There was a witch at the king's side, Marie Mancini, but to speak of a male wizard, then apart from the few whom the king had never met, there was only the potions master whom they occasionally met while passing through another town, and Louis remembered of that man, after all, his wife was so impressive, "I don't remember knowing a wizard," said the king, "and as a clergyman, you are not virtuous enough to say so." For the Roman Church, despite the establishment of the Inquisition and the recognition of the existence of dark creatures, the Church members still firmly proclaim that there are only a small number of dark creatures, and that the world is bright under the protection of God and saints – which is why the existence of the inner world is known only to the highest levels of the pyramid.

In 1525, the secular court of Navarre caused such an uproar that the following year the Inquisition convened a special meeting of ten people, at which the document made it clear that the majority of the members agreed that the sinners were not witches, because the crimes to which they confessed could not have existed, which may have been used as a mere imagination or to conceal the real crimes。

On this issue, Louis guessed that it was likely to be a painful run-in between the surface world and the inner world, and if half of the thirty witches were true, it could be said that it was a stern warning to the inner world, and the power that the Supreme Council of the Inquisition finally obtained ensured their control over the inner world and confirmed their authority in the table world.

As far as Louis peeped in, the presiding judge of the Paris Inquisition is a young man named Elarius, it is said that he can become the presiding judge and Cardinal Mazaran has an inseparable relationship, but he is like most of the current important ministers and nobles, he does not care about the young king, which is very ironic around the king so far only witches and vampires can know a little bit about it, maybe in the heart of the inquisitor, Louis is still just a child who can be deceived at will, but think about it, after Louis returns to Paris this time, there should also be a priest of the Inquisition next to him, after all, he is an adult, and Mr. Bishop Mazaran also intended to give him some simple political affairs.

Such accusations made the priest blush, he must admit that the king was right, but please forgive him, he really saw that the man used witchcraft, and he also killed people with poison, and that was the problem, he was going to hand him over to the secular court, but he shouted that he had seen the king, which made the priest hesitate, after all, the priest also had to think about the king's reputation, and he wanted to delay the matter until ...... He was saying that the man had been wounded and almost dead, so the priest waited until he was dead, but today he saw the king again.

"I do not remember seeing a wizard," said King Mercy, "but I never refuse anyone's request, as long as he is French, or he may have seen me and I don't remember, so bring him and let me see him, and I may remember." But you have to do it quietly, and don't let anyone know, because I don't intend to interfere with the law, and if he does kill someone, whether with poison or with a dagger, he should be hanged, but if he has a grievance, I am willing to hear it. ”

Since the king had said this, the clergyman had no reason to object, and a few hours later he came to the king with the man, and it is interesting to say that he did not hide himself from the night, but put a monk's robe over the man, and brought him into the king's palace in the open.

As soon as the king saw him, he recognized him as the potions master with whom they had made a deal, he was already horribly thin, and now he was even more out of shape, and needed the support of two monks to stand firmly, and it was no wonder that the priest would not hesitate to bring him to the king, even if he was really a wizard, like this, it was difficult to even lift his fingers, and his groggy condition would only attract pity, but not make people feel threatened— Mary jumped up at the sight of him, and after the priests had withdrawn (they were almost certain that the king knew the man), Mary gave him a little potion, and he awoke.

He smiled bitterly at the sight of Mary, and then turned his gaze to the king: "Ah," he said, "I should think that only you can get me out of prison." ”

"Maybe I'll send you back. Louie said, "You are accused of killing someone with poison." ”

The man was silent for a while: "I can only say that I have not hurt any innocent people. ”

Mary tugged at the king's sleeve.

"Tell me, then, where did you go when I saw you with your wife and daughter, and why are you here? I thought you were going to find a town to live in, and you had proof of identity and at least two thousand lipels of money. ”

"That's exactly what I did. The man said, "I went to a town with the money and identification you had given me, but in the middle of the inn a great man met my wife, and he fell at once in love with her, but my wife was so faithful to me that she immediately rejected him with righteous words, and the next day we left the place quickly, thinking that the matter was over, but who knows, I suddenly met a man I knew, and I had bought him a potion for his cough, and he caught me, and claimed that my potion had poisoned his son— His son is dead, but I swear it's not my potion, and every bottle is as safe as the one you get, but people don't believe me, and the officials here have thrown me in jail and confiscated all my possessions. ”

"Then how do they know you're a wizard?"

"I tell them, Your Majesty," the man gasped for a moment, and Mary handed him a bottle of potion, which he took and drank again:" Soon after I was imprisoned, a jailer told me that my wife had been taken up in a magnificent carriage, along with our two daughters, and I immediately thought of the great man, Your Majesty, this is the only possibility, my wife is loyal, but she is as fragile as a flower, and without me, she will be at a loss, and when that time comes, if someone tells her that she can clear my name, she will definitely believe that person without thinking. Alas, it's not that she's wrong, it's just a woman's natural weakness, and I don't blame her, but I also know that that person will not only not save me, but will also let me die as soon as possible.

