Chapter 3 Chapter 3 The Castle

Pagg sat down on the simple bed with his head downcast. Charmander Fantes nudged at the back of his head, trying to get the boy's attention, but the boy's indifference disappointed him. It jumped onto the window sill of the high tower alone, let out a breath of disappointment, and with a faint black smoke, the dragon beast had already flown out.Pagg barely noticed its departure, absorbed in his troubles.He'd been Kulgan's apprentice for fourteen months, and he'd gotten nowhere. He lay tired, shielding his eyes with his forearms; he could smell the warm sea breeze blowing in through the window with a faint salty smell, and the warm sun caressing his legs.Everything in his life seemed to be better after he became an apprentice, with one exception: his studies.

Kulgan had begun teaching him the basics of magic months before, but something always faltered his efforts. Pug was quick to pick up the theory of magic and had a good grasp of the basics, but whenever he tried to put what he had learned into practice, something held him back, like Some part of him was always interfering with his concentration on casting spells, preventing him from achieving the desired effect of magic; when he tried to feel close to success, it was like riding a frightened horse. Wild horses are always unable to steer across the final chasm. Kulgan always reassured him that any obstacle would be over when the time came.The fat mage was very sympathetic to the young boy and never scolded him, for he knew the boy had done his best.

Pug was awakened from his contemplation by a knock at the door, and Father Tally entered, with a huge book under his arm.He closed the door casually, and the snow-white priest's robe rustled.Pug sat up. "Pug, it's time to do homework..." He stopped when he saw the boy's frustrated expression. "What's the problem? Son?" Pug took a liking to the old priest of Astaran, a stern teacher but an impartial scholar.He would praise and encourage him when he was successful as well as berate him when he made a mistake.He always analyzed problems with a sharp mind and characteristic humor, and never scolded Pug for how stupid his ideas were.

Pug sighed, "I don't know, Father, it's like something's wrong. Whatever I try to do, it ends up being a mess." "Pug, life is not always dark." The old pastor put his hand on Pug's shoulder soothingly, "Why don't you tell your troubles, we can do our homework next time." He moved a chair and put In front of the window, carefully rolled up his robe and sat down, put the heavy book under his feet, and looked at the young apprentice. Pug has grown a lot taller than last year, but is still thinner than his peers.His shoulders are also broader, and his face is more mature.He was looking down at his plain gown, his mood was as gloomy as the material he was wearing.His room was always clean and tidy, but the mess of books and scrolls filled his head.

Pug sat on the bed silently, but Lao Mu just waited quietly.Eventually, the silence was broken. "Do you remember when I told you that Master Koogan taught me the basics of meditation to calm my mind and allow me to practice casting spells without stress and distractions? Yes, in fact I have practiced several It's been a month, and the only achievement is that I can temporarily calm down my mood, and other than that, nothing." "what do you mean?" "When I practice further to maintain a detached state of mind, that is, not to have distracting thoughts in the mind, to concentrate on what you have to do... It's hard to explain, but I always feel that there is something roaring in my head, the trend I was going astray, as if something had happened to my head that Mr. Koogan hadn't expected. Whenever I tried to cast a basic spell, such as telekinesis or levitation, as long as I concentrated a little, The thing came out like a tidal wave, and I lost control. I never even mastered a basic spell!"

Pug felt himself trembling, and this was the first time he had spoken of this to anyone other than Coulgan. "Ms. Coogan simply told me to keep practicing and not mind the setbacks." Pug choked back tears, "I'm talented, Mr. Coogan told me, and he knew it when he first met me." One point, when I used the crystal ball. You also said that I am very talented, but I can't even cast the most basic spells! All this makes me feel confused and guilty." "Pug," said the old priest softly, "magic has many properties, and we know very little about how it works, even when we practice and cast it. In the temple, we are told that magic is given by the gods, We accept this in faith, but we don't know why it is, and never seek. Different clerics of every faith have their own magic, and no two are the same. I study these spells and I know those who follow Or, no one really knows.

