The night of the village jumped down from the top of the hill and spread out behind them.

The chickens roost under the low trees and hide the loud lights, and the dogs have no breathing. It lay its muscles and bones in the wilderness, slouched into sleep, and all the memories of the village were immersed in the transparency of the night.

Imagine the night covering up the roads, holding the bridges in the air, hiding the trees in the wind, clearing the wilderness – it has enough time to complete a dream before the sun comes out tomorrow, and believes that the night has enough time to give birth to life......

It was their duty to protect such a quiet night.

"If you need me to fulfill, I'll do what I can. ”

But he didn't know if he was 100 percent sure that he might be up to 9 percent of the time. He could pay with his life for this, but that result didn't mean he kept his promise.

This is the true knowledge he gained from the charred practice after the firelight tore through the night sky.

"Aren't you afraid of being sent to the gallows?"

"That's nothing compared to being struck flat by an ogre's axe. To be honest, death is even a relief for me on some level. ”

Looking at the pair of eyes that also looked sparkling in the gloom, the knight let the halberd rest on his shoulder, took off his helmet, and sat down on the ground as if indulgent—at this moment, he threw away the armor that always protected his soul, and opened his heart as a young man should be.

Both to Aurora and to himself.

"That doesn't sound like what a knight should say—even if you're just a knight on foot. ”

"Maybe. But you, who obviously have a bright future, why do you want to take this path. ”

The horse-drawn carriages parked around the perimeter became the perfect wall for this "chat room". Looking at the knight who was not solemn when she sat nearby, the lady did not scold her with arrogance, nor turned a blind eye with tolerance and politeness—she returned to a straightforward maiden in the presence of a stranger who had no idea of her past.

"You've taken my place. ”

Before the words could be spoken, a lump of mud had already smashed into Han's head.

"Ahh ”

Han, who was wearing armor and didn't notice that he was too close to the lady, sat up straight in a panic, but in the next moment, a soft little animal jumped on his shoulder from the side.

Not sensing the danger, and seeing what it was, the knight clenched his fist and did not swing it out. This took the Baroness by surprise.

"Aren't you scared, guaranteed by my 'bright future'. ”

"It's amazing indeed, but they're a race of intelligence that doesn't hurt people for no reason. ”

Looking at each other, this little episode, which should have been terrifying, made both of them find a color called pleasure on each other's faces. And the initiator of all this, who was so thick-skinned, snorted on the stranger's shoulder.

"It's called Refutation. Stretching out her right hand, Aurora gently stroked the back of the small animal, "I am not only my own priest, I am also the baroness of the dragon lord, the daughter of the lord. I understand what I should do......"

"You were born with a great calling. ”

The little creature that jumped on the knight's shoulder in search of coolness gradually quieted down under the gentle touch of Aurora, and stopped snoring. In the tranquility of the re-arrival, the girl took off the pendant around her neck that symbolized her status and sighed silently.

"Greatness is not enough, but it does have a mission. But I just want to be myself, to be a pastor. ”

"But there are some things that can be forced by the will of the individual to have unpredictable and terrible consequences. ”

Under Han's gaze, Aurora leaned over and gently and skillfully carried the little animal away from her shoulder, letting it lie on her lap. This is a red dragon cub born with only half wings.

"yes...... For example, I choose each other with it. Father said that if I choose another dragon egg, maybe the dragon leader will have a powerful red dragon again in the future. Caressing the young dragon's back, which had not yet grown scales, Aurora smiled with a complicated expression, "But I chose it, and it chose me, even if I knew that the eggshell had broken a small hole prematurely. ”

There are too many stories about dragons spread on Kasumiyu, and even a knight on foot without a mount understands the power of a four-legged wyvern, as well as its great influence on politics and military affairs.

"Is it really okay to tell me this?"

"What's the matter, it's going to be known soon anyway. ”

"Huh?"

Looking at Han's puzzled gaze, Aurora smiled slightly, "I'm sorry, I forgot that you were an extra escort sent by Chanda. The Duchy of Maple is just a foothold, and after repairing there, we'll continue north. ”

"Continue to ...... North"

"It is the East Witchell Kingdom, the second strongest country in Xiayu, the country of warriors. Looking up at the night sky with sparse moon stars, a girl who should have enjoyed her parents' pampering without worries at this age sighed worriedly, "The two kingdoms and one territory of the Dragonclaw Peninsula are too weak compared to the Vulture Empire, so we need more allies. ”

It was only at this moment that Han finally understood why these dignitaries and dignitaries escorted by the army did not choose the more comfortable and faster sea route - the powerful navy of the Vulture Empire had already put the Dragonclaw Peninsula into their semi-blockade zone.

It is simply impossible for a small-scale fleet to go to Fengze from the sea and land without being forcibly boarded and inspected, and a large-scale fleet going north to Fengze is tantamount to not being allowed to board and inspect it.

"In that case, we have to thank this orc dominion that occupies the southeast of the continent. ”

"Blessings and misfortunes depend on each other. ”

Aurora was about to say something more, but the sound of Viscount Garneau and the old knight Uruk returning made her rub her eyes regretfully. The young dragon, who had been sleeping soundly a moment ago, sprang up as if sensing the contractor's change in mood, and burrowed into the hidden pocket in her arms.

Because it was covered by a cloak, the small bulge under the placket did not attract attention.

"It's time for me to go, Han. ”

"Then I'll send you. ”

Standing up first, the knight reached out and pulled the lady up from the ground. At that moment, he had a lot of words, and he wanted to say to this girl who had taken on too many burdens at an undue age, but when the words came to his mouth, he couldn't get out of his mouth as if he had been blown away by the wind god.

The bonfire re-entered his field of vision, and looking at Viscount Garneau, who was walking briskly this way, Han finally asked, "Why did you ask me to be a listener?" ”

"Because you said at the time, you really want to be ...... with a pastor like me."

"Aurora, you're here. It's rare to protect you well, right?"

Tonight, he finally couldn't hear her full answer—even though he already had an inaccurate answer in his mind.

"His guards are very thorough, I have already seen the camp roughly, and there are no knights who need to be transferred to the wounded barracks. ”

"Okay, then I'll send you back. ”

Bringing Aurora out of his camp here was a big risk for Viscount Garneau.

Before being escorted out of the camp by Han and Uruk, Aurora paused, turned sideways to look at the knight who had put his helmet back on, and extended the invitation in a kind tone.

"If you will...... When you arrive in Kaedeze, you can participate in the selection of the Guards Knight. ”

"Thank you for your kindness, I will remember. ”

I really want to go with a priest like you to go all over Kasumidama .