Andrew failed to see Bertha because the doctor moved faster than he did.
When the three Uriels climbed upstairs and approached Ms. Bertha's ward, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Detective Queen Agatha stumbled out of the room along with the door. She almost fell.
"How rude!" she shouted angrily.
Uriel froze. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect to see Agatha here. I told her not long ago that I was going to the tower... The apprentice glanced nervously and covertly at Sheriff Wittek, whose face was as white as paper. No one can make any amends at this point, unless this is my dream.
But unfortunately, no. Agatha turned her head, noticing the stranger who had entered her field of vision—not entirely a stranger. For a moment, her expression could hardly be said to be completely calm. "I've seen you." The detective said in a cold tone, "We are all looking for you."
Before the apprentice could react, Xia Zuo threw himself at the door of the nearest room. But Andrew pulled it away from the inside, and he had to back away, trying to escape. Agatha rushed forward.
"Go away!" Andrew shouted rudely at this time, completely ignoring that he was in a hospital. He glared hatefully at everyone in sight. "Get out of here! Disappear from my eyes! Assholes, disappear!" The voice became louder and louder.
His state was even crazier. Not only were Xia Zuo and the detective's subordinate patrol officers unable to approach him, but even a passing doctor suffered a disaster. The farce didn't stop until more people pinned him to the ground. The maintenance man's bearded face was gradually covered with tears and saliva. A nurse pushed a sedative into Andrew's veins, and he finally became motionless.
"What have you been doing? You don't love her at all, not at all." Agatha commented in a surprising tone. She watched Andrew being dragged away by the medical staff, her expression unwavering.
On the other side, Gunther disappeared into the air, Witek Shazo was pinned against the wall with his arm twisted by Patrolman Hand, and Biller stopped in front of Uriel with a baton. The apprentice was in a daze, and the image of Andrew crying could not be forgotten in his mind, as well as the sighs and low prayers coming from behind the door.
Someone was dead, he realized, Lady Bertha was dead. I know her.
"We need to talk," the apprentice said as Agatha walked towards them. He heard his heartbeat in the echo of heels hitting the ground. "The truth about Father Fielding's death."
Suddenly there was only the sound of heartbeat in the air.
…
Ike heard the sharp ringing outside the lounge and wrapped a towel around his waist. The door slowly opens, and light, sound, and color pour into the expanding gap.
The test of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was more popular than that of the astrologer, and he recalled the day when he entered the tower. The Fire Trial was held in the auditorium. After the lengthy speech, the names echoing in the hall aroused cheers. Dean Rubin, a member of the Destiny Assembly and the Blue Envoy, lit a firework, and then the candles throughout the dome lit up. The firelight jumped on the serious face of the Foreign Minister, and then spread out, illuminating every deep groove on his face caused by the years of frowning.
"This year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will select new apprentices."
His voice followed after the fireworks died down. Compared with the "Deep Space Patriarch" Terrence who delivered the speech, he seemed flat, monotonous and without passion. It is unimaginable that he was responsible for the final exams for every batch of apprentices in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Because it not only requires a mentorship, but also requires passing the internal test of the department-in fact, a dual test including a written test and an interview. Since the Qing Envoy took control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this exam has become far more terrifying than the competition to obtain a mentor. The Honorable Dean Rubin was also voted the least popular drawer and umpire.
"Apprentices who wish to enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should take the second door on the right." The auditorium has one entrance and four exits. The three graduated apprentices represent different mysterious career development directions: the tower astronomy room, the departments under the Department of Affairs, and the residents of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The other is a passage for those who have nothing to do with the excitement to exit. Dean continued: "Apprentices who have obtained trial qualifications and are ready to graduate, you are waiting here."
These were the last words Ike heard in the auditorium, and then he followed his classmates through the door. Behind the door is a narrow staircase leading down to the training room on the first floor. Ike didn't think he'd walked many floors, but he knew better than to comment on the inner workings of Chloe, one of the mysterious fulcrums, while he was still an apprentice.
The internal trials of the Tower Ministry of Foreign Affairs are held here. He forgot how surprised he was when he learned the news. He only remembered the towering fence raised in the center of the venue, the overcrowded auditorium and the endless blast of fireworks like a celebration. Ike couldn't tell the direction and couldn't hear anyone speaking. His brain received a huge amount of information in an instant and was currently in a state of stagnant maintenance.
