At dawn on the second day, the future and the other six people set off to continue south.

As a result of the civil strife in Napoleland, the neighbors are also on the move, often struggling to avoid the scouts of Herilandi. The route we are taking now is the southwestern border of Naborland, which borders the northeastern border of Herilandi. The surrounding land is very barren, and it is not easy to find even food for the stomach. With its large population, Naborand's resource consumption rate is much greater than the regeneration rate, and starving animals eat away at the vegetation on the surface, further exacerbating soil erosion and cutting off the possibility of vegetation regeneration, resulting in lower and lower land productivity. In addition, the frequency of wars and technological innovations have also made tools sharper and sharper, making it easier to destroy the environment. The aristocracy was preoccupied with expanding their territory and seeking power and profit, while the commoners were impoverished and ignorant, which accelerated the deterioration of the environment. In front of you, apart from some long-depleted and abandoned mines, there are parched riverbeds and the dried remains of fish and birds everywhere, and it is difficult to see living things. In search of water, they had to speed up their pace and travel with hunger and thirst.

Over the next few days, several groups of Scouts had already crossed the border brazenly across the border. Once, unfortunately, they nearly collided head-on with a group of Herilandi soldiers who had crossed the border across the border. If they were found by the soldiers of Herilandi in such a remote place, the fate would not be much better, after all, they were few and weak, and their strength was uneven, and it was difficult to take care of each other. In fact, it is not only Herilandi, but also many countries in the Eastern Continent, where soldiers often kidnap the inhabitants of other countries at the border, expand the number of slaves in their own countries, increase the labor force, or sell them outright.

As a result, the six of them had to divert their routes, trying to avoid the smoother and easier sections of the road, so as to reduce the risk of encountering the Herilandi cavalry scout. Earlier, when they had fled from the Holy City, they had been running towards the southwestern frontier in a panic to avoid Naboland's pursuers, and they had no idea that the soldiers of Herilandi would cross the border so frequently. In fact, the Devil's Forest is located directly south of Naborland, so they have already taken a lot of detours, and if they don't change direction in time, they will be getting farther and farther away from their original destination. But if they changed direction here, they would have to climb over a rocky mountain that stood in their way.

No one knows what the name of the mountain is, and although it is a mountain, it is not much better than the barren land it used to be. There is almost no green on the top of the mountain, mostly gray stones, and occasionally a few bushes are also withered and yellow than verdant. The few trees on the mountain were all gnawed away by the hungry beasts, and only the roots were still clinging to the earth, as if weeping in grief.

Several of them were already so hungry that their chests were pressed against their backs, and it took them half a day to finally cross the mountain. On the way down the mountain, I unexpectedly found a hidden stone house in a group of overlapping and abrupt boulders halfway up the mountain. It almost blends into its surroundings and looks like a pile of rocks, and if you don't happen to pass by, you'd be hard to notice that it's a man-made structure.

"Who would live on such a barren mountain?" Tiward wondered, "If you are hunting, you shouldn't choose this bald mountain, which even wild beasts hate, right?

"Let's go around to the front of the stone house. Murdi suggested. The place where they are now standing is the high ground on the side of the stone house, and due to the steep terrain, the view is narrow, and it is difficult to observe the whole view of the stone house. So, they had to pass through the rocks to get close to the stone house, but the cracks in the stones were too narrow for the two of them to walk side by side, so they had to follow one after the other, carefully and cautiously.

"There are so many little saplings here! and...... What are those?" exclaimed Tiward, who had approached the stone house first. Previously, because the view was blocked by the towering rocks, they did not notice that there was a green area hidden underneath.

"That's a potato crop. Kama squatted on the ground and took a closer look, and found that the soil between the gardens was a little moist. "Strange, we walked all the way down, and we didn't find any mountain springs, and the whole mountain surface can only be described as arid, not to mention that it is impossible to dig wells in such a place, but the crops and saplings grow very well, and I don't know where to draw water for irrigation?"

"There was no one in the house, there was a water tank next to the house, but there was only a little water left. Sang Wu glanced into the house, although this stone house had a door frame, there was no door leaf, and there was nothing extra in the empty room except for a straw mat and a few simple living utensils, which was clear at a glance.

"Why don't we rest here for the night before we leave?" said Modi, looking back for advice on the future. They hadn't had a good rest for two days in order to avoid the scouts of Herilandi, and they had been climbing the mountain again today, and everyone was exhausted, and besides, it was now approaching evening, and they were afraid that they would not be able to reach the foot of the mountain before dark.

Future carefully observed the surrounding terrain, and then replied: "Well, it seems that the owner of this stone house should live alone." If we come back suddenly, even if we are not welcome, it will not pose much of a threat to us, right?"

Although they decided to rest here for the night, they did not enter the house, and all sat in the open space in front of the door. A few days ago, whenever they had the chance, they would roast the meat of the wild beasts they had hunted so that they could carry them on the road to satisfy their hunger, but these two days they were busy hiding from the soldiers of Herilandi, and the food had long since run out, but there was still a little water in the bladder to quench their thirst. During the period of fleeing south, everyone gradually got used to the feeling of hunger, and even if they did not eat for a day, they did not feel too difficult.

