The autumn morning light poured down again, covering the body on the east side of the White Pagoda and the square dotted with white stones at the feet. The old wizard stood by the window with his hands in his hands, staring out.

The sun is shining, the lake is tranquil, and the square is empty.

There were no incidents at the graduation ceremony a week ago, and the last of the second batch of graduates left yesterday. As far as the old wizard knows, about half of the students return to their hometowns to reunite with their parents and friends; The other part plans to rush to the federation and try to become a member of it. In view of the current situation in the Empire, he tactfully advised all the students who were preparing to go to the Empire not to be overconfident in their own power.

No one can always win. Dragons can die in war, let alone ordinary wizards, Vanka thought to himself.

One-third of the mentors remained in the tower, and the rest returned to their research rooms, or to the groups and organizations they belonged to. Cynthia of the Federation visited the White Tower the day before yesterday, brought a message from Linde and Beryl, and gave him a new mission.

The old wizard turned his head and looked at the clock hanging on the door.

There was still half an hour to go, and it was time to get ready, Vanka thought to himself. He stood behind his desk and slowly shook his right hand, allowing the red mark to emerge from the back of his hand.

Many years ago, he and the students of today visited the red-roofed and silver-walled tower, and became a member of the "family". The first few years of joining the federation were one of the most rapid growth periods in his entire wizarding career.

It was second only to him three years after he joined "Brigade" and met Pfister and others.

Today, the students he teaches have joined his former "home". Especially the two girls he valued, but who had refused to follow him for a while—Vanka had never underestimated their potential, but he had thought that even with his careful teaching, it would be at least two or three years before they grew into outstanding wizards.

But he never thought that in less than a year, just in terms of the rating of the federation, the two had already caught up with him.

It was not something that could be achieved by simply reading books and experiments, thus reminding him of his former self. He knew that Yuffie and Lin had joined the mercenary group, and the leader of the group was none other than Pfister's former disciple. But he also knew that apart from the end of the last war, the "Dream Travelers" and Lilianor's regiment did not have much to do with each other.

They owe that growth to themselves. Or, if Hughes's news is true, credit to "her" close friend, a woman named Alicia.

Vanka knew Bayard and had seen Leonos and Io, so he could naturally guess Alicia's identity. What he could not guess was the reason why the other party, which allowed the brigade to be disbanded twenty years ago, is now trying to intervene in the situation.

There is no point in asking. Alicia knew everything, but never gave an answer. And before he can think of the exact reason, he must continue to abide by the agreement with "her"-

Give up everything that belongs to the Brigade, quietly wait and see, and wait.

A few minutes of waiting passed quietly.

The sigil on the back of his hand warmed slightly, bringing him a message woven by magic - a basic use of the feld sigil and a technique that newcomers usually first learned. This time, however, the source of the message was far beyond the usual distance, and it was not words, but spells encapsulated in magical power.

“Esduofurthurenloone，arcanolurulmoeternis——”

No matter the ends of the earth, the secret method always has the same origin. The old wizard sensed the melody of magic and repeated it silently in his heart. The language of the Elna people is magical, and if the reciter is a shaman, the incantation means the secret art of formation. Vanka squinted as if to see the top of the stone tower overlapping his office, and sunlight filtering through the walls and spilling over the room.

“Elshauopersculpdurcour.”

We're all one and the same heart, the old wizard thought. The top of the tower in front of him was clearer, and the circular circle at his feet reflected the sunlight, like a milky white cloud. The figures of the two girls gradually emerged, standing side by side, holding hands, to meet his gaze.

Vanka secretly admired.

Despite the fact that they are both considered infinitely vast, the nature of the astral realm is far more complex than that of the physical realm. It does not have objective gravity, time, and distance, nor does it follow the dimensions and structure of things in the material world. To use a broad description, the astral plane is closer to a purely informational universe, taking different forms depending on the visitor.

