Although I think Jacob has a flamboyant personality, loves to make fun of others, talks a lot and is shameless, careless and gangster... well, he is just not likable, but based on the friendship they had fought side by side in the wilderness before,
, Chris stood up and greeted him politely.
Sion, who is sophisticated in the world, asked Jacob without any trace of his wariness when he led the horse closer, "When you first entered the dwarf country, you continued on your way in a hurry, how come you still fell behind us?
"
"I'm looking for a dwarf craftsman."
Jacob smiled playfully and nudged Jessica beside him with his chin, "Her two long daggers were a little damaged, so I asked the dwarves to help forge them. Oh, God of Fire, those short daggers are so greedy.
Ah! For just two gaps, they actually made me pay forty gold coins!"
Hearing this, Chris and Sion both glanced at Jessica's waist.
Sure enough, she found that not only the handles of her two daggers had been replaced, but also the leather scabbards had been replaced with new ones.
"By the way, where are you going? I want to go home to Edin City, I don't know how..."
Jacob continued to chatter, but before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Chris's surprise, "Your family lives in Edin City?!"
"What's wrong? Why such a big reaction?"
Jacob paused for a moment, with the same strange look on his face, "Is it strange that my family is in Edin City? You know there are more than 400,000 people in Edin City... Oh, God of Fire! Is it possible?
Are you going to Edin City too?"
After receiving a positive answer, he burst into hearty laughter, "Haha, what a coincidence! Dear little Chris, we are really destined!"
I don't want to be with you.
Chris, who was full of helplessness, muttered silently.
Well, since there was no good reason to refuse, at least Chris and Sion didn't have a suitable reason until they left the dwarf country, so the four of them still went together.
Just like the previous journey in the wilderness, Jacob, who talked a lot, still liked to make fun of Chris, and still spent money freely to enjoy life, and by the way, Chris and the two of them also benefited from it.
Sometimes, having an overly cheerful partner beside you can make the rush on the road less boring. Chris, who gradually got used to being teased, even came up with the idea: Maybe, this guy Jacob
It's not so annoying anymore.
Of course, this thought was fleeting.
Chris, who grew up in the isolated Eton Territory, has a reserved character.
He has long been accustomed to loneliness, and is even more accustomed to using actions instead of words, so he can't imagine how much fright and trouble his life will bring if there are always people like Jacob around him.
Fortunately, this journey is not long.
Traveling in a hurry, they finally left the dwarf country four days later.
To the southeast of the empire is a large plain, gentle and fertile.
The wind blowing from the eastern coast is blocked here by the Rockidaran Mountains, bringing abundant rainfall to this great plain. In addition, the climate is very warm, so it has always been praised as the "Land of God's Favor".
For example, people living in the Eastern Islands of the Empire, where there is little arable land, once expressed this emotion: The south is a land flowing with milk and honey. Even if a grain of wheat accidentally falls in the spring, it will still grow in the autumn.
Time grows a loaf of bread.
Chris has heard this statement.
And when he stopped and looked around, he felt that this statement was not an exaggeration.
There are a few white clouds floating in the high sky, casting mottled shadows on the woods, farmland and streams. Even the breeze blowing over people's faces carries a faint fragrance of flowers; there are countless farmers on the flat fields carefully
Protecting the green wheat seedlings, children laughing and playing barefoot ran on the wheat field. The joyful laughter infected the sunshine and made it warm.
Just when Chris was quietly feeling the peace given by this land, Jacob, who could never rest, opened his arms and hugged the sky, "Vulcan above! Dear South, I'm back~~"
This guy is really...
Chris was a little helpless, but soon his pupils suddenly shrank.
Because after finishing his emotion, Jacob suddenly turned his head and stared into his eyes, and said slowly: "In the name of Edin City, I welcome you! Dear Chris Eaton, Sion Clark!"
brush!
The long knife on Chris's back was placed on Jacob's shoulder with lightning speed. Ever since he met little Charlie behind the city of Gardenanlas, he seemed to like this method.
The hammer on Xion's back was also in his hand.
Only Jessica remained silent, her upright body motionless, as if the accident in front of her didn't exist.
"who are you?"
Chris looked at Jacob and asked coldly.
"Aha, here comes the God of Fire!"
But Jacob didn't blink, and was unaware of the blade between his neck. He still smiled playfully, "Dear little Chris, I am your friend who once stood side by side with you against the wolves!"
Unfortunately, Chris didn't answer, just stared at him, silently waiting for his answer.
"Okay, okay. You really have no sense of humor, my dear cousin!"
Jacob curled his lips, slowly raised his hand, gently held the blade with two fingers and pushed it out, "Little Chris, if your grandpa knew that you put the knife across the shoulder of an Einske,
He will be devastated. And I, your dear cousin James Einske, am already devastated."
"Are you James?"
Zion, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interrupted and moved his eyes to James' forearm, "You were not even ten years old when I left the South, but I remember your forearm..."
James didn't wait for him to finish speaking, and lifted up his sleeves, revealing his forearms with faint scars.
Zion, who saw clearly, immediately put away the hammer and nodded at Chris, "Chris, he is indeed your cousin, the eldest grandson of Archbishop Ainske."
"terribly sorry."
Chris, who was not surprised, sheathed the knife and apologized lightly.
Because he had already vaguely guessed it.
It's not just James who has bright red hair.
Moreover, not many people in the Eaton Territory knew that he had come to the south, and Sion had left the south for many years, but James immediately revealed their last names. The combination of many coincidences was enough to prove that he was not lying.
"Your apology is insincere! But because of your bright red hair, I accept it."
James shrugged, swaying his hair in the wind, and asked slightly curiously, "But, little Chris, I'm very curious. We have been traveling together for a month, and you have never thought that I am an Ain."
