Lark City is located in the southern region of the empire, surrounded by birds and flowers, fertile water and soil, and abundant products. For hundreds of years since its founding, it has always had the reputation of "the back garden of the empire".

The climate here is much warmer and wetter than in the north, with a rainy season brought by the monsoon winds from the Old Kingdom in the east every year. The rain-rich moon echoes the name of the month god of the month of the water goddess Garena, and the sixth deity of the year to appear is particularly effective among the twelve gods. Especially in the southern part of the empire around Skylark, many people are more inclined to the water god Garena among the twelve gods.

In Zandar's impression, Skylark City and the southern part of the empire are all emerald green worlds. The smell of damp, fresh earth is always accompanied by a breeze in the countryside. Some of the elders of the tribe have been there and commented that it is the second home of their lizardfolk tribe, which shows how much praise and appreciation can be used.

But now, Skylark City has become an isolated city. It was originally far away from the border between the east and the west, and now due to the flood of demonic beasts within the empire, even the supply lines connected to it in the territory have been gradually cut off.

Zandar, the lizardman, looked in disappointment at what should have been verdant fields and forests around him, but now only barren and decaying, his eyes were yellow and withered.

"How far are we?" he asked Ian.

The further south you go, the more treacherous the wilderness becomes. Since leaving Mister's village and entering the southern part of the empire, they have been attacked by demonic beasts no less than three times. Mister went from the horror of the attack at the beginning, to the bewilderment later, and now he is tired of it.

Even when he wasn't talking, Ian and Zandar could feel the irritability he felt when he saw the beast attack.

He would even sigh, impatiently, of course.

Having said that, their luck was not particularly bad, at least they didn't encounter an extremely fierce mid-to-high-level magical beast like the Manticore. During the battle, Ian noticed that Zandar had a short hammer with him, which was his weapon of self-defense. The combat skills are not gorgeous, but they are very solid and practical. Obviously, as he himself once said, he cannot be considered a warrior in the traditional definition of mankind. Ian knew that perhaps in addition to the "Seal of Reason", he had other secret techniques in his hands, and these secret techniques were his true abilities.

Ian remembered the time he fought alongside Sid and faced the Manticore in a squad of two, and he couldn't help but feel both scared and proud. He even brought it up to Zandar and Mister one night while camping. As he spoke, he watched Mister's reaction, hoping that he would let down his guard against his mouth and say whatever he wanted. However, although Mister listened very carefully, he never opened his mouth to express any thoughts.

"He needs time. Ian comforted himself.

"You also need hard evidence," Zandar analyzed, "to prove that you can really understand this power and control it." ”

"It's going to take time. Ian smiled wryly and flicked the branches a few times, making the fire burn brighter and warming the sleeping Mister who was curled up on the side. On the night of the war month, it was really cool.

After dawn, again

A sunny day.

The rainy season was followed by a sweltering summer, followed by a dry autumn when the harvest was supposed to begin. Harvest Month, as the name suggests, is the harvest season, but the harvest goddess Menghe has no grace for her people in Skylark. Of course, the fields have long been barren, and there will be no gain.

"How far are we?" asked Zandar again.

Ian didn't answer immediately, squinting intently at the shadows of the trees on the side of the road ahead.

"It's coming. He whispered, his legs clamped, urging Bai Xing under his crotch to take a few steps forward.

Zandar watched as he hurried his horse to the front, under a banshee tree. The branches of the banshee tree hung down densely, swaying in the wind, like the withered and yellowed hair of the banshee. Suddenly, Zandar's eyes lit up, and he looked in the direction Ian was looking up, and saw a person hanging from it.

It's a corpse.

Zandar also jumped off his mount and walked over to Ian. The man was hanged, a human being. This is not surprising, and there are quite a few lords who choose to hang some prisoners in the wilderness rather than go to the gallows. Or hang yourself and hang it in the wilderness near your territory as a warning.

But what caught their attention was the corpse's clothing.

He wears a robe with a white background, decorated with red stripes on the cuffs and neckline, and a long vertical stripe that runs through the back of the robe. This is the clothing that only the clergy of the Twelve Gods of the Empire can wear. This man had been a monk.

You must know that the Holy See of the Twelve Gods can be regarded as the state religion in the Hilfa Empire, and almost no one is not a believer. Who would hang the monks of the Holy See? Who would dare? Ian suddenly remembered the scene he had met in Babel, the missionary who had been pushed down the steps and fell to his death. But this is not the same, openly hanging the monks...... Could it be that Skylark has defected from the Empire?

