110

"White mist fills the air, blizzard covers the mountain tops"

"The cold wind blows in the empty wilderness"

"The sky is clear and you can't see the scenery in the distance."

"You should know that He is here."

"My children who are still struggling in despair, stay away from the endless wasteland in the north, where even time has disappeared."

"My short-lived children blessed by me, do not come near the residence of the Blue King. The snowy plains he rules are lifeless."

"Loneliness sings loudly, showing his desolate country"

"There is only wind and snow dancing in the sky, as if the king is alone."

"My beloved children, don't leave my arms, don't get close to the evil god who represents destruction!"

111

Little boys always have some secrets, just like secretly digging a small path leading to other places in their garden at the turn of spring and summer.

When the warm wind from the Sunia Sea finally reached Trier after passing through many obstacles, summer had already begun for more than a month. This is the most comfortable season of the year except early autumn. Intis's social season is about to begin. The nobles put on relatively light spring clothes, and all kinds of precious seafood, fruits and vegetables are about to appear on their tables.

——Of course, these are nothing to Traynor. Others think fresh fruits and cooked food are delicious, but he can taste all kinds of delicious fruit cakes, yogurt, magical drinks and delicious food from his father's hands. Even the current celebrity Gustave My uncle would come by the back door every now and then to get some food.

With the cakes and snacks his father made for him, he quickly established a relationship with his new friend, the second son of Uncle Gustav's family.

After all, Ciel was different. Having an excellent sister always made people more stressed. Even though Ciel didn't take the initiative to say it, Trainor could still feel a lot of fatigue and helplessness from the other party's words and deeds - "I'm just not as good as my sister. What can I do?" - And he was the only child in the family. He inherited his mother's liveliness and cheerfulness, but he also had to complete the boring royal homework every day on time. The two children quickly became familiar with each other.

The mysterious route that Traynor used to sneak out of the house was: passing through the narrow bushes → squeezing through the gap between the railings → climbing up the largest oak tree in the garden and reaching the roof of the flower house through its thick branches → along the Wearing decorations, he climbed down from the wall and met Ciel at the appointed place.

This is a very physically demanding thing, but as Traynor is a natural hunter, it is not too difficult.

This route was just right for a kid who had just passed his eighth birthday, but it was obvious that it would probably be abandoned in another year or two.

Traynor put the small cloth bag with the biscuits in his arms, and climbed over the grass and fence with his hands and feet. At the top of the oak tree trunk, he saw a tabby cat staying there for a long time, its amber eyes looking straight. Looked at him curiously. That was his acquaintance, or familiar cat, the demon driven by his father, his playmate, and his future messenger.

"Don't tell dad, okay?" Traynor felt a little guilty, "I'll treat you to fresh sashimi later."

The tabby cat tilted its head and looked at him for a while, then turned and looked away, as if it didn't want to care. Traynor always felt that there was a meaning in his eyes that he didn't quite understand but seemed to dislike him.

But he can't control that much anymore, Ciel is still waiting for him! Charles's mother always kept a tight control on him. It was not easy to sneak out for a trip. If he couldn't go back on time, he would be criticized.

All adults don't want their children to run around outside, but children always regard sneaking into the outside world as a great adventure. Traynor jumped onto the roof of the flower house along the thick and reliable branches, making only the sound of a small stone falling to the ground. The roof is half brick and half beautiful glass. It had rained at night, and there was a crisp green leaf left in the dark gray water tank. The flower house maids are taking care of various flowers, which will appear in vases throughout the mansion in the future.

It was a warm afternoon, and the air was thick with sleepiness. There wasn't anything busy in the greenhouse every day. The young and handy maids chatted quietly and laughed softly while doing their work.

The biscuits in my arms were still warm, exuding an alluring caramel aroma. Trey walked across the roof lightly and quickly without making a sound. He nimbly came to the wall and quickly climbed down according to the position of each raised stone brick on the wall in his memory, like a nimble squirrel. He was so proud of the success of this adventure that he didn't notice that his next foothold had climbed up a short section of ivy at some point -

"Eh?!"

boom! Snapped!

"Oh!"

