Uriel imagined the scene and almost laughed out loud.
"Are they going to laugh all the time?"
"Just leave the mine." The dwarf replied. "We tried to use magic to blow it up, but one of the uses of the Smiley Face Mine is to absorb magic power - my ancestors were completely unable to do anything about it."
"Then how did you mine the ore?"
"My ancestors." Painter corrected, "My ancestors were powerful and wise. This is the power given by Surte."
Surt is the god of fire and wisdom, and Uriel knows that the dwarves believe in him, although this race can only be regarded as believers in fire.
"I would like to know how your ancestors used their minds, Mr. Painter," the apprentice asked, trying not to sound weird.
The dwarf became suspicious, "Do you really want to know?"
"I swear to Gaia, I didn't tell a lie."
York pretended not to care and remained silent.
"Then I told you?"
"..." Uriel feels that such a game is really childish. He is now very convinced that dwarves are indeed different from humans, and not just in height.
"Collecting Smiley Face Mine is an important secret of the dwarves, and Long Ears must not know it." Painter explained.
What does this have to do with elves? They probably aren't interested in casting metal, right? Or am I ignorant?
Uriel looked at Joey, who was silent and indifferent to their conversation.
"Keeping secrets requires courage." The apprentice praised, but Painter's deliberate secrecy made him suddenly lose interest in mining the mysterious ore. Uriel picked up the kettle and took a sip.
The big-nosed dwarf did not notice the change in his attitude: "The Smiley Face Mine makes people laugh, and the curse is difficult to remove. After trying many times, my ancestors finally came up with a way: wait until a dwarf laughs so much that he can't swing the hammer. , just replace it with the next person.”
"...!!"
There was a pop. Uriel suddenly lowered his head and squirted out everything he drank. It was spicy and sweet, irritating the apprentice to tears. "--liquor?!"
Damn it, how could he believe that dwarves could carry drinking water with them!
"You'd rather have coffee now, wouldn't you?" York laughed.
Uriel coughed, unable to answer, feeling his face covered with tears. His nose was clogged and he couldn't breathe, his throat was burning and sore, and the scream was already at the top of his lungs; Painter's face was blurred with an expression of ignored anger, but the apprentice noticed with relief that the orange-faced man's The laughter gradually turned into a distorted scream as his forehead was frozen to the trunk of the tree.
For the first time - Uriel felt that Sauron's prank came at the right time.
"My face, what's wrong with my face?" When he opened his eyes again, he saw that York's face had turned into a ball of soft mud, still orange-red. This Lucia Sita pulled her head out of shape, but the other end was still firmly fixed on the tree.
The dwarf was so amused by this funny look that he slapped his knees. As a result, the mercenary leader's helmet fell off and hit his toes, causing him to fall over to the left with an ouch.
The scene was chaotic for a time, and no one paid attention to Painter's breathtaking answer. Do we expect the guys swinging hammers by the stove to come up with any ingenious answers? They are worthy of being followers of the God of Wisdom.
Only the initiator of it all, Ring Soren Gerson, watched them. If Joey wasn't still in the tree, he might have started laughing. Uriel didn't find this funny at all, he just wanted a drink of water.
The fir trees swayed.
A shadow fell in front of my eyes, carrying a cold wind and soft snow. The seven-pointed star on the messenger's shoulder armor shone red. He moved his fingers and the ice melted.
"I think there's a Smiley Face Mine buried under this tree."
Joey said, "Even if no one touches it, it will keep you laughing until tomorrow morning."
Then we would no longer feel the magic. Uriel wiped his face again. York and the dwarf quickly shut up, and the ring flew back and was put on the young man's finger obediently.
"Can you give me some water?" But Uriel was not afraid of him. The apprentice threw the dwarf's mead back and eagerly returned it to its original owner.
Joey glanced at him and handed him the kettle. Jean York looked at the apprentice with an expression of admiration, and then carefully placed the helmet on his newly restored head.
But things are far from that simple. Uriel took the kettle and found that it was heavy inside, but not a drop of water could be poured out——
They had long since frozen.
"As expected." Uriel no longer had any hope for his so-called mentor. He longed to understand the mystery and learn about Knox, but now it seemed that Joey was simply not qualified for the position. Even the dwarf Painter knew a lot, and Joey—he even forgot to pay the bill at the inn.
Of course, the messenger helped him a lot, pulling the apprentice back from the edge of despair and giving him hope - but Uriel preferred to regard the other party as a friend rather than the masters and nuns who taught him how to read in the monastery.
He couldn't change his attitude for a while, and Joey didn't need him to be as respectful as an apprentice. In fact, it does neither of them any good.
