The light of the fire escaped from the cracks in the forest, and the moon was bright and white, and the cold and warm light reflected in the eyes of a person.

Outside the cave, Ricarudo stepped out of the forest and stared at the cave on the slope ahead, where the dry evening breeze stirred his forehead and the bright light of the fire escaped.

He didn't want to get closer, not even if he found something weird, not because he was afraid or afraid of the Isli who had defeated him, he had already sworn allegiance to Isli, so he didn't have to be afraid. It was actually the woman named Priscia who made him stop outside the cave.

Although Priscia had looked confused, innocent, and somewhat weak from the first time she had seen her when she arrived in the Northland years ago, Ricarudo felt a little uneasy every time she recalled that rash encounter. A fiasco without the power to resist.

But what made him reluctant to look directly at Priscia was the unspeakable pain that seemed to lie deep in her eyes...... It is absurd and unimaginable to have the power to make Isli surrender, but it is still like escaping from that pain, and to become the heart of this little girl who does not know the world.

Ricarudo stopped on the moonlit snow, and the cold wind mixed with snowflakes could not shake the upright man.

It didn't take long for Isli to slowly emerge from the cave.

In a tone like greeting an old friend, Isli greeted Ricarudo, who was clean and unstained with snowflakes, "Can you still pull out at this time, is the annihilation war going well?" ”

"No, we pounced." Ricarudo said succinctly: "There is not a single living person in the town of Pietta, they are all gone. ”

"Where's the direction? Where did they go? Isli was surprised, and there was a depth in his eyes.

"Judging from the footprints, they left to the south, and they walked very simply, and it is hard to imagine that the order to retreat would be suddenly given by the organization." The Awakened were all once greatswords affiliated with the organization, and they had been dealing with them for so many years, so they all knew very well how serious a warrior would be if he violated the orders of the organization. Ricarudo hadn't thought about the fact that there would be more than twenty fighters violating the organization's orders en masse, so he subconsciously thought that this would be the latest order from the organization.

"Maybe there's something going on within the organization, maybe there's no longer a need to use those women to stall for time, but for those guys, it's just a lot less fun, and they complain."

Isli listened to Ricarudo's report as he lowered his head and fell into deep thought, his chin on his hand creating a feeling of oppression, at least Ricarudo only stood quietly, waiting for Isli's next order.

I don't know how long it took to be silent, but Isli finally raised his head, and there was a feminine and handsome face that showed the opposite domineering and majesty: "The plan remains the same, the order is over, after stepping through the town of Pieta, the whole group will be divided into two teams, you will lead one team to the west, and the other team to the east." It is important for them to remember that our trip is a sure success, but your task is to distract both sides and not do anything superfluous. ”

"Understood, the task must be completed." Ricarudo nodded deeply and turned to leave.

"Wait."

There was a voice from behind him, and when he looked back, he looked to the side, as if he was thinking about something.

"After meeting Dav and Liv Lu, say hello to them on my behalf, after all, we also knew each other in the first place."

After Isley finished speaking, he turned back without stopping, Ricarudo's eyes followed the white back, and a memory of many years ago seemed to come to mind.

At that time, they were all swords crushed by death and awakening.

The black figure gradually sank into the dark forest, and a question suddenly came to Ricarudo's mind, what was his original sword mark like?

His mind went blank, and he could only recall the feeling he had when he held the great sword, and he chuckled silently, and a cloud of hot air poured out of his mouth.

I don't know when I forgot about it.

……

The cave is located next to a road that people often walk in the Northlands, and it was only recently used by people who saw the traces, but unfortunately I didn't meet those people.

Sitting down near the fire in the cave, Isli unfastened her cloak and saw Priscia, who was already sleeping in a reddish-brown leather sleeping bag, in a child-like defenseless sleeping position, as if telling that she had absolute trust in the people around her.

After years of getting along, Isley realized that he had already figured out Prisia's character, but the more he got to know her, the more he could feel her horror and pity...... She hated the whole world, even herself.

The relationship between them was supposed to be a master-slave relationship, but now this relationship has long been blurred, and many times they get along like relatives, like an elder brother taking care of his forever innocent sister, like a father raising a daughter who will never grow up. Sometimes Isli himself would let his guard down and believe in this delusion so presumptuously that it was even rumored that Priscia was Isly's woman.

Although they have been together for a few years, Isli still doesn't know much about Priscia's past, on the one hand, he is naturally hostile to the organization, so it is naturally difficult for him to obtain information before Priscia's awakening, only when she crossed the limit in a battle somewhere, finally awakened, and then "eats" all the way to the north.

On the other hand, Priscia's naïve and almost childish mind, and her quiet disposition, made it impossible for Isli to understand anything from her, so Priscia was still an mystery to him, a woman full of mortal danger and temptation.

She should be going hungry. Isli withdrew his gaze from Priscia's sleeping cheeks to the boy on the other side of the fire, who was intently roasting grains.

Priscia didn't eat him, and relied on him all the way, for she said that the boy had a very fragrant smell on him, a warm smell that seemed to belong to the south, and she liked it very much.

Since Priscia liked it, Isli took the helpless boy with him, and it would be a lot easier to take care of Priscia with a human who could take care of Priscia a little, and it could also be used as a pastime.

However, the boy must have noticed something unusual about him and Priscia.

After a few idle conversations, the boy had eaten dinner, and now seemed to feel that the rest was sufficient, he suddenly stood up, bowed to Isli, and then drew the ordinary iron sword at his waist, and began to swing it one by one, as if practicing a sword.

"Naji, the hand holding the sword needs to be steady, and you must be familiar with the force from the calf, otherwise you will not have the strength to protect others after practicing for a lifetime."

Isli whispered as he instructed Naki in his swordsmanship practice, and after three days of getting along, he had already understood Naki's situation clearly, and even knew that he had been abducted from the south to the north by human traffickers, and was looking for a warrior named Claire.

In the name of instructing swordsmanship, Isli kept Naki with him, and seeing that Priscia "liked" him so much, he didn't consider attacking him.

Hopefully this kid will find out soon...... Isli's gaze narrowed over the sleeping Priscia and the practicing Naki, his features softened by the light of the fire.