"Thunderstorm, ruling!"

Niso subconsciously stretched out his left hand to block his eyes, in order to block the glare beam of light generated by the huge electric current. He had repeated the same action many times, but the light of the move and the chaos on the ground that followed had never changed.

It's been another three days since that night's distraction, and Glicenta doesn't say a word about her strange behavior in her room that night, except to go out with Niso to clean up the Momike eggs at the foot of the hill as usual. After weeks of hard work, the number of Mormike in the grove had dwindled considerably, and the two of them planned to explore the mountains further.

By the time he put his hand down, Glicenta had already put his sword back into its scabbard. She blew on the bangs scattered across her forehead and raised her chin towards Niso, as if to show off her achievements and strength. A burnt smell crept into his nose.

"I'm getting more and more pitiful for the Momichaels. He pulled one arrow out of the quiver and used it to flick at the pile of mushy Mormack eggs scattered at his feet. He waved his hand in front of him again, slightly dispelling a little of the burnt smell. "Before you came, they would never have imagined that a monster like you would take out their lair one by one. ”

"What do you call a monster? I call it a ...... of strength," Grisenda grinned as she stepped on something black in the charred dirt. "How's it going? We've pretty much cleaned up all those disgusting Mormack lairs in the forest at the foot of the mountain, aren't we going to go to the mountains to see what's next?"

Nisol pinched his nose, looked at the mountains not far away, looked back in the direction of the colony, and nodded.

"The results of the past few days have been okay, at least the number of bugs harassing the colony has decreased significantly. But I don't know if you've noticed, even though we've cleared the woods of the Mormics, the bugs pouring out of the ravine show no sign of abating. ”

Glicenta nodded. She unconsciously lowered her head and stroked the ring—something Niso had noticed—for a moment, then turned and walked slowly toward the mountain.

"It seems that the real base camp of these bugs should be in the mountains, and the sheer number of them is beyond our strength alone. Therefore, if the colony wants to get rid of the threat of this creature, it still needs to ask someone else for help. I'm sorry, but I may not be able to eradicate this danger......"

Nisol followed her, and when he heard this, he immediately laughed.

"What are you talking about? If it weren't for your help, the colony would be in a much worse state now. What's more, you have no relatives with us, and you used to be only in a boarding relationship - and even now, but you still choose to stay and fight the danger with me, and we thank you before it's too late, so why should you say sorry. ”

Glicenta pouted.

"Having said that, since I am determined to be a free adventurer until my family's honor is restored, it is my duty to lend a hand. And...... And you also helped me overcome the fear of memories and help me find my grandfather's elemental ring, which means that you have become the most important character in my mission. It stands to reason that a person like me, who has nothing, can give everything for your kindness......" She was nervous at first, and she kept rubbing her hand against the ring, and she couldn't speak clearly.

"Now, you're starting to find something to get rid of again. Always giving up advantages to others and making oneself suffer losses, such a character will inevitably fall behind. ”

"Hmph, no one has the speed to get me to the head before I draw my sword, you can rest assured of that......"

"It's not this ......," Niso had black lines all over his head. "Forget it, let's not talk about this kind of thing, let's talk about Mormack. I told you that on one side of the mountain are the crimson hills with a treacherous environment. There are two things that are most abundant in the crimson hills, one is the bear, and the other is the giant on the top of the mountain. The bear is okay, and the mountaintop giant, who likes cleanliness the most, will not let giant ants nest next to their homes. If Mo Mac had a shred of wisdom, he would not choose to go to the other side of the mountain to fight the brutal giant. ”

"You mean, the rest of the Mormack's lair is on this side of the mountain, halfway up the mountain, or at the top of the mountain?"

Nisol pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"I still hold on to what I thought when I first saw the eggs of these bugs, which is to believe that their real stronghold is in the caves of the mountain. The reason is actually quite simple. The Mormack eggs we destroyed before were supported by the bugs with some grass stalks or stones, because they are very fragile and slippery, and they can fail to hatch for various reasons if they are not careful. And that hillside ......"

He stretched out his hand and pointed to the mountains in the distance.

"I have learned from some ancient geographical texts and adventurers that the slopes facing our side are very steep, while those facing the Crimson Hills are gentle. That's why the same mountain, we call it a mountain here, and a hill there. The hillside is bare, often exposed to wind and rain, and the stone walls are steep and difficult to climb, and ordinary people will inevitably die if they go up, let alone the fragile Mo Mack eggs. ”

He paused for a moment and continued.

"Even if the eggs are stable, they are often attacked by gravel, and we are not as protected by the shade of trees here, which is not easy to destroy. Animals and insects are also living things, but living organisms will choose to seek advantages and avoid harms, and try to eliminate dangers. So I think that as long as Mo Mack doesn't think about extinction, he probably won't put the place where he lays his eggs on the mountainside or on the top of the mountain. ”

"When you say that, it seems to make some sense. Grisenda nodded. "Maumike is a giant ant, so it must have retained some of the habits of ants. I was afraid of this kind of thing, but I also knew that ants like to burrow into dark caves. Mormack is huge, and the usual crevices in the rock can't hold them, so we'll just have to find the cave, right?"

Nisol nodded slightly.

"It should be, but I can't say for sure. No matter how perfect the inference is, it is only an inference, not a confirmed fact, and the fact still needs to be found. It doesn't matter, let's go, just move forward. It doesn't make a difference whether you know this kind of thing now, because things will always be clear. ”

Grisenda's eyes wandered for a while, she bit her lip and hummed softly: "

Let's go!

Like an ignorant child

It doesn't matter if it's darkness or a cliff at the end

All we know is the road underfoot......"