Perhaps because he was too tired, no one had the desire to speak, and as soon as he closed his eyelids, he fell asleep uncontrollably. I don't know how long I slept, I suddenly heard a heavy footsteps coming from far and near, and several people were very alert to wake up, and immediately got up and looked in the direction where the footsteps came.

But I saw an old man with gray hair, hunched over and carrying a large wooden barrel, walking slowly with heavy steps. After perceiving the movement ahead, the old man glanced up, and several unexpected and unfamiliar figures broke into his field of vision. The old man couldn't help but pause, and then glanced at the garden in front of the door, and saw that the green space was still intact, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

Mo Di hurriedly stepped forward and politely explained to the old man: "We are just passing travelers, and seeing that it is getting late, we intend to rest in front of the door for the night, and there is no malice. ”

Judging from his attire, the old man should be a Naboland civilian. While they were observing the old man, the old man also looked at them one by one. Then he passed them silently, walked to the door of the stone house, unloaded the large heavy barrel from his back, carefully placed it on the ground, and opened the closed lid, only to see that it was filled with water. It was astonishing and admirable that he had climbed halfway up the rugged mountain road with such a heavy bucket of water on his back.

After unloading the heavy load, the old man sat down at the door, beat his sore legs with his hands, and after a long while, he slowly raised his head. Perhaps because of the different styles of their clothing, the old man asked with a slightly puzzled look, "You, aren't you from Nabolland?"

"We come from different places, but because we have the same destination, we travel together. Future replied.

"Yes...... "The old man didn't ask any more questions, but got up and walked into the stone house, acquiescing to them resting here.

But soon, the old man came out of the house with a pot, went to the garden to pull a few potatoes, and then carefully plucked the leaves from the canes and put them aside, wiped the soil off the potatoes, and washed them with water, and the sewage watered the crops directly. He then cut the unpeeled potatoes into small pieces and put them in a pot and added a little water. There were three stones of similar size beside the garden in front of the house, and it was a simple stone stove, and he lit a fire with the dry branches and shrubs he had picked up earlier, and threw some small hard stones into the fire, after all, the firewood was limited, and when the stones were burned red, they could not only store heat, but also keep warm at night. After lighting the fire, he placed the pot on the stone stove.

When the potatoes were about to be steamed, the old man put the leaves he had picked into the pot again, and then turned back to them and said, "There is nothing else here, if you are hungry, come and eat some." ”

Perhaps they were really hungry, but they did not refuse the old man's kindness, and immediately gathered around the fire and sat on the spot. This potato has a slightly sweet taste, and it is perfect for hungry people to replenish their energy.

"Thank you so much!" After the stomach was warm, everyone couldn't help but relax. Immediately, Kama asked curiously, "Why do you live in such a barren place where you have to climb mountains and mountains to drink water, and wouldn't it be more convenient to live in a village near a river?"

"Oh, there are no villages nearby. The old man smiled silently, but the smile seemed a little bitter.

Thinking of the scenes she saw along the way, Kama couldn't help but be moved: "But wouldn't you feel lonely when you live alone in such a barren mountain range?"

The old man smiled again, and there was a self-deprecating meaning on his weather-beaten face: "Sometimes, a lot of people is not necessarily a good thing, and it is easy to lose yourself when there are too many people." Loneliness is not terrible, because it is only when one is lonely that one becomes more aware of oneself. ”

These intriguing words inadvertently aroused everyone's curiosity, and they asked tentatively, "Presumably, you didn't live here from the beginning, did you?

"Hometown, ......" A bit of strong nostalgia gradually surfaced on that vicissitudes of life, and the old man sighed, "My hometown is called Mengqi, but Mengqi no longer exists, and now I'm afraid no one remembers it." ”

"Ah, I've heard of it!" said Kama, surprised, "that's our hero capital of Naborland." ”

"......Heroes?" the old man smiled, laughing at himself.

"How could it cease to exist?" Sang Wu asked, perhaps it was the old man's words that reminded him of his hometown, Donglai City, and he couldn't help but feel a little empathy.

The old man let out a long sigh, and only after a while did he slowly recall: "Mengqi used to be a prosperous small city, just at the foot of this mountain, when the mountain was full of trees, the soil below the mountain was fertile, and the gardens were intertwined...... In the blink of an eye, it became a barren land with no one inhabited. ”

"Mengqi, why is it called the City of Heroes?" asked the future curiously, because from the old man's words, Mengqi should be a leisurely and quiet place, which does not seem to be suitable for the title of the City of Heroes.

