"Right, I am."
Then, as the old magician slightly crooked his finger, Duwei felt his hand suddenly felt light! The Magic Scroll hidden under his sleeve was gone and amazingly was now in the hands of the old magician!
"Look, this scroll is made by me." The old magician glanced at it then put it away in his gown. "Finally returned to its owner."
"You…you came here to take back Vivian's things." Duwei smiled forcefully.
"That was my original purpose…but, after meeting you, I changed my mind." The old magician laughed…
Duwei sensed that something bad would happen, but when he was about to jump up from the chair, he felt very light…
The old magician didn't use any spell. He had merely beckoned his finger towards Duwei and Duwei could not move! He started floating in the air!
Having lost control over the rest of his body, he could only roll his eyes. He felt just like a huge lump of meat hanging on a hook!
"Listen, kid." The old magician touched Duwei's head and said, "Oh, seems like I am right…you have an interesting object on your head…you use magic with this thing?"
Duwei was too shocked to even roll his eyes this time!
How did he know?!
"My lovely student was going out for the first time on her own, then was cheated out of all her belongings…she even almost died on that island and lost her pet…" The old man said in a mocking tone while staring at Duwei. "As I was heading back home, I coincidentally discovered that a part of my poor student's memory was erased with magic! As a responsible teacher, shouldn't I do something about it?"
The old magician waved his hand, and immediately, Duwei was able to talk, "You…you think I did that?"
"Hard to tell. I didn't think so at the beginning." The old magician's eyes flashed, "But you, a kid from the Roland Family who was without any talent in magic, can now suddenly can use it? I should think, that island must be the key right?"
Duwei carefully examined this magician…. He wanted to defend himself, but the old magician put him at a loss with only one spoken sentence!
"May I know….Chris, is he good?"
Duwei was truly astonished this time!
Chris! He knew that Devil's servant, Chris!!
*****
The next morning, all of the servants were frightened…their little master was missing!
On the rooftop that Duwei had rested, there was a letter written by the person himself.
"A magician has taken me away."
This single line was written by Duwei. He didn't write "kidnap", but only left behind a vague message of "taken me away".
Obviously, Duwei's note was approved by the magician, who took Duwei away.
It was because, on that note, there was not only Duwei's signature…but also a symbol.
No one knew what it was, except Solskjaer, the only magician in the castle, who understood.
"It seems like the private stamp of a magician." Solskjaer thought for a while. "Some of the older magicians are used to leaving that mark in place of a signature. We can go to the Magic Union and check it."
What made everyone in the castle feel nervous was…that Duwei was taken away by a magician! The last time when a magician kidnapped him was only a month ago!
Was it because at that time, the Roland family and the Magician ran into a dispute? Was this an act of revenge?
This urgent matter was immediately reported!
But the strangest thing the people felt was, when the symbol stamp was sent to the Magic Union, they unexpectedly maintained silence!
Even Earl Raymond, when he came to know that his eldest son was kidnapped by a magician again, his first reaction was anger! No matter how much he hated this son, but to carry out the same act twice, this meant that they were provoking the Roland Family!
But, after seeing that symbol…Earl Raymond immediately calmed and kept silent! That's right, he didn't say a word to anyone about it!
It was all was so different from the last time. After Duwei was kidnapped this time, the Roland Family and the Magic Union both kept a strange silence, as if there was an unspoken agreement between them. News of this event was suppressed…
Solskjaer, who was getting nervous, finally got a piece of information from the Magic Union. It was disclosed by a staff member who was selling magic components in the Magic Union.
"The stamp belongs to a very great magician, who the Magic Union don't dare to offend! He is not recorded in any documents in the Magic Union…that man, don't mention your little master, for even if he takes the son of the king away, the King would also keep silent!"
****
Duwei felt terrible!
First of all, he didn't know what kind of magic this man was using on him…because Duwei only felt his body was not responding at all!
This was a strange "kidnapping" event!
For the Duwei right now, his head and consciousness were the only things that was still his own, but everything else was controlled by the magician!
Just like now!
The old magician was relaxing on the grass, leaning under a tree and observing Duwei when he suddenly gave an order.
Duwei cursed this old man from the bottom of his heart, but he didn't have any way out of this situation!
Because this old man just said, "Set up a fire!"
And the powerless Duwei could only stand. He got busy with picking up sticks, setting up a fire, no matter how much the black smoke affected him, no matter how angry he was…his body was totally out of control!
He was just like a puppet!
