The valley was surrounded, the stones crackled and pounded, and it was as dense as raindrops, Mayne held his head and said in horror, "What should I do, what should I do? What if they want to rush in!?"

"They don't dare," Gronia said lightly, and then said to a few nervous paladins in the room, "Go help the people outside, and be careful not to get into a fight." Inform Banner again and let him have an idea. I'm not qualified, I'm not in the right situation. ”

When the holy warrior went out, she shook her head and said disdainfully, "It's only been three days, and it's been like this, faster than I expected." In less than a month, three more days, I'm afraid all the people in the valley will run out. ”

Nama happily handed over the management of the sheltered river valley, and Banner and others held a "governance meeting" overnight to finalize a new policy for managing the river valley.

Because Banner and his backbone were still in the "cultivation period" and could not take a step beyond Xia Andia, Banner entrusted Gronia with a group of paladins who were deemed "reliable" to carry out these policies in the river valley. However, Gronia only agreed to follow to see the situation, and was unwilling to give orders.

These paladins strictly followed the policies set by Banner, even if they were to turn the Patronage Valley into a monastery for ascetics.

It is absolutely forbidden to drink alcohol, which makes people stupid, makes people debauchery, and breeds all kinds of evil deeds.

Several taverns in the Shelter Valley were banned, and all liquor, from beer, cider and even kvass sold in Beta, was poured into the river.

The skin and meat business is even more strictly prohibited, and there is no public place for this kind of business in the sheltered river valley, but there are many wandering warblers, and there are even secret prostitution gangs that control more than a dozen wandering warblers.

The holy warriors defeated this gang, and people of conscience naturally applauded. can kick the door at every turn to check, and even turn wishful thinking into evil behavior, which puts everyone in danger.

These are not serious things, after all, most people just see the sheltered valley as a safe place to stay. You can't drink and indulge here, and it's just a slight hassle to come back and sleep after solving problems elsewhere.

But these paladins set up checkpoints to check the belongings of adventurers who entered and exited.

Naturally, the clerical instruments, weapons and equipment, and magic materials related to the undead, demons, and evil gods must be confiscated and destroyed, and people must also be examined. As soon as the evil is detected, everyone is red.

It is said that the holy warriors executed several people, and although there were indeed necromancers, demon warlocks, or priests of evil gods among these people, the thought that in the future the holy warriors might use to detect evil when they saw people, and cut off their heads as soon as they became red, all adventurers felt chills in their hearts.

Perhaps temporary, as most adventurers think.

But on the third day, today, the Paladins had a new policy.

This time it was a move on the mines, and the Paladins closed the mines and issued a much harsher punishment than before, prohibiting poaching.

It's not a complete ban on mining, but all the ore that comes out has to be handed in. The holy warriors will use other materials as "labor compensation", and the specific materials are up to the holy warriors themselves, which are basically useless materials such as monster furs and nuclear crystals that adventurers use to offset their rent.

So the adventurers were enraged, and organized a siege of the River Valley Office, asking the person in charge to come out and speak.

The adventurers were still relatively restrained, just throwing stones and shouting slogans for Nama to come back, otherwise with their abilities, this public office would have been in vain.

"Gronya, we'll have to take care of it," Mayne worried.

"Tube?"

Gronia squinted at Mayne, shook her head, and said, "Why bother? If the water can't be stirred, how can you catch fish?"

Someone outside shouted: "You holy warriors have gone back on your word, you don't care about credibility at all, and you are embarrassed to flaunt justice!"

There was a scream, and the caller was knocked down. A bunch of people shouted that the holy warrior had killed someone, and the light of divine power, magic and even spiritual power was colorful and shining.

The wooden house of the public office shook violently, and the dust and debris were sprinkled down, and someone actually made a big move.

Gronia nodded: "You can manage it now." ”

She pushed the door open, and Mayne continued to cower in the room, shivering. I saw the golden light flashing outside, and the screams sounded rhythmically.

The noise stopped, and Gronia's calm voice caught her ears.

"Don't worry, I didn't kill anyone, they were only minor injuries. This is just a warning to you that this is a sanctuary established by the Holy Warriors, and the authority of the Holy Warriors cannot be challenged!"

"I also know that you are here to plead your case. Some changes in the Sanctuary Valley, which were not notified to you in time, caused such misunderstandings. I will convey your opinions, so please be patient. ”

The adventurers were silent for a while, and some people began to say how good it would be to have someone come out early to speak, and others asked the girl who you were.

"My name is Gronia, I've just joined Cheandia, and I'm just a newcomer......"

The adventurers began to praise Gronia's demeanor, and some even said that it resembled Nama, and Gronia humbly said that it was far from good.

After a while, most of the adventurers dispersed. Gronia and a few paladins entered the house, and the paladins thanked them gratefully, and Gronia smiled bitterly: "It's nothing, I'm worried that our rules will cause more trouble." ”

The paladins said that they had to discuss a countermeasure, and Mayne slowly lowered his hand, looking at Gronya, who was just listening and never speaking, and his heart cooled.

