"I've heard Shanaido say before that there are people in the City of Liberty who know about the world across the Bridge of Miracles."

The cold wind that could freeze into the bone marrow passed over the dim bridgehead, making Duan Qing shiver, and he looked at the figure of the person who walked out from behind the hundred steps of Wushuang, and his whole body trembled: "Now it seems...... This person is probably referring to you, right? ”

“…… Not only do you have great strength, but you also have the wisdom to rival that of Brielling. ”

Reaching out and taking off the spear behind his back, Joel, who was known as the old hunter, walked in front of Duan Qing, and then looked at the other party's gradually revealed look of surprise, grinning and showing a smile: "Resist the invasion of the Restorationists by yourself, and then save the entire city...... If you are able to accomplish this achievement, you may really have enough ability to have this title. ”

"Title? Breling? As if surprised by the strange syllables that the other party suddenly came out, Duan Qing raised his eyelids: "What is that?" ”

"It's a spirit animal, the name of my people for them full of wisdom." Joel explained in a deep voice, "Legend has it that their wisdom has been passed down for thousands of years, and they not only possess intelligence comparable to humans, but also possess spiritual ...... comparable to humans."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Duan Qing unceremoniously interrupted the other party's words: "You say...... Clansman? Are you also the patriarch of a tribe? ”

“…… I'm not a patriarch, but I do come from what you call a clan. ”

The focus of his gaze slowly fell between the barrels of the wooden guns in his hands, and old Joel's face was gradually covered with the lines of knives and axes: "There...... It's my hometown. ”

"Your ...... Hometown? ”

His gaze stayed on the other party's face for a long time, and Duan Qing slowly raised his finger pointing at the straight bridge: "You mean...... Across that bridge is your hometown? A tribal island? ”

"It's not just one tribe, it's many."

The corners of his mouth rose more and more obviously, and Joel laughed slowly: "Zarta tribe, Sola tribe, Joel Kolia tribe, Taisharak tribe...... Like your cities and villages here, there are thousands of tribes, countless tribes founded by their people, and countless places where tribes can live. ”

"There's a whole continent there." Old Joel stretched out his arms and looked at the eastern sky: "And a whole continent of people." ”

"That is to say......"

His eyes gradually extended in the direction that Joel embraced, and Duan Qing opened his mouth again after a while: "There's a new expansion there...... Ah no, is it a new world? ”

“…… That's right. Joel smiled and turned his head, "In the words you adventurers like to use...... There's a new map. ”

“…… What's there? ”

"There's meadows, there's cattle and sheep, there's a monsoon that doesn't stop all year round, and...... Countless exotic beasts that are valued by those of you. Joel glanced at Duan Qing deeply: "How is it, are you tempted?" ”

"Bridge of Miracles ......"

As if he understood the meaning of the other party's words, Duan Qing's eyes fell on the bridge in front of him again: "You...... Is it the one who walked over this bridge? ”

"I was also an adventurer in the beginning, and I have set foot in many unknown lands."

With a deep sigh, Joel raised his spear again: "As the most powerful young warrior in the Joel Kolia clan, I have been to every land in the Twee Continent, they are so beautiful, and the power contained in them is so alluring...... It wasn't until one day, when I crossed the border of the Golaschi steppe, that I saw the sea, which was wider than our continent, and a strange bridge standing in the middle of the sea. ”

"The bridge looked so amazing that I was starting to doubt my eyes." Speaking of this, old Joel pointed in the direction where the bridge of miracles was located: "As I see now, there is no end, there is no end."

"But he still has an end, and your presence is proof of that."

Duan Qing shook his head and asked, "You...... Conquered it? ”

“…… No, it's us. ”

Old Joel replied in a stunned voice, "It's just that I'm the only one left now."

“……”

There was a sudden inexplicable respect in his heart, Duan Qing put away the relaxed look on his face, and Joel, who had not noticed this change at all, also continued to tell his story: "We said goodbye to the patriarch, farewell to our wife and son, and then left our hometown with the guidance and expectations of countless people...... Things started to change. ”

"It has no end."

Looking at the inquiring look in Duan Qing's eyes, Old Joel said in a low voice; "Just like its name...... There really is no end to it. ”

“…… Is there really no end? Duan Qing stretched his neck and looked at the front of the straight bridge: "Then how did you get here?" ”

"The original high spirits and great dreams are gradually fading away in our hearts, and the same scene has always haunted us, tormented us, and corrupted us." Without answering Duan Qing's question, Old Joel continued to say to himself: "The food is becoming less and less, except for the sea, it is still the sea, and our joy and excitement have become more and more heavy with the unchanging bridge. ”

"There were different voices in the team, and finally we made a decision together." Old Joel said in a low voice, "After breaking through the food ceiling that can turn us back...... We chose to move on. ”

"So......" Duan Qing lowered his head: "Now is the result?" ”

“…… Yes. ”

A trace of fluctuation gradually appeared in his eyes, and old Joel's lips kept trembling, and finally turned the emotions that gradually welled up in his heart into a long sigh: "Woody, Kakugu, Lasoz, Zach...... One by one, they jumped into the sea so as not to be a burden, and before leaving, Gilbin shoved the only spear he had on his hand into my hand......"

