"Are you sure?" asked Henry again. "If my suspicions are correct, there's no turning back, Gwen. There will be no shield of ignorance to protect you from the full power of temptation. The supernatural hunger of the Caliban is hard to match the allure of this knowledge. ”

"I will not give up knowledge, Master. ”

Henry drank the last glass of wine.

"Then let's go to the Big Cognitive Room. ”

As when they left, the same guards stood on the podium, enviously assessing Gwen's luck, who was not far from one of the ten mentors. Gwen was both shy and friendly to her "elders", and the three of them shared pleasant teases while Henry meditated intently.

"They like you," Henry said as they walked into the chamber. "If you choose to return to your home country after your studies, you can do well here. The tower always needs the blood of young people. Oceania is a turbulent region. ”

"I'm worried about her future," she would worry about her future.

With the thread, the chamber is activated. When the glyphs complete their mystical journey, Gwen steps into the center. Under her sandals, her astral soul is projected outward, and the entire floor becomes a mirror plane, separating the material world above from the astral world below.

Henry circled around Gwen, muttering to himself.

"Try to activate the signal when I shout, Gwen. ”

"Yes, master. Her heart was pounding. What was Mark's interest in Elizabeth Sobel? What did he find?

Her illusory astral body was as seductive as ever, an elaborate artistic sculpture of a female form, with slender and graceful limbs emitting a dust of light and darkness that alternately expanded and then devoured each other.

"Evoke. ”

Gwen delivers mana through a pipe. The evocative signal shone before her, brighter than she remembered.

"Your proficiency has increased again, Gwen. Good progress has been made in the fourth layer. ”

"That's ......," Gwen felt a dark premonition rise from her mind. "That's impossible, Master...... I only went to the third tier two months ago! The training time is exponential! Even in the next 12 months, I can't be in the fourth echelon!"

"I see," replied Henry, without any particular emotion, not even a hint of doubt or curiosity. "Let's move on. ”

"Juggling. ”

Gwen switched to learning other schools of magic by using skillful little spells. Not far from her fiery summoning signal, her spell flashed with a bright light.

To her disappointment and relief, it was the same as the last time she was checked. It's grown a bit, but the difference isn't at all like a sudden burst of summoning signals.

"Confession. ”

The light of the spell faded. Gwen carefully constructed the confession signal that activated the shield spell. She is well trained, but even then, it takes at least a second for her to manifest.

Then, without any warning, a confession signal was immediately formed.

It glowed warmly next to the others, a bronze-colored signal of protection.

Gwen looked suspiciously at the mysterious symbol in front of her. No, this scene can't be real, it can't be real. Is there something wrong with the room? Is it the hallucinations that show her lies instead of resonance?

"Master......" her voice trembled because of fear, fear, or excitement she didn't know.

"I see, I'm also a bad confessor...... Henry commented again, without any particular emotion. "Don't care, go ahead. ”

Her back was soaked with sweat and her cardigan was soaking wet.

"Yes, master. ”

"Divination. ”

Another faint and faint glow.

Gwen was now almost choked by her discovery. What does this mean? What does it deduce? Is this what Mark wants to expose? If so, she's in much bigger trouble than she thought.

"You'll need more training to start using information spells. Tuning a divination tower is an art in itself. Henry commented mercilessly on every shocking surprise as if they were a plate of abstinence.

"Master......" Gwen moaned, barely daring to continue. What if it's true? What if it's true? Void magic is Pandora's box! It's stealing the fire of the gods! How can someone with this ability end well?

"Hallucination......" Henry ordered.

"I ...... I don't know how, master," Gwen breathed a sigh of relief. It's true. Fantasy is too hard for someone so practical and unimaginative.

"Okay. Evolution. ”

Gwen had to take a moment to suppress her rapid breathing and get her heart back to a rhythm so she could focus on keeping the signal across the levels.

In front of her master, she drew a symbol in her mind, first a small spell, then a small spell

It shone brightly, a deep purple glow that was clearly visible.

"Ahh A useful and versatile school, Gwen. ”

"Oh...... Oh master, I ...... The moment the ......" signal was triggered, Gwen felt her chest contract, her body trembling, ecstatic, and in pain.

"The last school... Gwen. ”

And another, and another! How could she put up with another school? It was too much! It was overwhelming. Her life had been turned upside down by her Void magic, and now it was going to bring her more grudges?She began to overbreathe, her bowels knotting and churning as she struggled with panic. In her belly, even Kim Mead didn't lie down, she wanted to cast, but she was in a cognitive room, and God knows what would come out of the hallucination.

