About two hours later, Prince Kangda slowly woke from a light sleep, subconsciously glanced at the sky outside, and smiled at Luther, who had just turned to look at him: "I don't think I slept for very long."
"A little over two hours, Your Highness. You should rest a bit more." The High-Ranking Mage with short gray hair was currently outlining a magic circle, interwoven with a large number of geometric shapes of different colors and forms, constantly changing positions and emitting a faint glow, yet producing no magical fluctuations.
"What are you doing?" Konda frowned, sighing softly: "I hope you can preserve your strength as much as possible. We still have a long way to go to Royal Thorn Castle."
Luther pulled a short black staff from his sleeve and waved it twice, completely concealing the magic circle in front of him before slowly walking to Konda's side and spreading his hands: "These are necessary precautionary measures. Since it's very likely we've been targeted, such preparations are necessary from every angle. The 【Grand Obscurement】 I just set up, though a High-Rank Arcane, doesn't consume much, only requiring a slightly higher theoretical knowledge. You don't need to worry."
Konda nodded. Since Luther had already said so, he indeed had no reason to worry anymore. After all, even though this Mage by his side always considered himself an apprentice, that didn't mean his strength was meager. In the Shavin Empire, becoming Faraosis's apprentice was an absolute honor. Even those venerable Grand Magisters would respectfully call Fara 'Master' or 'Senior' when they saw him, but...
That was in the past.
Konda's eyes dimmed somewhat, but he quickly cheered up and smiled at Luther beside him: "To so casually cast such a difficult High-Rank Arcane magic in the field of magic, your attainment is truly remarkable. You are indeed Grandfather Ossis's most favored student."
There wasn't a hint of flattery; he spoke from the heart. Among the various types of magic, Arcane magic demanded the most profound foundation from its user. Konda still remembered what Fara had told him about magic theory when he was young...
Unlike schools like Wind, Fire, Water, Earth, and Lightning, which rely on the power of the elements themselves, Arcane magic is the most versatile, has the most variations, and is the most difficult to learn. Taking the lowest-level attack magic as an example, most Mage apprentices typically spend two to three weeks to master Arcane Missile, but if it were Fireball or Rockfall, that time would be shortened by at least seventy percent.
This alone is enough to explain the problem, but given that further explanation would likely take up the entire chapter, we will not delve into it for now.
Getting back to the point...
After listening to Konda's words, Luther shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Although I appreciate your praise, my teacher's favorite student is not me."
"Oh?" Konda was a bit surprised, as far as he knew, Fara's official apprentice had always been Luther alone, so he couldn't help but ask curiously: "Then who is it?"
Luther hesitated for a moment, then finally said in a deep voice: "Bart Gallos, Grand Magister Bart Gallos, he is my teacher's most favored disciple."
"Gallos..." Konda was stunned for a moment, then just as he was about to say something, he saw the door of the wooden house suddenly pushed open from the outside, and his face instantly turned pale.
However, when he saw who it was, the heart that had been in his throat immediately dropped.
It was a somewhat familiar Dark Elf girl. If Konda remembered correctly, she should have been the person who stayed here with the human woman when he first arrived. Although she belonged to a relatively rare race within the Shavin Empire, she was not a dangerous person.
"Good day, sirs." Gawen bowed slightly to the two of them, somewhat laboriously carrying a full bucket of water into the house. Then she took off the cloth bag from her back, pulled out several light purple fruits, and smiled gently at Konda: "There's nothing good here, but Sister Daisy told me these fruits that grow south of the town can relieve fatigue, so I picked some to bring back."
To be honest, if it were Konda a month ago, facing this tall, beautiful girl, who, though simply dressed, was still full of charm, he would inevitably have had many 'ideas.' But he truly wasn't in the mood right now...
"Luther, why is this girl here?" The somewhat annoyed prince casually waved his hand at the girl, then turned to Luther and asked: "What does she do?"
The latter immediately explained: "It's like this, while you were resting, I inquired with the townswoman named Daisy and learned that this Miss Gawen has actually been staying here all this time. She seems to have lost her memory; she can't remember anything except her name and has nowhere else to go. So, I took the liberty of letting her continue to stay here. Not only can she provide us with cover, but she can also take care of your daily needs during this time..."
Luther's idea was clearly sound. After all, Konda was a prince of a nation. Even if he wasn't as unrestrained as he appeared, he was still a pampered noble, accustomed to being surrounded by a large retinue of guards and maids at all times. So, having someone to attend to him was always good.
And this Miss Gawen, who appeared naive, simple-minded, and gentle, was naturally a good choice. Moreover, she had been living here before, so at the very least, she could simply take care of Konda's daily needs.
As for anything more, that would depend on what His Highness the Prince thought...
However, Luther was still a relatively upright person. If Konda truly intended to force the girl into anything, he certainly wouldn't stand by. But at this moment, His Highness the Prince probably wouldn't have such an inclination.
"Mm, I understand." Konda nodded slightly, clearly having no objection to Luther's arrangement, but he was still a little uneasy and asked Luther hesitantly: "Is she... safe?"
Luther nodded: "I've detected her with magic several times. This Miss Gawen is just an ordinary girl, normal in all aspects, and has no magical items on her. You can rest assured."
Their conversation completely disregarded Gawen, but the latter didn't mind. She simply placed the washed fruits on a small wooden plate in front of Konda, then bowed slightly and picked up the rag to continue the cleaning work she hadn't finished earlier.