"follow me."
The messenger didn't care what the apprentice thought. He walked through the tall grass and distanced himself from the two mercenaries.
Uriel glanced at York Chaine, who had an expression that had nothing to do with him. They were just on the same journey: Calder, the leader of the Knox Mercenary Group, left the Clover Territory with most of the adventurers a few days ago, and there were not many people left in the city.
Traveling with the messenger was not a lucky thing, and within half a night, problems arose. Under pressure from the higher mysteries, York and Painter would have no objections.
"I believe you have something important to tell me, right?" Uriel asked tentatively.
The messenger remained silent and turned his head. Familiar eyes looked at him, but the apprentice felt very awkward.
Before he could protest, Joey said, "I'm here to answer your question."
"my question?"
"it is my responsibility."
With such a formal look... Uriel couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Of course he knew that Joey was not joking, but the apprentice was extremely worried that he would laugh during the process, and Joey would not mind freezing him in the ice at that time.
"Can I ask why we are going to Winnie Watts?"
"……cannot."
A weird atmosphere began to spread.
"I can tell you about the Smiley Face Mine, as well as elves and elements." Joey hesitated for a moment and replied.
Mysterious knowledge, just what I need. Uriel comforted himself, although he would rather ask Sauron these things. But when he wanted to ask a question, he couldn't help but hesitate. For a moment, he didn't know where to start.
There is so much to learn, what should an apprentice know? Between magic and soul, organization and kingdom in the mysterious realm, what is the structure of the Sky Tower? All of Knox he wanted to know.
But Uriel wanted to know one thing more.
"The Cloud Train, I would like to ask, what level of mystery is it? Above the Sky Realm?"
"You still want to go back?"
Uriel didn't understand what he was thinking, "I don't know, but I just want to know."
The young man naturally understood what his two names meant, so he gave the answer. "The Cloud Train is a very secretive and mysterious natural phenomenon. Chloe has recorded it. So far, it has only appeared three times in Knox."
"Then it's my third time?"
"indeed so."
"So you don't know much about it?"
"There are many mysteries in the world that cannot be explained. This is just one of them." Joey stood on a rock. He always likes to step on something, which seems to give him a sense of security. "Croita doesn't know everything, although the astrologers do know a lot compared to other organizations."
"I have one more question," Uriel said, watching the messenger's reaction uneasily. "Why did Chloe instruct you to be my mentor?"
"Your situation is unique. It is very rare to become a mystic without going through the apprenticeship stage."
But Joey's face was expressionless, showing no irritation at being questioned, and Uriel found that he couldn't tell anything. "Since the experience of other instructors is useless, it is better to assign them nearby."
"Maybe it's not such a good job."
"Nor does patrolling vassal states."
Joey responded in a rare move.
It seems that the apprentice is right, not everyone wants to be a teacher. Teaching and educating people is not easy. More mystics are only interested in going further, and career exploration is also time-consuming. In contrast, imparting occult knowledge to a strange young apprentice is undoubtedly boring work.
At this time, the young man thought for a while and added: "What's more, most of the people who guide the apprentices are ring-level mystics who have just ignited the fire and changed their profession. They are not much different from you."
Uriel originally thought that he would not mind humbly asking for advice from a mystic of the same level, but when he remembered that he could not accept it when he faced Joey, he became a little unsure.
Getting a job is just the beginning. I should feel that I am no more special than others.
"I'm nothing special." Uriel squeezed the kettle tightly, feeling the heat continue to drain. He felt that his mind might not be clear after the battle, but he really longed for the mysterious world. "Gaia has allowed me to become a mystic, and I can only be grateful for the favor, as is anyone."
Joey's blue eyes stared at him, and the apprentice did not dare to see if there was any disappointment in them: "Humility is a virtue, and I understand how you feel. After the Winnie Watts incident is over, I will take you back to the City of Floating Clouds."
"Thank you, Joey." Uriel was so ashamed that he couldn't help but lower his head.
However, unexpectedly, the messenger suddenly said: "We are not going to Winawase."
"...?!"
"Our destination is Iron Claw City."
Joey answered.
Iron Claw City is the royal capital of Eastman. It is located in the east of the kingdom, next to Knight's Bay and far across from the West.
Venivas is the main city of the Iceland Territory, which is north of the Morris Mountains and at the southernmost tip of the kingdom. Starting from the Four Leaf Territory and continuing southward, you will eventually go further and further.
No one can figure out the reason for this. The apprentice was unprepared. He opened his mouth wide in surprise and filled his stomach with the night wind.
