"We're almost there." Lily stretched hard and announced loudly.
They continued on the road early in the morning, walking along the dusky desert for half a day, and then climbed up the mountain road covered with reddish-brown rocks. As the sun set, the volcanic fortress had transformed from a black spot at the end of the line of sight into a huge green and red monster.
.
"We've finally arrived." Bell dragged his heavy steps and complained feebly, "Why don't you insist on seeing what's going on in this poor desert?" He swallowed, "From what I can see, it's not like that at all.
There’s no difference. It’s all sand. And bugs.”
"You talk the most." Lily snorted softly, "We can use the flying machine, but remember not to complain then?"
"Actually, the changes have already begun." Sitting in the arm of the machine man, An An refuted Bell's words softly, "The magic circle of Luglan Forest has isolated the sea breeze, and coupled with the constant leakage of magic power, it has created this land full of demons.
A dead place for living things. As long as there is enough time, the rain will bring soil and plants, turning it back to the Mellon Plain two hundred years ago."
"Okay, okay, what you said is right." The Belon man shook his head and picked up the empty water bag on his waist, "I can't wait for that day anyway. It's better to find a tavern and have barbecue."
Have a drink. I'm going to die of thirst!"
This time no one objected.
After trekking in the desert for a whole week, even Lily felt a little tired. It was always satisfying to be able to eat some normal food instead of roasted centipedes and "paste" made by magic.
Fortunately, they never encountered the swarm of butterflies that blocked out the sky and seemed like a natural disaster. According to An, they relied on the magic power in the forest and may have completely died out due to environmental changes before everyone returned.
.
That's exactly why she took the walk.
Although it was her personal decision to explore the north, Lily knew that many people were paying attention to the results of their exploration. On the way back, she collected many specimens, and Ann recorded everything she saw in detail. As long as she
If they are returned to the right people - such as the Merlon Kingdom or the Secret Magic Federation, each member of the group can receive a large amount of wealth.
The northwest gate of the volcano castle was rarely visited by people, so the guards looked drowsy. However, when they heard that several people were returning from the northern forest, the two Berons immediately woke up.
"I, I thought... you are not dead!" The younger guard took a breath, then slapped himself on the mouth, "No, no, no, I mean, you are still alive! That, in the forest.
…How’s the curse?”
"There is no curse anymore, and there are no undead. After a few more decades, crops can be grown in that desert?" Lily raised her head and relayed An's words according to her own understanding, "As for the specific situation, please take your time.
Go take a look, no one will die after all?"
When they came to Chalk Street, the evening market in Volcano Castle had just begun. After finishing the day's work, Belon people gathered all over the street, talking and laughing loudly, while heading to their usual bars or restaurants. However, the seemingly bustling scene
Next, Lily instinctively felt that there was an unpleasant smell surrounding her.
Even when the Elna people retreated here, she didn't have a similar feeling.
The female mercenary stopped and looked around at the group members behind her. Bell and Elio discussed the next ale, food and entertainment; Alphonse and Ann walked side by side, and the girl looked at everything around her seriously. After all, it was just the last time
A quick glance; Groom crossed his arms, with a relaxed and broad smile on his face; Ariel walked at the end, seeming to notice the gaze cast on her, and stopped in front of her.
"What are you looking at?"
"...I don't know." Lily muttered, "Don't you think something is not quite right?"
Tian Clan looked at her and shook his head seriously.
"I don't feel any problem." Ariel said calmly, "You are the daughter of the Lord of Heaven. Maybe you are right."
Maybe she was just overthinking it. After going through this trip, returning from "history" and 'die' once, it was inevitable that she would be a little overly sensitive. Lily shook her head and walked through the crowd slowly,
Walking towards the hotel where they had stayed.
The exterior wall of the hotel is made of blue bricks, with a plaque engraved with a mandrill hanging above the head, as the name suggests. A blackened wooden board stands at the door, with the day's menu written on it, and "Ten copper coins, after seven o'clock,
The words "drink until you fall asleep".
Everything was still as she remembered it.
This is the tradition of the volcano fort. Regardless of men or women, many young Belon people are engaged in mining. They often return to the fort only once every few weeks, exchange the harvest for coins, clean up a little, and then go straight to the tavern. That is usually their
In the most prosperous and relaxing moments, many couples get to know each other here and have a great time chatting until they make a vow.
She also tried to find a partner for Bell. Unfortunately, although Bell's experience told attracted many people, in the eyes of those young female Bellon people, neither mercenaries nor "explorers" were stable and reliable.
