第一卷:三人行
第一章:如果人生真如初遇般美好
死亡微不足道,转瞬即逝.
然而,死亡的过程也极其漫长.
足够长的时间,让人反思一生中的错误,悲伤,痛苦和遗憾.
天空泛着一层薄薄的墨色,笼罩着黎明前独特的寂静.米迪·阿斯雷克斯身着破烂的盔甲,手持断剑,端坐在尸山之上,静静地等待着新的一天的到来.
这场持续三天三夜的登陆战终于结束了.敌军凭借其精妙的战术部署被反包围,损失惨重,损失人数达数万人,其中包括三座比巨龙还要强大的移动堡垒;而己方伤亡不足万人.此外,此战过后,通往天界的门户终于畅通无阻.
这可以算得上是一场辉煌的胜利,对吧?
然而,对于亲自赢得这场胜利的米迪来说,这只是一个普通的场景.
或许,这是最后一幕.舌尖升起的金属味,以及生命力彻底消逝的空虚感,告诉他,他即将死去.
米迪没有恐惧,没有反抗,也没有后悔,他闭上双眼,平静地等待死亡.
但渐渐地,他的思绪变得混乱起来.
他曾出身名门,但大转移带来的动荡和敌国的入侵摧毁了他的家族,迫使他流亡他乡.他曾拥有一支值得信赖的队伍,但随着一场场艰苦卓绝的战斗,他们最终分崩离析.
他眼睁睁看着家人因他的软弱而丧命,因他的傲慢而错失胜利,饱受各种灾祸和背叛.他咬紧牙关,付出生命的代价和无数的伤痕,才最终走到今天这一步.
但从今天起,他必须停下来,永远安息在这里.
最后,米迪生命中最重要的两个女人的身影在他脑海中一闪而过.
"魔弹女王"菲娜,拥有一头鲜艳的红发,像女武神一样英勇无畏,独自一人保护米迪免受包围,即使在生命的最后时刻也保持着自信的微笑.
"迷雾女巫"爱丽丝,一头飘逸的黑发,总是冷若冰霜,为了保护米迪,她冒着生命危险承受了可怕的刺客的袭击,并将她的魔法和知识传授给了他.
但米迪无法保护他们,甚至无法保护自己,最终沦落到这般境地.
他还是不够强大吗?
米迪深深地叹了口气.死神即将降临;他感觉到死神镰刀上散发出的刺骨寒意.
"如果我能回到二十年前,重新开始该多好..."
米迪最后叹了口气,再也无法坚持下去,闭上了眼睛.
然后,他就去世了.
阿拉德历 1004 年,曾经名扬四海的猎鹰团铁三角的最后一名成员,"死亡之剑"恶魔之子米迪·阿斯雷克斯,悄无声息地倒在了天界的战场上.
但就在他心脏停止跳动的那一刻,寄宿在他左手中的恶魔似乎发出了一声不屈的咆哮,突然迸发出耀眼的光芒.
刹那间,整个天界都震动起来.
米迪独自一人走着,孤零零地走在黑暗中.微弱的光线勾勒出他脚下奇怪的阴影,呼啸的风从四面八方涌来,他身旁的街景一片灰蒙蒙的,有时无休止地重复,有时又在一瞬间变得面目全非.
随后,这片孤寂的世界骤然被巨浪席卷.米迪被卷入漩涡,就像一粒微不足道的木头被困在巨大的漩涡中,无力抵抗这神秘而强大的力量.他只能听天由命,随波逐流沉入海底,最终葬身于这片浩瀚的墓地.
下一刻,厚重的黑色幕布破碎成无数碎片,米迪睁开了眼睛.
伴随着淅淅沥沥的雨声和初冬的寒意,一座维多利亚风格的宏伟大厅出现在米迪面前.
大厅中央摆放着一张厚重的橡木桌.两侧墙壁上装饰着精美绝伦的武器,大厅尽头的高背椅上方,贝尔马王国的国徽静静地悬挂着,散发着不可侵犯的威严气息.
