Cornflower Witch

Chapter 343 Reminiscing in the Tower

The lighthouse sits atop the cliff, the sea breeze still blowing, the sound of waves and wind echoing from time to time.

Inside the tower's study, the two were sitting at the table chatting.

"It's been a long time since I've been here." The man in the white suit picked up his teacup and blew on it slightly. He looked to be about forty or fifty years old, with a robust build and an imposing expression.

"How have you been lately? Has there been any progress?" He put down his teacup and looked at Knox, who was sitting in a wheelchair across from him.

"No progress, just like before."

"Is that so?" The man in the suit spoke slowly and calmly, not surprised by the answer.

"Ten years ago, I might have advised you against it, but now, this quiet life might not be a bad choice."

Silence fell between the two of them again.

"Let's talk about something else. I heard you recently took on a new young girl as your apprentice."

"Yes, I guess it was Medisa who told you, and she was the one who brought them together."

"Hehe, she's the kind of woman who doesn't hide anything. Like a snake, she'll show off her most gorgeous and dangerous patterns," the man in the suit commented.

"Metisa said that the child is quite talented and will probably inherit your knowledge. She will also go to the Mage Alliance to develop her career."

"Hmm," Knox replied with a single word.

"I was quite surprised when I heard the news. I didn't expect you to agree to take me on as a disciple. I don't know if you've come to terms with it or if you've simply given up."

"Are you now going to pin your hopes on a little girl for the things you couldn't accomplish or the wishes you couldn't fulfill back then?"

Upon hearing this, Knox tapped his fingers on the armrest.

Are you here to laugh at me?

“No, I’m not here to mock you. On the contrary, I’ve always admired Senior Knox.” The man in the suit shook his head.

“Back then, you were a rising star in the woods. I was studying in the woods and I admired you very much.”

"I know what happened after that. Although everyone doesn't understand why you left, I believe that you are a very pure person and that you didn't betray the woodland."

"You gave up a lot and spent your best years and energy to realize your ideals. I don't have the courage to do that," the man sighed.

"So I understand how difficult it is for you to keep your wishes in mind."

"When I heard the news that you were taking on a disciple, my first thought was that you were nearing the end and decided to pass on your last things, which is why you agreed to take on a disciple. This is consistent with my understanding of you."

"Fortunately, seeing you today, things aren't so bad yet. At this point, I'm quite surprised. Why did you suddenly change your mind, impart your knowledge, and even plan to let that girl follow in your footsteps?"

“You’re overthinking it, Brennan,” Knox shook his head.

"No wonder you're only suited to be a city lord, instead of continuing to advance on the path of the extraordinary."

“A person’s thoughts can change in an instant.” “When I taught her, I did have the idea of ​​passing on what I had learned, and I also hoped that one day my wish might come true.”

"But it's not what you think. I did it because I saw a 100% possibility. It was out of awe that I was in awe of the unpredictability of things and that I was in awe that there would be geniuses in the future who could easily solve the old problems in history."

"I'm just respecting the possibility, making one last effort, and then fulfilling my wish."

"I see." The city lord nodded, then glanced at the exquisite sheepskin painting hanging on the wall, where the 'White Bird of Eternal Day' was still majestic and handsome.

"That's true, many things aren't actually that complicated..."

Looking at the painting, he recalled meeting his spirited senior, Knox, when he was young. Knox rode a giant eagle, carrying him across Meteor Lake, and told him that in the future, everyone would be able to break free from the earth's constraints and conquer the endless sky, just like birds.

At that time, Knox did not tell him any theory, but his high spirits and eager eyes convinced him that this senior would definitely realize his thoughts.

Unfortunately, things did not go as expected. The two met again thirty years later. Disheartened, Knox returned to the Woodland Alliance and sought him out, hoping to build a lighthouse in the city under his jurisdiction.

After that, he secluded himself in the tower for nearly twenty years. Even though Knox doesn't look old now, Brennan knows that his senior might not have many years left to live.

After sitting in the tower for a while, the two chatted about the past, the current Woodland Alliance, and the development of the mages.

“The Mage Alliance has developed at an even faster pace in recent years. Just like when you were a senior, many mages have a fervent desire to rebuild this world,” Brennan said, describing the recent situation.

"According to the theory of the nature of 'golden steam,' the original world is full of flaws and imperfections. Only after being transformed, reshaped, and forged by humans will it become cleaner and more beautiful."

"We use everything we find in nature as our foundation, and then we forge things that transcend nature, approach the divine, and are more perfect and refined. This is the philosophy of the mages," Knox replied with his eyes closed.

"It seems that, compared to the scholars of the woodlands, you identify more with your identity as a mage," Brennan said with a slight shake of his head and a sigh.

"Indeed, the mages have achieved brilliant success in the last few hundred years. Not only our Woodland Alliance, but even the Harp Flower Alliance and the Sea Cliff Blood Clan have been impacted."

"I admire my senior's beliefs, but like many others, I am worried about the overly fanatical Mage Alliance. Intense debates will only make the views more extreme, because in the realm of pure theory, the clearer and more transparent the truth, the better."

"But reality is not the realm of theory. Human factors often play a larger role. Mages are often proficient in mathematics and understand how to operate machines with the highest efficiency. However, humans are creatures with complex emotions and different conditions and circumstances. They cannot be unified with machines."

"I also hope that mages will find a perfect path, but the current mage alliance has not yet shown me a scene of harmonious progress between the two. If this continues, I'm afraid that in the end, people will have to bow down to the truth and become slaves to data and efficiency."

After saying this, Brennan sighed and stood up.

"Sorry to bother you today, senior, I said some useless nonsense."

"It's nothing." Knox pushed the wheelchair and slowly went downstairs with Brennan.

As Knox approached the door at the bottom of the tower, he stopped and watched Brennan leave. Just when Brennan thought his visit was over, Knox's voice came through the wind.

"You may be right. The conflict between truth and humanity will cause great contradictions and divisions in the future, but that will be a very distant future. If that day really comes, I think it will be a happy kind of trouble. At least it will no longer be a struggle between survival and destruction, or a confrontation between freedom and confinement."

"I still have hope for the children of the future."

As Brennan turned around, the door slowly closed.

(End of this chapter)