"I don't …"
Thales had to use the overturned teacup to hide his surprise. Then, the young veiled nun beside Melgen came forward enthusiastically and skillfully to help him clean up the mess on the table in a very inconsiderate manner.
"I don't understand?"
But this time, Melgen did not say a word. She quietly observed the prince behind the study table.
'This is that boy.
The boy who is related to the kingdom's future. '
When he heard about magic, his expression showed that he was slightly surprised. He was not like the old nobles who were born shrewd and calculative, who were polite and full of pretense.
But he was not like the new nobles in the capital who were cautious, cautious, and ambitious.
Gilbert was a little caught off guard.
"Priestess Melgen! I thought we were only having a theology lesson today, and you were explaining the knowledge related to God to His Highness — "
"As I said, theology has never been the study of God alone."
Melgen interrupted Gilbert's protest. This idiot, who seemed to be very smart to others, was still so slow and hopeless. She continued to size up Duke Thales before her.
The young duke looked a little thin, and he reminded her of the poor people who crowded outside the blessed places during winter while they waited for help.
But his eyes were bright and full of expression, sharp and alert.
That was not all. Melgen could also tell from his other actions, such as his natural and casual sitting posture, his quick and rhythmic movements, and his bold and direct way of speaking, that he was not a traditional Prince of Constellation.
At least, he was not like the previous ones.
Melgen glanced at the prince's clothes again. The colors were dark, and the style was conservative. But the details of his collar, cuffs, and other areas were designed in a new shape. Along with the silver thread that was hidden in place, it complemented the nine-pointed star brooch.
The priestess nodded in secret.
'It seems like the royal tailors have also been enlightened. They know how to remodel styles and innovate fashions.'
Hmm, perhaps it was because he was tired of the heavy and old-fashioned trend in the circle of nobles in Eternal Star City, which had lasted for more than ten years after the Bloody Year. Because the master of Renaissance Palace had a preference for classic and cool colors, the normal tailors in the capital city, who used trendy designs and bold colors as their selling points, were almost forced into a corner.
However, Melgen paused for a moment before she understood.
No, although the royal tailors of the palace often let themselves go and practiced their skills in the clothing design of the various noble families (most of the customers who knew nothing about aesthetics would only show their amazement and appreciation for the realistic acting on their faces to match their sky-high hiring fees), they did not have the reason nor the courage to experiment on the second prince who had just returned and attracted the attention of the entire kingdom.
This was not a new design.
Megan's heart thumped.
The prince was wearing the favorite style of the previous owner of this hall more than ten years ago.
She looked at the Count who was still chattering away and continued to ignore the warning look in his eyes.
By the looks of it, he had been working hard for many years, and he had almost turned Renaissance Palace into his second home.
However …
Would it really work?
Megan smiled faintly.
"You know what I'm saying, Thales."
She called out the prince's name without a care in the world, ignoring his status.
Beneath the gods, souls were of equal value.
Titles were useless, but piety was supreme.
Wasn't that so?
"In this world, not every child is fortunate enough to experience the confrontation between calamities and dragons."
Melgen was satisfied when she saw the prince's expression turn solemn.
"Over the past few years, have you not been troubled, curious, or seeking an explanation for the disaster that happened in Dragon Clouds City?"
Thales' gaze froze.
Dragon Clouds City.
"When you heard the rumors of the calamities destroying the world, watched the drama of the Battle of Eradication, read the descriptions of their different appearances, and listened to the vague explanations given by the noble teachers, did you really accept everything?"
'Magic.'
Thales leaned against the back of his chair and frowned.
'So, this is the problem that has troubled you for years. Because of my experience in Dragon Clouds City.
Not because … '
Under the table, Thales pinched his left palm and felt the scars left behind by the countless slashes from the dagger.
He let go of his nervousness and all the possibilities he had thought about just now.
'Did the Secret Intelligence Department find some suspicious clues while they were monitoring me? 'Did the half-baked doctor, Ramon, get exposed? 'Did he leave behind clues while he was searching for books in Dragon Clouds City? 'Did he give himself away in class with Asda? 'Did Little Rascal inadvertently leak the secret? 'Or did some ugly old witch, whom I have not seen for many years, stab me in the back and spread rumors?'
"Priestess Melgen, you should have discussed this with me beforehand …" Gilbert's coughing suddenly stopped, and it was replaced by a sigh.
Melgen turned her head around gracefully.
"There is no need to hide it, and there is no need to cover it up." Sunset knew how much effort it took for her to stop herself from instinctively calling her an idiot.