"地狱也有王国吗?"米迪带着几分好笑和漠然想着,然而眼前的景象却让他感到一种莫名的熟悉感,一种强烈的似曾相识之感,但他却想不起来究竟在哪里见过.
他下意识地抬起头,凝视着窗外.
那里,无数银色的雨滴连接着天地,敲打着层层叠叠的屋顶,将城市笼罩在一片朦胧之中.街上,身着校服的男孩女孩撑着伞漫步,他们的笑声偶尔打破了寂静.远处,一座高耸入云的钟楼巍然屹立,俯瞰着世间万物.
这一幕唤起了米迪心中尘封已久的记忆.
下一刻,钟楼传来一声响亮而低沉的钟声,震得他耳膜生疼,就像一记巨大的攻城槌击碎了最后的防线.
那熟悉的声音让米迪终于想起来——这里不是赫顿玛吗?
这里不就是贝尔玛皇家魔法学院吗?二十年前,他在这里接受剑术训练,但还没来得及毕业,就发生了大规模动乱和格兰德森林大火,随后德洛斯帝国入侵.这些事,米迪就算想忘也忘不掉.
现在,街道一片祥和宁静;显然,什么事还没有发生.
他怎么可能回到二十年前?
这是临终前的幻觉,还是地狱迷宫?
然而,米迪没时间细想.寂静的空气中,雨滴淅沥,一阵强劲有力的脚步声响起,径直朝他所在的房间走来.
一只脚步沉稳而缓慢,另一只脚步却异常轻盈,甚至让米迪误以为有人在演奏旋律.米迪转身时,房间的门开了.
"对不起,米迪,让你久等了."他看到的第一个人是一位笑容有些尴尬的中年男子.
米迪努力回忆起童年记忆中那个人的名字,但下一刻,他却立刻忘记了.
伴随着有力而清脆的脚步声,一个年轻女孩从中年男子身后走了出来.
身材高挑,双腿修长,容貌绝美,而且...拥有一头引人注目,鲜艳夺目的红发,如同贝尔马尔的秋叶般绚丽多彩.
"菲娜?"米迪茫然地倒吸一口气,不自觉地喃喃自语着这个深深刻在他心中的名字,一个他永远不会忘记的名字.
窗外的雨声停了,中年男人的声音消失了,就连他的心跳和呼吸声,米迪也听不见了.那一刻,这个平日里很现实的男人突然意识到,人真的可以忘记时间的流逝.
意识失去了重量.
然而,那个被叫了名字而不是姓氏的红发女孩紧紧抿着嘴唇,露出了不满的神色.她注意到有人正用强烈的目光盯着自己,不禁皱起了眉头.
"你们都知道吧?下周就是学院的年度考核了." 察觉到房间里气氛有些不对劲,中年男子连忙咳嗽了几声,试图缓和气氛.
"学生们必须组成四人小队,前往指定区域清除变异怪物.幸运的是,菲娜的队伍只有三名成员,还差一人.米迪最近没来,所以我觉得这是个好机会.而且,考虑到他们的职业,一个是剑士,一个是魔法师,这样的组合很合理.我相信你们能成为好朋友..."
"客套话就别说了,我要亲自测试他的实力."女孩粗暴地打断了中年男子的话,紧锁的眉头流露出毫不掩饰的怒火."虽然他是被迫的,但我不会为难他.不过,如果他达不到标准,我宁愿安排三人小组进行测试.这样公平吧,林德院长?"
面对这句听起来不像学生会问的咄咄逼人的问题,林德院长不知如何反驳.他只能点点头,随便找个借口,然后逃出房间,抛下他们两人.
对于迪安·林德来说,他并非学院的真正管理者,而只是个地位较低的子爵,这已经是他的底线了.然而,出于好意,他还是忍不住给这位看似懵懂的贵族提了一句忠告——千万别招惹"风暴女王"菲娜·汉密尔顿,她当时已经濒临爆发的边缘.
关门前,院长最后看了米迪一眼,眼神中充满了同情和歉意.
但米迪完全没听进去这些建议.