"Calm emotions. ”

A fresh, clear wave swept over her trembling state of mind, replacing her anxiety with a quiet, contemplative calm.

"Thank you, Master. ”

"Don't thank me. He smiled weakly. ”

She was admitted to the last school.

Thankfully, nothing. There is hardly a glimmer of light.

She exhaled.

"Now let's look at the weather. Henry motioned for her to continue.

Gwen was stunned.

"No! that's impossible!" Gwen whimpered.

"I'm afraid that's a bad attempt at humor. Henry smiled unusually and it warmed me to see that even the impeccable Miss Song could endure pain. ”

"Master!" Gwen flashed hazel eyes.

Henry smiled.

"I believe we've proven Mark's pet theory, haven't we?"

"I am ... As the cognitive hallucinations fade away, Gwen frailly contemplates her new gift.

"Yes, Fortuna is a strange and fickle mistress...... Henry agreed, his voice full of uncertainty.

"What now, master?" asked Gwen carefully.

"I saw the files that Gunther threw away when he took Mark. Henry shook his head, and I believe he was... Divination is done for you the entire time you're trapped, and Caliban is active. ”

Gwen felt a shiver slip down her spine. He watched as she was captured, bound, packed, ready for shipment. He watched as Caliban slaughtered those poor prisoners.

"I dare say he has a list of prisoners, and... I'm afraid it adds up. There is a confessor, a couple of evokers, and two shapeshifters in it......"

Gwen felt uncomfortable, her blood suddenly cold from fear and pain. The new magic school she got wasn't hers. They are the talents who were murdered by the Caliban. She was a thief, a robber, a grave robber. She felt dizzy and weak in her knees. She had to find an open place to sit down and try to find her bearings.

"Indeed... What now?" thought Henry, as Gwen lay desolate on the floor of the all-white room with her arms around her knees. So many secrets, he thought to himself: they piled up on the top of the mountain like soft snow.

But secrets and magic are great companions.

None of the judges Henry knew had a terrible conspiracy of his own. After all, wasn't his wife a murderer who mutilated nearly a hundred souls? The bloody Countess of Eger, who terrorized the Hungarian countryside? Little secrets are like mosquitoes that always grind one out, but what about big secrets? They are more like a sharpened stone that keeps one sharp and focused. The life of a mage looking for a path is already similar to life on a knife edge, with one slip and only death or disgrace. Besides, if Gwen got the power she wanted, how insignificant would all her other secrets be? she just had to put one on her chest, and that would be enough.

The question is how to get Gwen to understand this? She has just declared that she is going to take a righteous path that will not kill her enemies. However, her rare gift requires her to expend her life to propel her idealistic pacifist path. Such a complex contradiction! What a reflection of absurd reality and life!

To Gwen's surprise, her master stood beside her, exuding a melancholy look.

"I believe the biggest mistake we made was to keep Elizabeth's secret," said Henry, who began to smooth out his crumpled jacket, and I didn't want to make that mistake again. ”

"Master?"

"I have consulted with Surya, and we have come to the conclusion that you will only be safe if the whole world recognizes your abilities and allows it to shine in all its shortcomings. ”

Gwen stared at her master in bewilderment.

Henry smiled.

"Have you heard the story of the Heart of Fire, Gwen?"

Gwen shook her head. Her family doesn't like to talk sweetly before bed.

In short, an Arab sultan once discovered the core of the world's most coveted creature in a long-dead ancient red dragon's lair. The core is stunningly beautiful, when channeling, providing control over the fire element equivalent to the highest Genesis. ”

"It is conceivable that the Sultan was very afraid, very afraid that others would discover his property, so he hid his core, made it only in time of war, and also in the night, gazing at it affectionately, calling it the most precious thing. ”

However, the secret was never buried for too long, and many began to covet the highest honors of the Sultan. First, the Sultan became the target of theft and theft, but when this failed, his enemies turned to his family. One by one, his sons, daughters, and wives were taken away by internal and external enemies. Despite this, the Sultan refused to abandon the core. Eventually, it wasn't until his deathbed, when he was holding the stone, that he realized that his sultanate had come to an end. He has no heirs. The core cannot carry on his legacy. ”

Centuries later, when the Heart of Fire finally fell into the hands of the British Empire, Queen Victoria made an important and unusual decision. She didn't hide the core, but declared it a national treasure! She split the core in half, the larger part on her scepter and the smaller part on her crown. Calling them her most prized objects, she openly declared to the adoring public that if they wanted to see the stone, they would simply pay their respects to the Queen and the country in front of the palace during the annual celebrations. ”

"Does this stop thieves? I doubt it, it's human nature. But the brilliance of this core now shines brightly, and no shadow can approach it, for the whole nation is protecting it!Heart of Fire!Symbol of the Empire!How can anyone dream of stealing?Such a vile and shameless thing! It will tarnish and denigrate the heart of a nation! Do you remember our passionate nationalist maxims?"

