Preface Ansair

"New January, a new volume, needs strong support!"

When the captain of the bodyguard found him, Ansiel was feeding lions and eagles at the attic of the tower.

As usual, Ansair was walking upstairs with a wooden barrel full of fresh meat, and the lion eagle with thick gray and white mane around his neck flapped its wings wildly in a cage of thick iron bars and hissing angrily at him. It tried to break free, but in exchange for a few hard iron feathers that fell on the ground. However, when Ansiel took out fresh pieces of meat from the barrel, the lion eagle quietly calmed down. The dark yellow eyes stared at the fresh meat in his hand, pecked it quickly and swallowed it.

"Greedy and cunning little guy, slow down, slow down." Ansiel didn't know if the lion eagle could understand it. He just said to himself, "Ferocious bad thing, you almost pecked off my hand."

The brass armor was sonorous, and the wooden ladder creaked for a long time. Only then did Ansiel find that the captain of the bodyguard wearing half armor and bright feather ornaments on his head came to the attic and stood by the stairs with a huge axe. His arms and face were painted with oil paint and looked at him blankly. It's no big deal. Ansair confirmed. If something had happened, he would have urged him loudly.

He slowly threw the last piece of fresh meat in the bucket to the lion and eagle. The fierce bird tore up the fresh meat with a sharp machete-like beak in the hands of a horse-riding Thean. Blood flowed from the corners of his mouth and dyed his mane red. I have to bathe it again. Ansiel thought angrily. Every time you wash the feathers for the lion eagle, it is like accompanying the king. If you are careless, you will be hurt all over.

Flax the king during the day and serve the lion eagle at night. One is the ruler of the earth, and the other is the hegemon of heaven. No one is bad, and everyone wants him to serve as a humble mortal. Look, no one can live without me. Ansiel thought happily while wiping his hands with wet wipes. But his good mood could not be maintained for a moment. Just because he saw the gilded clock in a prominent position.

"When will Prince O'Bron see me?" He asked weakly.

"When do you have time to meet?" The captain of the guard replied.

The secret goddess finally treats herself well. He sighed with peace of mind and worry. He met the rigid sight of the captain of the bodyguard. So, what's the news today? He casually asked, "Magic or witchcraft?"

Some time ago, there were rumors that black magic appeared across the sea, and the words were chiseled and vowed. This made Prince O'Beron frightened for fear of the darkness surrounding his flowing palace. He invited Ansiel to the palace several times a day and questioned him repeatedly... The prince had a series of dreams every night, but he suffered from Ansiel. At that time, he couldn't help thinking, who could get a little comfort in his heart?

Now there is really such a gentle and virtuous woman who seems to have fallen from the sky as if a messenger sent by the goddess, and her whole body seems to be wrapped in the soft morning light, appearing in front of his eyes without warning. Every time he thought of her soft hair, sweet smile, and the warm suckling pigeons on her chest, he felt happy. However, his status is very different from her. The mage is regarded as an aus in the city of thousands of lakes, and she will not marry him. When he thought of this, there was a dull pain in his heart.

Until one night, an albatross crashed into the attic where the lion eagle was staying. The albatross naturally became the food of the lion and eagle, but the letters it left rekindled the light of hope in his heart.

"You know," said the captain of the bodyguard, "I don't know anything."

Yes, yes. Your eyes are blind and your ears are deaf. Even your wife is a huge axe in your hand. Ansiel wore a soft scarlet robe. The robe trembled and made a sound. Then he put on a sharp-horned hat decorated with stars and walked out of the attic with a dark face.

Prince O'Bron sat on a bench in the flowing garden, and a little girl with blonde curly hair sat in his arms and mischievously pulled his sparse beard.

"Wow, is this what father said about Mr. Wizard?" The little princess blinked curiously and said puzzledly, "But he seems to be able to neither let my 'lady' speak nor turn the toad into a prince."

Magic consultants, witchcraft shamans, and of course derogatory warlocks and wizards. These names are not bad for him. Anyway, he knows a little about everything. His duty is to provide magic advice to Prince O'Peren in front of him - after all, no matter how much he hates the country of mages, there will always be mages and magical creatures - while His Royal Highness provides him with comfortable accommodation and a large salary in the flowing palace. If only money could solve all the problems, he thought in a trance.

"The old wet nurse is just telling a story. It's just a story." His Royal Highness fondly touched the little princess's head, "Yahan, take the little princess back to your room." He told the captain of the guard, "I want to have a good talk with our court mage, Mr. Ansair."

Ansiel thought that Prince O'Belle would talk about magic and witchcraft, curses and sea monsters. But the prince talked to him about women. The wall was full of rats. He used to think it was the drunken words of the bodyguard, but at this time he was convinced. The prince talked about his marriage and planned to marry the daughter of his distant relative to him.

He has a little impression of that woman. He once met each other at a court banquet. She is like an old witch. This is his first impression of that woman. She has all the characteristics of the witches in fairy tales, which are better than them. Moreover, she is also the illegitimate daughter of a laundry woman. How can she be compared with my star and moon!

