When she came to the room, the desk was still lit with candlelight, but the chair was empty, and it seemed that the light had been forgotten. It doesn't matter. This is an unusual situation.
The tower is the mysterious fulcrum that works the longest. Astrologers take turns guarding the observation deck, and apprentices record the stars day and night. Most people are proud of this, but they cannot ignore the fatigue caused by long-term busyness.
For this reason, in the ancient times, the tower separated the duties of maintaining order and observing the stars, and assigned them to messengers and astronomical rooms. The former was the predecessor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After learning the prophecy, the empire could still rely on wizards and priests of the three gods to solve problems. Now the ancestors have passed away in the footsteps of the gods, and Aurenia has been wiped out. Only these tasks that can never be solved are handed over to diplomacy. On the head.
Before Bai Zhishi took over the position of minister, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the department with the most affairs in the tower. She had to admit this. Even in the year of the Holy War, she could only see the Gray Messenger on weekends. Later, the former commander died on the battlefield and lay in a coffin to be mourned. Only then did she really have the opportunity to look at his face.
Even opportunities are given by others, she understands.
She was born after the Dragon Scourge and has never seen the Dawn War. To her, the Battle of the Saints was far more cruel than the legends she read in books. The Harvest Battle of the Ash Temple and the "Aranvor" War of the Mist Elves are the same thing. Although the New Generation War between the Glorious Council and the Sky Tower is not as grand and powerful, it is far more intense. The battle in the sky controls the situation in the mysterious realm. .
Not to mention the "Battle of the Saints" itself. The "Second Truth" broke with the "Queen of Light", and the Tower Prophet was rather involved in the dispute between the two parties than intervened, which caused the general war to quickly turn into a local conflict.
In an age of chaos, no one can stop the tide. In the end, it was the Tower that exchanged the White Envoy's trophies and the life of Archbishop Jessera Putrid of the Glorious Council for the Gray Envoy's remains. I dreamed of your death, she thought, but couldn't do anything for you. I can comfort Roma, but no one in the world can comfort my guilt.
Ultimately, her wishes were outweighed by Croita's collective interests. Fortunately, the White Envoy didn't care about Jesela's life or death, so the prophet fulfilled my wish. She was in awe of the former, but she loved the elder from the bottom of her heart who had led the tower to maintain order in Knox for thousands of years. If anyone in the tower was busier than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Astronomy Room combined, she could only think of Demosis.
"It's so cold." Finally, Helen found the owner of the tower at the astrologer's stand. "What's the forecast for tomorrow?"
"Good evening, Dorothea." The prophet held up the alchemical telescope without looking back. "I didn't check the weather, but it will probably snow."
"Is it windy?"
He lowered his hand. "Oh. Always. We stand too high and have to face the storm."
The astrologer's platform is the highest point of the Tower of Croois. To the west is the brightly lit Bloomnot, which is very close. To the east and north are the Whale Island and Hokolin respectively. They are so far apart that only the boundless sea of clouds can be seen with the naked eye. . The south was equally empty, and the end of the route reached the foggy city of San Carlos. Helen saw the flashing beacon beside the cloud road. This is the territory of the Sky Tower.
"When will Uncle Ronald come back?" She stared into the night.
"Zachley? I'm afraid it will be a long time later. The league requires him to stay until the matter is over."
The thing undoubtedly refers to war. Helen understood. We are going to launch a second demon-hunting campaign, which will be bigger, more tragic, and crazier than the Venetian Massacre, but it is the only way to peace. The consequence of fear of sacrifice is to allow the evil to grow in secret, until it drags Knox into the abyss of destruction.
The order pressure drop is a great opportunity, and the mysterious realm will be assisted by the flickering pool. Since the War of the Saints, people have never been as united as they were during the Alliance. The Oath Keepers Alliance detained Ronaid precisely because they were wary of the tower... The Prophet must have known this, so he sent the "Lion" back.
"Don't worry about him. The alliance still maintains the system of the alliance period, or in other words, they try to maintain it. Evangeline will not be so stingy." The prophet said, "No matter what, he is one of them after all. I am more worried about Ste. Forest."
