I Am Louis XIV

As for the monks and priests of the Inquisition, in the other world, they can be said to be the enemies of wizards, or they can be said to be tools of wizards. After all, from the perspective of Vesalius, ordinary wizards want to fight against werewolves, vampires and priests. It is impossible. The reason why they are willing to endure the oppression of these huge families is very likely because only under their protection can they spend every day in hardship and peace.

It's like the civilians in the table world need to bear heavy taxes, but they will also be protected by the lord's army.

This has also been affirmed by Vesalius. "Every wizard," he said, "along with their family, has a lord who works for them, just like my father's teacher, who worked for the Mancini family. , when my father ceased to be an apprentice, he became Mancini's potion master, and it was my father's position that I inherited."

"You are fed by them."

"Indeed." Vesalius said as if giving up: "To become a potion master, the initial investment is very large. We need a lot of herbs, precious metals, and materials that can only be obtained under magic. An ordinary wizard cannot rely on his own strength to become a potion master, so at that time they all said that my father was a lucky man, and many people were jealous of him. Of course, there was also me."

"You said before that it was his teacher who recommended your father to the Mancini family," Louis asked, "In the other world, are potionists the only ones who continue the tradition of teachers and apprentices, or do they also have the watch world?" University?"

"Both, Your Majesty, but it's not a university, it's just an ordinary junior school. Only some foreign wizards who have no roots or wizards who are too poor to afford teaching funds will let their children study there. The teachers there With all due respect, they are just mediocre people who lack a sense of responsibility. Rather than teaching students, it is better to muddle along and support their families. Therefore, wizard families with a little wealth will hire reliable teachers for their children. Especially big families."

"This situation is similar to the watch world."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Speaking of this, Vesalius could not help but flash a trace of sadness: "For the weak, it is the same everywhere."

"If you want, tell me what happened to you in the other world."

"There is nothing to say," Vesalius can now answer this question very calmly: "My wife, she was originally just a branch of the Mancini family—by the way, you know, the Mancini family Generations are beauties. In the rumors in the other world, although I don't know whether it is true or not, their ancestors have the blood of some female nightmares, so they can have such a unique gift or curse, but my wife, Your Majesty, what she has The inherited blood is already very thin, so thin that her children cannot call themselves descendants of Mancini, and when I met her, she was just a pretty girl, and I was not impressed by her appearance , but was moved by her gentle heart."

"I originally thought that my life would be like an open book, going on step by step and following the rules, just like most people in the other world, no, it should be said, a small number of people, because I was governed by the Mancini family. Employed, and my wife is their distant relative, we can live comfortably in a small house, we will have many children, noisy, maybe there will be some talented people among them, it is also possible They can only be said to be mediocre, but in any case, our life should be peaceful and stable—but who knows, Your Majesty, fate is so cruel."

"How did your wife become like this?" Louis asked softly.

"It was a very sudden change," said Vesalius. "It seemed that just overnight, my bedside person became a stranger. The Mancini family told me that this is also the case among wizards. Rare, but not completely absent, how should I put it, it's like the blood hidden in the descendants boils violently, they will make wizards stronger, more beautiful, or more intelligent, depending on what they inherit from their ancestors. What happened. And my wife inherited the blood of the nightmare, she... this thing is actually not a good thing for her, because the blood of the nightmare tortured her body, and she became extremely weak , but for Mancini, weakness is not something worth worrying about." The potion master raised a hand and pressed his face, as if he was trying to suppress something, but also like It is to tear open the barrier and release the wild beast: "...Anyway, Your Majesty, they are going to take away my wife, my daughter, and they say that I will be compensated... an incomparably rich compensation..."

"Obviously, you didn't want it, you took them and ran away."

"Yes, Your Majesty, I took them and escaped, maybe this was completely unexpected by the Mancini family," Vesalius gave the king a twisted smile: "They probably never thought that a humble potion master would It will be against their will.”

"After you came to the watch world, didn't you go back to the Vesalius family for help?"

"I tried," Vesalius said, "but my ancestor Andre Vesalius died on the charge of blasphemy, and his enemies were still in Spain and Rome, and the family refused to recognize me. can wander around."

The king could almost guess how difficult it would be for Varo Vesalius at that time. His father left the watch world to go to the inner world when he was six years old, and his teacher was a vassal of Mancini. The scholars of the family, that is to say, they are not the politicians with long sleeves or the businessman with the lotus tongue, I am afraid that they rarely deal with people, and then, after Vesalius left the inner world with his wife and children, he could not even directly take The coins from the inner world are exchanged for board and lodging, because the gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins in the inner world are all different shapes and structures, from patterns to weights. Even if the merchants are willing to accept them, they will definitely chop them off viciously A large exchange fee.