He couldn't say a word about the "kindness" of the prince. Ansiel could only stride away from the flowing palace in tolerant anger. He is really fed up with this place! Don't think that I will give in like this, and I will obediently marry that ugly illegitimate daughter! His staff knocked on the floor and walked faster and faster. Immediately, I can change all this immediately!

Ansair jumped into a willow boat. The boatman tried his best to hold the pole, and the boat shuttled through the narrow waterways like cobwebs in the city of thousands of lakes. It deftly avoided many obstacles and passed through one bridge hole after another, and then Ansiel asked the boatman to stop the boat in the empty old alley. He gave the boatman a handful of silver coins, then pulled up his robe and climbed ashore, motioned the boatman to leave quickly, and left immediately!

The old alley was built along the dark green sewage river beside him. There are wooden supports standing in the mortar-walled houses, which are like rain-covering sheds blocking the beautiful sunset from the west at dusk. Ansiel walks among the mud fortresses, always worrying about when they will collapse. He walked fearfully across a creaking old wooden bridge and sat down on the base of a half-body fishman statue deep in the old alley.

Just two weeks ago, he met the person who sent the letter to him for the first time.

"Who are you?" Ansiel asked.

The man replied, "I'm a magician, your colleague. I have a way to solve your troubles. He said, "That beautiful lady."

"How do you know?" He asked uneasily, "What do you want?"

"It depends on how much determination you can make." The person who claimed to be a magician replied.

Determination? Ansiel knows that he never lacks determination. Otherwise, he would not have come to the city of thousands of lakes called the "Mage Prison". But now, he understands what the other party means. He is willing to give everything to be with the goddess of his life.

The magician finally told him, "Two weeks later, I will wait for you at the statue in the old alley." They made an appointment to meet by the canal at this time. He came as promised. However, a whole afternoon passed until the sun went down, and the old alley was completely dark, and he did not find the other party.

It was dark, and Ansiel realized that he would not come. He didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He moved his footsteps and turned his head back from time to time. But the old alley was dark and nothing could be seen. Is anyone reading his jokes? Maybe the magician was the prince's subordinates, so that he could be mocked so that he could die as soon as possible. Ansiel couldn't help thinking nonsense.

A butcher's trailer rumbled past Ansair along the causeway, and five little pigs wailed in the car. Just after avoiding the trailer, another woman splashed toilet dirt from the window on his head, which he could avoid. He cursed in a low voice, hid his hand in his robe and quietly cast a spell - he tried to expel the disgusting smell on his body, and one voice said, "Good evening, Mr. Ans Al."

The magician is right in front of him.

Ansiel quickly stood up and said, "You said you would arrive in the afternoon."

"Birds also need time to fly. I came here on foot." The magician's colleague wore an inconspicuous brown hood travel cloak, and the shadow monster cast on the mortar wall and wooden shelf devoured him, and it was difficult to see the face under the hood. Have you decided yet?"

Does he have to force me to say it? Yes, I'm willing to exchange everything."

In fact, it is not difficult to make a decision. Even as a close relative of the prince, Ansiel has never been respected by others. The narrow sea city states regard magic as an evil heresy, and the mage is born guilty regardless of good or evil. I can get out of here. Go to the other side of the narrow sea, to the land of ice and snow in the Arctic, even in the desperate fortress, even in the land where black magic prevails, as long as she is willing to accompany him. It doesn't matter where you go.

"I can't afford that much. I'm afraid I'll chop myself to death."

"Then what do you want?"

"Your identity."

Ansiel felt the eyes seeping under the magician's hood. He took a step back, "My identity? You mean you want me to give way to you? No problem, just take it. I will recommend you to the prince in person.

"Good, then we will make a deal." The magician said.

Is it done? Is it that simple?

"Yes, you can go back and get ready to leave here." The magician said, "Everything will be fine until you marry that lady."

Is it that simple? Ansiel still can't believe it. It is rumored that the oath is like the wind. But he seems to have no choice but to trust the other party at this time. Let's go. Go back and endure the last few days. He told himself, go back and tell her that we can be together forever and realize her dream of traveling around the world. However, he did not move. Let me see your face."

"It's up to you."

He is an ordinary person, with an ordinary face, a young face, but ordinary, plump cheeks, a faint beard, and a faint scar on his right cheek. He has an eagle hook nose and a neat and lush black hair. Ansiel doesn't know this face. I don't know you."

"I don't know you either."

"Who are you?"

"Nameless people. No one. Really."

"Oh." Ansiel has nothing more to say. Then I'll wait for your message."

He returned along the stinky river. When he walked to the old wooden bridge, he felt dizzy, and the pebbles under his feet began to move. It's after dusk now. I don't have heatstroke. He felt his heart pounding. What's the matter?" His legs stepped on the old wooden bridge uncontrollably. I don't understand."

"I will never understand." Someone sighed sadly in the distance. Autumn is coming.

What does it mean? He thought.

"Will winter be far away?"

The dirty and smelly water suddenly rushed towards me. Ansiel wanted to call for help, but couldn't shout.

The last thing he thought of was the girl's sweet smile.