Teleportation takes advantage of its properties: by parsing and briefly changing the structure of the astral plane, the shortest path between two points can be found. But if you're careless, the astral plane will send you to places you shouldn't be going—high in the sky, underground, within the walls of a building, or inside someone's body.

Each one was a lesson in blood. Of course, for today's continent, those lessons and experiences have lost all meaning.

After Bayard blockaded the astral plane, the Federation read through ancient books and tried to find a way to circumvent the blockade. The wizards came up with dozens of conjectures, the most practical of which was the one in front of them, using the Federation's emblem and magic as beacons, using the Confederacy's emblem and magic as beacons, and using the means of approximate summoning to make the two locations overlap in the astral plane.

It was his turn. The old wizard raised his hand slightly, and the magic in the room fell silent in an instant, in tune with the magic of the 'other side' in a single breath. Then he stepped forward and took Yuffie and Lynn by the hand.

"Lemorelparstrael." The old wizard said.

For a moment, it seemed as if the tower and the room were about to merge into one, never to be separated from each other again; The next moment, everything in the room quickly faded from the old wizard's presence, and the stone top of the tower seemed more and more real. The rising sun shone over his body, and under his feet was a solid rock wall, and the softness and warmth of his hands came from them.

The old wizard stepped back, a smile of appreciation on his face.

"Well done." He said.

"Thanks to the head of the house." The pink girl's expression was indifferent, as if all this was not difficult at all, "This should be a good record, I will report it to the federation when I have time." ”

"It's still too cumbersome for the ceremony." Lin puffed out her cheeks and expressed her displeasure at it, "Aren't you going to improve it, Headmaster?" ”

"Kalman is trying to build a framework for the two, Holden is trying to loosen the restrictions on location, Attel is simplifying or even trying to omit the circle, old man, I won't help blindly." Vanka smiled, "Hughes told me about your deeds, but I'd like to hear you in more detail." ”

"That's fine, though it's not a pleasant thing." Yuffie walked to the edge of the tower, looked down for a moment, and walked down the stone spiral staircase, "Let's go to the lab." ”

So Vanka followed them down the tower and into the northern wall. From here, you can see most of the outer city, and even the camps dotted around the fields. Unfortunately, there were no pedestrians to be seen on the streets—the people were still worried about a repeat of the tragedy of a week earlier, and the attack by the army from outside the city, the old wizard thought.

Vanka looked farther away and felt his arm heat slightly. It was the magic in his body that felt his mood and spontaneously began to work, ready for the battle that was coming.

That's not going to work. The old wizard shook his head slightly, calming his body. When the Empire invaded Elders, he was far away in the laboratory of the Volcanic Castle and never went to the front in person; And this time, even though he was here, he didn't plan to participate in any of the battles.

"How's it going in town?" Vanka sighed and asked in a low voice.

"It's not good." Lin replied bluntly, "The epidemic is not counted, the granary has lost fire three times in four days, but it can't catch the prisoner at all." If you want to say, the caravans that have recently left the city to 'buy' have more than doubled compared to usual, right? ”

"After all, Delane agreed to the caravan to leave, but did not allow them to return." "Delane also declared that the people could go to his territory and become his subjects if they wished. In a sense, we can't blame them either. ”

"I don't know if that guy is bold or reckless." The blonde girl shook her head, "Seriously, if this plague spreads in his army, I'll see where he's going to cry!" ”

"No matter what happens, it's the people who suffer." The old wizard slowly continued, "If things come to this, how do you plan to end up?" ”

The pink girl was silent for a moment, then turned her gaze to him.

"I don't know." "I can only do my best to solve the problem — including asking for help from everyone, like you, Mentor Collens." ”

Well, the old wizard thought. It's just that he must not be of much help to everything that is happening in the empire in front of him.

"Let's start with the plague Hughes mentioned." Vanka Corens followed behind the girl and changed the subject in a low voice, "What did you find?" ”

Yuffie nodded, retelling the scene when they discovered the disease, gradually extending to their identification of the source of the disease, and the many methods they had tried since then. From time to time, the blonde girl interjected a few sentences, referring to Yufie's 'unreasonable' behavior and the development of events outside of Glow.