"Fifty years ago, Naborland was in another boom of expansion. The old man said thoughtfully, "The king at that time made a nationwide lecture tour, which made the whole country boil. It is believed that the purpose of war is to make more people feel the power of the lizard god, to help those barbarians to escape ignorance and error, and to bring a bright and prosperous life to the world...... And we, the people of Napolend, are shouldering this glorious mission entrusted by the great God of Mercy. At that time, I was only eighteen years old, and it convinced me and the people of my homeland that conquest was a heroic and noble act of patriotism. As a result, people abandoned farming, enthusiastically joined the army, and began a fanatical campaign. Killing and plundering are our duty, and the long years of military service have made the soldiers gradually take poisoning the living things for granted, and no one notices anything wrong. It wasn't until 31 years ago that I finally returned to my hometown after a long absence. However, the homeland was deserted and desolate, and there was no familiar face to be found, for all the people had died on the way. Only myself was left, and the city of heroes, which had long been empty.

It was then that I suddenly realized that no matter how many heroes Naboland created and how many lands he conquered, he would not escape the catastrophic consequences of poverty. We are heroes, but we are also the murderers of the exterminators and the destruction of our homeland. Therefore, I plan to spend the rest of my life planting trees on this hill, which is the only thing I can do for my hometown. ”

After listening to this, everyone couldn't help but feel a little heavy. But the dangers of war can only be experienced by those who have actually experienced it. For the sake of war, people cut down a lot of wood and metallurgy and made weapons. It is important to know that single-fired wood cannot reach the high temperature required for cast iron, and a large amount of wood must be consumed to make charcoal first, and then charcoal capable of producing high temperature is used to cast iron, so the consumption of wood is incalculable. Before you know it, the forests are disappearing one by one, a crisis that is difficult to solve no matter how much territory you expand. Deforestation disrupts the natural water cycle, resulting in dry weather, reduced rainfall, cutting off vegetation from regeneration, exacerbating droughts, dissipating soil fertility and becoming more and more barren, and reducing crop yields. But what is even more tragic is that while land productivity continues to decline, the state vigorously encourages the breeding of the population for the sake of war, which further exacerbates the imbalance between population and resources, and falls into a vicious circle of war and poverty. This is clearly a self-inflicted disaster, and if this problem is not balanced, then even if there is no foreign invasion, Napoleand will collapse sooner or later.

"Is this atonement?" Yan Shu asked suddenly.

"Atonement......" the old man was silent for a long time, and then said almost inaudibly, "maybe." ”

"You just said that you returned to your hometown thirty-one years ago...... So, you've been to the fog too, haven't you?" At this moment, Yan Xuan's mood was extremely complicated, a little hesitant, afraid to reveal the scar, but desperate to know the truth. Hearing this, his partners couldn't help but look at him worriedly.

"Well, it was after conquering the fog that I returned to my hometown. The old man didn't know Yan Shu's identity, so naturally he didn't think about hiding anything. But perhaps he was just expecting some forgiveness, some forgiveness that he could not give himself anyway, to soothe the guilt in his heart that had been feeling so long. Nowadays, even if you want to accept the blame with dignity, it has become a luxury. After all, in this era of admiring "heroes," who would dare to brazenly stand up and criticize the "justice" that the people generally believe in? This is the basis of the moral values advocated by this country, which dominates people's moral outlook, governs people's speech and behavior, and makes people firmly believe that it is the truth. And as a veteran with a heroic mission and a guilty heart, no one can understand the bitterness in his heart.

"Why do you want to slaughter the city?" Yan Shu asked. His gaze looked straight into the old man's eyes, as if he was trying to find some guilt in them, but no one knew what mood he was in to ask the question.

"I am a good soldier, the country calls us heroes, and the people fight and worship us. But, as a human being, I'm very bad...... "The old man was stuck in a long memory, all the sins were vivid, but why didn't he realize what a cruel and terrible thing he had done back then?Was it because he had a "legitimate" reason, or was it because he was used to it?After a while, he muttered, "In order to be able to expand the territory continuously, we need a large number of slaves to produce food and weapons, but Naruto Kirito is unwilling to change his faith...... In this way, they may become a hidden danger of future unrest, so the king must remove all potential hidden dangers in advance. ”

"Shouldn't we slaughter the city if we need a large number of slaves?

"For rulers, only obedient slaves can be useful tools, so the Nabolanders intend to change the mind of the Kirist Naruto in order to achieve complete control over them. As a politician, Murdi Boro understands, but he can't. Even so, he explained to Tiward, "Rulers with good intentions and those with bad intentions will try to unify the ideology of the people through propaganda, education, and religion, so as to control the hearts of the people and make their subjects change in the ruler's ideals." ”

Hearing this, the old man couldn't help but look at Mo Di in surprise: "You seem to be ...... Is it a person who understands?"

"Oh," said Mo Di with a wry smile, "so what? after all, we are all just slaves of some kind of cultural thought!"

"Hearing you say that, my heart feels so much better, why is that?" the old man sighed blankly with a kind face and sad eyes, "I have spent nearly half of my life obeying orders, and the rest of my time is spent thinking about the meaning of what I have done......