The long tunnel is narrow and dark, with few plants except rocks. Uriel saw several five-leaf winter trees spreading their leaves through the light from York's body. This magical plant has strong vitality and is very common in cold areas.
Due to the lack of light, the apprentice noticed that the orange-faced man's skin began to look dull. "How long have we been here?"
"It's probably already night now." The mercenary unscrewed the lid of the pot. "Would you like some coffee?"
He knew that I was not at all happy to drink this stuff, but he was always interested in asking and enjoying it. Uriel knew he had to ignore the problem. "The moon is almost up. There are no bugs and it's not wet. It's just a little firm. That's okay. Maybe we can stay here for the night."
"I thought you would want to go back."
"Of course I've thought about it. But it's too late now, isn't it?"
"Yes, even if you go back now, the envoy will not pretend that nothing happened." York joked. "Seriously, Uriel, why don't you go to Croita and just be an adventurer in Eastman? I think you will be a good partner. I can see it in the Valley of Sleep."
Why don't you tell Joey this?
Uriel thought about it and felt that there might not be a chance. "Mr. Eze is also Croita's Mystic. Can't he still be an adventurer?"
"I almost forgot." York slapped his head, "I forgot that you just became a mystic, and I don't know what the difference is between the two. Wait, didn't the envoy tell you?"
"Time is tight." Uriel made a gesture you know, and held each other's hands again. "Appreciate further details."
"Croita is a large mysterious organization. It has a complete training system for mysterious creatures and is famous on Binya Io. It is a team of mystics, and of course it is much better than a mercenary group. It mainly trains astrologers . Talented apprentices become qualified mystical creatures under the guidance of their mentors, and then choose a career under the guidance of the tower - the career of a mystic is not only a channel for granting various abilities, it is also said."
"What's the meaning?"
"That's it -" this question made him scratch his head, "I haven't been there either. But I think they will tell you what you are suitable for, such as continuing to study to explore the secrets, or becoming a garrison, or staying in Floating Cloud City. Life can be seen everywhere on the Internet. These can also be regarded as mysterious professions."
"Like Mr. Eads, he's the resident?"
"And Bai. He is the envoy of the countries under the Patrol Tower." Suddenly York slapped his palm, and the apprentice knew that he must have thought of a better metaphor. "A factory for mortals."
"Not really, right?" He couldn't imagine York having any experience visiting a factory.
"Of course it's similar. You see, the Mystics are workers, and different professions are organized into different workshops. I think the Astrologers are probably the biggest ones. Their job is to observe the enemy outside Knox's Barrier, just like watching the belt parts."
"That's the conveyor belt."
"Teleport? Same as the Ladder?... In short, some people are responsible for managing them, and those people must be stronger, more knowledgeable, and more experienced."
Uriel understood. "The sky."
"Maybe it's okay to be satisfied. Eze said that not all envoys are from the Sky Realm, and most of the headquarters are ring-level ones. Only the envoys with higher authority and responsible for managing various garrison branches will be the mysterious creatures of the Sky Realm."
"What about the apprentices? What do they do in the factory?"
"Ah, they are microphones, handymen and recorders. Any work except for the mystic is their job. And they have to learn relevant occult knowledge all day long. If you meet an impatient tutor, I imagine their road to graduation must be extremely bumpy.”
Uriel was speechless for a moment.
It doesn’t look like Joey is the kind of tutor who can’t get a diploma, and it’s unlikely that he will keep me as his apprentice until he returns to the Tower of Sky... But who can say for sure, in my case This matter should have been uneventful before leaving Wynneworth with York. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at the young adventurer.
"Then what difference does it make? I will become a true Mystic in Croyta and then return to the Eastman Kingdom."
"It's a big difference. It's not so easy to be a garrison. Eze said -" York suddenly paused, "Actually, he said a lot, but in the end he always told me to keep it secret. I really wish I had him too. Such a good memory.”
Then he continued: "Being a garrison is not a good job. Few people are willing to serve. This means that there are not many people competing for the job. I think you should know the benefits better than me."
Uriel nodded. Less competition pressure was originally a good thing he dreamed of in Four Leaf City. If given the chance to escape Lady Emma's laundry and the hot, humid steam, he would not hesitate.
"However, garrison is a very important position, and its holders need to meet rigid requirements."
"any request?"
"He didn't say."
"..." Uriel almost lost his breath.
"Let's talk about something else. You should understand clearly that I have no right to make the decision on this matter." If you continue, I'm afraid I won't be able to help but pour away your coffee.
York was unimpressed. "Ez will tell us how difficult it is to become a garrison to show off his abilities. But each of us knows that the real reason why he left the Sky Tower is that the prices in Floating Cloud City are too high——"
This really sounds like something Mr. Eads would be capable of doing, and I'm not surprised at all. "Please make sure you change it."
It's just that York isn't going to do what he's told. "He's not coming back to Eastman. I have to say something. You'd better tell him when you go to Sky Tower."
