Stan fell asleep peacefully in the cramped bed, and the rush of the past few days had reduced his requirements to the bed, even if it was a small bed that would be half exposed. His diarrhea is now almost cured after a good rest last night, and the lump on the right side of his face is slowly subsiding. Nalfi had just changed the ointment for him, and the two talked for a while, and then Nalfi returned to his room, leaving Stan alone to rest in bed, and Stan began to fantasize that the lump on his face would never get better, just so that Nalfi would come to him four times a day to change his dressing.

Most of the knights were out of the inn, some of the better recovered knights were sent by Magill to inquire about Grivel, and some who were not on duty went to the outside of the village to breathe, which had made them panic in the past few days, and coupled with the excessive exertion of their bodies, they really needed enough rest. Of course, Stan knew that there must be someone else left behind in the inn, the same knight who had been bitten by the malaria mosquito like him, Ulf.

Stan laughs and shakes his head at the thought that Ulf had been cursing since he had been out of the Sweet Rainforest yesterday until they had followed Wright to the village near the Sea of Mist. This is Nashville, a village about the size of Knoxville, and since it's right by the sea, the village even has a small dock, and when Magill and Wright decide to take a break before going to Greville, Stan is worried that it has been destroyed by the two groups of mages. But Wright told him that Nashville wasn't on the path to Griville, and that no one would notice the small village unless they came here. As Wright had predicted, when the group saw the peaceful village and the lazy villagers resting under the eaves, everyone was relieved and relaxed, and they could finally rest.

As the ointment on his cheeks solidifies, Stan decides to go out for a walk, and after some struggle, he goes to the door of Nerfi's room and tries to knock on it. There is no response, Stan knocks three more times, but there is still no response, and the knight leaves the hallway disappointed and walks out of the inn alone.

It was morning, the sun was obscured by dark clouds, and the last thing Stan wanted to see was the sun in Serendra, which lifted his mood. The village is located in a sparse wood, most of the wooden houses are covered by branches, so the light in the village is not very bright, and the gloomy weather immerses the village in a quiet atmosphere. The street that runs through the village is right in front of the inn's gate, the village is so small that there are hardly any decent roads except for this street, and Stan looks in both directions, but there is not a single companion in sight except for the villagers who are chatting lazily.

"Hello, Lord Knight, are you looking for your companion?" a female voice with a strong southern accent came from behind.

Stan turned his head, and standing in front of him was an innkeeper who was just up to the knight's chest, her short tan hair combed behind her ears, and her playful eyes were looking at him curiously. "Yes, knight, it's rare to see so many outsiders here, and most of them knights, and that's the most talked-about thing in Nashville in recent years. ”

Stan nodded politely at the girl. "Hello, ma'am, may I ask for your first name. ”

The girl burst out laughing. "I'm not a lady, I'm just a lowly lady-in-waiting, but you can call me Lola, Lord Knight. ”

"I'm not an adult either, my name is Stan, ma'am. Stan suddenly felt that the girl in front of him looked like someone deep inside him. "Excuse me, do you see my companion?"

"Your companion, do you mean the girl with the graceful manners?" Lola tilted her head slightly, looking at Stan. "She must be a nobleman, I really want to be like her, you look at me, so vulgar. ”

Stan remembered the name of the man he had in mind. "No, Lola, everyone has their own experiences, and each different experience is an asset, and there is no good or bad experience. ”

"Really, I think you're just comforting me, but I'm glad. The girl looks at Stan excitedly, with a lively smile on her face.

Stan couldn't bear to look any further. "I'm sorry, Lola, I have to go find my companions, can you tell me where they went?"

Lola seemed reluctant to bow her head and fiddle with her apron with both hands. "Don't you want to talk to me a little longer, Lord Knight?"

Stan decides to go to Nerfi himself, and he can no longer face the girl in front of him. "I'm sorry, ma'am, I had to leave. With that, he turned his head and took a random step.

Lola stood on tiptoe at the inn door and watched Stan's back as he walked farther and farther away, deciding that she would not play tricks on the honest and rigid knight. "That girl went to the beach, it's in the other direction!"

Stan's back stops, then turns around and walks briskly in the opposite direction, passing by the inn door, he softly thanks the girl, and Lola just smirks and watches him pass by like a gust of wind.

The dock where there was not a single boat was quiet, and a girl was sitting upright at the end of the pier, her long flaxen hair fluttering slightly with the sea breeze, seeing her, Stan suddenly felt that his heart was full again, he slowly walked to the girl's side, and sat down gently. "It was a pleasant sea breeze, warm and moist, but not sultry, and in Doyle it would never be possible to blow it down. ”

Nerfi narrowed her eyes at the sea breeze. "I thought you hated Sorendra, but I didn't think there would be anything you like. ”

"I seem to have changed a bit, since ......," Stan hesitated whether to continue.

"Since what?" Nerfi turned his head and looked at her faintly.

Stan looks at the most beautiful pale blue in the world and flinchs again. "Since ...... After going through so much, I seem to have figured something out. ”

Nellfi smiled, long hair brushing her cheeks. "That's not enough, Stan, but stubbornness isn't a bad thing, especially in these dark times. ”

"Really?" Stan laughed self-deprecatingly. "I don't think I'm an advantage over other people, but in the eyes of most people, I'm an outlier. ”

"At least...... The dark lord will never be able to bewitch you, and in the face of your stubbornness and rigidity, even the dark lord will have to retreat three points. Nerfi's bright smile filled this sunless morning with warmth.

"Thank you for the compliment, Nerfi. Stan didn't even hear the teasing in Nerfi's words.

Nerfi looked at the sea again, his feet dangling from the dock, and Stan's brain spun rapidly, trying to find something to talk about. "It's actually nice to be able to live in a small village like this, away from strife and without worries. ”

"Do you really think so?" the smile on Nerfi's face vanished. "It's fine to stay once in a while, but it's boring to stay for a long time, and you'll miss the glory of Canrito, the prosperity of Saint-Sean and Deville, the countrymen of the border country, and all the temptations of this continent, and it's hard to calm down and settle for mediocrity. ”

"Medioccrity is not something to be ashamed of, everyone has a different life trajectory and has their own life goals, and just living here for a lifetime is also a kind of life. Stan unconsciously looks at Nerfi's bare calves and feet, the girl's slender calves are not flawless, and her white feet are boneless.

Nerfi is silent for a few seconds, then tilts her head slightly and looks at Stan. "But if you have the strength to fight for higher honor and wealth, why give up so easily, living here will only bury your talents, Stan, you don't belong here, you belong to the wider sky. ”

"Wider sky......" Stan dodged Nerfi's gaze and stared blankly at the deep blue water beneath his feet. "I just want to be myself, a dutiful knight, of course I would like to be honored, but if not, I will not regret it, because I followed my heart and did what I thought was right, as long as someone was helped because of me, as long as there was someone who was grateful for what I had done, I was satisfied, although glory was expected, it was not necessary, as a knight, it was my duty to maintain justice and order. ”

"yes, that's what you really think?" Nerfi turned his head silently, his eyes blurred as he looked at the sea.

Stan looked at Nerfi's cold face, and an inexplicable sense of loss welled up in his heart, as if an invisible wall had risen between the two.