The magical power of the magician is completely different, and the way of practicing is also very different from what we have learned in the temple. Many of them do, we don't do.They study the properties of magic and seek out the laws of its operation.But even then they couldn't explain how the magic happened.They just know how to make it work, deploy it, and pass on their knowledge to their chosen students.Just like Kulgan did to you. " "Like what he tried to do to me. Father, I think he misjudged." "I don't think so, Pug. There are some things I understand. Since you studied with Kulgan, I can feel the energy in you growing gradually. Maybe you will learn to use it later, but I believe that you Will eventually master their own power.

" Pug felt no comfort.He couldn't question the old pastor's point of view and wisdom, but he always felt that he was wrong. "I hope you're right, Father. I don't know what's wrong with me either." "I think I know." A voice came from the door, and Pug and Father Terry turned their heads to look. Cugan was already standing in front of the door, his blue eyes staring intently ahead, and his thick brown-gray eyebrows were tangled together , forming a "V" above the nose.Neither Pug nor Tari heard the sound of the door opening, and Kugan had already walked slowly into the room dragging his long green robes.

"Come here, Pug." The mage waved slightly, and Pug walked up to the mage.The old mage put his hands on the boy's shoulders, "If you hide in the room day after day, worrying that you can't do your homework well, you won't be able to do anything well. I'll give you a day off, as if today is the weekend, go find Play with the other buddies and let them help you forget about those troubles." He smiled, then let go of his student. "You need to relax, now, go." After he finished speaking, he jokingly stroked the boy's head with his long sleeve, and watched him run down the stairs. Then the old mage turned around with a serious expression, and looked at the pastor. "Boys," Kulgan said softly, shaking his head, "you hold a ceremony, give them jobs, and suddenly, you expect them to become men. But, they're still children, and no matter how hard they try, they're still like children." He took out his pipe and filled it carefully. "The profession of a magician is considered a fledgling even at the age of thirty, while most of the other professions can become apprentices or even masters at this age. Perhaps they are already preparing for their son's selection day." He picked up the thin candle that was nearly extinguished in the stove, and lit his pipe.

Tari nodded, "I understand, Kugan. The priest's practice is equally long. At Pug's age, he became an acolyte thirty years earlier than me." The old priest leaned forward slightly, "Kulgan , what happened to the child?" "The child is fine, you know it." The mage said lightly. "His inability to master the techniques I taught him doesn't mean much. I was amazed at his ability to handle scrolls and magic items. The boy has a great talent for these things, and I bet he has what it takes to be a great mage. But he But you can’t control your own abilities.”

"Do you think a solution can be found?" "I hope so. I don't hope that one day I have to ask him to give up this profession. It will hurt him more than if I never chose him." A shadow flickered across the mage's face. "It confuses me, Terry, and I think you are aware of the great power that lurks within him, I knew it the first night I saw him when I saw him use that crystal ball. For the first time in years it occurred to me that I might have found my heir. When no one of the masters chose him on selection day, I realized that fate had pointed the way for me. But there was something else in that boy inside of me, something I've never encountered before, something powerful. I don't know what it is, Tari, but it's refusing my intervention, like something... something's wrong, or It's... not for him. I don't know if my encounter with Pug is in Pug's favor, and everything seems unpredictable." "Have you considered what the boy said?" Tari asked thoughtfully. "You mean I might be wrong?" Tari nodded, and Kugan waved his hands dismissively, "Tari, you understand the characteristics of magic as much as I do, and even better than me. Your god is not a god who brings faith to the void. The belief order in the universe is deeply studied. Did you ever doubt the boy's talent? " "Talent? No, but his ability is sometimes a mystery." "Well said, so what's your idea? Maybe