Standing in front of Rosetta Augustus were the legendary mage Windsor Marpel, the president of the Royal Mage Guild, and Daniel, the magician who is now the president of the Imperial Engineers' Association.

They were the best scholars and technologists of the empire, the most trusted advisors of the royal family in the fields of transcendence and industry, and the right-hand men of Rosetta Augustus herself.

Not many people in the Empire know about the Spirit's departure from the port of Morbius, and the ship is the crystallization of Typhon's most advanced technology, and the news about it is naturally kept secret, but the people who can stand in this room are obviously not bound by the rules of secrecy. After hearing Rosetta's words, Windsor was the first to smile: "This is indeed good news. ”

Daniel asked with some curiosity, "Is the Spirit still on Tassos Island now?" ”

"Still on the island of Tassos, but will be back today," Rosetta said unhurriedly, knowing what Daniel was curious about, "the news was sent back by magical teleportation - Port Morbius has the most powerful teleportation tower on the East Coast, and on that ship...... A small teleportation circle that Ms. Windsor Marpel has personally improved is installed. ”

Daniel was stunned for a moment, then looked at Windsor Marpel with an indifferent expression, and nodded with the same indifferent expression as ever: "Good results." ”

"Thank you for the compliment," Windsor said immediately, "just a reinvention of traditional spells, not a breakthrough creation. ”

"But it was also a fruitful renovation," said Rosetta Augustus, "and the technology of the Eternal Sleeper proved to be extremely useful, and the distance between Tassos and Port Morbius was not so short that the old teleportation towers could not do it." It's just that the improved teleportation circle is not very stable at the moment - it has been a few days since the Spirit successfully arrived on Tassos Island, but the communication has been interrupted by the magical environment of the sea, and it is only today that the message has been successfully sent back. ”

"This is the problem we need to solve in the next phase," Windsor Marpel said immediately, "We have not been able to obtain the Eternal Sleeper's technology for a long time, and the improvement of the teleportation spell has only just begun, and in many cases it is even simply and rudely applied to our own teleportation technology, and there is still a lot of room for improvement. In the future, both in terms of efficiency and cost, our communication technology will definitely improve even more. ”

Rosetta Augustus glanced at the legendary mage and smiled, "I've always believed in your abilities, ma'am. ”

……

The corridor from the Obsidian Palace to the Royal Library is long, hundreds of steps required, and it has always been quiet.

Only a few people are qualified to walk here.

Daniel and Windsor Marpel walked down the long corridor, with only the occasional sight of royal guards standing guard on either side, and the soft footsteps of both mages made the empty corridor even more deserted.

The first to break the silence was Windsor Marpel, who turned her head slightly and looked at the former mentor walking beside her: "Mentor, I remember the first time you walked me through this corridor - I had just broken through to the high level, and you said that it was a great honor for a mage to be able to travel from this corridor to the Royal Library......

Daniel's expression didn't change much, but he replied indifferently: "In a few years after that, you will be qualified to be unhindered in this area as a legendary mage." ”

Windsor Marpel subconsciously spoke: "Mentor, I ......"

"No, I don't blame you," Daniel's footsteps paused slightly, and he glanced at the former apprentice beside him, with only a calm look in his eyes, "I'm just saying that your talent is indeed very good, this talent belongs to you, and we should all accept this fact." ”

Windsor looked at the tutor's calm gaze, and suddenly felt inexplicably calmer in her heart.

She hadn't seen her mentor look so calm in years.

What has the mentor been like over the years? Resistance, boredom, frustration, anger, hysteria...... Since he tried to break through the talent bottleneck with some terrible methods many years ago and failed, this once gentle and wise old man seems to have changed as a person, getting farther and farther away from himself, and finally even took the initiative to leave the Royal Mage Guild and chose to go to a secluded place off the beaten track, and many years later, this old man returned to the imperial capital, and his attitude towards himself was still cold and full of distance - that estrangement for many years showed no signs of melting. Marpel didn't even think it would ever be over.

The once close master and apprentice have become strangers.

However, His Majesty the Emperor's plan forced the two strangers to come together again - whether they wanted to or not, as two of the most brilliant talents in the country, they were bound to meet frequently, work together, communicate, argue, and help each other because of their technical and intellectual contacts.

"Actually, I'm glad to have such an opportunity," Windsor Marpel said with a smile and emotion, "Your Majesty's mission has put us all back on track." I think you've proven what you've wanted to prove many years ago – that human talent is not just supernatural power, and that your talent in the field of magic technology is also 'legendary'. ”

In Windsor Marpel's opinion, Daniel's current calm must be inseparable from the development of magic technology - this persistent old man has proved himself in a new field, and this "proof" is enough to untie the knot in his heart, and once he unties the knot, the kind mentor will gradually return.

Daniel just glanced at Windsor quietly.

A powerful legendary mage, gifted and transcendent, that doesn't mean she has any ability to read people's hearts.

That's fine.

"Don't compliment me, you know I don't like compliments," Daniel shook his head and said lightly, "In fact, people who are gifted in the field of magic are usually not inferior in the field of magic technology—mathematics and magic are inherently similar in many places. Your improvement in the teleportation spell is a testament to your ability in this regard, and it is not possible for ordinary people to understand the techniques of the Eternal Sleeper in a short period of time. ”

"Thank you for the compliment," Windsor smiled, but then frowned and said earnestly, "but I've had a lot of difficulties...... The Eternal Sleeper's rune system was born out of divine magic, but there was a conflict of energy between teleportation spells and divine magic, and now I tried to use pure arcane magic to drive the two sets of runes, which resulted in a very low stability of the whole system, and it was prone to countercurrents and meltdowns...... I think the Cecils must have solved this obstacle in order to boldly apply the Eternal Sleeper's runes to those 'magic web terminals', and recently I have been looking for this key transformation structure from samples of magic web terminals......"