即使她有,她也不会在意.
米蒂努力克制住想要冲上前去拥抱红发女孩的冲动,深吸一口气,伸出手说:"你好,我是米蒂·阿斯雷克斯.很高兴认识你."
在一个宁静祥和的冬日清晨,铅灰色的天空下,伴着淅淅沥沥的雨声,两人再次相遇.
第二章 过去与现在的生活
在阿拉德历 984 年,也就是米迪陷落的二十年前,位于大陆南部的贝尔马尔公国仍然享有和平与安宁的氛围.
虽然过去三年里动植物发生了不同程度的变异,但它们构成的威胁至多类似于流窜的强盗,远非值得担忧的事情.
此外,贝尔玛历来物产丰饶,且近年来未与任何国家交战,因此自然没有将重点放在加强军事建设上.就连历史悠久的皇家魔法学院,也越来越多地充斥着游手好闲的贵族子弟,而非公国勤勉刻苦的精英.
然而,拥有重生记忆的米迪知道,不久之后,一场危机风暴将会席卷而来,摧毁整个公国.
985年,一场毁灭性的大火席卷了大森林,天空之城也随之重现,各种奇异现象也愈演愈烈.贝尔玛城如今只剩下几个小型骑士团和雇佣兵维持运转,最终陷入一片混乱.
随后,在 986 年,提洛帝国的入侵给已经摇摇欲坠的皇室带来了致命一击.
居住在这片土地上的大多数贵族都会在战争中丧生;他们的土地,财产,甚至妻子和女儿都会成为提洛帝国的战利品.
这当然包括菲娜的汉密尔顿家族和米迪自己的阿斯雷克斯家族.
重生的喜悦和爱人复活的幸福依然萦绕在米迪的心中,但他并未因此而盲目.曾尝过绝望滋味的他明白,现在绝非沉溺于情感,享受生活之时.相反,他必须尽快变得坚强,以免重蹈覆辙.
他非常清楚地记得,这次学院试炼中最大的危险不是怪物,而是刺客!
贝尔马公国当时分裂为两个对立的派系:女王派和议会派.他们的斗争已经持续了几十年,期间爆发了无数公开和秘密的战斗和权力斗争.
然而,自从魔法天才菲娜进入学院以来,她无可挑剔的表现不断压制着众多贵族子弟,导致女王派的影响力稳步增长.因此,议会派领袖塞斯大公想出了这个办法,以先发制人的方式除掉女王派未来的中流砥柱.
Even his own status as a spoiled brat in Fina's group was a cleverly planned scheme by the Parliamentarian Faction—allowing a minor nobleman with no background to participate meant that even the Queen's Faction couldn't say much, otherwise it would be considered special treatment.
And in his previous life, he, as a burden, had indeed caused Fina a great deal of trouble.
Finally, when the assassin appeared, Midi even implicated her, causing Fina, who had otherwise escaped danger unscathed, to be injured. Not only did Fina fail to achieve first place in the trial, but she also had to recuperate for several months afterward.
It was from that moment that Midi began to pay attention to her savior and finally began to strive to gain her approval.
However, it was all too late.
Neither of them had the chance to complete their class change using the duchy's large-scale strategic array, and they were forced into exile. Only then did they experience the hardship and pain of being utterly alone.
But this time was different.
From the beginning, Midi knew who her enemy was and what she had to protect.
This time, she would absolutely not lose her again.
To this end, Midi had to find a way to increase her power before the academy trial, so that she could play a sufficient role in the trial.
He remembered that the demon he had contracted in his previous life was now slumbering in a deserted canyon not far from his family's territory. If he could prepare in advance and become a demon swordsman, it would undoubtedly be of great benefit.
Furthermore, and more importantly, he needed to patiently and carefully rebuild the trust and bond between himself and Fina, bit by bit. No matter the battle, having a soulmate and a reliable, powerful team was the best guarantee.
However, as Midy made this resolution, his "lover" looked at him with disdain.