"At the rally, you spoke as if you had gained his trust, Grandpa Prophet."
"I don't mean trust. In the end, there is no basis for trust between us... The war a hundred years ago also wiped away the last remaining friendship." The tower saint sighed, "It's just driven by interests."
"So, he made new demands."
"It has nothing to do with you." The prophet inserted the telescope into the groove at hand and closed the lid. At this time, the observation deck reloaded the distant viewing module and began to project the picture onto the crystal ball. He watched the magic patterns light up in circles. "It's the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' trouble again."
Helen frowned. "Dean Rubin is responsible for receiving Lord Sterling, what happened?"
"This is a job that should have been handled by the minister."
"I've never seen the Lord Commander participate in it," the witch pointed out, "and to be honest, I don't think he can handle it well. Everyone has his or her own strengths."
"Ha! You underestimated him. He is completely qualified for this little thing." But the prophet disagreed with her evaluation, "Just like you, Helen. You can definitely be a candidate for the professor of the astronomy room, like Larsen, but I I know you don't want to do it." He returned to the topic. "Envoy Bai has to maintain order in his country. Although receiving foreign guests is one of his duties, it cannot be ranked first. Dean never violates discipline, so there is no problem for him to be responsible."
"Then what's the problem?" She reacted as soon as the words came out. "Okay, is it the other party? Lord Sterling thinks we have treated him lightly?"
"That's right. Ronald returned to the Oath Keepers Alliance to face his old past. It seems that the Silent School demands equal treatment."
Helen was curious. Could it be that the commander and the wizard still have a feud? Unheard of. In fact, no one except the most senior members of the assembly knew what the White Envoy was up to. He did not come from a high-tower family like Sainsbury's, nor did he have a professional background. According to records, the White Envoy gained the trust of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the undead disaster two hundred years ago. "I remember that it was Jerem's suggestion that he enter the tower. Is this matter related to the 'Gatekeeper'?"
"'Gatekeeper'? No. It has nothing to do with it. What's more, his letter of introduction is just an excuse. I can tell you, Helen, that the White Envoy became an envoy much earlier than you think, even before Jerem came to Kremlin. Before Roy." The prophet smiled slightly, he saw Helen's suspicion. "At that time, there was no Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Tower of Sky. There were only astrologers and... messengers who delivered the astrologers' predictions."
Shocking. "Is he an ancestor?"
"no doubt."
"Can...?" A thousand years. Except for the saints, even the followers of the forest goddess in the Sky Realm cannot survive this long. How did Bai Zhizhi do it? "Sir Otto, what's going on? Is it related to black magic?"
"I guess that's the reason. I didn't personally ask." The prophet shrugged mischievously, "Remember to keep it secret, and don't let him know that I told you the secret. Because if he guesses right, he will definitely make trouble for you; if he guesses wrong, Well, that would be so embarrassing for me."
The witch stared at him, completely speechless.
"Have you seen him use sorcery?" asked the prophet.
"Commander? He didn't hide it at all." Her mind was still buzzing, and she blurted out: "And I can guarantee that orthodox witchcraft has no such effect. It must be black witchcraft."
"During the ancient times, Harp witchcraft was also a type of black witchcraft, Helen. We didn't distinguish it so clearly at that time."
"The ancestors believed that witchcraft drawn with blood was orthodox?"
"The ancestors only believed in the three gods." The tower saint said softly, his eyes full of memories. "But that is indeed not a common method. It is no exaggeration to say that even the Archbishop of the Mercury Temple cannot do it. It does not require skill and mystery, nor a specific magic spell."
"It can't be faith?" Helen almost guessed it.
"This is basic knowledge, Dorothea."
It really is. "Heredity."
The prophet nodded. "He is not human."
Helen shuddered as she thought of the commander's blue eyes. They are so cold and never mingled with any relatable emotions. With them he looks upon his enemies, and with equal eyes upon us.
