On the Seven Towers

"Come on, Crete. Eat some more." Hawke put another candy into Crete's hand. "Look at the slippery packaging on it. This is heaven's goods. They took it with them when they dropped it. Yes, eat one less, it’s much more delicious than the new candy bars they make in the factory.”

"You, don't you want to eat?" Crete came to the third camp today to deliver a message. When he was leaving, he was stopped by Hawke who was leaving work and forced two candies into his mouth.

"Hey, I'm an adult, and adults prefer this." Hawke took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it under his nose and smelled it, then stuffed it back into his pocket with reluctance, "Besides, I'm a warehouse manager. , I still have a lot of things that are in short supply and allocated to the mine.”

"Thank you." Crete held the candy in his mouth with a grateful expression, "Your job is really good, everyone must be envious of it, right?"

"I'm so jealous. No matter how nice it is, I can live in a castle even if it's better than you."

"But I'm just a messenger these days." Crete was a little depressed.

"Hasn't anyone taught you magic yet?" Hawke said with a bit of anger in his tone, "Let me tell you, you don't owe Master Xiao Chen. It's unfair for him to treat you like this. He should at least let other magicians, even if I’m also a magic apprentice. Can I teach you something?”

Critter ate the candy, shook his head and said, "I haven't seen any other magicians, except Ms. Luo Ling and that Mage Andrew, but they all have their own things to be busy with. I haven't seen any of the apprentices."

"No one?" Hawke observed him for a while and whispered: "How about I take you for a walk today? I made a lot of friends in the camp. These people are interesting guys. They are here today. There will be a dinner party.”

Crete looked up at Hawke and said hesitantly: "Thank you, I think it's better to forget it. It's getting late, I should go back to the castle."

"Are they looking at you?" Hawke asked.

"That's not true. I live alone in a single room. Even if I don't go there at night, no one will care about me."

"That's not very good. You come with me to meet everyone, and then just live in the camp." Hawke put his head next to Crete's ear and whispered, "There are a few people in the hunting camp who will If you come here secretly, you will also bring game meat. There are also two people who come from the dock and they will bring fish. You don’t have that much food in the city, right?”

"Why do you have so many people gathering together? Didn't you say you can't run around after dark?" Crete asked with a worried look on his face.

"Hey, there are a lot of people in the camp. How many guards are there? Besides, we just eat some fresh food and talk about something fun. It doesn't matter if we are discovered."

When it got really dark, Hawke took Crete to the edge of the camp, where there were several large warehouses where debris was stored. He walked outside an inconspicuous side door. Knocked rhythmically on the door.

After a while, the door opened a crack.

The person inside seemed to look at them for a while and said, "Newcomer?"

"Yes, don't worry, everything is in compliance with the rules." Hawke put his arm around Crete's shoulders, "My little brother Crete."

The person inside said nothing, opened the door, turned around and walked in.

The house seemed dark and there was no one around. Crete glanced at Hawke hesitantly. The latter grinned and said: "Don't worry, come with me."

Critter followed Hawke's footsteps into the house. As he walked through the door, the room became brighter, as if many lights were suddenly lit at the same time. In other words, it was more like suddenly entering a new world illuminated by lights.

At the same time, he discovered that the room was not empty. On the contrary, there were many people sitting or standing, talking to each other, and eating. Just as he stepped into the room, the noise hit him. If most of these people weren't wearing coarse clothes, he almost felt like this was a drinking party for nobles. However, he didn't hear any sound before he walked in the door.

When Crete came in, almost everyone noticed them. Many people stopped talking and turned to look at him. These people were old and young, but Crete found that the people in the room did not look like civilians, either in the way they stood or sat, or in the content of their conversations. Some of them were too strong, reminding him of knights and mercenaries, and some were mysterious like legendary spellcasters. This made him a little nervous, so he stood at the door at a loss.

Hawke saw Crete's dazed look and said with some pride: "There are capable people among us! I heard that this is a magic circle that can make people outside the house feel that there is no one in the house. It is all something they made. But it doesn’t matter to us. Come with me and let’s find something to eat.”

The crowd gradually dispersed, and Hawke led Crete to a table. There was no exquisite food on the table, only a few earthenware plates and bowls filled with barbecued game, fish and some common fruits. Hawke grabbed a piece of rabbit meat, handed it to Crete and said, "Try it."

The aroma of meat is mixed with the smell of burnt meat, plus some unknown herbs, and the taste is very tempting. Crete took a bite and smiled with satisfaction.

"Is it worth it?" Hawke picked up a rabbit leg and said while biting it.