Gwen shook her head.

Henry cleared his throat and began to sing.

"Bring me my wand, the burning gold:

Bring me the arrow of my desire:

Bring me my stone: Oh, the clouds have opened!

Bring me my heart of fire!"

"Who would have thought of violating this?

Henry finally patted her cheek with reassurance.

"Do you understand, kid?"

Gwen nodded. She got it – she finally understood why her notebook put so much emphasis on winning the intercollegiate competition to get into the University of Sydney with the most prestigious scholarship. She will be a panda bear. Because despite the world's fame for pandas, if someone tries to steal, attack, or even harass pandas, it will anger the whole country. What if her strength is far greater than that of a normal bear? rarity is leverage.

The tone is becoming an existence that is both indispensable and unique. That would be Gwen's metaphysical double-glazed shield. As long as the Great Powers wish to use her talents, as long as she can be a beacon of hope for them, she is safe. The factions clash with each other, and many have selfish designs for the Void Mage, but this rivalry is leverage. Look at Elizabeth. What great could she have achieved without her madness? Even in her crimes as a murderer, she was hard-hearted. At the end of a dark day, the uncertain threat of no mad mage far outweighs the certainty of extinction from the wilderness.

"But ... My spending power ......" Gwen felt her heart racing, one last hurdle to be removed, one last knot to unravel.

"I'm afraid there's no good answer," Henry admits but that's the point, isn't it? You have to admit your choices and take responsibility for your actions. For the abuse of the great ......"

They connected the next few sentences together, realizing a kind of cognitive resonance between the master and the apprentice.

“... It's a time when remorse is out of touch with power. ”

The shackles of doubt fell from Gwen's wrists, replaced by a sense of relief that permeated her. Impulsively, she hugged Henry.

This action seemed to surprise the old man, who for a moment did not know what to do with himself. Their intimacy remained, and Gwen put her face on his shoulder, at which point he felt a damp heat on his collar. Was it her breath, or was it the rare emotion of his apprentice?

He returned to her embrace, her body young and pliable;

Meanwhile, Gwen has recovered from a moment of impulse and is now embarrassed. In her old world, people would derisively call it a patriarchal complex. Of course they were right, but was it her fault? She didn't have a father in her life? Moyer was mostly indifferent, a little aloof, and really allergic to responsibility. At the same time, Henry untied the knot on her chest, untied her troubles, and opened the door to gratitude. There was an emotional outpouring that she had never really understood, and before she knew it, she had found catharsis and determination in the arms of her master.

They were separated, and the old man looked just as embarrassed as she was.

"I want to announce to the tower that you are my apprentice, Gwen," Henry suddenly told her after the international high level. ”

Gwen smiled. No words are needed.

Henry struggled to straighten his posture, moaning at the physical burden involved in this scene. Gwen knelt on the ground supporting her esteemed master.

"I think you should go back to Surya now and enjoy the rest of your summer vacation. ”

She blinked. Summer vacation? It was a sad one! It was still summer vacation! She had a whole month before classes resumed in mid-January. With so much going on, it seems like she's been going to Mark's office for the rest of her life!

"Are you going?"

Her master was right. She couldn't go back to her dorm yet, and no one else was home. She couldn't go back to Moyer's house, Helena's house, and she couldn't stay in the tower, where there was only Sulya's.

"Yes, it's a good idea. You should consider consolidating your new magic school. I'll talk to Suya and we'll give you some basic transfiguration and divination. Let's not talk about this matter. Until the right time, no one has to know, not even your friends. ”

Gwen nodded again, and put her arms around Henry's waist like a faithful granddaughter. The two walked arm in arm to the floating platform, and the door to the courtroom closed silently behind them.

The platform went down, down and down, and spun and turned, and threw itself into Madame Fortuna's uncertain embrace.