As the trio walked across the entire northern wall, the narrative ended on the nightmarish morning a few days earlier: the miracle that had come had failed to cure the plague in the city, nor to calm the panicked hearts of the people. Subsequent rumors blamed Mallorin for the disaster, and instead of seeing the people suffer, it was the "god Edda" herself who saved them. Even if the Empress herself issued a declaration to endorse Lily and Yufie, the effect was still not satisfactory.

"We've gathered gossip from the city." Yufy's voice was calm and indifferent, "They say that if the Empress remains in power, the plague will soon return, and this time, the gods will no longer have mercy on all beings. ”

"Seriously, those words are not wrong at all." Lin stroked her forehead with her hand and sighed, "The only difference is that even if the empress really abdicates, the result will be the same." ”

"But the Empress can't abdicate – they understand it, and so do we." Yuffie said, placing her palm over the door of the West Tower and unlocking the door set by the secret technique, "As long as the Empress doesn't give up, we won't fail." ”

She pushed the door open, put on a white robe, and turned back into the "assistant" of the tower. Lin also put on a white coat, and Vanka didn't need to do it. His own wizard's robe was white, a wake-up call to himself.

He was no longer the "madman" of the brigade, or the master of a tower of the Federation, but an elderly college lecturer. Vanka remembered a long time ago, when 'she' jokingly asked him what he would do if he lost his strength one day. Thinking about it now, maybe it looks like this now.

The power belongs only to himself, and the knowledge can be continued.

There are also two strange wizards in the room. Although they weren't wearing red wizard robes, they belonged to the Federation at a glance. The blonde young man was busy taking care of the animals, using various instruments to analyze the samples taken; The black-haired young man was buried in the scrolls of his books, unaware of the trio's arrival.

"Sula went to the guards to assist in the inspection, and I guess she should be back in a while." The blonde young man kept his hands on it, but just raised his head and glanced at the door, "Why did you bring more people back, who is this old man?" ”

"That's why you'll call someone Grandpa, Famir." Lin glanced at the blonde youth, "Have you heard of the proposer of the magic energy conversion formula and the original owner of the 'Correns Burst'?" ”

"Colens......" Farmill was stunned for a moment, then whistled violently.

"Wow!"

He threw the sample in his hand into the instrument in two or two clicks, then rushed over and shook the shoulder of another young man, "Don't check, Kasha, your idol is here!" ”

The young man known as Kasha looked up in a daze, and from his slightly disordered magic, Vanka was sure that he hadn't had a good rest for at least two or three days, "What...... Is it? ”

"I'm Vanka Collens." The old wizard approached and glanced at the book that the black-haired young man was reading, the "Encyclopedia of Ten Thousand Laws" compiled by the Federation, "Maybe I can help." ”

The black-haired young man blinked, finally understood what he had just said, and immediately stood up, "Grand Wizard of Corens!" You—how did you get here! ”

"It's just to help the federation complete an experiment, and by the way, let's see what's going on here." The old wizard replied calmly, "What spell are you looking for?" ”

"Ahh The black-haired young man took two deep breaths, and the magic in his body returned to calm, "It's the previous warehouse fire, I collected the remaining traces of magic at the scene, and I'm checking what spell caused it." ”

"Did you find anything?" Lin also came closer, "I remember Kasha, you said, it's not a spell from the material world, right?" ”

The black-haired young man nodded, his face slightly hesitant, "The most similar is the evil secret technique of the abyss. It was the "dream" that put the guards to sleep, and the ...... that caused the fire Sorry, I haven't found a similar enough result. ”

"Show me the magic rubbing."

Any spell leaves a trail - the free magic in the environment is disturbed by the spell that is formed, thus approaching or moving away from the other party's laws. Such traces can only be erased by time, and the available technology is sufficient to stretch them onto the treated paper rolls before they disappear, as clear evidence of the past.

And after getting the two scrolls, the old wizard just raised his right hand, gently stroked it, and found the answer from memory.

