Once, the forest path was quiet and secluded, but now it was filled with the intermittent sounds of horses' hooves and the crunching of wheels. The bluestone slab path on the ground had long been dilapidated due to the passage of time. Along the way, not a single whole bluestone slab could be found. The pieces that were broken into several parts and deeply buried in the soil were considered the most intact.
What remained were mostly scattered pieces of broken stones mixed with the soil.
That wise and mighty King Francis V had already become a figure in legends from hundreds of years ago. The long path that ran through the entire Bart Forest and was built in his era had been reduced to a state of disrepair under the relentless erosion of the years. This dilapidated and long path did indeed protect the southern cities from being plundered by noble families. Since the death of King Francis V, no king had been willing to rebuild this path.
Precisely because this path was so rough and difficult to travel, the southern part of Francis had always been a place where noble families would not venture. However, it also made it rather difficult for the people living in Southport, Avila, and Piton to travel to Luxembourg.
The vast Bart Forest seemed to stretch endlessly. Although the distance from Piton to Luxembourg was less than two hundred kilometers, the rough road made it impossible to get out of the vast forest without spending several days.Now, two carriages were slowly moving one after the other on the thoroughfare deep in the dense forest. The carriage in front, which was beautifully and elegantly decorated, was the luxurious one that Ivan had once taken to attend the Baron Lipper's ball. Mr. Juan was now seated in it, and beside him sat Herbert, the cold-blooded assassin.
Except when traveling, Herbert always preferred to stand upright, as only in this way could he ensure the freedom to act at any time. Moreover, if he went out alone, he would rather choose to ride a horse or even walk. For an assassin, sitting inside a carriage was really too dangerous. However, he had to protect the leader's safety at all times, which was his responsibility.
There was only Audrey in the second carriage. In fact, this carriage was originally for her and Ivan to ride in together. But according to Mr. Juan's instructions, Ivan was riding the purebred horse alone. Audrey certainly understood what the leader meant, because the real Ivan Ester was a child who liked horseback riding very much. This hobby originated from the bloodline of his mother's family.
The old Earl of Maidin was a well-known horse lover in Francis. He owned the only four purebred horses of the southern bloodline in Francis, which had been a proud honor of the Medin family. However, it also gave those who intended to murder him an opportunity. The three children of the old earl also inherited this hobby.
Miss Bertha on horseback had once charmed countless young nobles in Luxembourg. This hobby had been passed down to the real Ivan Prima. That timid housekeeper had mentioned several times that the young master had never been willing to take a carriage when traveling. Instead, he liked to ride a horse and gallop alone in front of or behind the carriage. This was exactly why Mr. Juan insisted that Ivan ride a horse all the time.
Because if Ivan had the slightest difference in character from the real Master Ester, others might seize on it to point out that he was a fake. This was a huge risk that must not be taken. As the saying goes, it's easy to change rivers and mountains but hard to change a person's nature. Although they could make Ivan remember every single thing related to the real Master Ester, a difference in character would still seem incredible.
After all, knowledge and memories could be instilled into the mind, while character was accumulated over many years and was unlikely to change completely all of a sudden. And this was precisely where others were most likely to find flaws. Moreover, a difference in character would often give people the first impression that the person was a fake or an impostor. On the contrary, flaws and mistakes found in questions and answers could be muddled through by using the excuses of being young and that too much time had passed.
All along, Audrey had been the most cautious about this aspect in all the plans. There was another advantage for Audrey in Ivan's riding alongside. He could lie down comfortably on the seat. The whole day yesterday, he had been busy perfecting the plan and had been working until the sun rose in the early morning. Now, sufficient sleep was extremely important for him. The bumpy road was, in a way, a good thing for a sleeping person. It was as if he had returned to his infancy, lying in a cradle.
Ivan was galloping alone on the fine horse, and he liked Mr. Juan's arrangement very much as well. With a flick of the whip, Ivan was enjoying the feeling as if he were riding on the clouds. There was no heavy burden on his back, and that purebred horse ran at an astonishing speed that was unimaginable for ordinary people. Ivan's horsemanship was probably so excellent that even Audrey and Herbert, who had taught him all these skills, would have to admire him.
The fine horse streaked across the ground like a silver-gray meteor. Everything around him quickly flashed by behind him. The excitement and enjoyment were simply beyond imagination.Although Ivan and Mr. Juan had set out at the same time, Mr. Juan had told him that he could act freely as he pleased.
