Chapter 1166 The Shadow of the Old Days

The latest website: Victoria’s memories of going to the Violet Kingdom ended here, and the end came to an abrupt end, so that Gao Wen didn’t react for a while, and it took two seconds before he couldn’t help but confirm: “The things you remember That's it?"

"Yes," Victoria nodded, "A very clear node——walking into the forest full of mist."

"That is to say, not only the memory of the city of a thousand towers, but also the apprentices who went to the Violet Kingdom will not remember what happened on their way to the city of a thousand towers—the journey through the thick fog, from the famous The specific route from the small seaside town called Plandel to the hinterland of the kingdom, the appearance in the dense foggy forest... the memory of these things is also one of the contents that need to be cleared when you leave?"

"It seems to be true now," Victoria nodded again, "The Violet Kingdom is strictly guarding its secrets, and this secret is not limited to the city of a thousand towers—it seems that as long as you cross the fog on the border of the kingdom, everything in its hinterland needs to be covered. It was tightly hidden... I also guessed what was in the fog later, but I had no clue."

Gawain frowned and thought for a long time, and the room fell into silence. Only the very slight hum of the magic device running and the sound of the ventilation system mixed together, which made the room even more silent. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly raised his head and broke the silence: "What happened after that? What do you remember?"

"Still at the edge of that forest, all of us are standing where we started, it feels like we are just in a trance, but the first half of the year has actually passed——Your Majesty, I not only study frost magic, but also have a profound effect on the mind. I also have some understanding of the spells in the domain, but I still have to say that the most brilliant memory reshaping spells are difficult to achieve that level-the old lady is still our 'guide', she told us that everyone has gone well. After completing the scheduled studies, we can go home. The Violet Kingdom has already arranged a ship, and our family members have been notified and are waiting for us on the other side of the strait.

"Of course, many apprentices were confused, and even thought it was a joke, but when we looked at the flow of magic power in our bodies and noticed the changes in the scenery at the edge of the forest, we all realized that it really happened.

"For a spellcaster who has to devote himself to an academic study for several years, just half a year of studying is very short, but the half year we were 'lost' in the Violet Kingdom left us with nothing in this life. A harvest that is incomparable to a period of study - everyone's magic skills have made great progress, detailed theoretical knowledge is imprinted in their minds, and certain spell-casting skills have become instinctive actions, which shows that we have indeed practiced for a long time. time, intensive theoretical and practical learning.

"The only problem is, we don't remember exactly what happened."

Victoria's voice fell,

Gawain's brows were tightly frowned, and Hetty next to him couldn't help but shook his head: "This feeling...it's so strange..."

"Yes, it's very strange. It took me a long time to get used to all of this and confirm that all of this had really happened, and for a longer period of time, I tried to continue to pay attention to all information related to the Violet Kingdom, thinking To find some kind of... pattern of their activities in the northern region, and to find out their potential purpose," Victoria's voice was cold and her expression was as calm as ever, making it difficult to guess whether her mood has changed at the moment. "There are many apprentices of the same period. I have done similar things, and I believe that in the past six hundred years, a large number of apprentices who have been brought to the Violet Kingdom must have similar thoughts and actions.

"No matter whether you have signed the enrollment agreement or not, no matter whether you have carefully read the memory reconstruction problem mentioned in the admission notice, when it really happened, it is an instinct to be curious about your mysterious study experience, and even more so. Conspiracy theory is a bit, and it would be an instinct to be vigilant and suspicious of the Violet Kingdom, but after all these years, I haven't found anything - just like other apprentices in the past six centuries.

"It seems that Violet really just recruited a group of students and sent them back after the semester ended. There was no additional conspiracy purpose, nor did they ask about anything we did afterwards, let alone our investigation activities... just Such as their attitude towards Loren Continent as a whole over the years: they don't care about anything."

Gao Wen had already started to tap the armrest of the seat with his fingers habitually, and his thoughts expanded and fluctuated accordingly, summarizing and sorting out all the information revealed by Victoria. It took a long time before he spoke again, bringing He sighed softly: "Secret inheritance, deeply buried history, mysterious envoys and exotic lands... It's really a story of sword and magic, and it really fits in the pastoral era when social management and production relations were underdeveloped. Fit to be included in a grimoire of parchment."

Heidi raised her head when she heard the words, with a thoughtful expression on her face, while Victoria on the other side of the communicator said calmly: "It is indeed as you said."

"But it's a pity that such a 'romantic' magic tale does not conform to the current "Overseas Students Transfer System" and "Extraordinary Person Management Measures," Gao Wen's voice sounded, and the chirping of insects in summer came from the open window. "The enrollment process is not standardized, the registration process is unreasonable, the flow of personnel is not open, and the teaching method is not guaranteed. Although the issue of confidentiality protection at the national level can be reasonably considered, the Violet Kingdom has not signed a memorandum of understanding with us in this regard." Agreement—this aspect needs to be managed.”