"However, there is a tavern in the camp, which is more lively than here. Why don't these people go somewhere?" Crete asked.

"Tavern?" Hawke sneered, "Look at the people here, each of us has a great background. For example, for me, my ancestors have been viscounts of the southern city-state for many generations! Our family even produced two dragon-blooded warriors, That's the real blood of the red dragon. Let's talk about this rabbit guy." Hawke pointed at a sturdy middle-aged man not far away, "Baron Norton, a man from the Empire, is a good shot."

Hawke introduced many people in the room. Almost everyone had a background, and the worst was a knight's squire.

"You think, even if we people become slaves because of war or crime, can we stay with those real mud-legged people? I can even recite seven or eight poems, but they don't even know a single letter. So, We better people have to have our own place to go."

After hearing this, Crete put down the meat in his hand, lowered his head and said, "Then why did you bring me here? To sing to these people?"

"How is it possible!" Hawke shouted, "You are already a mage apprentice. What a noble status that is, enough to join our group. There is a saying in the south that a mage is worth a count, and an apprentice is at least worth a count. Knight! You are too confused to realize that you are already a superior person."

"But I don't know any magic." Crete said.

"This doesn't change anything. Identity depends on what you are, not what you can do." Hawke continued to deal with the rabbit leg while talking nonsense, "Besides, I think there are some people here who may be able to help you. ”

"help me?"

"Of course, when we entered the house, wasn't the magic circle that blocked the light magical? Can't you learn some of this skill first?" Hawke said, waving to the distance.

Soon, a young man older than Hawke came over. The man was thin and tall. He looked like a frail and sickly man, and he seemed to be floating when he walked. However, his deep purple eyes were very bright, and the thin lines of his lips seemed to indicate that he was a determined person. The man was also wearing coarse cloth, but there was a huge "1" on it. Crete knew that this meant he was from Camp No. 1.

"Hoke, what do you want from me, you troublemaker?" the young man's voice was a little deep.

"Are there any cigarettes left?" Hawke asked, staring at the young man's pocket.

The young man frowned and took out a cigarette from his pocket and threw it on the table, "Why don't I smoke you to death."

Hawke quickly held the cigarette in his mouth, pointed at Crete and said: "Lorenzo, guess who this is?"

"Hehe." The young man laughed, "He is such a thin-skinned little guy, paler than a woman. Could it be that the young master from some southern family ended up here?"

"No, no, Crete is much more powerful than any young master." Hawke shook his head proudly.

"Crete? I seem to have heard this name somewhere... Could it be that he is Master Xiao Chen's new apprentice?"

"No! This is the person that Master Xiao Chen likes! Crete is now my good friend." Hawke put the cigarette on a candle and lit it, and took a nice puff.

Lorenzo looked at Crete carefully again, and suddenly his face showed surprise. He closed his eyes slightly, muttered something in his mouth, opened his eyes and said: "Master Xiao Chen has a good vision, I feel his huge He must be able to go far in the field of magic. But the strange thing is that Master Xiao Chen has accepted him as his apprentice for a long time, right? Why hasn't his potential been developed at all?"

"That's right, he hasn't learned anything yet. Don't you know, Master Xiao Chen left here a few days ago. This makes Crete, who is eager to learn his skills, very anxious." Hawke patted Crete. Te's shoulder, "How about, how about teaching him some of your moves?"

"Me? He has his own teacher. Besides, I'm not a mage, I'm just a half-baked bard."

"But those tricks of yours are also spells, aren't they? You see, the thing is very simple. Crete's teacher is obviously too busy and he can't learn anything. If you can help him, let him learn a few tricks first , so he won't be ridiculed as a mage apprentice who doesn't know any magic. Maybe he can help you in the future," Hawke said while flicking the cigarette ashes.

Lorenzo shrugged and said: "We people don't pay as much attention to inheritance as mages. However, I only know some gadgets with limited effects, otherwise, I won't stay in Camp No. 1 to hang around. Well, teach me too It doesn’t matter. We are like a family and we help each other. But the most important thing is, do you want to learn?”

Crete was a little at a loss and muttered for a while: "I learned this...won't Master Xiao Chen be angry when he comes back? Also, how do you want me to repay you?"

"I don't think so. There is no conflict. If the apprentice becomes stronger, the mentor should be happy, right?" Lorenzo asked, "It doesn't mean anything in return. Since you are Hawke's good friend, it's like My brother is the same. And I still owe Hawke a favor. "

"I...I do." Crete finally nodded and said.