"Allow me to apologize for the gaffe, but it's just too much." Walking side by side with Professor Samuel in the academy, Fernand no longer showed a smile of reunion after a long absence, and his expression was heavy and not fake, "I don't know what to say. ”

"Was there a fire in the experiment, or was Morrison present? Or is it a metaphorical, descriptive way of saying that he is unwilling to continue serving here, and is not literal? ”

"And Kalman? Why did he go back to Dunling? Lyndon also lacks a real sense of this, the old knowledge he just mentioned, turned around and received the news of death, life is impermanent.

They stopped in front of a bust in the gallery that was brighter than the others. It was an old man with a white beard, neatly groomed, dressed in a red-collared and black robe, about the same age as Fernand, sitting in the background surrounded by bookshelves.

The painter is highly skilled, depicting the moment when the figure puts down the pen and turns around, as if he heard the voice calling his name in writing, and when he stops writing, his eyes are in good spirits and he looks at the outsider.

A line of small letters is in the bottom right corner of the canvas:

[Morrison, former professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Dunling]

It was not until this portrait that Fernand finally became willing to believe that what Professor Samuel said was true, not some overly joke or metaphor, "I never thought that such a thing would happen to Morrison, I would rather believe that he fell asleep or died in the struggle with some incurable disease." ”

"But a fire, a lab fire? He's not one of those alchemists, even if a little more careful, or a few months later." His regret and regret are beyond words, and it seems that "old friends" are indeed not ridiculous words, or that decades of secret rivalry between friends and enemies have already deepened the relationship to the point that it is impossible to explain it in a few words.

I came to communicate with the highest achievement I have seen in my life, but I learned that the other party passed away not long ago, and the victory and defeat and superiority have lost their meaning, and they have fallen in front of insurmountable obstacles.

"I'm sorry, I was rude." His old state seemed to have added a little more out of thin air, and he lost the interest that fueled his spirit along the way, "This is a disaster for the entire academic community, please accept my belated condolences." ”

"You don't have to blame yourself, no one can think of such a thing. Death is an inevitable and incurable disease, and all we can do is postpone it as long as possible. ”

Unsurprised by Rivers' sad expression, Samuel nodded in response, leading them through the gallery into the academy, scattering the excess petals in his hand back into the flowerbed greenery, which had been clearly torn off.

The structure of the medical school is similar to that of most independent spaces, in the shape of a hollow "hui", with white stone buildings on all sides surrounding a large open-air garden, and pruned shrubs cut into axisymmetric blocks for faculty and students to relax or discuss academics, and the central avenue leads straight to the main building of the Dome Ceiling.

Those who walk into the courtyard should have a more intuitive impression of the word "ivory tower", the wings of the manhui unfold like finely carved ivory surrounding the garden, and the calm little yellowish does not make it lose its color, but makes its tone closer to the pair of ivory sculptures held up by velvet cushions, which is full of antiquity.

However, the good environment is not fully utilized. A figure who was supposed to be a priest passed by several armed men in white burqas, and the scabbard under the burqa slapped rhythmically against the armor as they walked around, ruining the good academic atmosphere.

"The people in the Inquisition Chamber have always been very concerned about the safety of the medical school, and it is a great honor to have people in addition to patrolling Dunling to help investigate the fire." Samuel didn't squint, as if he was explaining to his guests, but his voice didn't converge.

The priest who led the team looked like he was about thirty or forty years old, and he didn't understand the thorns in the professor's words, and drew a circle on his chest for the regular church service, "Where is the duty." ”

This kind of businesslike attitude annoyed Samuel, and the two sides seemed to be in a state of helplessness against each other, but every second of the existence of the Inquisition was a disturbance to the normal order, "I don't know what is there to work for you here, do you think there is any secret to be unearthed in an old man who has died?" ”

"That's not the case, Professor Samuel, we're just doing what we're told."

"Then please explain your true intentions, or finish quickly. Bearing in mind that this is also part of the Crown Domain, not the Cathedral of Our Lady, I have the right at any time to present your actions to His Majesty in my capacity as a royal advisor. ”

"I'm not obligated or authorized to explain anything to you, but if you really think there's nothing wrong with this, please." The priest pointed to the dome of the hemisphere, and the crowd noticed that on the dark side of the hemisphere, near the side-opening skylight, the shadows were particularly dark.

It is not difficult to imagine the scene at that time, with tongues of fire several feet long bursting out of the window, burning and baking, and the smoke roasting the white stone into a charred carbon black.

"Even if there were, I don't think progress would be miraculous in a few months." Samuel, whose face was darker than the fire, blocked the conversation and led the team into the long table side hall that served as both a dinner party and a meeting.

The situation is exceptional, but Tunling University has not lost some basic decency. The table top is covered with silk velvet upholstery and decorated with flowers, and several large multi-branched candlesticks are ready for nocturnal activities.

"As you can see, the current situation in the academy is special, please forgive me if there is any inattentive hospitality. The welcome banquet is already being arranged, so you can communicate first, and someone will take you to your off-campus accommodation after the dinner. ”

Although it was possible to communicate first, the bad atmosphere on the short way off the boat made everyone have nothing to talk about, and they immediately fell into a cold scene after sitting down.

Due to the death of the central figure and the interference of the Church Inquisition's investigation for months, the Dunling side is in a state of internal instability. And Rivers's visit was disrupted by unexpected circumstances, and if the originally relaxed and happy itinerary continued as planned, there was a suspicion of taking advantage of people's danger to come to the door to find trouble, not only would it be meaningless to win.

"I don't feel right." Professor Linden, as the representative of the surgical society, sat next to Kraft, leaned in and whispered, "I have been to that laboratory, and it used to be used as an anatomy classroom, and the place is not small, what can be burned like that?" ”

"The flask made of ether was fried before, and the oil was sprinkled again, and only half of the room was burned, so Morrison, they won't be splashing oil in the laboratory, right?"

[Not necessarily impossible]

The outside was blackened, and there was probably not much left of it except for carbon and stone.

"Indeed, do you know anyone here who would be appropriate to ask privately?" I have to admit that Kraft's impression of the church has rarely improved recently, and if they look more closely, they may be able to reduce at least half of the burden.

Lyndon was surprised by Kraft's gossip tendencies, "Ask what? It's their internal problem, and even if there is a problem, it's none of our business. Dunling is not as concerned as other places, the Inquisition, who knows if it will cause a bunch of trouble. ”

"Yes." With my current status, I am not suitable to take the initiative to ask sensitive topics, so I can only try it slowly after getting acquainted with it in the next communication. But in this way, Professor Samuel, the temporary speaker, has not yet sat in a hot chair, and it is still a question whether the exchange can be carried out smoothly and how it will progress after the launch.

"It's hard to do, the dead are not easier to deal with than the living."

(End of chapter)