No one understands the White Envoy except Uriel. A thousand years. she thought. Enough for the Sainsbury's family to grow to this day and become a seat of destiny. Enough order unites and divides, and a new pattern is established in the mysterious realm. When heroes grow old enough, future generations will carry the flag and create new legends. And after a thousand years, there was almost no record of her seeing the White Envoy in the tower. Where is he from? Was there ever any honor? Where are his relatives and friends? There are no answers at all. But how is this possible? Croyta is the astrologer's tower. The past and the future hold no riddles for us.
"I was also surprised when Jerem found him." The prophet sighed. "There were too many things that happened, and I couldn't take them all into account... In the blink of an eye, so long has passed. A thousand years. The enemy and All the companions have disappeared..."
She latched onto the name. "Is it indeed related to the Gatekeeper?"
"Jerem didn't tell you?" the prophet asked.
"Gatekeeper" Jerome Ozkelman can be considered a relative of hers. The Gray Messenger was responsible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was unable to spend time with his daughter. Helen's childhood memories were entirely composed of Jerem and Ronald. But the latter can only play with her and be the "gatekeeper" taking care of her daily life.
"There is no other reason." Jerem answered Helen, "Your mother is my mentor and my queen. Her daughter deserves the best education. What's more, no one here talks to me except you. I have to watch the door."
That's all he told me. "Jerem never mentioned anyone other than my mother to me."
"It's stricter than the 'Secret Box', isn't it?" Tower Prophet muttered, "I knew it."
"What is he hiding from me? Is it related to the commander? Is the White Envoy connected with the School of Silence?"
"I'm afraid that's it. But not the connection you were thinking of."
"I didn't think anything of it," she lied. Although it would be unwise to do this in front of a prophet, not every lie would be exposed by him.
Helen thought of Chester, the alchemist apprentice who hung out with Larsen and Eds Haynes. This man should have had a bright future, but unfortunately he followed a mentor who was involved with the devil, and was exiled to Subject to the country. At that time, Larson had not yet reached his current status, so he did not dare to cover up for his friends... In any case, Gaota was already merciful towards the suspect. If it was the real Nightingale... But soon, she realized that the object of her thoughts was the White Envoy , couldn't help but laugh. All worries disappeared.
"Really? Maybe you should think more about it." The Tower Prophet sighed. "Look, Helen, we always hope for things to happen that don't happen."
"There are some things I never expect, Grandpa Saint." The witch responded softly, "Between the White Envoy and the school..."
"It's not a harmonious relationship. If possible, I think they would fight to the death."
To be honest, Helen couldn't see any contradiction between them at all. Needless to say, the wizards of the school are the most unique inheritance among the seven pivots, putting truth above the gods. Most of the time, wizards have conflicts with people because of interests and factions, but sometimes they also have inexplicable reasons. Even the Holy Radiance Council is more logical than them. After all, the Paladins only focus on demons.
During the White Night War, Helen accompanied the commander to Eastman to find Roman. The matter involved Hong's prophecy, and the process was full of twists and turns. The demon lord used the School of Silence to set a trap for the White Envoy in the Six Finger Castle. As a result, the latter had a near miss, but he turned around without causing trouble to the school.
After all, if you put a wizard in Croyte Tower now, they will most likely choose to find his apprentice. As a clergyman, this kid seems to have a grudge against the Silence School. When Helen learned that he broke into Antuoros with his friends, she thought it was Eze who had made up a new story.
I should pay more attention to him, she thought. Why didn't I take a look at his future? Splitting the Church of Gaia in the wizard's stronghold, and even confronting "tattoos" and "weird experts", she later heard that it was extremely thrilling. Damn it, my dreams have been disturbed by the aftermath of the Red Prophecy recently...
"Uriel knows about this?"
"No. If he had known about the dispute between his mentor and the Silence School in advance, he would have considered it carefully and called in more people."
"Dalton and York are both high-level. I also heard that he is supported by the Paperclip Mercenary Group." This team can simply subvert the political power of a small country.
"Few people can persist in their will in the face of the gap in mystery." The prophet told her, "Uriel... He knows what he has to face and what he cares about. I even guess that he has learned about his You can't tell fate. You don't need to worry about him, I think Roma needs you more."
