It has been six years, I don’t know when it started, but the prince is not too disgusted with the current life: far away from disputes and calculations, death and bloodshed.
Classes, training, reading, playing chess, having fun, access control...
Wyatt, Rolf, Ada...
Lisban, Nicolai, Justin, Jinx...
And that girl.
But Thales knew that there was always a small voice in his heart reminding him. After Putilai's arrival, this voice became clearer and clearer. For him who was born with many difficulties, this would not last long.
Fate does not show its favor without reason, and accidents always come suddenly.
for example……
The prince sighed, opened the book "The Story of the Knights of the Light of Humanity" that he had brought, and took out a familiar sky-blue invitation card.
Thales looked at the beautiful cursive characters on it, and there were only three words:
Are you ready?
The prince shook his head, raised his head again, and looked at Asheida who suddenly appeared opposite.
What's strange is that such an obvious living person appeared in the box, opposite the prince...
But everyone within sight, whether it was Wyatt, Rolf, Justin behind him, or even the countless soldiers on the streets and buildings opposite, seemed not to have seen him: their eyes glanced at the magician from time to time.
location, but no response.
It's like this person doesn't exist.
This made Thales uneasy, so he had to adjust his breathing and control his heartbeat.
This isn't the first time.
calm.
He comforted himself.
"Don't worry, they can neither hear my voice nor see my existence. The air is a very interesting thing. With a little adjustment, miracles will happen." The Qi Magician didn't even raise his head, stroking the chess piece in his hand.
"After all, there is only one Black Sword in the world."
Aixida is still so handsome, her dark brown curly hair is still pleasing to the eye, and her clothes are as clean as new, as if he suddenly jumped from six years ago to six years later, ignoring the passage of time in between.
"Yeah," Thales frowned slightly, "I'm very impressed."
"You've grown up."
Aixida raised his eyes and said calmly, a blue light appeared behind his eyes: "It seems that he is still very leisurely, and he has no consciousness of being a hostage of a country at all."
Thales didn't look at the other party's expression. He grabbed a pawn and moved it forward one space: "Am I going to cry every day, hoping that some disaster that can overturn the world will save me?"
Asheida didn't pay attention to his sarcasm, and just focused her eyes on him, but on the magician's chessboard, a pawn moved forward by itself.
"I hope you still remember your identity, and I mean your true identity," the Qi Magic Master said softly: "Don't get involved too deeply, and don't be too high-profile, so as not to be unable to extricate yourself."
Thales whistled and shook his head.
"It seems you were the guy who almost destroyed Longxiao City in order to take me away." Thales took another step.
Aixida didn't speak, and her expression didn't change.
"As a person who disappeared for six years and brought nothing except the invitation five years ago," Thales took a deep breath and asked tentatively: "Doesn't he seem qualified to say that?
"
Really.
I almost thought he was sealed.
That invitation five years ago had only one sentence on it: Prepare the classroom and wait patiently.
until……
Thales looked at the blue invitation that suddenly appeared the day before yesterday and sighed again.
"There is a reason for my disappearance." Asheida's eyes returned to the chessboard, and the second pawn moved forward strangely: "The appearance of Giza is not a small matter, not just the Sky Queen. In these six years,
Many beings have visited Longxiao City overtly or covertly, including enemies that you and I should be wary of, and I am not sure that I will not be discovered."
enemy?
Thales caught the word.
"So I need to keep a low profile and wait until the most dangerous time passes," the magician glanced around: "And in the days when I left, you did a good job and found a good place."
Thales exhaled, moved the pawn to eat one of Aishida's chess pieces, and turned the pawn into a swordsman: "For this occasion and excuse that does not arouse any suspicion, I have been preparing carefully for three years."
yes.
In the past five years, Thales has explored countless possibilities of having a safe and harmless private conversation with Esida: talking to himself in the Palace of Heroes, reading in a quiet place, hiding in the library, but no matter which
It's too dangerous or inconvenient, whether it's attracting unnecessary attention or having guards everywhere in the Palace of Heroes.
He needs a special occasion, one that is upright and far away from everyone but will not arouse suspicion.
For example, now: Who would have thought that in front of everyone, the Prince of the Stars, who he was playing chess with, was actually having a conversation with Disaster?
"This is the sadness of worldly bondage." Aixida moved the third pawn again, as if she didn't care about Thales's swordsman: "I still say the same thing: think about it, come with me? You don't have to prepare.
I’m so worried about the classroom.”
Asheida raised her head and looked at Thales with a meaningful look.
The prince rubbed his fingers, grabbed a shield warrior, and moved it diagonally one space, trying to block the opponent's three pawns.
"I think we have made it clear enough," Thales sighed: "What you need is a king to do some things that you couldn't do before."
"But you are in a difficult situation," Aixida asked the knight to move out from behind the three pawns without any pause, and at the same time contained the rampaging swordsman and the shield warrior who were preparing to intercept: "To be honest, even if you perform amazingly, but against
I'm still not optimistic about whether you can be successfully crowned."
