary great sage.
On the throne, King Theoden de Valoux and his ministers were also examining the young messenger from the Academy.
This young man had neatly short flaxen hair, delicate features, and clean eyebrows. His sky-blue eyes, like the robes of the School of Source Law, shone with the wisdom and pure light of a scholar.
However, other than that, there seems to be nothing more special.
At least from Theoden's perspective, which had seen a lot of ups and downs, he couldn't see anything more in this young man that was worth his time.
However, the token representing the Great Sage's identity was genuine. As the King of the Kingdom of Ryan, he should give due courtesy to this envoy from a friendly country.
"...Young wizard from the North, you've had a hard journey." Theoden spoke slowly, his voice a little hoarse, but still full of energy. "Is the Great Sage Dolulak in good health? The wind and snow in the north are surely not as warm as the sunshine in the south."
Leon bowed deeply and answered respectfully.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. The Great Sage remains in good health. He asked me to extend his sincerest greetings to you and the great Kingdom of Lion. Although the wind and snow in the North are cold, the passion of the scholars to pursue the truth is as fervent as the chivalrous spirit of the Kingdom of Lion to defend its honor."
This appropriate response made the king nod with satisfaction, and a majestic smile appeared on his old face.
"Very good. Tell him to take good care of his health. His wisdom is a treasure to the entire empire and the Emperor's strongest shield."
"I'll tell you."
Lyon nodded respectfully in agreement.
Seeing that the king seemed to be in a good mood, he immediately seized the opportunity to get straight to the point and revealed the great sage's prophecy.
"Your Majesty, in addition to my sincere greetings, the Great Sage has also asked me to bring you a piece of advice..."
"oh?"
Theoden raised his eyebrows and said in a charitable tone, "It is an honor for ordinary people like us to be able to gain enlightenment from the wisdom of the great sage. Tell us about it."
Lyon lowered his head and conveyed the not-so-wonderful prophecy to His Majesty in the most tactful and respectful way possible.
"The Great Sage sensed at the Brass Pass that the shadow of Chaos was approaching your beloved kingdom... He told me to tell you to be careful and vigilant."
Theoden was stunned at first when he heard this, then he burst into a deep laugh, and the court officials standing around him couldn't help but smile.
The shadow of chaos is approaching...
This sounds like a proverb used to scare farmers.
Any knight of the Kingdom of Ryan knows clearly when the sandstorms of the dimensional desert stop blowing westward.
The laughter echoed in the hall, dispelling some of the solemn atmosphere.
Theoden lifted his sleeve and gently wiped the splatter from his beard. He grinned at Leon and said, "Young magician, thank you for the reminder, Great Sage. But you don't have to worry. The Brass Gate of the Empire is impregnable. The minions of Chaos will never set foot on our land."
Seeing that His Majesty was completely unaware of the seriousness of the problem, Lyon couldn't help but feel anxious.
Especially when he thought of the great sage's melancholy eyes, he subconsciously raised his voice, and his clear voice sounded particularly clear in the silent hall.
"Your Majesty... please don't be too superstitious about the towering Brass Pass. The Great Sage told me that throughout history, the strongest fortresses have always been breached from within. Chaos cannot cross the chasm of the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains, but they will extend their claws to your subjects!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the ministers were in an uproar.
"How dare you!" An old knight with a white beard pressed down on the hilt of his sword and shouted angrily, "Are you saying that there are traitors who betray their honor among the knights of our Kingdom of Ryan?"
"I, I didn't mean that—" Leon hurriedly raised his hand to explain, but was interrupted by the old man with the sword.
"What an insult! I challenge you to a duel! A contest... of swordsmanship!"
Leon: “???”
"Hmph, the magicians of Xuebang always love to exaggerate. I think the cold winds of the north have blown their brains out," another elegantly dressed court minister sneered, making a harsh accusation in an understated voice. "Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that they intend to use this as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of our kingdom."
"The great sage is not that kind of person!" Leon argued eagerly, but he was still too green after all. How could he speak more than this group of experienced courtiers?
"He's just a brat, and the great sage sent him to spread such absurd words. He's really going backwards as he gets older."
"Your Majesty! We cannot ignore such insults! I suggest you write to the Holy City immediately and submit it to the ecclesiastical tribunal for arbitration!"
“That’s enough!”
King Theoden raised his hand, and the hall fell silent. The smile on that face had disappeared, replaced by a hint of obvious displeasure.
However, this old nobleman was a respectable man after all. He had no reason to make things difficult for a young man, let alone write a letter to the Vatican for such a trivial matter.
So he just said to the young messenger.
"Our messenger has come a long way and must be tired and in need of rest... Mr. Sclair, take him down."
The palace steward who brought Leon in bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Seeing the palace steward and two guards walking towards him, Leon, who didn't know that these were stairs, was stunned for a moment and argued anxiously.
"Your Majesty, I'm not tired! Rather than rest, the threat of Chaos is imminent. We should discuss countermeasures immediately!"
"Countermeasures?"