The red-haired girl looked at Midy's outstretched hand with icy eyes, gave a light snort, and then grasped it back as if accepting a challenge.
The icy numbness from his palm made Midy realize that Fina had instantly activated magic, covering her entire hand with frost. In other words, she had no intention of making physical contact with him and was intending to express her anger through this rejection.
Midy couldn't help but smile bitterly, but there was nothing he could do about it.
What could he do? He was still the academy's notorious spoiled brat.
There was no way he could expect the future Queen of Magic Bullets to be kind to him.
"Well then, Miss Hamilton..." Midy coughed, breaking the awkward silence.
"No need for all that. Just call me Fina. I don't like complicated things. Besides, didn't you already call me that?" The future Queen of Magic Bullets shrugged, speaking casually, then added coldly, "However, please don't make any unrealistic assumptions, or you'll face the consequences."
To Fina, the person before her was nothing more than a spoiled brat with no real strength, relying on his family's influence to bully others. There was no need for politeness. If it weren't for the councilor's trickery, she could have completely refused to accept Midy as a member of her team.
Originally, whether it was smoothness, shrewdness, or worldliness and sophistication, Fina considered them nothing more than the tricks of nobles; she never possessed compromise or politeness.
However, this familiar style stirred a trace of longing and nostalgia in Midi's eyes—even in her youth, Fina was still Fina.
Thinking this, Midi replied without hesitation, "Then, Fina, you can call me Midi, just like before. Anyway, since we're going to team up, let's go try it out in the practice area first, shall we?"
Trust cannot be built overnight; it needs to be cultivated slowly. Midi planned to prove her strength first.
The red-haired girl had initially thought this half-baked swordsman might hesitate, but unexpectedly, he had proactively suggested a real demonstration.
It wouldn't be too boring.
Thinking this, Fina couldn't help but smile slightly, finally revealing her first smile of the day: "Very good, I didn't expect you to have such awareness. Everything's arranged over there, let's go now, and finish this quickly."
The training grounds were deserted in the rain. Most of the open-air facilities were empty, with only a few indoor shooting ranges still in operation. From a certain perspective, this reflected the current situation of the Principality of Belmar—a light winter rain was enough to make the principality's top students abandon their regular training.
Even so, the arrival of the Storm Queen still caused quite a stir.
And Midi, following closely behind the woman with the vibrant red hair, immediately became the focus of everyone's attention. After all, no male student had ever been seen so close to the Storm Queen before.
This wasn't because Midi was receiving any special treatment, but because he had known his lover's personality well over the years. He understood the meaning behind Fina's every gesture.
For example, crossing her arms meant "Leave me alone." That cool yet captivating smile meant "somewhat interested." A proper response would allow him to slightly close the distance with her.
Ignoring the eager anticipation of the crowd, Fina led Midy straight into one of the training grounds.
A blond boy and a cute girl with freckles were already waiting there. Undoubtedly, they were the other two members of Fina's team. Only now did Midy understand what the girl meant by "everything is arranged."
在米迪的记忆中,前世菲娜接受考验时,他拖延了好几天,这两个人都没出现.他甚至暗自庆幸,却浑然不知自己让菲娜失望了,错失了一次真正赢得她认可的机会.
但现在,米迪绝不会再让这个千载难逢的机会从指缝间溜走.
"他是枪手西格蒙德,她是牧师莉莲,"菲娜简单地介绍道.
即使没有介绍,米迪也已经非常熟悉"猎鹰乐队"未来的两位支柱人物了.
然而,这对性格极其强势的夫妇对米迪这种被宠坏的纨绔子弟毫无好感.如果说米迪对傲慢的菲娜来说不过是颗小石子,那么在他们眼里,他简直就是个累赘.
虽然他们知道不能直接将他踢出球队,但他们仍然公开表达了他们的轻蔑和鄙夷,看着米迪就像看着一堆垃圾.
一个普通的青少年,在这种明目张胆的挑衅下,很可能会勃然大怒,但米迪只是平静地做了自我介绍,没有表现出任何情绪波动.
