From the second day onwards, the distance traveled by the two people every day was slightly shorter than the previous day.
It’s not just because Ann needs to rest. The horses they are riding are also not suitable for long-distance running of this intensity. As the son of a knight from the Northern Empire, Elio has been around all kinds of horses since he was a child, so he naturally knows how to keep them healthy.
state.
Even so, riding a horse was still much faster than walking. Not long after setting off on the third day, the two of them had left the border of the Oron Empire and entered the territory of the Theocracy of Saint Leon.
According to An's estimation, this place is about 120 miles away from the hotel where they set out. Not far to the south is the Ymir Forest, where evergreen iron chestnut trees and breadfruit trees form a cluster, with a canopy of more than ten meters high.
spread out to a high height, like dark green clouds. She remembered it was written in the book that the Elna people in the southern part of the mainland were very fond of these two trees. The seeds of the iron chestnut are rich in oil and can be used to make pigments or paints; the bread tree
The fruit is one of their favorite foods.
It is not as vast as the Forest of Parting and the Breeze Forest, but if you enter without a guide, you will most likely get lost in it.
"Wow - there are so many trees here." Elio exclaimed exaggeratedly, "They won't run into it, right? In knight novels, robbers seem to... usually emerge from the woods and hillsides.
!”
So read less novels. Ann gave Elio a white look. She didn't think those 'robbers' would go deep into the dense forest. If you want to go to the Roland Federation, there are better ways than crossing the forest; as for camping... nearby...
The forest, which lacks water and is damp and muddy due to the recent autumn rain, is definitely not a suitable place - unless they can live in the trees like the Ailna people.
Elio shrugged and continued to follow An, obviously not taking his words seriously. Around noon, the boy found fresh enough ruts on the ground, so the two slowed down further and observed carefully.
Looking at the scenery in front and on both sides.
"I can guarantee that those people are not far away - I can almost smell them!" Elio said to himself, suddenly tightening the reins and stopping the horse, "They are leaving.
It's the main road. An, do you want to catch up?"
The girl nodded and slid off the horse lightly.
The location where the 'enemy' camp should be not far from the main road, and it would be less likely to attract attention when approaching on foot. The young knight walked in front this time, and An followed carefully behind. They walked along a gentle slope and entered the southern part of the Theocracy.
of alluvial plains.
The wilderness is dotted with small patches of woods, grass, wasteland and farmland, and the Tatar River meanders through them. It is still the flood season, but judging from the river water level and the rainfall in the past few days, the river embankment has burst.
It's unlikely. She lowered her head and paid attention to her feet to avoid tripping over tree roots or other things, while taking note of the surrounding environment and terrain.
Elio suddenly stopped and patted her shoulder. An followed the direction of the boy's finger and looked up. Through the gap between the tree trunks, she saw the "target" they had been pursuing, which was not far away.
In the middle of the wasteland.
She walked as lightly as possible, and tried to get closer with the help of the shelter of the trees. The camp was now only more than a hundred meters away from her, and the general structure and layout were clearly visible - however, it was not what the girl wanted to see.
appearance.
The outermost layer of the camp is a fence made of wooden strips, one section of which is driven into the soil and reinforced with ropes. The tents are neatly arranged in the open space, surrounded by wooden frames and oilcloth. Although simple, each tent is close to the size of a tent.
Consistent. She slightly turned her gaze
, and also found open spaces used to set up pots for cooking, as well as ditches dug between the camps to place garbage and excrement. A man wearing a cloak and holding a spear walked into her sight, and An quickly
Retract behind the tree to avoid being discovered by the other party.
This is not like a gathering place for bandits...or remnant soldiers at all. It is closer to a small temporary military camp. Judging from the number of camps, there are far more enemies than the innkeeper described, estimated to exceed a hundred people. This is barely enough.
In her expectation - even if there are real robbers, there is no need to mobilize all the gang members every time.
The question is, what to do next?
The numerical ratio is more than six to one hundred. Even if Bell and Elio are both one against ten, there is no chance of winning in a head-on battle - no matter whether it is a strong attack or a sneak attack. If the opponent is a ragtag group, she still can't win.
