Anne didn't know what happened - she just had time to see two strangers standing at the entrance of the cemetery, but her sight was blocked by the slightly stooped body of the old guard, and the old man's slightly nervous voice reached her ears.
: "Child, don't look over there."
The little girl was a little nervous: "Grandpa Caretaker, what's wrong?"
"Don't move, don't talk, it's okay." The old man said softly, while his eyes still stayed on the burly figure. He put one hand beside him to block Annie's restless sight, and the other hand pressed
On the chest - there is a talisman, which can be used to trigger an alarm throughout the cemetery if necessary.
The burly figure walked this way.
All the muscles in the old man's body tensed up.
"Good morning," a deep voice came from under the thick bandage, as if it had an echo in the tomb, "This should be my first official 'visit'."
The communication was clear and the attitude was very friendly - just like the previous contact, this unnameable "visitor" showed a friendly attitude.
But the muscles on the old guard's body did not dare to relax at all. He had thought that sooner or later this visitor would come to visit again, and he also thought about the circumstances under which he would communicate with the visitor, but he never expected that the visitor would be so upright.
He arrived at the entrance of the cemetery and stood on the opposite side to say hello to him. He didn't know whether Anne behind him would be affected by this visitor, so he could only stay between the two as much as possible, thinking quickly about the next response.
.
The old man's nervousness completely fell into Duncan's eyes.
He looked even more nervous than when they first met - was it because of the child protecting him?
"Relax," Duncan said, with a smile in his tone, "I don't have any hostility - let alone hurt the child behind you."
"I know you are friendly, but your existence itself may affect ordinary people," the old guard said cautiously, trying not to offend the visitor in front of him with his words, "This child has not received any extraordinary training.
train."
"Oh, then she's very safe," Duncan said. "You should also understand what she can't see."
The old guard was silent for a moment. He knew what the other party meant, and he also knew that as an ordinary person, Anne should not be affected by some extraordinary powers like himself. However, he still did not relax and just asked cautiously: "What are you doing?"
What do you want to do when you come here this time?"
"Is the Priestess not there?" Duncan glanced curiously in the direction of the cemetery, "I have something more important to tell her."
"She just left," the old guard said, becoming more cautious because of the mention of Agatha. "What do you want to see her for?"
Then he paused and added: "I can contact her at any time - the cemetery caretaker is also a clergyman, and can directly contact the cathedral and the gatekeeper."
"Ah, that's good, I can save some trouble," Duncan said, raising his hand to dig in his pocket - this action made the cemetery guard in front of him obviously nervous, and he smiled and shook his head.
, "Don't be nervous, if I really have malicious intentions, I don't need to raise my hand."
When he finished speaking, he had already taken out a sealed letter from his windbreaker pocket and handed it to the old man in front of him.
"Transfer this to the 'gatekeeper' named Agatha, or directly to your cathedral," Duncan said casually, "Anyway, it's a message, as long as the message is delivered."
A... letter? It’s actually a letter?!
The old guard looked at what the other person took out in astonishment. He subconsciously took it and realized it. He blinked in confusion, never expecting that an unnameable visitor came to the cemetery in a physical form, just to give him a piece of cake.
letter.
He turned over the envelope and looked at it again.
On the back of the envelope, you can actually see the mark and number of a small local printing factory - this is not even a "ceremonial secret letter" condensed by extraordinary power. It was bought from a newsstand at the intersection, maybe even today.
I bought it when I passed by this morning.
The old man raised his head, his slightly cloudy and yellowish eyes filled with obvious doubts and questions.
"To make a small contribution to the security of the city-state," Duncan smiled, but unfortunately his friendly expression was completely blocked by the bandage. Then he looked past the old guard and towards the little girl hiding behind the old man, "
Are you scared?"
"No," Annie shook her head, carefully looking through the old man's fingers at the tall and burly figure opposite, "I'm very courageous."
"I have a niece, and she is also very courageous," Duncan said, looking at the old man, "This child is..."
