Patin looked at the girl, Lulunaka. He didn't feel any danger in this flower-like girl, but ...... An alchemist?Just the young kid in front of you?, "You're an alchemist?" asked Patin again.

"Yes, Lord Knight. I'm not mature, but I'm an alchemist. ”

"Is it too dangerous for a girl like you to learn that alchemy? Patin said. He glanced at the girl's hands—they were not delicate, they were clean and white, but they had many small wounds on them.

Alchemy is not a popular profession. It's not that alchemists are disgusted, there is no more hated existence than mages and warlocks in the Western Illuminati faith territory, and the unpopularity of alchemy means that not many people are willing to take up the profession. Warriors can gain strength after painful trials and then acquire wealth, and mages, warlocks, and priests can seek out ancient languages, beliefs, or whispers of gods from the spirit world to give themselves the power to call the wind and rain and look down on all beings. Only alchemists, who stirred half-human-high or human-high alchemy cauldrons with their canes or sticks, and carefully fiddled with the dangerous liquids and gunpowder particles—the latter were mostly used to develop new explosives—and who were mostly found in the courts and bustling cities, and were not so different from craftsmen as alchemists. Or to put it bluntly, there's nothing wrong with calling them gunpowder craftsmen.

The pagan emperors of the Crescent Empire raised a large number of craftsmen, not only wood and stone craftsmen who built palaces and fortresses, but also alchemists who were urged to make better gunpowder. Alchemists aren't just beings who create roars and bursting flames, but they are known and most known and accepted by the world—even in fear and unease.

Gunpowder is often not a sign of peace. Gunpowder was followed by soldiers, knights, muskets, and cannons...... There are also wars and sieges.

"Without that, I'm safe. Lulunaka laughed, "With care and care, you can avoid most of the insecurity." Although the juice of poison is terrible, there will always be an antidote around the poison, and as long as you honestly follow the rules of your predecessors, you will not get a pile of dangerous and harmful garbage. Oh, and the most crucial thing: don't play with fire in the forest. My grandmother told me to remember this, so I never mixed gunpowder. ”

Patin heard some words of interest, "You don't live here alone. He looked around, "Your grandmother, where is she?" Combined with the wooden house in front of him, and Lulunaka's words, Patin thought that he had come across the wooden house in the forest that the village had spoken of. But in the words of the village chief, it was a gloomy old woman who lived in the wooden house, not the girl who looked like a flower in front of her.

Lulunaka replied, "Grandma, she was gone a few years ago, and I've been living alone since. She pointed to the back of the hut, "I buried her in the back so that I felt like she was still with me." ”

Patin looked in the direction Lulunaka was pointing and could see a small mound of dirt and a cross made of branches on it.

A funeral for a believer who believes in the god of light.

This reassured Pattin. It seemed that he would not see a living gloomy old woman, but it was better to see a girl with a smile as bright as a flower—and there was no disrespect for the dead.

"So, after your grandmother died, you lived alone in this forest?" The only thing that made Padin wonder was that the young girl had been living alone in the hut for years after the death of her loved ones, even as a child?

"Life is barely passing, I feel the God of Light, I feel the Emperor, I feel that the southern part of the Forest of the Dead has become so peaceful. Lulunaka replied, "I occasionally leave the forest and go to the beach to exchange things with the fishermen, and to exchange herbs for some food." And strictly speaking, I don't really live here alone, I have a loyal friend who watches over me. ”

Patin heard the rustling of bushes beside him, and something coming out of the woods, which made his right hand touch the hilt of his sword again, but quickly let it go.

What came out was a yellow-haired dog with sparse fur. The dog was bare in many parts of its body, and it looked as if it had been plucked by a cruel person, but there were no scars to be seen, and the hairless parts were smooth and shiny. The dog, who looked listless, but was quite spiritual, glanced at Pattin, and then at Lulunaka, and seemed to judge that the strange guest had no ill intentions, and did not bark at Pattin, and continued to keep his head down and sniff on the ground, and lay down by the door of the hut, and never moved again.

Lulunaka walked over and scratched the dog's fur and ears, "Ward, you're eating again, look at what you've made of yourself, like you've eaten a rancid salted fish." If you eat something poisonous, I'm not going to give you an antidote and make you tummy for a few days - oh, no, you're going to make the house stink......"

The dog, named Ward, didn't care about his master's harassment, but only occasionally moved around and let Lulunaka get his hands on him.