Hearing these thoughtless words, Theoden suddenly grinned with an oppressive smile and raised his hand to signal the palace steward who was about to take Leon away to stop.
The spacious audience hall was completely silent, leaving only the majesty of the king.
"The people of the Lion Kingdom are simple and honest, and everyone values honor. No one would sell their soul to Chaos! This is our most reliable line of defense! And you say I'm superstitious about the towering Brass Pass? Ridiculous! When did I ever say that's where I rely on?"
This brat really knows nothing.
Anyone who knows the history of the Kingdom of Ryan would not say such a thing. No one on this continent is more pious and traditional than them!
Even if one day the Empire abandons its beliefs, they, as the "Homeland of Knights", will never abandon their yearning for the Holy Light!
Theoden's withered body leaned forward slightly, his cloudy eyes staring at Leon, and he spoke word by word.
"Since you say Chaos has corrupted my people, then you must find it and show it to me. I will give you a horse and send my servants with you."
"You'd better find it, otherwise I won't pretend I didn't hear what you said today, let alone treat it as a joke."
Leon's intuition told him that if he refused, he might not be able to leave the audience hall.
He swallowed and nodded tremblingly.
"Yes... Your Majesty."
He wanted to say that he was just a messenger, but now it was probably useless to say anything. He could only blame himself for being too impatient and not being very smart with his words.
Theoden slowly leaned back on his throne and waved to his chamberlain.
"Take him down."
He actually didn't want to embarrass the young man, but as a king, even if it was just to maintain his dignity, he had to teach this kid a profound lesson.
Theoden planned to wait for him to come back with his tail between his legs, hold a "celebration banquet" for him, and then magnanimously let him go after humiliating him to show his kindness.
Of course, it would be better if this kid could escape.
The best lesson for arrogant magicians is to slip away like a clown after their tricks fail.
"yes……"
Sklar nodded respectfully, looked at the magic apprentice who stood in the hall like a wooden man, and sighed slightly.
Perhaps he was getting old and confused, no longer as quick-witted as he was in his youth. He suddenly found it difficult to understand the wisdom of the great sage...
…
On the other side, in the sky above the northern wilderness, a uniquely shaped airship was slowly moving in the noisy air currents.
Logically speaking, this "small boat" traveling among the mountains should be extremely bumpy.
However, at this moment, the cabin was calm. Not to mention the ups and downs, not even the slightest shaking could be felt.
This was certainly not due to Alberto's outstanding design, but purely because there was a magician with diamond-level strength sitting on the "Voyager".
At this moment, Luo Yan was sitting leisurely by the window, tasting the black tea that Sarah had just brewed for him.
Compared to Xuebang's scented teas with various condiments, he really enjoyed this pure and simple taste more, especially since his cat could always grasp his preferences just right.
By the way, the airship is currently in an "unmanned" state, and the invisible airflow is like a transparent big hand, holding the rudder and joystick in the cockpit.
Everything is under the control of Luo Yan's mental power and magic.
Although Alberto diligently recommended some experienced apprentices to him, Luo Yan politely declined his proposal when he saw those young guys were so excited that they were incoherent.
It’s better for you to do it yourself when you see this bear.
Moreover, the prince's affairs are not suitable for irrelevant people to know.
Although it was his first time to fly this airship, he operated it surprisingly well and there was no sign of "capsulating" at all.
Moreover, his diamond-level strength gave him almost unlimited fault tolerance.
Even if the airship fell apart in the next second, he could wave his wand and make the entire cabin float safely in the sky again.
As for the turbulence caused by high-altitude air currents, it did not exist from the beginning.
An invisible shield has already covered the airship, preventing migrating birds from accidentally colliding with the airbags and perfectly avoiding the impact of violent air currents at high altitudes.
He didn't want to leave his beloved apprentices with a panicked and embarrassed back. The mask of Prince Colin was the dreamland he had woven for those boys and girls with great difficulty.
Of course, having said that, Mr. Alberto's design is still perfect and not to the point of falling apart.
With a little improvement, it should be able to be promoted in the continent of Janna!
Not far away, the restless Taf was curiously pressing her face against the porthole, excitedly overlooking the endless snow-capped mountains below.
When the little guy first got on the boat, he was holding on to the handrail tightly and was as stiff as a rock, but now he has completely relaxed.
As for Sarah, she stood in the shadow of the corner as usual, with her eyes closed and dozing, as if she had entered the "hang-up" state.
Although she said she hated the glaring sunlight, Luo Yan always felt that she might be afraid of heights.
When she was at Xuebang, she didn't like to go near the window.
As if she had seen enough of the scenery, Tafu suddenly withdrew her gaze and looked at Luo Yan who was leisurely drinking tea, and spoke to him in her usual malicious tone.
"Hey, you just flew away without a word, without even a farewell ceremony. Aren't you afraid of hurting the feelings of those apprentices who adore you?"
Luo Yan looked at the boundless sea of clouds outside the window and replied with a smile, "Leaving without saying goodbye is a kind act."
I can't let them know that I have a home in the far south.
And it's the Demon King's Labyrinth.
"Puff, puff, mercy? You? Demon King?"
