The recent autumn rains seem to be more frequent than in previous years. Each one brings away a little bit of the summer feeling, causing the leaves of the sycamores and poplars to turn slightly yellow. The rain quenches the noisy cicadas, but it is not enough to wake up the weavers and crickets, making this early autumn seem quiet.
many.
Located in the middle of the empire, the daytime in Glow City is still hot, but the morning and evening are cool and pleasant when the breeze blows. Several orange and green poplar leaves are scattered in the soil, and when viewed from a distance, they look like several blooming flowers.
Yuffie was standing on the top of an aspen tree - to be precise, floating less than half a foot above it. The girl tied up her long pink hair and wore clothes that were easy to move around - a cotton tunic and a close-fitting
She wears trousers, half-finger gloves, and well-fitting long soft boots. There is half a row of scrolls in her belt, and in her hand she holds a short staff about two feet long, engraved with silver-white runes.
Invisible magic surrounded her, then extended into the distance, feeding back to her everything within a dozen meters. It was not as clear as vision, but it was enough to penetrate the barriers of the trees, and was more sensitive than hearing and touch.
This is the second battle today.
The girl looked around, then looked down, but could not find any figure. The Wutong Garden was square in shape, with a side length of about two hundred meters, and was filled with deciduous trees. The huge tree crown blocked the line of sight, making it extremely easy to hide one's figure. If
If she was accidentally approached by her 'opponent', she might be very passive next time, she thought to herself.
While she was thinking, something flapped its wings and broke into her perception. Yuffie tapped her toes and instantly slid to one side more than ten meters. At the same time, seven or eight crows clattered through the canopy of the tree and landed on her
The position where I just stopped.
They rattled several times, fluttered their wings again, and rushed towards her from all directions.
There was no abnormality in the secret vision - but that didn't mean anything. Yuffie raised her hand, and dozens of cyan light spots flashed from her palm, trailing a long and narrow trail, shooting out at every target in her sight.
The crows screamed and scattered, but the missiles followed closely behind, catching up with them in just one breath and shooting them down one after another. The remaining two were surprisingly agile. They turned over to avoid the missiles, and one of them ran straight towards
She, the other one fluttered its wings into the air, and then swooped down towards her from above.
A row of silver-white runes appeared in front of her. The girl flicked her short staff, scattering three of them into silver glow, and then swiped from top to bottom.
The air instantly condensed into a milky white wall, accompanied by a deafening roar that swept through everything around her. The crow above her head was hit by the sonic boom, rolled and fell to the ground, its feathers scattered in all directions. The other one's body suddenly expanded, its wings
The black color fades away and is replaced by thin scales of pure gold——
The golden young dragon bent its neck and groaned in a low voice.
Time seemed to have doubled in the blink of an eye. As soon as Yuffie retracted her arm, she heard a familiar roar from behind, as well as a whistling of fluttering wings. She didn't have time to recite the incantation, so she quickly pressed her left hand on her chest.
The silver runes spread out, forming a solid spherical shield. Then she turned around and let the gryphon peck at the shield, her pupils flashing with strange light.
"Protect me, Grace." She whispered softly.
The magic power formed invisible ripples, distorting the gryphon's perception and mind. The girl lifted the levitation spell in her mind and let herself fall straight to the ground; Grace traveled through her original location and pounced on its real owner.
She knew that this would only cause trouble to Lin for a moment. The spirit of the secret magic was connected with the master's mind, and her spell would only take effect for a few seconds. But she was shocked to see that the gryphon's sharp claws penetrated directly into the young dragon's chest, almost tearing it apart.
split in half——
The spilled blood made Yuffie hesitate for a moment. But she immediately realized that Lin's melee skills were by no means weaker than Grace's. Before she could raise her short staff again, the blond girl appeared behind her out of thin air and shattered her arm with a punch.
Shield, and then put the short blade against the back of her neck.
It's another crow.
"You win." Yuffie blinked, turned around, and dispersed the half-constructed secret technique, "Is that an application of the transformation technique?"
"That's right. I want to call it 'Lin's twin form'. Unfortunately, the clone is a degraded version. It can use a few small spells, but it is not durable at all." The blonde girl said happily, "To be honest, this time I
Taking advantage - if it were a real enemy, you wouldn't hesitate, right?"
"Maybe that's the case," Yuffie replied, "but this time it's your victory, no doubt about it."
"So it's five to five, and we're tied again." The blond girl puffed up her cheeks, "I have to come up with better tactics next time."