She spoke earnestly and meticulously about the problems she encountered in the face of new knowledge, just as she had discussed problems with her mentor when she was an apprentice many years ago, but soon she found that Daniel did not respond to her, and the old man just stood quietly by the side, looking at this side with a strange calm gaze, which made her can't help but be confused: "Mentor? ”

"I'm listening, but I don't have any good advice," Daniel shook his head slowly, his eyes still falling on Windsor Marpel, and then he was silent for two seconds before he sighed softly, "You are indeed very talented......

"I'm glad you're willing to listen to me talk to you about these questions—I know they're boring, and it's not your job," Windsor smiled, and took a half-step back, "I'm going to go first—I have an appointment with Prince Hardiran to meet in more than half an hour." ”

Daniel nodded simply, "Well, there you go." ”

Windsor Marpel was gone, leaving Daniel alone in the long, empty hallway.

He looked in the direction the former apprentice had left, and sighed softly in a voice that no one could detect.

"Windsor...... Your talent is really good......"

After two seconds, the old mage shook his head and continued to walk slowly and calmly forward.

He was not jealous, nor had he ever loathed any of his apprentices.

It was only at this moment that Windsor Marpel's ability made him feel a hint of "danger".

Eventually, however, he decided not to do anything.

This is not because of Windsor Marpel's status as a legendary mage, in fact, he knows that Windsor Marpel is completely defenseless against him, and with the help of his secret advantage, he can also sabotage the research projects of the Royal Mage Guild without any direct contact, or at least greatly hinder and delay their progress.

It's just that there are many talented people in this world, and in the powerful Typhon, there is more than one person like "Windsor Marper", there have been many in the past, and there will be many in the future.

The master had said that He did not mind Typhon's development, and that He would like to see even other mortal kingdoms prosper—for He would ensure that Cecil would always be the strongest of all kingdoms.

On this premise, the master did not advocate that he obstruct most of Typhon's technological advances, because every technological advance, whether Typhon's or Cecil's, was the common wealth of mortals.

He once did not understand the great ideas of his master, and only carried out orders in this regard mechanically, but after participating in the construction of the magic industry and seeing the changes of Typhon and Cecil with his own eyes, he felt that he could also vaguely understand the idea of a "mortal community" of his master.

He let out a long exhale, a small smile.

Windsor Marpel's talent is her own, as her mentor...... I should be happy.

……

Matilda Augustus sat on a small sofa by the window, and the sunlight shone obliquely through the window, illuminating the crystal ornaments and the "Cecil Cube" on the table.

She flipped the pages of the book in her hand, and brushed the hair that fell from her ears, when the sound of footsteps came from not far away, and she lifted her eyes from the book and looked in the direction of the door.

Young Prince Hadilan was walking into the room.

"Hadilan," Matilda nodded, "aren't you going to meet with Lady Windsor Marpel at this time?" ”

"Half an hour later, sister," Hadilan said casually, "what are you looking at?" ”

"The gift that has just been sent by international mail this morning," Matilda said, raising the seemingly heavy book in her hand, and gesturing to the table not far away—a neat tome of books lying in a delicate wooden box, which is obviously a huge series, "The Basis of All Things, this incredible tome has finally been completed, and the Emperor Cecil has given me a signed copy as promised, and I am reading its sociological volume, and I feel very inspired." ”

"The 'encyclopedia of naturalism' of the Cecil?" The young Prince Hadilan muttered casually, and as he sat down across from Matilda, he held out his hand to the bookcase, "Speaking of Cecil...... Do you feel like there's been more and more stuff coming from Cecil lately? Their magazines, their newspapers, and their toys...... When I was in town, I saw the merchant's children playing with Rune's Cube, and they were happily shouting 'Cecil Cube', as if having a 'Cecil Cube' was a very proud thing among the children. ”

"It's proof that their parents have the financial means and that they themselves have the wit to figure out how the blocks work," Matilda glanced at Hadilan, "be careful to flip through it—I haven't opened the one in your hand yet." ”

Hadilan immediately put the book back in the bookcase: "Then I won't read it at all." ”

Matilda's attention had already been drawn to her brother, and she looked into Hadilan's eyes and asked seemingly casually, "Speaking of gifts...... It's been more than a month since I received the gift I brought you from Cecil, and you still haven't commented on it. ”

"Ah—my God," Hadilan's cousin suddenly became odd, and he gave Matilda a wry look, "I sometimes wonder if you mean to play tricks on me...... Can't you give me some real, normal gifts......"

"I think books are the most normal gifts, especially books that are rich in knowledge and inspiring," Matilda said immediately, "Hadilan, you have always been lax in your studies—that's why you have been taught by a legendary mage like Lady Windsor Marpel, and you are still ......"

"Stop, stop, I've broken through to the advanced level last month, so it's useless for you to preach on this subject," Hadilan immediately raised his hand and shook his head again, "and I admit that books are indeed good gifts—but don't you think twelve books in the field of mathematics and mechanics plus one hundred and eighty-seven sets of papers are a bit excessive?" ”

Matilda looked at her brother silently, and after two seconds, she nodded solemnly and said, "That's Cecil's specialty." ”

“…… It's terrible," Hadilan opened his hands helplessly, "that's why I said there are so many 'Cecil' here now......"