??????The night sky is clear and cloudless. 'Tess' and the stars cast a faint light, guiding the gravel-strewn path under their feet.
The flames of war dispersed the nearby residents, and even the crows and hyenas did not want to stay any longer. The knights in heavy armor rode celestial horses and rode along the deserted wilderness. The sound of hoofbeats was dull and rhythmic, like drums in preparation for battle.
Voice.
The Breeze Forest blocked the cold wind from going south, making the temperature at the northern border of the empire still above freezing. Elena wore a slightly thicker Theocracy Army uniform, her long hair was braided under her hood, and she wore a silver holy emblem.
A thin metal chain hung on his chest.
She held the platinum round emblem and felt the warmth spread from her palms, slowly permeating her limbs and body.
It was two days ago that they left Golden Rock City. The Glory Knights traveled at night and took turns to rest during the day - St. Leonos' magic made the knights not afraid of the cold, and compared to the day with good visibility, the night was more suitable for secrecy
Marching can also avoid surprise attacks.
A week ago, Kylo Russell left with several Elna people to ask for help from 'non-human beings'. Elena took the horse 'Red Lotus' that originally belonged to Shirley and temporarily joined the Knights.
, hoping that his magic can reduce some casualties.
According to the prophetic spells of the Elna people, the Radiant Knights dispersed into five teams and headed for different locations. They are currently heading north, with the goal of going south from the Iron Spine Mountains, and are currently stationed in Beron in the wilderness.
People's army.
These people of the mountains are good at digging holes and blasting rocks. Although the previous attempts were blocked in time, they still caused considerable trouble to the defenders of Jinyan City. Now that there are many wounded people in the city, they must delay the enemy.
steps to support the arrival of reinforcements.
"Lord Leonos." The traveling nun lowered her head and prayed softly, "Please protect the people around me and let them return safely. Please protect everyone in Golden Rock City and let them live to witness the victory——"
No one responded to her. However, Elena was convinced that the "Lord of Light" could hear her prayers and the prayers of everyone around her.
It was not that she had never doubted it.
Since the beginning of the "Gray War", apart from the usual divine magic, the "Lord of Light" has not given its believers any additional power. And neither she nor the Templars she knows have heard the oracles conveyed by the other party.
.
Today's war, just like the holy war against "God Eda" and Rogman III in their original era, only stems from the Theocracy of Saint Leon and even Pope Rector's decision.
If a living being is attached to a god, it loses its own destiny——
"Bright Gospel" explains all this in this way. She once asked Teacher Karan and Hirancia, and their answers were similar to those in the book. But the girl still had her own worries.
Yuffie once told her that the stars are as brilliant and scorching as the sun, but because they are too far away, only a little bit of light remains when they reach El. So, for gods, is the human world too small to have any light?
The value of casting a glance?
Until a week ago, Kailuo took An to find her.
"We must get rid of Lily, otherwise we will not be able to win." Kailo said bluntly, "But we must also prevent her from dying here. This requires your help."
"What do you want to do?"
"The specific methods need to be kept secret. However, everything is An's idea." The wise general of the empire looked beside him, and the girl nodded in agreement, "You should know her, right?"
Elena nodded. This girl who calls herself an "explorer" is actually a complete idealist - which is quite consistent with Elio. The nun is convinced that Ann also hopes for a perfect ending and will
Use her extraordinary analytical ability to find any tiny possibility——
She closed her eyes and took just one breath to see her heart clearly.
"Tell me what needs to be done," the nun said seriously.
"Follow me first." Kailo waved to her, turned back, "I'll take you to meet someone."
So she followed Kailo and Ann into the castle, heading deep into the secret door and entering an empty room she had never seen before. They went down the spiral staircase made of bluestone and passed through the dark and cold corridor. The story of war
The hustle and bustle quickly faded away, experienced
The dust of long time covered the corridor, leaving neat footprints behind the three people. The magic crystals embedded on both sides of the corridor flickered, and countless knife and ax marks remained on the rock wall. They were dug for a long time.
The mark left on the corridor.
For some reason, the environment in front of her didn't look gloomy, but had a tranquility that made her feel at ease. Elena stretched out her hand and stroked the rock wall, imagining how the craftsmen in those days opened up this place, and then reinforced and repaired it. But before them,
How many people are walking along this corridor to the other end hidden in the darkness.