In the evening, the Shelter Valley decision-making meeting was held again, and Banner's attitude was very resolute: "This is that you have not done it yet, and you are not firm enough! As long as we persist in cleaning up the evil of the outer zone and turning this place into a place of pure goodness, everyone is a good person, how can no one come? Gronia, isn't that what happened to Alanis?"

Gronia lowered her eyes and said, "It's complicated......"

"Don't give up the justice you insist on just because this is the Divine Fall Plateau!"

Banner shook his fist vigorously: "The reason why I feel complicated is because I always care about this and that like a nobleman! I'm sorry it's not against you Gronia, you holy warriors of Alanis are not ordinary nobles. ”

He glanced at the paladins on a mission in the Sanctuary Valley, "It's always hard at first, but the paladins are never afraid of hardship!"

He greeted Gronya again: "I don't call you Your Highness now, I just see you as a like-minded colleague, and I hope you can do more." ”

The paladins were still looking at each other, and many people felt that Banner did not understand the actual situation, and some of the regulations were indeed problematic, especially the closed mines. Hearing Banner's words, they all looked at Gronya with anticipation,

"I've just joined Cheyendia, so I'm not really qualified to make any decisions, but I'll help you get things done", Gronia still refuses Banner's request, unwilling to take on the management role. The paladins were pity, but were touched by her humility.

When the meeting was over, Gronia and Mayne returned to their cabin, where a man leaned into the shadows, as if waiting for them.

"Esther!? What are you doing here?"

Mayne recognized this man as a paladin who had a good relationship with Nama. He had a conflict with Duke Prell before with Nama, when he was frostbitten by the other party's eccentric saint, and he was lying in bed until a few days ago.

This man has considerable influence among the noble paladins, but he is stubborn and impatient, and he is very similar to Banner. Mayne also heard some anecdotes from Nicole. It is said that Cheyenne was angry with Esther's performance and deliberately made him lie in bed for a while longer.

"I'm here to find Her Highness Gronia," Esther smiled perfunctorily.

Gronia nudged Mayne, "You go in first, I'll discuss something with Esther." ”

Seeing the two of them head out into the woods outside, Mayne entered the house suspiciously. After a few turns, I felt uneasy, and I came out of the wooden house again and quietly touched the outside of the grove.

Gronia and Esther were talking in a whisper, mostly Esther. They didn't use soundproof enchantments, the paladins didn't know such magical arts, and magic items with this kind of function were very expensive.

"Every day, Nama is regularly reported to the situation, and she knows exactly what is happening in the outer zone. She didn't look surprised at all, as if she had expected this to happen, and maybe she was even contributing to it. ”

"The situation outside makes her very happy, what do you say that you have a conspiracy and I also have a calculation, I really didn't expect that I was blind before, and I didn't see through her that she actually deviated from the righteous way of the Holy Warrior!"

"If anything, it's that Nicole is going to Beta City more and more often, and I suspect that she, through Nicole, secretly colluded with Duke Prell to weave a conspiracy against Cheandia. ”

"She's always talking about the economy and numbers, I don't understand, but she solemnly asks Nicole to cover the bracers on her hands, which seem to be the special equipment of adventurers in Beta. ”

The conversation was brief, and after a while Esther left, and Gronia turned in Mayne's direction, "Enough have you heard?

Mayne walked over and whispered, "Gronya, how did you get Esther to do things for you?"

Without waiting for an answer, he smiled sadly: "I told him the joke I said, and it was Nama who asked him to lie down for a while, right?"

Gronia also paused for a moment, and then said, "Mayne, sometimes you are also very smart, so can you be a little smarter and understand what I am doing this for?"

Mayne was pained: "Of course I understand, but now that you are even using me, do you think this is still right and just?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Mayne murmured, "You are less and less like the Gronia I know, deceiving, inciting, provoking, this is not what Gronia will do, this is not what a paladin will do." ”

"Mayne!"

Gronia gritted her teeth and put her hands on her shoulders: "Don't you want to take back Alanis, don't you want to return to your hometown, don't you want to avenge our dead relatives and compatriots?"

"I want to, but I don't want to pay such a price", Mayne shook his head, "I don't want to become a devil!"

With a snap, Gronia slapped Mayne hard.

She said coldly: "Indeed, I have changed! I have become stronger! But you are still the cowardly, vain Mayne! You were able to join the Order in the first place because I was encouraging you, I was helping you, and you were not a real paladin at all!"

"You...... You hit me......"

Mayne clutched her cheeks and looked at her friend in disbelief.

"Oh my God...... How did I do this kind of thing......"

Gronia hugged her tightly and said with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, Mayne, I'm really angry. It's me who is bad, we're still good friends, really!"

"Yes, good friends......"

Mayne hugged her too, tears welling up in her eyes.

Under the moonlight, the two girls hugged each other, with two lines of tears on their faces, but their eyes were far away, and the expressions on their faces were extremely indifferent.