III. Beyond the sea

Eusula Leguien, , , Cai Meiling,, trans

Chapter 1 The Yamanashi Tree

In the Spring Garden, the March sun shines through the young leaves of poplar and elm trees. The spring water gushes between the shadows and the light. This open-air inner courtyard is surrounded by four towering stone walls, beyond which are many halls, courtyards, corridors, halls, towers, and the thick outer walls of the "Wang Xuan Pavilion" of Jour College. This thick wall withstands any fire, earthquake or tidal wave, as it is not only made of stone, but also clearly imbued with magic. The Rook Academy is the "Island of the Wise", a place where magical skills are taught. Therefore, Hongxuan Pavilion is equivalent to the Witchcraft Academy, and it is also the center of witchcraft. As for the center of the Hongxuan Pavilion, it is this small inner courtyard away from the outer wall. Here, fountains are constantly gushing and trees stand all year round on sunny days, rain or starlight.

The closest tree to the fountain is a sturdy Yamanashi tree, whose roots are so thick that they even crack the marble floor. The cracks were filled with bright green moss, wisps of which stretched out in all directions around the grass-grown fountain pool. A boy sat in a low rise of marble and moss, his gaze following the rise and fall of the water column in the center of the fountain. The boy was almost an adult, but he was a teenager. He was thin and richly dressed. His face may have been cast in golden bronze to make him look so well-molded, so stable and stable.

About fifteen paces behind him, on the other side of the small lawn in the center of the inner courtyard, there was a man who seemed to be "standing" under a tree, and it was difficult to pinpoint because of the light and shadow. But what is certain is that there is a man in white who does not move his style. The man stared at the boy as he gazed at the fountain. All around is silent, only the leaves dance, the flowing water dances, and the fountains sing incessantly.

The man stepped forward, and the breeze gently brushed the young leaves of the pear tree. The boy jumped up quickly, stood up, bowed to the man, and saluted, "**Master."

The man stopped in front of him. The man was not tall, but his torso was straight and powerful. He wore a woollen white cloak with a hood, the hood of which hung down from his shoulders, revealing his face, his face was ochre, his nose hooked, and he had a scar on one cheek, and his eyes were blazing, but he spoke warmly: "This fountain is a pleasant resting place." Before the boy could apologize, he continued, "You have come from afar, and you have not rested, so continue to sit."

He knelt on the edge of the white pool and reached out to touch a circle of droplets of water flowing down from the high basin of the fountain, allowing the water to flow down from his fingers. The boy sat back down on the bulging marble. The two were speechless for a moment.

"You are the son of the Prince of Yingrad Island and the Inrad Islands, and a descendant of Lord Mored." **The teacher said, "The oldest and most downright hereditary inheritance in the Earthsea Islands belongs to your family. I've seen the spring orchards of Yingrad, the golden roofs of Berilla, what everybody calls you,"

"They call me 'Blade.'"

"That should be the language of your island's dialect. What do you mean when you usually say these two words?"

The boy replied, "It's the sword."

The division nodded. The two were silent again. Later, it was the boy who spoke first, neither rudely nor timid: "I thought the ** master knew all languages."

The man stared at the fountain and shook his head.

"I know all the names, too,"

"All the names, only the one who speaks the 'First Language' and lifts up the islands from the deep sea knows all the names." The man's bright, piercing gaze stared at Ablade's face. "Of course, if it were necessary to know your real name, I would. But not at the moment. So from now on, I'll call you 'Blade'. And I'm Sparrowhawk. You come by boat, how the journey is, tell me."

"It's too long."

"Is the sea breeze bad?"

"The sea breeze is calm, and I have bad news on my back, Sparrowhawk."

"Let's talk about it." **The teacher said solemnly, as if he was tolerant of the child's impatience. As he spoke, he looked again at the transparent curtain of water dripping from the high basin to the low basin, not listening, but as if he were not listening to the boy's words.