"It was completed twenty years earlier than the castle, exactly six hundred and seventy years ago." Kailo spoke from the front at the right time. "At that time, the Kamal people's secret skills were not sophisticated enough. They only used magic to soften the rock formations and dig them.
Get out the dirt and trim the rest by hand.”
He turned back and slowed down slightly, "About six hundred years ago, the Elna people began to teach us secret techniques. In today's Federation, most mid-level wizards can directly change the shape of rocks, as long as they have not been spelled.
Protected."
It's a pity that those people are gone, Elena thought. Even if the coalition forces win the "Gray War", the scars left will never disappear easily. She secretly prayed for the wizards she didn't know, and as Kailo continued to pray to
forward.
The corridor ended at a wide cave. It was about twenty meters wide, with slightly flat walls and an endless depth. The magic crystals were still embedded on both sides, casting dim and soft light. Many dark stone pillars were erected.
It rises from the ground, supporting the thick rock formations more than ten meters above the head. In the gap between the stone pillars, Elena saw black coffins. She walked over, brushed away the dust on the top, and read the words engraved on the stone slabs.
.
"Here lies the "Questor", Andro II Saint Violet. May his soul rest in peace." The traveling nun raised her head, already having some guesses in her mind, "Here are the tombs and temples of the successive lords of the Saint Violet family.
?”
"That's right, Mar's Temple." The wise general of the empire stopped, "The Lord of the Earth was once believed by many people. She can relieve the pain of dying people and ensure that their souls are not disturbed after they pass away.
"He sighed, "A hundred years ago, the god of Edda
All the spells suddenly failed, and Marr no longer responded to the prayers of the seriously ill. No one knew what happened specifically, and the Black Crow Knights also remained silent. Nowadays, believers in the "Lord of the Earth" are almost rare. Only in these ancient castles,
There is still an altar dedicated to her.”
Kailo turned back and moved forward, his back gradually fading away. Elena followed quickly, leaving the coffins behind.
The hall ends at an upward straight staircase. The statue of Mar is wearing a long skirt and holding a scepter, standing quietly at the top of the stairs. The face of the statue is serious and gentle, loving but cold, like a benevolent Virgin, but also like a stern
The harsh king. Elena walked up the steps, watched Kailo bow before the stone statue, and whispered the prayer she had vaguely heard.
"Our beloved mother, may your kingdom be peaceful and peaceful as usual. May you grant us a peaceful sleep every day until a sweet and eternal death. May the pain in the world be gone and all souls return to their proper place. May all living beings eventually die.
Where you came from. Because everything in the world is subject to death, only death is eternal——"
The dark skirt rippled, as if the rock had turned into mercury in an instant. The statue in her sight suddenly became blurry, and an invisible sense of oppression came towards her. Elena hurriedly took a few steps back until she reached the bottom of the stairs.
I feel like I can breathe easier.
She raised her head again, just in time to see the woman in a black dress slowly stepping down from the altar, her eyes passing over An and herself, and finally landing on Kailuo.
"After such a long time, someone still remembers me." The female voice was soft, but the power that spread from her body was completely different from that of the "Lord of Light", making Elena tremble slightly involuntarily, "You called me, but
Want to seek death?"
"Yes - but it is not our death." Kailo took a step back and slowly bent down, "Ms. Weiss, the current "Lord of Heaven" has created many lives that should not exist, and has also taken away many lives that should not exist.
Lives lost. We beg for your help.”
"I know who you are talking about." The woman in the black dress slowly shook her head, and the blue crystal on her chest slowly dimmed, "She is Alex's daughter, the true successor to Edda. My injury has not healed,
It's impossible to win her over."
"That is not our request." Kailo stopped speaking and was silent for a moment, as if he was making up his mind. "Madam, can you tell us how Alex died?"
The temperature in the cave instantly dropped to freezing point. The surrounding magic crystals were all extinguished at the same time, and the smell of decay and destruction rushed in, as if everything would be swallowed up in the next moment. In the near-pure darkness, the words belonging to the woman in black echoed -
—
"How much do you know?"
"It's just a guess." Kailo's voice was still calm. Elena even suspected that he had some inhuman blood, "Alex violated the "promise", right?"
"You guessed it right, so he died." The woman replied coldly, "So, you plan to repeat what happened to Alex in September."
"Not quite, but roughly."
"The lich and Yue Yue usurped Ada's position together. As divine envoys, they naturally understand the constraints they are subject to."
