Blood tax

Chapter 17 Byeland
From the appearance, this is just an ordinary mage's notebook, without exquisite silver edges and energy flow.When Griffith reached out to the black cover...

"Be careful," Galadia widened her eyes to look at the notes and then at the apprentice knight. "When powerful mages are taking notes, part of their mental power will be poured into the pages of the book. If things go on like this, ordinary pages will also become implication. Mysterious objects, even part of the author's consciousness will be preserved."

"So powerful?" The apprentice knight didn't know much about magic items, so he withdrew his hand vigilantly, "Then do I need to take any protective measures?"

"Hmm~ this mage is not strong," Galadia thought for a while, blinked at him and then looked at the notes: "Also, reinforcement mages and knights will come anytime!"

Griffith immediately reached out, and when his fingers touched the cold cover...

Nothing happened.

"Huh~" The beautiful elf breathed a sigh of relief, and let go of the hand that clenched the short knife around his waist, "I forgot to tell you just now, if the situation is not good, I can chop your hand for you. I move super fast!"

The beautifully neat text is written concisely on the title page, like reading a pen pal's correspondence.

"To you in a hundred years,
"When you open this notebook, what is the difference between your time and mine?

"Let me take a wild guess.

"Has magic entered every household in your day? Fireball has replaced coal for cooking and heating? Horse-drawn carriages can fly in the sky and never run into pedestrians? Have humans ever landed on the moon? Elves have lifted our entry restrictions. Has it? Has the world been freed from poverty, war and sickness?"

"Sorry~ none of them... The world in a hundred years has let you down!" Galadia rubbed over at some point, almost leaning on Griffith's shoulder, with pointed ears and long Griffith's heart tickled at the subtle touch of black hair.

"In my time, the study of magic was a very dangerous thing." The author of the notes continued,
"Occasionally young apprentices of magic are maimed by the out-of-control magic, or go into madness when they touch the sense of danger hidden in the dark. At the beginning, my friends shred their own in frenzied pain. The body, the scene of growing countless granulation and eyes gave me nightmares.

"However, my study at Homonwarts made me gradually realize the essence of magic, and I was deeply attracted by this powerful and mysterious power. Although magic is full of dangers, I firmly believe that this power will change the world, and eventually So that we can break free from the shackles of this skin and go to the boundless sea of ​​stars.

"This notebook is a record of all my experiences in school and what I've learned after experiencing all kinds of terrifying sights.

"Although I was on the verge of breaking down at one point, I got back on my feet with the help of my professors and my good friends. Refreshed and full of strength. I decided to move on for the next few years and record what I saw and heard that I couldn't tell anyone else. Come down, when you get along with this notebook for a period of time, the magic on the notebook will gradually lift the prohibition of reading.

"May imagination change the world."

Galadia raised her body slightly and flipped through the notes at the back: "The place where you can read is the experience in magic learning, most of the pages cannot be displayed. Rudias also put the notes on the desk while preparing the monster. Probably got inspiration from it. God~ I can't imagine someone who wrote something like this on the title page would do such a horrible thing."

"Anyway, this thing belongs to me." Griffith put the notes in his backpack, "Let's go to the basement and see."

The two who regrouped opened and smashed one room after another of the mage tower, and finally groped towards the basement.

Along the way they found almost nothing of value.

"Be careful," Galadia whispered, grabbing Griffith's arm, almost against his back, "the room in front is the last one."

Griffith held a sword in one hand and a torch in the other, smashed open the wooden door in front of him and rushed in.Galadia stretched her longbow and followed.

The basement is very dry and much more tidy than expected.There are several stone cabinets and tables and chairs in the interior.By the cold stone wall, the two saw a naked woman locked at the foot of the wall.

"She's an elf!" Galadia caught a glimpse of the victim's pointed ears.

Griffith found a key from the table and freed the imprisoned elf.

Galadia observed the state of the rescued elf and found that she was too weak to speak, and could only barely swallow the potion fed to her.

Griffith opened the stone cabinet and peered inside by the light of the torches.The huge stone cabinet is full of air-dried limbs and bones, withered and pale as if they had been stored for hundreds of years.

