"I once heard Gardevoir say before that there are people in the Free City who know the world across the Bridge of Miracles."
The cold wind that could freeze bone marrow passed by on the dark bridge, making Duan Qing shiver. He looked at the figure of the man coming out from behind Baibu Wushuang, and his whole body started to tremble: "Now it seems...
This person should be referring to you, right?"
"...You not only possess great strength, but you also possess wisdom comparable to that of Brailing."
Reaching out and taking off the spear from his back, Joel, who was known as the old hunter, walked up to Duan Qing, then looked at Duan Qing's gradual expression of surprise, and grinned: "Resist with your own strength.
The invasion of the Restorers, and then saving the entire city... If you can accomplish this achievement, you may really be capable enough to hold this title."
"Title? Bu Ruiling?" Duan Qing seemed to be surprised by the strange syllables suddenly spoken by the other party. Duan Qing raised his eyelids: "What is that?"
"That is a kind of spiritual beast, which is what my people call them for being full of wisdom." Joel explained in a low voice: "According to legend, their wisdom has been passed down for thousands of years, and they not only have the same wisdom as humans.
Quite intelligent, and also possesses spirituality comparable to that of humans..."
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Duan Qing interrupted the other party unceremoniously: "You mean... clansman? Are you also the clan leader from a certain tribe?"
"...I am not a clan leader, but I do come from what you call a clan."
The focus of his eyes slowly moved between the barrels of the wooden guns in his hands. Old Joel's face was gradually covered with sharp lines: "That...is my hometown."
"your hometown?"
His eyes stayed on the other person's face for a long time, and Duan Qing slowly raised his finger pointing to the straight bridge: "You mean...the other side of that bridge is your hometown? Is it a tribal island?"
"
"It's not just one tribe, but many tribes."
The corners of his mouth raised more and more obviously, and Joel slowly laughed: "Zalta tribe, Sora tribe, Qolkolia tribe, Tesarak tribe... just like your cities and villages here.
Likewise, there are thousands of tribes there, countless tribes established by their tribesmen, and countless places suitable for tribal life."
"There is a whole continent there." Old Joel spread his arms and looked at the eastern sky: "And a whole continent of people."
"That is to say..."
His eyes gradually extended in the direction Joel was hugging. After a long while, Duan Qing spoke loudly again: "There is a new expansion pack there... ah no, is it a new world?"
"...That's right." Joel smiled and turned his head: "To use the words you adventurers like to use...there is a new map there."
"...What's there?"
"There are grasslands, cattle and sheep, monsoons that never stop all year round, and... countless rare and exotic animals that you people value." Joel looked at Duan Qing deeply: "How about it, are there any?
Tempted?"
"The Bridge of Miracles..."
As if he understood the meaning of the other party's words, Duan Qing's eyes fell on the bridge in front of him again: "Are you... the person who walked across this bridge?"
"I was also an adventurer back then, and I have set foot on many unknown lands."
With a deep sigh, Joel raised his spear again: "As the most powerful young warrior in the Joel Kolia tribe, I have been to every land in the Tevi continent, and they are all like this. The beauty and the power contained in them are also so tempting... Until one day, I crossed the border of the Golaschi Prairie, and I saw the sea that was wider than our continent, and a A strange bridge standing in the sea.”
"That bridge looks more magical than anything I've seen in the past. I even started to doubt my eyes." Speaking of this, Old Joel pointed in the direction of the miraculous bridge: "It's like What I see now is the same, no end, no end."
"But he still has his limits, and your existence is proof of that."
Duan Qing shook his head and asked, "You...conquered it?"
"……not us."
Old Joel replied with a sad voice: "It's just that I'm the only one left now."
"..."
Some kind of inexplicable respect suddenly appeared in his heart, Duan Qing put away the relaxed look on his face, and Joel, who didn't notice this change at all, continued to tell his story: "We bid farewell to the patriarch, bid farewell He married his wife and son, and then left his hometown with the guidance and expectations of countless people. The journey went very smoothly at the beginning, and we were full of confidence in our future. But not long after, things... Changes are starting to happen.”
"It has no end."
Looking at the questioning look in Duan Qing's eyes, Old Joel said in a low voice, "Just like its name... it really has no end."
"...Is there really no end?" Duan Qing stretched his neck and looked in front of the straight bridge: "Then how did you get here?"
"The original high spirits and great dreams gradually fade away in our hearts, and the same scenes have always been around us, torturing us and corroding us." Without answering Duan Qing's question, Old Joel continued to talk to himself: "Food is becoming less and less, and there is nothing but the sea. Our joyful mood becomes heavier and heavier as the bridge remains unchanged."
"Different voices began to appear in the team, and finally we made a decision together." Old Joel said in a low voice: "After exceeding the food limit that could allow us to turn back... we chose to move on."
"So..." Duan Qing lowered his head: "Is this the result now?"
"……Yes."
A trace of fluctuation gradually appeared in his eyes, and Old Joel's lips kept trembling. Finally, he turned the emotions gradually pouring out of his heart into a long sigh: "Hudy, Kakugu, Lasozzi, Zach...in order not to let himself become a burden, they jumped into the sea one by one. Before Gilbin left, he put the only spear he had on him into my hand..."
