It had been three days since Amon walked through the forest. Every time he rested, he would practice air magic according to Crazy 'Ole's instructions. With the experience of water magic and the help of the staff, Amon mastered the low-level air magic very quickly. Then he no longer used the staff to practice. It was much more difficult to practice with his own divine power.
Schrödinger never walked alone. When Amon was in a hurry, it slept soundly in the leather bag. Every day, it only ate one meal in the evening, but it had to be specially cooked by Amon. Amon knew the cat's temper well, so he let it eat first, and then himself. Schrödinger seemed to be very satisfied.
The deeper they went into the mountains, the more humid the air became. Although the change was very faint along the way, Amon, who was proficient in various low-level water elemental magic and practicing air elemental magic, was still keenly aware of it.
To the north of Duc was the Syah Plateau, which was majestic and dangerous and very desolate. To the east, there were also steep mountains, but the vegetation was very dense. To the southwest, there were relatively low plains. The wind blowing from the ocean in the southwest directly passed through the plains. There was very little precipitation, so the dry Syah Desert formed to the south of the town. The sea wind met with the mountains in the northeast and formed convection, so there was a lot of rain and formed the Euphrate River.
The terrain in the mountains was not suitable for people to live in, and the Charcoal Forest and the Syah Desert were not suitable for building towns. Duc happened to be on the edge of the transition zone, at the foot of the mountains in the southeast. There were streams for drinking, so it was not too dry, but the land was quite barren.
As Amon walked east, the terrain became higher and higher. It was the zone where the sea wind was blocked and formed convection. Amon, who rarely saw rain in his life, encountered several consecutive rains. Sometimes the rain was like flying silk, flying into people's collars with the wind. Sometimes the rain was so heavy that it was hard to see around, and the feet were unusually slippery.
It was very dangerous to walk in this kind of wilderness in the rain. Not only was there no path, but if one was not careful, they could slip off the cliff and not even their bones could be found. Normally, Amon should stop and wait for the rain to stop. However, the rain was intermittent, so Amon had no choice but to continue in the rain. Schrödinger, on the other hand, sneezed whenever it rained. It didn't seem like he had a cold, but he didn't seem to like it.
Amon did not want to risk his life, but he had another way. Every time it started to drizzle, he would use his staff. The light rain swirled and drifted away with the wind, and the heavy rain condensed into a curtain of water that sprinkled around. Amon's body was still dry, and he could see the path under his feet clearly. If other mages saw Amon using water and air magic at the same time just to walk in the rain, they would probably vomit blood again!
Was it really necessary for a noble mage to walk so hard in the rain? Even if he had to go out in the rain, he could sit in a comfortable caravan. If he couldn't sit in a caravan, he could wear a waterproof cloak and boots, and let a strong servant accompany him with a big umbrella. The power of magic would run out, and it would take time to recover. It was the same as the physical strength of an ordinary person, and it was much more exhausting than physical labor. Noble mages did not torture themselves like this.
If they knew what kind of staff Amon was using, they would not only vomit blood, they might even faint. Amon relied on this staff to walk through the mountains in the rain and use two kinds of magic at the same time. At first, he did not regard it as a kind of practice. He only used it to avoid the rain, because Crazy 'Ole had told him not to use special parangons during his practice.
He did not summon the water and the wind, but the power of nature. Crazy 'Ole's words came to Amon's mind, "When you practice these two elemental magic, don't try to reach the highest level. You need to pay attention to how to resist, use and protect yourself in the face of nature. If you can control a drop of water, you must learn how to keep it in the river. "
Amon seemed to have found another way to practice magic, not to summon the wind and the rain, but to face the power of the wind and the rain, and to adapt to it with magic so that he would not get wet. Thanks to the staff, he could practice like this.
Amon walked alone in the mountains for three days and three nights, leaning on a heavy staff and carrying a lazy fat cat on his back. When it rained, he cast two kinds of magic at the same time to avoid the wind and rain. It was a great challenge to his physical strength, energy and magic. It was more difficult than any march on the continent.
Although his body was dry, in the slippery and muddy mountains, sometimes he needed to climb rocks, and sometimes he needed to slash out a path with a knife. The coordination requirements for strength, agility, and endurance were quite high. This was actually the best kind of physical training, but it was not a combat technique on the battlefield. Along the way, they met several fierce beasts in the mountains. Amon finally realized that he was not the one to be afraid of. He waved the staff a few times and the seemingly fierce beasts were all scared away.
Amon did not hunt or chase. He remembered Crazy 'Ole's words and walked eastward for three days. He came to a high slope and looked around. Then he frowned and hesitated. Crazy 'Ole wanted him to climb the highest mountain he could see in three days. Obviously, there were two mountains, one on the left and the other on the right. He saw them yesterday, and he estimated that they would be the highest mountains he would see in two days.