Sk?"
"I have suspected it, but I dare not confirm it."
Chris nodded, hesitated for a moment before continuing, "You don't have the flavor of an Ainske, I mean style. My father once told me that every Ainske has elegant manners and grace.
But I'm sorry, I didn't find any of this in you."
"Ha ha..."
James laughed again, "Don't speak so tactfully, this is not the straightforward style of you northerners! You can just say that I look like a ruffian and have no aristocratic upbringing at all. Oh, God of Fire, my dear little Ke
Reese, you have just stepped into the southern land, are you going to start learning the hypocrisy of the southern aristocrats?"
Yes, you are indeed a very annoying scoundrel!
Chris rolled his eyes at him and changed the subject, "James, since you already knew who I was, why didn't you tell me when we were in the wilderness?"
"That's what my father told me."
Speaking of this, James's face showed a trace of bitterness, "At that time, my old man, oh, your grandfather, after receiving the letter that you were coming to the south, told my father to arrange a caravan to meet you in the small mountain town. But I
But my father put this chore on my head, saying that he was worried that the caravan could not guarantee your safety, and also asked me to observe your behavior along the way. Alas, in the eyes of my father, your safety is very important.
But the safety and hard work of his only son are worthless! God of Fire, how pitiful I am! But..."
Having said this, James stopped talking and looked at Chris with raised eyebrows.
Well, what's wrong?
Chris, who was listening quietly, was a little surprised and couldn't help but ask, "But what?"
"However, now I feel that this hard work is not bad, and it is also a lot of fun, because your performance along the way is so cute! Hahaha..."
Uh~
Chris was speechless, with helplessness on his face.
This cousin of his is really hard to like.
So he decided not to respond and turned his head to continue looking at the scenery to make himself feel better.
But when he relaxed his vigilance, something unexpected happened!
James also used lightning speed to pull out the long dagger tied on the outside of his thigh and placed it across his neck, letting out a wild laugh.
Big beads of sweat kept flowing from Sion's face, his linen underwear was completely soaked, and the hands holding the hammer looked pale from excessive exertion.
His heart was pointed at Jessica's arrow, and if he made the slightest move, he would be pierced through the chest with an arrow.
But that wasn't the reason why he broke into a cold sweat.
He promised old Henry and Kafka that he would bring Chris to Archbishop Raphael unscathed instead of bringing a corpse. Moreover, he had no chance to protect Avril and could no longer accept Chris.
Death is in sight.
"Is that a surprise, little Chris, my dear cousin?"
James asked gently in Chris's ear, his voice as gentle as a whisper between lovers, "Your life is in my hands now! God of Fire, as long as I pull it gently, or hit it accidentally
When you sneeze, it's time for you to lie down on the firewood stand and receive prayers, just like those poor children in the wilderness. Seeing that your cute behavior makes me less bored along the way, I will sing a song for you.
Song, let your soul rest in peace."
"Did your father ask you to come out to greet me to kill me?"
Chris, who was controlled by others, still had a flat voice.
When there was a long dagger around his neck, he thought a lot.
For example, his father Kafka said that Einske is a family that has been passed down for a long time.
In addition to the direct members, there are many branches and collateral lines. Among these huge branches, not everyone thinks that it is a good thing to accept the Eaton family far away in the foothills of the Alps.
In addition, his grandfather Henry Sr. also taught that in the eyes of many lords and nobles, interests are more important than blood relations.
"God of Fire! How could I take your life? My dear cousin, the old man will kill me if he finds out! I still have a lot of things to do, how can I be buried with you?"
James started smiling playfully again.
But the long dagger in his hand didn't move even half an inch.
"Then what do you mean?"
Chris turned his head and stared at him close at hand.
"To give you a meeting gift, little Chris. As your cousin, I hope you remember that no matter when, no matter who you face, never let down your guard, otherwise just like now, your life will be in danger.
It’s in someone else’s hands.”
James's voice was cold.
After saying that, he put away the long dagger and got on his horse, exposing his back unpreparedly.
The horse's hooves moved forward slowly. He kept staring in the direction of Edin City without looking back. He just waved back and said, "Let's go. The caravan has sent people back to Edin City to report the news. The old man should be waiting for you now."
.”
Jessica was the first to put away her bow and arrows and drove her horse to follow.
Xian was still holding the hammer, with a look of shock on his face.
Chris was also silent, stretching out his cold fingers to touch the place where the long dagger had just been pressed. At this time, James and Jessica had already rode out thirty meters away.
Fifty paces away, Sion put away the mace.
A hundred meters away, the slow sound of horse hooves became inaudible.
"Let's go, Sean."
Chris put on his cloak and hood, stepped on the stirrup and got on the horse, gently pinched the horse's belly, and the good horse from the north spread its hooves to catch up with James.
After the episode passed, the four of them walked together in silence.
Only the wild geese flying overhead occasionally let out a few cheers, as they were heading back to the north again.
Chris looked up at the wild geese and thought they were amazing as they migrated south and returned to the north. They could adapt to the difficulties in the world and find their own sky.
Therefore, he frequently turned his head sideways.
He opened his mouth to James, worked hard for a while, and finally managed to squeeze out his voice with a very sincere expression, "Thank you, James, my dear cousin."
After he finished speaking, he felt instantly relaxed.
What he didn't notice was that under the caress of the sun, his beautiful face slowly lost its youthfulness that belonged to a big boy.
James was caught off guard by this.
After being stunned for a moment, he showed a bright smile, then nodded and said, "You're welcome, my dear cousin. Your mother and my little aunt taught me in a similar way back then."
"my mother?"
The face that had just lost its greenness was filled with excitement again, and Chris screamed in surprise.