Of course, a hunter wouldn't be hurt if he fell from a height of two to three meters. Traynor subconsciously took protective action, but ended up colliding with a child below who was trying to catch him. The two children, who combined were less than 20 years old, collided with each other and rolled away from the wall.

"It hurts! You - why are you here? Oh, didn't I ask you to wait for me at the corner?"

After a moment of spinning, Traynor suddenly jumped up from the ground. The good news is, thanks to my mother’s special hunter training, I didn’t have any skin injuries except for a little pain in my back! The bad news is: his back and sleeves are stained with dust on the ground, and he will definitely be discovered when he goes back!

"I, I wanted to help you, I saw you fell."

Charles touched his painful elbow with a somewhat aggrieved expression. As a generalist, he didn't have many memories of pain. Even if the tutor's test scores were not satisfactory, his mother would just sigh, comfort and advise him, and then pat his palm a few times.

This small movement attracted the attention of the maids in the flower room. Traynor keenly heard the sound of the sliding glass door on the balcony on the second floor. He quickly pulled up Charles and leaned against the wall with his waist bent. They trotted all the way in the blind spot of their vision, and ran to the secret base they always made appointments - an abandoned cabin in the outer corner of the manor.

"I brought you milk biscuits and cheese cake. Dad didn't make the Oreos you wanted to eat today."

Traynor couldn't wait to take out the small cloth bag and unfold it on the small square table with one leg lame. The royal family members and the children of the most powerful upstarts were sitting on the floor like this. Amidst the sweet smell of milk and cake, Ciel swallowed his saliva and took out a handful of parts from his pocket.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I remember how to assemble it..."

The little general murmured to himself, and took a bunch of brass-colored and silver-white parts that were so finely broken that Traynor was dazzled by them, and put them into fleshy hands, and concentrated on assembling them. After a while, it was like magic. Like rubbing out an exquisite model from the palm of his hand. The main body of the model is silver-white, with an open-air driving seat, a golden front end, and a propeller. Traynor recognized this because the airship in his grandmother's arsenal had such parts! Long thick metal sheets extend from both sides of the oval body, and there are brackets with rollers underneath.

"It's so beautiful!" The little hunter sincerely admired this exquisite craftsmanship. The small model was cold to the touch and its surface had a comfortable frosted texture. You didn't need to think about it to know whose hand it was. "But what is this?"

"Well... it's called a plane, and it was named after dad. Like airships and steam engines, this word was also invented by dad."

Charles picked up a piece of cheese cake, looked at its size, and wanted to eat it in three bites in a reserved manner, but thinking that he was in front of his good friends, he simply opened his mouth wide and stuffed it all into his mouth at once: "Dad said, Introducing what he was thinking of - a new type of (chewing) weapon, piloted by one person, more flexible and maneuverable than an airship, can be equipped with a steam machine gun, and burn an energy source to provide power." He finally put this piece of cheese cake After swallowing it, he stretched out his hand to the milk cookie, "Dad said that it has been designed. As long as a suitable energy source is found, it can be put into production and test flight immediately. If successful, it will be able to shine in the war in the future. Maybe even If we can take advantage of this trend and develop a special manned aircraft for travel, it will fly from the sky faster than a steamship."

"You craftsmen are so amazing. You always have so many wonderful ideas and can put them into reality." Traynor's eyes were bright when he heard about the war. Intis has been developing rapidly in recent years. The whole country is filled with the idea of ​​fanatically following the Sons of Steam and eager to expand their territory. Traynor, who is a member of a royal family and a family of hunters, was born in this environment, so he is naturally interested in the road to glory that he is destined to embark on. Feeling extremely anticipated.

"Dad is the best craftsman."

Speaking of this, Charles was a little proud, but soon became depressed, and muttered in a low voice: "...Oh, why am I my father's son? My sister is so outstanding, everyone says she is beautiful and smart, and is more beautiful than me. I am suitable to inherit my father's title. My mother said that my sister could write and read fluently when she was my age, but now I can't write well... I want to be an excellent craftsman, but my father is the most outstanding craftsman in this era. A great craftsman, I am destined not to be as good as dad."

Traynor's eyebrows quirked.