"She works quite efficiently." Konda was now relieved, shrugging and smiling at Luther: "I was just overreacting. After all, she's just an ordinary girl."
...
Gawen's slender shoulders trembled slightly.
Luther, however, shook his head and sighed: "In this situation, no matter how vigilant we are, it's not strange. Your worries are normal."
"Haha." Konda gave a dry laugh: "I actually hope my guess is wrong. To be honest, if Grandfather Ossis really committed treason... perhaps I would be more at ease."
Luther nodded in silence, not responding to the remark.
Faraosis... Faraosis? The God of Law of the Shavin Empire... treason?
Gawen, who was wiping the floor with her back to the two, subconsciously analyzed the situation. Although she played this game purely for relaxation, this instinctive behavior was beyond her control.
Despite never having left this small town, Gawen would unconsciously remember some things from the casual conversations of those around her. Faraosis, the universally known God of Law of the Empire, was among these topics.
"But I can't help but suspect." Konda didn't notice the naive girl's eyes flickering. He just casually picked up a fruit, put it in his mouth, and shook his head at Luther: "Don't mind me, I'm not doubting you."
Luther nodded: "I know, but Your Highness, was it truly correct for us to leave the capital? Not to mention myself, even if there's something fishy about this matter, your safety shouldn't be affected..."
"I know." Konda raised a hand to interrupt him, saying in a deep voice: "But you also saw those knights. What I'm worried about isn't them harming me, but the power hidden behind all these events attempting to control my freedom. After all, a prince's voice carries significant weight, even if he's just a Useless Prince."
Luther seemed a bit slow to react.
After all, he was just an academic Mage, far less astute than Konda in certain areas.
"I've already expressed my doubts about this matter, both in the military camp and the palace. And because I didn't think too much at the time, my attitude was a bit too firm," Konda explained: "If the mastermind wants to convict Grandfather Ossis, then I'm a significant obstacle. Plus, after I left my brother's side, I went directly to the Mage Tower, so I'm afraid..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Luther had already understood.
Gawen also understood...
Faraosis's treason... conviction... military camp... palace... Mage Tower... So, this Mr. Luther is... or the knights mentioned earlier... could it be the Tsar's Sword Knights?
The Dark Elf girl pondered half-heartedly.
"After successfully escorting you to Royal Thorn Castle, I want to go to the Grand Cathedral of the Huiye Sect in the north." Luther said with burning eyes: "I've met several Hui Ye Archbishops with my teacher before. Didn't they send many clerics to support that area? Everyone knows that such a thing could never have been done by my teacher. I heard that the land there is no longer just a cursed land; that strange power is something my teacher absolutely does not possess!"
Konda nodded with satisfaction: "Mm, I'll leave it to you then."
Clerics of the Huiye Sect... Cursed Land... Is it about Banse City? In that case, Faraosis's treason is...
Gawen recalled her previous conversation with Aunt Daisy about the Huiye Sect, and then thought of the recent widely discussed event in town: 'Banse City turning into a dead land.'
An hour passed...
Konda and Luther continued to chat idly. Although both spoke with some reservations, they didn't particularly avoid Gawen, who was serving tea and water nearby. The reason was obvious: they didn't believe this harmless 'village girl' would pose any threat to them.
It must be said that this was indeed a significant oversight. After all, if one were to consider it carefully, the timing of Gawen's appearance here was very subtle, just a few days after Banse City was massacred. If one were to think rigorously, the possibility of her having ulterior motives was not non-existent...
But fortunately, she indeed had no ulterior motives.
Not only that, but based on the information she had gathered during that time, Gawen, having made a certain guess, wanted to help them.
So...
"I suggest you two sirs depart immediately." As Gawen placed two steaming cups of coarse tea on the small table between Konda and Luther, she said softly: "Preferably right after dinner."
Konda immediately looked at the 'village girl' in front of him vigilantly and said in a deep voice: "What do you mean?"
Gawen smiled apologetically: "I accidentally overheard your conversation just now. I feel that the current situation is very unfavorable for you two. If you were still in the capital, it would be fine, but you have now left the sight of most people, so..."
"Enough." Konda interrupted her roughly, waving his hand wearily: "Are you trying to drive us away? Don't forget this isn't your home. Mr. Luther and I are very tired and not in the mood to listen to your wild speculations."
Due to certain preconceived notions, Konda had no intention of letting Gawen continue her analysis. He simply waved his hand impatiently as if shooing away a fly: "Just do what you're supposed to do. Go cook us dinner now, and also boil some more hot water. We won't be staying here for too long."
"But..." Gawen still wanted to say something.
But the mentally and physically exhausted Konda had already risen indignantly, flicking his sleeve, and walked towards the bedroom.
"Miss Gawen." Luther, also looking a bit tired, shook his head at Gawen and said softly: "Some things are not for you to consider, so just do what you should do. Given your status... it's best not to overstep."
Gawen nodded silently, her expression a bit helpless.
Just a girl...
Just do what you're supposed to do...
Some things are not for you to consider...
Given your status...
Hearing such words always makes one subtly unhappy...
But it doesn't matter, anyway, I'm just 'vacationing' in this world. Even if something really happens, I can just create a new character~
Gawen shrugged and then bid farewell to Luther to prepare dinner.
The girl's slender back looked a bit desolate...
...
At the same time
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Chapter 145: End
Feeling a bit under the weather~ So, the update is late~ Mm.