"It is said that our prince originally lived on Crab Island. Mr. Francisco, you must have never been to such a dirty place, right? But I have been. That place is full of thieves and gangsters. Don't pay attention to you." Your purse will be taken away." Giovanni spat out a mouthful of phlegm and sneered: "There is the most despicable prostitute in Vallefahan, and you can fuck her for a whole night just by throwing in a silver coin. "
"Take care of your appearance, Your Excellency." Duke Ironhand coughed lightly: "Your helmet is crooked."
"Thank you for your trouble!" Giovanni grabbed the visor and threw it to the attendant: "I think the first sword practice should start with a wooden sword. This thing is no longer needed!"
"It's better to be careful, things are unpredictable."
Duke Ironhand shook his head, flicked his sleeves and strode into the door.
When they entered, Luca was enjoying a mango smoothie served by two maids. Luca has been living here since he was given the title of prince by King Carl. Before he could return to Crab Island to ask his mother what was going on, he was driven to the point of being disgusted by the beautiful clothes, fine food, fancy cars, and BMWs. They taught him court etiquette, how to receive ministers, and how to be a prince, but he didn't want to be a prince. Didn't his father die in a storm at sea? Isn't he the son of a fisherman? He had lived on Crab Island for nearly fifteen years, why did a king's father suddenly appear again?
"Please allow me to introduce myself, Your Highness." Giovanni saluted Luca, but not very respectfully.
"I am the Inspector of the Royal Guards. His Majesty sent me to teach you martial arts."
Luka had never even met King Karl, so now he could only respond: "Thank you, are you here to teach me fencing?"
"Fencing and other things, your highness, becoming a knight is not as simple as becoming a prince. I say right, Your Majesty the Duke?"
Duke Ironhand bowed to Luca, with an imperceptible smile on his face: "The sage once said that princes are born knights." He paused deliberately: "Not to mention a genius like Sir Giovanni. Guidance.”
"Come on, Your Majesty the Duke." Giovanni shrugged his shoulders, took off his leather armor and threw it to the attendant beside him: "I would rather be called a devil than a genius."
The devil who believes in the oath.
Duke Ironhand thought.
Giovanni sat down on the sofa, picked up a glass of mead and drank it: "The weather is really shitty today. If I had to choose, this time is the best time to drink ale and blueberry juice."
"Your Majesty has a destiny..."
"His Majesty's order is to teach Prince Luca well, yes, so it is a good teaching, right? I am responsible for teaching His Highness martial arts, so I am responsible for when and how it starts."
Giovanni waved his hand and roughly interrupted the Iron Hand Duke: "As for the royal etiquette, you can mess with it as you please, I will never interfere."
The Iron Hand Duke was definitely in a good temper. Not only was he not angry, he even clapped his hands.
"as you wish."
Giovanni tapped his knee and said calmly: "Then the first lesson will begin tonight, but before that..."
"We're going to take a nice hot bath and have a good drink."
The two looked at each other and smiled.
In Walai Fahan, the sun sets very late.
When Giovanni brought Prince Luca to the mass graves, there was still some afterglow falling on the moss-covered stones, half sun and half shadow.
Twenty years ago, when Giovanni was as old as Prince Luca, he would probably have escaped from the manor and come here before sunset, lying on the big rocks and closing his eyes and waiting for the sky to completely darken.
This feeling is amazing.
In witch language, this is a chaotic pleasure. The transition between day and night is also the time when the world is most chaotic, when order is the weakest and people are most sleepy. Different people can feel different strange feelings, which often come from the lack of a plane. . The king will see the talking crown, the dwarf will see the sky-high pea tree, the ugly woman will be amazed by the beauty of the mermaid, and the captain will be full of praise for the squid boat in front of him...
What Giovanni saw were his parents - they had been dead since he was seven years old, burned beyond recognition by the wildfire, with no bones left. So much so that he often had to see portraits before he could barely remember what they looked like.
But in the mass graves, at the end of the day, he could really feel the presence of his parents.
"Some people say it's because wizards cast magic here."
Giovanni swallowed his saliva and murmured: "People can always see what they want to see most."
