Since the Great Rift continues to the south, it is already the extreme south of Alesia, which is located in the southeast corner, there are not many inhabitants, and the news of the gloomy tide has reached here, so many people have fled their homes to the north. Fern didn't meet many passers-by along the way, and even the travelers who went to the Great Rift were only a handful.

The warm, moist breeze on Fern's face eased his fatigue, and the gradual increase in the woods on the side of the road was soothing, and the ease of his walk on the southward journey reminded him of his former life as a mercenary. At that time, he didn't have to worry, all he had to think about every day was how to complete the employer's commission, and after getting the commission, he would go to the hotel for a night, and by the way, he would have a good chat with Rhodes. Now, all that had changed, and all of them had come so suddenly, he was completely unprepared.

When night came, he spent the night in the trees, a large wooded area in the south of Alesia, and if you climbed up the Pilatus Mountains and looked down, the endless green stretched for miles in the distance. Spending the night alone didn't make Fern feel lonely in the slightest, he was used to traveling alone, but the fear of Quiai made him wake up several times a night. It is not known if Quiai has found the Seven Gods Falls, if she has encountered a dark tide during her journey, or if she has encountered other dangers.

Another two days passed, and the scenery around him did not change in the slightest, and Fern even doubted that he would just keep walking south until the Sea of Mists appeared in front of him. He wasn't sure of the exact location of the Seven Gods Falls, it was too remote for Wallis, and there was little contact with the outside world, so Fern had never received a commission to come here, and now he had to rely on the rumored location of the Seven Gods Falls to find the location of the waterfall.

At dusk, a village on the edge of the woods appeared as far as Fern could see, a forest as far as the eye could see, and it was unknown when there would be another village, so Fern decided to rest here for the night and replenish his food.

It was not small for a village in such a remote place, but almost half of the houses showed no signs of being inhabited, and the remaining villagers seemed to abandon the village at any moment. So when people saw a stranger walk into the village, their eyes widened in surprise, as if they were looking at a person who wanted to commit suicide.

Fern walked into the only inn in the village that was still open, and there was no one in the tavern on the ground floor, and the innkeeper heard someone come in and didn't know where he came out. He was a short, gray-haired man, and after looking Fern up and down, he asked, puzzledly, "Are you going to stay at a hotel, Traveler?"

Fern found a table and sat down nearby, unsheathing his sword and placing it on the table. "Yes, I need some food and water, and I'm going to continue my journey south tomorrow morning. ”

"Going south?" the innkeeper rubbed his hands on his yellowed apron. "I said, young man, are you going in the wrong direction? Now people are fleeing to the north, and some people say that there is a big rift not far to the north that can go directly to the Eastern Continent, I wonder if you want to go there?"

"No, I'm going south. Fern shook his head. "I'm going to Shichigami Falls. ”

"It's not a good time to visit, I'm sure you haven't heard the rumors. The innkeeper shuddered for a moment, glanced around before continuing. "The dark tide has crossed Cerendra, and may have invaded Alesia. As he spoke, an elderly woman who looked like a proprietress came out of the kitchen and placed a jug of water on the table. There wasn't even a maid in this inn.

"Then why don't you go?" Fern picked up the jug and drank.

The innkeeper sighed helplessly. "Of course we want to go, but we don't know where to go, no one knows whether the place in the East Continent is safe or not, let alone the north, there is also a dark tide there, and how long can we survive outside with such a small amount of money?"

Fern nodded, and took out a gold coin and placed it on the table. "Bring me some beef and bar, and get me a clean room, and besides to-morrow I'll need to bring two days' worth of food and water, and I'll give you another gold coin when I leave tomorrow morning." ”

The innkeeper opened his mouth wide and slowly picked up the gold coin. "It's too much, young man, to use so much. ”

"Take it, if you decide to go to the North or the Eastern Continent, you will be able to use it. Fern placed the package on the other chair and leaned back to sit comfortably.

The innkeeper put away the gold coins and walked towards the kitchen, looking at his lonely back, and a sadness inexplicably rose in Fern's heart.

There was no second customer at the inn all night, and no one was heard passing by on the streets outside, and the village was completely lifeless. Fern left at dawn, carrying a bag full of food and three water bladders, one of which contained ale.

The surrounding scenery was the same as before, and the unchanged environment made people forget about time, and after three days, Fern finally found another village. The village was completely hidden in the woods, and he wouldn't have been aware that it was inhabited if it hadn't been for the fact that a villager happened to come out to pick berries when Fern passed by.

Following the villagers back to the village, Fern found that the village was too small, no more than a dozen wooden houses scattered in a few open spaces, and most of them were closed and uninhabited.

The village was so small that there were no inns or taverns, so Fern had to stay in the homes of a villager, home to an elderly couple whose son earned a living in a town far to the west. Here Fern inquired about the location of the Seven Gods Falls, which was not far from him, which was good news, but the bad news was that he still didn't know the whereabouts of Quiai.

At night Fern slept in the old couple's son's room, and although their son had not returned for many years, his bed was still very tidy. Fern lay on his back on the bed, listening to the chirping of insects outside the window, and it didn't take long for him to fall into a deep sleep. In this remote and unpopular village, he felt a peace of mind, as if all the strife in the outside world no longer had anything to do with him, which was what he had been searching for but was out of reach.

By the time the first rays of sunlight poured into the room, Fern was ready to go, and he could see the reluctance of the old couple, in a village where outsiders rarely arrived, and where there were fewer and fewer villagers, everyone was so important, and everyone was like a relative.

Fern left behind a gold coin and hit the road with a full water bladder and some fruit. He really wanted to stay in this village for a long time, he was so tired, not only physically, but also psychologically, he just wanted to have a good rest, but he knew that there was something more important waiting for him, something he had to do.

On the second day after leaving the village, Fern walked into an endless forest, surrounded by trees that grew denser and humid, and the air was filled with moisture. No matter how cold it gets in the north, the southeastern corner of the continent is still warm and pleasant.

As he progressed deeper into the forest, the faint sound of water reached Fern's ears, and following the sound of nothingness, Fern found a small stream. Continuing east along the creek, more streams spread through the forest, and they diverted by a much wider stream.

Although there is a path next to the stream that seems to have been abandoned, the speed of the walk through the forest is still slow. Fern saw traces of being trampled in several places in the mud wet by the stream, and judging by the size of the footprints, there were men and women, and they were traveling in the opposite direction to Fern, suggesting that Guy was not among them.

As the sun began to set past its highest point, Fern heard the roar of water falling from a high altitude in the distance, and his brow finally relaxed.

Shichijin Falls, just ahead.