The same goes for her, Yuffie thought. The confrontation training between the two lasted for five days, and there were almost no restrictions on their methods - even if she was accidentally injured, she could use Ada's power to heal the two of them. Since they are similar in strength
, there will be new changes almost every time, which also makes the girl more proficient in fighting.
Even so, if she meets Cullen...or Hughes again, she still has no confidence of winning.
"That's great. It's only been less than half a year, and it seems like you have gained a lot, right?"
There were clear claps and familiar voices from the side, causing her and Lin to turn their faces together. Annawell was still dressed in light clothes, with a long sword hanging on her waist, like a seasoned traveler. The wizard Kent stood to one side, wearing a simple
He wears clothes, pants and cloak, but there is more calmness and confidence between his brows.
Yuffie's eyes lit up, she smiled, and waved hello to the two of them. Lin ran to the other side in two steps and hugged her mother's arm.
"Why are you here?" the blonde girl asked in surprise, "I also plan to go to the Water City to find you."
"I heard that Alicia is back. Kent's classes just came to an end, so I brought him here to meet." The female swordsman looked at the wizard on the side and looked at the two of them with an appreciative smile.
"But if you ask me, you should make more progress. You are worthy of being our daughter."
Although it sounds like boasting, it is the truth, Yuffie thought. The harvest of the two people's travels in the past year is almost as good as the entire course of the previous four years. There is danger or sadness in it, but more importantly, it is precious and
Beautiful memories.
Overall, probably so.
"Her Highness Caroline just arrived in the morning. Her Highness Clovis is meeting her in the hall, and my mother should be there too." She put the short staff back on her waist and straightened her expression, "Do you want to go find them now?"
"That's just right." Annaweir nodded and also restrained her smile, "As the manager of Winterfell, I also want to know how the empire plans to deal with future events."
This is what the girl expected. Normally, the operations of the empire's towns are mostly handled by the Civil Affairs Department and the Criminal Law Department; but legally, the lord still has the highest decision-making power in the territory. Annawell is Lin's mother, and Alixi
Ya's close friend is also the Viscount of Campbell Territory. When the empire is on the verge of civil strife, she must consider the livelihood and safety of the hundreds of thousands of people in the territory.
Whether the lady will support Glowing City and her father, or stay out of the matter for the time being, also foreshadows the response of the other fiefdoms.
She hoped that everything would unfold in a good direction, although she knew it would be difficult. Yuffie walked to the front and was about to lead the way, but she saw a white crow penetrated the clouds, landed with flapping wings, and put down a scroll in its talons.
into the palm of her hand.
She knew who the source was without looking. The girl untied the lace, flattened the scroll, and read what was on it.
"Long time no see, Annie. You're doing well, right? I know."
I asked the chef to make lemon risotto, seafood stew and anchovy noodles. Just come to the restaurant, we are all there.
——Wind Chime
The slender hand took away the scroll, and while she was slightly lost in thought, Annawell passed her, her long blond hair swaying gently, and walked towards the castle without looking back.
"Don't think too much, things are not that bad." Annaweir's voice became brisk again - mother has such magic power, "You can only have the strength to solve problems when you are full. I won't wait for you, okay?"
This was true. She took Lin's hand, followed Madam's footsteps, and then continued to lead the way.
Several people walked through the cobblestone garden path and greeted the "ravens" resting on the branches of the trees and the gardeners cleaning the garden. In the past two days, rumors have spread in Glow City, and many have claimed that
Regarding the news of Rogman's death, some people pointed the finger at Clovis, while others dismissed it as nonsense.
But the city was still peaceful. The residents of the empire, who had not experienced war for more than a hundred years, would not easily take action even if they had a premonition that a storm was coming. Maybe it was not too late, the girl thought.
The restaurant is located on the first floor on the southeast side of the castle. It is not a spacious hall for daily banquets, but is about six or seven meters square. It is equipped with a round dining table, candlesticks, and comfortable seats with cushions. It looks more suitable for relatives and friends.
A gathering place. There is a steaming large basin on the table, stuffed with scorpionfish, shrimp, clams, tomatoes, carrots, onions, saffron, and a variety of other herbs and ingredients, glowing with enticing aroma.
Milky white and orange-red aroma.
This is a dish from the southern part of the Daohulun Kingdom. It is cheap and common there and is full of the flavor of the ocean. The kingdom’s seafood will be landed in the southern part of the Federation and then transported to the empire via trade fleets. The magic of the "Lord of Light" can keep the food
Fresh, for the imperial royal family, such a meal is not a luxury - although it looks equally lacking in refinement.
But it is full of the breath of life.
