Chapter 13 Chapter 12 Prison

Aaron excitedly followed Kappa towards the majestic stone building.It was the seventh day, and normally he would never want to skip spear practice and riding lessons, but today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: it was his first trip to the Duke's Library. Since he and Kappa started trading magic seals, his master's business has flourished and he has become the most popular magic seal master in the city.Their collection of sigils quickly became the number one in all of Miln, perhaps even the world's authority.At the same time, their achievements in closing the gap in the city wall spread quickly, and the nobles who always liked to follow the trend naturally remembered their names.

The business of nobles is not easy, because they are always making ridiculous demands, and they like to put sigils where they shouldn't be.Kappa doubled, and even tripled, prices, without dampening demand in the slightest.It has become a status symbol to invite the magic seal master Kaber to plan his own magic seal force field. But today, being invited to draw the magic seal for the most valuable building in the city, Aaron thought that he had finally paid off for helping the nobles draw the seal.Citizens have little chance of getting inside the library.Oak guards his collection carefully, and only high-ranking petitioners and their aides have the opportunity to be admitted.

The library was built by the Creator's priest, and then the royal family took charge of it. A priest has been in charge of daily management.Usually priests don't have to worry about other chores besides these precious tomes.In fact, this position is more responsible than administering most sanctuaries, with the exception of the great sept and the duke's private temple. An acolyte came out to greet them, and then led them to the office of the Chief Librarian Reverend Langnell.Aaron looked around as he walked, admiring the moldy bookcases and the silent scholars wandering among the piles of books. If not counting the magic seal tome, Kappa had more than thirty books, and Aaron thought it was a treasure trove before, but the Duke's books There are thousands of books in the library, and he can't finish reading them all his life.He didn't think the Duke should have kept so many books locked up in the library.

Reverend Langnell was young for a Chief Librarian, with more brown hair than gray.He greeted them kindly, seated them, and sent his servants to serve tea. "You are famous, Master Kappa," said Langnell, taking off his thin-rimmed glasses and wiping them on his brown robes. "I hope you will accept the job." "The library's sigils are all in good shape, in my opinion," Karber commented. Langnel put on his glasses again and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "The Duke has been concerned about his collections since the last demonic invasion," he said. "Your Excellency the Duke wants... some enhanced protection."

"What kind of enhanced protection?" Karber asked.Langnell squirmed, and Aaron could see that he was embarrassed by what he was about to ask. Finally, Ragnell sighed. "All tables, chairs and bookcases must be painted with magic seals to defend against flame saliva." He said flatly. Kappa's eyes popped out. "That will take a few months!" he said, "What's the benefit of doing this? Even if the fire demon can go so deep into the city, it is impossible to pass the magic seal outside the library. If it passes, then you will have more The bookcase has more important things to worry about."

Ragnall looked stern. "There's nothing more important to worry about, Master Kappa," he said. "The Duke and I agree on this matter. You can't imagine how much we lost when the inner-earth monsters burned down the old library, where guardians It is the knowledge accumulated by mankind over thousands of years." "Sorry," Kappa said, "I didn't mean any disdain." The librarian nodded. "I understand. You are right, the probability of such a thing happening is very low. No matter what, His Excellency the Duke will definitely do what he wants to do. I can pay a thousand Jinyang coins."

Aaron calculated the number in his head.One thousand Jinyang coins is a lot of money, it is considered as the biggest business they have taken over, but this work will take several months, plus the losses that will be suffered if they give up normal business... "I'm afraid I can't help," Karber said. "It would take too much of my normal business time." "It will be appreciated by the Duke," said Langnell. Karber shrugged. "I served as his father's messenger, and I've gained enough appreciation back then. I don't need more. Try a young sigilist." He suggested, "Someone who needs to prove himself."

"Your Excellency the Duke will invite you by name." Langnell insisted. Karber spread his hands helplessly. "I'll pick it up." Aaron blurted out.The two men turned their heads to look at him at the same time, not expecting him to have the courage to say such a thing. "I don't think the Duke is willing to accept the services of an apprentice," said Langnell. Aaron shrugged. "There's no need to tell him." He said, "My master can plan the magic seals of the bookcase and desk, and then just let me engrave them." He said and looked at Kappa. "Anyway, even if you take this job, I will engrave more than half of the magic seals."

"It's an interesting compromise." Langnell said seriously, "What do you think, Master Karber?" Karber looked at Aaron suspiciously. "It's the tedious job you've ever hated the most," he said. "What's the use of it, boy?" Aaron smiled. "The duke can claim that Master Qabor made the library's sigil," he began. "You can get a thousand gold sun coins, and I—" He turned to Langnell. "Just one commitment - use the library as you please." Rannel laughed. "What a child I like!" he said. "Is that a deal?" he asked Kappa.

Karber smiled, and the two shook hands. Reverend Langnell shows Kappa and Aaron around the library.As he walked, Aaron gradually realized how huge the project he just took over would be.Even if you skip the calculations and directly visually observe and print, you will still have to spend more than half a year here. Still, after visiting the entire library, and having the opportunity to read so much, he knew it was all worth it.Langnell promised that he could come and go from the library at any time, day or night, until he died. Langnel noticed the enthusiasm on the child's face and smiled knowingly.He suddenly had an idea in his mind, so he pulled Karber aside while Aaron was immersed in his own world.

"Is this child an apprentice or a servant?" he asked the Rubik. "He's a merchant class, if that's what you're asking?" Kappa said. Rannel nodded. "Who are his parents?" Karber shook his head. "No parents, at least not in Miln." "Can you speak for him?" Langnell asked. "The kid speaks for himself," Kappa replied. "Is he engaged?" asked the priest. As expected. "You're not the first person to ask me about this since my business has skyrocketed," said Kappa. "Even certain nobles send beautiful daughters to visit him, but I don't think any girl has a way of making him willing to put down his book." "I know that feeling," Langnell said, pointing to a girl sitting at a desk with a dozen open books in front of her. "Mary, come here!" he called.The girl looked up, then skillfully marked the pages of the book, put the book away, and then came over.She looked about Aaron's age at fourteen, with big brown eyes and long, shiny brown hair.She has a round face with soft lines and a big smile.Wearing a dress and getting a lot of dust in the library.She lifted the hem of her skirt and curtsied quickly. "Master Karber, this is my daughter, Mary." Langnell said. The girl raised her head, and suddenly asked excitedly: "The master of the Karber magic seal?" "Ah, you know my work?" Kappa asked. "No," Mary shook her head, "but I heard that your collection of magic seals is the largest in the world." Kappa laughed and said, "Maybe there's a chance, Pastor." Reverend Langnell bent over his daughter's face and pointed at Aaron. "The young Aaron is Master Karber's apprentice. He will be responsible for drawing the magic seal for our library. Why don't you show him around?" Mary watched Aaron look around, completely ignoring her presence.His long brown hair was messy and messy, his expensive clothes were dirty and wrinkled, but his eyes sparkled with wisdom.His facial features are neat and symmetrical, and he looks very kind.She smoothed her skirt and walked towards him.Karber heard Ragnall muttering a prayer. Aaron didn't seem to notice Mary approaching. "Hello," she said. "Hello," Aaron said, squinting to identify a book sitting high, wondering what was written on the back. Mary frowned. "My name is Mary," she said. "The Reverend Langnell is my father." "Aaron." As Aaron said, he took a book from the cabinet and began to read it slowly. "My father asked me to show you around the library," said Mary. "Thank you," Aaron said, putting the book back in its place, and walking past a row of bookcases to a roped-off area.Mary was forced to follow behind him, an exasperated look on her face. "She's used to ignoring people, not being ignored," Langnell said with interest. "BR." Aaron read the sign above the roped arch. "What does BR mean?" he murmured. "Before the Great Return," Mary said, "Those are the original books left over from the ancient world." Aaron turned to her, as if just now aware of her presence. "Really?" he asked. "No entry unless the Duke allows it," said Mary, admiring the way Aaron's face fell. "However," she smiled, "because of my father, I can come and go freely." "Your father?" Aaron asked. "I am Reverend Langnell's daughter," she reminded sullenly. Aaron's eyes widened and he bowed awkwardly. "Aaron, from Tibbey Creek," he said. Across the hall, Karber snickered softly. "Boys are at a disadvantage in front of girls," he said. Over the next few months, Aaron gradually developed a regular life routine.Regan's mansion is closer to the library, so he sleeps there most nights.The Messenger's foot recovered and he went on a long journey again.Eliza encouraged Aaron to treat his house as her own, and seemed to take an inexplicable joy in seeing it filled with Aaron's tools and books.The servants liked his presence in the house, too, and declared that Lady Eliza was not slumped when he was around. Aaron would wake up an hour before sunrise to practice gunthrowing by the light of oil lamps in the soaring-ceilinged vestibule.When the sun rose over the horizon, he would slip out of the house, throw his spear, and practice riding.Then he joins Eliza for breakfast -- Regan joins if he's home -- and he heads out to the library. Arriving at the library, it was still very early, and there was no one in the library except the acolyte who was sleeping in the basement.They kept their distance, wary of Aaron, who could run to their master and make a speech at will. The library allocated a separate small room as his studio.There's only room for two bookshelves, his workbench, and the furniture he's working on.One shelf is filled with paints, brushes and sculpting tools, and the other is filled with borrowed books.There was a layer of curled sawdust on the floor, and there were stains of spilled paint and varnish here and there. Aaron reads for an hour every morning before closing the book reluctantly and starting work.For the first few weeks, he was carving runes on chairs.Then he started working on the bench.The job took longer than expected, but Aaron didn't care. Over the past few months, Mary's beautiful figure has become a pleasant scenery. From time to time, she would poke her head in to smile at him or chat a few words, and then go back quickly to continue her study.Aaron had thought it would upset him that she interrupted his work and reading like this, but the opposite was true.He looked forward to her coming, and even found himself irritable during her absence.They would have lunch on the roof of the library overlooking the city and the mountains beyond. The girls Mary and Aaron had met were very different.As the daughter of the Duke's librarian and chief historian, she was perhaps the most educated girl in town, and Aaron found he learned as much from her as from his books.But she seemed very lonely, and the deacons were more afraid of her than Aaron, and there was no one else of her age in the library.Mary can discuss with the gray-bearded scholar without changing her face, but she seems a little shy in front of Aaron, not as confident as usual. He also had an indescribable uneasiness in front of her. "Creator, Jack, you haven't practiced at all." Aaron said, covering his ears. "Don't be so harsh, Aaron," Mary snapped. "You sing very well, Jack," she said. Jack frowned. "She opened her hands and smiled. My father said that music and dancing lead to evil, so I can't hear it, but I'm sure your singing is very beautiful." Aaron laughed, Jack frowned deeply, and put away his lute. "Try juggling," Mary suggested. "Are you sure it's not a crime to watch sideshows?" Jack asked. "Unless it's played very well," whispered Mary.Aaron laughed again. Jack's lute is very old and the strings are not intact.He put down the harp, and took out colored balls from the cloth bag bucket where the bard's props were stored.The paint was peeling and the sphere was full of cracks.He tossed one ball into the air, followed by a second, and a third, for a few seconds, and Mary clapped. "Much better!" she said. Jack smiles. "Look!" he said, reaching for the fourth ball. When all the wooden balls fell to the ground, Aaron and Mary showed painful expressions at the same time. Jack blushed. "Maybe I should practice three-ball more," he said. "You should," Aaron agreed. "My dad didn't like it," Jack said. "He said, 'If you're free enough to do stunts, kid, I'll find you something to do.'" "That's what my dad said when he caught me stealing a dance," Mary said. They turned to Aaron expectantly at the same time. "My dad used to say that too," he said. "Won't Master Kappa?" Jack asked. Aaron shook his head. "He did this? I did everything he asked for." "Then where do you have time to practice your courier skills?" Jack asked. "Find time," Aaron said. "How?" Jack asked. Aaron shrugged. "Get up early, go to bed late, sneak out to school after dinner. Find what you can, unless you want to be a miller all your life?" "There's nothing wrong with being a miller, Aaron," said Mary. Jack shook his head. "No, he's right," he said. "If I want to be a bard, I must work harder." Jack turned to Aaron. "I'll practice a lot," he promised. "Don't worry," Aaron said, "if you can't entertain the villagers, at least you can help scare away the demons on the road with your singing." Jack narrowed his eyes.Mary laughed and watched him throw the wooden ball at Aaron. "A powerful bard can hit me!" Aaron challenged, dexterously dodging every wooden ball. "You've stabbed too far," cried Kappa.To illustrate this point, Regan let go of the hand that had been holding the shield and grabbed Aaron's spear just below the point of the spear before retracting it.He yanked violently, and Aaron, who lost his center of gravity, fell to the snow. "Regan, be careful," Eliza warned, clutching her shawl in the cold morning wind. "You'll hurt him." "He's much softer than the monster, ma'am," Karber said, loud enough for Aaron to hear, "The spear is a defensive weapon, and the purpose of using a spear is to keep a distance from the demon when retreating. Like Aaron A courier who is too aggressive like that will end up with a dead end. I have seen this kind of thing, once on the way to Renekton..." Aaron's face darkened.Karber is a good teacher, but he likes to intersperse his class with cases that have happened to other couriers.His intent was to put Aaron back down, but the effect was just the opposite. These words only fueled Aaron's determination to pick up where others had failed.He stood up, steadied his feet again, and put his weight on his heels. "Enough with the spears," Kappa said. "Let's try the short spears." Eliza frowned as Aaron returned the eight-foot long spear to the weapons rack, then joined Regan to select the shorter spear, which was nearly three feet long and had a tip that made up a third of its length.These spears were specifically designed for close quarters combat and delivered a thrust quite differently than spears.He also picked out a shield at the same time, and the two practiced against each other in the snow again.Now Aaron has grown a lot taller, and his shoulders are wider than before. For a fifteen-year-old, he is very strong.He was wearing Regan's old leather armor, which was a little too big for him, but it wouldn't be long before it would fit. "What's the point of practicing short spears?" Eliza asked displeasedly. "Is it because he wants to fight demons at close quarters and then show off his heroic deeds to others?" "I've seen it." Kappa objected, watching Aaron and Regan practice. "And the roads between cities aren't just demons, ma'am. There are beasts, and even robbers." "Who will attack the messenger?" Eliza asked in surprise. Regan shot Kappa a hard look, but Kappa ignored him. "The couriers are rich people," he said, "and what they transport are valuable items and letters, which are enough to affect the fate of merchants and nobles. Most people don't have the guts to attack the courier, but this kind of thing is not uncommon. As for the animals... the weak animals are all killed by the earth core monsters, and only the strongest predators will survive." "Aaron!" the Rubik yelled, "What should I do if I am attacked by a bear?" Keeping his eyes on Regan's face, Aaron continued to wield the short spear, and replied, "Pierce the spear through the throat, retreat while it bleeds, and attack the vitals when it loses alertness." "What else can you do?" Kappa called. "Lie still," Aaron said with disgust. "Bears rarely attack the dead." "Where's the lion?" Kappa asked. "Use the middle spear," Aaron called, blocking Kerrigan's attack with his shield, and counterattacked, "aim for the shoulder joints, stand firm and let the lion's charge drive it through the spearhead. If you have a short spear at hand, stab Wear it on the chest or belly." "Where are the wolves?" "I can't listen anymore." Eliza said and ran into the house. Aaron ignored her. "A smack to the muzzle with a spear will usually drive a wolf away," he said. "If you miss, use the same tactic as you would with a lion." "What if there's a whole pack of wolves?" "Wolves are afraid of fire," said Aaron. "What about wild boars?" Kappa wondered. Aaron laughs and quotes the teacher. "I should 'run like all the demons in the world are chasing me.'" Aaron wakes up on a pile of books.For a while, he didn't know where he was, and finally he realized that he had fallen asleep in the library again.He looked out the window and found that it had been dark for a long time.He looked up and vaguely saw the wind demon flying in the sky; Eliza would be angry. He's recently been reading ancient histories that record the events of the age of science.These sources speak of ancient lands; Albion, Tisha, Great Lim, and Rosk, and speak of seas, great lakes stretching as far as eye can see, and other lands on the other side of them;If he believed these books, the world was much bigger than he imagined. He leafed through the books he had slept on the night before, and was surprised to find a map among them.His eyes widened as he glanced over the place names on the map.There, very conspicuously, he saw the Duchy of Miln.He leaned closer to take a closer look, and found the river that supplied Milnburg's water source, and the mountains behind it.A small star is drawn there, marking the location of the capital. He turned a few more pages and read about Gumiln.Then, as now, Miln was a mining and quarrying city, with territory spanning dozens of miles to the Dividing River on the border of the Duchy of Angels. Aaron recalled his journey. The ruins he found on the road as he walked west were the territory of the Earl of Newkirk.Shaking slightly with excitement, Aaron continued to follow the map and found what he was looking for, a small waterway leading to the mouth of a wide pond. The domain of Baron Thibey. Tibay, Newkirk, and other lords all paid tribute to Milne, who, like the Duke of Angels, was loyal to Tesha. "Tishan," Aaron murmured, trying to get used to the feeling of the word. "We are all Tishan." He took out a pen and started copying the map. "You two are not allowed to mention that name from now on." Langnell scolded Aaron and his daughter. "But..." Aaron said. "You think no one knows about this?" the librarian interrupted him. "The Duke has ordered the arrest of anyone who mentions that name. Do you want to go to his mine for a few years to hammer stones?" "Why?" Aaron asked. "Can the name do any harm?" "Before the Duke closed the library," Langnell shrieked, "some people were so obsessed with Tisha that they kept raising money to hire couriers to contact lost places on the map." "What's wrong with that?" Aaron asked. "The king has been dead for three centuries, Aaron," said Langnell, "and dukes never submit to anyone without a great battle, and talk of reunification will remind people of something that should not be remembered." s things." "The best way is to pretend that the walls of Miln are the whole world?" Aaron asked. "Until the Creator forgives us and sends a liberator to the world to end the plague." Langnell said. "What plague?" Langnell looked at Aaron with shock and anger mixed in his eyes.For a moment, Aaron thought the pastor was going to beat him.He is ready for an attack. As a result, Ragnell turned to face his daughter. "He really doesn't know?" he asked in disbelief. Mary nodded. "The priest in Tibe Creek . . . is not of the traditional denomination." Rannel nodded. "I remembered," he said. "The teacher was killed by a demon when he was a deacon, and he never completed his priest training. We have been trying to send another person there..." He walked to his desk and began to write letter. "That's impossible," said he, "to ask me what the plague is, indeed!" He continued to mutter, and Aaron decided it was time to back out the door. "Don't go yet, you two." Langnell said, "I am very disappointed in you. I know that Karber is not a true believer, Aaron, but this level of ignorance is unforgivable." He looked at Mary. "And you, young lady!" he cried, "you knew about it and did nothing?" Mary looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry, Father," she said. "You should be ashamed," said Langnell.He took out a heavy book from the table and handed it to his daughter. "Teach him," he ordered, handing her the Canon, "and if Aaron doesn't learn the book within a month, I'll catch and flog you both." "Easy to get away with," Aaron said. "It's so easy," Mary agreed. "Father was right. I should have brought it up sooner." "Don't worry," Aaron said. "It's just a book. I can finish it by tomorrow morning." "It's not just a book!" cried Mary.Aaron eyed her curiously. "This is the Creator's sermon, written by the first liberator," Mary said. Aaron raised an eyebrow and asked, "Really?" Mary nodded. "It's not enough to just read it. You have to live it every day. This is the guideline for saving humanity from the sins that led to the Great Plague." "What plague?" Aaron felt like he had asked no less than ten times. "Demons, of course," said Mary. "Geocentric monsters." A few days later, Aaron sat on the library roof, closed his eyes, and recited: "Very good!" Mary smiled and praised. Aaron frowned. "Can I ask a question?" he asked. "Of course," said Mary. "Do you really believe what's written here?" he asked. "Priest Harlow says the Liberator is only human. This great warrior is only mortal. Kappa and Regan say the same." Mary's eyes widened. "You'd better not let my father hear that," she warned. "Do you believe that the Goblin exists because we made it our own?" Aaron asked. "Do we deserve it?" "Of course I do," she said. "This is the teaching of the Creator." "No." Aaron said, "It's just a book. Books are written by people. If the Creator wants to convey some message, why does he have to use a book to write it in the sky?" "Sometimes it is really hard to believe that there is a Creator in the sky watching us." Mary said, looking up at the sky, "otherwise what is the truth? The world did not appear out of thin air. If the Creator did not create this world, how can we explain the magic? Where is the power of India?" "What about the great plague?" Aaron asked. Mary shrugged. "History records the horrors of war," she said. "Maybe we really deserve it." "Deserves it?" Aaron asked. "My mom doesn't deserve to die for some stupid war hundreds of years ago!" "Your mother died at the hands of the devil?" Mary asked in surprise, stroking his arm, "Aaron, I don't know..." Aaron withdrew his arm. "I don't care." He said as he rushed towards the door, "I still have a magic seal to engrave—since we all deserve to die at the hands of the devil, I really don't see the point of engraving the magic seal."