Patin watched the man-dog interaction. The guardian Lulunaka is talking about is probably this dog that eats indiscriminately and has to be taken care of by its owner, and it seems that it has long lost its wildness, and even a wild cat may be stronger than it.

Patin took a step forward and moved closer to the cabin, "Miss Lulunaka." ”

Lulunaka crouched beside Ward and quickly stood up when she heard Patin call her, "I'm sorry, Lord Knight, for delaying your time...... Is there anything I can do to help? If I need to mix a good herb, I still have a few ...... in my hand."

Patin raised his hand and stopped Lulunaka from continuing, "I don't need the herb just yet. Of course, the more medicine for trauma is the better for us knights...... I have something else to do and I hope you can help. "You can hear the movement over there, I am the leader of a convoy, and I am going to cross the Forest of the Dead and go west on the smooth and safe road to the country where the Sea of Arid can be seen." It is not safe to advance at night, and I would like to camp near your side to rest, and ......," Patin remembered what Romeona had just said, "a noble lady would like to borrow your cabin for a night's rest. Of course, this is not free, and we will provide you with a suitable and generous remuneration. ”

Lulunaka was visibly taken aback when she heard Pattin's words, and when she heard that there was a noble lady, she patted her clothes, lest the dust make her look unseemly, "Of course! ”

Hearing Lulunaka's affirmative answer, Patin nodded, "Thank you for your help, kid. He went back to the convoy and told Olga and the others about it.

Having a night's rest in a sheltered place, even if it's just a cabin in the forest, is already a good thing for Romeona. For Olga and other attendants, it is naturally better for the young lady to have a place to stay where she can shelter from the wind and rain than someone who causes back pain in a carriage where she can't stretch her body. But not everyone can get that kind of treatment. The carriage could not leave the rough road, but could only stop on the road, and most of the squires had to stay at the side of the convoy to camp and rest, and as for the mercenaries, of course, it was impossible to get close to Lulunaka's cabin - in order to prevent these restless fellows from disturbing Miss Romeona's rest, or harassing Lulunaka, who seemed to be unworldly, Padin had the church knights led by Leo set up camp in a line, separating the two sides between the convoy and the cabin, and keeping an eye on the mercenaries.

Romeona, accompanied by Olga and two maids, went to the chalet. The dog, whose name was Ward, was still listless, and after glancing at the visitor, he lowered his head again. Lulunaka stood in front of the door of the cabin, looking a little nervous.

"Hello, Honorable Miss. Lulunaka greeted.

Romeona stepped forward and came to Lulunaka, "Listen to Mr. Edgar, you are an alchemist. She glanced at Lulunaka, who was supposed to be smaller than her. "I understand alchemy. Dealing with gunpowder, that's a dangerous thing. ”

"It's not all gunpowder, noble lady. Although refining poisons is not safer than gunpowder. "My grandmother said that gunpowder was the simplest and most straightforward thing, which is why it's so popular. ”

"Why is it so simple and straightforward?" said Romeona, curious. As far as she knew, it was a complicated and difficult task to concoct good gunpowder.

Lulunaka replied, "Because gunpowder can easily convince everything—living things like animals and people, dead things like buildings and walls, it can be 'persuaded' by gunpowder." Lulunaka smiled sheepishly, "That's what my grandmother said, I don't really understand it, but there's one thing I keep in mind: don't play with fire in the forest." ”

By this time, it was already dark, and the stars could be faintly seen. Lulunaka probably remembered that she shouldn't have left her distinguished guest in front of the door, and quickly gave up her position: "I'm sorry, I talked too much. Miss, this way, please. ”

Romeo and Olga entered the cabin under the leadership of Lulunaka, and the maids waited outside—there was no room for so many people inside.

After entering the cabin, Luo Miona glanced around, "Here...... It's a bit different from what I imagined. ”

In Romeona's mind, the woman who lived in the depths of the forest, if not a witch, but a girl younger than herself, should have a more distinctive home - a dimly lit room with dead frogs and screaming mandrakes, a large cauldron in the room, strange plants and animals, and an ugly shrill laugh from the owner.

But that's not the case with Lulunaka's cabin. A clean cot with a hammock full of miscellaneous items on the side, which looked more like a net than a place to rest, a table with bottles and jars in front of the small window, a large blue-gray cauldron in the corner of the room, nothing boiled in it, no strange smell, empty, and Lomiona found potted plants with plants and books scattered about.

