I Am Louis XIV

If Vesalius was still the same Vesalius, of course he would not be able to see the information about the Holy Sword, nor would he be able to imitate it, but he can now be said to be the person closest to Louis XIV among the wizards, with his qualifications and power No less than Mrs. Milady, he can certainly read the books and secret volumes that were once tightly sealed to descendants of foreign wizards like him - King Arthur's sword of kings came from the gift of the fairy in the lake, and is recorded in human records. In the middle, there is a two-handed sword with a golden hilt inlaid with jewels and a sword body made of fine steel. Its scabbard can protect the king from harm - King Arthur lost the scabbard first, and then in the subsequent war Suffered irreparable fatal injuries.

Louis XIV stood up and looked at the holy sword that Vesalius held in front of him, which was the Sword of the King. The records of wizards must be much clearer than humans. There were two giant dragons coiled around the hilt of the sword. The eyes are sparkling amber, the membrane wings are raised high, and the scales on the body are as small as rice grains but each piece is clearly visible. They bow their heads in the king's hands like living creatures, and their tail ends are wrapped in an upward curved arc guard. In his hand, the silver-white sword is densely covered with ripple-like forging patterns - although it is a long sword made by the fairy in the lake, this sword dedicated to the last king of the Celtics still has the character of Kyle. It has a special style, the blade is not very sharp, and is even a little blunt and thick. The length exceeds any two-handed sword Louis XIV has seen before. He thought it weighed a lot, but when he got it, he realized that it weighed as much as his most recent sword. The familiar protective sword is almost the same.

He raised his sword and struck it casually, only to hear a loud noise. In the direction the sword pointed, the king's favorite mahogany desk was neatly divided into two halves, and the ink, paper and documents on it fell down. One place.

"There has to be something special." Vesalius said calmly to the king's meaningful look.

"Indeed, it may be able to convince some people." Louis put it away, because the scabbard of the King's Sword has the function of protecting against any harm, and everyone knows it, so Vesalius and others cannot reproduce it or use it. Forged, "The wizards in Merlin's time were much stronger than today's wizards." Vesalius explained: "But the records of the King's Sword only say that it is exceptionally sharp. It is said that King Arthur once held it and knocked down four hundred people." Seventy Saxon soldiers besieging him.”

"It's a pity." Louis said: "I know what you are thinking. You want me to use it to do something - but no, Vesalius, even if you brought the real holy sword, it is just a piece of food." It’s tasteless and it’s a pity to discard it.”

Vesalius was startled.

Louis explained patiently: "You may think that the British will be shaken because I hold King Arthur's relics. At least those Scots have been praying for King Arthur to return to Great Britain, but don't say that I am a Bourbon, even if King Arthur is really After returning to England from Avalon, will those red-haired Celtic descendants really be willing to support a king from a thousand years ago? They no longer need a king, the same is true for Charles II, and the same is true for King Arthur." He said softly He said, and then looked at Vesalius: "This is the biggest difference between mortals and wizards," he said kindly but coldly: "Wizards are still in the era of Merlin, but mortals have gone far away from you. In this place, the things you cherish and value have long been abandoned by us like worn out shoes - if there is any sword of the king that cannot be questioned by others, everyone, look outside, my fleet, my artillery, my The army, these are my holy swords and knights."

"But your efforts are not completely in vain." Louis added: "I heard that some British wizards have also come to Brittany. They seem to want to find Merlin before we completely conquer Brittany. With the holy relics left by King Arthur.”

"You made me a little unsure," Vesalius had turned pale before, but now he finally recovered a little. He should have expected that his king would always have some unusual ideas, and he was always so proud. , this has been the case since he was not in power and had no power - he also heard a little bit that the Mancini family had intended to keep him in the other world forever, but in the end they were persuaded by him - presumably Mancini The parents of Qini must have regretted it later. What a beast they had unleashed: "If those people had the same idea..."

"Maybe their ideas are the same as yours," Louis seemed amused: "Are they all wizards? It may take another hundred years before wizards will give up the original idea that all wizards must be superior to ordinary people. .”

Vesalius hesitated, "Your Majesty, may I ask you a question?"

"Please say."

"In your opinion, what ending will the wizard have?"

Louis pondered for a while: "To put it simply, Vesalius," he said: "The wizards are to me the same as Lorraine, the mortals of Alsace and Brittany, and the Huguenots. Believers are generally branches that need to be pruned. I don’t want you to hinder the growth and reproduction of other plants, but I also don’t want your growth and reproduction to be unnecessarily damaged. One day in my country, everyone with different beliefs will You can live at peace with ideal people, and you should too - although due to the subtle nature of wizards, you may have to be in two dimensions with mortals for a long time, but wait, it will be soon. , you will also become... an ordinary citizen."

