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對涅澤爾大人而言,什麼是幸福? 235Please respect copyright.PENANAtXosMMYP6O
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在與舊友閒談過後,白龍思考起了這則問題,牠伏在高塔城垛邊出神地想著,舌頭在口腔裡不停捲弄玫瑰花瓣、好半天都沒有將它嚥入喉中。235Please respect copyright.PENANA8xuQ817x1Q
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只要能讓涅澤爾大人快樂,牠什麼都願意做,可是被人類所愛就是幸福嗎?235Please respect copyright.PENANAKzNMckZbL5
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倘若那是幸福,為什麼愛會令人難受?為什麼愛會令人悲傷?又為什麼即使既痛且悲、愛仍令人渴望?235Please respect copyright.PENANAdZvVSEFOSa
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人類的壽命至多百年,即使得到他們的愛又怎麼樣呢,為了那麼短暫的愛,就甘願承受失去後不知會持續多久的痛苦嗎?235Please respect copyright.PENANAqgCDs4OXXf
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跟亨利分手後已經過了十二年。235Please respect copyright.PENANAoWG1YOoOYc
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這段期間,涅澤爾的日子一如既往──時光仿若倒回了巫師從未與小王子相識的歲月,他照常供應器靈們魔力,每當發生需要調整元素平衡的災難便離開高塔,閒來無事則雕刻魔法道具。一切都變了,卻也什麼都沒有改變。235Please respect copyright.PENANAVyYjaHAjxw
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今年秋天,羅蔓沃居國罕見地連續兩個月都沒下過半場雨,再這樣下去,國內的水元素必將嚴重不足。涅澤爾到塔外施放祈雨的魔法,頃刻間鴉之森的上空便烏雲密布,這座森林位在羅蔓沃居國的正中央,假若要施展範圍涵蓋全國的法術,在此地執行最適合不過。235Please respect copyright.PENANAmg7L9dWa15
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雲朵隨著巫師向外放射的魔力往四面八方擴散,黑雲一片一片地遮蔽蒼穹,不一會兒,原先的藍天便不見蹤影,白雲盡數被烏雲取代,天空彷彿是座水池,被滴入其中的墨汁染成了灰黑。235Please respect copyright.PENANAL5OdMDw9lL
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十幾分鐘後,褐髮青年逆風飛升至雲層上方,黑雲以上是熾熱的陽光、以下則是傾盆大雨,涅澤爾施法清除衣物的水汙,於上空飛行巡邏,繞遍每一吋國土確認沒有哪個地區元素失衡。235Please respect copyright.PENANASktPjLNk26
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撲天蓋地的烏雲對他來說並不會造成妨礙,於涅澤爾而言,他即使不用眼睛看也能清楚知曉下方是哪座城鎮哪片森林,就像人類縱使閉上眼也能伸手準確地摸到自己的腳踝那樣自然。235Please respect copyright.PENANAKXfUWhm0lk
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每抵達一座城市,涅澤爾便會飛到雲層之下,仔細確保此處沒有任何異狀、再飛到雲層上往前進。235Please respect copyright.PENANAFba86mR9dM
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飛了一整天以後,他在首都黑麒城的正上方停了下來,這裡離鴉之森不遠,他搞不清自己是以什麼心態將此做為巡邏的最後一站,視線越過連結天地的雨幕俯瞰王宮,涅澤爾在不知不覺間降到了離宮內最高的天文塔不遠的距離,塔頂沒有任何人,他無聲無息地停在尖聳的屋頂上。235Please respect copyright.PENANAcvYCXfN4HK
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巫師不用三秒就能確認這地方半點異樣也沒有,卻仍在此滯留。235Please respect copyright.PENANAQwGg5m1Fpe
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……照理說、國王平常都待在宮內吧?235Please respect copyright.PENANAD7LppReUVb
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涅澤爾垂下綠眸,若說他沒有思念那孩子的話,這是不可能的;但要說這些年來日日夜夜無時不刻都沉浸於過往的回憶無法自拔的話,那也是過於誇大的假話。235Please respect copyright.PENANA3HwFfUwc08
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是他自己決定要放棄亨利的,既然如此,就不該再執著。235Please respect copyright.PENANAoJp3iOzqkx
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涅澤爾在雨中坐了一陣子,當他正欲離開時,忽然聽見狗吠傳來。235Please respect copyright.PENANADzrPy08eX9
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「汪!汪汪!」235Please respect copyright.PENANAAIsglvSRHS
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一條白底棕斑的幼犬從天文塔的入口衝了出來,對著已飛到半空中的他狂搖尾巴,緊接著一名男孩也跑了出來,通常涅澤爾不在乎施法時被人撞見,可是當瞥見那孩子身著的衣服時,他立刻就閃身到了附近的建築物後頭──唯有王族才能穿戴繡有麒麟圖樣的衣物,也就是說……235Please respect copyright.PENANAJK30U4hkRl