Victoria's expression didn't change, she just nodded lightly: "It's exactly as you said."

On the side, Heidi had expected that the old ancestor would say this, with a smile on his face: "After all, we are now in the era of the rule of law."

"No matter how other countries in the Northern Continent view this matter, before the Violet Kingdom is willing to sign a more transparent, formal, and reliable official personnel training and transfer agreement with us, this suspicious 'mage inheritance' process must be temporarily prohibited. "Gao Wen continued, "As you mentioned just now, if the contract provided by the Violet Kingdom when recruiting apprentices is really so formal...then they must understand our considerations and follow up on this. .”

"I will make arrangements and further monitor the Violet mages who are active in the northern region." Victoria nodded.

Gao Wen hummed, and then he was a little curious: "Speaking of which, how often does the 'selection of apprentices' in the Violet Kingdom take place? Does it happen every year?"

"No, it's much longer than that interval, but it's not too regular," Victoria replied immediately, "According to existing records, they usually select apprentices at intervals of six to ten years, and the longest interval is even It took twenty years, and each time the selection of apprentices was not completed in a short period of time, but the whole process lasted for one to two years - during this period, the violet ushers will be active in the northern region , to contact all talented people who meet their conditions, and the number of apprentices finally selected is not fixed, ranging from a dozen to hundreds of apprentices.

"It is said that two hundred years ago was the time when the Violet Kingdom took in the fewest apprentices. At that time, they only took away six apprentices in the entire northern countries and Typhon—of course, those six apprentices were still with theirs after returning to Loren. The predecessors also became outstanding masters of magic, and were honored as honored guests by their respective countries.

"In addition, the last time they picked up apprentices in the northern region was about five years ago. At that time, they took away very few people from the northern region, and most of them were people from Moss Forest and the northern city-state."

"It sounds really arbitrary..." Gao Wen subconsciously stroked the stubble on his chin, and tried to outline in his mind the traditions, culture, society and political forms of the mage kingdom in the north, just like describing people. Like a portrait, he was trying to draw a "sketch" for the mysterious hermit kingdom, "Unfortunately, they hid themselves too deeply, and even the operators under Amber couldn't go deep into the Violet Inland... "

"Has Amber already failed?" Heidi asked curiously upon hearing this.

"It can't be said to be a failure, because I didn't set a clear goal and deadline, but there is really no progress," Gao Wen said with some regret, "It is very easy for the operators to operate in the cities on the edge of the Violet Kingdom. The light can go in, but when trying to enter the hinterland...they encountered the problem that Victoria just mentioned - there is no road, there is no road connection between the border cities of the Violet Kingdom and the interior, and the local management and forbade foreigners from crossing the border."

Hetty nodded helplessly, she could only accept this situation - she knew that this was not the problem of Amber and her staff, although she would tease or mock the half-elf from time to time, after several years of working and observing, She has already acknowledged the strength of Amber. That half-elf is extremely talented in intelligence, and the trained operators are definitely the best professionals in the world who are good at infiltrating, disguising and collecting intelligence. Now even this group of people dare to drill through the gaps in Aldernan's palace The "experts" are helpless, which only shows that the difficulty of the thick fog in the Violet Kingdom... is beyond imagination.

While regretting, she couldn't help asking Victoria: "Do you really have no memory of your experience in the City of Thousand Towers? Even if you use retrospective thinking or subconscious roaming, you can't find those things." Memory? Theoretically, no matter how clever the memory modification spell is, it is impossible to leave no traces... Especially if you have been studying there for so long - all the knowledge you have learned is completely preserved, except for the missing Without the specific learning process, this power to manipulate memory is a bit unimaginable."

Victoria frowned slightly. She was sorting out her memory while considering her words. After more than ten seconds, she said in a deep voice: "The specific 'memory' is indeed gone. I have tried all kinds of spells that can help retrieve the memory. , no progress. But..."

Gawain and Hetty said in unison: "But what?"

"However, after experimenting with some riskier methods such as polysuggestion and deep dream diving, I did find some fragments in the dream ... incoherent, very strange, full of details errors and subconscious supplementary components, I Don't think those are correct, real memories, but if they are just for reference, they should be the 'school experience' I remember."

She recalled it, and slowly described what she saw in her dream:

"I saw a city that was piled up with countless towers and houses stacked on top of each other. The structure did not conform to the spatial and geometric laws of the real world. Those stacked houses couldn't have entrances and exits, and there couldn't even be enough inside. living space... They are more like chaotic graffiti, outlined on a fictional land;

"I also saw an extraordinarily tall tower. In my dream, that tower seemed to be alive and moving slightly, even whispering occasionally. There was something like an eye floating on the top of the tower... that thing conveyed a distorted malicious.