"Hearing what you said, I really don't know whether I should be happy or sad," Vesalius said. He had already realized that he had made a big mistake before - he had suffered enough in the other world, but he still couldn't help but suffer. Its influence makes one think that a fake holy sword can affect the game between countries. As Louis XIV said, it is no longer the era of Merlin. In front of muskets and cannons, even the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur Vulnerable - and the voice of a person without power is always the weakest. His arrogance has turned into endless frustration, so he did not raise any doubts about the king's prophecy: "Are you saying that in the future, wizards will also be the weakest?" Will he become mortal? Will the magic disappear?"

"Magic may not disappear," Louis said, "but as long as the power of mortals can defeat magic, it will be enough. Just like people today are afraid of the muskets in the hands of soldiers, but not the soldiers, at that time wizards also They are just civilians with legal weapons. People are always afraid of privileges, not a certain type of person."

"I'm a little curious now," Vesalius murmured. When the king cast a questioning look, he said, "If you had stayed in Gaiola, where would wizards and mortals have gone?"

Louis thought for a while, "I'm not sure, but I think it probably won't be a good thing."

——————

What Louis and Vesalius didn't know was that someone thousands of miles away from them had asked the same question.

The Bastille is shrouded in darkness, and the faint smell of blood climbs up from the cold cellars, layer by layer, until it reaches the highest point, such as the Tower of London. The highest point houses the most distinguished prisoner. So far, there is only one , he or she once had a neighbor, the venerable Duke of York, but since the Duke of York was bought back by his brother Charles II, there is only one person left here.

The greatest regret for the warden was that he could not disclose the identity of this man, unless he wanted to dance with the corpse on the gallows. What is comforting is that this "gentleman" never caused him any trouble. In addition to often leaning against the window, overlooking the Place de la Bastille and looking at the Louvre in the distance, he most often uses books and music to pass the time. I also read newspapers and some letters that have been sent in by special permission.

This gentleman was treated like a duke, and had a servant to take care of his daily life. The warden often visited him and asked if he needed anything - generally the answer he received was no or a shake of the head. , the same is true tonight. The warden estimated this man's age. Maybe "he" will spend the rest of his life here. If the king doesn't change his mind - the warden is regretful and happy at the same time. He has already done it. With the intention of leaving the correct answers in his memoirs, his memoirs will surely be welcomed by everyone. Even now, many people are curious to inquire about the identity of this distinguished prisoner.

The warden was about to walk down the stairs when the light in front of him suddenly jumped slightly. The candlelight dimmed suddenly and then brightened again. The warden raised his head, and an iron-like cold air cut across his cheeks and rushed into his nose. , he also smelled the slight but distinct smell of blood, and his heart tightened suddenly - he was worried that one of the prisoners had committed suicide. This kind of situation has not never happened. There are always one or two lunatics who are willing to I don't want to go to hell and continue to suffer the torture and humiliation here.

Thinking of this, the warden quickly raised the candlestick with one hand and grabbed the wall with the other. He hurriedly rushed down, but before he could take a few steps, he stumbled under his feet and fell out unprepared.

The candle went out, and after a brief moan there was no sound in the darkness.

The invisible black shadow spread out from under him, slowly climbing up like a vine. It reached the end of the stairs. Here was a small circular hall with an open wooden window on the wall. The wooden window White moonlight poured into it, forming a bright circle on the ground. The black shadow paused here, rising from the ground, pointing like a snake at the locked door, and with just a click, the door opened.

This cell is a suite, with a small reception room outside. The decoration and furniture inside are no less than the rooms the owner once had in the Louvre or the Palace of Versailles. The black shadow did not stop, and continued to move toward him quietly and quickly. In front of him, he passed through the reception room and opened the door to the bedroom. The four-poster bed in the bedroom was hung with heavy curtains. It stuck out its "head" and stuck its slender tongue into the air, as if it was sniffing something. For a few seconds Finally, as if it had lost the last of its patience, it jumped up from the ground and jumped straight into the bed!

But there is a rapier that is faster than that!

The shadow snake could be said to have thrown itself into a trap and pounced on the sharp sword tip. Although it was a shadow, it twisted and swayed crazily like a real snake. Its body suddenly elongated and continued to pounce on the target. , but only bit a velvet mask. The velvet mask made a scream that no mortal could hear. It rolled and dented from the place where it was bitten, and actually swallowed the uninvited guest - but a few seconds later, Its color suddenly changed from dark red to off-white, as if it had been faded by a negligent maid and fell off the prisoner's face.

Mary Mancini grabbed the mask and waved the rapier, showing a vigilant look.

"who?!"

A blue flame jumped out of the darkness, illuminating the faces of the visitor and Mary Mancini.