(55) Imperial Capital (Yuffie Stanmitz, IV)
As she spoke, she mixed the potion in her hand and fed it to the few earthworms she had caught and carried with her. They also swelled rapidly www.biquge.info turning into huge worms more than a meter long and about twenty centimeters in diameter, with a reddish-copper sheen all over their bodies.
There was a rumor in the crowd that the huge worm, or mutated creature, seemed to have aroused a few people's resentment and disgust. But they were aware of the current situation, and they only talked about it in a low voice, and did not explicitly oppose Lynn's approach.
Lynn lowered her head and let out a pleasant and gentle moan. Yuphie had never learned the language of the dragons, but could understand the meaning of his friend's expression without any hindrance—"Drill out of here, all the way to the outer edge of the city, and leave the ground with soft dirt."
The earthworms seemed to understand what Lin meant, and scrambled to burrow into the ground from an open slab, leaving behind a tunnel filled with soft dirt. Yuffie stepped over and used his magic to press the dirt down, creating a tunnel that was a little narrow, but large enough for one person to pass.
In this way, the procession of dozens of people slowly moved along the passage opened by earthworms and completed by witches. The passage is only a little more than a meter high, and many people have no choice but to crawl on their own instead of standing and walking. Yuffie cast a levitation spell on herself, freeing her hands to shape the dirt in front of her.
About two kilometers or so, the whole team walked for more than an hour. As the ramp gradually turned upwards and finally returned to the earth, feeling the refreshing breeze and the clear light of 'Tess' at night, everyone couldn't help but exhale, straighten up, and soothe their aching and stiff limbs along the way. Yuffie was no exception, casting spells for a long time almost exhausted her physical strength. She closed her eyes and felt the power of the Lord of Heaven circulate through her body, slowly recovering her physical and mental depletion.
“…… Thank you for your help, Miss Witch. A middle-aged black-haired man with a goatee on his chin walked up to her and bowed respectfully, "Dare to ask, what can we repay?" ”
"About that." Lynn was the last to leave the tunnel and bounce over to her, not at all tired, "Your original job ...... I can't continue, right? ”
The man was silent for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile, "As you can see, we are just a bunch of fugitives now. ”
"In that case, I know of a temporary place to stay that is relatively safe for you within the Empire." Yuffie pondered for a moment, remembering the information he had received from Eskar not long ago, and calmly recounted, "If you trust me, you might as well go there with me." As for the return—" she pursed her lips slightly, "I'd like to hear what you've seen and heard, and what you've experienced before you've been imprisoned. These things can be said slowly after we get there, or on the way. ”
"You'd better find a town to rest before then, or you'll be too conspicuous in your outfit now." Lynn interjected, "I want to think about it...... We can pretend to be merchants and guards, or a larger mercenary group - by the way, who are you, uncle? ”
"Just do what you want." The man bowed his head and replied decisively, "You have successfully rescued us, and I trust your arrangements for the rest of the journey." As for my ......," he chuckled a somewhat self-deprecatingly, "the former foreign minister of the empire is still the teacher of the fourth and fifth princes...... It is a pity that His Majesty indulged in the illusion created by Kulen Dahl, and no longer listened to any opposition. ”
Yuffie turned his head and looked out at the panoramic view of the Imperial Capital from afar. As its name suggests, the current glow city is still brightly lit even at night. However, she knew that a huge hole might have been dug beneath the magnificence of the surface, and that as long as there was a source, it would cause a turbulent undercurrent.
She didn't want to be the one who brought the flood. Whether it is the Kamal of the empire or the Erna of the kingdom, there is not much difference in her eyes. Killing 10,000 lives to save another 10,000 lives is not a choice that anyone is qualified to make.
In many cases, however, the best of both worlds may not be the answer. The only thing she could do was to try to find the cause of the current war and try to solve it. As for what kind of reaction will be triggered by the emperor inside and outside after that, and how it will respond, no one is in the mind.
If you are a mother, how do you deal with this situation? Thinking of this, she clasped her hand to her chest, feeling the power in her body that belonged to Edda—or rather, the piece that her mother had given her, and whispered her name.
Everything seemed to be expected by anyone. The scene before her was blurry and clear, and she was once again her mother, sitting in the cozy hut she had been before, and the woman who was still called Merlin, her mother's unknown friend.
"Maybe you're right before, the best time has not yet come." Merlin brushed her long purple hair and said softly with a little regret, "The heroes have accelerated the course of history, but they have not been able to bring about the desired ending. I can see the result, but I don't know how to change it. ”
"It's their own choice, and the consequences can only be borne by them." She comforted the other softly, "You don't have to blame yourself too much, Merlin. All people fail, even heroes. ”
"So, Sister Alicia." Merlin asked softly, "You're not going to grant my request?" ”
She nodded, "It's not the time yet. You can't convince Bayard, can you? No one can make him change his mind until he has actually made a mistake and realizes it. After all...... He also has the same common human disease. ”
"I see." The purple-haired woman smiled softly and stood up, her gaze gradually becoming firm, "I won't give up on them." Perhaps the reason I'm doing all this is to show that humans can achieve anything, even without relying on the gods. ”
"What happened after that?" Her voice carried a hint of concern, "Don't think that when you're gone, I'll take over the mess you left behind." ”
"Somebody will do it." Merlene replied softly, "There's no shortage of heroes in this world - even if they don't think so. ”
"Goodbye, then, Sister Alicia."
She watched as the purple-haired woman got up and pushed open the door, her figure disappearing into the snow.
Everything is silent again, just like the same winter night ten years ago.
"It's just that when you're not there, I also feel lonely." She muttered to herself, "How long is it until the next meeting—"
The brief illusion dissipated, and a friend's whispered inquiry came in my ears. Yuffie opened his eyes to find himself still on the edge of Glowcity.
In Fang Cai's memory, the time when the purple-haired woman met her mother should have been on the eve of the disbandment of the "Brigade". As the true creator of "Brigade", she has never given up on her ideals. So, was her last effort a success or a failure? Did the hero she identified find a suitable successor?
-- Only time will tell.
She didn't know what fate she would usher in, what traces she would leave on the continent. But she understands that change is never something that can be caused by one or a few people. It is enough to do your own thing, and leave the rest to history to judge.
"Let's hurry up." "Before those poor guards are found," she said calmly. ”