dedicated to violets

30 years ago, the front line of the Violet War, Wright Fortress.

The war has been going on for five or six years. At first, it was just a bombing among mages, but later more and more people were involved.Until now, it has evolved into a war between the Holy See and the country.

The root cause of the expansion of the war is like child's play, but no one knows the original cause.

The 17-year-old Xiao En stood in the ranks of recruits with a childish face.The sound of rumbling artillery fire exploded in his ears, and Sean looked curiously at the high walls of the fortress.The boy who was still growing up had a slender skeleton, but he didn't have much flesh on his body, and the leather armor on his body looked hollow.

The bombing came to an end, and the soldiers guarding the fortress sat on the ground smoking, their eyes constantly rolling over the recruits passing by, and they gathered together in twos and threes to whisper.

"Are these recruits recruited?"

"Yes, they are all tender seedlings."

"It looks like they are only teenagers."

"What is this? Yesterday the captain brought back a child who was said to be only 15 years old. He survived the curse by luck. After he recovers from his injuries, he will go to the battlefield after a while."

Sean eavesdropped on the chats of these veterans and captured all useful information.

Hearing the 15-year-old child who survived the curse, Sean let out a silent exclamation, his mouth opened wide.

He thought he was young enough, but he didn't expect that there were people younger than him.

Soon, he saw the 15-year-old kid.

Thin, frail, pale, blue blood vessels like slender snakes, hidden under his skin.What's even more shocking is the child's eyes—the gloomy look in his eyes, like someone who is about to die.

They were compiled into a centurion, and the two lived in a narrow bedroom, getting along day and night.

Most of the rooms in the fortress are cramped. Some rooms have no windows, are damp and dark, and mushrooms may even grow in the corners of the rooms.

Sean used the dagger at his waist to cut off the mushrooms in the corner, and then carefully lit the candle.

The room is too small, if the candle is accidentally knocked over, it may burn the sheets.So he is very cautious, lest he cause disaster due to his negligence.

He had been busy for a long time, and as soon as he turned around, he found a person sitting by the bed at some point—a skinny boy staring straight at him, the dancing candlelight reflected in his blue eyes, a little Infiltrate.

"Ah—" Sean yelled in fright.

The boy's eyes circled on him, still silent.

Sean was sweating profusely and his teeth were chattering. Did he encounter a ghost?

"My name is Sean Lucas, and I'm your roommate. What's your name?" The boy still didn't speak or do anything else. Sean mustered up his courage and asked in a trembling voice.

He remembered that the centurion veteran said that there was another person younger than him.

Could it be the boy in front of him?

Sean couldn't help thinking wildly. After a long silence, the boy finally spoke: "My name is Willie Haydn."

……

Starting from Fast, walk eastward for half a day, and you will reach the edge of the Misty Forest.

Viri attached tracking magic to the previous number plate in advance. John's magic talent is very poor, and he only knows basic spells such as fireball and ice arrow.The tracking spell is a new type of magic researched in the Violet War, and it will not be taught to students, it will only be spread in the army.

Tracking magic is like dust, once it is directly touched by hand, it will be marked.

This spell is silent, and the illegal saints cannot detect it. If it is spread rashly, it will definitely have a bad influence.

Viri hasn't used tracking magic for a long time, since he left the army, this is the first time he has done so.

Fast's map unfolded in his mind, representing John's blob of light as clear as the sun in a clear sky.After leaving the consignment hall of the auction house, he has been parked in a tavern without moving.

There are so many fast pubs, you can find a dozen pubs in any street.

Every time the mercenaries complete their tasks, the money is used to buy life-saving potions, weapons and other necessities, as well as to drink.

Viri closed his eyes, and the map in his mind gradually disappeared. He memorized the location of the tavern, stopped dawdling, and immediately strode to his destination.

Evel Tavern.

Surrounded by his "partners" who he has not been with for a long time, John is quite restless.

He was short in stature, but all the mercenaries were tall and big, their arms were thicker than his thighs.John rarely felt overwhelmed like this, but in order to fulfill his mission, he had to live with it.