Elio could be allowed to sneak in at night, or create an opportunity by causing a commotion; but looking at it now, that would obviously lead to death.
"Well, what do you want me to do next?" A slightly lowered voice came from behind, and the tone was as usual, "Don't worry, it's just a group of robbers. There are more people, but there is nothing scary at all!"
She turned back. The young man's eyes were relaxed and firm, as if he believed that the two of them could solve any problem. I don't know if this fearlessness and self-confidence were the young man's nature, or the influence of the contract with the bifeldspar - according to the terms of the contract in An's memory, the contract
It should have been completely lifted after Decdula died.
Wait a minute, if she remembers correctly...dracolich seems to be difficult to "really" kill?
If the black dragon will still be resurrected, in a sense, they have not fulfilled the requirements of the contract. This is probably a 'little trick' played by Jade Stone, but at this moment, it makes Elio's combat power more worthwhile.
Rely a little bit.
Although still limited.
She suddenly felt a little envious of Lily and Jill, as well as the other two companions the female mercenary mentioned. If she were also a witch, or had as powerful a force as the female mercenary, many difficulties would be solved, right?
Those are all meaningless assumptions. Letting Elio take meaningless risks is not an option she can accept.
An closed her eyes and leaned her back against the tree trunk to calm down her slightly confused mind. Worrying would not bring any help. According to the innkeeper, Elena and Groom should not be in danger. What is more important now is to find out.
The purpose of the other party and the reason for taking them away.
"Let's continue to observe and try not to be discovered until Bell and the others come." She turned the written notebook to the boy, "Can we do it?"
The young knight straightened his expression and nodded seriously.
…
That night, An and Elio carefully pitched their tent in the woods three to four hundred meters away from the wasteland.
In order to avoid being detected, the two did not light a bonfire and only had some water and dry food for dinner. Fortunately, the sunny weather continued until the next day, so they did not have to spend the night in the cold and wet.
Every two hours, Elio would go to the location where the 'enemy' could be seen, and then report the results of the investigation to her. The sun soon rose again, and An tried hard to drive away the sleepiness, and observed the situation of the camp with the boy.
To her surprise, the group of 'remnant soldiers' did not leave camp the next day, or even on the third day. At every time of the day, the camp was always calm and stable; no matter day or night, the sentries patrolling the camp
There were never less than four people, and with her and Elio's abilities, they couldn't find any omissions worth exploiting.
They had seen a stocky figure who seemed to be a Beron man. But the distance was too far, and there was no way to determine the identity of the other person, let alone try to make contact.
There is no point in continuing to observe, An made this judgment. She returned to the tent, sat cross-legged on the mat, and tried to reorganize all the clues and experiences since her reunion with Bell.
The ones who ambushed Elena and her group were not ordinary remnants. Their identities had probably been investigated for a long time—according to Bell, they were "messengers of God." Since the other party came to the territory of the Theocracy, their purpose was to use them, not to harm them.
them.
The nearby Tatar River often changes its course in summer, leaving many sand banks, depressions and river remnants. Due to frequent floods, the nearby alluvial plain is sparsely populated and is not suitable as a long-term stronghold. The other party stationed the camp here, more like waiting for someone.
An opportunity...or a specific person.
She remembered the vague anomaly during this journey. Bell, who originally headed to the west, returned to the hotel in the east. She used the price of a meal to gain the recognition of Bell's 'men'. From the hotel owner, they
After learning the whereabouts of Elena and her group, she decided to chase them——
Assuming that the 'enemy' has more sufficient information and has a certain purpose, these beads that seem to be threaded together have a proper explanation.
Everything was just speculation, but no longer without reason. The idea gradually took shape in her mind. An closed her eyes and organized it into a suitable plan. It was not perfect, nor safe, but compared to others, at least
It can be said to be barely feasible.
She sat up and explained her thoughts to the boy beside her. Elio carefully read the words she wrote, thought for a few seconds, and then showed a bright smile.
"I like this idea." The young man said and waved his fist, "As long as I'm here, you can rest assured!"