we can make him a priest?" Tali sat up with a dissatisfied expression on his face. "Priest is a sacred profession, Kugan, who must go through strict selection and trials, and must have a firm belief." He said somewhat unnaturally. "Relax, Tari, I was only joking," the mage sighed. "So, if he can neither have the faith of a priest nor the skills of a mage, how can we tap his potential?" Tari pondered for a moment, then said, "Have you ever wondered about the knowledge of lost civilizations?" Kulgan's eyes widened. "You mean those ancient legends?" Tari nodded. "I doubt if there are still magicians somewhere who hold the legendary lost wisdom. If it is true, it can improve many defects and doubts in our profession." Tari found that the magician was squinting his eyes and died. He stared at him with a look of disapproval, "But there are too many legends, and you can find one behind any stone. I would rather find the answer by myself than waste time and energy on those ancient legends. superstition." Tali's expression was serious, and his tone was full of reprimands, "Our temple doesn't think it's just a legend, it's considered an incomplete piece handed down to reveal the truth, and it's an ancient oracle left by the gods to teach their ancestors." The old mage seemed irritated by Tali's tone, and retorted loudly, "You mean the world is flat, until Rolandik—the great magician saw through the fog with his powerful magic power, and discovered the arched horizon, Only to reveal the truth that the world is a sphere?! No, I remind you, this is a fact known to every sailor and fisherman who goes to sea since the beginning of the world!" He almost yelled. When Tari heard those blasphemous words, his face turned pale as if he had been hit in the face, and Kugan couldn't help but slow down his tone. "I don't mean to be disrespectful to you, Tari. But never try to teach a seasoned thief how to steal. I know your church has studied this very well, and most of your brothers have taught the acolytes of the Death Cult The tales of the origin of the ancient gods in question are dismissed. Aren't those tales of lost civilizations another Esfinian religious story?" Tari met the mage's eyes accusingly, and there was sarcasm in his voice, "Your knowledge of religion is still so poor, Kugan, you don't know much about the study of our beliefs." He smiled slightly, "About those superstitious teachings You're right, though most of us laugh at them just because we can't forget how cruel they were to us when we were acolytes." Then, his face turned serious, "But, I still have to say you're right Religion is so ignorant, it's true that Esfin does have a lot of weird beliefs, and they're also a narrow religious order, but they're still the oldest sect we know of, and are believed to be buried in religious disagreements. " "You mean religious wars." Kulgan snorted derisively. Tari ignored him, "Esfin was the person in charge of knowledge, civilization and history during the kingdom era. They owned almost all the libraries in the kingdom. I visited a library belonging to their temple in Kenodo, which was very impressive. .” Kugan smiled, and said with a little humility, "Yes, Tali, I have visited the library of the Sass Monastery to look up books. I have been there no less than ten times, but what does that mean?" Tari leaned forward, "This shows that there is something hidden about this Esfin, not only knowledge, technology, they can print or destroy any ancient books they want to support their attempt to hide everything of." "No!" Kulgan interrupted Tari with a wave of his hand, "I always respect your or other people's opinions, but I can't accept this nonsense about lost civilizations! I would rather believe that Pug has some kind of special aptitudes, or being entangled in some kind of mind control or even hallucinations - I'm happy to discuss this further - but I can never accept that his inability to learn magic is due to the gods who perished in the War of Ancient Chaos And ancient magic! No, that's unknown, I accept that. There are too many unexplained flaws and unexplained secrets and lost magic in our profession. But Pug's inability to learn magic can only mean one thing—that It’s just that I’m a failed teacher!” The old priest glared at Kulgan, suddenly realizing that the mage had never really considered Pug's special talents. "You're stupid. You're a man of talent, and Pug is just as gifted. I can't imagine anyone better suited to teach him than you. But if you can't understand what kind