The Kingdom of Van Lun Tieno, 123 of the Alchemy Calendar.

It was the most prosperous year before the fall of the kingdom.

At the same time, Van Lenteno was also in a very chaotic period of the country's situation.

About half a month after Alphonse woke up, the real cold of the year began to invade the land like a beast.

In Victor's hotel, the exhausted teenager has been in a semi-comatose state due to his weak body and the serious injuries he suffered during the monster attack.

Truth be told, Priscia had never seen an adventurer so physically weak.

Even if you are a beginner who has just stepped into the journey, you will not end up so miserable when you are attacked, right?

But as the old saying goes, women are generally delicate and have an innate element of caring for others - under the careful care of Prisia for more than half a month.

So far, Alphonse's physical condition has improved a lot, and he has returned to his usual state for a while.

On this day, the boy spent a short time packing his belongings - in fact, it was just a bag of daily necessities and some medicines.

"Thank you so much for taking care of me these days."

After thanking the girl and saying goodbye, Alphonse picked up his backpack and prepared to continue his journey.

Just as he was about to take the first step out of the hotel with confidence, his sleeve was suddenly pulled tightly by the person behind him.

Priscia stared at Alfonse with a grim look on her face.

Alphonse also cast a puzzled look at her.

"Look around outside before you go out! A sucker! Come back first. ”

Sensing the danger lurking outside the noisy door, Priscia dragged Alphonse back to her room without explaining why.

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked as Prisia let go of her hand tugging at her sleeve and carefully closed the door.

She didn't answer directly, but pointed out the window, motioning for Alphonse to see what was going on outside.

Outside the window, there is a unique scenery - a clear and clean winter sky......

"It's not that you want to look at the sky! Fool. ”

Alphonse, who was scolded by Priscia, turned his gaze to the street in embarrassment.

Still life-like light-colored houses, with their proper contours eroded by snow;

And on the neat avenue, where the snowdrifts have long been cleared, leather-clad alien adventurers mingle with local cloth-clad civilians......

There are also a few unidentified people who are half-hidden in corners of the street, grocery stacks, and other corners that are not easy for others to detect.

"See those guys? The mysterious people who hide in every corner and watch over the hotel are the "Northern Thieves" who have recently been active in Van Lentieno. ”

It turned out that just as Alphonse stepped out of the door, Priscia happened to spot the minions of the thieves lurking around the hotel.

And her intuition told her that this strong lingering assassination aura was nothing else, and it was for this young man who was just recovering from his illness.

Priscia had learned the details of the thieves from her elders.

They were not among the citizens of the kingdom of Van Lentieno, and just a few years ago they had coveted the coins in the pockets of the wealthy Van Lentieno people, or because of the lax system of the kingdom, or for various reasons they had gained a foothold in this country and began to do evil and disturb the people's livelihood.

It is estimated that they are a group of thieves from other small countries south of the kingdom.

Because their attire is different from the everyday attire of the people of the kingdom, the pitch-black one-piece dress gives people a strange feeling of coming from a foreign land.

"If you look at the costumes of those mysterious people, it's obvious that they're all different from ours, and if you look at their eyes, it's not hard to see that they're definitely not a good thing."

Alphonse woke up suddenly, "Yes! They are indeed a group of thieves! It's so dangerous. At the same time, he was secretly amazed by the girl's eagle-like eyesight.

"Hey, you know about the thieves too?"

"That's all I know by name."

Priscia looked like that again—her green eyes as clear as a lake, as if they reflected everything in Alphonse's heart.

A woman's sensitive instinct tells her that behind Alphonse's seemingly innocent face lies some secret behind it.

"The first thing to do now is to tell the Knights stationed there that the Bandits have appeared in Victorell and are eyeing you. I'll go out first, and don't step out of the hotel until I get back! ”

"No, it's useless, the Knights won't believe it." Alphonse said indifferently, as if he had had experienced such a lie seen by others before.

Priscia's reply was unexpected.