"September is not Femir. She has weaknesses, just like the former "Lord of Heaven."" The wise generals of the empire seemed to have already thought of the answer, "and we know her well enough."
"That's nice to say. But it's a pity -" the woman's words were as cold as ice, "You must understand that now I am unable to withstand any serious blow from the "God's Envoy"."
These words froze the air, and also froze the request that came to Elena's lips. But the silence only lasted a few seconds.
"Ms. Weiss, I'm sorry." Kailo spoke again, his words low and slow, "You once said-"
The nun suddenly understood Kailo and An's intentions. She instinctively put her hands on her chest and listened to the answer that she almost didn't dare to think about.
"Everything in the world is subject to death, but death is eternal."
The darkness dissipated in just an instant. Tiana Weiss Marr held a pitch-black sword, the tip of which was less than half an inch from Kailo's chest. The man's body swayed, then he knelt down on one knee and held it up with both hands.
ground.
"In the past thousand years, no one has dared to talk to me like this. Have you thought about the consequences——?"
"It's just a few years of premature death." The voice of the wise general of the empire was hoarse, as if he had exhausted all his strength in one sentence, "If we don't defeat September, we won't survive for long."
With unfounded courage, Elena quickly ran up the stairs to support Kailo's shaky body. Mal's cold anger pressed down from the top of her head, as if to crush Kailoan and her together. She held her arms tightly.
The Holy Symbol in the middle, closed his eyes, and prayed silently.
"——Don't embarrass them, Tiana."
The chill that had frozen her whole body receded. Elena slowly lowered her head and saw a soft light igniting on her chest. The voice just now was kind and gentle. Even though she had never heard it before, she still understood the identity of the other party in an instant.
Thank you for your help, Lord Protodis, she said with peace of mind.
"Okay, Leonos. I didn't do anything. It's better to say that they are making things difficult for me." The woman in black looked in front of the nun, then turned to Kailo, and her words became a little angry for the first time, "You
Where did you learn this?"
"It's not my fault, madam." Kailuo shook his head and said, "Ann used historical records to infer the original appearance of things a hundred years ago and the way he called you to come." He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his face and stood up slowly.
He stood up and said, "It was my decision to come here to see you. If there is any offense, I hope that I will bear the responsibility alone."
"Don't be too self-righteous, mortal. If you really piss me off, the whole castle will pay the price for your stupidity." Tiana stopped looking at Kailo and went straight to An, "Do you have enough?"
grasp?"
An nodded and opened the book in his hand, "Lily will definitely fail. And maybe Fimir is also looking forward to that moment."
There was a flash of light in the eyes of the woman in black, although it was fleeting.
"It seems that you know more than just me. There are also some things that I don't know about September and the lich." Tiana stretched out a finger and gently tapped the girl's chest, "Very good.
Since you came up with the plan, it’s up to you to convince me. As for you—”
She turned around and said, "Leave now or die."
"Hey, little girl." The rapid sound of horse hooves came from the side, followed by Jerome's voice, "Why are you so dazed? Eat something quickly, rest for a while, and then prepare to fight."
Elena responded and let go of her hand holding the Holy Emblem. The starlight above her head gradually dispersed, and the sky behind her turned white at some point. That meant that the long night was about to end, and the time for battle was approaching. The celestial horse has extremely excellent endurance.
, the load-bearing capacity is several times that of ordinary livestock. But they are not machines. They must rest for a while after a long march before they can be invincible in a confrontation.
She looked around and saw that the neat queue had already dispersed. The knights dismounted one after another, some chatting in groups of three or two, while others were eating dry food, packing their horses, wiping their weapons, or lying on the ground to take a nap.
She found an open space with few people, slid off her horse, took off the thin copper basin hanging from her backpack, prayed in a low voice, and let the milky white porridge pour into the basin out of thin air.
This is one of the required magical arts for the Shining Knights, and it is also true for traveling nuns. Elena took out a small bowl of white porridge for herself, sprinkled a handful of black beans into the basin, and placed it on the ground beside her. Horse Bend
After licking the food from the lower part of her neck, she sat against the tree trunk and ate together with the horse.
The day after that incident, An told her that Tiana agreed to their plan, but still needed her help. As for the specific things to be done, when the time is right, the "Lord of the Earth" will take the initiative to negotiate with her.
communicate.
Elena never asked what exactly Ann and the other party talked about, her role in it, or even the details of the entire plan. She clearly remembered what Kailo said in the temple and the advice from Lord Leonos.