Ivan certainly understood what Mr. Juan meant. He really needed to visit Teacher Lavash's laboratory in the forest. For a whole week, he hadn't been there and didn't know if the teacher had left any messages for him. Meanwhile, he had a lot of things to tell Teacher Lavash.When Ivan was riding like a bolt of lightning on the thoroughfare leading directly from Southport to Luxembourg, he didn't notice a group of people on the roadside watching him.
There was an ordinary-looking carriage slowly moving in the same direction. That carriage was no different from the ones often seen on this thoroughfare and used by ordinary traveling merchants. There was a wide iron rack installed on the narrow and low roof of the carriage, with more than enough space for luggage and some extra space for goods. There were tiny windows on both sides of the carriage. Glass was too luxurious for those merchants, so a shutter was enough for them.
To make it more sturdy and durable, the wheels of the carriage were much smaller than those of the noble's special carriages, and the axles were a bit thicker.
Hinges and steering pulleys, which were delicate but easily damaged, would never appear on such a simple and crude carriage used for long-distance travel. For them, two hardwood poles were the sturdiest, most reliable, and also the most practical.Like all traveling merchant carriages, four or five bodyguards were absolutely indispensable along the way. They were both bodyguards and coachmen. Three people were squeezed onto the front seat of the carriage, and three horses tied behind the carriage were being dragged forward slowly.
Those horses were also nothing special, just the most common ones available in the market. From every aspect, these people seemed to be just the ordinary merchants who had completed a deal in Southport and were now hurrying home. The two rolls of silk wrapped in thick linen cloth placed horizontally on the carriage roof also seemed to prove the identity of the carriage owner.
Ivan didn't notice this ordinary traveling merchant carriage at all. He didn't slow down in the slightest and passed by it like a whirlwind.Ivan also didn't notice that when he was approaching the carriage on horseback, the three bodyguards on the carriage simultaneously reached their right hands behind their backs. The vigilant and steady gaze in their eyes was definitely not something that ordinary bodyguards would possess.
"Don't be too nervous. It will only expose our identity," a girl's voice came from inside the carriage."Sister, there's nothing inappropriate about their reaction. I was a bit nervous myself just now," said a young man in his twenties as he opened the door and got out of the carriage.
"Master, why did you come out? It's not safe here," said the older bodyguard sitting on the right among the three on the carriage."Sometimes, I still need to come out and relax a little," the young man said as he climbed onto the top of the carriage in a few steps. Then he stood high on the carriage roof, looking in the direction where Ivan had gone."Brother, what did you see?" the girl also jumped out of the carriage.
This girl was truly quite distinctive. Despite being a female, she was dressed in a pair of riding breeches. The tight leather jacket she wore outlined her charming curves. Her eyes were long and slender, with the corners slightly upturned, giving an air of restlessness.
She had a high forehead, plump cheeks, and a delicate and lovely small mouth, making her a rare beauty indeed. However, her thick and highly arched eyebrows were a bit too thick. Coupled with her angular nose, had these features been on a man, he would surely be handsome and dashing. What a pity...
Just as the first impression she gave, the girl climbed onto the roof of the carriage with ease and stood on tiptoe, straining to look. Unfortunately, she was too late. Ivan's horse was running so fast that when she finally stood on the roof, all she could see was a cloud of dust rising in the distance."Brother, what exactly did you see?" the girl asked."A fine horse and a good rider," the young man replied with a smile."A fine horse? A good rider? Is that horse as good as my 'Flying Lightning'? Can that rider outperform you, brother?" the girl inquired.Hearing the girl ask such a question, the three coachmen in front couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
They knew their young mistress all too well. This young lady was rather arrogant. In fact, what she really meant was to ask if that rider could possibly surpass her, who considered herself an excellent rider.
As subordinates, the three bodyguards didn't dare to laugh at their young mistress. But the brother had no such scruples. He simply smiled and said, "You little imp, you're actually talking about yourself. To be honest, that horse just now was definitely not inferior to your 'Flying Lightning'. It was also a purebred horse, an outstanding one at that. As for the rider, I'm not sure if I can beat him. It's hard to tell without a comparison.""Purebred horse? Could there be a purebred horse here? Brother, could it be a spy sent by those people?" the girl asked.
"Probably not. A spy on a purebred horse? That would be a bit too extravagant. Foster, you should have had a clearer view. What's your opinion?" the young man asked."Master, that rider is a child, about the same age as the young lady, or perhaps even younger. He looks like a noble and might be a squire. His horsemanship is quite remarkable," the older bodyguard said.