"Why is it so decided? The knights stationed in the area are the "Royal Knights"! ”

"Imagine that a group of thieves would target and track down an adventurer, that sounds unbelievable. Besides, the Royal Knights will not have time to care about the life and death of an adventurer. ”

"Don't be so pessimistic! Wait, you say "tracking"? Could it be that the same group attacked you on the snowy fields of Bliza? ”

Hearing the truth, Alphonse responded in the affirmative with a brief silence, and continued: "So, there is no need to trouble the knights, I can escape by myself before dark." ”

Alphonse added, "They won't believe it." ”

"But it's true that the thieves are eyeing you, isn't it?"

Priscia ignored Alphonse, whose mind was full of pessimistic thoughts, and she had already made up her mind, "Wait until I come back!" Hide in the hotel and don't go away! ”

Alphonse looked out the window and watched the moment the girl's figure disappear into the corner.

For the sake of her own safety, her advice is always in her heart.

In the dark alley of nothingness, Priscia whistled into the air, and then heard the faint sound of someone landing behind her.

"Master, what do you command?"

A black-clad man with a bird-like body half-knelt on the ground and honored Priscia as "master".

"You should be aware of it—the minions of the Northern Thieves extend to such a small town. Ray, you report this to the Royal Knights, and let them send someone to kill it. ”

Priscia suddenly remembered Alphons' words, and he seemed to have a great distrust of the work of the Royal Knights.

So she emphasized: "In the name of your master, and at the same time their master, Prisia." ”

"Yes, master."

The retinue after receiving the order leaped over the high wall behind them, and then disappeared without a trace. Priscia also turned to leave.

Alphons, who was anxiously waiting for the girl's return in the hotel, felt restless at this time.

In fact, he was worried about the girl's safety. Speaking of which, she is really bold enough to dare to go out alone even though she knows that there is danger outside.

After holding on to this thought for a moment, Alphonse looked out the window in surprise, and what he was waiting for was not a girl, but a line from the Royal Knights.

They did not enter the hotel, but searched all corners of the neighborhood as carefully as if they were searching for a wanted man from the state.

The thieves, who were still spying on Alphonse a moment ago, escaped quickly. Until now, the Knights have searched to no avail, but in order to prevent it, they still leave a small detachment of knights to patrol the streets with swords.

Look at the grim expressions on their faces, as if their superiors have given orders that cannot be disobeyed and must be carefully completed.

"In a few moments, the gang will disappear from the town, either captured or escaped. Take advantage of that time and continue your journey. ”

When Alphonse saw Priscia enter the room, she spoke calmly, as if the matter had been easily resolved.

"You're amazing...... Last time, I also went to the Emperor's side...... But no one paid any attention to me at that time! ”

"Hmm...... Maybe they had something important to do at the time. ”

"How is it possible, they are all sitting in the hall drinking tea and chatting."

"Well, how is that possible?"

"Believe it or not, I'm ready to go."

At this time, in front of the door of the hotel, I deliberately paid attention to Priscia around her, and this time I could no longer feel the dangerous aura of assassination.

Completely relieved, she gladly saw Alphonse off.

The girl had to leave Victrell in a few days because of something important.

"By the way, I've known each other for so long, I still don't know where you're headed." The girl asked, as Alfonse left.

"Glacis, the king." Alphonse lifted his bags and looked back.

"You're going to the royal capital? Why? When she heard the destination of the royal capital Francis, the girl looked a little surprised.

"Because of something." Alphonse said vaguely.

"What a coincidence, my destination is also the royal capital."

Seeing that the boy was not a wicked man, and that after a month of living in harmony, she learned that Alphonse was still a good-hearted man, so she now informed him of her identity.

"Let me tell you, in fact, I am a nobleman of the kingdom, and I secretly ran out here to explore the previous month. Now that I've been away from home for so long, I have to go back to the royal capital, otherwise...... My father will be upset. ”

Priscia's voice grew quieter, she didn't want her family to worry about her, and she was afraid of her stern father.

