Stan and Nerfi rode unhurriedly towards the castle with the knight leading the way, and when they passed through the gates, Thun's guards had already hurried to inform the lord of Thun, Gunther, who was already waiting for everyone at the gate of the castle.

There weren't many teams of Stan's size, and Gunther knew that something of great importance was about to happen, and after exchanging a few words at the door, he neatly ushered the group into the meeting room. Candles have long been lit there, and every corner is illuminated by light.

The warm, soft glow of the candle envelops everyone in the living room, but when Stan tells the story of what happened, everyone feels a chill to the bone. This cold is different from this abnormal weather, but radiates from the heart outward, extending to every limb of the body.

Gunther was silent for several seconds before he said slowly, "The Great Sage Adeline has also died, this is really the worst news I've ever heard, and now we are on our own." ”

"Yes, my lord, we must carry on Adeline's legacy. Stan bows his head silently, lamenting Adeline's death.

"You're right, Stan, it's not the time to grieve," Guntel let out a long breath, cheering himself up. "To tell you the truth, before you arrived in Thun, some of the refugees who had fled from the south had brought some information, and although they spoke incoherently and each one spoke differently, it was more or less the same. ”

"Is it Threndra's refugee?" Stan asked, looking up.

Gunther nodded. "Yes, they all took a boat to bypass the Sweet Rainforest so they could get here at this time, I believe that the dark tide can only force its way into the rainforest, so it hasn't appeared yet. ”

"But the dark tides are tireless, and the rainforest can't hold them back for long. Nellfi said from the side.

Gunther's gaze shifted to Nerfi and hesitated for a moment before he said, "Cumberland's army is not familiar with the Dark Tide, and in your opinion, when will the Dark Tide arrive here at the earliest?"

Nerfi frowned. "We had spent four days crossing the Sweet Rainforest, and the Dark Tide didn't have to rest, and I expect them to take three days at most, maybe two days. ”

"Hell, then they might be on the border between Thun and Sellendra by now!" Guntel jerked up from his chair.

"I'm afraid so, sir. Nerfi glanced quickly at Stan. "I advise you to start laying out the fortifications immediately. ”

"Your suggestion is very correct. Guntel walked up to the two men. "But at present, Thun's army has less than 2,000 men, and most of them have followed the Great Lord of Sigmund north, which is probably only a drop in the bucket. ”

Stan takes a step forward. "Adeline had already sent someone to inform the High Lord of Sigmund to turn around before she died, but we can't wait for him to bring in support, so we can only rely on the army here to hold back the dark tide. ”

"I see. Gunther nodded slightly, and then gave the order to the two knights behind him. "You two go to Dorne and Gaiman for help, ask them to bring troops to support us as soon as possible, the sooner the better, and go now!"

The two knights set off as soon as they received the order, and there was silence in the meeting room, and it was clear that Gunther had no better way to deal with the situation than to call for help. As Stan ponders how to break the silence, Nerfi surprises to speak. "My lord, while waiting for reinforcements to arrive, we must also be prepared to meet the Dark Tide, but your army obviously does not have any experience in fighting the Dark Tide, and they urgently need someone who is very familiar with the Dark Tide to guide them, otherwise they will be overwhelmed and will collapse in an instant. ”

Gunther looked approvingly at Nerfi. "You're right, Nerfi, you and Stan are most familiar with Darktide, it's up to you to train Thun's army, Stan I think the position of Captain Knight is perfect for you, and Nerfi, you're the staff officer. ”

Nerfi smiled. "I'm just a mage, my lord, and I don't know anything about training, but Stan is a knight of Canrito, and he was born in Doyle, a country that has fought the Darktide for hundreds of years, and with his bravery at Magnus Fortress, I'm sure he'll be up to the position of Knight Captain. ”

Stan disagreed with Nerfi's suggestion, not noticing Nerfi's constant glances, and quickly excused himself, "I've never commanded anyone, and I don't know how to guide others, in fact, I still need your guidance, my lord." ”

Gunther patted Stan on the shoulder. "Young man, you are too modest, I don't dare to think that you have so much experience in fighting the dark tide, Nerfi is right, you are the only one here who is up to the task. ”

"But......" Stan tries to struggle, but Nellfi gets ahead of him, and the girl immediately picks up the conversation. "Don't worry, my lord, I'll help Stan too, and we'll do our best to help Thun resist the dark tide until reinforcements arrive. ”

"Good. Guntel glanced out the window, the setting sun was setting in the sky, and he took a deep breath and said, "You have traveled through Cumberland for several days to get here, and now it is time to go and rest, and I will send someone to take you to the barracks early tomorrow morning, where I will tell my people everything." With that, Gunther nodded to the two of them and left the parlor quickly.

The Knights of Canrito, who had escorted the two men, also left, leaving only Stan and Nerfi in the hall, who were silent for a few moments but did not leave. Nerfi seems to be waiting for something, she knows Stan must have something to say to her, and sure enough, after a few minutes of stalemate, Stan finally speaks. "I don't understand, Nerfi, I'm just an ordinary knight, I have no experience in instructing and training soldiers, and if I teach them combat skills indiscriminately, I'll only push them into the fire pit. ”

"No, Stan. As if Nerfi had expected Stan to say this, she looked into Stan's eyes without any hesitation. "There are only a handful of people in the whole of Wallis who are better suited to this position than you, and here and now, only you can do it. ”

"Hell, a lot of people are better suited than me, like Fern!" Stan struggled.

Nerfi smiled. "You're wrong, Stan, Fern might be okay with a squad, but he can't handle an army of this size, and besides, he's not here. ”

"But......" Stan tightens his right hand on the hilt of his sword, his whole body tensing. "I'm afraid I'm going to hurt them, I'm afraid I'm going to hurt Thun, and everything here might be ruined because of me. ”

"You're a brave knight, Stan, you've always been distracted and kept all fears out of it, and you will continue to do so this time. Nerfi took Stan's hand, which was small and soft compared to the knight's broad hand. "I'll be there for you to assist your Stan, don't worry, we'll do our best together, as for the outcome, it's beyond our control. ”

Stan looked into Nerfi's eyes in confusion, the girl in front of him made him feel strange, this was not the Nerfi he knew. Nerfi, who used to be reluctant to even talk to him, ignored his courtesy, and was cold and passive to everyone, why is he so active now?Stan's lips twitched a few times, and he let out a hesitant sound. "You've changed, Nerfi, and you're no longer the girl I knew you were with. ”

"People change, don't you, Stan?" Nellfi let go of his hand and walked towards the door. "You wouldn't have hesitated as much as you do now. ”

Stan watches Nerfi walk farther and farther away, when a strange sensation comes over him. "Nerfi, maybe I'll end up disappointing you. ”

Nerfi stopped and turned her head slowly. "No, Stan, you will be a hero to the hearts of the people, a leader to be admired by all, and I, too, will be the woman by your side, and I will receive this glory with you. With that, the girl smiled and slowly walked out of the hall.

Stan stands still, his brain in disarray.