Under Ang's arrangement, Sora and Urfa were led by the knights of the military camp to the stable area for refugees built next to the camp, or to the excess population that could not be fully reached by the supply of the army's relief convoy, or to the dying victims encountered by the parade convoy on the way. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 infoMany people who have lost their shelter and ability to survive are led by the knights, enjoying the care of the state and the order, living day and night.

In a world where the entire land has been scorched by war, the only place of hope is in this region that was established by the knights of the state themselves, and which seems to be a land of disaster.

On the first day, Sora stepped into the gate of the so-called stable zone and saw a scene that was not similar to what he thought.

Although the wooden houses are rough, it can still be seen that they were built with care, but rather than houses, they are more of a simple dwelling place like the barracks tents, arranged one by one, and three meals a day can be received from the army to receive the same food as the soldiers, more often it is a variety of wild vegetables and mushrooms, and compressed flour food, and occasionally there will be game hunted by the troops, and the amount distributed to the people will even exceed the soldiers.

It's a place that's no worse than living outside and wandering.

Kekong saw the people living in it, saw that their yellow and thin faces still had a blank gaze, and the able-bodied people and the disabled people sat on the same wall of the house, and only felt that the "refugee stable area" was like a picture with only a different background compared to the outside world.

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The next day, Sora had spent the most boring mornings and complicated days of his life, waking up early, earlier than any other people who lived here, a habit formed when he was with tall men, who were alone in the wilderness, and who were always in danger of encountering beasts or enemies, so that he never slept very deadly, and sometimes he did not necessarily hunt enough food at the end of the day, so he often got up early and went to bed late.

It took Sora less than half a morning to visit all the areas of Anding District, which is indeed a place with guaranteed shelter and food, and it is just a "ruined town" and nothing more.

When he walked around the fence wall, stood at the center point of this place again, and looked at this living area, which was actually very small, this place that was no different from the outside world without the same layer of fences, and suddenly it was so big and empty, he was dazed, and he was dazed, thinking about his future life.

He would spend countless days to come, either slumped on the ground with lifeless people, or again and again, walking countless circles around the borders of this narrow place.

Here, there are enough resources so that people will not starve or freeze, here, there is enough safety to reassure people that they will not continue to be invaded by war, here, is it really the only place of hope left on this earth?

On the third day, Sora walked to the gate of the military camp bordering the region, and he suddenly thought if he could go out and have a look.

"You can't pass through this door casually, and it's a little friend like you," the knight who was guarding the door stopped him, "for the sake of protection." ”

Sora looked at the closed door, and felt as if there was a commotion in his heart that had just been ignited, which was quickly extinguished, and he continued to look back in a daze, only to see a paragraph called "Recruitment Office".

The so-called "conscription office", which is open to the guard in charge of the gate, has a knight shift stationed every few times, waiting for people who are willing to leave the stable area and join the order, but more often than not, there is only an empty knight standing guard.

It's like a lively puppet suddenly mixed in with the boring antiquities exhibition hall, which attracts children's attention more than anything else, although this "military recruitment office" is not a fun thing.

"Why did you build a place here called the 'Recruiting Office'?" Sora leaned on the other side of the table, tilting his head and asking the knight in charge of the guard behind the table.

"Because the manpower of the army is never guaranteed to be sufficient, sometimes we lose a lot of people in a day, dozens, hundreds, and even some of our compatriots in the same armor, halfway through the wilderness that everyone knows, and never come back. The knight said, though he didn't care whether the child understood the question, perhaps just to let out a sigh.

Sora was indeed ignorant, but he could think of the bearded man and the tall man, he buried the tall man next to the melon field, and the bearded man, he couldn't even find his way back to the forest, he would be sad to think of this.

"Why, no one wants to be a knight?"

Sora imagined that every time he woke up, he saw the two reassuring figures, and through the holes in their external forces or cloaks, he could see the cyan roses engraved on the layer of armor inside.