In addition, she traveled for the purpose of finding detailed clues about a mysterious imprint.

It all started just a few years after the recent resurgence of magic, when the scholars of Van Lentino stumbled upon some mysterious records in Elven language from ancient scriptures.

The ancient scriptures prophesied the existence of a new magic-like power, which would come to the world in the form of a seal.

Scholars refer to this illusory imprint as the "emblem".

The purpose of the sigil is unknown, but it is certain that the emblem is sealed with energy equal to the power of magic, and most likely, its energy explosiveness is even superior to that of traditional magic.

Once this power is invested in war, there is no doubt that the balance of victory will be tilted in favor of the side with the power of the emblem.

In this way, the military power of the Van Lenteno Kingdom has also been strengthened, and it is no longer afraid of any foreign enemies.

Priscia became interested in this power, for no other reason than the fact that she was born with such a rudimentary form on her chest.

It was a dark green emblem shaped like a clover, which Kingdom scholars described as a symbol of the kamikaze.

Those who possess this "kamikaze" symbol will be blessed by the goddess of wind at all times.

It's just that Priscia is now an underage and can't play the role that the emblem should have.

Priscia wanted to gain access to this mystical power as soon as possible.

The thousand-year-old royal blood has precipitated an unquenchable thirst for power, and always has a sense of pride in following the strong.

Although she is delicate and weak, her heart is more tenacious than any male warrior.

So she ventured out of the royal capital and traveled throughout the kingdom to find clues and all the emblem bearers, so that they could gather to serve the kingdom and follow in the footsteps of the king of Van Lentino.

It can be said that in order to meet the strong and strengthen the kingdom, she can give up everything outside her body.

However, a month-long investigation was fruitless, and this time it was a futile.

"I see. No wonder you can convince the Knights of the Royal Order to search for the bandits. Since we're both on the same page, why don't we ...... What about walking together? ”

"That's fine, I've been worried about you anyway, and I didn't take a few steps before I was caught by those guys."

Priscia heartily agreed.

"Well, please advise me on the future journey!"

In this way, Alphonse also stayed on Victorel for a few days in order to travel with her to the royal capital.

Luckily, there was no sign of the Northern Thieves for the past few days, and it was as if it had disappeared from Priscia's keen sight.

And the group of knights who received the patrol order also kept wandering in the street.

As for the civilians who didn't know what was going on, they thought that monsters had started to haunt them recently. It's a good thing to be on guard, but it makes the unsuspecting people in the town nervous.

If Victor hadn't had the sunshine as clear as today, it would have felt even colder than any other city.

However, just as Alphonse was about to go, he was thinking this, when snowflakes flew on the road.

Priscia sighed at the difference between the town and the royal capital, and she finally understood the difference between the town and the capital, who had never gone out.

Not only the difference in the number of residents, but also the size of the houses and even the width of the streets.

It's the same with people. Most of the teenagers in the royal capital who were the age of Alfonse would stay in the academy to learn magic, martial arts, and literature and history until they graduated and became adventurers with sufficient qualifications.

Therefore, parents do not allow their children who are too young to travel far away.

In this regard, Priscia's family is even more so.

To save time on the road, she stopped a carriage and planned to ride it to her next destination.

The car is filled with a calming fragrance.

If you ignore the sound of the horses leading the way, there is a very comfortable environment in the car. She thought so until the boy sitting across from her spoke.

"Thank you so much for being willing to accompany a dangerous person targeted by a group of thieves."

Alphonse was embarrassed and a little guilty about his reluctant invitation to travel with him the other day, and the travel companions he was traveling with would undoubtedly be affected.

"You can rest assured that I will do my best to protect you until I reach the royal capital. Because I was at odds with the wicked men and bandits. However, if you can, can you tell us why you were targeted by those guys? ”

At this moment, the young man pinned his eyes to the window, as if it was some ulterior secret, and was hesitating to reveal it to outsiders.

