He Holds a Rose from the Abyss

Sheffield stopped and asked him, "Why are you being so… embarrassed?"

Chi Lang pretended to be very calm: "A normal person would be a little embarrassed to see others so close, and even looking into your eyes, I can't help but want to laugh."

Sheffield repeated his words, smiling softly: "So...is it because you saw me so close?"

Chi Lang didn't quite understand the reason for Sheffield's question, so he nodded: "Yes..."

Sheffield moved the rose from his chin and pressed the rose to his lips.

Chi Lang was startled, not quite understanding the strange direction, Sheffield's eyes curled: "What if you can't see it?"

Then Chi Lang felt the darkness in front of him.

— Sheffield covered his eyes with his hands.

Sheffield's hands are cold and rose petals are cold, but Chi Lang's heart is hot.

The fragrance of roses waving on the tip of the nose, as if in a beautiful dream.

Sheffield leaned down and kissed the other side of the rose.

His movements were light, and even though his eyes were dark, his kisses were gentle.

Chi Lang felt Sheffield's breathing approaching and going away, but he didn't feel the kiss on the rose.

It's just that in this state, Chi Lang didn't know what to do or say, and he was at a loss.

His eyes trembled slightly under Sheffield's hands, and then he heard Sheffield say: "Chi Lang, since you feel embarrassed to look at me, do you want to... We will all talk like this in the future?"

Chi Lang shook his head: "No no no, this is even more strange."

Sheffield chuckled again and asked him, "Why are you embarrassed?"

Chi Lang was silent for a while, then replied, "Change the question."

Sheffield: "Why don't you want to look at me?"

Chi Lang sighed in his heart and replied, "Let's change the question."

Sheffield's tone rose: "Why do you want to know the information of that priest?"

Chi Lang used the same rhetoric: "He looks like a friend of mine."

"What about me?" Sheffield said almost in his ear. "Do I look like anyone you know?"

Chi Lang broke the jar and said, "No...there will be no one who looks like you...you are very special...for me."

Sheffield finally moved his hand away. Sheffield Chi Lang suddenly saw the light and was a little dazed. He saw Sheffield stretch out his hand and straighten the folds on his clothes.

Chi Lang clenched his fists.

In a trance he thought, waiting for Sheffield's birthday to confess.

On Sheffield's birthday, Chi Lang was the first to go out in the early morning, and the breeze was blowing, which was cool and refreshing. There were fewer and fewer people in the academy, and Chi Lang didn't meet anyone along the way.

He stepped on the stone road, occasionally stepping on some fallen leaves, and stopped at the sculpture.

Chi Lang remembered what Margaret said, Hubert's Magic Codex was lost in Zevernar City, and no one has ever found it.

He didn't hold out much hope either. He just saw this sculpture every day in the academy and was a little curious about this man's story.

Chi Lang just took a step, then turned to look at the sculpture.

This Hubert sculpture is not stained with any dust, and a special person will come to use the cleaning technique every day.

"Hubert" always had a kind smile on his face, looking up to the sky.

The Academy explains that the reason for this sculpture is that Hubert has been looking at the sky, as if following the edge of the sky, exploring the endless knowledge.

But Chi Lang followed Hubert's eyes and looked over, "Hubert" was looking at the...that clock in the academy?

"Don't look, it has nothing to do with that clock." Someone next to him interrupted Chi Lang's reverie.

Chi Lang looked over, and this person turned out to be Les.

Ruth held a colorful dress in his hand, and said helplessly: "I don't know how many people thought that Hubert's magic code was in that clock, and they rushed over there, almost tearing down the clock. No reorganization was found."

Chi Lang echoed: "Yes, even I can see how it is possible to hide there."

Lus stretched out a finger and shook it in the air: "It doesn't need to be said that, the more powerful the magician, the simpler the idea. Maybe a very ordinary person can find Hubert's magic code."

They began to walk in the direction of the laboratory, the sun was slowly rising, and the sun was shining on the road in front of them.

"Stay in the lab by yourself today, I need to go out." Ruth's words sounded vague.

"Are you going to the opera house?" Chi Lang asked.

Lus nodded, his expression a little weird, as if embarrassed and forced to pretend to be calm.

"I may have to give you the homework you assigned before in a few days." Chi Lang was also a little guilty, "I need to be busy with something else recently."

Lus waved his hand: "You don't need to tell me about this kind of thing. It's better for you to arrange your own learning. It's good to pass the assessment in the end."

Ruth was walking, when suddenly he tripped under his foot, and the clothes in his hand fell to the ground.

Chi Lang saw the appearance of this dress clearly, um, after seeing it clearly, he retracted his gaze wisely.

It was a clown suit, colorful, with some patterns on the chest. In short, it didn't match Luth's style at all.

Why would Luth, a person who gave up all entertainment, even sleeping, for research every day, came back with a clown suit?

This is not the strangest thing. After Luth came to the laboratory, he still picked up the flintlock gun and prepared to go out.

"Didn't you go to the opera? Why... get a gun?"

Ruth's expression was a bit weird: "...When I went to the Magic Research Institute that day, a friend said that there were a lot of star stones in the city recently..."