At that time, he completely agreed with the bearded man's explanation of the knight in his heart, and even deified it even more, he felt that the knight was really the most powerful person in the world, they were great enough and strong enough to protect everyone, and could make anyone feel extremely relieved because of it, and was willing to rely on it without scruples.

Until he listened to the bearded man's last words of concern and had to watch him fall, until he buried the cold tall man into the ground with his own hands in pain, he knew the coldness of the ground when he knelt on the ground, the coldness of his heart, the pain of his fingers breaking the skin when he cut the dirt with his bare hands, and the pain in his heart.

Only then did I know that those people wore the majestic rose iron armor, but they were still human.

"Since we can live in peace, and there will be no shortage of food and water, who would let it go and run to touch those heavy iron clothes and cold blades on such a day?" the knight shrugged.

"Then why do you want to be a knight?" Sora asked.

The knight was surprised, he didn't think that the kid in front of him would ask such a question, whether it was an unintentional question or not, the knight was silent, his hand subconsciously held the pendant on his waist, a pendant that he would never know in his life, only about the knight's own pendant.

"Do you really want to go out?" the knight asked suddenly.

"Yes!" Sora nodded vigorously, even if it was only for a day or two, but staying in this place, in this stable place where food and clothing were worry-free, made him feel unbearable.

"There will be the customary memorial service tonight, and the living pray for those who have died, for the comrades who have died, and for the relatives of the comrades who have died for some reason," said the knight, looking in the direction of the barracks, his hand not letting go but clenching it tighter, "You should know that here to the southwest, every night there will be about half an hour, and there will be a red fire burning there. ”

"When I went to bed last night, I woke up halfway through and saw it, I kept following the red light, and I could hear a lot of crying in the distance against the fence. ”

"Well," replied the knight, "your hearing is pretty good. ”

So he ran out that night, and with the help of the knight's unselfish intentions, he tried to remember the way to the afterlife, and sneaked into the bushes to hide, and he picked up the leaves and saw that the knights not far away had formed many circles around the bonfire in the center, and a large number of wooden stakes were piled up to make huge supports, which were hung with nameplates proving the identity of the knights, and the knights took turns to go to the front and prayed silently, and then each took out a different style of clothing and threw it into the fire, which, according to the knights on guard, were the clothes of the knights' relatives and lovers who had just died。

It is said that the bodies of the fallen knights and their deceased relatives will be buried in a place that means to them, because this is their homeland during their lifetime, and the people who are still alive will leave the only thing that holds the ties of the deceased to carry with them forever, because it is the last thought left for the living, and throw the rest of their clothes into the flames, hoping that their souls will be able to get rid of the dark earth and go to the beautiful sky, where the place where the gods live has the most beautiful scenery and the most carefree world。

Sora watched those clothes of different colors gradually turn into countless powders in the flames and rise into the air, listening to the squeaks of those nameplates in the smoke, and listening to the unbridled cries all around the flames, as if for these knights, only at this time they were allowed to cry and cry to their heart's content, so they had to cry out a lifetime of reluctance and sorrow at a time.

Maybe knights are not the invulnerable existence they imagined, they will cry, they will show a fragile face like themselves, no one else, maybe knights, but also just people.

"What will happen after that?" Later, Sora asked again when he returned, "Everyone lit a huge bonfire and cried hard." ”

"When they woke up the next day, they were still the same knights as yesterday, putting on their armor, holding their weapons, practicing day and night, always ready to rush into battle. ”

That night, Sora did not listen to the knight's request to return, he hid in the bushes, and waited for most of them to go back to sleep, and the whole barracks became quiet except for the night watchmen, and he came out of the bushes, and he walked out of the stable area, and wandered a little confused in the larger barracks.

Sora looked up at the gray sky without a moon, thinking that this sky had always been so gloomy, thinking that whether it was a paralyzed person or a knight, everyone had always lived under such a depressing sky, some people walked the dead day and night, and some people worked day and night to polish themselves with fatigue and sweat without fear, just to send themselves to the battlefield that may never return.

Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound, only when the weapon was wielded, it would make a unique wind sound, clearer than a sword, and faster than a blunt weapon!

