5 Perhaps, they should not have known each other

The sudden confession frightened Milo, even when he was in trouble with Heidi, the word "love" was not so easy to confide.

Erin's cheeks were crimson, her whole face was hot, and she felt like she was in a steamer, even though it was winter in the cold north.

Seeing that Milo was a little frightened, Erin realized that what she had just said was too straightforward, and hurriedly explained: "I...... I don't want you to leave me...... Do dangerous things...... If I could be there for you...... I'll be relieved......" Erin snorted, tears streaming down her eyes.

Milo hurriedly stepped forward to comfort her, took the jammed bullet away, took her hand, and pulled her arm to hug her. Erin knew that Milo's silence was actually full of thousands of words of comfort, but he was just too frightened by his gaffe to know what to say......

"If you're going to fight against Shaling...... Erin said, closing her eyes, "just let me go with you......"

Mello nodded, her arms tightened.

"Ahh Erin shouted softly, and Melo quickly let go.

"Sorry...... I ......"

"It's okay, I'll just take it easy."

……

Although it was a relief, Erin's thoughts drifted to three days ago.

At the time, Milo was directing the town construction team to strengthen the fence and fortifications on the outskirts of the town, and Erin was tidying up in her room in her spare time, just as Night Sparrow came to visit her.

"Sister, come with me and take you to see something." Nightfinch said solemnly, giving Erin the feeling that there was something particularly serious to talk about.

Nightfinch led Erin to the door of a special room on the first floor of the fortress - Erin knew: this room was unoccupied, and occasionally Milo would be seen alone for half a day or a night, which could not be hidden from the attentive Erin, who also had the thoughtful and even suspicious thoughts of a young girl.

But she really didn't know anything about Heidi, and everyone kept silent about her.

"Sister, we're all happy for you and Milo, he's the hero who saved Windrun, and of course you know he's the 'Ghost of Tum City', and you've seen his contribution to the town......" Nightfinch has been complimenting Milo, which is not seen in normal conversations, "and likewise, he's a good man...... And he also had a relationship......"

Erin looked at Nightfinch in amazement, because she had never known that Milo had ever had a lover, and although this was normal, she still felt a little uneasy at this time.

"Let's go in and talk." Nightfinch pushed open the door, which was unlocked, and the two entered the room softly.

Erin looked around the room in the dim light: the furnishings and daily necessities were extremely rudimentary, even the bed was just a thin sheet on the wooden plank, on which was placed a folded cape with patches, and the family pattern of ivy on a white background could be faintly seen.

Erin didn't speak, she waited for Nightfinch to continue.

"This room belongs to Milo's lover...... Former lover: Heidi Trister, who was killed in the mutiny after the Battle of Windy to save the Viscount. The two of them have experienced many partings and reunions in the Djinn Crisis, especially Milo miraculously survived after the fall of Tum City, and after so many lives and deaths, they still ...... in the end"

Erin nodded, signaling that she understood the feeling.

"My sister is telling you this, I hope you can understand that this seemingly brave man also has fragility and pain in his heart, so don't misunderstand it when you are together in the future, okay?"

Erin nodded again, the room had become oppressive and bitter for her, but in order to know more about Milo, she still wished Night Sparrow could say more.

"Heidi's family also died of the plague after fleeing to Dragon, what a sad family." Nightsparrow lamented that she and Heidi had also communicated, and was very saddened by the death of her family. But this sentence had a huge impact on Erin.

Something in Erin's heart woke up, and she began to connect the messages that Nightfinch had said, and after overlapping with the previous experience, that thing finally exploded in her. Although it didn't show itself in front of the night sparrow, the undercurrent had begun to surge, and the restlessness burned in her chest.

She once supported Milo in killing mutinous soldiers for justice, but in fact for revenge; She had thought that Melo had stayed in Windrun to uphold justice and build the town, but in fact it was to protect and Hedi's memories; She had thought that Milo had gone with her to Dragon to protect and keep her company, but in fact it was to find Heidi's family......

On the beach that night on Sick Island, the story of the ups and downs that Milo once told herself—it just took a turn for the worse.

Nightfinch's reminder was not malicious, but to reduce Erin's misunderstanding in the future, but judging from the results, the deadliest thing in Erin's heart as a young girl was finally born - jealousy.

"It's okay, I'll just take it easy." Erin tried her best not to worry the other party.

Seeing that Erin's mood had eased slightly, Milo gently stroked her hand.

"Alright, let's finish these bullets." Erin smiled, looking very relieved on the surface, but in her heart she was thinking, "How did I become like this, so that I have to be jealous of a deceased?" ”

Milo was scared of Erin's sudden abnormal behavior, not because he didn't know what was happening, but because he knew why Erin was like this.

Having spent so long in Djinn territory with enemies, Melo could sense even the slightest difference in his environment. When he had gone to Heidi's room a day earlier, he had found traces of repeated access. At first, he didn't care, the room was not locked, and anyone could enter and exit, until he noticed that the letter in the secret door had traces of passing. So he finds Nightsparrow and confirms that she had brought Erin here and told her Heidi's story.