"Your judgment is good." He praised Kashya, "Another spell is the 'Hell Pyre', a secret technique that is usually circulated in the Nine Prisons of Bato. ”

"You say hell." Famir frowned, "Isn't 'Dream Illusion' a technique unique to succubius and dream demons?" What's going on - both the devil and the devil can team up? ”

"Demons who have been promoted from succubi, sometimes choose to keep that ability." Yuffie thought for a moment and explained softly, "As for the hell pyre...... I've read from books that many demons try to learn because of its inextinguishable and fast-spreading nature. ”

"In other words, most of the people who set the fire were demons." The blonde girl pouted, "I mean, it's not the hapless flame demon who ran away from the lock, is it?" ”

For obvious reasons, Vanka knew what was going on, and took the initiative to track down the other party's whereabouts - a close violation of the oath he had made. Luckily, it didn't seem like it was going to cause any trouble, so he didn't bother.

"It's not it." The old wizard shook his head and said, "It's not here, and it can't do these things. ”

Yuffie and Lynn looked at each other for a moment, then the pink girl gently bowed to him.

"I believe in you, Headmaster." She said calmly, "This way, it is more in line with our speculation." ”

"Huh?" The blond-haired young man scratched his head in confusion, just in time to ask the old wizard the doubts in his heart, "What speculation, how come I don't know?" ”

"That firefiend is at the behest of Freges, and its body is trapped on this continent. There's no reason for it to help Delane with these chores, and it's unlikely that it's going to risk sneaking into Glowlight City - if it were discovered by Barak or Hughes, it wouldn't be so easy to escape. Yuffie waved his index finger and the corners of his mouth rose slightly, "Then who else lives in the abyss and knows where Al is?" ”

The old wizard understood what Yuffie was trying to say. "What do you mean...... Io? ”

"Delane dares to confront us head-on, and there must be hidden hole cards. I think that's probably the person you're looking for. Yuffie straightened his face, "Even so, are you still unwilling to help us, Headmaster?" ”

Not unwillingly, but unwillingly, Vanka thought to himself. "There is no definite evidence right now." He bowed his head and muttered, "If it can really be proven...... I'll think twice about what should be done. ”

Yuffie nodded. The blonde girl rubbed her face, making her expression look relaxed.

"It's a promise." She said, "Next, give us a little advice on potions, Headmaster?" ”

"Okay."

Vanka nodded, stepped aside, and watched from the sidelines. Compared to what he remembered, the blonde girl was more skilled in potions. She methodically cuts and processes the materials, controlling the fire and temperature, making the whole process as elegant and harmonious as a symphony. This even convinced Vanka that as long as there was enough time, it would be a matter of time before the other party surpassed him in the Potions realm.

As long as there is enough time, the old wizard thought.

As the material is added, dissolved, and stirred, the liquid in the crucible turns from yellow to green, and then to a sky-like blue. The demonic flame gently enveloped the cauldron, keeping the liquid at the boiling point. A moment later, dozens of small whirlpools rose from the cauldron and swirled slowly, as if the potion had brought life to it.

That's the potion of wisdom. It listens to the voice of the drinker and fulfills the expectations of the drinker, and is called a simplified version of the wishing elixir. It also has the nickname of a panacea, as it has excellent curative effects on diseases, toxins, or wounds.

Lynn scooped up each whirlpool with a small spoon and filled it into a test tube. The old wizard watched all this quietly, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good panacea, you can give full marks." "But I don't think it's useful. ”

"You have to try it to find out."

Lynn grabbed Yuffie's hand, took some blood, and dripped it into one of the test tubes. The vortex in the test tube seemed to shake for a moment, and then the whole potion quieted down and was stained black like ink.

"It's dead." The old wizard said.

"Try the other samples." Yuffie retrieved the previously prepared blood from the shelf, recounting where it came from—the 'veterans' of Frostleaf, and the patients of the North Tower. She repeated what Lynn had just done, whispering a wish to restore them, but the result was the same.