"How long have you been away from the inner world before you met the Duke of Mortmar?"

"Four years," Vesalius said, "four long years."

It's no wonder, the king thought, from another point of view, Valo Vesalius is probably exhausted—Duke Mortmar is not the first one, if he can escape with his wife and children, I'm afraid And not the last, his wife's beauty was not of the ordinary, as the priest said, a sin left by the devil, and his daughter's letter, though it was hard to say how much d'Artagnan's embellishment it contained, was also straight to the point. Bai pointed out the incompetence of Varo Vesalius sharply. He has no way to protect such a huge and difficult to hide wealth, unless he is determined to destroy his wife's appearance, but what about their daughter? Athenais is only a young child, but she can already see her future like a summer rose, and the words she said when she first met the king should not be uttered by a five-year-old child —Then who taught her this? Even Louis was unwilling to imagine what kind of things this child had encountered in this place where her husband and father could not see.

"His Majesty."

"What?"

"I want to know, Your Majesty," Vesalius asked wearily and politely, "If the Mancini family knows that my wife and daughter are in Mortemal, then if they ask you..."

"The Duke of Mortmar is my subject, my general, and even my dear friend," the king said indifferently, "What is the Mancini family?"

Vesalius let out a bitter yet relieved laugh, and he bowed deeply to the king: "If you have nothing else to do..."

"One more question," said the king, "I don't quite understand how the inner world and the outer world are divided. You said you escaped, so can you go back?"

"I can't." Vesalius replied bluntly: "I can't find the 'passage' in Italy, and I can't find the 'passage' in France without an introducer."

He raised his head: "But I know that there is someone who should be able to find the 'passage', from Italy or France."

"Marie Mancini," said the king.

"Exactly." Vesalius said, "But Your Majesty, it is probably impossible for you to see the inner world with your own eyes, because the inner world is strictly forbidden for mortals to enter, and every law book of the inner world writes this decree first. on the page."

"How severe?"

"The mortals who are brought into the inner world by the wizard will inevitably die, and the wizard," Vesalius couldn't help but tremble a little at this point: "Splitting the body and solidifying the soul will forever be the cornerstone."

"I can understand the last sentence, but what does the next sentence mean?"

"This is the harshest punishment in the world." Vesalius said: "The wizard who is sentenced to this punishment will first be quartered by five horses, and then his soul will be torn apart and fixed in the broken limbs. Buried under the high wall of the inner world—the magical wall that separates the inner world from the outer world—they can never rest in peace, forced to watch and smell every existence that crosses the magical wall. Touch them and they will howl... This is a punishment for those who break the law and a warning for those who come later."

"Ah," said the King, "I see."

—————

After Valo Vesalius left, Bontang told the king that Marie Mancini was waiting outside the door, and Louis paused slightly with the hand holding the quill, "No," he said, "not today, Tell her, Bontang, I have something very important to do, and let her play with Philip or Henrietta."

Bontang followed the order, and Louis could almost imagine Mary's annoyed look, but at this moment, he really didn't want to see her—it wasn't because of what the Mancini family had done to Valo Vesalius Things like this can only be said to be common in the watch world, but Varo Vesalius may not have done anything wrong, at least he saved his wife and daughter from the possibility of becoming playthings or sacrifices— ——The Duke of Mortmar may be despicable, but he is a mortal, which is doomed that he will never be able to escape the control of the blood of Nightmare. Coupled with the generous promise of the king, his wife and children will be able to enjoy the power under the powerful wings of the ruler of the world. Anle Ronghua.

Except for Varo Vesalius who must have suffered from pain and bitterness in his life.

The king twirled the quill, and just as he was about to write some thoughts of his own, Bontang returned, this time bringing Cardinal Mazarin.

For this man who can be said to be like a father, Louis has always respected him very much. He immediately stood up from behind the desk, and then sat down again with the Bishop.

Of course, Mr. Bishop came to the king so late because of a very important matter. In the Treaty of Westphalia signed by Bishop Mazarin, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire paid Alsace of Habsburg for three million miles. The price of Faure was sold to France, and the peace treaty was signed in 1648, but the payment has not yet been completed. The bishop came to discuss this matter with the king.