"We gathered all the useful things and finally stuffed them into my hands." Joel gave a hard smile: "Although most of them were not successfully saved by me."
"...You are the only survivor who came to this continent?" Duan Qing was silent for a long time, and then said in a heavy voice: "How did you walk across this bridge?"
"I have no idea."
Old Joel's voice returned to its usual indifference: "The only thought left in my mind at that time was to keep walking. Even if I had to crawl, I would reach the end. I lost consciousness many times during the process.
, but I finally woke up again, and I don’t know how long it took, and I suddenly saw the coast.”
"And the city of freedom before us."
Raising his finger to point to the outline of the city behind Duan Qing, Old Joel said with emotion: "I once again discovered a new continent and completed what can be called the greatest adventure in the tribe. But when I came to the end, at that time
There is nothing to say. The glory of the past is not worth mentioning in the face of the life that has been lost. It is not even comparable to the wooden gun in my hand, the countless and full of achievements that I imagined before setting off.
The picture...has disappeared. I integrated into the city, licking my body with darkness and leaving only an empty shell. It took me a few years to adapt to the life in this city.
With the power that can be called the first warrior of the tribe, I finally ascended to a high position in the Free City, and then stood in front of others as the owner of the throne."
"This is the life of me, Cromayi Gu Lufen." Old Joel pointed to his chest: "The name Joel is just the abbreviation of the tribe I once belonged to."
"...Is this all your stories?"
After looking at the other person's face for a while, Duan Qing finally let go of the compassion that was aroused in his heart: "When you climb to the position of one of the rulers of the Free City, there are many other wonderful moments in between, right?"
"I have learned a lot about the world here, and insidiousness and cruelty are only a small part of it."
As if he understood what the other party meant, Old Joel's expression returned to its original look: "But no matter how much it changes, one of the truths cannot be changed."
"We fear greatness." He looked in the direction of Duan Qing: "Whether it was the sea in the past or the strong man now, we will respect you."
"Ha." Duan Qing laughed involuntarily: "Including your surrender to the Restorationists?"
"I have never given in to them."
His eyes turned around the silent Baibu Wushuang beside him, and Old Joel raised his head: "In the past period of time, I have only been passing on my unfamiliar skills to my apprentices.
That's all, as for what he did outside...how can I, an old man, control it?"
"You mean...you don't know at all that your disciple has joined the Restorationists?" Duan Qing snorted with disdain: "I respect you as an old adventurer, but with all due respect...
It seems that your sense of responsibility is not as good as what you have shown?"
"I will take responsibility for what he did."
His slightly stooped body slowly stood up straight. Old Joel stretched out his hand to cover his chest and made a courtesy that Duan Qing had never seen before: "Including this war... I will use my own life to
To pay for my sins.”
"..."
"Don't look at me with that look. I don't mean to be perfunctory or lie."
Looking into Duan Qing's eyes, Old Joel said calmly: "I am already old and don't have much time left to live. Those initial dreams and wishes have gradually disappeared with the passage of these years. The enemies around me have
There are more and more things, but the things that can make me miss are becoming less and less. If it weren't for your appearance this time, I thought my fate would end there."
"You..." Duan Qing raised his eyebrows: "Do you also know...?"
"Shadow Mage Gardevoir has explained everything to us." Old Joel bowed slightly: "It's like I didn't expect a little guy like you to be so powerful... us veteran throne holders also
I have never thought that the woman who never participated in the fight is the most powerful member among us. Since she has explained to us what you did that day, then we will believe her words, this city of freedom
The future of the city... is left to you, the adventurers, to deal with on your own."
"Now it seems... that we are fighting for a nihilistic city lord is a joke." He shook his head, then turned around again: "We can't let this joke continue."
"you……"
Duan Qing hesitated for a while, then looked in the direction the other person was looking in: "You don't want to go home, do you?"
"...That is my last wish in this life."
Looking at the end of the bridge, old Joel's eyes finally began to become moist: "I want to return to my hometown."
"……Now?"
"maybe."
Putting the spear in his hand behind his back, Old Joel began to walk towards the depths of the night: "Baibu Wushuang has also withdrawn from the camp of the Restorationists. We should set off soon. If I unfortunately die on the way...he
I will uphold my legacy and continue on this road back home."
"…can he do it?"
"I believe in myself, and I also believe in my disciples."
The two figures who were also leaving paused for a moment, and then turned around following Joel's movements: "After all, he is the adventurer I like. His achievements... may not be much worse than yours."
"...Do you just ignore the second best thing in the world?"
Pointing at the players not far away who were still repairing their own cottage, Duan Qing raised the corner of his lips: "They should also be adventurers who have been following you, right? Even if you don't consider them as your subordinates,
, we should at least consider their survival..."
"Their survival... is left to you."
Joel withdrew his eyes from the direction indicated by Duan Qing. Joel pointed at Duan Qing's chest. His body, gradually submerged in darkness, slowly turned back and disappeared into the city together with the archers around him:
"Your Excellency, the future holder of the throne."
"……What?"
As if he was surprised by the word he heard from the other party, Duan Qing opened his eyes wide again, but all he could see were countless waves accompanied by the sound of splashing water, and the black night that stood out.
of starry sky.
This chapter has been completed!