At the sound of the rooster's crow, the sky was gray and bright.

The church bells rang and a flock of white doves flew into the blue sky.

The streets of the town gradually became more and more crowded.

The knights and the town guards, who had been noisy all night, dozed off in the corners.

Irene's soldiers lined up in front of the hotel early, and surrounded by her entourage, she mounted her white horse. After giving the innkeeper a silver coin as a reward, she and her men walked along the town's main road, through the crowds, leaving the town and continuing south.

In times of peace, the haze brought by the evil forces always comes and goes quickly, especially when the other side barely harms anyone. Sometimes it seems more like a joke, and even some conspiracy theorists are beginning to suspect that all of this is just a fiction of the Church, and that there are no demons in this world, let alone lichs.

Since the second half of the night, Gray the Lich has not been seen again. So, after only one night, no one remembered that there was once a lich living on the next hill, except for the knights who still remembered their exploits.

The vendors have already set up their stalls and are selling them on the streets.

The aunt who bought vegetables stood at the stall and scolded for things like sesame mung beans such as the shortage of catties and two.

Industrious farmers are already working in the fields.

The children, who didn't need to go to school and had nothing to do, ran after the only knights who were still struggling to search for Gray's traces, and every now and then let out a burst of cheers.

If there was anything wrong, it was probably that the blacksmith noticed that the armor he had built the other day was missing, and he couldn't remember whether it had been delivered or lost, or that he had drunk too much wine the other day and forgot to fight at all.

The persimmon seller was in agony when he found out that the shack that the lich had smashed down last night happened to be the straw hut he had used to shade the sun.

As for the bookstore owner, he didn't even notice that a book called "A Knight's Guide to Becoming a Talent" was missing. In fact, there were so many unsold books in his store that he couldn't even remember what he had if no one asked. The door was kicked open, but it was found, and it was a little strange why something was not lost.

After only one night, the town returned to its former peace. The Lich's turmoil swept away like a gust of wind, leaving nothing behind.

......

In a bush a kilometer from the town, Gray and the Bone Horse quietly poked their heads out, and only after making sure that no one was around did they sneak out and drag the dying black cat out of the grass.

"Let me find out what we should do next. Lowering his head, Gray began to scrub through the book of "A Knight's Guide to Success".

The black cat, who didn't know how many bones had been broken, said with a sad face: "I think...... What we urgently need most is a doctor, preferably a veterinarian. ”

"But we're out of town, and there's no doctor here. ”

"Then find one. ”

"Hmm...... It's a bit of a hassle, but I have a better solution. Kill you, then summon a bone cat. Then you don't need a doctor anymore. ”

The black cat's eyes were about to fall off.

"And you don't have to eat, you don't have to excrete. Don't you think it's convenient?"

"No! I think I'm fine now!"

"But you look like you're dying. ”

"No, I'm fine, take your paws away, I'm healthy, I don't need a doctor!" the black cat screamed in fright.

"Okay......" The fire in Gray's eyes dimmed again, and he sincerely thought it was a good idea. It's a pity that the black cat looks resistant. No way, lowering his head, he continued to open his book again: "Hmm...... Next, I should find a lord to swear allegiance. ”

The black cat and the bone horse looked at him with blank expressions.

"The book says that a knight must be a loyal lord, otherwise, he is not a knight. ”

"Do you think any lord would be willing to accept the allegiance of a lich?"

"We have to find a church, and it says that knights are devout believers, and they must go to church every week, otherwise they are not qualified knights." ”

"Well, a lich who worships, that's creative. "The black cat's dead heart is gone.

Gray cheered excitedly, "Do you think so too? Such a creative idea, they would not have thought of it." That way, no one can suspect that I'm a lich!"

As he was talking, none of the bone horses stood firmly, and they fell down with a "bang" and fell apart.

......

"How far are we to Salted Fish Harbor?" asked Irene.

Abby Robles, who was walking on horseback, replied, "Dear Miss Irene, it's not far away. All the way south, at the current speed, we can blow the sea breeze at night. ”

Walking on the other side, Hall flapped his helmet from time to time, trying to keep himself awake.

"Need to stop and let you sleep?" asked Irene.

"No, Miss Irene. Lowering his head, Hall was still muttering to himself, "Where the hell did that damn lich go?"

......

"Where do we go first?"

"Let's go south......" said the black cat, which was once again loaded into the helmet, "Anyway, you can't go back to the north, and if you go south, you will always meet a city." Anyway, there will be aristocrats in any city. But God knows if they accept your allegiance. ”

"Is there a church too?"

"Yes~" The black cat rolled its eyes helplessly, at this moment, as a ghost cat, it couldn't help but want to cry.

So, a lich with a black cat and a bony horse staggered south. Before he had taken a few steps, he fell off the horse with a "snap" and then climbed up again.

The bones horse's eyes were full of disdain.

......

Little by little, the sun climbs.

They passed through mountains, walked through streams, walked through fields.

Birds chirped overhead, and hares on the side of the road fled in a hurry.

Farmers in felt hats watched them from afar with their hoes, and the weeds in the fields swayed gently.

Gray's posture in the saddle, as he became familiar with equestrianism, changed from his normal riding position at first, to sitting upside down, and then to lying on his stomach, as if from a distance the bone horse was carrying something.

The black cat was drowsy, and he was still energetically flipping through the "Knight Guide". Not only was he in good spirits, but he even laughed out loud.

"This book is really good, more interesting than a magic book. ”

"Really? Then you should watch more. ”

"Why don't you take a look? I just saw the Eight Virtues of Knighthood. ”

"Don't look at ......"

"But if you don't look at it, I can't discuss it with you. ”

"Shut up! Who wants to talk to you about this broken book! I want to rest, God is above, and if you don't let me find a doctor, it doesn't matter, you won't let me rest. Are you a demon?"

"I'm a lich. ”

"I know, don't you know how to speak, persuade him!"

"The great Tenedas will fight against the rising sun......"

"Alright, you can shut up!" the black cat was about to cry, "Can you not move?, I beg you, I just want to sleep well, and it would be perfect if I woke up and found that it was a dream." ”

"Okay, then I'm not moving. Gray replied reluctantly.

......

Sunset.

Everything around me was getting darker.

After a day's journey, Ireen and her party finally saw Salted Fish Harbor from afar, a coastal city rich in fishery.

From a distance, the whole city looks like a crescent moon. The neat houses, orange bricks, and sunset have a different kind of charm.

Seagulls croak, returning fishing boats are counting the day's harvest in the harbor, people are already on their way home after a busy day, and children are playing in the streets.

Following the straight path underfoot, Irene can clearly see the destination of the trip, a towering castle in the middle of the town. And also...... Standing at the entrance to the town on horseback, Gray stunned.

Irene raised her hand warily, and the whole group stopped. With a brush, Irene's shield-wielding soldiers had built a shield wall between the two.

Through the shield wall, Irene looked at Gray, and Gray looked at her, just at the entrance to the town, and the two of them were on horseback, quietly staring at each other.

"May I ask this knight, do we know each other?" asked Irene.

"It should ...... I don't know. ”

"Then why are you blocking my way?"

"I'm waiting. ”

"What are you waiting for?"

"Wait for my cat to wake up. ”