But he could not tell which one was higher because of the angle. When he looked up, he could only see misty clouds covering the top. On the right was a steep mountain with jagged rocks and cliffs. It seemed to be higher, but it was difficult for Amon to climb it. The mountain on the right was magnificent, with continuous undulations. It was not a mountain, but a plateau.
Which way should he go? When Amon was hesitating, Schrödinger suddenly stretched and jumped out of the bag. It ran down the slope on the right with small steps. The lazy cat walked on its own. Amon hurried to catch up, but he almost slipped. The ground was covered with wet moss, and it was almost impossible to stand on it. He ran and shouted, "Schrödinger, where are you going?"
The cat didn't run far. When it reached a valley, it stopped, raised its front paw, pointed upwards, and meowed softly. Amon looked in the direction the cat was pointing. It was a narrow path between the trees, winding up the mountain. Obviously, Schrödinger wanted to show the way, but Amon was surprised that there was a path in the mountain.
Amon found footprints. Someone passed by here a few days ago. The footprints were wide and thick, without shoes. It should be a caveman. This path might lead to a large caveman tribe. Amon had been trying to avoid encountering cavemen along the way, but Schrödinger asked him to go in this direction.
Amon could not negotiate with the cat. He carefully studied the footprints nearby and found two lines of footprints with shoes! One set of footprints belonged to a pair of sandals woven from mountain grass, with a slightly coarse pattern woven very closely together. The other person was actually wearing a pair of boots with a leather sole and teeth.
This kind of boots was waterproof and non-slip, very suitable for walking on mountain roads, but only people of high status could afford it. Judging from the footprints, the teeth on the boots had been worn down, indicating that this was an old pair of boots. This line of footprints looked new. This person probably walked here less than a day ago. Could it be that there were other people here besides cavemen? This was deep in the mountains, far away from towns and people!
"Schrödinger, are we really going to go this way? There seems to be a caveman tribe on this mountain, and there are footprints of someone who just passed by. It's very strange. If we encounter them, what kind of trouble will there be? "Amon said to the cat in a negotiating tone.
Schrödinger twisted its neck and looked back at Amon. Its expression seemed to be despising a useless coward, and then it squatted there and looked at the mountain road. Amon understood that Schrödinger wanted him to climb this mountain, so he picked up Schrödinger and put it in his leather bag. Then he walked towards the mountain on the right, leaning on his cane.
When he picked up Schrödinger, Amon had a feeling that this lazy and greedy fat cat had become a little thinner after three days of good food and drinks. Its fur had also become clean, not as dirty as before. When it jumped out of the bag, it still had some of the strength and flexibility that a cat should have.
… …
Just as Amon was climbing along the trail, a group of distinguished people came to the town of Duc. Distinguished people from faraway places rarely came to Duc, which was a difficult and harsh mining area, but recently it was very lively. Less than three months after Rod Drick's departure, the governor of Syah, Fermian Schmul, also came.
The post road through the Charcoal Forest could only accommodate single-shaft carriages. When Schmul passed by in his luxurious double-shaft carriage, all other people and carriages had to dodge into the bushes on the side of the road to avoid him. Riding in such a carriage on the official post road was definitely a symbol of status and identity. Ordinary people, no matter how rich they were, would not be allowed to ride in the post station.
But this time, Schmul's carriage was the first one in the front. It was accompanied by Shog, the priest of Duc, and Morton, Schmul's assistant. In the second carriage was Miser Randil, an envoy from the Hittite Kingdom. He was an official of the Ministry of Justice of the Hittite Kingdom and also a fifth-level mage. He was not a big shot in the capital, but as a special envoy to Syah, he was very noble. Along the way, the local officials had to treat him with great care.
The last carriage was spacious and comfortable. It was made of the best snow-cedar wood, but it was not decorated too much. The roof was plain and there was only a symbol of the Shrine of Enril. It was Goliath's carriage. Cosman, the high priest, sat in the carriage with Goliath. There were also cavalry guards in front and behind the caravan. Such a procession had never been seen on the post road in the Charcoal Forest.
Randil was very proud, even a little smug, as if he was a dragon returning to the sea. As an imperial envoy of the capital, his status was indeed extraordinary. He had only come to Duc to punish a miner, but he did not expect that the supreme mage Goliath would come with him. Who else could have such an entourage? As soon as Goliath arrived, Schmul, the governor of Syah, also came with him. Everyone seemed to be serving him alone.
Although the Charcoal Forest was strange and desolate, Randil was overjoyed.