of guidance that kid needs, you won't Might work." Kulgan opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by Tari. "No, let me finish. We don't know everything. You seem to have forgotten that there have been many other people who, like Pug, possessed uncivilized and unknown aptitudes, but were unable to use them all their lives, and ultimately did nothing." Kulgan took a sharp drag on his pipe, his bushy brows knit together.Suddenly, he gave a low laugh, and then laughed out loud.Tari looked at the mage angrily, and Kugan waved the pipe in his hand, "It just occurred to me that if a pig tried to teach its son to inherit the family business and failed, it might also blame the dying pig god!" Tarry's eyes widened at the blasphemous thought, and then he laughed too, with a brief growl, "You're fucking blasphemy!" The two men laughed for a long, long laugh. Dispelled the tense atmosphere.Tari sighed and stood up, "Anyway, Kugan, think about what I said. Pug may have some kind of talent that we don't understand. You must find another way to guide him to discover his own strength." Kulgan shook his head, "I refuse to believe the unwarranted reasons for those failures, Tari, it may be difficult to teach Pug, but everyone has his flaws, and the flaws exist in the person himself, not in the universe. I always feel that our failure lies in our inability to understand Pug, and perhaps I should find a better master for him, a teacher who can realize his potential." "I have expressed my opinion on this matter," Tari sighed. "I can't ask you anything. As you said, a bad teacher is better than no one. If no one taught him, what happened to the boy So what?" Kulgan leaned slightly to the right of his chair, "What did you say?" "I said what would happen to the boy if no one taught him." Kugan's eyes dimmed, staring at a focus that didn't exist.He smoked his pipe vigorously and was silent. "What's wrong?" Tali asked anxiously. "I'm not sure, Tari, but you've given me an idea," Kulgan replied. "What's the meaning?" Kulgan waved his hand to interrupt the question, "I'm not entirely sure, give me time to think about it, think about your question, and ask yourself: How did the first mage learn to use his power?" Terry sat down, the two lost in thought, and through the window they heard the sound of boys playing filling the courtyard. Every Saturday, the boys and girls who work at the castle are allowed an afternoon off to enjoy as much as they want.Boys, both apprentices and young, were boisterous and laughing together.The girls who are always busy cleaning, mending, or helping in the kitchen from morning till night, will come to the courtyard of the castle leisurely every Saturday—near the Princess Garden to relax, while most of the boys We will use this good time to gather together for a game of ball.The ball made of animal skins was stuffed with tattered soft cloth strips. They made loud noises, ran, and occasionally punched each other.All the boys wore their most worn clothes, with no regard for being ripped or muddy. The girls sat on the low wall of the princess garden, chatting and showing off their beautiful youth.Almost all of them were dressed in their best dresses, and their hair was beautifully combed.They flaunted each other while pretending to be indifferent to each other's charms. Pug ran to the ongoing game. As usual, Thomas was already in the middle of a fierce game, his long sandy red hair fluttering in the wind like a dazzling banner.From time to time, there was a burst of laughter or shouting in the noise.He waved his arms excitedly, chasing fiercely, and the occasional pain made him completely immersed in the frenzy of the game.He swung past his opponent, kicking the ball high into the air, avoiding feet that tried to trip him.No one knows exactly when the game came into being, nor did it have any rules.Just like their parents many years ago, the boys on the field are as excited as they are in the battlefield. Pug rushed into the arena, tripping over Rufo who had just kicked Thomas from behind.Rufo suddenly fell down in the chaotic crowd, Thomas took the opportunity to get up, rushed to the target, and kicked the ball that had just landed into a large wine barrel that fell down.They won!The boys cheered as Rufo pushed past the boys in front of him and walked towards Pug.Under his bushy and messy eyebrows, two lines of anger shot directly at the skinny boy.He spat at Pug, "If you do that again next time, I'll break your legs! Cuckoo boy!" A cuckoo is a bird with