Hearing herself being described as a child, the young lady was rather displeased. However, although the older bodyguard nominally called her the young mistress, in fact, her father had always regarded him as his best friend.This time, when she and her brother went out, before leaving, her father had instructed that in case of any major events, they should all follow Foster's command. Therefore, he was the actual leader here.
"A squire? Does the Kingdom of Francis even have squires with such excellent horsemanship?" the young master murmured to himself."Young master, you'd better get back into the carriage. It's not safe here after all," Foster advised."Don't worry. I'm sure there's no one around," an old voice came from inside the carriage. "Moreover, Cicos and Surid are on their way back. They seem to be in a hurry. Probably they've discovered something unusual. If my hunch is correct, tonight might not be peaceful. Letting the young master have some exercise might do some good."
Hearing the old man's words from the carriage, everyone fell silent. Although among their group, the old man didn't handle the affairs, no one would disobey his words. Since he said there would be danger at night, there must be a fierce battle waiting for them ahead."Should we change our itinerary and stay in Piton for the night?" Foster asked.
"No need. I always feel that the sooner we reach Luxembourg, the better," the old man said again.Hearing the old man's answer, no one had any more questions. The carriage then continued to move forward, and this time it was clearly much faster.Riding that fine horse, Ivan reached Teacher Lavash's laboratory in the forest in just two hours.Inside the laboratory, nothing had changed. Only on that mirror were some dark green words clearly imprinted.Sure enough, Teacher Lavash had contacted him.Ivan walked up to the mirror and started to read carefully.
"Dear student, since you can see the words I wrote, I assume that you have successfully extracted the hallucinogenic powder. The ointments I gave you should have also played their roles. The hallucinogenic powder is an extremely dangerous thing, yet it is truly quite useful. The only drawback is that it is rather troublesome to use.
It can only be absorbed through the skin. Although there are ways to refine it so that it can take effect just by breathing in the gas, for you at present, the difficulty is undoubtedly a bit too high. Therefore, I have prepared a small gift for you: a magic wand of your own. It's a very simple little thing. You can only use it to cast three small wind spells. With your current ability, you should be able to control and use these three spells.
If you can use this wand skillfully, you will find that you know better how to fight than a magician who has studied magic for ten years. I think this is quite necessary for you now. My student, I tell you again that for a magician, having powerful magic power is far less effective than knowing how to skillfully manipulate limited magic power. A clever magician is often a person full of wisdom, rather than just someone with great strength. Ivan, you can know from the golden butterfly where I put the wand. May the God of Luck bless you, my child."
After Ivan finished reading the words on the mirror, those words slowly faded away and finally disappeared completely.Nothing could make Ivan more excited than acquiring new knowledge."Whoopee!" Ivan couldn't help cheering. He jumped up and down in the laboratory. The once empty laboratory was now filled with great joy.With Ivan's cheers, the golden butterfly also danced in the air as if it could also feel this happiness.
After a long while, Ivan gradually calmed down. He looked up at the golden butterfly flying in the air and said, "Do you know where Teacher Lavash left my magic wand?"The golden butterfly seemed to understand every word Ivan said. It fluttered towards the top of the laboratory tower. After a long time, it floated down slowly. Hanging on its slender metal limb was a one-foot-long, straw-thick ivory magic wand. At the top of the magic wand was a roll of parchment tied with a yellow ribbon.
Ivan quickly and carefully caught the falling magic wand and the roll of parchment.He examined his magic wand fondly.The magic wand was indeed carefully polished from ivory. The smooth ivory surface, the soft color, and the elastic feel all made Ivan love it very much.Gently waving the magic wand, Ivan could even feel the resonance generated by the collision between the magic wand and the wind element, as if a symphony praising the wind was playing in the air.
After being excited for a while, Ivan finally calmed down and gently opened the parchment.The words on the parchment were extremely concise, only describing the three spells that this magic wand could cast, as well as the meditations and incantations required for casting the spells. Meditation was not difficult for Ivan.
He had been practicing it all along. In fact, the ointments given to him by Teacher Lavash also required special meditations to truly play their roles. Ivan had not only fully grasped this meditation method but also had never forgotten Herbert's teachings. Only by mastering this skill and being able to use it without any mistakes in any situation could one be said to have truly mastered it.
Although Ivan didn't like Herbert, what Herbert said was undoubtedly correct.Precisely because of this, during this week, Ivan had spent a great deal of effort to make himself able to calm down immediately and quickly enter the meditation state no matter how tense the situation was.This kind of practice was extremely hard, but the results were undoubtedly significant.