"Your Excellency, you know, my father is a wizard, a descendant of Morred, who spent a year at the Rouk Academy in his youth, so he has some power and knowledge, but he rarely uses witchcraft because he is so focused on ruling the realm, managing the town, and managing the trade affairs. Our island's fleet sailed westward from generation to generation, even as far west as the west, trading in sapphires, cowhides, tin ore, and more. In the early winter of this year, a captain returned to the city of Berilla and brought back some observations, and when my father learned of Eryi, he sent for the captain to explain in detail." The boy speaks neatly and confidently, and he has been taught the rigors of the court since he was a child, and he has no shyness of ordinary teenagers. "The captain said that there was no magic left on Navidun Island, about five hundred miles to the west of our island. Spells, he said, had no power there, and the words for witchcraft had been forgotten. When his father asked him if the warlocks and witches had left the island, he replied no, because there were still people on the island who had been warlocks, but they could not cast spells, not even spells to mend pots or find missing needles. My father asked again: Are the islanders of Navidun Island not panicking, and the captain again denies: the islanders don't seem to care. He said that the situation on the island was really weird, and the autumn harvest was not good, but everyone felt that it didn't matter. I was there and heard him say, 'They are like sick people. It's like someone telling him that he won't die this year; But he told himself that it wasn't true, and that he would live forever. They wandered around, covering their eyes and not seeing the world as it really was.'" The other merchants returned and recounted the same situation, saying that Navidun Island had become a poor island and that it had lost its witchcraft. But these are just rumors in the region, and the region has always been full of strange things, and this time only my father thinks about it.

"Later, when the 'Feast of the Lambs' was held every New Year on our island, the wives of the shepherds from all over the country brought the newborn lambs to the capital, and my father instructed the sorcerer Rout to perform fertility enhancement spells on the lambs. But afterwards Lott returned to the temple in a fit of discouragement, put down his wand, and said, 'I can't say a spell, my lord.' When his father asked him for details, he could only reply, 'I can't remember the mantra or the meaning.' My father then went to the market to cast a spell himself, and the festival was completed. But when he returned to the palace that evening, looking dejected, he said to me, 'Although I have recited the incantations, I do not know whether they have any meaning.' This spring, the flock was in a miserable situation: the ewes died during birth, many of the lambs were stillborn, and some were deformed." The boy's tone of voice slipped abruptly and eagerly, and he blinked and swallowed when he said the word "deformed." "I've seen some of them with my own eyes." After he finished speaking, he was silent for a long time.

"My father believes that this sign, as well as the situation on Navidon Island, indicates that there is some kind of evil at work in our region. He longs to hear the advice of the wise."

"Lingzun has sent you to prove that his desire is quite urgent." **The teacher said, "You are the only son of Ling Zun, not to mention, the voyage from Yingrad Island to Jok Island is not short. Do you have anything else to say?"

"It's just a rumor from some old woman in the mountains."

"What did the old women say?"

"They say that all the fortune-telling witches see bad luck in the smoke and the pool water, and that the ** they make is wrong. They're not the kind of people who know sorcery, though."

"Although fortune-telling and ** are not worth paying much attention to, the old woman's words are worth listening to. Okay, with the information you brought, Master Rouke will indeed gather and discuss it. Still, I don't know what advice they can give to Ling Zun, because Yingrad isn't the first island to hear anything like this."

Blade's journey from north to south, passing through the large island of Hefno and crossing the Inner Pole Sea, arrived at the island of Roque. It was the first time in his life that he had traveled far from home, and it was only in the past few weeks that he had finally seen a land different from his homeland, and for the first time he had become aware of the "distance" and "difference", and it was only then that he realized that beyond the pleasant hills of Yingill Island, there was a vast world and many inhabitants. He was not used to thinking of the world as grand, so he listened to the words of the ** master for a while before he understood the meaning.

"Where else has news like this coming out," he said, a little stunned, for his original hope was to bring immediate countermeasures back to Yingrad's hometown.

"The first one is the South. Later, a similar situation occurred on the island of Wasuo, south of the archipelago kingdom. Legend has it that the island of Vasso is completely incapable of performing spells. But it is difficult to know for sure, because the island has always been unruly, and piracy has been rampant for a long time. It is often said that listening to a southern businessman is tantamount to listening to a liar. But in any case, the legend is the same everywhere: the fountain of witchcraft has dried up."