She maintained her smile and said, "Count Caso.
Talking about wizards will not bring about calamities, and reflecting on magic will not lead to the end. "
Her blunt choice of words caused Gilbert's expression to change drastically.
"Only those who refuse to come to their senses and blindly believe in superstition will walk down the wrong path."
Melgen turned her head around and looked straight at Thales, who had a complicated expression on his face.
"It is precisely because of ignorance.
And arrogance. "
Thales was silent for a long while.
Gilbert's sigh became deeper.
"A long time ago, I have already explained the evilness of the calamities to Your Highness …"
Melgen's tone was gentle. She retorted without showing any signs of weakness.
"Count Caso, do you really think that he is an idiot who will run off to eat, drink, and be merry after class and no longer care about the content of his studies?
"Do you really think that he will be free of worries, be willing to be ignorant, and no longer care about the things that once threatened his life for the rest of his life?"
Gilbert was slightly speechless. Both he and the priestess looked at the prince behind the desk at the same time.
But Thales only remained silent. He was thinking about the unknown.
Gilbert's tone became slightly weaker.
"He is still young …"
But Melgen's retort became even more forceful.
"He is already old enough."
The old priestess said coldly,
"If magic has truly stimulated the teenager's uncontrollable curiosity, then there is no need for him to wait until now. During the six years when he was away from your sight, he had already indulged himself and was addicted to it. He ignored all taboos and did not know where he should go."
Gilbert looked at the prince and frowned slightly. He did not say anything else.
'Alright.'
The teenager, who had been filled with complicated thoughts and had become nervous a few seconds ago, exhaled.
"Alright, indeed." The prince's tone became relaxed again.
"I do want to know."
Thales smiled faintly and said sincerely,
"Magic and the calamities?"
"Gilbert talked about it a long time ago. The Eckstedtians also talked about it a little, but not much."
Gilbert's expression changed again.
"Look, Thales.
"All the gods know thy perplexity." Melgen looked at him amiably. She looked confident.
"If thou believest, the gods will protect thee."
'Oh, Sunset.
'If you protect me …'
Thales did not bother to hide his sigh.
'Can I stop being such a charlatan?'
Melgen looked at his expression, and she understood what he meant.
As expected, he did not believe in gods since he grew up in the north.
This was not strange. Ever since the Battle of Eradication, most of the northerners no longer believed in the gods that were once revered as orthodox by the Empire, or any beliefs that were connected to them. Instead, they believed in the things brought by the founding king, who was not ashamed to have interbred with abnormal beasts.
'Barbaric and ignorant, arrogant and conceited.'
Melgen pursed her lips.
'God knows how much Bright Moon Temple and Dark Night Temple sacrificed to survive in that land.
'But this is the amazing thing about faith, isn't it?
Just like how I was many years ago. I was also immersed in vanity and impulsiveness. I thought I understood my own life and found what I wanted in this world, so I ignored the teachings and arrangements of the gods.
'Fortunately, the gods are impartial and have no grudges.
They only have protection and tolerance. '
Melgen gratefully made a prayer gesture in her sleeve, which Thales could not see. This way, the nervous little Niah behind her did not have to repeat after her.
"First of all, where did magic come from?"
Thales maintained his smile and shrugged to show that he did not know.
'You must be joking. It would be great if I knew.
'No, it would be terrible if she knew that I knew.'
Melgen gestured at the young nun behind her.
"Niah."
The seemingly thin and pitiful veiled girl received the hint. She laboriously but carefully took out a large square box that shone with a metallic luster from the luggage they brought and placed it on Thales' study table.
'Wait a minute, it's not a box. It's made from thin plates that are stacked together from top to bottom. There are no gaps.
It seems to be more like a … book? '
The picture on the top of the metal box was a life-like carving of a king dressed in military attire surrounded by a crowd. The carving style was simple and plain, but it was easy to understand. There were also some symbols carved around it that Thales found very familiar. They were similar to the language of the Ancient Empire.
"What is this?"
Thales frowned. He instinctively reached out to flip open the metal "book".
* Slap! *
"Don't touch it!"
Thales felt pain on the back of his hand. He retracted his palm in shock, but he realized that the person who hit him was the young nun called Niah.
Niah habitually extended her hand. He could vaguely see the fierce look on her face under her veil.
It was as if she had done this action countless times to warn those who wanted to touch the metal book.
But in the next second, when the young nun realized who she hit, she instantly panicked.
"I …"
Niah lowered her head and muttered softly, "Yes, no …"
Thales could only smile awkwardly.