Sora took a quick step and ran to search, he ran to a training ground, and looked at the quiet place that was already empty, there was still a figure still swaying in the night, and the spear in the man's hand struggled to cut through the air.

Sora stepped in slowly, and he didn't expect that he would expose the fact that he had sneaked out, but he was attracted by the figure of the man wielding a gun, and his feet moved forward uncontrollably, and he approached the man, and all he saw was an unfamiliar face.

"Child, why is the Anding District here at this time?" the other party sensed the approach of the air, but only his mouth moved, the movement of swinging the gun did not stop or relax, and the tense face did not slacken, and the residents of the Anding District sneaked out and other things, although they involved the rules that were formulated, but to this knight who practiced the spear seemed to be of no importance at all.

Sora didn't know how to answer, but he still stood still, and he kept standing still when the knight didn't stop, he wanted to see this knight practicing his spear.

Sora didn't deliberately disturb, and the knight wouldn't leave with Sora, and under Sora's gaze, the spear danced in the knight's hand, with a different arc from the tall man's hand, but it seemed to be able to stab the same shadow at any time, and Sora was stunned.

He thought that in his life, he might never see this gun-wielding appearance again.

It turns out that tall people are not the only ones in this world, there are too many people like him, who can dance the same gun as him, who can guard the whole night with the tenacity of him, these people who are about to go to the battlefield, the one who does not have the courage to block his life?

"Do you have a younger brother too?" Sora subconsciously asked such a question, which seemed strange to outsiders, and when he opened his mouth, there were often tears hanging in his eyes.

The knight did not say a word, and waved his spear again and again.

There are not many words, serious looking, fascinated, serious appearance, as if he doesn't want to let go of any details and actions, as if this scene will be the last time he can go to see quietly in his life, like the deep forest covered with snow at that time, he squatted under the tree, watching the tall man hold the barrel of the gun, as if holding some kind of resoluteness.

It wasn't until a long time that a retraction was used as a finale to close the knight's spear point.

"No, I was an only child at home, and my parents were very nice to me, they took care of me for half my life, but I left them behind and ran from one end of the map to the other. The knight said that he had not ignored the problem of emptiness.

"You left your parents, don't they love you, don't you treat them as family?" asked Sora, puzzled.

"No, they love me very much, of course they are my family, but when they died, I was still far away, and I didn't have time to go back and say another word to them, and I could only hold back the words in my heart forever," the knight stood quietly, and looked into the distance quietly," They lived at the beginning of the war, and I was at home on the other side of the border, where I had my beloved wife and children, who were with me for the rest of my life, and where they lived, behind the line where the barracks were stationed, where the war did not reach in the end. ”

As soon as the knight gritted his teeth, the spear that he was about to put away actually made a start-up movement again, and he worked harder than before, as if every shot was stuffed with something.

It turns out that in this world, where is there anything powerful enough to protect everything and make everything feel at ease, the knight is just a skin, anyone can wear it, in this world, there are only people.

Later, he went back and was beaten by the guards.

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He went back that day and went to sleep, and had a long dream, in which he seemed to relive his life, and he dreamed that he was sitting in the hall under the magnificent dome, and he sat quietly and watched everything around him be swallowed up by the flames and collapse, and the man whom he called his father spoke to himself.

One day, you too will become someone else's reliance......

After saying that, he mounted his horse and left, in order to protect those who depended on him, for the sake of this place, which had not yet reached the flames of war.

Sora quietly watched the picture distort and change, the fire burned everything around, burned the night sky and the snowfield, burned out the cave where the fire crackled and sparks came out, the men looked at a boy falling from the sky in front of them in a hurry, the tall man thought about it and decided to go out to hunt food again, the bearded man thought for a long time and then escaped from the bag with the few remaining sweet potatoes, cautiously like the father of the child.

He said, we will all live, he said, I swear to bring you back to a safe and secure place, he said, the Knights are the last hope......