Glicenta slowed down, humming the tune, and leaned over to Nisso's side.

"What song is this?"

"This is not a song, this is a poem from the Book of the Moon, the words of St. Amdes before he fled Freetown with Princess Vera overnight. ”

"Who is St. Amders?"

"He was the eldest son of the first king of the Messiah. At that time, the newly established kingdom of Messia allied itself with the Valanari Witches to prevent the spread of the Three Holy Religions and the founding of the Ilmari. St. Amudus was originally the leader of the vanguard against the Ilmar, but he fell in love with the Ilmari princess Vera, who was captured by him, the daughter of Ksoreden and the goddess Nivazhan. The night before Vera was publicly executed by the Messians, he fled Freetown with her. ”

Grisenda kicked the pebbles under her feet and snorted again: "

If you want to know what we have

My dear princess

We have eternity in infinite time and space

That's the sincerity of each other's hearts......"

"It's a very touching story," she says, "and a very happy story." When St. Amdes confessed to Vera in prison, he said:

You be my princess, I will be your knight

You be my flame, I be your scorched wood

The sun, moon and stars are constantly changing, and the movement is endless

What drives them?

Only love is also ...... (Note 1)

It's so beautiful, Nisol, is it always that good? Or is it just in the book?"

The air calmed down for a long time. Nisso's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he spoke slowly:

"Always. ”

"That'...... I feel like I kind of love you, no...... It should be said...... Oops, it's annoying, the "Moon Sutra" doesn't tell me the way to judge love clearly...... Don't cough, the more you cough, the more nervous I get......"

Nisol spread his hands.

"No, you don't understand what I mean. I'm not saying that such things exist forever, on the contrary, beauty can only stay for a short moment in a person's life. Nothing like this has come to the two of us now, it has never been, and I am afraid it will not be. All love will only burst out at the moment when the eyes of the two people meet, and beyond that, there will be no happiness to patronize our hearts. Now, Grisenda, you look me in the eye...... Do you feel frightened and frightened like you've never felt before?"

"No, but ......"

"What about before, before we looked at each other?"

"There is no ...... either"

"So, that's nothing. Glicenta, it's precisely because you don't understand feelings that you recognize anything as love. ”

"No, who says I don't understand, even if I can't understand it, I can understand it just by reading a book, whether it's Nivazhian vs. Xoredon, St. Amdes vs. Vera, or the sword saint Gmekros vs. the courtesan Merry. I have all the feelings they have, and I have the feelings they don't......"

She clutched her hands and pinched the jewels in the ring, her shoulders almost tucked to her chest.

“...... I love you because as long as I'm with you, even if I don't say a word, it's warm. My sword can wipe out all danger ahead, but I am fearless only when you are behind me. It is to think that you are happy, to remember that you are happy, and to dream that you are happy. I'm not afraid of the memories of the past, I have you to blow away the haze on them, revealing the ordinary appearance that should have appeared......"

Grisenda blushed from face to neck, but her words were so firm that they frightened Nisso.

"When I escaped from the Storm Fortress, I didn't know what lay ahead, but now I know it all—I exist for love. To yours and to your loved ones, to your family and to honor, to faith and courage...... I have to have all these loves, and I have to hold them tightly in my hands, just as a warrior has his sword, and I will not let it go until I die. ”

Nisol's movement was unabated, but every time he lifted his foot, it was as difficult as lifting a mountain. A little sweat broke out in his palms, and there were turbulent waves in his heart. But his words are still gentle and decisive, giving people a gentle but undeniable deterrent.

"No, Grisenda, please believe that I have no love for you, and you have no love for me. ”

"You're lying, you men love to lie. Am I not better aware of myself than you do? Because I love you, it is only natural that you love me—you said that the world is always as beautiful as a story. ”

"As I said, all good things are ephemeral and uncontrollable. You are so innocent that I only now realize that your ignorance is worse than I thought. Without the truth that you love others, others must love you, and asking others to love themselves is the greatest arrogance. Besides, you will never love me more than you love your sister or the flowers and grass under my feet. Because you're so good at love, you can't tell what love is......"

Niso still says:

"My relationship with you should be such that you are a walker in the night, and I am a torch in your hand. Before the sun was sprinkled on your forehead, I became your only support. But when the sun rises over the horizon and the sun fills the void, you will discard me and think of me again. But by that time you have enough power and vision, and you have something more dazzling than a torch - daylight, to illuminate the road ahead. I will be your memory, perhaps creeping through your mind at some point on your way to the finish line, and then disappearing without a trace......"

Grisenda was silent.

"A strong girl like you will always meet the sun, so I don't expect me to be that great. Grisenda, do you understand what I mean?"

No sound.

"Grisenda?Grisenda ?......"

Nisol stopped, looked back, and found no one behind him. He was stunned for a moment, then hurried back the way he came, looking for her as he went, and calling out her name loudly.

"Grisenda!Grisenda!Grisenda......"

The shouting stopped abruptly. A large, deep cavern appeared before his eyes. Nisol only glanced inside, and realized that the complexity and size of the cavern in front of him was beyond his imagination. Nisol looked around, ruling out Glicenta's attempt to joke with herself in order to be angry with herself. So he shook his head, sighed, and said:

"The gold medal soldier of the warrior union will fall into a big hole while walking, I'm afraid no one will believe it......"

He gritted his teeth, reached out to test the hardness of the soil, then straightened his gear, chose a relatively flat spot, and slid sideways.

———————————

Note 1: Dante's Divine Comedy Paradise "is love, moving the sun and moving the stars."