Profession.
Bell himself didn't mind at all, but was rather complacent. In his words - "I told you, among our clan... it's hard to find someone as courageous as me!"
Lily pushed the door open and walked in. Others had already sat down. The owner of the hotel seemed to recognize her and raised a glass to her - Lily remembered that his name was Duden, and he was a nosy but warm-hearted person. She turned out two coins and put them aside.
After paying for the silver coins for a long time, he leaned over the bar and yawned.
"Can you give us a glass of milk and some special dishes? And the rest of them will be charged to our account!"
Time flew by in a blink of an eye.
The tavern became lively at some point, and the noise around him gradually became familiar. Bell's face turned red after drinking, and he dragged the unfamiliar Bellon man to brag loudly about the previous story, which attracted a lot of listeners. Groom held the cup.
, took a sip unhurriedly, and did not try to expose Bell's lies. Elio sat in the corner with An An, with several empty plates piled in front of him; while the girl opened the notebook that she never left, and drew some pictures on it.
What.
This is a normal life, the female mercenary thought silently. But after this time, as the changes in Luglan Forest are widely known, the "Lilinono Group" should also become more famous, right?
She sniffed the mixed aroma in the air, tore the steaming, wheat-scented baked stone cake into small pieces, and threw it into the thick pork stew, which was as thick as porridge.
The scene of her first visit here is still before her eyes. Alphonse destroyed it to protect her, but the seemingly ordinary old wizard repaired it and gave him a human heart. Later, she asked Yuffie and learned that he
Still staying in the academy, trying to make the secret art a knowledge accessible to more people.
Afterwards, she led the mercenary group to the snowy mountains and reunited with her 'old friends' from the past. The memory of that trip was not a good one, and the ending did not satisfy her - except for Amberley and Baili. I don't know what happened.
What is an Elna woman who is good at making snacks and always has a smile doing now? And the white bear that is always noisy and seems to never grow up doesn't cause her too much trouble, right?
There were also the knights of the "Black Crow". They were enemies with her at first, but later became allies in fighting together. On the top terrace of the fortress, she personally pushed the young man from behind.
The grand leader's wish came true.
Half a year has passed, she couldn't help thinking. Returning to a familiar environment again made her feel nostalgic. Lily closed her eyes, prayed for the safety of many friends, and then started to enjoy dinner.
The door of the hotel creaked again, and the noise in the room fell silent. Lily had just filled her mouth with a spoonful of food, and instinctively pricked up her ears. She turned around and saw a man in black clothes.
The male Mal stood at the door, with a cautious expression on his face, and took a step hesitantly.
She is from the Black Crow Knights. She has met Sean several times, so she naturally recognizes their clothes and the aura that belongs to Mal.
"Excuse me. Can you give me -"
The innkeeper slapped the wooden cup in his hand on the bar, making a dull thud, interrupting the other party's words.
"Get out." He didn't even look at the other person, "Hurry up, now."
The man seemed to have expected it, and turned around and left without saying a word. Duden picked up the cup, stuffed it back into the bar with a sullen face, and seemed to mumble something. The sound of conversation filled the room again, but no one mentioned what had just happened.
, as if it doesn't exist at all.
The attitude of the Beron people made Lily a little dissatisfied and more confused. "Why did you drive him away?" She put down the spoon, raised her head and questioned, "What bad thing did that person do?"
No one answered her.
A drunken drinker wanted to speak, but was immediately restrained by his companion. Lily wanted to ask something else, but Duden stared at her coldly, forcing her to swallow her words.
"Stay away from those people, they are the messengers of death." The Belon said seriously, "Don't ask any questions, miss, just do as you are told."
The atmosphere in the tavern was no longer the same as before. Lily lowered her head to eat, but there were always people looking at her from behind, which made the food taste much worse. She drank the soup and noodles in a few mouthfuls, threw her luggage into the room upstairs, and left
Wandering around the hotel, listening to the chatter of people on the street.
"——It should be harvested in half a month. But to be honest, I don't really believe in those Ailna people. Who knows what they will do with witchcraft."
"——I heard that something happened in the Oren Empire, and the emperor's brothers and sisters are about to start a fight. Hum, I talk about civilizations with a long history all day long, but I think they are the most barbaric ones."
"——Rubber just told me that the mercenary group came back from the north alive! ... However, let the king worry about this matter. There is no ore to dig in the desert anyway."
