The woods in the north were much sparser than in the south, and they didn't have to deal with the occasional scrape of branches in front of them, which was a great deal for Fern and Ness. The two of them supported each other and ran for a long distance, until Ness couldn't run anymore until she couldn't run anymore.

Ness sat on the ground holding on to the trunk of a cedar tree through her cloak, panting. Fern was still standing, vigilantly observing the situation behind him, for fear that those monsters would catch up again, and he didn't dare to relax at all.

"Rest assured, they won't run too far off the bridge. The voice that had warned Fern to flee sounded again, this time with no urgency in it, but a relaxed tone. "The mages aren't here, so they'll just hold on to the bridge. ”

"Who is it?" Fern glanced at the surrounding woods, but in the dim night, it was impossible to find the source of the sound in the even darker woods.

"Don't be nervous mercenaries, I'm going to deal with you, I've already made a move. As soon as he finished speaking, a figure leaped lightly from the trunk of the tree and slowly walked towards Fern and Ness. "You're running quite far, and it took me a lot of effort to keep up with you. ”

The scent of rose petals could be smelled in the air, and the girl had walked in front of her, and Fern could finally see her face. The girl standing in front of the mercenary was taller than both Rui and Niss, and could even touch his chin, a long brown hair tied into a bun on her head, revealing her fair neck, a few strands of broken hair hanging down the sides of her cheeks, and two silver serpentine earrings through the small earlobes. The deep blue-green eyes narrowed at this time, looking at the mercenary in front of him, the soft line of the nose bridge and the thin lips made the girl look very cute. The tight-fitting leather tunic revealed her slender waist, and the girl had a half-short bow sticking out of her back, and a leather quiver hung from her waist, and Fern guessed that she was about the same age as Rui.

"Who are you, and why are you helping us?" Fern asked, unaffected by the girl's appearance, still wary.

"Are you Fern, a mercenary from Deville? not quite what I thought. Instead of answering Fern's question, the girl said to herself, "I thought he was a handsome and mighty warrior who could pass the test of the source of magic." ”

"You ......" Fern was about to attack, but found that the other party knew about the source of magic. "How do you know we've been to the source of magic?"

Ness listened to the conversation between the two of them, looking at the girl in front of her, and suddenly remembered that Hussey had described his apprentice to her and Rui. "Are you...... Hussey's students?"

The girl looked at Ness with some surprise. "Hussey mentioned me to you?"

"It's really you, that's great!" Ness jumped up from the ground and walked over to Queay. "He compliments us on you, and you can see how much he loves you. ”

"Really?" Quiai seemed to sink into the memory. "When this is done, I'd better go and see him, I haven't seen him in a long time. ”

Ness met her fellow mages and her mood suddenly improved, "Quiai and tell me about Hessey, I'm very curious about the experiences of the archmages. ”

Quiai glanced at the mercenary with interest, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly. "Fern, can you go and light a fire?" After the fight and the run, I think we should eat something to replenish our strength. ”

Fern shrugged. "Okay, let's talk. With that, the mercenary walked twenty paces away, making sure that he could not hear the mages before stopping, and then took out the flint and began to make a fire.

Queai then turned his head to look at Ness. "Ness, do you have feelings for Fern?"

There was no warning, and the sudden question made Ness panic and blush like a fever. "Hey, what are you talking about? ”

Quiai smiled unabashedly. "I think he's good, and if you don't mind, I think I'm going to have to do something. ”

"Something, what does that mean?" Ness's heart beat rapidly, and a strange feeling came over her.

Queay's gaze looked at Fern, who was crouching on the ground rubbing flint. "I think I've been traveling alone long enough that it's time to find someone to keep me company, and besides, I've been looking for a suitable mage to escort, so you understand?"

"This ...... You've only been with us for such a short time, how can you be sure that Fern is good?" Nessy was a little anxious to make Quiai realize that the decision was too hasty.

"Hmph, I really can't bear it. Queai smirked and glanced at Ness. "I'll give you a little more time, but I won't wait too long, you'd better tell me the answer as soon as possible. ”

"Why should I give you an answer, what if I can't?" Nessy was conflicted.

"Then you're welcome. Queai replied dryly, and walked over to Fern.

The mercenary had already lit a fire, and began to build a simple stand with a few branches, and then hung the sheepskin water bladder on the stand and roasted it, and when he saw Kuiai coming over, he said casually, "The water is frozen, it's really troublesome." ”

"Fern, you've been a mercenary for a few years, how old did you start?" asked Quiai coldly.

