God seal

In the old small attic, the magic lamp flame lit by spells emits a faint cold light. While illuminating the attic, there is no danger of igniting the mountains of books stacked around it.

A pointed mage's hat showed a sharp corner in the sea of ​​books, and it retracted after a while, and popped up again after a while, as if the owner of the hat was squatting up and down to search for something, but Before he could find anything, there was a knock on the door.

"Mr. Frans, are you there?"

The sharp corners of the mage's hat buried in the sea of ​​books paused, and then began to rise and rise until a wrinkled face appeared from the sea of ​​books.

Master Frans hesitated for a while between the book in his hand and the knock on the door. After a while, he couldn't stand the knocker's persistent and noisy inquiry, so he got up and opened the door.

"It's you?"

Master Frans recognized Archie, and before he could ask the master apprentice what he was doing here, the masked man following Archie had pulled off his hood.

"Hello."

Searle greeted, before Archie made a fuss.Master Frans only glanced at Searle lightly, and his eyes hurriedly swept across Searle's sharp ears and hair-colored eyes.

"It is you."

He seemed to recognize it, but he was not very interested and left a sentence.

"Come in and talk about something."

Master Frans hurried back to the attic again, as if something in the house was always grabbing his mind.

"That's it?"

Archie was a little surprised that he didn't see the expected scene of getting angry.Beside him, Searle took a long leg and entered the house.

When the two outsiders entered the attic, they saw stacks of books stacked from floor to ceiling.And the owner of the attic is still busy looking through the information, it seems that he doesn't intend to pay attention to these two uninvited guests.

Archie whispered: "The old bookworm's reputation is well-deserved, so it seems that half of Mr. Bossien's eccentric temper is taught by words and deeds."

But Searle was very happy, he just wanted to find someone who was obsessed with delving into theological knowledge to explain his doubts, and now he saw that Master Frans lived up to his reputation.Searle has always respected learned people from the bottom of his heart, so he changed his title.

"I heard that you have a lot of research attainments in theology." Before he finished speaking, he just waited for Master Frans to finish the sentence.

Master Frans reluctantly looked up at him, but did not answer his question, but said, "I heard that you saw Bethien for the last time. What is his expression?"

Searle's originally calm expression froze slightly, the corners of his lips were flattened, and his brows were slightly frowned.

After a long time, Archie heard him say.

"He's laughing."

"Really?" Master Frans sighed slightly, "Then he must be satisfied with the decision he made. That kid wanted to become the youngest archmage on the mainland when he was a child. Seeing that he is only one step away from realizing his long-cherished wish It seems that he has found something he wants to pursue more." The old mage cast his eyes on Searle, "I know what you want to ask me, and I can promise to answer your questions. But The premise is that you are willing to listen to me tell a story."

Searle could predict what story he wanted to tell.Since that day, he has avoided talking about Bethian.But right now, it seems that it can no longer be avoided.

Sure enough, Master Frans said capriciously: "If you don't want to hear this story, just go, I have nothing to tell you."

"No." Searle said, "Please tell me."

What Master Frans wanted to tell was just a very common story.A story of being abandoned by parents, abandoned by the family, and then self-improvement, like all inspirational novels.

Bethian became a disciple of Frans when he was ten years old.At that time, the current head of the Olivier family had just obtained a young son with a talent for prophecy, and Bethian had no place in the family anymore.Neither the father nor the mother intends to take care of this child who has no bargaining value.However, Bethien still had a good talent for spells, so he was sent to Van En City, where he became a disciple of Mage Frans, who was also neglected in Van En City.

Seeing his pity, Frans adopted him as an adopted son and raised him as his own.Bethien was precocious and intelligent, and he was willing to work hard. Within a few years, he showed a higher mage talent than his peers.If things go on like this, even if Bossian can't return to the family, sooner or later he will be able to gain a foothold by himself.

However, one day, 16-year-old Bethien came to Frans and asked.

"If I want to enter the Mage Council, do I have a chance with my current strength and efforts?"