"Magic?" Luca's eyes were fixed on Giovanni. A child of his age could not resist the temptation of a wizard.
"Yes, Your Highness." Giovanni swallowed and paused: "Just think about it, you can feel the most wonderful sight just by closing your eyes. Those people are clearly tangible... I really can't think of anything other than magic. No way to explain it."
"Magic like alchemy?"
"Oh, no!" Giovanni patted his head in frustration. How could he forget that the boy in front of him was an illegitimate child and came from the dirty and cramped place of Crab Island? Vision is determined by the environment, and at this point, even the blood of a king will not help.
"Your Highness, it's Manze Magic. You can also call it Apparition. In short, although what you see is not the real thing, you can still see the shadow of the real thing."
Giovanni didn't know when he became a grand maester. Well, he would just bow down for once, but he was really not sure that His Highness the Prince could understand what he was talking about.
Luca shrugged and made a face at Giovanni: "It's not true after all..."
Seeing Giovanni's face turn green, he waved his hand before the other party turned against him: "But it's enough, what should I do?"
Giovanni pointed at a stone in front of him: "Sit on it, close your eyes, and meditate on the person you most want to see."
The person you most want to meet?
Luka closed his eyes, and the breeze blew through his hair, bringing refreshing coolness. This feeling is a bit strange, especially in the graveyard at dusk.
There was darkness in front of his eyes, and gradually light came in. The waves crashed against the rugged stone shore, bringing with them a few rotten fish and a bunch of aquatic plants from time to time. There are countless fishing boats docked in the bay. The fishermen returning from the sea pour the caught fish and crabs into wooden barrels and transport them to the offshore market without stopping.
...
...
Late at night, in the prince's suite in the palace.
Luca was lying in bed listening to old monk Taylor telling a bedtime story.
"Finally, His Majesty Lorenzo II shot the Frost Witch to death, and the continent of Carteros ushered in spring again." Old monk Taylor blew out the candle and kissed Luca lightly on the forehead: "Okay, okay. .....It’s time to go to bed now.”
Luka nodded and pulled up the velvet quilt: "Good night, Bachelor Taylor."
"Good night, Your Highness."
Maester Taylor bowed and exited, gently closing the oak door.
As soon as he went out, Luka stood up. By the light of the sparks in the fireplace, he could see all the corners of the suite. He passed by the statue of Naris the Conqueror, walked through the long hall of mirrors, and came to the Gate of the Bright Moon.
It is said that this is a door connecting the Holy Land, and you can enter the Holy Land from here.
Of course these are just legends, like the other bedtime stories told by old Friar Taylor.
Although it has only been a few days, Luca has already adapted to his status as a prince.
Driven by curiosity, Luca can do more things that he never dared to imagine before.
"Your Highness, what are you doing?"
A royal wizard discovered Luca sneaking to the bright moon gate of the garden and stepped forward to ask.
"Oh, the room is too stuffy. Let me come out for some air."
Luka forced himself to smile.
It's just that his smile is so unnatural that people can see through it at a glance.
This royal wizard is called Odwyla, and he is an outstanding fifth-level wizard.
There are nine levels of wizards. The fifth-level wizards are neither above nor below, but they have already mastered some cores of witchcraft.
"His Royal Highness is lying. It is not good for children to lie."
The wizard seemed to be able to see through Luca's mind, shook his head and said: "I advise His Majesty the Prince to tell the truth, otherwise I will fulfill my duty and tell His Majesty the King about this."
Odwyla half threatened.
"No, I say."
Prince Luca was so aroused by the wizard Odwila that his secret was exposed. The corners of Odwila's mouth slightly raised, raising a shallow smile.
"It's the Gate of the Bright Moon. I want to come and see if the Gate of the Bright Moon is like the one in the legend."
Luka swallowed his saliva and said like a child who had done something wrong: "In legend, the Gate of the Bright Moon connects the Holy Realm. The other side of the Gate of the Bright Moon is another world that is completely different from ours. Right? ?”
"good."
The wizard Odwyla nodded.
