The air was very quiet. The sun, which was blocked by dark clouds, shone with gray light, as if it was embellishing the current mysterious atmosphere.
A pleasant male voice rang out, "When you think of gods, what is the first thought that comes to your mind?"
A few seconds later.
Thales, who was deep in thought, opened his eyes subconsciously. His gaze was empty, and he replied softly in the strange atmosphere, "Gods are completely different from us.
"It doesn't fit with us."
"Opposite us from a distance."
The male voice was silent for a while, as if he was savoring the answer.
After a while, the other person continued to ask, "Then, when you think of this world, what is the first thought that comes to your mind?"
The prince frowned slightly.
"The world?"
Thales raised his head slightly and looked at the other person as if he was looking at a statue in a temple. His expression was mysterious, and his tone was calm. "We are in it.
"We are embedded in it.
"We exist in it."
The male voice paused for a while again and let out a low murmur.
"Very good. You have the style of the main body." The pleasant male voice chuckled softly. "Now, eliminate the previous answer, empty yourself, close your eyes, and try again. Listen, when you think of gods … "
Thales nodded subconsciously, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Gods …"
In the next second …
* Bang! *
The prince opened his eyes abruptly and slammed his palm on the chessboard in front of him!
Thales exhaled deeply, and an emotion called annoyance instantly appeared in his empty eyes.
"Oh, God, I've had enough." The teenager leaned back against the chair, held his forehead in pain, and interrupted the topic. "How long have we been talking about this topic?"
In front of the prince, the handsome man on the other end of the chessboard turned his gaze slightly.
"Less than an hour," the latter said softly.
Thales sighed in frustration and spread his hands. "An hour? How many answers did I give you to the same two questions? "
"God?"
The prince raised his left hand and counted with his fingers. His tone was full of perfunctory and dissatisfaction. "From 'Creator', 'Holy Existence', 'Omniscient and omnipotent', 'Puppet Controller', 'Observer in the Dark', 'Visitor from another world', 'Answering Prayers', 'Heartless Feeder', 'Scheme Outside the Box' …"
The man on the other side of the chessboard listened to Thales quietly and did not move.
"World?"
Thales finished counting the fingers on his left hand and raised his right hand. "From 'full of people', 'full of vitality', 'animal planet', 'material world', 'beautiful future and hope', 'terrible world', 'unfair society' to 'this world is wrong', 'heartless world', 'on the verge of destruction' …"
Thales, who had a splitting headache, exhaled and continued to complain, "Are there fifteen types? If you combine them, there will be hundreds of them … "
At this moment, the man in front of her raised a finger.
In an instant, Thales felt the air he inhaled become fresh and moist. The cool feeling that went deep into his lungs made his extremely frustrated brain cool down.
The prince stopped talking and blinked. He took a deep breath to calm his emotions.
"Your mind is not here."
In the open-air private room in the chess room, Asda Sakern, who was sitting opposite Thales, put down his finger gently and said flatly, "At least not with me."
Thales snapped out of his daze and looked up at the Air Mystic on the other side of the chessboard. He then looked at Heroic Spirit Palace in the distance beyond the balcony.
He exhaled and got up from the back of the chair. He rubbed his face in frustration.
"Sorry." The teenager shook his head awkwardly and pushed a chess piece forward. "There have been a lot of things happening recently. I'm a little out of sorts."
It had been almost a month since the day of the council hearing and Viscount Kentvida's visit.
Since that day, Thales had been troubled by the troubles caused by the arrival of Black Sand Region's envoy. The relationship between the Alliance of Freedom and Eckstedt, the fight between King Chapman and his opponents, the undercurrents of power in Dragon Clouds City, the Walton Family's stance and choice, and of course, the archduchess' marriage. But surprisingly, even though Thales had become increasingly anxious after listening to Putray's analysis, Dragon Clouds City had been surprisingly peaceful for the past ten days or so.
The vassals did not continue to advise or force the marriage. Count Lisban was as steady as ever, no matter how many times Thales tried to communicate with him about Saroma's marriage.
Kentvida had never left Dragon Clouds City. The envoy of Black Sand Region lived in the nobles' posthouse in Axe District. Under the protection of Black Sand Region's own people, he rarely went out. He did not interact with any vassals, nor did he meet with the archduchess.
Over the past month, no messenger ravens had flown in from the west, such as the City of Faraway Prayers. Hence, there was no news about the Alliance of Freedom or the war.