"If it's inconvenient, then don't say it."

Seeing Alphonse's hesitant look, Priscia immediately gave up her plan to ask further.

Unexpectedly, this time Alphonse was finally willing to reveal it, and he whispered: "You are so kind...... Actually, the thieves aren't targeting me, it's something like this—"

As he spoke, he took out the talisman dagger from his waist that was wrapped in leather and had a blade.

"This?" Priscia wondered.

Alfonse carefully unbuttoned the leather, revealing a glimmer of gold.

The full view of a golden short sword was displayed in front of the two of them.

Its handle is like a common handle, and the length of the blade is quite bizarre.

What's even more amazing is that it can shine so dazzlingly under the sunlight, and compete with the daylight.

Priscia grasped it in her hand and was amazed at the lightness of the dagger, and concluded that it was not made of bulky gold.

The dagger-like dagger seems to have been used not only for personal protection, but also for precious gold.

So she really couldn't understand why the thieves would have the intention of plundering this thing.

But either way, it's a valuable item unmistakable.

"Is this the treasure they're eyeing?"

Alphonse nodded in the affirmative.

"This is not an ordinary short sword, but the prototype of a legendary holy sword. That's what the people who raised me said to me. ”

-

After an hour's drive, the next destination of the two of them, the capital of time, Womminbele, is in front of them.

The City of Time is full of pedestrians.

On the central street, where all kinds of goods are dazzling, the merchants who buy and sell are laughing, the misers are still haggling for the price difference of a copper coin, and there are evil people who secretly worship like a group of thieves, who are staring at the two people who are entering the city at this moment.

There is a mystery that is no different from that time.

The stalker's every move could not escape Priscia's hawkeye, and she told Alphonse not to leave her side before entering the city, and to be vigilant about the situation around her.

Because in the City of Time, not only are the thieves closely following these two people, but this time there are also some professional assassins.

Priscia did not explicitly discover where the Assassins were hiding, and they may have been following them in disguise as any passerby in front of them or behind them, or they might have been watching their movements through binoculars, or they might have planned to sneak up on rooftops for assassination.

The only thing that could be detected was the murderous aura that diffused from their bodies.

She thought to herself, what was the short sword in Alfons's hand that actually caused her to kill?

Seeing that he still looks innocent and ignorant, I am really anxious for him.

"Speaking of which, is it a holiday today?"

Alphonse was completely unaware of the danger lurking around him, and was fascinated by the lively atmosphere of the city.

"Huh? It seems that today is the "Harvest Day", a festival unique to the capital of time. ”

In the harvest season, there is a jubilant beauty in Womminbel.

As far as Prisia knows, the capital of time is mainly to grow a crop that can thrive in the snowy environment.

And this year, Ruixue ushered in a huge and gratifying harvest.

The peasants believed that this was the return of the snow goddess Snowy and brought the blessings of heaven.

Therefore, in the past few days, taking advantage of the arrival of the annual "Harvest Festival", a celebration called "Ruixue Harvest Year" is held.

Travelers from other places seem to have been infected with the festive atmosphere, putting away their swords and shields, changing into their usual casual clothes, and devoting themselves to the annual festivities.

"Shall we go and see the most famous building in the City of Time, the Tower of Time?"

"Huh? But...... Wait a minute......" Before Priscia could reply, Alphonse reached out and grabbed her arm, and pulled her in the direction of the towering building in front of her.

"Hey, it's dangerous to walk around!" Priscia warned.

"It's okay, there are a lot of people on the other side of the tower, and it is estimated that they don't dare to mess around, let's go."

This Alphonse, in the end, is there a lack of tendons in his brain. Priscia didn't argue, saying that she had never been to the city's places of interest, and it was a good idea to take advantage of this only opportunity to visit.

The bronze body of the tower seems to condense the traces of time left over from history, and it is covered with scars of war.