Fern looked at the mage in front of him strangely. "Are you trying to ask my age? A woman suddenly asks the age of a man she has just met, and the motive for this is self-evident. ”

"So what? Why are you so defensive, because you already have someone else in mind?" asked Queay, sitting across the fire, staring at Fern.

"It's none of your business. Fern flipped the water bladder so the fire could be burned to the other side.

"Is that Ness?" asked Queay, reluctantly.

Ness also walked over at this time, heard Quiai's last question, and sat down on the other side with her head bowed, burying her head between her knees shyly, but her ears were pricked up to hear what Fern had to say.

Fern didn't speak for a long time, and he took out a lot of food and piled it up in front of the three of them. "Let's have a bite to eat. ”

"Answer my question, Ferne. Queai didn't budge, staring at Fern with a menacing gaze.

Fern raised his head and looked at the mage, and the atmosphere seemed to freeze at this moment, until the water bladder began to steam, and the mercenary sprinkled some black tea leaves in each of the three teacups, then picked up the water bladder and poured hot water into the three teacups.

Ness picked up the teacup and silently sipped the hot tea, and Quiai seemed to be ready to give up, and shifted her gaze to the teacup.

Just then, Fern suddenly spoke. "Yes. It was just two simple words, but it made Ness's heart shake violently, and the hand holding the teacup almost let go.

Quiai smiled. "It's good, I understand, but the feelings are mutual, and I still won't give up if it's just one-sided. With that, Queai gave Ness a meaningful look.

Ness's gaze made contact with Queai for a moment, but she immediately avoided it, and at the same time picked up an apple on the ground and began to eat it slowly.

Fern drank hot tea, and his answer made him relax and sit down on the ground relaxed. "Alright, now it's your turn to answer our questions. ”

"You ask. Quaai picked out a loaf of wheat from the food on the ground, then drew a very small dagger from his waist, and quickly cut the bread in the middle and put in a slice of pastrami.

"Did Hesey ask you to help us, and where did you come from?" Fern sipped his hot tea and looked at the mage across the fire indifferently.

"Yes, I have been cultivating in the small village near Duluth, and suddenly one day I received a secret letter from Hexi's raven, which mentions you, so I will know the name and identity of each of you. Quiai answered the mercenary's questions very cooperatively, while eating bread.

"It's quite a long way from here, Dluth, how did you catch us? It seems to me that this is almost impossible. Fern mentally calculated the distance from Delus to Sarah.

"If I had set out after you had escaped from Wolfsburg, it would have been impossible for me to catch up with you. Quiai smirked. "But in fact, not long after you entered the source of magic, Hussey released the raven, and two days later, I received a secret letter, and immediately set off, so I set out long before you. ”

"Did Hesse know from the beginning that we would be able to get out of the source of magic?" Ness couldn't help but ask.

"I can't say for sure, but if I don't, I won't be able to catch up with you, and even if you can't get out, I'll run for nothing at most. Queai said it lightly, as if Sarah's wasteland, abandoned by the Seven Gods, was not a difficult thing for her. "Hmm...... Except for the borderlands between Doyle and Dlous, which drains me a lot. ”

"Are you going to help us all the time?" Fern picked up a piece of dry bread and nibbled on it.

"I'll go with you on the journey to Dagger Mountain, and when I get there, I have another task that Hesey has given me to deal with, and if it goes well, I'll come back to you when it's done, if you're still there. Quiai quickly finished the bread and pastrami, drank the black tea in one gulp, and poured himself another glass.

Fern looked at Queai's relaxed expression in disbelief. "You seem to be completely sure of these things?"

Quiai sipped his tea slowly, his gaze moving from the teacup to Fern. "How can I be sure? I'm just a mortal, but I'm not bothered by what hasn't come yet, that's all. ”

"You'd love it. Fern snorted and took a sip of tea over the overly dry bread.

"You never know what will happen in the future, so it's better to go with the flow than to be anxious. Quiai picked up another fillet and took a bite. "I have to admit, though, that a cautious disposition like yours is exactly what I lack, so ......" Quiai stared into Ferne's eyes again, the girl's clear blue-green eyes seemed to speak. "If we can work together, you know what I mean, Fern?"

Fern avoided Quiai's gaze and turned his head to Ness. "Did you recover a bit, and you seemed to be running out of mental energy just now. ”

A warm current rose in Ness's heart, and she smiled at Ferne, "It's better, my head is not so dizzy anymore." ”

"Eat more and rest early after eating. Fern sandwiched a fillet into a slice of bread and handed it to Ness.

"Thank you, Ferne. Ness took the bread gently and ate it obediently.

Fern watched as Ness ate slowly, smiling with relief.

Quiai watched the two of them as if he had deliberately made a move to show her, the corners of his mouth curled slightly, and a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes.