Chapter 20 Chapter 3

In the early morning, the sun was shining brightly, the air was exceptionally fresh, and yesterday's worries disappeared.Najushka obediently ate the rice porridge, which she did not like, and I mentioned in passing that I should go to work early.Svetlana said nothing after hearing this.But she told me to come home early from get off work and the whole family go to the cinema to watch a family drama her friend recommended.I can't help laughing at the idea that the dark emissary who guards Nadja will have to watch a romantic feature film with us - and the story will naturally end with good over evil again.

"I'll definitely be back sooner. I just want to know how it's going over there. Maybe the impasse has been broken." "If it was that way, I would have called you earlier." Svetlana's words shattered my illusions. But it didn't spoil my mood.I quickly got ready, picked up my briefcase (what can I do, the magician of the light force also has to do desk work), kissed my daughter and wife, and walked out of the house. Romka was chatting downstairs with a cute little girl, and they were having a good time talking.Romka is a kind but clumsy young man who has been working in our patrol team for almost two years.The girl is a dark emissary sent by Zaburon to protect us.

I greeted the two of them, shook my head helplessly, and left. That's how often a relationship that ends badly begins.Like Alyssa and Igor's love... The weather was surprisingly good, and I hesitated for a moment at the entrance of the corridor, considering whether to walk to the subway station.In fact, I don't want to take the subway at all.It was stuffy, hot and crowded in the compartment full of passengers.The peak operation of the Moscow Metro will not end until midnight. Forget it, let's drive.Svetlana is not planning to go out today.I looked at the future trend, I can avoid the traffic jam and arrive at the unit in 20 minutes.

I took off the protective charm and sat in the driver's seat.The warding spell doesn't get in my way, but it will make particularly sensitive drivers try to avoid my car.I started the engine, closed my eyes and considered which way to go. The results were dismal.For some reason, all trends converge on the road to Sherementyevo Airport.How could this be, I had no intention of going there at all! Suddenly something furry wrapped around my neck.A gentle voice asked slowly: "'King' preparing for an expedition?" I looked in the rearview mirror.The picture made me very unhappy.

I didn't see Edgar.But I saw what he had wrapped around my neck, a silver fur tie.The strap is not at all suitable for use as a neckerchief, for this is a murderous magic belt...it seems to hide countless small sharp teeth under its silver-gray fur. I also saw Gennady Shoshkin sitting on the right in the back seat.The vampire's expression was unusually indifferent. "What do you want, Edgar?" I asked. "It's none of your business." Edgar smiled maliciously. "Don't even think about sneaking into the Twilight Realm, and don't even think about casting magic. The belt around your neck won't disappear no matter which layer you're on in the Twilight Realm... at least including the sixth floor. As long as you have the slightest thought of using magic, It'll break your neck."

"I won't verify it," I said. "What's next?" "Will you invite us to your house?" Edgar's voice asked.Hearing this, Shoshkin's face trembled. "No, sorry, now is not the time to be a guest." "So it's time to kill?" Edgar asked. "Did you think I would hand Nadya to you?" I had no fear, I was even surprised to ask. "You can kill me." "I didn't hold out too much hope," Edgar said. "But Gennady stood his ground in this matter... You understand that he is very much trying to use your daughter."

"Like he used his son?" I couldn't help but say. "He got compensation because of this, in exchange for a vampire face with blue face and fangs, and he lost everything that a normal person has." "Quiet, quiet." Edgar pushed my shoulder. "Don't get excited. Otherwise I can't stop Genna. He's very angry with you, and guess what?" "Come on. Can you show yourself? I'm uncomfortable talking to the Hidden Ones." "You drive the car out of the yard first." Edgar sneered. "Don't let your bodyguards find out...we'll tear them apart before they can even say 'no'. But Svetlana we're afraid we won't be able to chew."

Gennady grinned and exposed his teeth. The four giant teeth were obviously much stronger than human canine teeth. "I have no doubts about it," I said quite bluntly, then stepped on the gas pedal and slowly drove the car out of the parking space.Maybe I should run towards a pillar, no, it won't surprise them that way, they're prepared for that sort of thing. "For Nadya, Sveta will smash you to pieces." "So I also think..." Edgar said humbly and calmly, "There is no need for a furious woman to follow us. Will your daughter be able to sneak through the twilight to the seventh floor? Is it in the water? Fishing for the moon? I guess it's not realistic, it's almost as likely as wanting to beat you up."

I laughed out loud. "I don't want to disappoint you. But my ability is limited. I am a high-level other, but not a 'zero energy' other who does not need energy. Only someone like Merlin can sneak into the seventh floor." "I said we should take the little girl," Gennady said softly. "I told him he couldn't." "Don't worry!" Edgar reassured him. "He can do it. He's not quite sure yet, but if we help him he will." "I'll try," I said. "Where are you going now?" "Of course to Sherementyevo No. 2 Airport, where else can I go?" Edgar laughed.He emerges gradually, translucent at first, then colored.Gennady still didn't show up, I could only see him in the rearview mirror. "I think it's quickest to take the circle route, don't you? You try not to get delayed on the road. There's a flight to Edinburgh in an hour. We'll have time to fly away before they start looking for you, I suppose. I don't want to spell 'mine The last of the array's energy was spent tunneling through to Edinburgh. But listen, if we're delayed, we'll go through the tunnel."

"I think Alina is waiting for you in Edinburgh, isn't she?" I asked. "Drive your car." Edgar sneered. "I'll tell you now why you helped us." "Want to hear it," I said.There was a chill in my heart, but I didn't want to show the slightest fear.But... what's the use?Vampires can instinctively sense my fear.Not even magic could fool them. "Of course you will do everything for your daughter," Edgar said. "For daughter and wife. It doesn't work for the Darkbringer, but it's just right for the Lightbringer."

"You can't see my family." "Maybe you won't see it yourself. Gesar and Zaburon did a great job. I counted six bodyguards. How many do you know? Just those two fools chatting downstairs in your house?" I didn't answer. "I don't think there would be fewer than eight of them, perhaps not fewer than a dozen," said Edgar anxiously. "It's useless to guess, these two old people want to leave a way out for themselves. But if there is an explosion near your house...not a normal explosion, but a nuclear explosion...the high-level other will definitely die. The nuclear explosion in Hiroshima is A mirror." "You won't play that move, Edgar," I said. "You're a dark emissary, but not a psycho. A nuclear explosion in the center of Moscow? Just to kill my wife and daughter? How many people would that die? If someone goes crazy and decides it's a nuclear attack, triggering What about World War?" "That's right! The point is," Edgar laughed, "Even if Gesar realizes that the situation is not good and takes your family away from Moscow to a deserted place, it will not change the situation at all. Yours Deeds will determine the fate of thousands, perhaps millions. It's very tempting for the Lightbringer, isn't it?" "Edgar," I asked. "what happened to you?" "Nothing." Edgar smiled nervously. "I'm fine!" "Are you bereaved, Edgar?" I'm asking this question purely to try my luck.Edgar said nothing.So I realized I was asking the right question. I'm starting to understand a little bit what's going on. "My wife," he finally said. "Annabelle." "Didn't you say you were in Crete with her?" I recalled. "Yes. That was a year ago. We were walking down the road from the beach back to the hotel... a van passed by. The driver drove her inappropriately and knocked her down at eighty kilometers an hour. I was too late for anything Do." "You love her very much." I said in surprise. "Yes." Edgar nodded. "Love. I am not Zaburon, I will love. I will." "I'm sorry," I said. "Thank you, Anton," Edgar said calmly. "I know you're sincere. But it won't change...our relationship." "Why do you want to be an enemy of everyone? Why do you involve humans?" "Humans? Anton, is there any difference in how to use them? We rely on their energy to survive. Why can't we use them as cannon fodder... As for why I am against everyone... This question itself is wrong. I am not their enemy. I am their friend. It can also be said that I am friends with all others, including the Darkbringer and the Lightbringer. Once we have achieved our purpose, you will understand. Even You will understand too." "That's not what we agreed on," Gennady said. "I remember how we agreed," Edgar interrupted Gennady. "Let's do what we want first. Then you challenge Anton. Is that so? Don't you yourself want to fight him in a fair way?" "I think so." Gennady hesitated. "If you're so sure I know what you mean," I'm already on the loop, and I'm struggling with whether to jerk the steering wheel and throw the car off the viaduct. "Tell me what you think. Maybe I'll volunteer to help you?" "I've thought about it." Edgar nodded. "From the beginning I thought you were the most responsible and capable Lightbringer I knew. Instead I teamed up with Gennady. He strongly opposed working with you. You know, he doesn't like you .his wife died because of you. How about we let you join the ranks of the Last Guardians?" "Very romantic name." "Genner came up with this, he's a romantic." Edgar smiled. "We didn't intend to offend you. Revenge is only a good thing when you have nothing but revenge. Gesar sent you to Edinburgh for a party!" "You killed Victor because he recognized Gennady?" "Yes," Edgar nodded. "It was quite natural. Gennady was very disturbed. He thought that Kostya's classmate had not just appeared by accident, but that someone was following us. Of course, we were mistaken. But we found a way to remove the third barrier of the twilight world. We have never had accurate information about it.” "Do you have any information about the clay monster on the fifth floor of the Twilight Realm?" "Of course!" Edgar said with a smile. "After Annabelle's death, I was transferred to work in the Special Archives Office. How should I put it, I want to work on the archives with peace of mind, to calm myself down and forget the pain... Lightbringer, you don't know what is in the Special Archives Office of the Inquisition It's all there! I have no doubts that these things can be made. To tell you the truth, magic has degraded a bit in the last hundred years. We've become lazy and used to using human stuff. In fact, we have something like a phone , cars, airplanes... not just similar, it can be said to be almost the same! We can completely rely on magic to create civilization!" "But we're producing less energy than we need," I said. "We cannot survive without humans." "I happened to think of this question too." Edgar suddenly became active. "Should be ok... Hey, don't slow down! Take the left lane, there are no cars there now... I also thought about this problem. A social structure similar to the Middle Ages is the most ideal society I envision. Human beings lead simple, healthy lives , simple life, working in nature, engaging in artistic creation and handicraft production. No need for centralized government. Feudal social system, barons and kings with no real power are enough. We others can live more or less Our own independent life can also live with human beings openly and aboveboard. Everyone knows our existence. Of course, human beings may challenge magicians and vampires under this system. Let them challenge! There should be natural elimination Mechanisms to eliminate others who are imbecile and too brutal. Such a world would be more pleasant to others and to human beings than today's society. Have you ever read fantasy works?" "What work?" "Haven't read fantasy novels? Like Lord of the Rings, Conan, The Amphibious Wizard, and Harry Potter?" "Read some," I said. "Some are juvenile, some are pretty good. As entertaining books, it's all right for us." "It's far more popular than science fiction for the common man," Edgar affirms. "This is a paradox. Humans are not interested in reading about conquering Mars or flying to other planets. They are not interested in what humans can achieve and we cannot. Instead they fantasize about being magicians and throwing sharp swords. Fighting... what does this mean? It means that the Middle Ages, which advocated magic, are more attractive to humans." "Yeah," I said. "Of course. Because no one thought of the pain of going to the dirty cesspit in the freezing cold of minus 20 degrees, let alone the stench emitted by these cesspit in the high temperature of 40 degrees. Because the protagonist in the book never catches a cold , will not suffer from indigestion, appendicitis and malaria, and if they do, there will be a witch doctor of the light force at their side. Because all people think of themselves as kings or magicians in cloaks, At least the baron's guards, brave and happy. Never imagine yourself as a farmer with a hoe, standing in the dry field at this moment, watching the distant figure of the baron's guards, who have just trampled on you. Poor crops, and half of what they have is going to the brave and merry Baron." "That's another matter," said Edgar placidly. "Everything has pros and cons. At least such a society has no advertisements, politicians, lawyers and genetically modified foods..." "In such a society, there would not be much food." I interjected. "There are no congenital deformities caused by environmental pollution..." "You should go to work for Greenpeace. But there will be a lot of children who are not born with bad praise. More ordinary children will die because of placenta previa or lack of medicine at birth. Edgar, what do you mean, think Return the world to the Middle Ages?" Edgar sighed. "No, Anton. It's a very, very unrealistic way out. To be honest, I'm hoping for it. But it's not." "I'm seriously thinking about slamming the steering wheel and crashing the car into the stone pillar," I said. "Did you see, there is a flyover above the ring road ahead? The concrete pillars of the flyover are very tempting..." "It won't hurt us," Edgar said. "I don't think it will hurt you. You have a good car, airbags, seat belts...you have a chance of surviving. Don't do something stupid. If you want to kill yourself, use a black magic spell and you're done." "What did you find in the files? What did you expect?" "Don't tell him," said Gennady sullenly.But that statement seems to have had the opposite effect.Edgar, after all, has always been a dark messenger, he always loathes and despises vampires, even their allies. "The Inquisition is very concerned about magical equipment outside its jurisdiction," Edgar said. "Pay special attention to the magical equipment made by Merlin... The reason is very clear. We know very little about the 'Crown of All Things'. We only know that it is in Scotland, and it is one of the most powerful magical equipment if not hidden 1. But it was always thought that there wasn't any material on the 'Crown of All Things'. Fortunately, the archives were cataloged and entered into computers a few years ago. Among other materials there is a record of a medieval witch trial, as well as detectives and scholars The investigative reports written, they have all been converted into electronic documents, but long forgotten. I searched all the materials related to Merlin, and finally found a few lines of information that had been forgotten. These materials were dropped to ten In the hands of a first-class witch of the Light Forces in the third century, the information may not have come into her hands because of her rank... The witch was interrogated due to an accident in Glasgow, which was only a small province at that time City. During the interrogation she mentioned 'the last magic weapon made by Merlin'. The interrogator confirmed to her what this magic weapon was. She replied that if translated literally: 'The crown of all things has left us And what the other who has gone imagined is what they expected in the twilight world, what brought them happiness and freedom...' At that time, her words did not attract special attention. So, until the parchment The interrogation transcript was scanned, and I searched for the word 'Merlin', and we finally found the document from the archives that had been dormant for many years." "It is now certain that this information has been expunged from the Inquisition's database," I said. Edgar smiled. "You want to resurrect the dead Other?" "It's the other that's gone," Gennady said vaguely. "It's gone, not dead!" "We didn't do it for nothing," Edgar said. "We believe that the 'Crown of All Things' will remove the barriers between the layers of the Twilight, and unite the Twilight with the human world. If you stay in the deepest part of the