Cloud Thinking

It was hard to believe that it was snowing in Bellman in August. For the people living there, there were no four seasons, only long winter and fleeting spring. Such a harsh and cold climate was already a challenge to survival. Helia couldn't imagine what the Xiali Empire further north would be like. It would surely be even colder. How would the people there live?

The first day of school at Carter College is next month, so she has exactly one month to adapt to the environment here, get to know the local customs and practices, and take a look around the territory of Marquis Frank to see if he has any hidden tricks.

During this period of time, Yoliv served as her tour guide. He was a very qualified gentleman, considerate, gentle and polite. Not only did he take her to familiarize herself with the capital of Berman, which was built of ice and snow, but he also took her to meet many friends, all of whom were his classmates at Carter's College, most of whom were geniuses in various fields of the college - Yoliv was building her network of contacts.

In addition, they also went to the most famous underground market in Behrman - Bazar, which is also a place frequented by students of Carter College, either to sell magic props or to purchase magic materials. Compared with regular magic shops on the ground, many people prefer to come to Bazar to buy, not only because it is cheap, but also because it gathers goods from all over the country, and there are all kinds of strange things. As long as you need it, the merchants in Bazar can get it for you.

Under Ronnie's protection, Helia moved leisurely through the busy narrow aisles. On both sides were various vendors' stalls, with shouts and bargaining sounds coming one after another. People passing by would stop in front of the stalls from time to time to choose goods, blocking the already narrow aisles.

Ronnie did not approve of Helia coming here, but Helia could not hide her excitement. She looked around. With money and free time, she could not resist the temptation of the merchants and spent money like crazy. Even Yoliv could not escape the fate of carrying things for her.

It stands to reason that a market like this with so many people coming and going is not easy to manage. However, although it is noisy and crowded, one can see the order hidden in the dark. Merchants dare to engage in illegal transactions boldly, and customers also dare to buy and sell prohibited items. Who gives them the courage and confidence?

It certainly couldn't be Marquis Frank. If he was really the owner of the Bazar, he would make a lot of money every year just from the management fees. But from Helia's observations these days, the financial resources of Marquis Frank's family are only about the same as those of an ordinary earl in the imperial capital. Either he really didn't make this money, or he invested this huge fortune in places she didn't know. She was more inclined to the former.

"Cousin, whose territory is Bazari?" Helia looked at Yoliv standing aside and asked.

"Hoke Antonio." Yoriff answered immediately, almost without any hesitation, as if this was a consensus among everyone, but Helia had never heard of this name.

Seeing Helia's curious expression, Yoriff briefly introduced her: "He is the Grand Marshal stationed at the border and the owner of the largest trading company in Berman. Strictly speaking, he is the real lord of the northern border."

Grand Marshal? Helia had never heard of such an important person. No matter in the original owner's memory or the original plot, such a famous person had never been mentioned. Before leaving, Chico also gave Helia an urgent tutorial on the relevant knowledge of the northern border, but as Claude, he did not mention this Grand Marshal Hawke, which showed that Claude was deliberately concealing it.

why?

Helia quickly put this question behind her. Her attention was drawn to the wand in the window beside her. The wand was a head taller than Helia and so thick that she couldn't hold it with one hand. The top was shaped like a hook, and embedded in it was a dazzling gem that she had never seen before. It shone brightly even in the dim underground market. The irregular surface reflected light of different colors. When Helia saw it for the first time, there was only one thought in her mind:

Buy it!

"Belai, this magic wand is too big for you. It's not convenient to carry. Small and portable magic wands are more popular in the academy now, and they are more suitable for you." Seeing that Helia couldn't let it go, Yoriff kindly advised her, "Besides, such a large magic wand can easily be targeted by the enemy in battle, and you don't have the strength to keep it from being snatched away. A magician who loses his magic wand on the battlefield is no different from an ordinary person."

A magician cannot cast magic without a magic wand, and cannot cast magic without chanting spells. This is an eternal rule in the magic world, and it is also like the underlying program of artificial intelligence. If this rule is violated, it will not be able to function.

Therefore, the development of the magic world in recent years has only been to simplify spells and improve magic props. The magic wand has evolved from a crudely made large wooden stick that required two hands to hold, to a delicate and beautiful thin branch inlaid with magic crystals that can be held in one hand.

But this does not mean that such improvements are unreasonable. On the contrary, all improvements are based on the needs of the development of magic. Lightweight wands allow people to cast magic anytime and anywhere, and concise spells allow people to cast multiple magic spells in a short period of time. This caters to the needs of the times and is undoubtedly progress.

But Helia still likes the magic wand. It is like an old man who has been left behind in the long river of time. In a sense, its existence is also a witness to the continuous development of the magic world. It has a unique beauty of history. Just like in the era when she lived before, some people just like old things, and she is one of them.

As the boss was packing Helia's things, he smiled and said, "When I took over this shop, I thought this magic wand would be passed down to the next shop owner. It has been in that window since I can remember. I didn't expect it to be sold today. I have a feeling that I can't explain."

"How long has this magic wand been on sale here?" Helia asked curiously.

"As far as I know, its history is even older than that of the Bazar." The boss replied, "It is said to be a relic of a great magician a long time ago, but I don't know who it was. I only know that this magic wand once had a name - Theodore."