The surrounding area was filled with the smell of bad beer, and the mercenaries were telling vulgar jokes and spitting everywhere.John's eyebrows hidden under the cloak frowned in disgust, trying to move back quietly.

With a big hand resting on his shoulder, the mercenary leader raised his glass high, drunkenly: "Thanks to the pastor this time, otherwise we wouldn't be able to get rich."

The mercenaries applauded and said in a hurry: "It's the first time I've seen so much money. Those nobles are really rich. I heard that they are all barons. Next time we go to the earl or something, can we get more money?" Rich?"

"Didn't the pastor say that? That is to say, there were no mages on that train. We have to recruit some mages, otherwise we will definitely be caught in the same pot."

The noise of voices made John have a splitting headache.

His face under the cloak became gloomy, and finally he couldn't help shouting in a low voice: "Be quiet——"

The mercenaries were already so drunk that they didn't even notice that John was in a bad mood.

This tavern is considered a low-grade batch in Fast, with a smoky environment and a layer of black oil stains on the tables and chairs.The mercenaries were intoxicated, enjoying the pleasure brought to them by alcohol.In the corner of the tavern, there were still people hugging each other, kissing ecstasy, and the saliva was clearly visible.

John has never been in such a horrible place, he endured so much that the veins on his forehead popped out, and his breath was filled with the choking smell of bad beer.

He stood up abruptly, and a familiar face suddenly appeared in his vision.

The dilapidated wooden door of the tavern was pushed open, and a tall and slender figure stood against the light at the door of the tavern, and John's pupils suddenly shrank.His throat tightened, and the stone hanging over his heart finally came crashing down.

"Villi." John's voice was dry.

"Good afternoon, John," Willie said as he walked through the center of the tavern where demons were dancing, "I didn't expect to meet again under such circumstances."

John couldn't move his legs, as if the soles of his feet had taken root.

He showed a smile uglier than crying: "Good afternoon, what do you want?"

Viri walked up to a drunken mercenary. He grabbed the mercenary by the collar, lifted him up easily, and looked at him from side to side: "It should be him." Alcohol paralyzed the heads of these mercenaries. Their thinking is slow, and they are unaware of the danger coming.

Viri used his hand as a knife, and slashed the mercenary's neck neatly.

A thin red line emerged from his neck, and just a few seconds later, large streams of blood rushed out.

Viri had already loosened the collar of the mercenary, allowing the drunken mercenary to fall backwards.The huge body hit the ground with an earth-shattering noise, and directly overturned a round table. All the cups on the table fell to the ground and were smashed to pieces.

Blood stained the ground and formed a pool.

The bartender smoking behind the bar and the drunk mercenaries nearby finally realized that something was wrong, and turned their heads one after another.

John's eyes were terrified, and he took a few steps back in horror.

—Very actually took a living life in front of his face.

Sensing John's fear, Willie said, "What are you afraid of? I won't kill you. This man insulted me before, so I killed him."

He was explaining his motives very seriously, and he didn't think there was any problem.

Some people gathered around, staring darkly at Viri in the center with bad eyes.

The tavern has always been a symbol of the sphere of influence. When some people have disputes, most of them go outside to resolve it by themselves.Few people will come to provoke directly, and they don't understand the default rules here.

Viri looked around and said gently: "John, tell me, why did you join the robbers?"

He did not use the term mercenary to define the identity of these people.After all, ordinary mercenaries can't do low-level things like robbery.Mercenaries have always made a living by hiring services, and some people like to call them adventurers.

John's teeth chattered: "I have graduated for more than ten years, it has nothing to do with you." He could feel the murderous intent on Willie.

—Willie might have killed him.

As soon as he finished speaking, someone attacked Viri from behind.

The sneak attacker was so fast that it almost became an afterimage.It's a pity that before he could subdue Vili, he was knocked down by Vili.

"It really doesn't matter—" Viri was only interrupted by the mercenaries rushing up in the middle of his words.

Smelling the strong smell of blood, even if the mercenaries next to them were drowsy, most of the wine would be sober.When they found out that their companion had been killed, they couldn't help feeling sad, and took up their weapons one after another, determined to kill this "rich young master".