"In legend, the Gate of the Bright Moon is closed on weekdays, and will only be opened when encountering extreme danger. Of course, it will sometimes be opened on full-moon nights."
Luka said timidly.
He heard all this from the old monk's mouth, and he didn't know which part was true and which part was false.
But anyway, he wanted to come and see it for himself.
"There is also a legend about werewolves transforming into monsters during the full moon."
The wizard Odwyra smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"Some are just legends, like vampires and werewolves being mortal enemies, like witches and their triangle."
Odwyla's tone was full of disdain, but then he suddenly changed the topic and said in a very serious tone: "But it is true that the Gate of the Bright Moon will open when in danger."
"So we can't take the initiative to open the Bright Moon Gate?"
"Yes, unless there is a real crisis, the Gate of Bright Moon will always be closed."
Odwyla paused, then continued: "Actually, there is another version of this legend that is popular. In that version, the Gate of the Bright Moon is called the Devil's Gate. And the world connected to that gate is not a sacred realm, but It’s a demonic realm.”
The fifth-level wizard stared closely at the child in front of him and asked in a joking manner: "Your Highness, which version of the legend do you believe more?"
"..."
Luka was choked for words and didn't know what to say.
Because these two versions of the legend are so opposite.
"I prefer to believe the version of the Gate of Bright Moon, which is the version of the Holy Realm."
After hesitating for a long time, Luka made a decision.
"very good."
Odwyla nodded and said: "If your heart is toward the light, what you see is light. If your heart is toward darkness, what you see is darkness."
"These things we see now are actually appearances. Your Highness, as the future of the kingdom, you have to see through these appearances to see the essence."
"I see."
Luka nodded in understanding.
"So, Your Highness, what you need to do now is go back to your room and sleep. You will find that it is another sunny day tomorrow morning."
...
...
Zhao Xun had a dream. In the dream, he was in a continent called Allen Lore.
This is a typical fantasy world.
Trolls, elves, humans, gods, dwarves, orcs, and undead are the seven major races here.
Wizard, hunter, alchemist, swordsman, bard, knight...
These professional terms appeared one by one in his dream, and he saw a wilderness with a tavern on it.
Knights passing by would stop here and drink a glass of sweet ale.
They would gather around the tavern's fireplace to warm themselves by the fire, drinking ale and chatting about the world.
Zhao Xun also saw a majestic city built near the sea.
A magnificent royal palace was built in the castle of this city.
There lived a prince named Luca in the palace. This prince named Luca had been staring in the east, as if waiting for something.
Just when Zhao Xun wanted to get closer and see more clearly, he woke up and the dream disappeared.
"Huh...what's going on?"
Zhao Xun couldn't believe that this dream he had was true.
But judging from the residual consciousness left by the High Priest of the Demon Sect in Jieli's ancient sea of consciousness, the two do have something in common.
So, the so-called connection between the Eastern and Western worlds is this fairy world and the fantasy world on the other side?
So what was this dream he had?
A guide for him?
Zhao Xun thinks this is really amazing.
Zhao Xun recorded his dreams as much as possible.
This is a skill unique to the sixth level of Taoism.
Although the degree of dream restoration will be affected by the level of cultivation, the practitioner's emotions, and other factors, Zhao Xun will still do his best.
After that, Zhao Xun will find his mentor, Taoist Master Qinglian, and ask him to help him understand.
...
...
Haoran Academy.
The mountain leader sat alone on the second-story bamboo building, looking to the west for a long time without saying a word.
After a long time, he stood up and drew a talisman.
Scholars in the academy are not good at drawing talisman, and they don't even bother to draw talisman.
The same goes for the mountain chief himself.
But today is special.
The talisman he drew has the effect of enhancing the magic power of Chang'an City's formation.
Now that the demon sect practitioners are getting closer and closer to launching an offensive, the mountain chief also needs to help Chang'an City as promised.
Use his power to combine with Yuan Tiangang's power to fight against the entire anti-Chou alliance.
For now, the mountain leader feels that the chance of winning is still 70-80%. As for the variable, it lies in the door that cannot be seen clearly in the fog.
...
...