"But here on the island of Jooke,"

"We don't feel that at all. It is a defense from storms, from any changes, from all kinds of calamities. I'm afraid it's overly guarded. What are your plans now, Prince?"

"As soon as I have a conclusive conclusion, I can bring it back to my father and let him understand the nature of this evil and how to deal with it, and I will immediately set out for Yingrad."

** Shi looked at the boy again, but this time, despite all the training in the past, Ablade looked away. He didn't understand why this was the case, because there was no element of unkindness in the staring of the ** teacher's dark eyes, which was both fair and quiet, and compassionate and compassionate.

All the islanders of Yingrad looked up to his father, and he was his father's son, so if anyone looked at him, they would also regard him as the son of the prince of the majestic Yingrad island, the prince of power. No one had ever looked at him like this: simply as if he were a "sub-blade." He didn't like to think that he was afraid of the ** master's gaze, but he just couldn't meet it. The gaze seemed to enlarge the world around him, and not only did Yingrad Island sink to insignificance, but even he was not exempt. Therefore, in the eyes of the ** master, he has become just a small figure, in the background of the archipelago surrounded by the sea and covered by black shadows, which is really very small.

He sits, pulling at the fresh moss from the cracks in the marble. Soon he heard his voice, which had just turned low in the past two years, and said in a faint and hoarse voice, "I will do as you command."

"You should obey Lingzun, not me." ** Teacher said.

His eyes were still fixed on Ablade. At this point, the boy raised his eyes and looked back. Because, after completing the act of submission, he will forget his own insignificance, and be able to see the ** master: this is the most prominent sorcerer in the whole earth and sea, who once installed a manhole cover for Fang Duo's ink well, retrieved the ring of Eriabai from the tomb of Etuan, and built a deep slope embankment on the foundation of Nepu Island; He is also a sailor who is familiar with the waters of the island of Estobie in the east and the island of Keldo in the west; It is the only remaining dragon master today. He was kneeling beside the fountain, short, old, with a quiet voice and eyes as deep as the night sky.

Blade jumped up in a hurry, knelt down on his knees, bowed, and said with a slight stutter, "Master, allow me to serve you."

His confidence vanished, his cheeks flushed, and his voice trembled.

He wore a sword at his waist, seated in a new pair of leather sheaths with red gold trims, the sword itself was unpretentious, with an old, silver-tinged bronze crossbar. He quickly drew his sword and dedicated it to the ** division, like a retainer who was loyal to the prince.

The master did not reach out to touch the sword, but only looked at it, and then looked at the subblade. "It's your sword, not mine," he said, "and you're not anyone's slave."

"But my father said I might have to stay at the Rook Academy until I figured out what this evil was. Maybe I'll learn some spells, too, because I don't know any skills. I don't think I have any power, but my ancestors were mages. If I try to learn a little, maybe it will help you,"

"Your ancestors were kings before they became mages." ** Teacher said.

He stood up and walked over to Blade, with a silent but sturdy step, and then took the boy's hand and told him to get up. "I thank you for your offer to serve me, and although I don't accept it now, I may accept it when I finish discussing it with the masters. The devotion of a generous heart cannot be easily rejected by anyone; The sword of Morred's heir should not be lightly put aside,,, Okay, you go, the young man who brought you in just now will take care of your meal, bath, and rest." Go for it." He nudged the center of the shoulder blade on the back of the blade, revealing an intimacy that no one had ever shown to him, and the young prince would have been disgusted if it had come from someone else, but the touch of the master was like a reward, because he was full of admiration.

Blade is a lively teenager who likes to play games and competitions, and requires the use of physical and mental skills, which he is good at and excels at. He was at ease with all the etiquette and command responsibilities, even if those responsibilities were not at all easy or simple. But so far, he has not completely surrendered himself to anyone or anything. Everything was easy for him, and he could do it easily. Therefore, everything is like a game, and he can play hard. Only at this moment, he was awakened deep inside, not by games or dreams, but by honor, danger, wisdom, by a scarred face, by a quiet voice, by a hand holding a witch wand. **The yew witch staff held by Shi Youya, close to the place where he held it, there was a silver mark on the black wood, which was the lost rune of the kings of the past dynasties. Such a wand contains power, but the ** master does not take it for granted.

