「王子殿下,您是什麼時候──」436Please respect copyright.PENANA1w4UULLO1S
436Please respect copyright.PENANAThDmxV1hIc
「告訴父王我要找他,別聲張,不要讓其他人知道我回來了。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAkbg6QZ13Yv
436Please respect copyright.PENANArbhOESnIBd
霍金做了個手勢制止城門守衛隊隊長的大呼小叫,對方立即會意地點頭,轉身離去。霍金站到城門下方的陰影處,忖著幸好一走來就遇到熟識的人在巡邏,否則情況會變得更加麻煩。436Please respect copyright.PENANAjI9iX2i6vx
436Please respect copyright.PENANA7eUH0VYayF
黑麒城的城牆高聳入天,牆上每隔幾尺便懸掛一支火把,他即是站在兩支火把之間的陰暗處,敞開的城門位在幾十公尺外,現在才入夜不久,離城門關閉的宵禁時段還有好一段時間。436Please respect copyright.PENANAEDaIvLrTdu
436Please respect copyright.PENANA0AFNPsi9yj
霍金面向遠處的幽暗樹林,回憶起他們來時的情形──436Please respect copyright.PENANApCFydX3YXJ
436Please respect copyright.PENANAUtPrLJ61gP
436Please respect copyright.PENANAhlnzB9HdKg
436Please respect copyright.PENANA7e7D5bJd1R
「到了王宮之後,你有什麼打算?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAREa1mrmwDL
436Please respect copyright.PENANAUqgtHl0mNW
側坐在掃把上的霍金往後瞥了縮在龍爪裡的凱莉一眼,勇者與獵犬相依偎,波可十分鎮定,而凱莉不知是真的冷靜還是已經嚇傻了。他聽到飛在前頭的涅澤爾說道:436Please respect copyright.PENANAFzUZtpGa08
436Please respect copyright.PENANAgtU5i55F5Y
「他們聽不見,你想說什麼就說吧。」436Please respect copyright.PENANA79l6fKsinR
436Please respect copyright.PENANAT1pgy9VTiP
「你還敢問我有什麼打算,不就是你先說要回去的嗎。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAES06HMRBaV
436Please respect copyright.PENANAV3exDYEvP1
霍金沒好氣地應聲,涅澤爾微微側首看向他。436Please respect copyright.PENANAeTRNRflYnB
436Please respect copyright.PENANAwJVS7BeB5s
「我提議的時候,塔裡可沒有勇者喔,萵苣。還是你連這麼明顯的差別都沒注意到?」436Please respect copyright.PENANANFcUvLbnmW
436Please respect copyright.PENANAy56jrjFIgG
「你倒是先說你原本想做什麼?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAZbZYEG9kNg
436Please respect copyright.PENANA2nsZcks1TS
「亨利想要我怎麼做,我就怎麼做。」涅澤爾難得坦承地回答,「我就不跟你廢話了,萵苣,你想把勇者帶到亨利面前嗎?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAGNY0sOB68m
436Please respect copyright.PENANA5Q5XT4wQM2
「不,那樣……」霍金滯了一下,「你覺得父王能處理好勇者的事嗎?」436Please respect copyright.PENANA5XHlkB7kVS
436Please respect copyright.PENANAhNwteJZbqz
「你問一個將近二十年來只跟他見過一次面的人,還真是看得起我啊?」涅澤爾再次擺出如常的戲謔語調,飛在半空的巫師轉過身來,坐上掃帚柄前端翹起腳,雖是往前飛卻完全沒有直視前方,而是面朝後看著王子。「趁我心情不算差,萵苣你有什麼計畫就直接招了吧,說不定我還有興致配合你呢。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAfiwGnpMLR2
436Please respect copyright.PENANAvashSUIPWq
霍金恍惚間憶起這人明明在心中抱怨過不想和父王之外的人共騎掃帚,但下一秒他就將那些不重要的念頭甩開,專注在正題上:「你先說清楚,為什麼父王會要我去你的塔?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAaN4YkEt5k9
436Please respect copyright.PENANAPs154pitwZ
「你想聽實話嗎?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAozeZCXBADo
436Please respect copyright.PENANA77YWKLzIXL
「廢話。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAQoUw8BCCu1
436Please respect copyright.PENANA4vr6NysJ3f
「那麼你已經看到答案了。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAn8nqrKsOJd
436Please respect copyright.PENANAjlGkRKpyOq
涅澤爾右手支在大腿上撐著下巴,霍金聞言露出錯愕的神色,紅紫雲彩掠過兩人身邊,他們前方是瑰麗晚霞,後方則是逐漸升起的星夜,身在兩者之間的掃帚彷彿是拉開夜幕的拉鍊、或沾了靛色顏料的筆刷,一面往前一面將暮色染黑,青年背光的身影在少年眼中蒙上了一層陰影。436Please respect copyright.PENANAT86X4n2XXg
436Please respect copyright.PENANAbG05LJejZZ
「你要解釋就說清楚講明白,不要給我打啞謎。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAK2oZBKUpbD
436Please respect copyright.PENANAfTeoW0kZ7R
「哎,我也不指望以萵苣你的程度能聽懂我在說什麼呢,你還是回去問你爸吧。」涅澤爾頗不在乎地說,雙手撐在掃帚柄上,「要是你不想帶勇者回宮,那你要把她安置在哪裡?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAY5wqaK7nfc
436Please respect copyright.PENANAudXjWiPZSp