"I just want to visit the cemetery. He is an ordinary person who has nothing to do with the church," the old man said immediately. After realizing that Annie was really not affected, he relaxed a little. "I am trying to persuade this child to go back. Today
The weather is terrible."
"It's easy to slip on snowy days," Duncan nodded, looked at the little girl and asked casually, "What's your name? How old are you this year?"
The old guard's heart tightened, and he wanted to remind Anne, who had never been exposed to extraordinary power, not to speak. After all, it was a very dangerous move to reveal the name of a superior extraordinary person of unknown origin——
But he was a step slower.
"My name is Anne," the girl said without warning, "Anne Barbary, I am twelve years old this year!"
In front of the cemetery gate, there was suddenly silence.
Duncan looked quietly at the little girl who was poking her head out from behind the old guard, staring at her eyes and the outline of her features that were vaguely similar to Captain Christo Barberi.
He just asked casually, but he didn't expect... things would be such a coincidence.
The sound of stepping on snow came from the side. Alice looked at the little girl who called herself "Annie Barbary" in surprise, then turned to look at Duncan: "Ah, I remember the surname Barbary. Isn't this..."
Duncan slowly bent down, so that his eyes were level with the girl's, and his tone was as gentle as possible: "Is your surname Barbery?"
It seemed that because of the sudden change in the atmosphere, Anne seemed a little nervous. She shrank behind the old guard: "Yes, yes."
"Captain Christo Barbelli, what is your relationship?"
"He is... my father." Anne whispered, then subconsciously grabbed the old guard's clothes and looked up at the old man, as if she wanted to ask for help.
However, the old man had no reaction. He just looked shocked, as if he had thought of something, and looked at Duncan with an incredulous expression. At the same time, he looked at the young woman with a veil and a blond shawl in confusion.
"You are Captain Crystal's daughter - you live with your mother on Hearth Street?" Duncan looked at the little girl in front of him and asked again.
Annie nodded hurriedly, and then seemed to react: "You... know my dad?"
"...I've met him before, although I'm not too familiar with him," Duncan said softly, "He asked me to visit you and your mother. I didn't have time to go find you, so I didn't expect to meet you here."
Anne's eyes widened in surprise.
The same goes for the old guard on the side.
"My father..." Anne opened her mouth, but she couldn't think of what to say for a long time. After struggling to organize her words for a long time, she asked carefully, "He is really dead... right?"
Duncan nodded slightly.
"Then...will he still be sent here?" Anne asked hurriedly, "The adults said that the souls of people who believe in the God of Death will return to Bartok's cemetery after death, and then be picked up.
When I arrived at the gate, the caretaker told me that this cemetery is..."
As Annie spoke, her voice suddenly became softer.
In fact, she no longer believed what the old man told her a long time ago.
She is twelve years old this year.
Duncan suddenly stretched out his hand and rubbed Annie's head - on the thick woolen hat, a little unmelted snowflake fell down and mixed with the snow.
"Captain Christo is a great man, very great - he has now arrived in Bartok's country and is resting well there."
Annie raised her head and blinked.
She still doesn't quite understand what Duncan's words mean - she doesn't even understand the existence of the tall and burly figure in front of her.
But the cemetery guard next to her reacted suddenly.
The old man suddenly pressed Annie's shoulders to tell the child to stop talking. Then he raised his head and looked directly into Duncan's eyes: "What you said...is the truth?"
"...I think so," Duncan thought for a moment. He didn't know what the so-called door of Bartok, the God of Death, was about, nor what humans would experience after death, but in front of a child, he
Knowing what he should say - this is what he sincerely hopes for, "I personally sent him away."
The old guard's pupils shrank slightly, but he quickly concealed the change in his expression.
"It's almost time for me to leave," Duncan said. He looked at Anne, who was still a little confused about the situation, and then at the cemetery guard. "Although I still have a lot to say, there are still things I have to be busy with."
There are many. Let’s meet again when we have the chance.
"Besides, don't forget that letter."
The old guard blinked, and before he could speak, he only saw the green flames flashing before his eyes and disappearing.