What else could he do? Let Doyle come in, drag her out, and kill her? Let Doyle come in, drag her out, and kill her?) But Priestess Melgen quickly helped him out of his predicament.
But Priestess Melgen soon helped him out of his predicament.
"This is a metal nameplate found in King Anzac's tomb."
"King Anzac?"
Thales' gaze flickered.
"Wait, I've read this name before …"
Thales racked his brain and recalled the time he spent in the library in Dragon Clouds City.
But it was clear that Melgen did not intend to give him the chance to show off his memories and knowledge.
"He was one of the previous kings of the human race during the Age of Kings, a relative of the royal family of the Shawen Kingdom."
"When the last line of defense collapsed, the Iron Blood King died in battle, the Northland was lost, Shawen was destroyed, and the ancient orcs marched southward on a large scale for a century, it was King Anzac who raised his arms and stood his ground against the objections of the masses. He united the kings of the humans who were fleeing in panic, formed a joint conference, defended the city, and waited for the opportunity to counterattack …"
He remembered the initiator of the Joint Conference of Kings and the symbolic figure of the era of multiple kings. But when he looked at the metal nameplate on the table, a strange expression appeared on his face.
"King Anzac …"
"You … raided his tomb?"
Priestess Melgen's expression immediately froze.
"Not us."
There was a hint of displeasure in her tone.
Thales coughed and said angrily,
"Of course not."
'All of you are just … kind, naive, and innocent buyers and collectors, right?'
"And this is …" Thales shifted his attention back to the metal nameplate in front of him. He watched as Niah skillfully flipped open the first few pages, and a few images flashed past.
The city walls collapsed, the sentry posts were destroyed, and countless people were beheaded.
A huge figure came over with human heads and weapons in his hands. He approached a group of soldiers who had nowhere else to run to.
The king on the cover was sitting at a round table. He waved his arms and spoke passionately.
"In ancient times, before paper and printing existed, people recorded important events and history on the nameplates made of special alloys so that they would not forget them."
Melgen sat in her seat and said faintly,
"Based on what I know, some places, including Northland, still retain this tradition."
Thales remembered it.
When he was still in Northland, it was said that the White Blade Guards' 'Legend of the White Blade Guards' was written in this manner. But Thales could not understand it. After hundreds of years, the White Blade Guards' records should weigh dozens of tons. Could the dead-faced man with thin arms and legs carry it?
In the distance, the shocked Gilbert wanted to go forward, but he could not lose his composure. He could only crane his neck to look over. Thales could see the amazement he felt towards the metal nameplate in his eyes.
"At the very beginning, before the world was completely explored, when beliefs were still divided, and when humans were still insignificant and lowly …" Melgen spoke slowly at a moderate pace.
Melgen spoke slowly at a moderate pace, and Nun Nia flipped the page cooperatively.
On the page, the crowned kings looked tiny. They stood back to back with a group of huge figures.
"At that time, the humans were surrounded by powerful alien races that did not fit in with them. The bloodthirsty orcs who worshiped their ancestors went south to expand their territory, the elven kingdoms who worshiped nature were at the height of their hegemony, and the dwarven kings who worshiped iron and fire were ambitious …
"There were also Great Dragons and Adversity Beasts …"
Thales moved.
"Urk … What?"
Melgen had no choice but to stop again. She sighed.
"A certain archaeological discovery showed that many years before the appearance of humans' pictures and words, our world was ruled by many gigantic beasts.
"They were unimaginably huge.
"The Great Dragons were just the head of them.
They traveled between the sky and the earth without fear. They ruled over the mountains and the oceans. They used the world as their hunting grounds and the living creatures as their slaves. They did whatever they wanted to the insignificant insects, and they displayed boundless might. "
It was only then that Thales understood.
Niah flipped to another page.
A man with a crown stood at the top of the city wall. Many figures stood beside him. Some of them held weapons, some were dressed in long robes, and some leaned on their staffs …
"Among human beings, there is such a group of strategists. With their experience and wisdom, they give advice dutifully in the tents of the tribes, in the palaces of the nobles, and in the towers of the cities, trying to fight for a chance of respite for human beings.
"They were no different from Count Caso over there."
In the distance, Gilbert's expression became a little darker.
"At that time, the dangerous environment practically forced the humans, who had the lowest status and were the weakest, to a dead end."
Niah flipped to the next page.
The engraving on this page attracted Thales' attention.