Ian looked up into the distance, and the shadow of Skylark City was already looming. It's at the end of the undulating road, and if you push it tighter, it shouldn't take long to get there. But Ian couldn't help but slow down, and he felt that the air around him was becoming difficult to stir, as if it was gradually solidifying.

They got back on their horses and walked for a short time, when they stopped again.

Ian and Zandar were surprised to find that there was a banshee tree every few dozen stars on the side of the road—nothing unusual, it was a good tree—but almost every tree had a monk hanged. Some of them had just died, while others had rotted into dry bones, and it was clear that these were not the result of a single trial.

The three of them hesitantly came to the front of Skylark City and found that although it was heavily guarded, there was nothing out of the ordinary. Skylark City has not changed its flag and separated from the Empire, and the Hilfa Empire's golden-shaded Eagle Banner is flying in the wind above the city walls.

After passing through the city gate, Zandar had the courage to ask the guards inside the city gate: "When we came, we saw many monks hanged, what happened?"

The guards seemed to have noticed their suspicious expressions, after all, this was still rare in the Empire, and it was not surprising that they were surprised.

"Where are you from?" the guard didn't answer immediately

, but asked rhetorically.

"Swamp Dragon City. ”

"No wonder, that country bandit den with no news!" the guard spat disdainfully, "Don't worry, it's not a sin to believe in the Cult of the Twelve, and Skylark City is still the Empire's Skylark City." It's just that the Cult of the Twelve Gods preaches the so-called 'divine punishment', which has been forbidden by decree issued by the Great Emperor Andrés Cesa Hilfa himself, and has also redefined the psychic power. But these miscellaneous pieces, who are still gathering people here every day to preach, are simply working against the emperor!"

"I don't know what they think. The lord was furious, and grabbed one and hanged the other. He glanced out of the city with an understatement, "It's just been a break recently. ”

The original suspicion in Ian and Zandar's hearts turned into shock, a mere southern lord actually acted so spicy and left no room for it. Or did the lord smell something ......?

The guards were more interested in Ian and the others: "You are mercenaries? ”

"We did encounter a lot of Demonic Beasts when we came over," Zandar replied, "but luckily, we didn't encounter mid-to-high-level or large-scale ones. ”

"I don't think it's luck," the guard smirked, "and I've seen that if you had come a month or two earlier, you would have died outside, and there would have been no corpses." But now, the monsters are all heading north. Therefore, although we are a lonely city, the supply line has been stretched a lot, and the danger is not as good as that of Black Eagle City. ”

"Hubert!" a captain-like man yelled at him, "your post!"

"Yes!" the guard who had been talking to Ian immediately tensed up, said yes loudly, and turned to run towards the captain.

Zandar saw that he had joined the patrol team, and the army was well-groomed, but it didn't look like he was trapped in a lonely city. Most of the soldiers were dignified, without the slightest slackness or resignation.

"This lord is very powerful. Zandar commented, "In this case, the killing is decisive, and it seems that the soldiers are not short of food, and the army is very good." ”

"That's interesting. The outside of the city was wilderness, and the fields were deserted for a long time...... Can he have that much food in reserve?"

"Plan ahead. ”

"Forget it, I don't care what happens to the Empire. Ian whispered, "I just want to find the guy who tried to test me in a different way as soon as possible, and wanted to see me, but asked me to come all the way to this place to find him." ”

"Don't kill him. Zandar was too serious, not a joke at all, but a kind reminder.

“...... I just want to punch him in the face and then listen to what important things he intends to teach me. ”

"Ah, knowledge, maybe ...... with me"

"Let's go, Mister is hungry. Ian interrupted.

"Mister?" Zandar turned his head to look at Mister, but the other party was at a loss.

Skylark City is worthy of being called the "backyard of the empire". The streets are wide and smooth, and even the buildings on both sides are straight

Target. The most special thing is that almost all houses have balconies on the second floor, and rows of flowers of different shapes are planted at the door of every house. Even in places like weapon shops and blacksmith shops, where soldiers often come and go, there are actually a few pots of tall green plants placed at the door as decorations.

With these decorations, the whole street, the whole city looks alive and vibrant. If it weren't for the cool air of War Month, Ian would have almost thought it would still be Month of Love. Although there is no singing and dancing here, the prosperity and peace inside the city seem very dreamy compared to the barren scene outside the city.

Ian, Zandar, and Mister find a tavern to settle into.

Zandar got some water and poured it on the sleeping Pata. Along the way from Swamp Dragon City to here, Pa Da still kept asleep under the maintenance of Zandar's mark of reason, but for the sake of Pa Da's own safety, Ian insisted on watering Pa Da every once in a while. As the dripping water flowed all over his body, he was lying in his bag and arched comfortably, and opened his eyes slightly.

(End of chapter)