Shog, who was sitting in the first car, was also overjoyed. The priest's "illness" had been completely cured. He looked even more energetic than usual, almost radiant. He had gained a lot from this trip to the city. He actually had the chance to curry favor with Lord Randil, who came from the capital. Although Randil spoke very arrogantly, he still chatted with him about the local customs and resources. He was especially interested in the God's Stone, and he showed some appreciation for him.
Most importantly, he asked about Lord Randil's intentions. He was here to punish Amon and behead the boy in public! Since Maqi's disappearance, Shog could not eat or sleep in peace. Amon had become a thorn in his side, but he did not dare to provoke him again. Now, all his troubles were solved, and he did not need to do anything.
Lord Randil indeed appreciated him, especially when Shog told him that Amon had an Aquaticore in his hand. Randil's eyes lit up and he asked, "Shog, what do you think should be done with Amon's belongings?"
The order from the capital was to behead Amon in public, not to confiscate his property. What property could a miner in a small town have to confiscate? The dignified Ministry of Justice of the kingdom would not think of this. He did not expect to hear such good news from Shog.
Logically speaking, Amon's "inheritance" naturally belonged to his father. But Shog blinked his eyes and said, "I paid all the taxes for the parangons Amon got. These parangons should be confiscated by the shrine. Of course the Aquaticore should be given to you, my lord. This is the will of the gods! It is up to you to punish him for his sins. "
Randil nodded in satisfaction. "Shog, you're just a priest and clerk of a small town. It's such a waste of your talent!" That was what made Shog so excited that he couldn't sleep well the whole night.
Mayor Dusti, who received the news, rang the bell of the Shrine of Mourrin early in the morning. He gathered the townspeople and lined up on both sides of the road to the east of the town to welcome him. He sprinkled water and flower petals on the road. There were not enough fresh flowers around Duc in a hurry, so he sprinkled a lot of fresh leaves to decorate the flowers. It was also quite beautiful.
Sitting in the governor's carriage, Shog felt a little light-headed. He even felt that the townspeople and Mayor Dusti were welcoming him. When the lords and lords sat down in the council hall of the shrine, the maidservants served them wine and snacks. After listening to the flattery and compliments for a long time, Landier asked arrogantly, "Where is the miner named Amon in your town? Bring him to the gate of the shrine and gather all the townspeople. I want to punish him in public! "
Although he was in a good mood when he came, he could not stand the dirty and smoky environment of Duc. He was not as patient as Rod Drick. He wanted to leave as soon as he arrived. He just wanted to finish his job as soon as possible, get the benefits and go back to Syah to enjoy the wine, food and beauties prepared by Governor Schmul. He did not want to stay one more night in Duc.
Hearing this, Dusti was stunned for a moment before he replied, "Amon? He left Duc three days ago. According to the decree of the kingdom, I sent him away in public. "
"What? The miner ran away? Shog told me about the law here. The miners of Duc are not allowed to leave without permission. What the hell is going on? Are you purposely making things difficult for me? I came here with the king's order! "Randil's voice immediately rose by an octave. He looked a little flustered and exasperated.
Shog's face darkened as well. In a moment of panic, he shouted at Dusti, "What the hell did you do? You let Amon run away?"
Dusti wondered if his clerk had taken the wrong medicine. He glared at him and said, "Shog, did you hear it wrong? I sent Amon away from Duc in accordance with the decree of the kingdom. He didn't run away on his own. "Then he turned to Randil and said in a frightened tone," My lord, I'm really sorry! I didn't know you were here for Amon. It's like this … "
Dusti recounted what happened three days ago and concluded, "Everyone in the town can testify, except for Shog who left his post due to illness. It's just a coincidence."
Randil shouted, "Decree? What decree? How come I've never heard of it? "
Dusti took out a sheepskin scroll and handed it to Randil respectfully, "This is the decree of the kingdom. Please have a look."
Randil wasn't even born thirty years ago. Of course he hadn't heard of this decree. He stared at it for a long time and asked, "Who's Bair?"
"Eh, the evil archmagician Bair?" Goliath suddenly reached out and took the sheepskin scroll. He nodded and said, "Yes … this is indeed the decree! I personally sent it here thirty years ago. At that time, I was just a priest of the Syah Shrine. Dusti's father was the mayor of this town. "
Governor Schmul asked curiously, "May I have a look at this decree, my dear supreme mage?"
Goliath threw the sheepskin scroll to him and said, "Don't you believe me? Go back and ask your clerk to check the archives. There's a copy of this. "
Schmul also looked at it for a long time and finally asked the most important question, "Dusti, can you tell me why you suddenly implemented a decree that no one has paid attention to for thirty years?"
**
Introduction of the characters in this chapter
Miser Randil: An official of the Ministry of Justice of the Hittite Kingdom, a fifth-level mage. He was sent by the capital to punish Amon in public.
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