Sora watched quietly as the two drove away, carrying the boy they had picked up, and together they walked through the mountains, around the river, through the dense jungle, and they made a fire by the frozen lake, and the bearded man told the boy their story, and the other man began his long vigil with a spear.

The man said that they had all lost the motivation to live strongly, and that they were all people who had been torn apart in their hearts, just living in vain, holding on to the last bit of ruthlessness for a while......

Sora watched quietly, watching the man take him to hunt wild animals, teach him marksmanship, like a brother and a father and son, they were attacked in the forest, hid in a cave, and then faced the siege of beasts and enemies together, the man protected the boy as desperately as he could, and the blood flowed all over his body to block the footsteps of the enemies who approached the boy.

Those who he loved so much said, I will never let you hurt my family again!

Sora continued to watch quietly, watching the bearded man stand in front of the enemy army, and in order to let the convoy carrying the boy run as far as possible, he allowed his body to gradually collapse before being caught up by the enemy.

He said that at the end of our hopeless life, you are like a gift from God, making us like the last moment, and grasping a straw, so that we can finally fight for what is worth it, and fight again......

Sooner or later, he said, you will meet people who really deserve to be your family, who will accompany you through the days to come......

.......

The boy asked, "Can you be my family?"

Men say you're going to meet people who belong to you.

The boy asked, I just want my family.

The men say, "You are our family."

Sora watched quietly and cried quietly.

On the third day, Sora woke up and saw Urfa sleeping next to him holding his clothes, and the night he ran out, he secretly acted while Urfa was asleep, he was afraid that this kind of violation of the rules would also involve Urfa, and at this moment Urfa's two eyes were red, as if he had been soaked in water for a day and a night.

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That night, I heard that a group of migratory wolves had traveled and had been hunted by the squad, so they distributed two large pieces of meat to each of them.

All the refugees received the food and began to eat frantically, holding the food empty, he didn't eat, he couldn't eat, he looked at Urfa beside him, and Urfa didn't eat either.

"Aren't you hungry?" asked Sora.

Urfa nodded.

"Then why don't you eat it?"

"There used to be two days without eating. ”

"Then now that we have food, why can't we enjoy it?" Sora asked again, "Don't you think it's delicious?"

Urfa shook his head.

"I want to eat sweet potatoes. Urfa blinked his red, unfaded eyes, and moved his ass in the direction of the void.

"Well, I like sweet potatoes too," Sora nodded, smiling imperceptibly, "That's the best thing in the world." ”

"Hmm. Urfa also nodded in agreement and affirmation.

On the fourth day, Sora didn't go to get his food again, but only gave Urfa a portion, but Urfa saw that there was no food, so he pushed his share aside.

At night, when everyone was almost asleep, someone suddenly slapped Sora and Urfa on the shoulders behind him.

Sora was startled, and when he turned around, he saw the face of an old woman, it was an old man-like face he had never seen in this place, although it was full of folds, but the face was full of vitality and spirit, like an upright young woman who had been covered with a layer of aging skin, no, Sora had seen it, a face that fit this description, the old man who made all knights respect and fear, the old man who was called the chief knight.

"I have been listening to the people in charge of the cooking things talk about the things in this Anding area, and say that there is a child who is different from the others, and there are two eyes that are bright, like children living in war," said the old woman, "but today, this child does not seem to have eaten on time, and he will not grow up much without eating." ”

"I don't want to eat," Sora looked at the old woman's kind face, and didn't feel any unfriendly feelings, and let it touch her by default, "I can't eat it." ”

"Why can't you eat, is there anything wrong with your body?" the old woman naturally sat down on the empty left hand side, because the right hand side was dragged by Urfa, "You might as well tell me, everyone calls me Sharo, food supply and medical care, these logistical tasks are also entrusted to me." ”

"I think about things, so I can't eat. Sora said that he didn't have to say anything about himself for someone he had just met.

"That's good, then do you want to listen to the old woman and talk to me, are you unable to sleep, I can't sleep, at this time in the dead of night, we just happen to be companions. Sara said to herself.

"Who the hell are you, Grandma?"