Thus, the first step of Blade's farewell to his childhood was completed in this instant: neither looking nor looking back; Unguarded and unreserved.

He forgot even a polite farewell, and walked briskly to the porch, looking simple, radiant, and obedient. Master Gede saw him go.

After standing quietly for a moment by the fountain under the poplar trees, Gede looked up at the blue sky. "The messenger of Heshun brings bad news." His voice was half as loud as if he were talking to a fountain. But the fountain did not listen, but still made a sound with a silver tongue, and the one who listened attentively was Gede. After a while, he walked to another porch. Adrake hadn't seen the portico just now, and in fact, no matter how close they looked, few people could see it with the naked eye. Gede called, "Master Gatekeeper."

A small man who couldn't tell how old he was appeared. This man is not young, so it can only be said that he is old; But "old age" was not suitable for him, because his face was crisp, the color of ivory, and his pleasant smile made his cheeks arc. "What's the matter, Gede," he asked.

There were only the two of them on the scene, so they called each other by their real names. There are only seven people in the world who know the real name of the ** master, and the gatekeeper master is one of them, and the other six people are: the name master of the Rouke Academy; The wizard of Ryabai, the Silent One, was given his real name "Gede" on the mountains of Bow Island a long time ago; The Snow White Lady of Bow Island", Tian Na who brought back her armband; A village wizard named Fei Hui on Yifeixu Island; Also on Yifeixu Island, a woman named Yarou, the wife of a furniture carpenter and the mother of two daughters, did not know witchcraft, but was very good at matters other than witchcraft; Finally, on the other side of the sea, in the Far West, the two dragons, Om Amba and Kailasin.

"We're going to have a meeting tonight," Master ** said, "I'll go and inform Master Xingyi, and I'll send someone to invite Kerika Murray, even if he doesn't come in person, he can put aside the list of names for the time being, join us, and let the apprentice rest for the night." Can you go and inform other masters?"

"Okay." The gatekeeper smiled and was gone. The division then disappeared as well. Only the fountain talks to itself in the early spring sun, calm and never-ending.

Somewhere to the west of the Hongxuan Pavilion of the Rouk Academy, or somewhere to the south, you can always see the heart forest. Xin Chenglin can't be found on the map, and there is no way to reach it. Only those who know where the path is, can go. However, the general trainees of the academy, or the islanders and farmers, can see it not far away. It was a tall forest, and even in spring, the green leaves had a hint of gold. The apprentices, the islanders, and the farmers all thought that the mysterious woods would move unbelievably well. Actually, that view is wrong, the forest does not move at all, because its roots are the roots of "existence". What moves, is everything outside the roots.

Gede walked across the wilderness by the Hongxuan Pavilion. In the midday sun, he took off his white cloak. A farmer who was plowing the foot of a brown hill raised his hand to salute him, and Gede returned the salute. Many small birds flew into the sky, squeaking: fallow fields and star grass flowers on the side of the road were waiting to be released. An eagle drew a large arc in the sky, and Gede looked up, and raised his hand again, and the eagle swooped straight at Gede's outstretched wrist like a lightning speed, clasping it with its yellow talons. It's not a sparrowhawk, it's a large falcon on the island of Jouk, with white and brown stripes, and is good at hunting fish. It first looked sideways at the ** division with one round golden eye, touched each other's beaks, and then looked directly at the ** master with two round golden eyes at the same time. "Dauntless," the man said to the eagle in the "Genesis language," "Dauntless."

The big eagle snapped its talons and flapped its wings, staring at him.

"Go, then, dreadnought brother."

In the distance, the farmer at the foot of the mountain under the blue sky had long since stopped plowing and was concentrating on watching the scene. Last autumn, he also saw a wild bird stop on the wrist of the ** division, but in a blink of an eye, he saw the figure of the ** division, but he saw two eagles flying high in the wind.