top of magic

After receiving Hill's order, the carriage turned around and headed northwest along the walls of Asshai City.

After closing the car window, Hill turned to look at Kiki next to him.

I haven't seen him for eight months. Apart from the fact that his hair seems to have been cut and grown, Keech's appearance hasn't changed much, but he has some temperament that he didn't have before, such as self-confidence, and the look in his eyes.

Compared to the previous state where he might not be able to answer a single question even if he was asked ten questions, today's Keech can even be called talkative.It was also because of his rare initiative that Hill gave up his original idea of ​​taking Kiki to watch the world of flowers in the city, and changed the place of spending time to the relatively secluded Rose Manor.

——Drinking is more interesting than shopping, isn't it?

Hill frowned.

But Keech also seemed to feel that he said too much today, and he didn't speak again after Hill decided to go to Rose Hill. Now he even lowered his eyelids, staring intently at the fingers he was still holding in Hill's hand.

Hill didn't lead him to talk, but just grabbed Kiki's other hand, feeling the silky touch in his hand, while enjoying the tranquility in the car.

As always, Keech made no attempt to break free, allowing Hill to play with him, occasionally returning a few scratches.

But it didn't take long for Hill to feel his shoulders sinking, and when he turned his head to look, it was Keech's head that fell on his shoulders.

Kiki immediately raised his head, but his half-opened eyes revealed his sleepiness at the moment.

"Sleep if you're sleepy, it's going to be a long walk." Hill raised his hand and pressed Kiki's head back to his shoulder.

"Well... call me when we get here..." Kiki closed his eyes obediently, and fell asleep leaning against Hill.

Hill raised his hand again, and knocked on the car window twice with a gentle rhythm, and the speed of the carriage immediately slowed down a lot.

After about an hour and a half, the carriage finally arrived at the destination, in front of a rococo building full of pastoral style.

Although it is not that far away from the Magic Association built in the mountains, the terrain here is close to the plains.Looking around, the blue sky and the green ground are intertwined almost straightly, which is vivid but harmonious, which makes people feel relaxed and happy.

Hill glanced at the manor servants standing in two rows waiting to greet them outside the car window, then turned his head and patted the black-haired boy who was still sleeping soundly beside him, "We're here, Keech."

"Huh?" Kiki raised his head hesitantly, and it took a while to fully wake up, "Is it there?"

"Yes." Hill raised his hand and knocked on the car door.

The coachman who had been waiting for a long time immediately opened the door and put down the folding steps under the base.

"Welcome to Rose Hill, Master Balotelli." A young man in a dark brown coat with a mustache stood at the forefront of the servants and bowed to Hill.

The man with the moustache is Shana Lyman, the youngest son of Lord Lyman, the owner of Rose Manor.On weekdays, he has always been in charge of the reception of the Rose Manor, but the real owner, Thomas Lehmann, only appears during the summer season and special days when the wine is in the cellar.

"Are there many guests today?" Hill asked casually as he got off the carriage.

"Actually, we had only one guest before your arrival." Shaner replied respectfully.

"Can you reveal his name?" Hill raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Lord Marquis Lucifer and...his..." Shana opened his mouth awkwardly, as if he didn't know what words to use to continue the statement.

"I understand." Hill smiled knowingly, "Then, please arrange two rooms for me that will not disturb Lord Marquis."

"As you wish." Shana immediately bowed and agreed.

Hill turned around and reached out to Kiki in the carriage, "Please get out of the carriage, my dear friend, this is Rose Manor."

Keech was looking at the rose manor and the grape plantation not far away with a puzzled expression. When Hill called him, he subconsciously passed his hand over and stepped on the stairs. Get out of the carriage.

Seeing that Hill also brought a male guest, and the relationship seemed to be very close, Shana couldn't help but a strange look flashed across his face, but he didn't dare to ask more questions due to his accumulated experience in the aristocratic circle all the year round. He lowered his head and waited for Hill's next order.

Hill ignored Shaner, and only continued to talk to Keech, "Are you wondering why you can't see roses?"

"Well, isn't it Rose Manor?" Kiki nodded hesitantly.