"Yes, I can't tell what kind of identity I should be, although I am in this army, and I am asked by the old man to manage affairs with him, but in fact I am just an ordinary person who knows some magic, not a knight, and not a soldier. Sarah said.

"Not even a knight, so why do you want to stay here?"

"I am not a knight, but I once had a son, who was a very good knight, and now I can no longer see him, even if only for a glance. ”

"Yes, you're like that......" Sora never thought until now that he would be so sensitive to words like "can't see".

"Actually, it's just that he went to a very, very distant place, and then for many years, he never came back, and since the door was closed, even the news of him disappeared, and I sometimes wonder how he was doing, but until the war was over, he would never come back, and when he left, he was already old enough to get married, and I don't know if he could find me a daughter-in-law or something soon after going there, and by now, maybe I have a grandson or granddaughter," Salo sighed. Even if I do, maybe I won't be able to hug for the rest of my life," she said and smiled, "If I could, sometimes I even wondered if I could hold on until I saw my great-granddaughter." ”

"It's sad that you can't see the person you want to see again. Maybe there was a feeling of sympathy, and he began to talk back without much scruples.

"The reality is like this, many times, people want to be able to stay with the person they love for a long time, but often the weight of reality is pressed on you," Sharo's voice suddenly increased, "But, even so, I still want to see that person again, I want to touch her, hug her, and even be able to stand next to her forever, it's just that this vast and even empty world, and strange and complicated, there are always one or two or some people who can never walk in their hearts." ”

Sora listened silently.

"But you still have someone to see, it's still possible, I think, I'm very lucky. After that, he said.

"Are you gone, are you gone?"

Sora couldn't help but be stunned.

What do I have? Father, mother, uncles......

They're gone, they're gone, they're gone, they're never seen again, there's no point in doing anything.....

"Brother......" There was a small sound in his ears, and then there was a feeling of a heavy object falling on his shoulder, like a touch point walking sideways in the empty body, he turned his head sluggishly, looking at Urfa who had fallen asleep for some time.

Since when did you start calling me brother?

Just because I came to the barracks gate that day, when you were considered my brother, didn't I deny it? Be my brother...... Is it really good for you?

Can I be your brother?

If we were brothers, would we be able to become each other's family?

Tears swirled in the frame, and the empty body trembled.

"Grandma Sarah, I, I know that I am just a child, I have not experienced much at all, but I still feel so scared, this thing called reality, will be when I desire one or some people the most, I am afraid that they will be ruthlessly taken away from me, I also feel, I feel that there are a lot of heavy things to be pressed down, every time I imagine the future, what should I do, where to go, many times, I begin to feel that I am still repeating the past days, I am really afraid, really scared, I am very afraid of the feeling of losing the person I love......”

"Yes, the future or something, being pressed down by the weight of reality or something, that's true, something that has stumped countless people, it's not an exaggeration to say that it's the biggest enemy of people in the world," Sharo patted his empty shoulder, and suddenly said in a resolute tone, "But sometimes, we have lost so much, why, we have to lose it again?

Sora sobbed and trembled, looking down at Urfa, who was leaning against him, and saw his lips open slightly.

"Brother...... My brother doesn't eat it, and I don't eat it...... I'll just follow my brother......"

I want to work hard, try to face the unspeakable future and reality, will you follow me?

To be mine, to be my new family, to be someone who can be with me for the rest of my life?

"Grandma Sarah, why are you telling me so much?" Sora wiped away tears.

"It's not that I said, I'm just, I just want to come and talk to someone," Salo said with a smile, with a hidden moistness in his eyes, "Everyone is human, everyone will have it, I miss someone, I miss it to the point of being incomprehensible." ”

"Now, for the first time, I really want to work hard for someone," Sora wiped away his tears and stood up, as if to signal to someone who was already far away in the sky, "I want to be able to make the people around me rely on me without any scruples!

In my memory, when I saw it for the first time, the pattern of the cyan rose was so profound, just because it appeared on their bodies.

"I want to be a knight!"

In that moment, the boy grew into an adult.