As Lulunaka introduces herself, she is an alchemist, and her home is so much of an alchemist's style that it doesn't fit in with the impression of Romeona and the forest.

It's a good thing for Romeona, at least there's no need to sleep in a terrible witch's house, or even have a reassuring girl to keep her company with. And that one doesn't look hard, it's quite soft.

Lulunaka brought a chair and sat it down, and then she went around tidying up, "I'm sorry, but since Grandma is away and I'm used to living alone, I don't care much about tidy things, which makes this place look a little messy." ”

Romeona didn't think it was too much of a mess, and it was much better than she thought it would be as a place to stay for the night.

Olga had been observing the surroundings of the cabin, and his sharp eyes and wealth of experience had told him that there was nothing suspicious about it. However, out of prudence, he still made a request to Lulunaka, "Alchemist, I hope you can be wronged and go out and sleep overnight." ”

Lulunaka wasn't surprised by Olga's words, "Oh, of course, sir. "When I left home and went east to the beach, I often slept in the open, and I was used to it, and this small cabin really couldn't sleep two people." ”

"Olga, she's just a girl younger than me, what are you worried about?"

"Mademoiselle, it's always good to be a little more safe, and as the alchemist girl said, there really isn't even one more person in this cabin. Olga said to Romeona, "It's time for you to get some rest." ”

Romeona hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Lulunaka smiled, "Thank you for your concern, Honorable Miss. Your kindness makes me feel as warm as sleeping in bed, even if I'm on the dirt. ”

"I'm Romeona Mulenin. "No need to call me honorable lady anymore, Lulunaka—I'm not used to it. ”

"Yes, Miss Romeo. Lulunaka immediately responded. Replacing "honorable" with "Romeo" doesn't seem to make any difference in essence.

Romeona was more than satisfied with such a title, better than the sarcastic "Honorable Lady" that sounded sarcastic. "Olga, you go out first. She said to Olga.

Olga bowed her head, "I'll be waiting outside the door." He left the hut and went outside to set up camp for the two of Romeona's maids.

The only ones in the cabin were Romeona and Lulunaka.

"Tell me a little bit, little master. Romeona said, referring to Lulunaka as a master, a title that only a skilled person can get. Lulunaka was visibly happy to hear this, and her voice raised a lot, "Of course, Miss Romeona!"

Romeona watched as Lulunaka busted around, putting the books and jars back in their place. "Just now, I saw the grave behind the cabin, and the cross made of branches was impressive—your grandmother was also a believer in the god of light. ”

"Yes, of course I am. Lulunaka didn't look back, and answered Romeona's question.

"As far as I know, the pagan emperor does not persecute the followers of the God of Light, he is very tolerant. "Then why did your grandmother take you to such a retreat?"

"I don't know, when I started to be sensible, I only knew that I was picked up by my grandmother, maybe I was an outcast in the forest by people from some village. Lulunaka continued, "My grandmother said that humans are much more terrible than the monsters of the forest - the monsters don't know that their actions are cruel and bloody in the eyes of humans, and they are just survival of the fittest, but humans are different, and humans still commit all kinds of atrocities when they know that this is cruel and brutal. ”

When Romiona heard this, she did not immediately answer. She muttered something that only she could hear, "Your grandma may be right." ”

"The whole forest is like your home, if you want to see the vast sea, you can go east, if you want to see the mountains, you can go west, if you want to deal with people, you can go south, if you want to see the dragon-like mountains, you can go north...... You seem to be uninhibited and free. "There is a word that Romiona has not spoken, and I envy you for such a free life.

Then Romeona was glad she didn't say it, showing how ridiculous and ignorant she was.

Lulunaka chuckled as if she had heard something interesting, "No, Miss Romeo, I'm not free. The waves of the sea can tear me apart, the suspicious villagers will regard me as a witch, the thieves in the mountains will torture me to death, and the dragons of the northern mountains will eat me as a snack......" Lulunaka turned her head to look at Romeona, "My freedom is limited to this half of the forest, and I am afraid that some natural and man-made disaster will come and sweep away everything of me, including me, and become dust scattered on the plains. ”

When Lomiona heard Lulunaka's words, she fell into a trance, as if she remembered something from the not-so-distant past.

"Yes, who is free? You and I are not free. She said.