"If you are still just going to talk nonsense, then we can end it early." Thales quickened his tone and was slightly unhappy. He grabbed a sling crossbow, jumped over two chess pieces, and placed it on the side of the threatening opponent's knight.
Location.
Asheida showed a chilling smile that Thales had seen before.
"Where's the weapon?"
"The one that sealed Giza six years ago," the magician said softly, "I thought you would at least take it with you when you came to see me."
On the chessboard, a pawn belonging to Asheida suddenly took a step forward and turned into a swordsman.
"For your safety."
He said softly.
That... armed.
If it were Thales in the past, he would probably have a thump in his heart at this time.
But Thales knew very well what kind of existence he was facing. Esida could detect the air pressure activity in the target's body from a very long distance.
"It's where it should be." Thales said calmly. The sins of the Hell River in his body flowed through his lungs and blood vessels like warm water, maintaining the original rhythm of breathing and expansion.
The prince moves the shield warrior into the attack range of the opponent's knight.
This time, Aixida stared at him for ten seconds.
After a while, the magician put away his emotionless smile and turned his attention to the position of the shield warrior on the chessboard, which was just within the range of the opponent's stone crossbow: "Very good."
What's good?
Thales stared at him quietly, still not saying this.
fortunately.
He controlled his body's reaction.
The crime of using the prison river...
The other party suddenly whispered: "Are you ready?"
Thales, who was thinking about the problem, couldn't react. He moved slightly and raised his head: "What are you preparing for?"
The next second, Aixida suddenly sat upright and no longer cared about the chessboard in front of her.
As if facing the most serious occasion.
"Before we start, we must clarify some rules first." Aixida said calmly.
Thales was a little stunned: "Rules?"
Esida nodded slowly. Thales didn't know how he could read it from the almost unchanged face of the magician, but he subconsciously felt that Esida's expression at this moment was extremely serious: "On the way, you were originally
You should take good notes, but in view of this situation... So, first of all, you have to think carefully about every word I say. This is a respect for me and for yourself. Correspondingly, I will also take your words seriously.
To wait.”
Thales was infected by his attitude and nodded in response.
"Second, you can ask questions at any time during the journey, and you can even raise counter-questions. I may refuse to answer some parts, but this is not the reason for you to remain silent. This is the worst student." The magic energy master of Qi used his rare words.
, said this sentence at an even and steady pace, contrary to his previous strange rhythm and habits.
Thales straightened up unconsciously and nodded seriously.
Like a most devout student.
"Third, before you speak, you must think clearly about how I would answer from my perspective. Say less meaningless words, get to the point and save time."
"Fourth, in my class you are not allowed to use metaphors and analogies to explain your points. That is the easiest way to be tricky."
Thales could only keep a straight face, nodding his head, focusing his eyes on the other party's equally serious eyes.
"The most important thing is to be humble," Asheida said softly. This time, his steady words seemed to have something else in them: "It's not about me, but about the knowledge you are about to acquire that you don't agree with."
First, respect, then think about, find out differences, and finally question, and questioning should not be limited to the other party, but also question yourself, such as your presupposed premises. Use less absolute and affirmative words, and encourage the use of assumptions.
and conditional statements.”
Thales moved first, and then held down his right hand. He was afraid that he could not help raising his hand or subconsciously looking for a pen.
Aixida noticed his reaction, curved her mouth slightly, and hummed softly.
The prince couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
"Of course, when you speak, you must also be prepared to be asked questions," the Qi Magician continued subconsciously: "If any of your peers here ask..."
Thales' expression changed, feeling a little strange.
Peers?
Asheida noticed something was wrong almost immediately.
His words were paused and unnaturally held back.
It's like being suddenly cut off.
The atmosphere returned to quiet.
The soldiers and guards around the box still looked as usual and were not aware of it.
But in the small space on both sides of the chessboard, Thales caught the magician's face trembling slightly at that moment, and his left hand tightened slightly.
Thales opened his mouth wide in surprise.
This is……
This was a reaction that Asheida had never had since he met her.
Aixida didn't speak, he just stared at his chessboard quietly, expressionless and motionless.
As if looking into the distance.
Thales suddenly had the illusion that the inhumane Asheida in front of him actually had such a human side.
That word.
Peers...
Three seconds later.
Aixida closed her eyes and opened them again, seemingly adjusting herself.
His eyes raised again, shining brightly: "That's all."
Thales took a breath and put the doubts in his heart.
The prince concentrated all his energy, filled with uncontrollable anticipation and nervousness, and nodded slowly.
coming.
"Then let's get started," Ashe said without any nonsense. He blinked his clear eyes and went straight to the topic with cold words: "Today, as your first lesson on the journey of being a magician, I want to say three things.
"
"First, pay attention to what a magician is, not what magic is."
"Second, we, the magicians' position and position in the world."
"Third, our enemies and companions."
Under the sky of Longxiao City, the words of the Qi Magic Master rang softly in the ears of the Prince of Stars.
It's like the chirping of insects, as if it's silent.