"Here are the remains of humans, orcs, and goblins," Griffith roughly identified and closed the stone cabinet. "It should be the experiment Rudias mentioned earlier, as well as the missing traveler."

"Well," Galadia nodded and helped the elf lie down on the ground, "I need some blankets and clothes."

Griffith was about to nod his head when the sound of the door opening suddenly came from above the basement, accompanied by undisguised heavy footsteps.

"We are garrison knights, Miss Galadia, are you there?" A loud voice resounded throughout the building, "Walking with us is Master Veronos."

A powerful coercion followed.Griffith felt a powerful breath descending the steps step by step.A young mage wearing a light blue robe appeared in front of the two with a dignified look.

As a spellcaster, with a gleaming shield of light swirling around him, he walked indifferently as a vanguard in front of the two heavily armored warriors.Looking away, he found the elves and apprentice knights, and heaved a long sigh of relief.

"Archmage, long time no see. This is my companion, apprentice knight Griffith Brandon. Thanks to him, Rudias' plot failed." Galadia, wrapped in a blanket, took With an unsurprised expression, he saluted slightly to the Archmage.

"As long as you are all right, just leave it to us. When you arrive at Bayeran, the embassy will receive our detailed report," Veronos said politely to the elf. Then he nodded to the knights and entourage who followed, "Search this place thoroughly, we have to give the elves an explanation for this scandal!"

Archmage is the honorific title of Sequence 7 of the caster pathway. I can't think of such a character and reinforcements coming so quickly... Griffith saluted Veronos respectfully.

"What a disgusting guy," a follower who followed Salorian inspected the basement with disgust, "I thought Rudias was just withdrawn, but I didn't expect him to be so depraved."

"On the way to find the truth, if you don't pay attention, you will go astray," Veronos gently opened the sarcophagus full of bones, and then slowly closed it, "We should take this as a warning."

The Beyonders who followed Veronos were meticulously investigating.Everywhere they went, it was as if a dog had licked it, and hidden compartments and secret rooms were discovered one after another.

Galadia watched with wide eyes.She thought that she and Griffith had searched thoroughly, but she didn't expect that many hidden documents and items were dug up and down by Beyonders, and she couldn't help but tilted her head and sighed.

Vronos suddenly turned around and said to Griffith, "Griffith Brandon, are you a vassal of Earl Lamor?"

"Yes, Your Excellency the Archmage, I am Shutoral of the Lamor family," Griffith hurriedly replied, not expecting that such a person would be interested in talking to him.

"Then you have to prepare well for this course of Potions," Veronos said softly with a smile, "Are you going to Homonwarts to enroll? My mentor, the Supreme Mage Lord Salorian, will occasionally come to give You teach, he is very strict... Look forward to it!"

……

At the beginning of the Second Era the Patriarchs of Bajaran built their walls of stone, and built the capital of the world of marble on the peninsula between the Broken Sea and the Sea of ​​Tranquility.Under the afterglow of the setting sun in the strait, the boundless giant city is wrapped in golden light.From here to the west, through the vast fields and forests, the avenue that can accommodate four carriages driving side by side leads to the boundless mountains; to the east is the vast Eastern Province, snow-capped mountains and the kingdom of dwarves.

The inner city wall is more than 12 meters high and 5 meters thick. The surface is piled up with large pieces of finely cut limestone, and the interior is plaster made of lime and broken bricks. trace.There are hundreds of towers protruding outwards on the city wall.

20 meters outside the inner wall is a slightly shorter outer wall.The outer wall is 9 meters high and the bottom is 2 meters thick. It is also guarded by hundreds of towers.

The city's towering walls, towers, and horse faces are like gold cast in the sun.Looking from the Jianhai Strait, the seven purple hills behind the city wall are covered with marble dreams, flowing with holy white light.

"Is this the city I'm defending..."

After leaving Rudias's mage tower, Griffith and the elves were escorted by the official all the way to the sea, where they took a boat and crossed the strait in only half a day.

Griffith, who came to this city for the first time, was shocked when he saw this giant city at sea level.Beside him, several travelers from afar were directly prostrate on the deck, weeping bitterly towards the golden royal city under the sunset.