"What's going on?" Famir looked at Yufe and then at the old wizard with a look of disbelief, "Master Colens, what do you seem to know?" ”

That's true, but the answer won't make people happy. "I guess 'it' isn't a product, it's part of a magical network—some remnant that has gotten out of control." Vanka whispered, "Nothing outside can affect it except for the same level of power. ”

"In other words, you can't help it, Headmaster?" Lynn asked.

"That's right." Vanka nodded, admitting without hesitation, "I'm an ordinary wizard, and I don't have the ability to change the rules of the 'network' like Hylandia and ......," he looked at Yuffe, "your mother's ability to change the rules of the 'network'. ”

Famir and Kasha looked at Vanka with some surprise - it was clear that this did not match the many rumors of the old wizard in their minds. And the two girls he had always valued exchanged glances, as if they had expected the answer just now.

"It's okay, I'll ask my mother when I have time." Yuffie still spoke, "School Principal, you are willing to come here, it is enough for us - by the way, we have a party in our group tonight, are you interested in joining us?" ”

Party? No one told him about it. "Your regiment—"

"Captain Lily and the others are back. It was two days ago. Lin explained lightly, "I heard that you knew our head of the regiment before we entered the school?" ”

It's a lot more in the morning, thanks to Pfister's blessing. "Okay." The old wizard patted his robe, a look of relief, "I'll go see her." ”

This is the only thing he can do. He couldn't save the city and hundreds of thousands of people, but protecting a few of his former acquaintances, the old wizard thought, might still be within his power.

The sun rises above the dome and then sinks in the west.

In the afternoon of the same day, Delane attacked again. The four bed crossbows unleashed flaming arrows that flew several lits away and crashed straight into the residential complex to the east of the city. The old wizard came to the walls of the inner city and watched as the people fled their homes in panic, while the city guards quickly arrived and extinguished the raging wildfire with clay bottles, leaving most of the houses burnt down.

The Heavy Cannon Golem is a little less done. Their range was half shorter than that of bed crossbows, and they did not dare to get close to the coverage of the city defenses. Ammunition from the Earth Elemental Realm was constantly bombarding the outer walls, but they could not shake the walls that had been reinforced for hundreds of years.

It wasn't the war he had envisioned.

At the current pace, Vanka is sure that Delane will not be able to capture this city in another half a year. As Yuffie guessed, it was just a façade for Delane, and there was probably someone else behind him.

Yuffie thinks it's "Io", but he doesn't fully agree. Maybe the girl was right, but maybe it was Bayard, Protodis, or ......

Without evidence, it is useless to think too much. The old wizard sighed, turned around, and slowly walked down the stairs of the inner city.

For the rest of the afternoon, he instructed Kashya and Sula in turn, answering Famir's strange questions. By the time he had followed Yuffie out of the West Tower and into a cottage in the city, everyone else had already arrived.

The fireplace in the room lit up, sowing warmth into the soft carpeted hall. At a long table made of mahogany, the members of the "Lilianor" sat together, each greeting their experiences after parting. On the table were sumptuous but hearty dishes, and Bell grabbed a roast leg of lamb and dipped it in seasoning powder brought in from Mellon.

The mercenary saw them and waved her hand casually, motioning for them to sit down at will. The old wizard surveyed everyone in the room, covering his memories with them.

He was familiar with Lily, the daughter of a hunter, and had seen "September" after regaining her memory. At that time, he intended to transform Alphonse into a powerful guardian, but Lily rejected him, asking him for a more authentic 'human'.

Compared to Lily in his memory, the appearance of the female mercenary has not changed, but her expression is a little more calm, and there are certain things he can't understand.

Next to her was Alphonse. The young man looked at Lily gently, then withdrew his gaze and stood up to greet him, a gesture that was no different from that of a human being. Vanka could even feel the magic around the Robot slowly disturbing, echoing his mood every minute.

Only highly intelligent beings possess such nature. Alphonse already had a heart, and the old wizard thought Lily was right.