"...The assessment will take place in the afternoon." A man in a yellow hat shouted to the blurry figure behind the fence. He had a red sky coat of arms on his chest. The height of the fence is nearly fifteen feet, but it is not tight. It is an ivory white color similar to the outer wall of the Croix Tower, and there is no special pattern on it. The direction in which the apprentices walked down the stairs was facing the entrance and exit of the fence. Ike could see clearly at this time. The coat of arms on the opponent's body was dark cyan. This made Dean Rubin's face appear in front of him again, which just relieved his confusion.
"The venue is ready." The man with the dark green coat of arms replied. He was undoubtedly an official member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "I hope those astrologers won't wait too long." He remembered this sentence particularly well. At that time, Ike did not know that the remaining apprentices would light the fire in the auditorium and become mysterious. The field behind the fence is the assessment place prepared for those new mysterious creatures. He thought he was going inside and was petrified.
Soon the yellow hat put him at ease. "Come this way, you new apprentices." He said the last word in an odd accent. "Do you want to go inside and experience it? That's an opportunity that only a few people will get. In other words, a minority among the few." He changed his mind, "It's one thing to get the qualification to graduate, but it's another thing to be able to successfully ignite the fire. Hopefully not more people will turn themselves into idiots this time, I’m sure they’d rather die.”
In other words, there are three levels to become a member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: mentor, fire trial, and internal assessment. Ike used these three standards to hold himself accountable for three years and two months. The last obstacle is the final part of Chloe's fire trial. The apprentices who ignited the fire dueled in the training ground to select the best ones to become the defenders or even the messengers of the distant vassal country. Being a garrison may not be a good job, but no one wants to give it up.
Ike had witnessed the duel for three years, but only the first time impressed him. At the end of the trial, Foreign Minister Dean promised the victors many honorable and relevant things - such as mystical professions - and tasked those who were interested in choosing their own apprentices. Ike didn't have the option of rushing forward to please these mentors like his classmates. He just wanted to know how he would feel when he stood behind the fence one day. There is nothing special about combat. Apprentices in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must have training courses. He was thinking about the cheers and screams of the audience, the fireworks above his head and the music surrounding him, and these seemed to be right in front of him and within reach...
...But when he took a closer look, there was only one figure standing on the empty and silent training ground, surrounded by low temperatures and hoarfrost. Apart from his uneasy-looking mentor, there were no other spectators on the training field.
Fear replaced courage. Ike found that his bones were being frozen. The feeling made his mind go blank, and his thoughts and movements were frozen together.
At this time, he heard the sound of drawing a sword, smooth and solemn, like the long coda at the end of religious music. There is no salty rusty smell of metal, no softness and rough wrinkles of leather. Bai Zhizhi pulled out a shining and delicate stabbing sword in the air, as if he was pulling out a stick without sticky mud from the moist earth. stained grass.
"Start." The referee announced.
There was a hurricane in the venue. The two swords clashed as fast as lightning. The messenger's sword thrust forward and hit Ike on the head. The latter immediately lost his center of gravity and fell to the ground. Fortunately, the top of the rapier was blunt and round, and Ike was not injured at all.
As soon as Bai Zhishi let go, the stabbing sword disappeared. "How long have you been learning the rapier?" he asked.
To be honest, this was the first time Ike heard the voice of the White Envoy, and he almost didn't react. "It's been two months, Your Excellency." In half a year, I couldn't make a single move under his hands. He thought without any pressure, the White Envoy didn't even use magic power, his strength and speed were within the acceptable range, but I couldn't see his movements at all. But Ike thinks this is natural.
"Two months." Bai Zhizhi repeated, and then asked him: "How many times does the clock turn in class?"
Ike was speechless. He suspected that his ears were picking up the wrong message. "Two classes a day, three hours in total." The instructor answered for him.
Bai Zhizhi waved his hand, indicating that they could leave. Ike felt that he was disappointed, but this disappointment was not a reflection of himself. So he plucked up the courage and asked in a low voice: "Didn't I do enough?" Ike was the best sword-wielding apprentice in this class, and his mentor promised to graduate him next year.
"That's enough." Bai Zhishi answered him. But there is only this sentence, which is meaningless. Ike's mentor saluted the messenger and then led him away quickly.
At the door of the training ground, Ike couldn't help but turn around and saw the White Envoy knocking another apprentice away. This time he could see the messenger's movements clearly, but strangely, Ike didn't see anything special about the messenger's movements.
"What on earth is that-?"
"The quiz," the instructor told him, "was requested by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs." The Honorable Dean Rubin was actually the Deputy Secretary, but no one said this to his face.
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