Her father, Clovis, was wearing a robe and sitting close to the fireplace. Next to him was her mother and another woman who could be seen to be quite tall even though she was sitting. She had the same red color as Clovis.
The hair is about the length of the ears, and it also wears a pitch black crown - it just lacks the emblem of the two-headed gryphon.
She was wearing light leather armor and breeches, with a sheathed giant sword leaning against the table. She looked more like a warrior than a noble. Sensing Yuffie's gaze, the woman raised her head slightly and looked back, with proud confidence in her eyes.
"Your Highness Clovis and Your Highness Maroline." Annaville stepped forward and greeted the two people opposite with knightly salutes. "You are welcome to come. Thank you for the hospitality." She tilted her head slightly and seemed to pause for a moment.
, "Thea."
Alicia raised her head, with a nostalgic look in her eyes - Yuffie rarely saw such an expression on her mother's face.
"Little Annie." The woman said briskly, "Sit down first, have something to eat, and you two." She waved her finger and let the three seats slide out quietly and stay in the right position.
, "Have you had a smooth journey along the way?"
Annawell scooped up half of the fish covered in rich soup, put it on the silver plate in front of her, and delicately removed the fish bones. Yuffie and Lin also sat down and served themselves some dishes. The maid put down three cups and poured them out.
Serve the autumn fruit wine, and then bow to leave.
"I saw Ada's words spread across the imperial lands." The Dame of Winterfell swallowed a piece of food, pursed her lips, and her voice was so calm that it was almost ruthless, "The monks claimed that Rogman should not have died so easily.
The believers attribute the sins to the vested interests." She raised her head, met Clovis' eyes, and then panned to the right, "Alicia, tell me, what is the truth?"
"Wizards have studied that the human body is composed of countless tiny "cells". They will continue to repair and reproduce to maintain the survival of the body." Alicia's words were unhurried, as if she was telling an ordinary story.
Story, "For ordinary people, the number of reproductions is not infinite, and that is the reason for aging and death."
The pink woman shook the cup and took a sip of the wine, seeming a little regretful, "As for Rogman, Ada's "blessing" allowed his cells to change rapidly, day and night, but never increased the limit of times. Everything
When he can still maintain it, he has endless energy and physical strength; but when the limit comes, his body will collapse."
"The replacement speeds of different organs are different, so he will age rapidly within a few days until he dies. Since the body's potential is completely exhausted, even if I use Ada's magic, I can't save his life." Yuffie.
Taking over what her mother was saying, she suddenly remembered the scene where she and Lin met each other a few months ago, "Theoretically, Rogman can feel death approaching and has enough time to leave a will. I don't know why.
He didn't do that."
"Because to him, the world after death is meaningless. Brother Rogman's long-cherished wish is to personally restore the empire to its former glory." Crowe's voice was a little low, "I'm afraid it is precisely because of this unfulfilled wish that brother
Then I asked for the blessing of Edda."
"And then he lost his life in vain." Maroline slammed her fist on the table, "If only his problem could have been discovered earlier-"
"You may not be able to convince him, right? At that time, he probably couldn't listen to anyone except Cullen... Those officials who opposed him launching the war were all thrown into prison." Lin took a spoonful of it into the bowl.
He took two sips of the thick soup and said, "Even if he wakes up, this "curse" left by the gods... maybe Principal Corens and Sister Helencia will be able to cure it..."
"
The blonde girl's voice became smaller and smaller, and she finally bit her lip and stopped talking. The room fell silent for a while. Yuffie knew very well that the past was irreversible, and there was no use in thinking about it - but many times, when
Everything happens around you, and it is not easy to do it.
The maid came in again and brought a large plate of golden risotto and sliced roast beef. She took a bite, and the fresh lemon sauce wrapped around the slightly elastic rice grains seemed to brighten her mood.
"Eskar sent a letter yesterday, and it also mentioned the Edda believers - so we can't wait any longer." Yuffie patted her cheek, rested her chin with her hands, and looked at her father,
"What are you going to do?"
Clovis closed his eyes silently, as if he was making some kind of decision. Yuffie also waited silently. She didn't know what kind of decision her father would make, but no matter which one it was, she had to accept it.
After about half a minute of silence, the current emperor spoke again.
"Tomorrow morning, I will announce Rogman's death and the cause of death." He turned his face and looked at the red-haired woman who was the eldest sister. "I will also announce that the throne will be handed over to Maroline, and I will always
Support her governance."
The answer was quite satisfactory, and it was also a relatively easy choice. She saw Marolyn purse her lips and raise a playful smile, "You just give up the throne, little brother, don't you regret it?"
"You are more suitable than me." Clovis replied, "It is up to you to sit in this position so that I can stay here with peace of mind."
