Sixteenth Dance

He stood on a hillside on the outskirts of the city. It's off the road and it's a sloping area that is not suitable for farming. Only the ibex looked up vigilantly at the strange visitor who had invaded their territory. They know that this creature has invisible claws that can grasp them from great distances. But this time it was too far away, so they didn't flee in all directions.

"Master, start preparing and concentrate!"

He focused his will on his eyebrows, feeling the force inside his body, and trying to use it to harmonize with the outside. It is not a meaningless breeze that flows in the air, but energy, the eight winds of magic. He felt a door of consciousness open to him, and his spirit suddenly broke away from his body and leaped into the void.

Beyond the void, there are countless beams of energy fluttering, not like wind, but like water. Everywhere, up and down. He stretched out his thinking hand in the void to grasp the flowing water, and the water-like energy rushed into his body with a gruesome sense of filth.

He felt his teeth chattering. It was the cold and the bone-chilling flames that melted the body, full of the sweetness of life, but also the filth of pollution, and the conflict within his body was about to be swept into the eternal pulse of his soul and body. But he suppressed the pulsations, forcing them to stop like he was pulling the reins of a horse.

Now he can weave the flow of energy that has been surrendered at will. At first, little by little, then in piles and groups, and finally like a raging river, all the energy is released.

The void collapsed.

Ashrufat sat on the ground, gasping for air. On the hillside in front of him, a fountain of flames was presenting. Dirt and gravel erupted from the ground with flames, one after another, each one ten people tall.

"Well done, hosts. You'll be able to catch the wind of magic with great skill. Carrie's body appeared in front of him, wearing a hat like rabbit ears, out of place with everything around her. "From now on, you can impersonate a magician without being detected, hehe!"

It's nowhere near as good as black magic. At least when using the dark arts, he wouldn't feel the greasy grease. This feeling goes deep into the muscles, bones, and even the soul, and lingers. It's also a lot easier to use black magic, and there's no danger of being swallowed up by a wave at any moment.

"That's because your body is very suitable for Type 2 spiritual energy, which is black magic. However, in order to be able to hide your identity as much as possible in this world, you must also master a type of spiritual energy and ordinary magic. ”

"I've decided to be a lord of St. Jean. Ashrufat replied. "Why do you have to learn this?"

"Because you're going to leave after forty years. Otherwise, people will notice your abnormal lifespan. Carrie seemed aggrieved and replied. "There's always nothing wrong with being prepared. ”

Ashrufat stood up, it was not too early. It's time to go to the palace for that ball.

He's forgotten about vampires. Because he has never had any thirst for blood until now. This is true even on bloody battlefields. The blood splashed on your body during the battle may arouse the passion of the battle, but it will definitely not make you appetite.

"Go and see Her Royal Highness the princess named Ah Qiu, I haven't seen her for a long time. He muttered to himself and walked towards the city.

Entering the royal palace is a very simple matter.

Because the palace has been vacant for a long time, many things are not yet on track. For example, there was no official arrangement for the selection of the palace guards, and it was a group of knights in the army who came to be on duty. Ashruphat didn't need to take out the invitation to be recognized by the knights at once. He just had to say hello and walked straight into the dance party.

It's still early. Because the site is very large, it doesn't seem like there are many people. But at the moment, there are at least a hundred people. Ashrufat's gaze swept over, and he saw no one he knew except Thomas. General Thomas sat in a corner, caressing his lyre. Many women surrounded him like stars holding the moon.

“...... The brave are not born, and the times shape themselves...... After doing his best, the deeds are praised...... Duty is unthanked, honor will never be lost...... What does it mean to be a hero and sacrifice one's life for righteousness......"

Above the strings, there is a faint mournful tune. Thomas is not really a master player, and his songs are not the kind of songs that are bright and joyful, and easy to amuse women. But I don't know what the Tao is about, there are so many women who love to listen.

And that's a lot of them! There were more than thirty women on a simple visual look! More than half of the women in the audience were gathered around him at this moment.

If these women were forty or fifty years old, then they could barely be explained. But the problem is, there are also a lot of young girls. There are several of them, and no matter how you look at them, they look like twelve or thirteen years old.

Ashrufat thought it was a little incredible.

Although still very strong and looking far from as old as he really is, Thomas is in his eighties.

"Don't be jealous, Ashrufat. A voice rang out from behind him. Ashrufat didn't turn his head to know that it was Leo who had arrived.