"It's really... very spectacular," Galadia said in a low voice. "Although it's a bit rough, your human construction level is still decent. If there is a chance in the future, I'll show you my hometown."

Sailboats across the sea docked at the harbour under the city walls.The huge port and the epic city walls not far away are a little out of place.It was already crowded with busy people, the stench of fish on the docks lingered, and pigeons flew between the white or red roofs.

In the depths of the narrow and winding streets behind the port, there is a dignified darkness, as if there are ancient beasts perched under the high walls, giving people a mysterious and gloomy feeling.

Griffith stared at the dark street behind the pier, as if swallowed by the darkness.In that darkness, his faint inspiration seemed to be touched, and he always felt that there was a mystery hidden, but he couldn't tell what it was.

"Come with me," Galadia grabbed the dazed apprentice knight, "you need to change into a new suit. Your leather armor can no longer be worn, and you will be treated like a monkey by those snobbish Bayerans. of."

The elf familiarly pulled Griffith through the crowd, and came to the square outside the port area and called a light carriage: "Go to the St. Romunus department store in the upper city."

The driver waved his whip and charged the two people into the busy ring road.

Griffith found that his eyes could not see at all.After leaving the port, beautiful residences and lively shops are everywhere on the gentle slope, and there are carriages and horses on the avenue that can accommodate 16 carriages in parallel. Can pass through the bridge in mid-air.When going uphill, Griffith even saw hundreds of domestic pigs, cattle and sheep being driven in the distance, moving towards the city along the dedicated road like the tide.

The carriage carried the two through the port area and the lower city, and into the upper city built in the hills.Immediately it turned into another scene.The noisy and crowded road just now disappeared in the blink of an eye.Grapevines hang down from the terrace of the small street building, and leisurely pedestrians stroll under the tall plane trees, which is completely different from the previous people.

The St. Romunus department store of pure white marble was bigger than any fortress Griffith had ever seen.A well-dressed customer walked through it with a relaxed look.

"This is Uptown. The Larmor family you play for lives here." Galadia jumped out of the carriage with Griffith. "Let's go and change your skin first."

"I'll do it myself, don't bother you." The new apprentice knight felt that he was unusually unsuitable for this place.

"That won't work," Galadia rejected Griffith's idea, pushing him to a store, "they will bully you if I'm not here."

Several very beautiful young men and women stood respectfully inside and outside the store, and when they saw Griffith in plain clothes, they could not help frowning.At this moment, Galadia stepped out from behind the broad shoulders of the apprentice knight.

The clerks immediately greeted them with radiant faces and attentive faces, and extended their courtesy to the beautiful elf.

"Find him a formal coat, boots, shirt and cufflinks, mainly red and black," Galadia said casually. "Don't care about his opinion, the price is about 10 gold florins."

200 Silver Lang!

Griffith was taken aback, this was his two months' salary.

The clerks immediately grabbed the apprentice knight, and two tall gentlemen dragged him into the fitting room and stripped him in the blink of an eye.

Galadia sat gracefully on the sofa beside her, watching the clerks keep changing the apprentice hangers into new clothes, pushed them out of the fitting room, and then pushed them back.

"He's a Sutolar, don't have to be too exaggerated," Galadia folded her arms and admired Griffith who was being pushed around, "I need two sets of shirts, I'll cut one for him first, Another set will be delivered to Larmor House tomorrow."

The name is highly respected by the shopkeepers.They looked at Griffith's expression a little more kindly.

The final selected suit is a white shirt with a straight sleeve, silver sleeve studs, black trousers, leather boots and a slim long coat. The style is solemn but not stuffy.The delicate red pattern outlines a comfortable line on the coat, and it just shows the physique and strength of the trainee knight.

"That's good," Galadia stood up and circled around, "that's it. That way I don't have to worry about them not letting you have dinner together."

Griffith felt as if he was billowing in a cloud and spent all his money before being let go.

"Then let's say goodbye here!" Galadia waved her hand, turned lightly and walked to other shops alone, "I want to buy something and report to the embassy. We will meet again in the near future!"

"Is the time dimension of the elves in the near future?" Griffith asked hastily.

"No, no, really in the near future," the elf girl waved her hand, "this is what the great prophecy told me."

(End of this chapter)