vile habits that always lays its eggs in other places. In the nests of birds, other birds raise their offspring.Pug didn't return Rufo's curses, but the pain and frustration that had built up over the past few months seemed to be welling up. He rushed forward suddenly, hooked his left arm around the provocateur's neck, and punched Rufo's fat face with his right hand. Rufo's nose snorted under Pug's fist, followed by a crisp cracking sound.Immediately, the two boys wrestled to the ground, and Rufo's tall and strong figure soon took advantage. He sat on Pug's chest, and punched the thin Pug in the face with his huge fists. Thomas stood helpless, wishing he could help his friend, but it was the boy's honor to help, and Pug would rather die than suffer such disgrace.Thomas cheered for Pug loudly, and he felt that every punch from Rufo seemed to hit him. Pug struggled to shake off the heavy body on his chest, and twisted to avoid those terrible attacks. His face was covered in blood, but Rufo's fists became stronger every time. Pug resisted tenaciously and punched the enemy's head.But the heavy blow made him quickly feel that everything seemed to be falling apart, the noisy voices became strange and distant, Rufo's attack seemed to no longer hurt, everything in front of him was covered by a layer of red and yellow, Then, he felt the pressure on his chest gradually disappear. After a short period of dizziness, Pug slowly regained consciousness. He saw Prince Arusha standing in front of him, with one hand tightly grasping Rufo's neck.Even though he was not as strong as his elder brother and father, Arusha could still lift that fat body off the ground with ease.He smiled slightly, but it was as cold as ice, "I think that's enough," he said calmly, with sharp eyes shooting out, "What do you think?" His voice was cold, and there was no disagreement, which showed that he was not asking for opinions.Rufo forced a snort through his smashed nose as a sign of agreement.Arusha let go of his neck, and his fat body fell to the ground cumbersomely, and the onlookers burst into laughter.The prince bent down and helped Pug to his feet. Arusha helped the boy who was standing unsteadily, "I admire your courage, young man, but we can't let Drake's best young mage be beaten like an idiot, can we?" There was a hint of sneer, and Pug could only barely stand there watching the Duke's young son and keeping unconscious.The prince smiled at him, and helped Pug to his friend, and Thomas came running up, a soaked towel in his hand. Thomas wiped Pug's bloody face with a cold towel and finally woke him up.When he saw Arusha turn and walk towards the princess and Roland standing only a few steps away, he wished he would never wake up.Being beaten in front of a city girl was bad enough, but being beaten up in front of a princess by a country bumpkin like Rufo was a nightmare. The pain in his whole body made Pug groan, he turned his body to try to see how badly he was injured, but was stopped by Thomas, "Don't move around, you are not too bad, most of the blood is from Ru God, tomorrow, his nose will look like an angry red tomato." "Like my head." "It's not that bad, just a dark circle, um...maybe two, a little puffiness on your cheeks... Overall you look good, but if you want to fight Rufo next time, you'll end up growing taller some, okay?" Pug didn't seem to have heard Thomas' advice, but just stared blankly at the prince not far away taking his sister away, and Roland standing by the side grinned at him, which made Pug really wish that he might as well die . Pug and Thomas came out of the kitchen with their dinner in hand.It was a warm evening, and they preferred to enjoy a delicious dinner under the cool sea breeze rather than the heat of the kitchen.Sitting on the porch, Pug carefully moved his jaw, chewed a few times like a sheep, and finally put the plate aside helplessly. Thomas looked at him, "Can't you eat it?" Pug nodded dejectedly. "Jaw hurts badly," and he leaned forward slightly, elbows on his knees, hands on his chin. "It might have been better if I had controlled my temper at the time." "Master Vannon said that an excellent fighter must always maintain a calm heart, otherwise he will lose it." Thomas muttered with a mouth full of food. Pug sighed, "Ms. Kugan also said something similar, and asked me to do some exercises to relax me." Thomas swallowed the meat with difficulty, "It's one thing to practice in your own room, and it's another thing to keep calm when someone insults you. The two