"The name Rose actually comes from the wine that is abundant in the manor - the blood of roses, and in the manor, you will not find any flower buds except vines." Hill explained with a smile, "If you don't believe me, I can bring How about you take a look around and take a look at the most famous wine estate in the imperial capital?"

"...Well." Keech hesitated for a moment, although at the moment he wanted to find a place to continue to sleep, but it was rare to be reunited with Hill, so it seemed... not very good.

"Mr. Lyman, can we visit the whole manor?" Hill turned to Shaner and asked.

"Please feel free." Xia Na smiled quickly, "However, lunch time is coming, do you two want to eat here?"

"Of course, that's why we're here." Hill nodded with a smile.

While Hill and Shaner were talking, Kiki suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling, as if being watched by someone, which was weird and uncomfortable.He also felt this feeling when he first stepped into the Magic Association, and later learned that someone was really spying on them at that time - through the projection crystal.

——Now, who is looking at me?

Kiki squinted his eyes subconsciously, and searched in the direction of the strange feeling. Almost at the moment when he raised his head, a cloud of misty darkness appeared in Kiki's field of vision.

Darkness, that's all Keech can call it, and can't find any other more suitable term.

At first glance it appears to be foggy, but upon closer inspection one finds that it is pure darkness, within its body there is no light, no shadow, nothing.

As if in awe, no element dares to approach it.And it also stands alone, disdain to be with any light and shadow, floating high above among the numerous element light spots, just like the bright moon in the dark night, but the color is completely reversed.

Keech had never seen such an existence before, so he could not help but pursue the past in amazement, but immediately after, he felt that his whole body was being pulled by a huge gravitational force, and he suddenly spun around, as if being swallowed by that darkness.

"Kiki?!"

At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly entered the eardrum, and the body was supported by a pair of warm hands.

Kiki raised his head in surprise, and found that Hill was looking at him with a frown, and his body had never left its original position.

"Are you okay?" Hill asked suspiciously.

Keech didn't answer, and grabbed Hill's arm with his hands, narrowed his eyes again, and looked in the direction of the darkness.

But this time, he didn't see anything, except for those unusual elements.

The misty darkness disappeared, as if it had never existed.

Keech turned his head and looked at Hill blankly.

"Kiki, what's wrong with you?" Hill asked.

"I..." Kiki opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say or what to say.

"This gentleman seems a little unwell, should you go to the room to rest first?" Xia Na interjected.

"Yeah." Hill nodded directly to Shana without asking Kiki's opinion.

Shana turned around immediately and led the two into the manor villa.

Until he entered the guest room on the third floor, Keech couldn't get out of the abnormal state completely, and his fingers were still tightly grasping Hill's arm, subconsciously refusing to let go.

Hill didn't break his fingers forcibly, just put him down on the sofa bench in the center of the room, then sat beside him, and asked in a low voice, "What's the matter, Kiki, your body is covered in sweat , and his face is also ugly."

Keech didn't respond, just shook his head, slowly calmed his breathing, and tried to drag himself out of the dizziness.

Shaner, who was still standing at the door, asked, "Do I need to call for a doctor or...a priest?"

Hill glanced at Keech and saw that he shook his head again, so he turned to Shaner and said, "No, please send a bottle of whiskey. I think my friend needs this more."

"Okay, Master Balotelli." Xana bowed and left the room without further words.

After the door was closed, Hill turned his head and leaned over to rest his head on Kiki's forehead. He didn't feel the heat, only some clammy sweat.

"I...it's fine." Kiki let go of Hill's arm, took a deep breath, and wanted to say something, but he hesitated in the end.

"Tell me, what happened?" Hill still stuck to Keech, and found that doing so seemed to make Keech feel a lot better.

Keech opened his mouth, and finally worked up the courage to say, "I seem to...see something strange."

"Strange thing?" Hill was stunned for a moment, then raised the corner of his mouth, "You don't mean to say, did you see a ghost?"

"I'm not sure..." Keech didn't hear the ridicule in Hill's tone, but began to think seriously.