"Isn't the star stone used to store magic? Does this have anything to do with you carrying a gun?"

The star stone is a kind of magic material, which can store specific magic, and is usually used when researching new magic.

Ruth's voice was hoarse: "The second chapter, third section of "The Science of Magic Materials", I forgot how many pages it is, anyway, there is a note that says that if the number of Starlight Stones is large enough, it is theoretically possible to achieve full magic shielding ."

"Young man, read too little."

Chi Lang: "Does this... have anything to do with opera?"

"Let the priests take a good look. The most important thing for a magician is not the level of magic, but the amount of knowledge."

Chi Lang felt that he didn't understand Les's words at all.

Ruth sighed heavily: "You are so ignorant."

"The Opera House has always been the domain of magicians, and every month there will be transactions of magic materials from other places, but the church has to intervene here, every new priest wants to interfere in our transactions, magic blocks this This method has not been used once or twice.”

Chi Lang was stunned.

"This is the same for this new priest. He secretly bought a lot of star gems. He did it quite secretly, but he didn't hide it from the Magic Research Association. If he dares to come in today's opera house, let him take a good look. ."

Chi Lang understood: "So... is the Opera House actually similar to a black market place? Not only is there a trade of magic materials, but is there any trade that can't be on the table?"

With the expression of "You know too much, boy", Chi Lang stopped in time,

"I'm quite savvy now," Ruth snorted. "Of course, it can't be on the stage. The trade items that have appeared before, such as the skeleton of the former Pope, the internal defense map of the church, how to use simple magic to break the Holy Light reconnaissance. …”

Chi Lang was choked: "So... cruel?"

Ruth: "Of course, it was a magician transaction from another city. There has never been such a thing in Zevernar City."

Ruth said with a slightly smug expression: "We call the place of this kind of trade the 'Palace of Knowledge'."

"It's very meaningful to get this name..." Chi Lang echoed.

"Are you going with us?" Ruth asked him. "There will probably be some new things, such as the muskets handed down from the dwarves. Their craftsmanship is much better than ours."

Chi Lang's heart skipped a beat: "Can I follow?"

"If you want to see it, you can follow along. The 'Palace of Knowledge' is generally in good order, but I can't guarantee that everything will be fine..."

Ruth narrowed his eyes and said in a slightly mocking tone, "But if you're so afraid of getting hurt, and if you're so afraid of accidents, you won't go far on the road of research."

The sun shines on the dust in the air, and this moment seems to be stretched for a long time.

Chi Lang looked Luth in the eyes: "Then can you give me another flintlock gun?"

Ruth smiled, and the wrinkles on his face deepened: "In the basement."

Today's "mechanical time" is not yet in use. In this case, if there is this gun, it should also have a certain self-protection ability.

It was with this idea that Chi Lang followed Les to the opera house.

But he regretted it.

Ruth seemed a little unreliable, he didn't even have a ticket to enter the opera house.

"You all call this place the 'Palace of Knowledge'. Why do you still need tickets? What about those who really came to the opera?"

Ruth said with a natural expression: "Let them go. If they are civilians, use some disruptive magic to let them leave on their own. If they are magicians, it depends on whether they are willing to stay or not."

"Moreover, tickets are strictly controlled, and generally do not spread to the hands of civilians."

"Is that why you don't have a ticket?"

"Young man," Luth bumped his shoulder, "don't question the wisdom of the elders."

Then Les handed him a clown suit and said, of course, "We're going in with the circus."

Chi Lang: …

Okay, such a refreshing approach.

Zeffner Opera House is located at the junction of the inner city and the outer city.

A fountain is built at its front entrance, and the spring water is wafting out from the fountain mouth, just like when a flower is in full bloom. It was already dark when they got to the Opera House, but it wasn't dark here.

The magicians used lighting on both sides of the road, and from a distance it looked like two galaxies were flowing.

The fragrance of flowers is blown back and forth, the wind is warm, and there is a unique summer feeling of drunkenness.

The Opera House has about three floors, the first floor is narrower than the first, its outer walls are carved with patterns, and the second floor has two windows.

Chi Lang could already hear the faint sound of music, he glanced at the front door with nostalgia, and reluctantly sneaked in with Lu Si through a small door.

Ruth seemed to be familiar with this kind of thing. After entering the opera house, he took Chi Lang directly to the circus.

Chi Lang had an ominous premonition: "We don't need to... come on stage to perform, right?"

Leth raised his makeup, slightly comical white-faced clown face, and said, "What do you want? Come with me."

Ruth was clearly very familiar with the structure, and even knew how to evade the guards on duty, and he displayed a flexibility that was not suitable for his age.

The more Chi Lang followed him, the more he felt something was wrong: "Actually, we don't need to dress up like this, you know how to avoid the guards."

Ruth was very impatient: "Young man, can't you be a little childlike? Don't you think it's fun? When I was young, I actually did a clown show to get in."

Ruth pushed open a door in thought.

As soon as the door opened, Chi Lang felt as if he had entered a new world.