Master Frans answered honestly.

"No."

There are so many talented young mages, but very few have entered the mage council.After all, as long as there is a place to socialize, there will be people who value family and background.

Bossian was silent for a while, as if he had expected it a long time ago and was not disappointed.His black eyes flickered, and this time he looked at Mage Frans, and asked again:

"If I do something against my will for the sake of strength and power, will you be disappointed?"

Master Frans asked him: "Do you want to kill innocent people?"

Bethian shook his head.

"Do you want to reverse right and wrong and overthrow the dynasty?"

"No."

"Then what kind of conscience have you violated?"

"It violates the ethics and morals of the world. Also, although I will not do evil things, I may have to watch others do it and remain indifferent."

"If you don't go, those people won't do evil things?" Frans asked, "Or do you not understand them doing evil things, and you have the ability to stand up to them?"

Bossian shook his head: "No." After thinking about it, he said, "Not yet."

Frans told him, let's go.Only after gaining enough strength can one demand others with one's own scale of good and evil.

It's just that even Frans didn't expect that Bosian would eat the flesh and blood of his ancestors and join the Black Robe Association afterward.After Bethien acquired the ability of the divination system, he rarely came to Frans.As his strength grew day by day, more and more people gathered around him.And this young and promising mage in black robe seems to have completely forgotten his mentor and adoptive father.

"Bothian is a person with a strong purpose. When he decides to do something, no one can stop him." Frans said, "I know that for many years, the Olivier family has always been in his heart A thorn, he wants to take revenge on them. I also know that because of the experience of being abandoned when he was young, his ambition to get ahead and gain power and status is far stronger than ordinary people. Just this year, I heard that he entered the The mage council, originally thought that he finally realized his long-cherished wish step by step. Unexpectedly—”

Master Frans turned his eyes to Searle.

"I don't care about the rumors about the Temple of Light. I just want to ask you, did Boxien really die for you?"

Throat's throat was thirsty, and after a long time, he spit out a sentence.

"Yes."

"Really?" Master Frans sighed, "But once a person dies, all those ambitions and powers will be in vain. He has spent nearly 30 years paving the way for his future, and all of them have been abandoned halfway."

The old mage looked at Searle, and said something abruptly, which almost stopped the heart of Archie who had been listening to the story.

"Then he must love you very much."

Sir's silver pupils constricted violently a few times, like the surface of a dark tide surging, swaying layer by layer.

However, unexpectedly, he did not refute.

"I do not know."

He loves the Elf King, his companions who take risks together, and his compatriots who are connected by blood, and even gives some love to those human and alien races who are suffering.However, he doesn't understand what it's like to love someone without a natural blood connection, without the friendship cultivated by getting along day and night, and without the sympathy of the strong for the weak.

What kind of power was that that made Bethien, who was originally an ambitious man, willing to give up everything he had worked so hard to plan and sacrifice his own life.

Archie couldn't help but fall into deep thought.Will I ever have a day when I love someone like Mr. Bossian?

"The story is over."

Mage Frans ignored the man and elf who were deep in thought in front of him, and changed the subject in a blink of an eye.

"In exchange for listening to the story, I'll answer any questions I know the answers to."

After all, there was still something urgent in front of him, and Searle also took great pains to get his thoughts back, but he still couldn't help being distracted by thinking about Bethian.As a result, the order of his original questions was disrupted.

"Did Yi's God's presence really fail?"

Searle couldn't help smiling wryly when he heard the question he asked unconsciously.On the premise of not asking other questions, this question is very abrupt and illogical.How could a mage far away in Fanen City know the specific situation of God's presence that day?

Master Frans glanced at him.

"Before I answer your question, I think you should first figure out—what is God?"

While speaking, Mage Frans walked to the desk where he was buried by the pile of books, and took away a few books, revealing the chessboard under it.I saw Master Frans picked up a chess piece and dropped it on the chessboard.

"God, Eli is a pawn on a chessboard called 'The World'."