"Don't scare me, dear." Seeing Keech's appearance, Hill couldn't help shivering, twitching the corners of his mouth, and said with a forced smile, "I'm an atheist, and I really want to stick to this belief. "

"What's the relationship between ghosts and gods?" Kiki asked in confusion.

"Uh..." Hill was stunned for a moment, and quickly spread his hands helplessly, "Your question really stumps me."

At this moment, a moderate knock on the door interrupted their conversation.Hill patted Kidge on the shoulder reassuringly, got up and opened the door, took the whiskey that Shaner personally delivered, and expressed his ceremonial thanks.

Shana quickly left with interest.

Hill closed the door, picked up a crystal glass from the table next to him, and brought it back to Keech along with the whiskey.

"Take a sip, maybe it will make you feel better." Hill said as he uncorked the bottle, poured half a glass of whiskey, and handed it to Kiki.

Kidge took the cup and drank it without thinking, but just as the wine flowed down his throat and fell into his stomach, Kidge coughed from the strong acrimony, and couldn't help but stare at Hill, "This is... Cough cough cough...what the hell!"

"Wine!" Hill replied innocently, "Although it's not the wine you want to drink, it's still a real wine."

"Oh, no, I don't want to touch this thing again in my next life." Keech grabbed his throat in pain.

"But it feels better, doesn't it?" Hill smiled.

Keech pouted dejectedly, but he had to admit that at the moment just now, due to the overstimulation of the spirits, he really forgot the panic, and his mood calmed down very naturally.Immediately afterwards, a flash of inspiration flashed in Kiki's mind, and he suddenly thought of another possibility.

"Is the Marquis of Lucifer also a member of the Lucifer family?" Kiki raised his head and asked.

"Yes." Hill nodded, "Why do you ask this?"

"Is he a magician too?" Keech asked.

"This..." Hill touched his nose and replied with a strange expression, "As far as I know, he is not."

"Ah?" Kiki couldn't help being stunned, "Isn't Lucifer a family of magicians?"

"It's just a so-called magician family." Hill shrugged, reached out to take back the wine glass in Kidge's hand, and put it on the coffee table next to him, "It's not that the combination of two magicians will definitely give birth to descendants with magical talents. Therefore, a person with the surname Lucifer is not necessarily a magician."

"But I clearly heard you said that only magicians can inherit the title of the Lucifer family." Kiki asked suspiciously.He originally thought that the misty darkness might be the dark magic cast by the magician of the Lucifer family, but if the Marquis of Lucifer is not a magician, then this kind of speculation can only be ruled out.

——No, that person is not a magician, which does not mean that there are no other magicians around him.

Just when Keech was thinking, Hill continued, "Indeed, according to the Lucifer family's practice, the heirs of marquises and earls must at least be qualified as high-level magicians, and the heirs of viscounts and barons must also be mid-level or above magicians. But... this Marquis Moriarty Lucifer... is really special."

Keech tilted his head and looked at Hill puzzled.

"No one knows how he got the title. All I know is that one day, the old Marquis died, and his son Moriarty Lucifer became the new Marquis. Before that , everyone's understanding of this name is limited to the fact that he is the only son of the old Marquis, has no magical talent, and is not a magician recognized by the Magic Association." Hill shrugged, "It's not that no one has questioned his heir qualifications. On the contrary, Lu The Xifeier family themselves are the last to recognize his inheritance. However, all those who tried to deprive him of his marquis status have encountered accidents one after another, or suffered a cardiac arrest, or drowned in the bathtub, and one while walking He broke his neck, and among them, even a great magician was included—before Moriarty Lucifer inherited the title, the Yalong Empire had four great magicians instead of the current three. "

Keech blinked in surprise, feeling as if he was listening to a bizarre made-up story.

"That great magician's death is not too embarrassing, it's just a cardiac arrest, as if he was dying." Hill continued, "However, since then, Marquis Moriarty Lucifer After getting the nickname of 'God's Favored One', no one dared to question him. His Majesty the Emperor De Rossi also smoothly recognized his Marquis status and allowed him to represent the Lucifer family in and out of the palace."