The Book of Hibernation

In Winter Thistle's view, Kanai is an unapproachable person, but his teacher is the complete opposite, a kind and lovely old man.

Before, when the old man said he was not busy, he would come to chat with Dong Ji. He was not just talking, he really came every day, and he would also bring cakes and brewed black tea.

They usually chatted about topics among various mages, and sometimes it was inevitable to mention embargoed materials and the incident in Harbor City not long ago.

Talking about this incident made Dong Ji feel vigilant, at first she was a little wary.Later, he discovered that the old man knew more than he did, and the old man basically told him about the recent situation in Harbor City.He didn't know that the dead hunter's body was completely occupied by monsters before, which was what the old mage told him.

So Dongji also briefly described his own experience.The old man was quite surprised after hearing this: "So, you set a trap for Wu Yun?"

"Wu Yun?" Dong Ji knew this address, but he didn't expect to hear it again now.

The old man said, "Oh, that's right. The parties have reached an agreement these days that the creature is clearly not Bellows himself. Bellows is probably the victim, and what must have happened to him must have been terrible. So we don't take that creature any more. The creature is called Beloth. Now that creature uses the body of a dead hunter, we can't call it a dead hunter... If we call it a monster, a creature, or an undead creature, it is easy to be ambiguous. It must have a pronoun, so we It just used the pseudonym it said—Wu Yun.”

Winter Thistle nodded: "That's fine. The people whose bodies are occupied by it are indeed innocent. As for my 'trap'...in fact, it can't be regarded as a trap."

The old man said: "You gave Wu Yun some enchanting tools in advance, and he took a fancy to the research value of those tools, so he kept them carefully. It is because of these things that his true identity was exposed to people."

"Yes, I did give him some special talismans, but those talismans were my personal research and were not made specifically for him," Winter Thistle explained. The spell is hidden in the short-acting enchantment. In order to avoid being seen through by the caster, I set the effect to take effect slowly instead of being triggered immediately. If Wu Yun has illusions, concealment, or other anti-detection spells, These spells will gradually be dispelled by my runes. At this time, as long as there are high-level mages to check Wu Yun, they will definitely be able to discover the secrets of Wu Yun."

"Isn't this a trap?" The old man's tone was suspicious, but his face was still gentle.

Winter Thistle said: "This 'trap' will only be an introduction, not a framing and framing. If Wu Yun is really just a mage who studies the elements of purgatory as he said, then the 'trap' will not have any effect."

The old man sighed: "Winter Ji, you are a very powerful spellcaster. Your strength is not only reflected in killing the enemy head-on, but also in many subtle places."

"All refiners are like this." Winter Thistle said.

Hearing Winter Thistle's answer, the old man stroked his beard and smiled even wider.

In the academy, if he complimented any spellcaster like "a powerful spellcaster", the other party would usually be polite and say "You're flattering me", but Winter Thistle didn't. Followed by this compliment.

This half-elf has a very weak temperament and is relatively passive in dealing with things.Whether he was arrested or imprisoned here, he would neither sneak away nor make complaints. He was too honest and seemed to be a very timid person.

But it is such a person, when others praise his ability to cast spells, he will not be overly humble at all.

He didn't say awards, and he didn't say he was ashamed, but said that all refiners are like this.

The more the old mage thought about it, the more interesting it became.The half-elf's appearance and temperament gradually overlapped with some of his colleagues in his memory.

The old man deliberately asked: "By the way, Dong Ji, don't you have a surname? Is it not convenient to say it?"

Winter Thistle replied, "I don't have a surname. I have never had a father in my family since I was a child."

"Why not use my mother's last name?"

"As you can see, I am half-breed. My mother is a traitor elf, and she no longer has a last name."

The old man asked, "Did she never tell you your surname at all, or did she tell you but not let you use it?"

Dong Ji was taken aback by this statement, and he realized that the old man probably knew his mother.

Sure enough, the old man smiled and said: "Jinye Nolandar. Eliot Harman. I know these two people. You should at least keep the surname of one of them."

Hearing these two names spoken by others, a slight shudder ran down Winter Thistle's spine.

Fortunately, this discomfort was only fleeting and did not bother him too much.Probably because the old mage had a kind face and a gentle attitude, Dongji didn't feel any pressure or malice.

Winter Thistle didn't talk about his own life experience, so he tentatively asked, "What about my parents...was Kanai telling you?"

The old man shook his head: "No, he only said that you are a refiner. Don't be nervous, only I know about this, and I want to understand it myself. Neither the other people in the academy nor the Austrian Federation know, they just I know that you are a mage who studies the direction of enchantment. I will not tell others. This is not only to allow you to live in peace, but also to protect the reputation of the deceased."