In the boundless sky, an indistinct figure appeared in the picture of the sun. It looked down sternly and extended its arm to the king and his strategists.
"Until the gods looked down and pitied the weak."
Melgen's words became more profound.
"Prophets and God's Messengers descended one after another to point out the future path for humans and spread the faith of the gods.
"And the group of people I mentioned …"
Melgen raised her head.
"Some of them accepted the gods and their faith. They were pious and humble.
"Others are skeptical, and some even scoff at it, disapproving of it."
Thales shuddered. He then saw Niah flip to the next page.
Under the sun, the man with the crown stood in the middle. There were a few groups of people standing beside him. The two groups at the end of the left and right were the most eye-catching. The people on the right bowed and worshiped with humble expressions. The people on the left stood with their backs to the king, and their movements were different.
Thales' expression became solemn when he saw the two groups of people standing beside the king.
Melgen's words continued.
"The former built churches, rooted themselves in the people, and educated the people.
"The latter gathered together and formed their own faction. They opened up a different path."
Melgen's words changed.
"And this was the beginning of the division between faith and magic, priests and wizards, temples, churches, and Magic Tower."
Thales could not help but speak after he figured it out.
"What?"
He looked at Melgen. She only smiled faintly.
"Now, do you know why the knowledge about the mysterious magic that has disappeared in the past is only mentioned in our theology classes?"
Thales was in slight disbelief.
"Faith and magic come from the same source." The old priestess became serious.
She said sternly, "They depend on each other and prove their importance."
Thales stared at Priestess Melgen in a daze. Countless thoughts flashed in his mind.
Melgen did not stop talking. She had the presence of a towering mountain. Even Gilbert could not help but become solemn and serious.
"They were originally brothers, and they were both enlightened by the gods."
Melgen sighed slowly.
"But the eldest is loyal, and the youngest is rebellious."
There was a faint hint of respect in Melgen's words.
"But they worked hard for one goal: the survival and prosperity of humans."
Thales listened to her in shock and bewilderment. He thought that this was another way of speaking.
'Faith and magic, religion and wizards come from the same source?'
"The eldest son of God remolded the people's spirits. He brought them the belief to protect and save the people. He made them cast aside their weakness and dispel their fear.
"The youngest son of God gave the people powerful weapons so that they could move more freely in the victory that was bound to come."
As Niah flipped through the pages, many scenes on the metal nameplate entered Thales' eyes.
Escape.
Banquets.
Mobilization.
Weddings.
Celebrations.
Wars.
Funerals.
There were many more.
But those two groups of people would occasionally appear.
Those who bowed always sang loudly during ceremonies and banquets, while those who turned their backs always appeared on battlefields and city walls.
Thales looked at the simple but profound carvings and frowned.
"As the two of them worked together without saying anything, humans gradually rose to power and counterattacked."
Melgen's tone softened a little.
The old priestess took a deep breath and sighed with emotion.
"In the end, on Quiquer Ice Plains, in that unprecedented battle where both sides placed all their chips on the line and gambled on the future …
"King Anzac and the other six human kings charged into the orcs' tens of thousands of heavy infantrymen with their pious faith and three thousand cavaliers who faced death with equanimity …"
Thales was instantly shocked!
'This story is …'
"They never came back, but at the cost of their lives, they successfully killed the ancient orc's supreme Sacred Chief."
Niah flipped to the last few pages.
The king was covered in wounds. He hugged his sword and lay quietly in the middle of the battlefield. But the huge figures holding human heads had long since disappeared. Only countless tiny figures held their horses and spears as they surrounded the king. They raised their flags and stood solemnly.
In the sky, the clouds dispersed, and light shone on the battlefield.
"Having lost their Holy Chief, the leaderless Ancient Orcs were defeated."
Melgen raised her head and spoke in a clear voice.
"Hence, the battle that started a new era was called …
"The Holiness Exorcism Campaign."
Thales fell silent.
Panting lightly, Niah laboriously closed the metal inscription book.
The ten or so pages covered the records of King Anzac's magnificent life from a thousand years ago.
"The Holiness Exorcism is over, and the old times have changed. The bravery of the Orcs is no longer terrifying. The rule of the Elves has declined, and the arrogance of the Dwarves has disappeared. The fear brought by the Great Dragons and the Disaster Beasts has finally become an unverifiable legend."
"Thus, the foreign races hid themselves everywhere, and the faith of the gods spread throughout the world."
Melgen's expression was gloomy as she looked at the sunset outside the window.
"The golden age of mankind is about to arrive."
()
Stealing Fragrance
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