And here, I don't even have a single person who knows me, Your Majesty, I can't find a single person willing to help me testify, and no one will help me get through the joints, bribe the judges, I can only admit that I am a wizard, because since more than a hundred years ago, the secular courts have not been allowed to judge wizards directly, my name will be transferred to the Inquisition, of course, it is also possible, I will still be hanged or burned, but I have at least bought myself more than two weeks, it is not useless, I am not waiting for you?"

"Do you have any proof that your potion didn't kill the child?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, if you are willing to investigate," said the Potions Master, "I sold the potion to that man six months ago, but his child died two months ago, who would save a potion for a cough until four months later before giving it to a sick child?" ”

At this point, Louis really glanced at the man, and to be honest, he had lost his interest in potions masters since he had learned that there was only so much to be done, but if he could find the cause of death from a corpse that had been buried for two months, then the skill he had mastered would be much more valuable than the so-called elixir of youth, and at least the king would be willing to lend his sometimes generous but stingy hand.

What happened after that, as the potions master had promised, he examined the traces of diphtheria from the child, and his potion only cured the cough, but had little effect on the real disease, so that he was not really a competent doctor, or a slack pharmacist, but it was nonsense to say that he had poisoned the child, so the man who had falsely accused him was hanged on the gallows that he wanted others to hang, and the potions master was brought to the king by the king's first attendant, Bontang.

"You are innocent now. Louie said.

"Thank you," said the potions master, "I don't think I'll ever be able to repay the favor you've bestowed upon me." ”

"You're trying to find your wife. The king said.

"And my daughter. ”

"But I don't recommend it. ”

"Why?"

"Because your wife has become the Duchess of Motmar, sir. ”

"It can't be!"

"It's entirely possible, the Duke of Motmar was completely enchanted by your lady, he sent you to prison with one hand, and took her and your daughter with the other, you also said, women are always weak, she has children, three, she must think about her children, and now she has not only become a duchess, but three children have also been recognized by the duke - by the way, your youngest child has also been born, just a few days ago, also a girl. ”

The Potions Master stood where he was, he stood there, straight, he was now free and healthy, but he looked even more terrible and weak now than he had been in prison.

"I beg your pardon, I'm still going to look for her. ”

"Then read the letter first. "This is not a letter from your wife," said the king, "but a letter from your daughter, Artenaeus, written by my messenger, and what she wants to say to you, and then decide whether or not to go to Bordeaux." ”

————

The following is a letter dictated by a five-year-old girl and ghostwritten by the King's Messenger:

To Mr. Varro Vesali, my father:

At the time you read this letter, my mother, your wife, was already married to Monsieur de la Duke, and my youngest sister, born two days after their marriage, but just like us, she was recognized by Monsieur Duke, that is, from this moment on, your wife, became a Duchess, and my sister and I became the Duke's daughters.

I want to say that you are a good husband and a good father, and when you are with you, your mother is very happy, and my sister and I can feel your love for me, but you are still at fault, and your mistake is that you should not be your mother's husband.

I'm young, father, and you say that often, but even when I'm young, I know that it's hard for a man to keep a treasure that he doesn't have the power to protect, as you told me in the story that even a dragon will rob its treasure, and you're just an ordinary potions master.

Mother loves you, there is no doubt about that, she only agreed to the Duke's proposal, thinking that you were dead, and she could not afford to continue to raise us, and she was even pregnant and needed to be cared for, but I will say, father, this is the happiest and most stable life I have seen her live since I can remember.

She won't wake up in the middle of the night from a dripping roof, she won't have a rat falling on her, and she won't have to worry about being evicted by her landlord...... Or insults, yes, when you can't see it, she has three regular meals a day, and supper and snacks, a maid to serve her, to massage her cramped legs and feet, her children can be fed and well-dressed, she no longer has to pay attention to a few Leyards in her pocket, and the biggest worry every day is whether to put a narcissus or a rose in the water bottle.

My life with Sara was also peaceful. Although we were not able to see our mother, we were allowed to live on the estate, and we had fifty livres a month in pocket money, and we had to take lessons—Latin, flute and singing, dancing, and some classes that we would not start until we were older.

So I thought, Father, if you feel that life like the one you used to have was better than the life you have now, you can come here and show up to your mother, or you can take us with you.

Merlin has handed us over to you, so we await your verdict now.

Kiss you.

Françoise Atenais de Rocheshua de Motmar