"We gathered everything useful and ended up stuffing it into my hands." Joel let out a bitter wry smile: "Although most of the things in it, I have not succeeded in preserving. ”

“…… Are you the only survivor to come to this continent? Duan Qing was silent for a long time, and then said in a deep voice, "How did you finish this bridge?" ”

"I ...... I don't know. ”

Old Joel's voice reverted to its usual indifference: "At that time, the only thought left in my mind was to keep walking, even if it was to climb, I would reach the end, in the middle I had lost consciousness many times, but finally woke up again, I don't know how long it took, I suddenly saw the shore." ”

"And this free city in front of you."

Raising his hand to the outline of the city behind Duan Qing, Old Joel said with emotion: "I have once again discovered a new continent and completed what can be called the greatest adventure in the tribe, but when I came to the end, I didn't have anything to say at that time, the glory of the past was not worth mentioning in front of the life that had been lost, and it was not even comparable to the wooden gun in my hand, the kind of countless pictures full of a sense of accomplishment that I had imagined before I set off...... It's gone. I blended into the city, licked my empty shell with darkness, and it took me a few years to adjust to life in the city, and with the strength of what I could once call the first warrior of the tribe, I finally rose to the top of the Free City, and then stood in front of the others as the owner of the throne. ”

"This is the life of me, Clomaigu Luffin." Old Joel pointed to his chest: "The name Joel is just an abbreviation of the tribe I once belonged to. ”

“…… That's all your story? ”

His eyes rolled on the other party's face for a while, and Duan Qing finally let go of the trace of compassion that was aroused in his heart: "Climbing to the position of one of the rulers of the Free City, there are many other wonderful moments in between, right?" ”

"I've learned a lot in this world, and insidiousness and cruelty are only a small part of it."

As if he understood the meaning of what the other party said, Old Joel's expression also returned to its original appearance: "But no matter how much it changes, one of the truths cannot be changed." ”

"We are in awe of greatness." He looked in the direction where Duan Qing was: "Whether it is the sea in the past or the strong man now, we will respect you." ”

"Huh." Duan Qing couldn't help laughing: "Including the matter of your submission and restoration? ”

"I've never given in to them."

His eyes turned around on the hundred steps of Wushuang who had been silent beside him, and Old Joel raised his head: "In the past period of time, I have only been passing on the skills that I have been unfamiliar to my apprentice, as for what he has done outside...... How can I, an old man, manage it? ”

"You mean to say...... You don't even know that your disciple has joined the Restoration? Duan Qing let out a disdainful snort: "I respect you as an old adventurer, but with all due respect...... The sense of responsibility you show isn't as good as you seem? ”

"I will be responsible for what he does."

The slightly rickety body slowly stood up straight, and Old Joel reached out to cover his chest, making a courtesy that Duan Qing had never seen before: "Including this war...... I will pay the penalty for my sins with my life. ”

“……”

"Don't look at me like that, I don't mean to be perfunctory or lying."

Looking at Duan Qing's eyes, old Joel said calmly: "I'm already old, I don't have much time to live, the original dreams and wishes have gradually disappeared with the passage of these years, there are more and more enemies around me, but the things that can make me nostalgic are becoming fewer and fewer, if it weren't for your appearance this time, I would have thought that my fate would end there." ”

"You ......" Duan Qing raised his eyebrows: "Do you also know ......?" ”

"Shadow Mage Shanador has explained everything to us." Old Joel bowed slightly: "It's like I didn't expect that you, a little guy, would have such a strong strength...... It never occurred to us veteran throne holders that the woman who had never been involved in the fight was the most powerful member of us. Now that she has explained to us what you have done that day, we believe her word for the future of this free city...... Leave it to you adventurers to deal with it yourself. ”

"Now it seems...... It's a joke that we fought for the sake of a void castle lord. He shook his head, then turned again: "Can't let this joke go on anymore." ”

"You ......"

Duan Qing hesitated for a while, then looked in the direction the other party was looking at: "You don't want to go home, do you?" ”

“…… That was my last wish in this life. ”

Looking at the end of the bridge, old Joel's eyes finally began to moisten: "I want to go back to my hometown." ”

“…… Right now? ”

"Perhaps."

Carrying the spear behind him, Old Joel began to walk towards the depths of the night: "Hundred Steps Peerless has also withdrawn from the camp of the Restorationists, and we should set off in the near future, if I unfortunately die on the way...... He will continue to carry on this path of return to my homeland. ”

“…… Can he do it? ”

"I believe in myself, and I believe in my disciples."

The two figures who were also leaving paused, and then turned around with Joel's movements: "After all, it's my favorite adventurer, and his achievements ...... It's not necessarily much worse than you. ”

“…… The second thing in the world, don't you just care about it? ”

Pointing to the players who were still repairing for their cottages not far away, Duan Qing pulled the corners of his mouth: "They should also be adventurers who have been following you, right?" Even if you don't think of them as your men, you should at least think about their survival......"

"What about their survival...... I'll leave it to you. ”

His gaze withdrew from the direction Duan Qing intended, Joel pointed to Duan Qing's chest, and his body, which was gradually overwhelmed by the darkness, slowly turned back, and disappeared into the city with the archers beside him: "Your Excellency, the future Throne Owner." ”

“…… What the? ”

As if surprised by the word he had heard from the other party's mouth, Duan Qing opened his eyes wide again, and all that came into view was the countless waves accompanied by the sound of water splashing, and the starry sky that was particularly conspicuous against the black night.