霍金本想追問先前的問題,但轉念一想,即使涅澤爾已經飛得比平常慢,他們的時間也所剩不多,於是只得先答道:「你有辦法把父王帶出宮來嗎?」436Please respect copyright.PENANADZQKzI7vX9
436Please respect copyright.PENANAyBdbcTvQly
「你想跟亨利在宮外見面?那勇者一看就曉得你先前的說詞有問題囉。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAUg5KTycjBC
436Please respect copyright.PENANAnxGV9FWae4
「我不需要她相信我,我只要她配合我。」霍金直接了當地說,「現在不適合讓你跟母后見面吧。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAioQW2kzTRG
436Please respect copyright.PENANANp8W3vbFx0
「怎麼?難道王子殿下想顧慮我受創的心靈嗎?你媽知道了一定會感動得痛哭流涕的。」436Please respect copyright.PENANA1eB197h6Sa
436Please respect copyright.PENANAeKlKcL3eYe
「才不是!」面對涅澤爾誇張的感嘆以及最後愉悅的語氣,要不是把掃帚扔了他們就會摔下去,霍金直想掄起掃把往這人臉上抽!他一撇嘴,澄清道:「我不知道父王跟母后分別做了什麼,但至少得先釐清一方的說法,才能應付另一方。以這件事來說,先找父王比較適合。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAFnXo2pFSsb
436Please respect copyright.PENANATmCQd1x2F8
涅澤爾沒有應聲,一行人沉默著往前飛。幾分鐘後,夜色完全降臨,碎星一顆一顆從他倆身側向後滾落,他們在星河中前行,早先充當色筆的掃帚此時又幻作穩穩前進的小舟,月亮從他們背後緩緩爬升,至此,霍金才又聽得涅澤爾說道:436Please respect copyright.PENANAqKIIeAliUh
436Please respect copyright.PENANAo9CxHabOnH
「嘛,說真的,萵苣,你跟亨利熟嗎?」436Please respect copyright.PENANA9DAYt09jLC
436Please respect copyright.PENANA4HhlvPksOL
「……沒有熟到知道你的地步。」436Please respect copyright.PENANAr5Wy9TXHNs
436Please respect copyright.PENANAOYE78xtZsi
「現在是誰在說廢話了?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAUul7zXZ5lo
436Please respect copyright.PENANAkF4QhoCCKI
微弱紅點自一行人腳下冒出,它們是點燃於土地的星子,屬於人類的燈火。城市近在眼前,兩人的對話被白龍的嗓音中斷:436Please respect copyright.PENANAj9vwif6ogo
436Please respect copyright.PENANAK2MV7w4taG
「涅澤爾大人,我們要降落在哪裡呢?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAG1DLDoXFeh
436Please respect copyright.PENANAtCKWkTL8LI
「先停在蜂之森吧。」436Please respect copyright.PENANA0PbdEC569P
436Please respect copyright.PENANALuPVvwDviP
436Please respect copyright.PENANAzhbry2eOsz
436Please respect copyright.PENANAju2sRwABdn
──結果那傢伙一句「想帶你爸出來的話你就自己去吧,萵苣」就把他推上火線了,雖說在勇者面前,由他回宮似乎比較合理一點……就那麼一點點。436Please respect copyright.PENANA8idDP4LdF4
436Please respect copyright.PENANA3WddnyIvdb
可是他直接走回王宮的話肯定會引起騷動,到時別說是私下會見父王,百分之百會先被母后抓去問話。436Please respect copyright.PENANARGVzbwLMXA
436Please respect copyright.PENANA9LxQyKB5WJ
要找國王不自己親自去、還要求對方配合時間地點自行移駕,簡直沒有比這更沒禮貌的行為了,霍金決定把這個鍋丟給涅澤爾揹,就當作這主意是那傢伙出的,反正與事實相距不遠。436Please respect copyright.PENANAS0QBsCajkU
436Please respect copyright.PENANASsuEMvsnLB
首都守衛隊隊長是個聽話的人,對於上司的命令從不質疑,因為家裡養了五隻狗和他有點私交,可是即使如此,這樣的位階要領著國王出城果然還是太低了。在守衛隊隊長一去不返的四十分鐘後,霍金開始懷疑自己是不是一開始就做錯決定了,照理說他行事不該如此倉促,可是想到那傢伙還在林子裡等,他就覺得煩。436Please respect copyright.PENANAqVzk1GELnJ
436Please respect copyright.PENANAAUd3Df1iF8
現在不是祭典期間,夜晚無人進出黑麒城,霍金等了又等,好一段時間過後,一名身著深藍色斗篷的人跨出城門,向他走來。436Please respect copyright.PENANAyvsBqretnN
436Please respect copyright.PENANAcrk3oOz3l4
「霍金?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAfWcK1MHjqo
436Please respect copyright.PENANAgU8Qro9HI0
一聽聲音,少年便認出來者何人,但他當然不可能在這裡行禮,即使守衛隊隊長跟其他人打點過、不讓人來巡邏這一帶,城垣上還是有人站崗的。霍金低下頭來,沉聲道:「父王。」436Please respect copyright.PENANA7pJW7Z5eXE
436Please respect copyright.PENANAtc3KnHyTN4
「免禮,你應該不是自己回來的吧,霍金?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAlIBQNjZcqZ
436Please respect copyright.PENANAm2Cr91zHC5
王子抬起頭與國王兜帽下的藍眸對視,他所認識的父親,和涅澤爾記憶中的完全不一樣,久別重逢後,他更是徹底感受到了這一點。436Please respect copyright.PENANAFkOMrbXomT
436Please respect copyright.PENANAqCkqCe6HIy
「巫師在森林裡等您,父王。」霍金簡短地回答,亨利點了點頭,在對方回應「帶路吧」的時候,他猶豫了一下,便在動身前開口:「敢問父王,您能否坦白將我送往巫師塔的理由?」436Please respect copyright.PENANAjveQOJvFAT