Roma felt Larsen needed me. For Otto's sake, she should say this to Larsen. What's the use of telling me?
The night breeze blew across the top of the tower. The pendant in front of the witch's eyes shook slightly. "I didn't know you predicted his future, Lord Prophet. When?"
"When he changed his destiny." The Tower Prophet explained, "He was the favored one of the dream god Ain, and he was born to be the one loved by fate."
Helen didn't understand: "I have met many heroes and they do have something in common."
"Natural. People live in their own world. Some are born as slaves, but in the end they are crowned. Some are just ordinary people, but they can innovate the world. These people are all heroes. The former is their own hero and belongs to a territory or a country. The latter They are promoters of development who can open up the future of the world in a certain field. Someone will remember their achievements and describe them to future generations.”
The Broken Moon rises in the constellation Dog, making it look even more fragmented. Helen looked up at the sea of stars and caught countless small signs in the vastness. They were reflections of the fate of mortals. Through mystical knowledge, she interpreted them into pictures that the witch could understand, and kept switching them according to the thoughts in her mind. In my eyes, Xinghai always looks like this. Would the prophet's vision have been different?
There is no doubt about the answer. "Have you seen my future, Grandpa Saint?" she couldn't help but wonder.
"I saw it once after Sinclair left office." The Tower Prophet said frankly, "I still used dreams. Otto told me that you will overcome the suffering and become a member of the gathering of destiny." He held Helen's shoulders. "I thought you would complain about me——"
"Signs are always there." Helen interrupted him, "Only the gods can always interpret them. I just regret it. Didn't I say that? I didn't think anything about it."
"Okay. Stay pure. Stay repentant. What harm can it do? You still have a long future, Your Highness. Go back and rest, your face is red." The prophet put on the veil for her with his own hands.
Helen enjoyed the favor of her elders and could no longer find out the truth. Stubborn question. How long will I have to struggle? Either you don’t think about anything, or you just think about these past memories? There is so much trouble waiting to be dealt with. She suddenly felt a little ashamed.
"What does the Silent School want? Is it Uriel?" she asked. I heard from Roma that he left in a hurry.
The saint raised his eyebrows. "'Tattoo' would have made the claim but he is dead. Bernard Stirling was targeting our foreign minister."
"Do you want an apology from him? Or compensation?" There was no choice in either case. Helen could fully imagine Bai Zhishi's attitude.
"Maybe it's just a trip to Anthoros. As far as I know, there won't be any danger. In the final analysis, Sterling is exactly this kind of person. He doesn't care about the interests of wizards. The only thing that matters is satisfying his own desire for exploration. I understand very well..." The prophet was silent for a moment, "but I will refuse him and offer to exchange for other things."
"The commander doesn't agree?"
The saint smiled. This is a completely different smile than before, a little evasive and helpless, as if you forgot to water the potted plants when you went on a long trip, and you can't hide your disappointment in yourself when you regain your senses.
"If I ask, he will definitely agree." The prophet finally told her, "Maybe this will comfort him. But sometimes, I would rather he refuse like you."
"You watched me grow up, Grandpa Saint." the witch pointed out.
"There seems to be no difference between witnessing and observing fate. To be honest? I owe him a debt. In a sense, he saved the world one step ahead of the winner, although he did not know it." The prophet sighed, "Destiny guides us forward. , we don’t need to agree, but as observers, we should have our own judgment. Maybe I made an imperfect decision..."
Helen was very curious, but he did not continue.
"It's been a thousand years, and it's too late to say anything now. It's better to make plans again." They returned to the stairwell, and the light in the study below was still on. "As for Sterling, this man will undoubtedly bargain, but he will eventually agree to the alliance. The war has begun, and what is under the wheels is either allies or corpses. The fog elves are not willing to be left behind, and the wizards of the school are also unwilling. Evangeline Preparations for the return ceremony have already begun.”
The "Queen of Light" of the Glitter Pool. Helen heard her name most often from Ronald, and she was probably the only "mistress" he remembered who was different from Adela. But when the same words appeared in the tower prophet's mouth, she no longer found it interesting.
