"That apprentice of yours is really annoying."

Walking on the road leading to the gate on the opposite side of the square, the red-haired girl who led the way in front said sullenly: "As one of the adventurers, I am also a member of the adventurers, but I am still talking to our side every day......

"I don't usually care much about him, but he seems to be a polite young man among you adventurers." Interrupting the other party's words with a smile, Rex Shi Shiran, who was following him, retracted his arm that was tucked in front of his chest: "Compared to those adventurers in the tavern and the arena, this magician's performance is already very satisfactory. ”

"The world of magicians has always been about etiquette, and I can see this from the behavior of my colleagues around me." Towards the different magicians around him who were also converging towards the top of the steps, Duan Qing, who was touching his nose, asked in a low voice, "But has the world of magicians always been so fond of fighting?" As a general researcher of forces and theories that are superior to the rest of the world, you don't have such a strong need for power, do you? ”

"No matter how weak a magician is, as long as he is a magician, he is enough to have a foothold in every part of this world." Nodding in agreement, Rex lifted his chin and then his gaze became deeper: "But within the Mage Council, power is still the object of competition among the major magicians, and it has nothing to do with the study of magic and the origin of magic, it's just that they like to compete in this way because they can't distinguish between winners and losers in their respective fields." ”

"In the end, it's all human nature that is at work."

Nodding as if satisfied with himself, he pointed to his face with the thumb on his chin: "Of course, I myself am no exception. ”

"You?" Duan Qing, who was following behind the two people, showed a surprised expression: "I don't think you are that kind of person, at least when you met in the underground world before, you had a lot of opportunities to influence the actions of the two sides-"

"Oh, you were at that time!" Rex, who looked back at Duan Qing, then asked with a look of surprise, "At that time, I was only concerned about separating everyone from the chaos, and I didn't notice your existence much!" When did you become part of the Frey Empire Investigation Team? ”

"Don't pretend to be garlic, didn't you already know my identity?" So Duan Qing's expression also became helpless: "Even if you don't know anything, at least we have met in Zaraha City before." ”

"Oops, that's boring."

His expression became more and more relaxed, and Rex, who turned around, put his hands behind his head: "Anyway, I'm also the great magician who saved your friends, can't you cooperate with me a little?" ”

"You're referring to the black corn thing? Thank you so much. The voice of the Thousand Fingered Crane on the side still did not recover from the previous depressed state: "If you can save him from the trial 'by the way', we will thank you even more." ”

"Didn't I say it before, we don't interfere too much in the affairs of the secular world." Rex replied in a deep voice, "If we take our stand in the trial, it will be inconsistent with the purpose of our Mage Council, and we can only save the fool from the raids and captures of the underworld, and then leave it to the mundane world to deal with it." ”

"Even if you put this question in front of the other archmages of the Mage Council, they will definitely answer you in this way." Speaking of this, there was a serious look in his eyes that was completely different from his usual cynicism: "You have to be glad that the Mage Council sent me to quell the chaos in the underground world at that time, if it were someone else, maybe you would all be dead by now." ”

"We get it."

The steps began to enlarge as the three of them advanced, and there was only a slight footstep from the surrounding magicians gathering in the air between them, Duan Qing, who lowered his head and was silent for a moment, then also lowered his gaze to the surface of the ancient gate in front of him, and asked in a slightly sluggish tone: "In other words, if you want to interfere with us, the secular world, you need enough reasons to do so?" ”

"And it has to be approved by more than a majority of the Mage Council." Rex, who had taken the lead and looked indistinguishable from his fellow travelers around him, replied in a low voice, "That's what we're doing right now." ”

"Sure enough, it's a council that requires the participation of all the staff." So Duan Qing also sighed: "I hope there won't be any other accidents." ”

"Accidents? How could this kind of thing, which is full of excitement in life, not happen? Shaking his head with a smile, Rex's body at the top of the stairs gradually began to blur: "Unless someone doesn't want to see the gamble show up and quit the dealer's ranks, otherwise—"

"You're just like me, let's take today's events as if they were a good show."

The blurred figure turned into air and disappeared into the air, gradually revealing the gate where the crowd had gathered, the golden trim and intricate patterns had become obsolete in the millennium, and the luster that should have been condensed on it had completely disappeared due to the disappearance of magical energy. His gaze gradually focused on the center of the passage behind these two gates, and Duan Qing's attention gradually turned back from the surprise caused by Rex's sudden departure, he looked up and down at the spire that was behind this gate and was towering high in the center of the city at this time, and shook his head with some emotion: "I really should let Ling Bing come to see this scene." ”

"Snow Spirit Phantom Ice?" The gaze that was also looking ahead became a little lower, and the Thousand Fingered Crane replied sullenly, "She won't be interested here, neither a magician nor a person with feelings for this place......"

"That's where I found Sunset."

Shaking his head and saying this, Duan Qing's gaze then took on a sense of memory: "If it was before, she might not have been interested here, but if it was now, she would be full of interest in every place that Emperor Frey has visited." ”

"It turns out that the blood sword that is famous in the Free Continent was taken from Sky City."

The feelings of yearning and trance flashed from the blinking eyes, and the eyes of the Thousand Fingered Crane then became much more complicated, and she didn't know what she was thinking about, and then she silently lowered her head, as if she had changed back to the cold red lotus girl when she confronted Vizad and the others before: "I have always wanted to be a guide for you, big brother, but I suddenly found that you may know more about this city than I do, and the relationship with the great magicians of the Mage Council is better than I imagined......"