The mercenaries rushed forward, but were beaten down in an instant.Viri still looks like a noble young master, weak in writing, but extremely ruthless in means.The mercenaries who were knocked down all pressed their stomachs and covered their heads, lying on the ground, venting more and breathing less.A large area immediately lay on the ground, and the scene was spectacular.

Willie stepped over the fresh wounded and walked up to John.

The smell of blood on his body was so strong that John fell down on the chair, raised his head, and looked at him tremblingly.

The cloak slipped off John's head, revealing a young face.

Viri stared at him probingly, his eyes were deep, and there was nothing to hide from all disguises.

He smelled a familiar smell, through 30 years, from the battlefield he was most familiar with.

After a while, Willy suddenly laughed: "John, you have changed a lot, but it seems like nothing has changed." He was no longer aggressive, but took a step back and looked down at John.

"Priest of the Holy See of Auger," Viri said slowly, "will you appear in Fast?"

……

The sun is setting, and the sky is full of sunset clouds.

Sean gently pushed open the door of the guest room, and when he looked up, he happened to meet the snowy owl in the room.

This room was prepared by the housekeeper for Veri.

The setting sun spilled into the room through the window, and the table, wardrobe, and even the bed were covered with a layer of deep red, like fresh blood.The snowy owl was squatting by the window, holding a decorative log with two sharp claws, its feathers gradually changed from white to black, and its eyes were shining like gold.

"Aren't you worried about Willy?" Sean sat on the chair familiarly.

Snowy Owl tilted his head, as if he didn't understand what Xiao En meant.

"Viri said you are a magical creature, but I haven't seen such a smart magical creature like you." He propped his chin on his right palm, and tapped the fingers of his left hand on the table, making regular thumping sounds.

The snowy owl spread its wings, fanned them, and a gust of wind blew Xiao En's bangs into a mess before closing them again.

It tweeted triumphantly, laughing at Sean's sudden change of haircut.

Sean: "..."

Grabbing his bangs with his fingers, Xiao En said with restraint: "If you make trouble again, be careful that I will turn you into snowy owl broth!"

Snowy Owl turned her head disdainfully.

"You are not a magical creature at all. Magic creatures are actually puppets made by mages. They are stupid and stupid, so they are not as smart as you," Sean said. It’s only because you don’t know the difference between monsters and magical creatures that you’re so bold.”

Snowy Owl turned his head back.

Sean sighed: "Why did Viri suddenly decide to leave the capital?"

He propped his forehead, and complained rather distressedly: "It's such a coincidence to choose this time, for 20 years, I have been staying in Mannack well--"

He didn't know that a snowy owl could talk, and he didn't expect a snowy owl to give a useful response.

However, Snowy Owl looked at him as if looking at a fool.

"Forget it, what am I talking about these things to a monster?" Sean didn't see anything, and after nagging, he stood up against the table, "Anyway, you stupid bird can't understand."

The silly bird flapped its wings angrily and pecked him hard.

When Willie came back, what he saw was Sean lying on the bed with his hands wrapped in bandages, his eyes glazed over.

"What's going on here?" Willie wondered.

The lights of the mercenary headquarters were on all night, and from a distance, it was as bright as day.The garden behind the headquarters building is also lit, and the buds of irises have a hazy beauty under the lights.

Sean moved the bed into the garden and laid it carelessly across the door, making sure Willie could see it when he got back.

The snowy owl flew over enthusiastically, got into Willy's arms, and rubbed its feathers against his chest.

The housekeeper Mason was repairing the branches and leaves. Hearing the news of Vili's return, he turned around and said with a smile on his face, "Master Sean was pecked by your magic pet, but you don't need to worry about him."

"Have you been pecked by a snowy owl?" Willie was a little too late to react. He held down the restless snowy owl and asked Sean hesitantly, "What's going on?"

Sean said confidently: "Don't worry about what's going on, anyway, it just hurt me. As its owner, you have to bear certain responsibilities."

Viri looked back innocently, his eyes were extremely sincere: "But I am not his master."

Sean's face froze instantly.

Sean: "Wait? Isn't this silly bird your pet?"

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