"这小子胆子挺大,但他真正的实力如何呢?"西格蒙德心想,同时和莉莲交换了一个眼神.
"我们用六个中级自动机作为对手."菲娜和队友打完招呼后,转身离开,双臂依然抱在胸前,一副冷漠疏离的样子.
在训练场上,测试战斗技能最简单的方法是使用由操纵者制作的自动装置.这些自动装置经过编程后,可以模拟变异怪物的各种动作,并且在发生意外时可以立即停止,延迟不超过半秒——这是一种非常安全的方法.
中级自动机的水平只相当于 14 级的弥诺陶,对于已经达到或超过 16 级并准备升入更高年级的学生来说,这没什么特别的.
正如菲娜一开始向林德院长承诺的那样,她无意为难.
"即使有这件事拖累我,我仍然可以参加比赛并获得第一名,"这位有着亮红色头发的女孩大声而自信地宣称.
米迪相信这一点,但他不想再拖后腿了.
"六个中级自动机太无聊了;我们换成'火焰挑战'吧,"米迪建议道.
撇开菲娜不谈,在米迪的记忆中,西格蒙德和莉莉安已经达到了19级,拥有轻松横扫火焰挑战的实力.
无论是六个还是十个自动人偶,在这三人眼里,它们恐怕都只会是累赘.事实上,西格蒙德和莉莲现在的态度已经说明了一切:要想获得他们的认可,就必须达到他们的水平.
因此,米迪立即选择了"火焰挑战".
这是贝尔马皇家魔法学院最著名的挑战之一,挑战对象包括一个魔法自动机,两个高级自动机和八个中级自动机.
中级自动人偶相当于14级牛头人先锋,高级自动人偶相当于16级荧光猫恶魔,魔法自动人偶相当于17级火焰法师.这些傀儡组合起来,便可组成一支完整的冒险队伍.如果全部部署,仅凭其智力就足以歼灭任何20级以下的对手.
虽然这个被宠坏的家伙目前身体缺乏训练,剑术水平勉强达到16级,但米迪拥有二十年游走于生死边缘的战斗经验,再加上第二次觉醒后获得的非凡洞察力和广阔视野,他完全可以用高超的技艺弥补力量上的不足.
然而,很明显,包括菲娜在内的三人都认为这个孩子只是在鲁莽行事.
"如果你缺乏自知之明,你会死得很快,"莉莉安的声音清晰而干脆,却带着一丝讽刺."你以为你能随时阻止那些傀儡就安全了吗?惯性是无法阻止的.一次撞击就可能把你变成一堆肉泥."
"六个中级傀儡就够了.循序渐进比较好.只要你不拖后腿,我们就不会对你做什么.你要是死在训练场上,菲娜小姐也会有麻烦的.何必这么固执呢?"西格蒙德善意地提醒道,这善意中饱含着强者对弱者的怜悯.
然而,红发女孩从米迪认真的表情中,感受到了他瘦削身躯下隐藏的坚定决心.
事实上,这个名叫米迪的家伙从一开始就显得很奇怪——尽管他不过是个游手好闲的花花公子,但在她面前却保持着冷静和沉着;尽管他粗鲁地盯着她,她却没有感到厌恶,反而从他的眼神中感受到了一种久违的熟悉感和温柔.
而现在,这个根据数据来看只能勉强达到16级剑士水平的人,竟然宣称他想挑战火焰挑战?
这种无法预料且不合逻辑的情况让菲娜越来越恼火.
但她隐约觉得,这个黑头发黑眼睛的男孩或许真的能够通过挑战.
"既然你问了,那就试试吧."风暴女王破天荒地同意了这个鲁莽的提议.
金发枪手和暴戾的牧师都吓了一跳,但米迪似乎早就料到了这个答案,平静地点了点头,没有丝毫惊讶.
"但是,我一开始就要把话说清楚:如果你失败了,我不会给你第二次机会."菲娜冷冷地说着,目光紧紧地盯着他的眼睛.
"一次机会就够了,"米迪平静地回答,仿佛在自言自语,"这就够了."