"Theodore... a gift from the gods..." Yoriff murmured, "It's a good name."

Because the magic wand was too heavy and expensive, Helia had spent a lot of money on it, so she gave up the idea of ​​continuing shopping and went home. Ronnie and Yolief breathed a sigh of relief at the same time, finally ending this hearty shopping experience...

After returning to the room, Ronishi seemed to have been holding back for the entire journey, and couldn't wait to tell Helia: "Your Highness, Marshal Hawke is Queen Madeline's brother, your uncle."

? !

How come I had no idea?!

Under Helia's shocked gaze, Ronishi added, "Grand Marshal Hawke suspected that Queen Madeleine was murdered by His Majesty Claude. The two have been at odds for more than a decade. Grand Marshal Hawke does not recognize you as his niece, and His Majesty Claude does not recognize him as his brother-in-law."

"Everyone knows that His Majesty Claude dislikes Grand Marshal Hawke and will fly into a rage if he is mentioned, so no one would dare to mention it. His Majesty Claude must have his own considerations for not telling you, and the subordinates dare not make irresponsible comments."

"Then why did you tell me? Aren't you afraid that your father will kill you after he finds out?" Helia didn't expect that she had such a complicated life experience. She couldn't digest it for a moment, but then she thought it was strange that Ronnie told her about this at this time, and she couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"As young Marquis Yoliv said, Hawke is the real lord of the northern border. Your Highness, you are studying at Carter's College, so you will inevitably run into him. I am afraid that you will be harassed for no reason." Ronishi explained, and then he smiled helplessly, "Besides, I have always known that His Majesty Claude dislikes me. If His Majesty wants to kill me, why would he need to find a reason?"

"Besides, I am your servant, Your Highness the Princess. I swear to protect your safety until my death." He knelt on one knee and looked at Helia firmly.

If being a mercenary was a choice he had to make in order to survive, then Helia was the guide of his new life. Without Helia, he would always be a rogue soldier who was looked down upon by others and only knew how to fight and kill. He would be a man who lived on the edge of a knife and would have no one to collect his body even if he died one day. He would have to let the monsters he had hunted for half his life share his food.

Perhaps for Helia, she chose him only out of considerations of interests, but he was a man who valued friendship and loyalty. He had to repay the kindness of being recognized and appreciated, not to mention that Helia had always trusted and valued him. All he could do was to offer all his loyalty to Helia.

"Looking at it this way, I've always had a good eye, whether it's objects or people." Helia smiled suddenly and reached out her hand to help Ronnie up. Of course, Ronnie didn't dare to let her help him, so she took advantage of the situation and stood up on her own.

Helia raised her head and stared at Ronnie for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Who are you loyal to, me or Her Royal Highness Princess Helia?" Her tone was very serious, which was very different from the teasing tone she had used before.

A normal person might think, aren't you Princess Helia? What's the difference between the two? But Ronnie understood the implication of her words, bent down so that Helia could look down at him, and said seriously, "Of course I am loyal to you."

Not being loyal to the identity of a princess, but being loyal to her as a person.

Helia was very satisfied with Ronnie's ability to read people's expressions. She raised her hand and patted his shoulder, saying, as if warning and hoping, "Okay, I hope you will always be my most loyal knight."

Just like what she said to Hutley when she first came here, if the knight, as the sword in her hand, can't even guess her thoughts, then what's the difference between him and a dog? Dogs don't have as many twists and turns as humans, and they are easier to feed! She must ensure that the sword she keeps by her side to protect herself will not be pointed at her one day.

And now, in Helia's heart, Ronnie is considered qualified: he is obedient enough, he does whatever Helia asks him to do, and he does his job well, so Helia doesn't need to worry; he is also smart enough, he can understand the situation, he can guess her thoughts, and he has a certain degree of subjective initiative; he also has a certain degree of growth and strong adaptability, like a sword that becomes sharper with each sharpening.

Ah, I really found a treasure.

……

In the blink of an eye, it was September, the beginning of the school year. She and Britney went to Carter's College to register. Because Ronishi, as a serving knight, could not enter the college for close protection, and Chico, as a courtier of the Otis Empire, could not enter the college without reason, for safety reasons, Britney, who was supposed to go back after completing the escort mission, had to accompany Helia to school.

Britney had no objection at all, and was even more excited than Helia, the prospective freshman. Helia asked why, and she replied, "I used to be a student at Abraham College, and I've always heard that Carter College has a lot of magic that's not passed on to others. Since I'm here, I have to bring something back!"

To put it bluntly, they just want to steal skills.

Helia had never known Britney's age, but seeing how young she was, she thought the two wouldn't be too different. Until when Chico was preparing a fake identity for Britney, she overheard him say, "Checo, I'm already over 30, why did you make up an 18-year-old identity for me!"

Huh? Over 30? Helia was shocked. Could it be that learning magic could help her stay young?

But when she met the teachers at Carter College, she felt that there should be no so-called anti-aging magic, otherwise why are most of these great magicians old men? She was more inclined to believe that Britney had some elf blood. Elves are long-lived species, and eternal youth and strong magic are their characteristics, which also fits the image of Britney in her mind.

The one who received them was Philip Hott, the dean of Carters College. He was a very kind and amiable man. According to the information she had learned in advance, he was one of the top magicians in the continent. It was said that among all the famous magicians in existence, no one could beat him.