This friend of mine is good at everything. He can do handicrafts and can make beautiful corollas from a few branches and flower vines. He is quiet and gentle. Unlike his other cousins, they all have a fight first to bond with each other when they meet, or Those annoying people who are so proud that they wish they had two eyes on their chins to look at people - they don't dare to say anything in front of their father, but when they bully themselves, they have the same hatred - I'm going too far, Ciel's problem is that he doesn't know when. He will suddenly start to feel sorry for himself, give up on himself, and then give up thinking, squatting in a small corner and muttering.

"...Of course, after all, there is only one genius like Uncle Gustav who has appeared in the Fifth Age so far!"

Traynor couldn't help but defend his friend. Seeing that Charles wanted to speak, he immediately grabbed two biscuits and stuffed them into his mouth, and continued to express his opinion: "It is true that Gusta was the only one who invented the steam engine. Uncle Husband! He is the only son of steam! But were all the props we have today invented by him?!"

"Isn't it..."

"Don't interrupt me!" The hunter raised his voice and slapped the table hard, "Did Uncle Gustav invent this?"

"no……"

"What about this?" Traynor patted the carpet where he was sitting.

"No."

"Isn't that right? Not everything was invented by my uncle. Before my uncle was born, other craftsmen were making living props!" Probably the royal family has a talent for speech passed down by blood, Traynor said generously. I was moved by the words, "Don't the efforts of other craftsmen count? Before Uncle Gustav was born, they were the ones who were transforming the world! You will also be a craftsman in the future! Charles , whether you are powerful or not, you are one of the world’s transformers!”

Ciel's eyes became brighter and brighter. He suddenly lowered his head and wiped his eyes so fast that Traynor almost didn't see clearly.

"I, I know." Charles choked up for some reason, "I will work hard to become an excellent craftsman! I will do what I can to help others, and follow the church and God down-to-earth."

"Isn't that right?" Traynor was extremely pleased. He felt his throat was a little dry and began to think about what to drink when he returned.

Seeing his friend sitting back and carefully putting away the airplane model, Charles rolled his eyes and whispered: "Lately, dad always goes to your house through the back door. Has he talked about anything with Uncle Edward?"

Traynor thought thoughtfully: "I don't know. Usually, mother and father go to entertain Uncle Gustav. I took this opportunity to sneak out and play, just like now." When he reacted, his expression suddenly became a little... Fiercely, he shouted in a low voice, "Char! Did your sister ask you to ask?!"

An eight-year-old child won't scare others even if he puts on a fierce expression as if he wants to silence his friend on the spot, but if the person opposite is also eight years old, it will still be very intimidating.

"I, I, I, my sister saw me when I ran back!"

Charles quickly defended himself, and without thinking, he revealed all of his sister's "conspiracy" to comfort his only true friend: "Sister said that if you don't agree to her, tell your mother! Sister, she is always like this, she likes to worry. Other things! What does the adult's matter have to do with us? She actually wants to develop me into... a spy! Yes, a spy! "

"Don't ask next time!" Traynor said angrily. From his rather scary expression and tone now, as well as his self-taught threats, we can vaguely see the immature "war maniac" thirty years later. The shadow of time. But after giving Ciel a harsh blow, he saw that the other party looked like he was about to cry, so he quickly slowed down his voice and said, "I know! Don't cry, it's not your fault! I won't talk to you like that next time!"

"I really don't know what my father and uncle talked about... By the way! My mother just told me yesterday that when I grow up, she will take me to travel to other countries, such as Feneport and the Southern Continent. She also He said, maybe you won’t need to apply for a passport by then, I don’t know what that means.”

"Hmm...you don't need a passport? You can go directly?" Charles thought for a while, "I don't quite understand..."

"Hey, no matter what, what does the adult's affairs have to do with us?" Traynor imitated the other party and said, reaching for the remaining cakes and biscuits, "If you don't want to eat it, I will eat it!"

"No, wasn't this what you promised to leave to me?"

TBC

————————

It’s particularly interesting to write these foreshadowings and side plots…

*These are some warm and beautiful stories that happened in the past, were later shattered by reality, and were finally buried deep in the memories of living people.

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