"What kind of hatred is this?"
"He and others started teasing me and asked me to learn bagpipes and then be his free bar singer."
Uriel thought that there was no worse prank than working for free, and he actually somewhat agreed with York's approach. "It was he who encouraged you to learn bagpipes?"
"He's the most positive one," York said, taking the pouch out of his backpack. "But I don't hate it anymore."
"It's never a bad thing for you to learn one more skill."
“But I really don’t want to do the things they’ve been urging me to do.”
That's your fault, kids are like that. The apprentice almost said it. I should find something for him to do, otherwise I won't be able to sleep tonight. "Let's just rest here. We don't even need to keep a watch, maybe we'll roll down at midnight."
When Uriel made a flat spot in the tunnel and lay down, the sound of bagpipes sounded in his ears.
Uriel did not look back and knew that York was sitting under the stone wall at the top. He rested his head on the railway track, lying on his back beside the broken track in an uninvented suicide posture. The moist cold air, carrying the whisper of the mountains, poured into his ears continuously. The apprentice wants to identify the notes of a piece of music that he has never heard before and the material of the instrument is unique.
The sleepiness of the trek and the gentle soothing brought him a hazy sleepiness. When Uriel closed his eyes, he felt that the dream was coming. A silver-gray train emerged from the darkness. A girl in dark blue uniform stood behind the glass of the door, with a pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
"Miss Debra," he whispered.
Miss DD, the conductor, stared at him: "This is the last bus."
Her voice was like peas dancing on a plate, rising and falling, crisp and sweet.
The apprentice shook his head instinctively, his mind going blank. He didn't realize that he was dreaming, and he didn't know that this scene seemed familiar. He saw the blurry moon in the sky through the phantom-like silver-gray carriage, but when he focused his gaze, he could see the scene inside through the glass.
There was a passenger inside, a shallow shadow. Covered in flames, his expression is peaceful.
A sudden excitement seized him, and Uriel immediately opened his eyes wide. But suddenly it was gone, and there was nothing there but Miss Debra. She became silent, and the snow flakes outside the station became faster and faster.
With a sharp, drawn-out chirp, the train began to speed up. Uriel did not get into the car and watched its light, twinkling figure as it left.
Uriel felt that his neck was very stiff and his body was heavy, especially his head and hands. Suddenly the whistle sounded from far away to near, as if it was about to penetrate into his ears. He woke up with a start.
"York?" The apprentice found the adventurer sitting next to him. He moved his fingers and played a small piece of music back and forth, which was not pleasant at all. Uriel asked him the time, but he didn't respond. The look on his face couldn't be said to be sleepy or confused, but it didn't look like he was awake.
The apprentice turned over and saw that the rail on which he was resting had become taller and smoother. This height is no longer suitable for sleeping overnight. Even the layer of floating soil under the back has disappeared. No wonder I wake up with back pain. He sat up. The large movements made York wake up from a dream, and he finally put down the three-finger bagpipes.
"Mysterious place." The orange-faced man murmured to himself.
Are you talking in your sleep? Before Uriel could ask any questions, York suddenly held his shoulders and pulled him back.
Bang!
The shrill whistle continued, but what was coming was not a train. The friction between the steel wheels and the steel rails spattered sparks, and the bearings groaned as they turned. The carriages from all directions were fierce, rushing straight from the tunnel in the distance and running over the track that the apprentice had just rested on. It roared past Uriel and York, throwing away sand and dust along the way.
There was a loud noise next, and Uriel almost jumped. But what swarmed out of the tunnel behind them was not members of the Wheel Gang, but a large group of uniformly dressed people wielding shovels, hammers, spikes and even lanterns. York took a step back and suddenly sat on a wooden box. The person who rubbed shoulders with him stepped on his feet. Uriel watched their toes overlap and couldn't help but feel the same pain, while York still looked confused.
A large group of people dispersed the apprentices and mercenaries, or in other words, they dispersed involuntarily when facing the oncoming people. These weird people are like a wave coming along the railway track, crowding and struggling with each other, dust is flying, and some people fall down during the pushing. A little man fell at the apprentice's feet, and the hat fell off his head, revealing his sweaty silver hair sticking to his scalp, and his face was covered with dirt. He was leaning against the stone wall, so he subconsciously wanted to help him up.
But as soon as he stretched out his hand, a man ran between them, and Uriel's arm seemed to stop him. The scene was so chaotic that the apprentice couldn't figure out what he was thinking. Am I stupid? Why not just pounce on it?
"Right-?!" He pulled his arm back halfway and cut across the attacker's waist. The man with the shovel passed them unawares. No one stopped. People were surrounded by dust and yellow smoke, and their shouts and shouts were intertwined and passed over them. The apprentice was stunned.
The little man on the ground rolled over, got up and disappeared into the crowd.
Uriel suspected that he was still dreaming. "what is that?!"
"I don't know." York's voice rose, "Look ahead!"
Uriel turned his head——
()