At first Winter Thistle didn't understand what this had to do with the "reputation of the deceased", but after thinking about it for a while, he understood: After all, Jin Ye and Harman are not husband and wife, not even officially open lovers.

Dong Ji didn't understand human affairs in this aspect when she was a child, because Jin Ye never talked about it; it wasn't until she took Ryan deep into human society that Dong Ji gradually learned these things.

The old mage looked at Winter Thistle, and continued: "I can guess your identity because I am so familiar with those two people. Haman and I are of the same generation, and I am older than him. He was a junior at that time. The apprentice was my roommate, and I introduced him to our common mentor. Later, because of different research directions, our cooperation gradually decreased. As for Jin Ye, she is an elf, and I don’t know her exact age , but in terms of qualifications in the teaching institute, I can also be regarded as her teacher. I met her first and introduced her to the teaching institute. Her research direction is more consistent with that of Harman, and she has long-term Follow Haman."

"So that's how it is..." Dong Ji was a little surprised, and sighed silently in his heart: This old mage probably has a hobby of picking up students everywhere.

As the old man said, he recommended Harman to his mentor and Jin Ye to the academy, and he seemed to bring Kanai here in the same way.

The old mage seemed to have seen through Dongji's thoughts, shrugged a little embarrassedly, and laughed softly, his eyes full of nostalgia and relief.

"Haman's experience is heartbreaking," the old man looked at Winter Thistle, "Where is Gold Leaf, is she okay? She is a pure-blood elf, and she should still be as beautiful as she was decades ago, just like those in the Sea of ​​Silent Trees." Like a flower that blooms all year round."

"Mother died many years ago," said Winter Thistle.

Hearing Dong Ji's answer, the old man's face suddenly collapsed, and he apologized.He was silent for a moment thoughtfully, then raised his eyes to Dong Ji, his eyes were slightly different from before.

Even if it's an elderly person, it's still embarrassing to be stared at like that.Winter Ji couldn't meet his eyes, so she lowered her head to drink tea, and then pretended to browse the pages of the book that hadn't been turned for a long time.

Winter Thistle was keenly aware that the old man was not staring at a lonely half-breed child, and his eyes were not sympathetic.

After hearing the news of Jin Ye's death, the old man must have realized that the half-elf in front of him is not only the child of his former classmate, but also the knowledge and research results of those two people that only exist in the world... like a book left in the academy. Enchantment spellbooks other than .

Seeing that their teacups had bottomed out, the old man took the initiative to pour another cup for Winter Thistle and threw in two cubes of sugar.

When the winter thistle was stirring the teaspoon, the old man asked, "What are your plans for the future? Do you want...to come to the Academy for further study?"

Before Dong Ji had time to answer, the old man continued: "Of course, you are no longer an apprentice. Jin Ye has taught you very well. If you come to the academy, I will definitely not be able to take you with you. I am not profound enough. I can teach you such a mage. I want you to study with the head teacher for a period of time, even in name, so that you can get in touch with more high-level spellcasters, such as scholars on the Five Towers Peninsula, and arcane magicians. Federation executives. This will benefit you, and you can go further on the road of researchers."

Winter Thistle replied: "I am very willing to keep in touch with you and communicate more, really. But it's fine to come to the academy, it's not suitable for me."

The old man pouted: "You didn't even say 'Let me think about it'. Oh, you refused so firmly."

"Feel sorry……"

"You don't have to be sorry, I just asked casually," the old man sighed, "I have also talked to Kanai more than once, hoping that he will come back, and hope that he will focus on the academy...he always refuses me. "

Speaking of this, the old man's eyes became more and more sad: "You and Kanai's brothers are somewhat similar, no wonder fate will bring you together."

This statement surprised Winter Thistle.For the first time someone said he was "similar" to the brothers.How are they similar?

After thinking about it, Dong Ji suddenly understood what the old man was referring to: "For example...we don't have a surname?"

The old man nodded: "This is one of them. Usually there are only four kinds of people without surnames, orphans who don't know their parents, slaves without freedom, elves who betrayed their clan, and priests who betrayed their religion. People without surnames usually also No family, no hometown, all are ill-fated people."

Winter Thistle has heard this too.But before today, he never thought about why Aldin and Kanai never said their last names.

He never asked Aldin's last name.Partly because he didn't attach much importance to surnames, and partly because he didn't dare to ask.Anyway, this is not a strange thing. Among the civilians in the human countries, there are actually a lot of people without surnames.