"A saint has returned to Knox," Helen said.
"Leading her demon-hunting legion." Demosis replied.
"Does it have to be like this?" The witch lowered her voice, her eyes dim. "Of course. Of course. I know that this kind of thing is inevitable. But the demon association... they are difficult to deal with, and our alliance is no exception." After the dragon disaster, the Saint Mirend Alliance collapsed, and the saints went to war with each other. Now history seems to be about to repeat itself. "Sakshiton...my father...I bet, Grandpa Tutor, I'll be dreaming about him soon." Maybe tonight.
"Please listen to my comfort, child." The prophet shook his head, his bald head reflecting the candlelight. "You underestimated our commander. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the protector of the tower, which is enough to make anyone who wants to be an ally reconsider their goals. And in this regard, Xiaobai is very experienced. He is over a thousand years old after all."
Helen smiled. "The Lord Commander looks younger than you, Grandpa Prophet."
"I'm afraid his mysterious bloodline played a major role, and others can't learn from it." The tower saint pretended to regret, "Besides, I wasn't that young a thousand years ago." He touched the top of his head. "It's just a new hat."
There was an extra glass of juice on the table, no doubt sent by Larson. At this time, he should still be busy leading the astronomy room. The tower saint leaned back in his chair. "He certainly didn't expect you to be here." He rapped his knuckles on the glass, and the cups turned into a pair in the blink of an eye. He handed one of them to Helen. "Go and have a rest. Maybe we'll all have to work overtime soon."
Even me...? "My profession is not an astrologer, how can I catch up on work?" Of course, this was not what she wanted to ask, it was just an impromptu complaint. "Is the order pressure reduction reaching a critical stage?"
"It's about to begin. Knox is still peaceful, but the Affairs Department received news of unrest in the vassal country today." The prophet said seriously, "The Bansi Banshee appeared in Hokolin."
"It's Hocklin again."
"There is no way. Her position is right there, too close to the gap." The prophet picked up the cup, "But this is just an expected situation. We want to participate in the war, not just stay in the sky and watch the stars, so the enemy's movements also score Pay attention.”
"Is there any news about the demon lord?" the witch asked.
"If they still have any wisdom at all, they will never come forward at this time." The saint said coldly, "Otherwise we will take action ourselves to solve these crimes. It is other associations that are causing trouble."
Get your hands dirty. Helen thought uneasily. what does that mean? She recalled facing Lord Flame Moon and Lord Quicksilver in Iron Dragon Port. The former was handcuffed due to his profession, while the latter was full of tricks and witchcraft. Even if there was a commander sitting in charge, we could not keep them. I'm not good at fighting with others... But apart from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which other great astrologer in the tower is good at it?
"Demon attack?" She heard her voice losing its composure, "Where is it?"
"Many. There are traces of the Society in Sodria, the Iron City, and the Veil Mountains. There are also Requiem Castle. After the death of Drablay Trolbane, his castle was divided among the descendants, and then was destroyed. To the Alliance for purges." The vampires deserved their punishment. "But after the Alliance's legions left, the Demon Society secretly occupied Requiem Castle."
Helen looked at the night sky. "Lake Women's Guild."
"Just a little minion. Not long ago, 'Steel and Fire' attacked the caravans of the Alliance and the Council of Light, intending to disrupt the return ceremony." The prophet's cup was empty at some point. "But they are not as troublesome as the 'Vashmaus Restoration Legion'. To be honest? Someone is instigating it behind the scenes."
The answer is obvious. "Starless Night." Helen said, "The demon lord dare not come forward, but still needs help to destroy the alliance of order."
So chaos reigned in Knox... The prophet didn't say any more about order's countermeasures. "I have arranged for the White Envoy to return to the headquarters. If you have time, you can go to Huoklin to take over his work."
"Bansi banshees? They are undead." Helen considered, "But they are not difficult to deal with. I have suitable companions."
"As long as it's not Larson. He can't control the situation in the astronomy room."
"I mean, 'appropriate'," she stressed. I couldn't help but feel my face getting hot.
"I understand~"