Aside from them, Bell didn't change much. The last man was a blonde young man, well-dressed, with a long sword at his waist, and a handsome but somewhat lonely face.

"Sean Tempur." The young man got up, hesitated for a moment, and performed a wizarding salute with his hand on his chest, "Now a member of the mercenary group. ”

"Good work." Counting the affairs of the Mellon Kingdom, the knight captain can be called a lot of disasters, the old wizard thought to himself. "Where's Alaya?"

"She's integrating people who are interested in joining here." Sean replied, "Train them again and be ready to be dispatched by Lily." ”

The knights of Mar in the past have become the mercenaries of today. There's no way around it, Vanka thought to himself, the world is unpredictable, just like they were twenty years ago.

"The 'crow' is not dead." The old wizard said, "Because you have survived." ”

"Thank you." The blonde youth took a deep breath and pressed his hand to his heart again, "I will always remember her." ”

After a brief greeting, everyone sat in a circle around the round table. The mercenary took a sip from her glass and recounted her adventures after she traveled to the Ghost Forest. In the old wizard's ears, it was no less than the most tortuous experience of the "brigade" - if it was Lily herself, it was even more than that.

No wonder she had such a growth, the old wizard thought. He even had a faint envy of the other party - if he could experience the deep mysteries of the "Internet" first-hand, he would surely be able to go further in the field of occult arts.

After that, there is the story of Yuffie and Lynn. Compared with the somewhat depressing "history", the "future" that the two of them tell is much more relaxed. It's just that when the clues gradually lead to the end, and when they learn that the other El Continent has been destroyed, everyone can't help but be silent for a moment.

"I didn't expect that...... We thought our story was unique, but your experience was not half a point? ”

Lily picked up the cup and drank the fruit wine in one gulp, then let out a long breath, "Let's say, what is that "Mirror Realm", what is it?" ”

Bell waved his hand, indicating that he knew nothing. Lynn tilted her head thoughtfully, and Alphonse blinked and raised a hand slightly.

“…… One of my sisters told me......" he paused for a moment, as if trying to straighten out the language, "everything has a cause and effect, and everything seems to run through the thread between the past and the future." When all the lines are aggregated together, probably ...... It's the realm of mirrors. ”

This description reminds Vanka of a person. But Lily apparently didn't care much about that, and quickly asked another question.

"It's not that, it's too complicated." The mercenary turned sideways and patted the mechanical man on the shoulder, while looking at Yufie's face, "We want to know if what we see is the real past, and if what you have been there is the real future?" ”

The pink girl nodded.

"Of course. It's just that, I think, it was created specifically for you or us, the past and the future. ”

"Huh?"

"Just as the text of a book is fixed, everyone who reads it can see different contents." "Things in the world have their own cause and effect, but the people who observe them are very different. Figuratively speaking, we are the "protagonists" in the places where the "Mirror Realm" sends us. ”

"I see." Alphonse nodded, and commented solemnly, "In the current world, we are not the protagonists, are we? ”

"I think so." Lin leaned on the table and flicked the rattan basket containing bread with her fingertips, "If there really is a protagonist in this world, the closest one should be Hu Luman, right?" ”

"Where's that bastard?" The mercenary shook her head vigorously, obviously disliking this statement, "Although he had the last laugh during our trip, the world has nothing to do with him-" Her eyes widened suddenly, "Yufy, the future you see is also the mess he made?" ”

That's a reasonable guess, Vanka thought. But Yu Fei thought about it for a while, and shook his head in the negative.

"Maybe it's not his fault alone." The pink girl whispered, "And I don't think Fermir Stark's choice is incomprehensible or unattainable." ”

Lily, Lynn, Sean, Alphonse...... Including Vanka, everyone turned their eyes to Yuffe. Even Bell stopped chewing and opened his mouth indistinctly, "What are you talking about?" ”

"Fermir is an idealist, but not a dreamer." The girl turned her head sideways, looked at Vanka, and then turned her gaze to the mercenary, "Lily, you should understand, right?" ”

"Probably...... Huh? The mercenary hesitated for a moment, her index finger sliding from her lower lip to her neck, "We're Edda...... There's a lot to do. In this way, if you can get more ...... Words of strength......"