Tafu let out a strange laugh and said in a mean way.
"I bet the blonde girl named Ophelia doesn't think so. She's probably in her room right now, drawing circles and cursing you while secretly wiping away tears."
Hearing this, an intriguing expression appeared on Luo Yan's face, and he paused for a moment before speaking.
"If this can make her feel disappointed with the illusory mask of 'Prince Colin' and help her grow up faster... then it wouldn't be a bad thing."
Tafu was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but complain: "Why do I feel like everything can become a good thing in your mouth?"
Luo Yan smiled but said nothing.
Congratulations, classmate Tafu, you have finally discovered the secret to becoming a god.
It's a pity it's too late.
"Come to think of it, don't you feel any regret?"
Tuff said lazily.
"What's there to regret? I enjoyed the food and the show. You hairless monkeys are the ones who can pull it off. This kind of thing would never happen in the Zeta Empire!"
Yeah?
Is it possible that it’s because you’re just a “magic apprentice”, and a preparatory student at that, and you can’t even find the door to the maze trial?
In fact, even though such a big thing happened and the impact was so bad, only the 3,000 apprentices of the Tower of the Great Sage actually experienced this trial.
In addition to the Great Sage's Tower, there are hundreds of wizard towers on the snowfield, and there are twelve large wizard towers of their own.
In the face of such a huge base, this little bit of trouble is not worth mentioning at all.
Luo Yan smiled faintly, and did not provoke Tafu, but spoke in a gentle tone.
"I'm not talking about life, but about the virtual realm. Remember that spaceship model we saw at the border of the academy? The magicians of the academy should have obtained a virtual realm related to your hometown, but unfortunately, the two virtual realms I obtained were not it."
Tafu scratched her head.
“…Isn’t this a good thing?”
Luo Yan laughed heartily.
"It seems so."
It was a pity that I was unable to persecute Taf's hometown.
He always listened to the little boy's bragging, and he was quite curious about what the hometown of the legendary "Lord Dragon God" looked like.
At this moment, Tafu suddenly squeaked.
"Hello."
"What's wrong?"
"If the magicians of Xuebang...accelerate the world behind the virtual realm, does that mean the time difference between the two worlds will be completely changed?"
As if she felt that her expression was a bit abstract, Tafu pondered and changed her wording.
"What I mean is...if they keep pressing the fast-forward button, will the Zeta Empire suddenly disappear one day with a bang?"
This made her feel deeply frustrated, as if all her efforts in the first half of her life were completely meaningless.
From the very beginning, they were all murals carved on stone slabs. Their past and future were determined from the moment the universe was born.
It's as if everything that hasn't happened has already happened.
Luo Yan thought for a moment, looked at the pair of confused eyes and answered.
"That sounds like two problems. First, the time it takes for the two worlds to meet isn't infinite, and we don't always get to see the ending on the other side of the virtual world. It's simply that when our spiritual frequencies happen to be similar, we stumble upon a glimpse of you in another universe."
Tuff couldn't help but puff.
"The frequency of the spirit is similar to yours? You? Puff puff..."
The laughter was a bit deliberate.
Luo Yan smiled faintly, ignoring the ridicule and panic of the noble and advanced civilized people, and continued in a calm voice.
"Secondly, all we can do is drag the progress bar. The interference we can exert can only amplify certain voices in your hearts, but it cannot directly determine your future or past."
"If I were to make a further guess, the spacetime Xuebang observed is probably the parallel spacetime A after you are gone. If you go back, you will naturally enter the spacetime B where you exist."
"As for the specific point in time at which the branching point occurs, it depends on whether you actually go back and when you do. We probably can't observe this timeline, and discussions about what lies beyond the event horizon are meaningless."
After a pause, he continued.
"But? Is it necessary for you to go back in this state?"
Tuff was stunned.
She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time, finally muttering something.
"I didn't say I was going back...I was just asking."
Luo Yan nodded happily and stopped talking about the topic that made the little female dragon feel heavy-hearted.
In fact, there was a third question. He heard the implication in her words, but did not answer.
Taffy's unspoken concern was the truth of the universe, at least the one they walked on—that time did not exist.
The Solipsi, who were infinitely close to the finish line, had already told him the answer.
Yet even so, life is still real and truly belongs to oneself.
And the feeling at the moment too.
Since you are no longer a god, just be a mortal, or a mortal dragon.
For the vast majority of souls, living in the present is the most important and meaningful thing.
Silence returned to the cabin, with only the sound of the breeze as the airship passed through the clouds, accompanying them as they flew from the harsh north to the warm south.
After a long time, Sarah, who had been silent, suddenly raised her stiff neck and asked curiously.
"Are we just going to fly directly to the Principality of Campbell?"
"Of course not."
Luo Yan smiled, put down the teacup gracefully, and said something that made both Tafu and Sarah's faces change drastically.
"After all, this is Mr. Alberto's first true airship. Strictly speaking, it's just an experiment."
"I didn't expect this thing to really carry us all the way to the Principality of Campbell."
(End of this chapter)
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