"Don't think about being lazy. I don't trust Cullen as much as Rogman does. I will leave his position to you."
It's a pity that no one can let her entrust her with the mission. Yuffie took another sip of wine and felt the sourness of autumn, "As for the cause of Logman's death, which one are you going to use?"
"That's what you just told me," Crowe replied calmly, "We can't meet lies with lies. People want the truth."
This is not the easiest statement to accept - it is tantamount to declaring against Ada and stating that Logman O'Lair has made a big mistake. And even intuition can't tell her which is the right answer.
.
"What about you, mother?" Lin turned her head and asked, "What is Winterfell's plan?"
"I will support Her Highness Marolyn and prepare some supplies for the royal city." Annaweir looked at the two members of the royal family. "There are not many soldiers in Winterfell. I will arrange defense, but I will not make plans for war."
"It should be good to be your subject." Clovis breathed out, "It's a pity that I am not so lucky."
The dinner came to an end soon after. Annaville and her mother continued to whisper, while Chloe and her eldest sister went to the study together. Yuffie and Lin walked along the south wall and headed to their residence in the west tower.
The evening breeze of early autumn blew by. The girl closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the coolness dissipate the warmth brought by the fruit wine to her cheeks.
The west tower was originally the residence of the guards. Now most of the guards have moved elsewhere, and it is filled with arcane books and experimental equipment - some from Eagle College, and more from the palace's collection. There are also a whole
One floor is used to raise various creatures to test the effects of certain potions and secret techniques.
On the second day after she and Lin forced Cullen back, Clovis used this as an excuse to grant them the title of court wizard, so the current treatment was not out of the ordinary.
Yuffie picked up "Introduction to Secret Art Structure" from the table, followed the bookmarks to open it, and leaned on the sofa to continue reading. Lin went to the laboratory downstairs for a while, and then returned to the room to read "Notes on Raising a Dragon"
》.
"What is said above is not true at all." The girl complained briskly, "Dragon people are omnivores and are sensitive to sweetness. It is much better to give them a little candy than to just feed them burnt meat... But they can't find it anyway.
Dragon, so there is no difference."
Then the room returned to silence, with only the gentle breathing of the two of them and the occasional sound of pages turning - even though it was different from the past, the familiar atmosphere still made her feel at ease and integrate the knowledge in the book into her mind.
In the dead of night, they fell asleep in the same bed. But Yuffie's sleep was not sound. She dreamed that her father took her to a ball. She was alone in the carriage except for the driver. In the venue, the princes and nobles gathered together, but there was no one.
No one was aware of her arrival. She looked around and couldn't find anyone she knew.
"This is not the place you should come to." The man whose face could not be seen clearly said to her, "nor is it something you should interfere in-"
She woke up from her dream, feeling that her heart was beating faster than usual, and her forehead was dripping with sweat. She opened her eyes, stared at the dark ceiling of the castle, and heard her friend's voice blowing into her ears with breath.
"What did you dream about?" Lin turned sideways and pressed her cheek against hers, "It's a pity that you didn't talk in your sleep."
She recounted the scene in her dream, from beginning to end, and then sighed softly.
"I'm afraid." As a witch, she knew exactly what her dreams meant. "I'm worried that everything in front of me will continue to get worse, and I'm also afraid that the doomsday I've seen before will really become a reality. Although the future can be changed, but..."
Her friend hugged her gently. "Saving the world is indeed a difficult task, right?"
Yuffie nodded slightly.
"Actually, I am the same." Lin whispered, "I haven't seen the illusion of Jingxin Lake, but I can imagine it... Anyway, we have seen what it looked like after its destruction. To be honest, I would rather go now
Find a way to the east, and let everyone I know take refuge there before the end comes—"
"But that won't work, right?" Yuffie answered her friend's words, "This is my responsibility...and maybe yours too. Although with our current strength, we may not even be able to defeat Cullen."
"Who made you her daughter?" the blonde girl murmured, "and who made me know you." She closed her eyes, her pale golden eyelashes trembling slightly, "No matter what, there will never be anything worse than death.
What a terrible thing. Even if I really have to die... Is it okay if I can die with you?"
Somehow, talking about death soothed her uneasiness. In fact, the two of them had known it for a long time, but only by accepting possible failure first could they have the courage to face it, Yuffie thought to herself.
"Speaking of which," Lin suddenly asked, "Who is our enemy? Ada? Or Mal? Or something else?"
"The enemies of gods are gods." She answered intuitively, "Our enemies are humans...perhaps everyone we know, including ourselves."