"The charm of Lord Count Thomas is not comparable to that of you or me. There was a sad sigh in Leo's voice. "Don't get me wrong, that's the lyre. ”

"The girls...... I'm too young. Ashrufat gestured with his hand. Thomas's age, no matter how you look at it, is qualified to be their grandfather, or even great-grandfather.

"This kind of thing, you get used to it when you see it a lot. Leo replied. But Ashrufat felt that there was always a little unwillingness in his voice. "Our Lord General Thomas is the most attractive man in all of St. Jean, in fact, far more than the country of St. Jean. Even if you call him a 'heartthrob', it is not enough to describe it. If Count Thomas had slept at night without closing the bedroom door, at least fifty women would sneak into his bed. Hey, like you, I can only envy, envy and hate. ”

Ashrufat didn't find Thomas so charismatic. Yes, Thomas must have looked good when he was young, but in any case, he is now in his eighties, and he has long since gray hair.

"What do you mean...... They want to ...... with Master Thomas."

"Married!" Leo said the last word for Ashruphat bluntly.

"All of them?"

"All of them. ”

"How is that possible?" Perhaps those middle-aged women in their forties and fifties who still have charm have such ambitions. But those are almost like underage little girls...... They must have just admired the hero, or simply joined in the fun and surrounded Thomas.

"That's the beauty of the 'golden bachelor'. Ah, our Lord Thomas is not even a 'golden bachelor', it would be more appropriate to say 'diamond bachelor'. Before the war, an important part of my job was to show the way to the men who came to the door to propose to Master Thomas. ”

"Ashrufat, do you want to know why Thomas is so charming?"

These words aroused Ashrufat's curiosity. He nodded.

"First of all, Lord Thomas is mild-mannered and dignified. Although he is old, he is still in good health. Even if it can't be called personable, at least it won't make people feel disgusted when they see it. ”

Leo paused, then continued. "Second, he has no relatives and no cause, and he is a count. You know the provisions of the Law of Succession of St. Jean. So, if a widow with children marries him, then the child is immediately given the status of a baron. This alone is enough to attract many people. ”

Indeed, middle-aged women in their forties and fifties, especially widows with children, should be eager to become Thomas's wife. But what's the matter with those little girls?

"Third, he's in his eighties. It would be rude for me to say that, but it's true that Thomas is old. You know that once Master Thomas dies, his widow will enjoy his fiefdom for life, and all kinds of power have not changed, but the widow has no title. That's what young women look at. ”

"Leo, though that's what the law says. But Lord Thomas is only a lord of the mountains. The girls here must be from noble families. How can you care about a mountainous territory, albeit an earl's fiefdom. Even if the girl didn't have the vision herself, would her parents agree?" asked Ashrufat.

"Ah, so here comes the crucial thing, Thomas is one of the richest lords in the country, or in theory one of the richest lords. There were gold and silver mines on his territory. ”

"You must be aware of that, too. How could Lord Thomas, who on the one hand had great merit and great fame and fame, be put in the mountains to become an earl? If Lord Thomas was willing to change his fiefdom, he would be made a marquis or a duke. But after being granted such a domain, he could only be made an earl. You don't know how many people in the road covet this territory. ”

"But I don't think Thomas is rich. ”

"Oh my God, Lord Thomas is a simple man. He spent all his money because he had too much money to spend, and even closed his silver and gold mines, and confiscated taxes for three years! Didn't you find that all the militia equipment in his territory was placed by him? Didn't you find that William Daley never had to pay for his brewery? Didn't you notice that the castle built by Master Thomas was particularly beautiful?"

"Think about it, if a fifteen-year-old girl marries Thomas, how much it will bring to her family! If Thomas wants to marry, I can say that not a single noble parent in the country who is not open-minded will oppose such a good marriage. Even if they are seventy years apart. ”

By the time Aerufat and Leo were discussing, Thomas had finished playing his piece. All the women were applauding enthusiastically, and the younger ones were especially vigorous.

I see. Ashrufat already understood. Leo looked down suddenly, and Ashrufat found his companion picking up a silk handkerchief from the ground. The handkerchief has a clear scent. It was obvious that he had accidentally dropped it just now.

"Mistress Thomas receives thirty or fifty of these things every day. Leo looked at the silk handkerchief in his hand and said with some grievances. "I've been busy for three or five days, and I don't necessarily get one. ”