"If all the magical networks are truly combined, it should be possible to fulfill his "wish"—the all-knowing and all-powerful will to rebuild the whole world and bring happiness to all, and no one can perceive that their lives and thoughts are no longer free." The girl nodded slightly, "Of course, this is just my speculation. ”

"Isn't it intuition?" Lynn poked her elbow and half-jokingly continued, "You don't agree with him, do you?" ”

"For the people who live in it, the so-called new era is actually not bad. If you look at the universe as a whole, it may have some hidden dangers. The girl said carefully, "But the question is, what are the endings we can choose?" ”

Don't try to change the world with a few people, that's what he told each other. Vanka raised her head and looked into the girl's eyes, "The future you see—"

It was the result of a struggle between the oracles. Perhaps it all started because of Femir, but the other oracs must have had their own considerations. Yuffie sighed softly, "Whether it is an ideal or a fantasy, it is better than the future we have seen." ”

This is an indisputable fact, the old wizard thought. The true God will bring about changes and barriers, but as long as society and civilization continue to develop, there is always a small possibility of breaking the shackles. And in the future that Yuffie and Lynn recounted...... Neither civilization nor life, has survived.

"What if we had killed that Huruman sooner and not given him a chance to do something?"

The person who asked the question was Lily. And this time, it was Vanka who answered.

"Maybe that's what 'we' were supposed to do." His voice was tired, "Those who support the lich, those who oppose him, those who have other ends, those who want to save everything." ”

"We are all sinners in that destruction."

He had been preparing for it for two hundred years, starting from the "Grey War". He must have studied for a long time and already had a lot. "For example, rather than thinking that he was trying to meddle with Edda's power in the first place, I would rather believe that the 'God' may be an ally of Fermir Stark." ”

That's why she has been reluctant to rely more on God. The blonde girl pressed Yuffie on the shoulder to explain for her friend, "The power of an uncertain source is always not worth trusting, right?" ”

"Hmm...... Hearing you say this, Ann has said something about it. "The mercenary raised her eyebrows, as if she had thought of something," she said, saying that history had come to the same end, and that it was more plausible than guessing...... Someone you know, have you done what you've done? ”

This speculation is bold and reasonable. Someone who can say such things must be a good seedling of a wizard. The old wizard's eyes narrowed, as if he could see the girl's future.

"Ann you mentioned, where has she gone now?" He asked.

"She went back to the Violet Empire to find her grandfather and father." The mercenary replied, "But she said that if she had no other tasks, she would come to us soon." ”

Vanka nodded. It was a small episode, but it reminded him of the original purpose of coming here.

"Then we'll talk about Ann later." The old wizard stroked a handful of his falling white hair and straightened his body slightly, "Yufie, Lynn." I would like to ask you, would you like to come to Eagle Academy as a mentor and become my disciple at the same time? ”

A moment of silence. Then Lynn looked at him and blinked.

"Just the two of us?"

"Of course not." The old wizard nodded, continuing his earlier decision, "Lily, Bell, Alphons, and Sean. He looked at each one in turn, "I hope you can do something for the Academy." In return, I can give enough money and access to the secret arts in the academy. ”

That's a good deal, the old wizard thought. He also knew that everyone in the room in front of him—except perhaps Bell—was hard pressed by the simplicity of money and material things.

What he didn't expect was that it was Bell who was the first to answer this time.

"I'm not going." The Beron shook his head vigorously, "You're a wizard, and your tower is a wizard's tower. If I go, what can I do? ”

The old wizard was stunned, "There are guilds in the city, and the academy also has things for you to do—"

"I've been." Bell continued to shake his head, "There's no point in there. It's all about chopping wood, harvesting wheat – and you'll have to help your students find cats all day long. He grabbed the half-gnawed leg of lamb, put it next to his nose and sniffed, "I've thought about it, staying in Volcano Castle, being a Belon is not for me." Staying with you, being a miscellaneous person all day long, is even more unsuitable for me. ”

He put down the leg of lamb and patted his chest hard, "I've decided to follow Lily." Unless she plans to follow you, I won't go to you!" ”

The old wizard exhaled. Lily laughed.