twilight world for too long, then the 'crown of all things' will change everything. The others who have left us will return to us." "Edgar, you probably don't know anything," I said. "It's impossible for you to know. This is just a guess. What if the layers of the Twilight Realm are really connected to our world? It would be a disaster!" "We know that those who are gone want that," Edgar said firmly. "A word from a witch in the thirteenth century?" "She's Merlin's mistress. She knows it." I stopped arguing with him. What can be opposed to faith?Nothing.Facts cannot, let alone conjectures.The only thing that can stand against faith is another faith. "Edgar, if I really knew that the 'Crown of All Things' could resurrect the dead, I would definitely help you. But I'm not sure." I turned onto Leningrad Avenue. "This is one of them." "Go on." Edgar responded politely. "Even though I want to help you, Edinburgh has strengthened the protection of magical equipment. Everyone knows that you will come again. I think that how many things you stole from the armory, what are they, have already been investigated Be clear, so your talisman may no longer have unexpected power. We simply can't get close to the hiding place of the magic weapon. This is the second." "Trust me, I did a great job," Edgar said proudly. "The Inquisition themselves didn't know what they had, what they lost, what was left. The Inquisition was a very bureaucratic institution. That may be the fate of any institution above the state, human institutions and ours. Institutions are the same. It will be difficult for us, but we will succeed, even if you don't help us... I think it is almost impossible for you to kill the Lightbringer." "If you bring the little girl, he can." Gennady's voice came from behind. "Enough," said Edgar. "Why are you so bad, huh? Be humane, Gennady." "I was humane in life," said the vampire. "I was like that until they killed Kostya. Polina hadn't left me. Now I've had enough." "Since we've been a small team for a while, we should try to work through our differences," Edgar said sensibly. "Don't use insulting words, don't threaten family and friends...it's pointless. Have you finished, Anton?" "No, there is a small note. I cannot enter the seventh layer of the twilight world. Relying on the stimulation of the nervous system by adrenaline, I can reach the sixth layer of the twilight world. But I will never be able to overcome the obstacles going down. The inspection team is also very concerned about the power of the twilight barrier. No matter what kind of external energy, it cannot cross this barrier." "why?" "That's because it's not a question of what kind of energy it is! The energy is already pouring into the cyclone above the 'Scottish Hole'. It's a pity! So you should use the energy wisely and let it flow through your body. The energy you send out Energy is artificial energy drawn from humans and magical equipment... What kind of results will this lead to? The pressure on the transmission network cannot be increased endlessly, which will cause the network to be paralyzed! Therefore, a super conductor is needed, understand Is it? This superconductor is the 'zero energy' other that doesn't need magic to get energy at all." "Ouch, the technical terms are confusing me." Edgar sighed. "Gennady, do you understand?" "Understood. I said..." "Okay, stop talking. Anton, I understand that you can't do things beyond your own energy. Me too..." "Edgar, when did you become a senior dark messenger?" The former Inquisitor laughed and said: "Not long ago. Never mind." "But you canceled Gennady's registration mark," I said aloud. "Obviously, the Inquisition didn't teach you these things. You can only improve your level by relying on the book "Fu Alan". But the book was burned..." "Don't tell me too much," Edgar laughed suddenly. "Tell Gennady, his teeth are itching. No miracle will happen to you. All we need is your quick wit. Find an indirect route." "I'm sure Thomas Rivermarch has been looking for this avenue for hundreds of years." "But he doesn't have a wife or daughter. The nuclear bomb may explode under them." Edgar raised his wrist and looked at his watch. "We'll catch up. Well done, it's a good car. Now listen, don't drive the car into the parking lot, it's not necessary. It will leave a redundant clue. There's a guy waiting at the entrance of the terminal We, you just hand over the car keys to him. I have already given him money to drive the car to the paid parking lot and paid for the parking fee for three days and nights. You can pick up the car there when you come back.” "If you can come back," Gennady added. "Please forgive me, but I will give you more chances of survival." Edgar interrupted Gennady. "Now we have to go through the security check quickly, and at the same time you can't attract the attention of others on the customs duty. The extra sacrifice is unnecessary for the Lightbringer, right? When you get on the plane, you can drink coffee, and you will be given a drink. A sip of brandy. You can think. Think hard. And you'll have to let me know how your head works. If you get to Edinburgh already knowing how to get the 'crown of all things', all the better. Because our The time is very limited, there are only twenty hours before the nuclear explosion." "You're a beast," I said. "No, I'm an efficient HR manager." Edgar smiled.

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