「王子殿下,您是什麼時候──」371Please respect copyright.PENANA6YJotJMnLZ
371Please respect copyright.PENANAOcDmFCgIrQ
「告訴父王我要找他,別聲張,不要讓其他人知道我回來了。」371Please respect copyright.PENANABDtkLLTeej
371Please respect copyright.PENANAlyHPyPLsqc
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAVQ6jeMkFjA
371Please respect copyright.PENANA8TSvly9cRY
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANA41iale06hi
371Please respect copyright.PENANANvpVnPnC6g
霍金面向遠處的幽暗樹林,回憶起他們來時的情形──371Please respect copyright.PENANAoync90gAQU
371Please respect copyright.PENANA2Zh8UyRxke
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「到了王宮之後,你有什麼打算?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAOtj8aLEFCs
371Please respect copyright.PENANAN1xfFzWzOF
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:371Please respect copyright.PENANA3PCg8P221n
371Please respect copyright.PENANAqVszvBfBZ3
「他們聽不見,你想說什麼就說吧。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAqqC5i72VJv
371Please respect copyright.PENANAFtklUJ1bqq
「你還敢問我有什麼打算,不就是你先說要回去的嗎。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAWr8AsX4mIG
371Please respect copyright.PENANAS96fzf9Da1
霍金沒好氣地應聲,涅澤爾微微側首看向他。371Please respect copyright.PENANAfPFlPTIxV7
371Please respect copyright.PENANAkFnA5zvGHw
「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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANA5Qln9dE7xX
371Please respect copyright.PENANAWnpxj6g8Bc
「你倒是先說你原本想做什麼?」371Please respect copyright.PENANArMlZMuoRWX
371Please respect copyright.PENANAG5Verzsq8w
「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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANABkSo5ZjxNH
371Please respect copyright.PENANAfxWgRk5NUV
「不,那樣……」霍金滯了一下,「你覺得父王能處理好勇者的事嗎?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAi8TRYwgJsT
371Please respect copyright.PENANAJCtS7mLMnb
「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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAVV4OmpjaIl
371Please respect copyright.PENANAS8W69EnqYg
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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAk0X6Xfy0oZ
371Please respect copyright.PENANAIcWN8QAGEm
「你想聽實話嗎?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAkmEasmKYCa
371Please respect copyright.PENANAM2bBbHomBA
「廢話。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAnk0BpzfvvQ
371Please respect copyright.PENANAuhoWuKKDXY
「那麼你已經看到答案了。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAWVpXxMB1fG
371Please respect copyright.PENANAb8ByGCAf4S
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAbrsZeoxY0T
371Please respect copyright.PENANAS8jVTQnUwq
「你要解釋就說清楚講明白,不要給我打啞謎。」371Please respect copyright.PENANA5Xlxs5RKIx
371Please respect copyright.PENANASddS1P4ttR
「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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANApogpqkno1Z
371Please respect copyright.PENANAqaaa6rG0HB
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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAImAc8x0D7T
371Please respect copyright.PENANAjwx5f3xibK
「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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAo4REl0j2pg
371Please respect copyright.PENANAiEmhwnNZI2
「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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANA8XoQKJLUi1
371Please respect copyright.PENANALll9GBr4LH
「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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANAU1WN8lieyw
371Please respect copyright.PENANATJQQudJyHa
「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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANA97cZDj7Yef
371Please respect copyright.PENANApROPiWmz2v
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:371Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4FR4rNQka
371Please respect copyright.PENANAV7Oc4LvJlo
「嘛,說真的,萵苣,你跟亨利熟嗎?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAeQyCKLsbdg
371Please respect copyright.PENANA8Zr9kjCyFJ
「……沒有熟到知道你的地步。」371Please respect copyright.PENANATprWELm2Jf
371Please respect copyright.PENANAHBGUDumpzG
「現在是誰在說廢話了?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAKMzOUwGFON
371Please respect copyright.PENANApgcQ5gJlTV
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:371Please respect copyright.PENANArcYo0doUlD
371Please respect copyright.PENANAzfrrsjY1o8
「涅澤爾大人,我們要降落在哪裡呢?」371Please respect copyright.PENANA2jUAmnMEkY
371Please respect copyright.PENANA9bkToliQck
「先停在蜂之森吧。」371Please respect copyright.PENANABKS0Bk11Bs
371Please respect copyright.PENANAiew4Ag403p
371Please respect copyright.PENANAKmO11vo0Fi
371Please respect copyright.PENANAOYkz0Crm27
──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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAL4Iuxi1B4q
371Please respect copyright.PENANAGbcYau0mnf
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAaLXMNgBlBI
371Please respect copyright.PENANApCAvcNJ4Ld
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAuJONsb7mQA
371Please respect copyright.PENANA5PoUWHHxG9
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAhDDRZw9O9y
371Please respect copyright.PENANARg0jBneecf
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAWlBseQEwKC
371Please respect copyright.PENANAQ9Lf6zmOfO
「霍金?」371Please respect copyright.PENANADFB4DCoZPn
371Please respect copyright.PENANAZgU28mAncn
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。」371Please respect copyright.PENANA3INl8VNFcK
371Please respect copyright.PENANAmiLIUhc6gi
「免禮,你應該不是自己回來的吧,霍金?」371Please respect copyright.PENANA74KX6M7WtY
371Please respect copyright.PENANA3FvkfO2KGz
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。371Please respect copyright.PENANAMTYCBQYEmV
371Please respect copyright.PENANAsrIwamSqpP
「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?」371Please respect copyright.PENANAL7iIUViXWT