are completely different. I want to change it to me will react the same way.” "But you will win." "Perhaps, that's why Rufu never dared to treat me like this." His tone was not boastful, as if he was just stating a simple truth. "I think you're doing the right thing, and any scumbag in the future will think twice about trying to trouble you. Anyway, that's it." "What do you mean?" Pug was puzzled. Thomas put down his empty plate and hiccupped contentedly, "Those who like to bully the weak are a virtue, they don't care whether you are taller or shorter than them, what they care about is whether you dare to stand up and resist. Ru Buddha may be big and strong, but he's only strong on the outside. Maybe he will bully the boys who are smaller than him, but I don't think he will bother you anymore, because they never like to pay the price."Thomas He gave Pug a warm smile, "That punch was really beautiful, right on target!" Pug felt better, and Thomas stared at the dinner Pug had barely touched. "Are you still eating?" Pug looked at his plate, which was full of piping hot roast lamb, green vegetables, and baked potatoes, the pungent smell and throbbing jaw taking away his appetite. "No, you can eat." Thomas unceremoniously lifted the plate and stuffed the food quickly into his mouth.Pug smiled. His friend never seemed to get enough of food. He turned his eyes to the towering walls of the castle, staring absently at the fading sunset, "Today I feel like a fool." Thomas stood up abruptly, let go of the meat brought to his mouth again, he looked at Pug, "Don't you?" "Me what?" Thomas suddenly laughed, "I understand that, you are so depressed not because you were beaten by Rufu, but because you were seen by the princess when you were beaten!" "Why are you being beaten? I'm fighting back!" Pug retorted, blushing. Thomas exclaimed excitedly, "Ha, you like princesses?" Pug sat back helplessly. If he continued to argue with him, the whole castle might hear it. "I think... maybe so." Thomas said nothing more, Pug looked at him, he was busy destroying Pug's dinner. "Don't you like her?" Thomas shrugged, "Our Princess Karin is extremely beautiful, but I know my status well, and I would rather pursue a more promising girl." Pug stood up, "Who are you chasing?" He asked curiously. "Bah, I won't tell you!" Thomas smiled slyly. "I know it without telling you, it's Nora! Isn't it?" Thomas' jaw almost dropped, "How do you know?!" "I'm a magician, how could there be something I don't know about." Pug pretended to be mysterious. "Bah," Thomas snorted disdainfully, "If you were a magician, I would be the captain of the royal guard! Tell me quickly, how do you know?" "It's no secret at all," laughed Pug. "You're always staring at her and trying to get her attention like a showing off cock." Thomas looked worried, "Don't you think she noticed me?" "Attention? No!" Pug laughed like a contented cat, "unless she's blind and the other girls in town haven't told her about your show a hundred times." A gleam of joy flashed across Thomas's face, "What do you think she will think?" "Who knows what girls are thinking," said Pug, shaking his head, "she'd be happy if I told her." Thomas stared blankly at the plate, and suddenly asked, "Have you thought about getting married?" "I...I never thought..." Pug blinked like an owl struck by lightning. "I don't know if wizards get married...I don't think so." "Soldiers don't either. Van Nuoen said that a soldier who is loyal to his family cannot be completely loyal to his duties." Thomas snorted, as if he didn't agree with this point of view, "Sometimes I fantasize about having a family. " "But you already have a family, and I'm the only orphan here." "I mean a wife! You stone head!" Thomas pushed Pug back. "You're so dull, and besides, all children lose their parents one day." Pug shrugged. The subject was beginning to upset him. He hadn't thought about it before, and Thomas didn't have so many worries and fantasies about growing up. "I think if we really wanted to we'd get married and have kids." Thomas had a serious face, "I can imagine a warm cabin in the castle, that's my home, and... oh, but I can't imagine that girl." He swallowed a mouthful of bread, "What's the matter wrong." "wrong?" "There's something there . . . that I don't understand . . . I don't know." "Well, if you don't know, what can I say?" Thomas turned suddenly to Pug. "We're friends, aren't we?" Pug was a little overwhelmed by the sudden question. "Of course, we're best friends. You're like a