The ground was covered with herbs, some of which were still stained with dirt, and among the herbs were some dirty stones. There were several magicians in robes sitting in the room, and they didn't show any surprise when they saw them coming in.

"Less, did you bring anything?" said one of them.

"No, I want to buy some things from the dwarves and the others..." Ruth looked into the room, "You guys have a bad harvest this time."

"Yeah, I originally went to hunt Bogudo beasts, but I didn't see many of them after staying there for a week. Later, I was arrested by the Magic Association, saying that the number of Bogudo beasts is too small, and they are not allowed to be hunted, and wait for them to multiply. Decades later. We also paid fines and lost money," another complained.

Chi Lang listened to this conversation and silently looked away. It turns out that sustainable development exists in every world.

There is a musket on the table.

Chi Lang walked over and took a closer look. This musket looks similar to the flintlock gun that Ruth made, but with a larger muzzle. He asked Luth and the two magicians, "Can I pick it up and look at it?"

After getting permission, Chi Lang took a closer look at the gun. It still had a gunpowder pool, but looking in from the muzzle, he could see... a lot of lines that were slanting downwards, which at first glance seemed to be spinning.

Rifing. Long thought.

His heart skipped a beat, and he asked Luth, "Is this musket for sale? How much?"

Ruth also came over: "This is James' thing, but this thing is slower than my gun's reloading speed, so it's useless."

"I want to buy it and study it." Chi Lang knew about the reloading speed of the Suifa rifled gun. He bought this gun to see if he could make a rifled rifle, and whether "mechanical time" could shorten the rifled gun. refill time.

If you don't have enough money, save some more and buy it later.

"Come out with me, I'll take you to find James." Luth beckoned.

When he walked out of the room again, the corridor had completely changed.

An animal with three heads was running down the hallway, followed by an old lady on crutches.

While greeting the old lady, Luth said to Chi Lang, "That's the master of the summoning department. Summons can exist for a long time, so don't be afraid even if you encounter a magic shield."

There are people in uniforms moving things in the corridor, and Les Nunu said: "That's going to go to the hall to lay a magic circle. Even if the magic is shielded, some magic circles can be driven."

Chi Lang: "You're prepared... too well. Have you encountered many troubles from church people?"

Ruth: "It's just a few times. I hate this kind of people who have no strength and want to share the benefits."

"There's still a lot that I haven't said. For example, the rich and powerful people in the element system can use a blank scroll to store their own magic... For those who do research like me, they can only defend themselves with a gun."

Chi Lang was a little strange: "Since the church can come up with something similar to magic shielding, why can't you make something similar to magic shielding. That way you can fight close to each other, and everyone has a good fight."

Ruth rolled his eyes at him.

"No," Ruth's tone was somewhat contemptuous. "Their power comes from their belief in gods. Is there any way to block their belief? Unless—"

"The gods have fallen." Ruth smiled. "So that's the difference between us and them. The magicians put their power on their knowledge, and they put their fate on the gods."

Chi Lang felt that even though Les was wearing this funny clown costume, he had an indescribable pride and self-satisfaction when he said this.

"Here, let me help you find James."

They walked to a small hall. There were many people here. Most of them were wearing magic robes, and there were a few wearing light armor... Hey, knights in light armor?

"That's not a knight," Lus patted Chi Lang's head. "It's a few young magicians. These young people are not bad, and their swordsmanship is also good. They should perform well when the magic is blocked."

Chi Lang's eyes twitched, and he pointed at the people: "Why do magicians still learn swordsmanship? Use clumsy magic to trick the enemy into getting close, and then use superb swordsmanship to defeat them?"

And this dirty trick?

"Young man," Ruth's catchphrase came up again, "there is no rule that swordsmanship can only be learned by knights, if you want to learn it, you may learn how to use magic in swordsmanship."

"Hey, James is that old man, go and find him." Ruth pointed to the left, and there was an old man who was much richer than Ruth, but he didn't have much hair.

Chi Lang turned sideways, ready to walk over.

"Mr. Ruth," Chi Lang heard the voice behind him, "you almost didn't recognize your outfit. Did you come to the 'Palace of Knowledge' this time to buy or sell something? I still remember, you The last magic potion worked very well."

The man's words were very euphemistic, and he didn't say anything to Lus's dress, and his voice was also very sweet and gentle. If it was the usual way, Chi Lang would have to turn around to see how sacred this was, and he could actually recognize that it was Les through the clown suit.

However, the voice was very, very familiar, and Chi Lang froze for a moment.

"Oh!" Then Luth read out a name that Chi Lang was very familiar with, and then Luth was very happy, "You brought the gloves? Then we don't have to worry about people from the church making trouble."

Gloves?

Chi Lang turned his face slightly.

Sheffield was wearing a black tuxedo with a pair of white gloves in his hands. After listening to Ruth's words, he smiled lightly and slowly put the gloves on.

His movements were slow, and his expression seemed casual.

He went to the table. A long sword with a cross-shaped gauntlet was placed on the table.

With a bang, the sword was pulled out, and a halo shone on the body of the sword.

Sheffield clenched the sword tightly and said with a smile: "You trust me so much, which makes me feel a little uneasy. I haven't touched it much recently."