Despite this, the Tower of Time is still standing after thousands of years of wind and rain, and the war, wind and rain and scars have made this historical witness today.

It can be said that it is the oldest building in the kingdom of Van Lentieno, and it has witnessed the rise and prosperity of the kingdom like a giant.

It took two hours for the two of them to reach the top of the tower.

While Priscia breathed in the fresh air that only existed high in the sky, Alphonse was panting and almost collapsed from exhaustion.

From the observation deck here, you can see the whole of Van Lentino.

A vista is reflected in Prissia Cui's emerald eyes.

The borders of Van Lentino stretch to the end of the Great Desert of Philaeander in the east, to the mysterious sea of the dead in the west, to the north by the icy Snowva Mountains, and to the south that cannot be seen here, close to the southern borders of some small southern barbarian countries.

This is its own country, not so vast and vast, but so small that it is actually here that you can witness its complete territory.

It would be nice if I could conquer more territory with my father.

To do this, you must have the power of the "emblem".

Your own thirst for power is a kind of stubbornness that others cannot understand. It is our natural responsibility to make the Kingdom endure.

"What are you thinking? An unhappy look. ”

Alphonse suddenly pressed his face very close and asked.

"Huh?" Priscia, blushing, turned her head to the other side, strands of flowing hair brushing his face.

"I wonder if I can see Alphonse's hometown from the top of the tower?"

"That's where ......," he said, pointing to the great snowfield of Bliza in front of a sea of trees, and said proudly, "the snowfield is my hometown." ”

"But, as far as I know, there's no one in the snowy plains of Briza?"

"That's right, that's true......" Alphonse's eyes kept staring at the snowy field where he had lived, and memories came to his mind.

"I was raised by a white dragon named Desfield."

"You...... Just kidding, right? The pure white dragon Desfeld? That's a phantom beast recorded in ancient books! Even in this age of magical resurgence, we still haven't found any legendary phantom beasts. ”

Priscia was incredulating what the boy in front of her was saying, but he probably wouldn't lie. If there is something he doesn't want to tell anyone, he will only remain silent, and he will not perfunctory others with lies.

"Since monsters also live in this world like humans, it's not surprising that there are phantom beasts, right? Warcraft and Phantom Beasts, in addition to the difference of one word, are actually a kind of Phantom Beast species with the same origin and twins. That's what Desfield used to teach me. ”

"I'm going to see the pure white dragon with my own eyes. Can you take me back to where you used to live? ”

"Where do you live?" The word seemed to hit the most vulnerable place in Alphonse's heart, and his face suddenly darkened, "I...... There's no going back. ”

"Otherwise, I can't believe it."

The boy was silent again. Later, he muttered to himself like a self-deprecating man, "Indeed, no one will believe it." ”

Priscia felt like she was speechless, "I'm sorry, but ......"

At this time, in order to confirm to the girl that what he said was true, Alphonse seemed to have made up his mind, and slowly raised his left hand, "I have the evidence." Let me show you the sigil, which was carved for me by Desfield herself. Although she said that she should not show it in front of outsiders at will, saying that it would lead to death. But...... Your words ......"

With that, Alphonse removed the coarse cloth glove he wore on his left hand and showed the "mark" on the back of his hand.

When the "emblem" appeared in Prisia eyes, she felt that the air around her, and even the magical particles, had turned into an icy aura and gathered, as if in response to the call of the emblem.

In this dragon totem, which symbolizes the cold glow of ice, there is an abundance of blue magical light.

Priscia took his left hand and examined it carefully. Sure enough, this is the legendary emblem.

In the past, scholars generally believed that the holder of the emblem had great power and was an existence capable of changing the fate of the kingdom.

And now the emblem holder who appears in front of him is a beginner adventurer who has no power to restrain the chicken.