They were all meaningless things. The rumors about the empire reminded her of the "Wolf Shepherd", but the civil strife could not kill Barak. No one mentioned the Black Crow Knights, and even Lily instinctively felt that they were avoiding them.
Related topics.
Bell said that 'most' Belon people lack the spirit of adventure - until now, the female mercenary truly realized this. She clenched her fists in annoyance and considered whether to arrest someone and force her to find out the answer.
A somewhat familiar figure flashed from the front, and Lily sniffed to confirm that it was a familiar smell to her.
"Sean? Hey!"
The blond man wearing a long black coat and a long ponytail turned his head in shock and looked at the female mercenary whom he had met several times.
"Lily...Nono?"
"It is indeed you." The female mercenary ran towards the other party in two or two steps and grabbed his hand without any explanation, "Come with us, I have something to ask you!"
She pulled the other person through the crowd and walked into the hotel without saying a word. Ignoring the looks from the owner and the surrounding residents, she returned to the room that belonged to herself and Alphonse, and then slammed the door.
"What have you done recently?" Lily pushed the other person onto a chair and stared at him condescendingly, "In other words, what did your knights do? How did the city become like this?"
The blond young man looked at her steadily for a few seconds, and the shock in his expression gradually disappeared. He lowered his head, his voice full of exhaustion.
"It's a long story." Sean Tambor sighed, "When did you come back...and why did you find me?"
The female mercenary released her hold on the other party's hand, sat on the edge of the bed, and blinked.
"Um, it's a long story, right?"
…
"That's just the way it is."
After recounting the entire experience in one breath, Lily stood up, poured a glass of water, and drank it down, "Now, it's your turn!"
"All right."
The leader of the Black Crows sighed, raised his hands and pinched his temples hard, and was silent for a while.
"As you know, after the war initiated by the empire, most of the members went to the Theocracy. This was our agreement with the "Silver Witch". Some of the remaining knights returned to the empire to take care of the remaining properties; and
Some stay here and work as guards, martial arts instructors, or even miners."
"The Beron people are a bit stubborn, but as long as they work hard, they don't care about our race. Generally speaking, they have gotten along well with the knights in the past six months."
Sean stopped talking, stood up and walked to the window, his back facing Lily.
"But since three weeks ago, a total of seven Belon people have died."
"Five of them were young miners, one was a jeweler, and one was an innkeeper. They were all found dead at home. The autopsy could not find any injuries, and the wizard of the Belon royal family concluded that they died of Marathon.
Your magic."
The door opened softly, and Ann and Elio walked into the room one after another, listening quietly to Sean's story.
"The Belon people believed that we were responsible, or that we had caused these deaths, even though there was not enough evidence. Since then, they have begun to exclude all members of the group - dismissing them from their jobs, not allowing them to live,
And refused to sell them anything."
"I arrived here with Alea the day before yesterday to find out the truth of this matter. So far, we have only confirmed one thing."
"The two recent deceased people indeed seemed to have died from Mar's magic. Their bodies began to rot from the inside, and they died due to internal bleeding and organ failure - that is the effect of "apoptosis"
.”
"In other words." The female mercenary frowned, "It was your members who killed them? And, that person is still continuing to kill them?"
"I don't know." Sean turned around and grinned bitterly, "No one admits that they did it. They are even willing to swear to "mother". But I also know..."
The former grand leader clenched his fists, "'Mother' is already gone, even if I swear to her -"
"Wait a minute, Mr. Sean." An suddenly interrupted, "How many of your team members know about the death of Tiana Marr?"
Sean was stunned for a moment, as if he was a little uncomfortable with the girl calling him "Lord of the Earth" by his name, but he quickly came to his senses.
"Not many. After the war, we restored the ability to use divine magic, and many people no longer care about what happened before. Some people think that it was a test given by "Mother", in order for the Knights to get out of the empire and regain their lives.
.”
"In this case, the oaths sworn by the knights should be credible." The girl held her chin in thought and turned to Lily, "Only by eliminating all reasonable doubts can the truth be found. Can I meet those people?
?”
The reaction was exactly as she expected - this girl who calls herself an 'explorer' has never lacked curiosity about the unknown. Of course, that was just what she wanted.
"Speaking of which, Sean. You probably don't know that we can see through common lies with just one look." Lily patted her chest and then pointed at Xiang An with her thumb. "As for her, this time
During my trip, I used tactics to kill...two 'gods'."
"So, do you want to entrust our 'Lilinonuo Group' to help you solve this problem?"
The female mercenary grinned and showed a wolf-like smile again.