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「波可,過來!」235Please respect copyright.PENANAQfDmWIcEww
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黑髮黑眼的男孩站在屋簷下,小狗聽了他的話不為所動,依舊向著涅澤爾藏身的方位吠叫。235Please respect copyright.PENANApNqSmz7oyC
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「外面在下大雨耶,你跑來這裡做什麼啦?」235Please respect copyright.PENANADxIJKFwvV2
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巫師躲在對方無法察覺的死角遠遠窺視,這小鬼長得跟亨利一點都不像,倒是與蜜拉如出一轍。235Please respect copyright.PENANAJuDWx3uIYH
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男孩又喚了幾聲,幼犬才乖乖地回到他身邊,狗兒一踏入男孩能碰到的範圍,他立刻就不嫌髒地將牠抱了起來,「一天到晚都愛亂跑,感冒了怎麼辦啊你?」他在樓梯口放下小狗,幼犬回首望著戶外,男孩拍了牠的背兩下,「好啦,回去了。」235Please respect copyright.PENANAdp45MHWE9Z
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不一會兒,一人一狗便消失在巫師的視野外。235Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1dQnYaleo
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涅澤爾記得亨利在與蜜拉成婚後一年便有了兒子,想來那小鬼就是當今唯一的王子了,不過這孩子究竟叫什麼名字,他倒是不知道、或者說,從前的他根本不想知道。235Please respect copyright.PENANAyKCDJkv8VU
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算算這小孩差不多十一歲……十一歲吶,剛好是亨利遇見他的年紀。235Please respect copyright.PENANAeMfjGrewmP
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白龍偶爾會邀巫師一同外出,身為龍,和同伴一齊翱翔天際是牠與生俱來的本能,而離群索居的牠,唯一能共同飛翔的對象就只有涅澤爾。小時候,白龍也曾和鴉之森的鳥群一起飛,但隨著年紀漸長,鳥根本跟不上牠的速度,而若是與巫師同飛則不會有這種困擾,假如巫師全速飛行的話,連龍也望塵莫及。235Please respect copyright.PENANA0iCcdKJwUd
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「涅澤爾大人,我想下去吃點心。」235Please respect copyright.PENANAGbKPvnuhRI
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「嗯,走吧。」235Please respect copyright.PENANAqg9cP8U8MT
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悠悠哉哉地飛了十幾分鐘後,盤旋於鹿角森林上空的白龍對巫師說道,一人一龍降落於森林深處的池塘邊,清澈的池水映出他們的倒影,幾條魚朝巫師游了過來,將吻部探出水面一張一闔,巨龍張嘴大嚼池畔的木芙蓉,吃了幾口後又低頭喝水,魚群立即往四周散開。235Please respect copyright.PENANAjRr4H1SJ1C
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忽然,褐髮青年似是察覺到了異樣,瞥一眼灌木叢的方向,對白龍拋下一句話便迅速飛上高空:235Please respect copyright.PENANA0U8BsQbQ82
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「我上去一下,別讓人知道我在這裡。」235Please respect copyright.PENANARmu0QvZbCd
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「咦──」白龍茫然地看著涅澤爾飛離現場,完全不曉得發生了什麼事,巫師前腳剛走,草叢裡便竄出一隻白底褐斑的中型獵犬,白龍歪著腦袋與狗對望,狗兒在四周聞聞嗅嗅一陣,而後不遠處傳來陌生少年的喊聲,獵犬便追著聲音而去,留下完全摸不著頭緒的巨龍。235Please respect copyright.PENANAAKAtnxlx0j
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幾分鐘後,吃飽喝足的白龍飛上天與巫師會合,此時涅澤爾正朝下看著不知道什麼東西,白龍納悶地出聲呼喚:「涅澤爾大人?」235Please respect copyright.PENANA8Zc872uCnr
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「抱歉呢,讓你自己一頭龍待在那裡。」涅澤爾對白龍露出略帶歉意的笑,「我們走吧?還是你還要在這邊繞一下?」235Please respect copyright.PENANAIKRi2HO3Zp
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白龍往涅澤爾先前凝視的方位張望,視力極好的牠只見幾名少年走在樹林裡,其中一位黑髮少年腳邊跟著方才牠看到的獵狗,牠不解地對巫師問道:235Please respect copyright.PENANACM0xiuz2qO
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「涅澤爾大人是因為那些小孩才跑掉的嗎?」235Please respect copyright.PENANAim9mPwlatW
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「嗯。」巫師沒有看向下方,盯著遠處的綠瞳亦沒有聚焦於任何一點,「那是亨利的兒子。」235Please respect copyright.PENANAB2Op3XFxyx