"I also saw many apprentices gathered in an empty place, which seemed to be a large magic laboratory, or a library, because I saw many shelves lined up in the darkness in the distance, but I couldn't make out the details. Is it a book or something else. The apprentices and I are reading, and there is the voice of a teacher... only the voice can be heard, and he is teaching us patiently, but he cannot be seen."

Victoria's narration stopped, and Gawain couldn't help asking: "That's all?"

"Yes, all I remember are these fragments, and there are some more trivial pictures, but they are so fragmented that I don't know how to describe them," Victoria said in a serious tone, "In short, these are all I remember. Experience, please use it as a reference only, so as not to be misled by my description."

"This is enough precious information," Gao Wen sighed, "and you mentioned the scene of studying with apprentices... Although you didn't see the mentor, I think it at least shows that your knowledge is indeed 'learning' came, rather than being directly poured into the brain by some kind of witchcraft."

Victoria thought about it, and said with a flat expression: "In the case of losing specific memories, there is actually not much difference between the two situations."

Gao Wen was a little speechless: "This is really..."

Afterwards, he learned some trivial information about the Violet Kingdom from Victoria—even though that hidden country was shrouded in a thick curtain of mystery, the Wilder family had been in the northern border for seven hundred years after all. During the time, there are always many violet mages who are active in the northern region exposed under their noses. In addition, those violet travellers who are hired by the Ansu royal family and recruited by Ansu's various mage organizations will inevitably interact with them when they move south. When dealing with the Duke of the Northern Territory, the information Victoria possesses is of great reference value to Gao Wen.

After more than an hour, Gawain finally hung up the communication with Cold Winter Castle, and the huge study became quiet again, only he and Hetty were left.

After closing his eyes to let his brain rest for a while, Gawain opened his eyes again and looked at Hetty who was standing beside him.

"I remember you mentioned before that there are some people who have entered the hinterland of Violet. After returning, they told others about a bizarre world, and described the weird and wonderful scenery there vividly..."

Hetty looked serious: "Yes, there are indeed legends about this, and there are even some 'testimonies' about this in some relatively professional academic works."

"But according to what Victoria said just now, after crossing the 'border thick fog' is Violet's 'Secret Zone', those mages do not allow any outsiders to get involved in the hinterland of their kingdom, even a brilliant mage like Victoria, after returning Remember the real appearance of the city of a thousand towers—then those who claim to have entered the city of a thousand towers, and can tell the situation inside with a nose and eyes after they come out, how do they remember so many things, and they have not been captured by Violet's mages? Captured and brainwashed?"

"...Maybe someone is lying, I don't think it's the Grand Consul of Victoria—those who claim to have been to the city of a thousand towers and returned with memories, they are probably just bragging?" Hetty rubbed her chin and said while thinking , "It may be that what they boasted is too true, and no one else has been to the Violet Kingdom, so everyone believes what they say..."

"Some people are definitely bragging, but it's hard to say that everyone is bragging," Gao Wen frowned, "and some of the claims have even been included in professional academic works. Those academics are being played around - there must be some convincing reason for what they say."

"what do you mean……"

"Perhaps, they have really been to the city of a thousand towers, at least they think they have arrived in the city of a thousand towers. The border managers of the Violet Kingdom may not be able to stop all foreigners who try to cross the border, and those who cross for various reasons Adventurers of the fog and the forest...God knows what they see in the fog."

Hetty's expression became serious. As a mage, she knew many weird legends and the magic principles behind them. However, if the entire kingdom was in the state described by the ancestors...she would not be able to find out. to a reasonable explanation. She only felt a certain chilling atmosphere behind these unusual information, but she couldn't analyze where this atmosphere came from.

At this moment, she heard her ancestor's voice sound again: "Hetty, go and check something."

Hetty reacted immediately: "Yes, ancestor, what do you want me to check?"

"Find out how many mysteries about magic have been brought by the Violet Travelers in the past six hundred years, and find out how many traces of Violet are in the magic system currently used by human nations," Gawain said with a serious expression, "Including the specifics. The names of the spells, their types, the approximate time when they were introduced to Loren Continent, the scope of influence, and how these spells have changed in the past few hundred years...

"Victoria is right. After the collapse of the Dark Blue Well magic system in the Gondor Empire, it was the Violet mages who helped the remnants of Gondor establish a modern magic system... Today, this system is still mainstream in many places, and it is everywhere. It's the shadows of the violets. Now I want to know how many of those shadows there are."

"Yes, ancestor."