The situation in Dragon Clouds City was like the surface of a rippling lake. It was calm, but it was precisely because of this that Thales felt even more uneasy. 'This is probably how water looks like before it's boiling.'
That was until he received the next sky blue invitation.
"What happened recently?
Are you talking about the little girl I found on your bed six years ago? " Asda snorted softly and said casually, "The one you gave the archduchess' throne just because she slept with you for one night?"
Thales' expression froze.
"Oh, my God." A second later, the prince said in a very displeased manner, "Didn't Soul Tower teach you how to use the modern common language of the Western Peninsula correctly so as not to cause any misunderstandings?"
"Indeed, the modern common language gradually came into being after the Battle of Eradication." Asda's expression was still relaxed, but Thales felt that there was a faint sneer hidden under his calm face. "When I was your age, my tutor taught me the language of the Empire. Perhaps some common language words were mixed in, while Soul Tower used the orthodox written language of the Ancient Empire."
'I'm not trying to criticize your standard in the common language at all …'
But the mentally exhausted prince had already given up on arguing with him.
Thales sighed in resignation and changed the topic. "I really didn't expect that the famous Air Mystic would also care about the affairs of us lowly mortals."
Asda raised his eyes slightly.
"Just because I don't want to care about these boring things doesn't mean that I'm deaf or blind.
"As I said, being too tied down by mundane matters will affect your progress," the Air Mystic said unhurriedly, as if he was not angry at his student's absent-mindedness. "Perhaps you still don't understand, but as a Mystic in preparation, if you don't have a solid foundation …"
"A solid foundation benefits from teachers who teach me wholeheartedly without reservation, not hypnosis without any reason or explanation." Thales cast him a sideways glance and refuted him without any ambiguity. "It seems that I need such a teacher."
Perhaps Asda's temper was really good, or perhaps he did not care about the student's sarcasm. The Mystic said faintly, "Very well, it seems that you've recovered. Then, let's go again …"
Thales, who had had enough, exhaled and looked at the ceiling in resignation.
"Are you sure you don't want to continue the topic from the previous lesson?"
The prince tapped the chess piece listlessly, causing Lord Justin and Wya, who were in the distance, to look at him curiously. "Remember, the Two Empresses? And how did they betray all of you? "
A blue light flashed in Asda's eyes.
"They're enemies. That's all you need to know."
The Mystic said coldly, "The Two Empresses have already surpassed your level, unlike Giza and I. They have an immeasurable influence on this world. The more you know, the more likely you are to expose yourself to their eyes and ears, whether intentionally or unintentionally."
Thales' gaze shifted.
'Immeasurable influence.
Their eyes and ears, whether intentionally or unintentionally. '
The prince, who seemed to have caught onto something, asked tentatively, "You mean, after the Battle of Eradication, as Mystics, they still maintained contact with all the countries in the world?"
Asda fixed his gaze on him and said in a mocking tone, "Use your thumb to think, Your Highness. Existences like me, Giza, and … could all use more than a hundred years to secretly run a gray gang that was entangled with the aristocratic forces. Each of us took what we needed and became our eyes and ears, as well as our hunting dogs.
"Do you think, as the victors of the Battle of Eradication, those two b * stards just found a comfortable little nest, piled up their treasures, and crawled into it to sleep for the past six hundred years?"
Thales frowned. "So …"
Asda shook his head. "You'll know one day. You don't even need me to tell you."
The prince exhaled in pain. "You've made me even more curious."
"'Curiosity killed the Mystic'," Asda replied mechanically. "Remember, these are the exact words of your teacher and guide."
Thales snorted in disdain.
'You make it sound like Mystics will die …'
At this moment, Thales thought of something.
"Right, speaking of my teacher …"
"Mister Sakern, you told me last time that it's best to follow a few rules in class?"
"You know," the prince muttered, "thinking about every sentence, asking rhetorical questions at any time, expressing myself clearly, questioning each other, and so on …"
Asda nodded slightly and moved his palm upwards slightly. Thales, who was gradually getting familiar with him, knew that this was a sign that the Air Mystic had allowed him to finish speaking.
Thales took a deep breath and stared into the Mystic's almost emotionless eyes.
"Then, if there is someone else in the world who told me almost the same rules …
"What would happen?"
At that moment, Thales clearly saw Asda's right eyebrow twitch.
"Who?" Asda asked in a seemingly calm manner.
"A rather old tutor from Dragon Kiss Academy in Anlenzo Dukedom." Thales imagined the interesting image of the thin old man and could not help but narrow his eyes. "Meryl Hicks."
Asda paused for a second.
"Dragon Kiss Academy?" He seemed to be mulling over the word, then he raised his head slightly.
"Hmph, then it makes sense."
Thales widened his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Asda picked up a chess piece.
"Long ago, during the era of kings and the Ancient Empire, Dragon Kiss Province was a famous refuge. If war came, many scholars, literati, merchants, fallen nobles, and other refugees would choose to seek shelter there. Wizards were no exception."
"You mean that Dragon Kiss Academy and Magic Tower have a deep relationship?"
"Not just a relationship." The Mystic shook his head and placed the chess piece on the next position. "The founder of Dragon Kiss Academy a thousand years ago was originally a wizard from Soul Tower. Some of the teaching rules in Soul Tower have undoubtedly influenced Dragon Kiss Academy."
Thales remembered that Ramon had once told him that magic had become extinct. He could not help but feel shocked.
"So, Dragon Kiss Academy also teaches magic?" The prince was surprised and clung to the table. "But —"
Asda cut him off emotionlessly.
"I know what you're thinking. Dragon Kiss Academy could not avoid the disaster of magic becoming extinct after the Battle of Eradication. Most of the books that were considered to be magic or related to magic were destroyed."
Thales' face darkened.
But he immediately raised his head and said with a little hope, "Then, there is still a small part?"
"Yes, but not the kind you think. It's time for you to go."
Asda replied nonchalantly, "That's right.
"The wizard who established the Dragon Kiss Academy is a core member of the Seat of Epic. His specialty in the Soul Tower is history and literature. He specializes in researching the origins of civilizations in poetry. Naturally, the Dragon Kiss Academy's research direction has shifted towards him."
Thales frowned and grabbed the king. He moved it out of Asda's hunting range. Their game of chess had unknowingly turned to 'checkmate' again.
But he immediately reacted to Asda's words.
"History? Literature? "the prince said in surprise," Magic Tower also researches these? "
Asda chuckled.
"It's not just these.
"Among the Three Great Magic Towers, the largest Soul Tower alone has all kinds of magic branches. There are as many stars in the Milky Way."
The Mystic lifted his gaze slightly. Blue light flowed in his eyes.
Under Thales' curious and longing gaze, Asda skillfully and quickly recited a series of terms that were too much for the eyes to take in.
"The Seat of Gold specializes in researching the economic currency's influence on humans. The Seat of Epic is good at working with ascetics to unearth new things from archaeological remains. The Seat of Thought is good at interrogating human language and logic. The Seat of Power believes that only by going deep into secular society can one better understand the world and oneself. It is Soul Tower's largest supply of resident wizards. Almost every suzerain's habit of hiring a wizard as a consultant started from it. It also set a precedent for the Seat of All Laws. The Seat of Nature is on good terms with the Alchemy Tower. It advocates discovering objective laws of nature and applying them flexibly. There are countless other seats under it …"
Thales pondered over Asda's words as if he was intoxicated. Then, he shuddered slightly. "Wait, Gold, Epic, Thought … These are also considered magic?"
The prince turned his head and cast a bewildered gaze at Asda, seeking an answer.
Asda returned to his original indifference. He asked flatly, "What do you think magic is?"
Thales took a deep breath and began to think.
The prince scratched his head and said in disbelief, "Although I heard Ramon say that magic seems to have a wide range, monetary economy? Influence on humans? This is too — "
"Currency? Economy? "Asda interrupted him, repeating the phrase.
The Air Mystic's eyes were sharp and serious.
"Currency. Think about it. Wizards only use some small metal discs and useless waste paper to profoundly change the lives and fates of thousands of people. They can also affect the history and future of a country or a place.
"Success and fame, the destruction of families, and the deaths of people are all involved. The king, the people, the nobles, and the common people are all involved. All of these come from the hard thinking in the Magic Tower and the endless nights of writing."
Thales raised his eyebrows.
Asda leaned forward slightly. His gaze was so bright that Thales could not help but avert his gaze. "Tell me, what kind of incantations and what kind of magic can achieve such a thing?
"If these are not considered magic …
"Then what else is magic?"
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