The old man said again: "I said you are similar, not all because of superficial details like surnames. It's more a feeling... People like you seem to have no clear ambitions, and you can't make any declarations." , What is the reason, if I ask you what your creed is, what is your ideal, most of you will not be able to answer; but you are more determined than those who swear a clear goal, you are walking on a long-established path, I think I don't know where the boundary line of that road is, but you can not deviate half a point. I don't know how to describe people like you, I just... feel very sorry."

"Regret? Why regret it?" Winter Thistle asked suspiciously.

The old man smiled ashamedly: "Let's put it this way. There are two common types of mages, one is Harman and the other is Gold Leaf. If they are still alive, one will become a master respected by everyone today, while the other is unknown. , but can expand the boundaries of the arcane domain. And you, neither. You have the characteristics of Haman and the temper of Jinye. These two things will block you on the left and right, and will trap you. On that road... the one I said, the road where no one can see the boundary line."

Dongji bowed her head and thought for a while, then said, "Master, I'm taking the liberty to ask. What kind of mage do you think you are?"

"Like you, I am the kind of person who is stuck on the road," the old man smiled bitterly, "Since I was in my 20s, I hope to devote myself to research, but I can't let go of many things in front of me. I want to explore the West Wasteland, but I am reluctant to leave Nina behind; I envy the power of the Arcane Federation, but I also despise competition and fear publicity. Now my Nina has returned to the embrace of God, and I have nothing to worry about, and I am also a child. With fame, I am no longer afraid of this and that... But, it is too late to do anything else. I missed it."

Speaking of this, the old man's eyes were a little blank, and he said after a pause: "So, now I hope to support young people even more."

"Are Aldin and Kanai the same kind of people?" Winter Thistle asked.

The old man said, "They are too. I just took Haman and Jinye as examples. In fact, such people can be found everywhere, not necessarily mages."

When it comes to Kanai, Winter Ji can still imagine it; but when it comes to Aldin... Dongji doesn't think that Aldin is such a person.

He thought, maybe no one knew Aldin very well, or maybe he misunderstood what the old man meant.

The old man stared at Winter Thistle for a while longer.He could see that Winter Thistle was lost in thought because of his words.

"It's almost time, I should go." The old man supported the table and stood up, Dong Ji also came back to his senses, and hurried up to help.

After getting up, the old man saw a buttoned letter beside Winter Thistle's bed.

"Have you received a reply to the letter you sent last time?" the old man asked.

Winter Ji also glanced back: "Yes. I have received a reply."

It wasn't very far from the teaching institute to Harbor City, but it took a long time between mailings.

The winter thistle has lived in this small room for a long time.The Austrian Law Federation did not intend to release him, and Harbor City seemed not in a hurry to pick him up.

The old man is worried.Although he can take care of Dongji's life as much as possible, being locked up in such a small place for a long time is always extremely harmful to the body and mind.

The old man didn't ask about the content of the letter, but only asked Dongjiu if he had any new letters to send.Winter Thistle hesitated for a moment, then said no for the time being.

After opening the door, the old man had to go out alone.Winter Ji cannot step out of the confinement room. The confinement room of the academy is magically induced, so it cannot be forbidden at all.

After walking a few steps, the old man turned his head and said, "Winter Thistle, I still suggest that you think about the future. If you have the chance, try to follow the path that a mage should take. Hilda Academy will welcome you."

This is the second time the old man proposed an invitation, and this time Dongji didn't refuse immediately, but said: "Okay, I will think about it carefully."

The old man nodded, turned and left slowly.

Holding on to his crutches, he walked slowly, and muttered to himself: "Don't be like my students, in order to please others, make your life fragmented..."

Winter Ji was stunned for a while before realizing that the "others" in the old man's words referred to Aldin.It seems that the old mage had a lot of complaints about Aldin, and he restrained himself from talking too much.

Winter Thistle walked back to the bed slowly, and picked up the reply letter from Aldin.

When the reply letter was sent, it was also accompanied by a small package, which contained a set of comfortable long robes and a well-wrapped pastry.

The letter stated the general situation of Harbor City, asked Dongji if there were any difficulties, and gave some daily chores, but basically did not answer the questions that Dongji was concerned about.

Winter Thistle stared at the writing on the letter. For some reason, he recalled the iron chair in the courtroom.

His hands were handcuffed and he was unable to move his body.Aldin was obliquely behind him, he could hear Aldin's voice, but he couldn't look back.The back of the chair was too high, blocking his view.

He hadn't seen Aldin for a long time.

There are many, many things that stand between them.For example: the wax seal on the letter.The door of the confinement room.The road from the College to Harbor City.The basement of the city hall.The Iron Chair of the Inquisition.The carriage of the city guard.

In addition to these, there seemed to be something else standing between them.

Winter Thistle couldn't remember their names for a while.