brother to me. Your parents treat me as their own. Why do you ask?" Thomas put down his plate and said worriedly, "I don't know. I always feel like a lot of things are going to change. You're going to follow Kulgan as a wizard and maybe travel the world. I'm going to train to be a Warrior, defend the honor of our king. I may never leave this town, perhaps I will become the Duke's personal guard, if I am lucky." Pug looked at his friend anxiously. He had never seen Thomas so worried about anything.This big boy always has a carefree and happy face. "I don't think so, Thomas," said Pug softly. "Nothing will change. We'll always be best friends no matter what." Thomas smiled gratefully at Pug, "I hope you're right." He leaned back, and through the gates of the castle, the two boys watched the twinkling stars rise above the sea, and the bright moonlight illuminated the tower. Covered with a layer of dreamlike halo, like a beautiful picture embedded in it. The next morning, Pug attempted to scrub his injured face, and soon found that this had become an almost impossible task.His left eye was so swollen that he couldn't open it at all, and his right eye was barely half open.His face was bruised and purple, and his jaw was so painful that it was difficult to move.Fantes was lying lazily on Pug's bed, and the morning sun was shining in his eyes through the window. The door of the room was pushed open, and Kugan walked straight in. Under the green robe was a full and strong body. He looked at the apprentice with a swollen face for a while, and then sat on the bed, stroking the back of the eye socket of the dragon beast Protruding horny, Fants let out a low, satisfied whimper from his throat. "I'm glad you didn't stay in the house all day yesterday." "I got into some trouble, sir." "Well, fighting is the only way for a boy to grow into a real man. I believe that your opponent will not be much better than you. It is disgraceful to only 'get' and not 'give'." "You're making fun of me." "A little bit, child. In fact, when I was a child, I often got bruised and bruised. But the era of childish slapstick as a child is over. You should use your energy on more important things." "I understand, Mr. Kugan, but when Rufo insulted me, I couldn't help it at all. I felt my blood boil all over my body." "Very well, being able to understand and admit one's own shortcomings and mistakes is a sign of maturity, and most children will try to shirk responsibility and emphasize objective reasons." Pagula got a chair and sat down, facing the mage.Kugan took out his pipe and filled it calmly, "Pug, I think your academic problems may be due to my wrong teaching method." The old mage bent down and rummaged in the brazier, searching in vain The unextinguished charcoal fire, Kugan frowned slightly, his face was solemn, a ball of fire suddenly appeared from the middle finger of his right hand, and it shot directly on the pipe. Soon, the room was filled with white smoke.The mage shook his hand, and the flame disappeared. "A little trick, useful if you like smoking." "I'd give anything for this trick," said Pug ruefully, "but I've never succeeded in mastering even the simplest of spells." "As I said earlier, I think we're going in the wrong direction. Perhaps, you should try a very different approach to learning." "I do not understand……" "Pug, no one taught the first magician how to use magic. The magic knowledge and skills we have learned today were developed by them alone. Many ancient skills, such as sensing weather changes through the sense of smell, using tree branches Find the source of water, all from the ancient times. Consider the experience of the ancestors, I will no longer guide you and let you decide everything yourself, you can learn anything you are interested in from all my books, of course, other The class will continue as usual, and Father Tari will continue to teach you history and literature. I will not be participating in your class, but I will answer any questions you have, but I think you need to practice alone most of the time." Pug's heart sank, "Do you think I'm hopeless?" 库甘宽慰的笑了，“决非如此，孩子。魔法师的初期修炼缓慢是很正常的，毕竟这是个漫长的职业，你的学徒生涯还有九年，所以，记住，不要在开头的几个月就放弃。” “另外问一下，你是否想学骑马？” 帕格猛然抬起头，有些不可置信地望着法师，然后惊喜地大喊，“哦，是的！当然想！我可以吗？” “公爵需要一个男孩能经常陪同公主骑骑马，他的儿子们有太多的事情和课程，他认为你是一个很合适的人选，可以在他们没有时间陪同公主的时候代替一下。” 帕格简直不能相信自己的耳朵，不仅仅是可以学习通常只有贵族才能学习的骑术，而且还将有公主相伴！“什么时候开始？” “今天就是个合适的日子，晨礼大概也结束了。”在首日，城堡的教堂和镇上的神殿都会进行朝拜，这一天只有很少的活要做，通常只需将食物摆上公爵的餐桌。孩子们可以额外的休息在周末，但他们的父母长辈就只能在首日休息一下了。“去找骑术大师奥根，公爵已经传令给他，让他教授你骑术课程。” 未等法师再叮嘱什么，帕格已经跑下了楼梯。