, and Tiana’s final response.
Since even "they" are willing to take the responsibility, I have no reason to hesitate.
She swallowed the remaining porridge in a few mouthfuls, then used magic to fill the copper basin with water, and checked her equipment again. After the horse had finished drinking the water, she packed her bags, mounted the horse again, and returned to the neat rows.
among the team.
"Let's go." Squadron Leader Kent rode past her and merged into the front of the queue. "The scouts have returned and the enemy is right in front of us! Boys and girls, cheer up!"
The knights responded in low voices, and the horses stepped forward. The morning light rose, the fog gradually dispersed, and the vast plains were visible. In the distance, the camp belonging to the Belon people was slightly raised, and a few wisps of smoke were faintly visible.
"Accelerate." The command came from the front. "Accelerate." "Accelerate." "Accelerate."
The knights conveyed the instructions backwards in turn, and drove their mounts at the same time, making the horses slightly excited. Elena followed suit and prayed in a low voice at the same time. A faint halo spread out with her as the center, sweeping across dozens of areas.
There was a meter of space. Jerome, who was walking alongside her, turned his head and gave her a thumbs up.
"It's very powerful." He said, "Who taught you this skill?"
"Your predecessor two hundred years from now - the second of the Templars." Elena replied, "It will take about a hundred years for her to come to the church. Maybe you will be able to see her."
"Then I have to work hard to live longer." Jerome laughed and put down his visor, "The same goes for you, little girl! From my point of view, you will join us sooner or later!"
The recognition from the Templars made her very happy, although the girl was not so sure in her heart. The knights' array continued to accelerate slowly, the horses' hooves splashed dust, and the knocking sound was like a curtain of rain. Elena lightly kicked the horse's belly to keep the mount level with the array.
together.
"You are watching, Lily." The nun whispered to herself, "We will defeat you."
The position in front of the line of sight quickly narrowed. The Beron people dug a deep ditch surrounding the entire camp and set up their resistance horses behind them. Behind them were three lines of soldiers. The soldiers at the front were wearing steel armor and holding one hand.
Holding spears, they dug their heavy shields deeply into the ground; the two rows behind raised their alchemy tubes and pointed them at the galloping knights.
"In the name of glory, charge——!"
When the order came, the war horse seemed to understand human language and accelerated suddenly without any order. About one-third of the alchemy barrels spurted out green flames, and the ammunition fell on the ground, lighting up a green sky that was hundreds of meters wide and nearly two meters high.
Wall of color fire. The knights sang in unison, and the light ignited from their armor, turning into a milky white ocean.
Then they spread out their lines and rushed straight through the wall of flames, leaving no men or horses unscathed.
The knights in the front row uniformly raised their short spears and threw them with all their strength. The spears screamed and pierced the air, shattering the second batch of 'ammunitions' fired from the alchemy tube. The thick yellow smoke slowly sank,
However, the war horse flew with all four hooves, leaving it behind in an instant.
"Lance ready——!"
Elena took off the lance from the side of the saddle, weighed it, and clamped it firmly under her arm. The wind whistled past her ears, and she squinted her eyes and tried her best to keep breathing steadily. The nun did not last as long as the glorious knight.
After training, Hylanthia taught her horse fighting skills, and divine magic gave her sufficient courage and strength.
The distance shortened to tens of meters in the blink of an eye. Some of the Belon people turned and fled, while others hid their bodies behind the tower shield, hoping that the trenches and heavy wooden boards covered with barbs would protect them.
The glorious knights raised their guns together, their horses lowered their heads, and charged towards the enemy formation without fear. The golden light extended backward from the tip of each lance, blending with the people and horses, like a divine weapon cast in light.
The ear-piercing sound of cracking resounded through the sky. The heavenly war horses jumped over the ravine, and the lances drove away the horses. The thick shield wall seemed to hit a stronger wall, scattering into fine wood chips. Some knights' spears also shattered, and they casually
Throw down your lance, take off your sword or warhammer from your waist, and slash at the chaotic enemy troops.
Elena rushed through the wreckage with the second column of knights. Two Beron men pointed their heavy crossbows at her. She avoided a sharp arrow and pierced the throat of the man on the left with the tip of the spear, while the war horse pointed the other man's crossbow at her.
A person stepped on her feet. A warrior with an ax tried to cut her horse's leg. She reined in the horse to avoid the axe. Before she could fight back, a cold light came from above and split the man's head and iron helmet into two.