"Hear that, Vanka?" She poured some more wine into the empty cup, and then drank it down, "Your academy is not as attractive as ours now!" ”

Indeed, the old wizard thought to himself. But that's only for warriors, and Yufie, Lynn, and Sean are all wizards—

"Master Collens." The blonde youth stood up and bowed lightly to him, "I promised Lily, I promised my regiments, that I must keep my promise. He pursed his lips as if smiling, "Even if my mother is gone, I will never betray the crow." ”

This is also expected. As for Lily, the words just now already made her attitude clear. Before he could give an answer, only the two girls he really cared about were left.

"Why?"

He heard Lynn's inquiry and turned his gaze. The blonde girl's eyes sparkled, a fleeting surprise and a search for knowledge.

"Because you have enough potential. Your power needs to be further refined and then used in more valuable ways. The old wizard said slowly, "The Empire's civil war is far from over. It could devour a lot of lives, and I don't want that to include you. ”

"What about other people's lives." Lynn looked at him, "Isn't it that important?" ”

As it was, the old wizard thought to himself, life has always had a price. That doesn't mean the wealth, power, or power in their hands - in fact, even if Glowlight City ceases to exist, it won't affect the continuation of the El Continent. But if Yuffie dies accidentally, he believes that everything will return to the original path, falling into the future that the girl saw.

Vanka slowly raised his head and said the guess in his heart, "Lin, are there no you in the Mirror Realm that you have been to...... No, it should be said, there is no presence of Yufi? ”

The blonde girl gave a quick glance to her side, and Yuphie nodded at her.

"You guessed it, Headmaster." Lynn held up her thumb to him, "But what does that mean?" ”

They must have understood, just waiting for him to speak. "It means that Yuffie must survive." The old wizard had a serious face, "Otherwise, no matter what we do, it may be in vain." ”

"I don't think so."

For the first time since he made his suggestion, Yuffie responded, "That world without me means only another thing—changing the fate of this continent is the reason I was created." ”

It did make sense, though he didn't want to think about it, "But if you die-"

"Headmaster, if I die in a hundred years, will the continent be destroyed?"

That...... Apparently not. He shook his head.

"Actually, even if I die now, the future has changed. In the original world, you shouldn't have seen Lynn or Sean at this time. Yuffie smiled in reply, her tone and demeanor reminding Vanka of her mother, "And maybe I'll get worse if I go to you." ”

The old wizard wanted to refute, but for a moment he understood what the girl wanted to say. "You want to say...... If I affect you......"

"As a possible "sinner" in the future, follow your advice to make it happen again – but that's just sophistry, of course." Yuffie stood up slightly, her voice calm and clear, "There are many things I want to do in this world. This includes being a faculty member at the academy and being your student. ”

"But there are still some things I have to do." "Everyone can make mistakes, and so do I," she said. But if I don't do it, there must be something wrong. ”

"And if we leave, the head of the regiment will definitely be angry." Lynn's words shattered his last illusion, "It's better to say that there's always a place for you in our research room, Headmaster." ”

The old wizard sighed. This time he lost completely. He cleaned up his mood and made himself look less sad.

"If you have time, you are always welcome to come to the White Tower to find me." He couldn't protect anyone, and he couldn't join them. He only waits, and must wait. "Looks like I'm going to go home empty-handed this time."

"Empty-handed? How can it be. Bell shrugged his shoulders, picked up another leg of lamb on the table, dipped it in paprika, and handed it to him, "Here, take it and eat it on the way, it's comfortable!" ”

So Vanka took the leg of lamb, put it to his mouth, took a bite, and chewed it slowly.