Milo, who learns the truth, does not reproach Nightsparrow, but instead thanks her for her kindness. Even he knows that no matter who he is in a relationship with, Heidi is an obstacle that cannot be avoided.

However, Erin's burst of jealousy caught him by surprise, and Mello saw a slight tear in the letter left by Heidi, and speculated that Erin might have tried to destroy the letter, but eventually took control of herself. Milo is glad that the letter was not torn up, but she is worried that this emotion buried deep in Erin's heart will be a very unstable flashpoint, and hurting Erin herself will also affect the people around her.

Does Mello love Irene? Yes, he loved, and he knew that he couldn't forget the past, and he was afraid that Erin would not be able to get around the obstacle. So he did his best to be good to Erin, customizing and buying her favorite equipment and weapons, and trying his best to accompany and encourage her, in order to find a delicate balance between Erin and Heidi.

But he was wrong, so wrong, and Irene's particular experience kept her in a state of extreme vigilance about emotional matters. Sevia's betrayal and false accusations have made her suffer a lot, and suspicion, suspicion, and emotional instability have become her daily routine, sometimes giving up on herself, sometimes suffering from gains and losses...... However, the warmth brought to her by Windwalk Town made these negative emotions hidden, but hiding is only hiding after all, it does not mean that they are eliminated, and when her mental pressure reaches a certain stage, these emotions will be exposed.

Therefore, in order to protect her relationship with Milo, she did not hesitate to declare war on the deceased Heidi, and issued a strong confession to Milo, and even felt that it was a faux pas, gaffe, but she did not regret it, she would continue to compete with the deceased Heidi for this man, this kind of extreme, extreme thinking will lead her into a dangerous emotional circle, which is not what Milo wants to see.

Milo and Erin continued to press the remaining bullets into the magazine, and Erin seemed to be much more relaxed, at least for now, when everything was calm.

For the next few days, Milo stayed with Erin, which flattered the girl a bit, and she tried her best to control her emotions and mood, trying to distract herself with work and her hobbies to prevent herself from acting aggressively. But Erin still sneaks into Heidi's room like a ghost, just as Milo expected, she found the secret door and the letter behind it after the first sneak into the room, Heidi's sincere and touching words also touched her, but Erin knew that this letter would be an eternal pain in Milo's heart, and the biggest obstacle between the two. Erin wanted to destroy the letter, she thought about it more than once, but she didn't dare to act - she didn't want to hurt Milo. Of course, Milo didn't want the letter to be ruined, he didn't hide the letter, he still left it in its place, he decided to trust Erin, but he also knew that once Erin really tore up the letter, the relationship between the two would be completely over.

Milo and Erin did not find out the current situation and their own hearts, they chose to form a tacit understanding and maintain the status quo, because there is something more important to deal with at the moment - the Shaling crisis.

The bad news kept coming: the Imperial Army of Sprelet was ambushed on the edge of a sandstorm, people disappeared while evacuating the village, and the sandstorm was expanding...... Panic spread like a plague to Windrun and even the Split Empire, with few caravans left from the southwest, and the expansion of the sandstorm causing many of Windtown's residents to seek refuge. What is particularly pessimistic about Windtown is that the Sandstorm is still only expanding northward.

On February 1, the musket team mentioned by Viscount Li was formed, numbering about 100 people, and due to the constraints of conditions, it was a mixture of flintlock pistols and arquebuses, which was much worse than the Praetorian Guards who planned to attack Fengxing Town, and they had not undergone rigorous training.

As the viscount had hoped, Erin quickly began training the motley musket team. Her training method was peculiar, requiring one-third of her soldiers to practice shooting only, and the other two-thirds to train only to quickly reload projectiles, much to the confusion of several squad leaders and Viscount Lee in the Town Guard.

"I trust her judgment and decision." In the midst of everyone's doubts, Milo has always supported Erin, he has deduced Erin's tactics, and he fully believes in her abilities.

"Thank you for supporting me, Milo." With Milo vouching for her, Erin became more confident, and she changed into a saber-toothed tiger skin jacket and carried a bolt-action rifle on her back, quite like a centurion. The soldiers could only be convinced and began to train intensively.

The town guards were not idle, and Viscount Li counted all the people in Fengxing Town who could become combat power, and after careful selection, they finally got three hundred elites. The guards began to train day and night, and the sound of slogans resounded over the fortress, covering the entire town of Windrun - anyone could see it, Viscount Lee...... No, it's the whole Fengxing Town, it's going to be real.

Parrett went back to Aube and found a lot of his original comrades, forming a guerrilla team of more than ten people, who could cooperate with the main force on the battlefield.

Evacuation efforts have also begun in Windwalk, where sandstorms are expected to arrive in early March, forcing many residents and businesses to move with their families to other locations, with the sea route being a popular choice. There are also many people who are willing to stay and defend or fight for Viscount Li and Fengxing Town, Viscount Li did not dissuade them, but also distributed equipment and weapons to them, and encouraged by the behavior of some people, about half of the people and merchants who chose to stay in Fengxing Town.

The Viscount did not choose to turn to the Splitter Empire or other nations for help, and this time they would be left alone.