"No, don't, it's okay." So Duan Qing hurriedly comforted the other party: "During the Battle of Sky City, the places I have been to are not all at all, just like this Imoryd Hall in front of me, I have never heard of it, and I am still waiting for you to introduce it." ”

“…… All right. ”

Trying to get out of some kind of depressed consciousness, Thousand-Fingered Crane's face then bloomed with a smile again, she waved her clenched fist vigorously, as if she was cheering herself up, and jumped twice on the spot: "In front is the Hall of Imoryid, the front building in the central city of Sky City, although it has been corroded by time and wind and sand for a long time, and the magic circuit and magic circle device inside have failed, but the value of research is still very high. ”

"If it weren't for the proximity to the most central unknown area, the Mage Council might have set its headquarters in this place." Speaking of this, she gestured to Duan Qing: "The Great Mages have already found a way to protect this place, not only to facilitate the Mage Council to carry out research and recovery work, but also to prevent those who accidentally break into this place from continuing to go deeper. ”

"Go deeper?" Duan Qing looked into the depths of the gate that was advancing: "Could it be that there is any danger further inside?" ”

"Of course, after all, there are still many mechanisms there that we don't know what they are used for, and in some places there are even magical creations that are still operating autonomously." Thousand-Fingered Crane nodded as a matter of course: "The Mage Council is not the only one in Sky City at the moment, most of the rest of the population is from the merchants, craftsmen and other civilians on the ground, as well as a large number of adventurers, so it's definitely not a good thing for them to break into it easily." ”

"I see." His gaze gradually merged into the crowd inside the gate for a while, and Duan Qing also sighed: "It seems that the participants here are not all magicians, there are many other people mixed in, right?" Like the people who blew the wind just now......"

"Most of the people who can participate in this kind of council are well-connected figures in the mage council." Deliberately lowering his voice, Thousand-Fingered Crane's expression became mysterious: "In our words-"

"It's someone with enough prestige."

The light above their heads gradually dimmed, and the figures of the two people then did not enter the entrance of the hall in front of them at the same height as the previous golden gate, and the hall that showed an oval shape gradually became clear in the interplay of light and shadow in front of Duan Qing, accompanied by countless points of light that were marked on the ground next to the hall. Looking at the figures who gradually walked into the depths of this hall and were looking for these unknown points of light at this time, Duan Qing slowly took back the words he was about to say, he found the location of one of the points of light closest to him, and observed the unknown things smeared on the points of light up close with curiosity: "What is this?" Special magic array? ”

"It's not a magic array, it's just an ordinary fluorescent substance." The Thousand Fingered Crane on the side wiped his cute nose with a look of anger: "It was painted by the people of the Mage Council after they came here." ”

"Ordinary fluorescents?" Duan Qing, who straightened up, blinked his eyes: "I thought it was some kind of tall magic, but it turned out to be just an ordinary fluorescent substance?" What's the use of this thing? ”

"Of course it works, don't forget that this is the Mage Council." In the dim darkness, the Thousand-Fingered Crane, who jumped beside him, replied with a mysterious expression, "You'll find out soon." ”

The humming sound of magic began to echo in Duan Qing's ears as the red-haired girl's words appeared, and at the same time, the noise of countless people who were entering gradually decreased, and Duan Qing, who sensed the source of this magic fluctuation, then raised his head suddenly, and his gaze fell on the center of the hall where this energy fluctuation came from. The golden light then gradually appeared in the movement of a burly figure in the center of the hall, and finally turned into golden threads that stretched out and enveloped the entire vast oval space, and these threads representing strong magical energy were then accurately gathered directly above the marked points of light in this exclamation, and condensed into rows of delicate and neat stone seats: "...... Have a seat. ”

"This, this is Magic Shaping?" Also looking back at the chairs that were sitting exactly behind him, another person next to Duan Qing who didn't seem to be a member of the Master Council also exclaimed, "And it's also a group magic shaping?" Nearly a thousand goals? It's a miracle! ”

"I haven't seen you for so many days, Uncle Jin's magic cultivation seems to be improving again." Already sitting on one of these seats, which were made up of magical energy at the same time, the eyes of the Thousand Fingered Crane that landed on the left and right hands were also full of admiration: "Even the gauntlets have been carved, it's really amazing." ”

“……”

The gaze converged on the golden magic robe that everyone was also looking at, and Duan Qing's eyes then revealed a rather complicated feeling, and the burly magician who didn't notice Duan Qing's existence then put away his gaze to look around, and turned to salute in a certain direction behind him: "It's almost there, Speaker." ”

"Let's get started."

In the brief response of Wiggins, who had already appeared there at some point, a stream of red or green light suddenly appeared near the center of this hall, and the throne composed of various magical energies such as fire, ice, and air also appeared in front of everyone's eyes out of thin air, and the figures of the great magicians who were already sitting on it then completely attracted their attention: "Thank you colleagues, for taking time out of your busy schedule. ”

"I still have two experiments to do." An old woman-like voice came from one of the magically improvised thrones: "You'd better give a proper reason, Lord Wiggins." ”

"The situation outside is very tense right now, and most of the convening of this meeting is to solve these problems." Sitting on the other side in the magical light, a mellow voice that only a middle-aged man can make was also full of politeness: "After all—"

"Whenever a decision involves interfering in secular affairs, it must be unanimously agreed by all kings, isn't it?"