He looked at the old man, who brought out something from the little pocket of his gown. It was obvious that it was a magic tool, because the old magician retrieved a lamb shank, a nice bottle of wine, even a set of new clothes and some bottles from that little bag.
It seemed as if an unlimited number of things could be stored in that bag.
Then, the old magician ordered, "Grill the meat!"
Duwei then "looked at" himself and carried out what the magician's command!
This was torture!
As Duwei worked, he spoke angry words of abuse.
But the punishment from the old magician was very simple. He just glanced at Duwei and said, "Slap yourself."
Duwei could only watch helplessly as his own hands moved to slap him!
After few slaps, Duwei could would only stay silent and did not complain…although he continued to curse the old magician over and over again in his mind, he didn't dare to say a word out loud.
After the old magician felt full, he looked to Duwei at the side, and suddenly laughed, "Your cooking skill is so nice. I haven't had such a tasty grilled meat for long time."
Duwei directly rolled his eyes.
"Now, sleep!" Old Magician finished his talk, leaned against the tree and closed his eyes.
And what about Duwei?
He didn't want to sleep! But his body was controlled by the old magician! He could do nothing as he stretched his body, lied down and closed his eyes!
No matter how hard he tried, he could not open his eyes and remained still!
It was because the order of old magician was: Sleep!
What's going on? Duwei felt like he was a computer in his previous life, coding the program, which would then execute its functions without hesitation…it didn't matter whether he was willing to do this or not!
In the past five days, the old magician had brought along Duwei while always heading north.
From the beginning, the old magician had taken Duwei away from the castle by flying that night, and afterwards continued moving north. After one day, they had passed a town where the old magician let Duwei buy two horses.
Duwei didn't resist, he couldn't even escape. Right now, he only had the freedom of thought, because the old magician fully controlled his body.
Duwei had asked the old magician about the magic that was used on him.
He didn't answer.
Duwei had also asked him why he knew about that island and Chris, and whether he was acquainted with him.
He didn't answer.
Duwei asked where they were going to.
He didn't answer.
Duwei was going crazy.
Busy with traveling in the daytime, especially riding on a horse for long hours. Since Duwei was not a strong person, this was a hard experience for him. His body could not stand the tough journey, but the old magician did not want to let him free.
"Why do we need to ride on horseback?" Duwei finally asked, "You are such a great magician, you can go everywhere by flying."
Finally, the old magician answered this time.
"The place we are going to is a very special. Long hours of flight would use up my magic power. I have to conserve all of my strength before arriving."
That was the only question from Duwei that the old magician bothered answering.
What made Duwei feel frustrated was that…he could not call Saimel out!
He knew Saimel was inside his body, but this magic creature wouldn't show up.
Heading to the north day by day, the climate got a bit cooler. The Roland Plains was in the south with a warm climate. Duwei was wearing a very thin shirt. During the next few days, Duwei could feel the cold of the environment, his hands becoming stiff. When he was on the horse, he was always shivering.
Finally, the old magician showed a bit of sympathy towards Duwei. He taught Duwei some weird gestures, and when Duwei was about to rest, he had to perform these gestures once…
It seems like the exercises in Duwei's previous life, but much more foreign. Also, there were some actions that required bending the body, which were too difficult for Duwei. But under the "orders" of the old magician, even though it was painful, he would still do as he was told!
But oddly enough, it had a significant effect! Every time Duwei performed the exercise once, he felt a warmth from the inside! This heat overwhelmed the cold!
He did this exercise every day, and Duwei could feel his body getting stronger, day by day!
On the 20th day, they arrived at the Northern Continent. The weather here was still colder than before. There was no green areas nearby, because everything was covered by ice.
When the winds in the North Continent blew over Duwei's face, it was like being cut across with a knife. The difficulty of the journey was rising even more.
They encountered a blizzard!
The snow blocked the road, and the horses could not pass through it. When people walked in the snow, the snow was too deep enough to bury a person up to the calf.
The old magician finally showed some kindness when they found a small town. In a small pub, the old magician let Duwei stay in the room, and then he went away.
Duwei didn't escape as the magician left orders to make no sounds and only to stay in the room.
In the evening, the old magician came back and brought along a large amount of luggage. He opened the things he brought in front of Duwei, and from it came out a coat, leather armor, a sheepskin hat, and a pair of boots. Finally, there was also a long knife.
"Get dressed, we are about to go." The old magician gave a simple order.
"Where…are we going to?" Duwei asked again.
And at last, the old magician gave the answer, "The Frozen Forest."