"The purpose of my visit to the royal capital is to join the royal knights of the kingdom. One day a few years ago, Desfeld read the prophecy implied by the seven stars of the North Pole in the night sky, and predicted that Van Lentino would be in danger of destroying the country. In order to avoid the fall of the kingdom, she asked me to go to the royal capital to convince the royal family and join the Knights. ”

"Kingdom falls? How could it be! "Priscia is half-convinced, as long as this adventurer joins the Imperial Horse, the so-called catastrophe of destruction can be avoided?

It's so ridiculous, he himself is still being chased and killed by a group of thieves, and it is difficult to protect himself, how can he talk about protecting his family and defending the country?

Moreover, the kingdom of Van Lun Tieno is still prosperous, like an awakened dragon soaring in the sky, showing its glory and style to the world.

With the joyful harvest of the ancient capital of Woombelle, Priscia was convinced that the kingdom would last forever.

Alphonse suddenly felt his body being held by a strong arm, and then he was thrown out of the way, falling to the hard stone floor a few meters away.

Just as he staggered to his feet, his eyes suddenly saw that there was a tall man in black beside Priscia.

There is no doubt that the blow he received himself was inflicted by this man.

"Young ......," said the man in black sternly, "I will arrest you for spreading rumors that are not good for the kingdom and for the golden apple."

"Wait, hey, stop!" Prisia behind him, his master, paused.

"Princess! This person ......"

"He who does not know is not guilty, and he is not a bad person."

In view of the master's stern drinking order, the entourage also had to stop.

Then Priscia turned to Alphonse and said sternly, with a hint of firmness in her words: "Van Lentino will never suffer destruction. The prosperity of the kingdom is not an illusory veil, but a reality, just as you and I feel and feel in the capital today.

In the event of an invasion that leads to the destruction of the kingdom, the Royal Knights, the elite of the royal family, will do everything in their power to defend the kingdom.

Each of them, like the Black Knight of Thunder, beside me, is as powerful as the Emblem, and is strong enough to resist foreign enemies even without the emblem. ”

At that time, Alphonse did not tell Priscia the real reason for the imminent demise of the kingdom, and he was silent at that time, and did not continue to argue.

"Princess, it's time to go back to the royal capital and let the villain prepare the carriage and horses for you."

"No, no need, according to the original plan, I will return to the royal capital with Alphonse."

Priscia kindly extended her hand to Alphonse, who was slumped on the ground, and had long since regained her usual composure.

"But...... This teenager ...... Princess, do you remember the allusions that the Tutor of St. Zelface once explained to you? Aphrodite's "Apple" will start the Trojan War! ”

"Enough is enough, you are so annoying, there is no such thing as a "curse" that can cause war in a prosperous kingdom! That's it! Priscia looked impatient, and her attendants were helpless against the princess's willfulness.

"Alphonse, don't let what happened just now ruin the mood of the journey, I know you didn't do it on purpose."

Alphonse didn't speak.

"It's rare to meet the harvest festival today, why don't we relax tonight, stay in Shidu for one night, enjoy the fun of dinner with all the people, and continue to return to the royal capital the next day!"

-

In the middle of the night, the moon and stars are scarce. Filsa woke up from her sleep, her consciousness still a little blurred, her body heavy for no reason, and her mind was confused.

Shirley curled up beside her, sleeping like a rabbit, her mouth slightly open, as if whispering.

Remembering carefully, in the first half of the night, it was as if I had a long dream.

The dream was as real as a memory in my mind, like an adventure I had experienced;

It's like a story narrated by someone else, and I'm just a character in that script.

He dreamed that he had become the boy named Alphonse, who traveled with Priscia to the Capital of Time and ascended the Tower of Time...... The dream came to an abrupt end here.

The poisonous pain in his hand brought Filsa to his senses.

Because this time the pain was stronger than ever.

He raised his paralyzed left hand, looking for the source of the sharp pain in the blurred vision of the night. Later, he noticed that the back of his hand was actually imprinted with a mysterious trace that radiated a green glow.

The glow of magic lit up in Filsa's eyes, and he secretly wondered, "No, this is ...... Emblem? ”