Half.
"Good job." Jerome shook off the blood on the halberd, "Is this what she taught you?"
"She seems to know everything, even the secret arts." Elena nodded, suddenly feeling a little sore in her nose, "She is probably still waiting for me to go back." There is also Teacher Karan, friends from the monastery,
And the two girls who were members of Lily and fought alongside her.
"Then you have to work harder." The young Templar threw his sword and stabbed a soldier who was trying to launch a sneak attack. Then he raised his hand, and the halberd flew straight as if being pulled by a thin rope.
back into his hands.
"But don't worry." The knight spurred his horse forward and spoke with ease as usual, "These lack of training dwarfs will not cause us any trouble!"
The battle soon came to an end. The knights cleaned the battlefield, treated the wounded, and collected the bodies of the dead as always. Kent was interrogating the opponent's general, who was an extremely strong Beron man with messy hair, a fierce face, and almost arms
As thick as her thigh. A few minutes ago, he roared and transformed into a three-meter-tall giant, cutting a knight and his horse into two pieces——
Then Jerome's halberd came through the air and cut off his right leg in an instant. Seeing the general falling to the ground in defeat, the surviving defenders dropped their weapons one after another and raised their hands to signal surrender.
Elena did not participate in that. She patted Guren on the back and let it go for a walk on its own. Then she looked at Jerome and said goodbye to him silently.
Then she lowered her head and mentally responded to the question that suddenly sounded in her mind during the previous battle.
"I'm ready, Ms. Mal."
There was no pain as imagined - the interruption of consciousness seemed to be just a moment. When she once again had the ability to think, the nun felt that her body had become extremely light, and her eyes were filled with colors she had never seen before. She seemed to be surrounded by a simple and warm building.
In the palace, the breeze was like singing, the air was full of sweetness, and every pillar carried a familiar atmosphere. An unprecedented sense of relaxation enveloped her, and she even wanted to just fall to the ground, empty her mind, and take a good nap.
Falling to the ground?
She put aside the idea of taking a nap and tried to check her body, but found that there were neither arms nor a human face, just a palm-sized ball of pure light floating in the air, which seemed both virtual and real.
Elena recognized what it was. "The Gospel of Light" records that after the death of a loyal and kind believer, the soul will go to the kingdom of the "Lord of Light" and transform into an envoy of holy light, continuing to follow the god he once believed in. So said
Come--
"Am I dead?"
"That's right."
Elena heard the generous voice again, and saw someone who was very familiar but had never seen her in person. A man in a white robe walked along the long corridor paved with white stones, surrounded by several light balls similar to hers.
They were looking at each other. Two of them flew towards her side by side, staying a foot away from her.
"Don't worry, this is not your era. What was destroyed by Tiana is not your real body." Leonos Lambert Protodis looked at her gently, "If everything goes well, it will be
Someone will send you back to your hometown. At that time, everything that happened here will be just a dream in the mirror."
Sister "Lord Protodis" was worried about another thing. She controlled her body to float upwards and came to the man in white robe, "Ms. Mal, she"
"That was Tiana's own choice." Leonos shook his head slightly, "And I also have my own responsibilities - no matter what era."
"Then, is she like this in our era?"
"In your history, the gray war was different from today. For Tiana, there is no difference." The man lowered his head and looked at the marble slab under his feet, "I usually do not respond to the requests of believers, and I avoid intervening in mortal disputes.
.This may seem a little cold, but now you should understand the consequences of not doing this."
"Yes." Kailo said that everyone is mortal, but the nun never thought about the possibility of the "Lord of Light" leaving. "So, no matter what happens, you will not be like Ms. Mal or Lily.
, right?"
"Maybe one day, like Tiana, I need to make a dilemma." Leonos narrated gently, as if it was a trivial matter, "Every living thing will die one day, and God's envoys will not
There are no exceptions. When we are tired of the business of this world, we are no different from other people.”
"But" Elena tried to imagine that scene. If the magic belonging to the "Lord of Light" completely disappears, just like what the "Black Crow Knights" experienced not long ago, the Theocracy may fall into lasting chaos, "We don't have
Is there anything I can do?"
"If there is such a moment, I will look for a suitable successor, or try to leave something behind - maybe tangible, maybe intangible. As for how to use it, I believe you can find the answer." The god she believed in replied, "You
No need to worry, I will try my best to prevent it from happening."