When the group left the "Warm Dreams" hotel, the morning sun had just completely risen above the horizon. The sun shines across the vast plains, piercing through the faint morning mist and gilding the front with brilliant gold. The autumn wind descends the field, causing the ears of rice to ripen slightly, but I wonder if the people who raised them will still have enough time to enjoy the joy of the harvest.

Ann took a few deep breaths, letting the moist air pass through her nasal passages and dispel any remaining sleepiness in her mind. Then, with the help of the young knight, she boarded the Annal horse that had accompanied her for more than ten days, and which she called 'Red Bean'. She adjusted her sitting position, checked her luggage one more time—the most important of course, the diary—and fastened her bag securely.

"Let's go first!" Elio then rolled over and waved to the Perons munching on breakfast, "Hey, don't be ambushed by anyone, Big Stupid Bear!" ”

Bell muttered something muttered. Ann didn't hear it at all, and it wasn't important to think about it. She kicked the horse lightly in the belly and brought it to the young knight with the reins.

Elio gave her an encouraging look. The girl nodded, leaned down slightly, and then tightened her legs so that the horse began to trot.

In order to find the bandits as quickly as possible, Ann and Elio decided to set off on horseback, with Bell and his men following suit. One of the remnants of the group was a hunter who claimed to have a way to keep up with them even if it rained.

The two of them walked along the wide, uninhabited avenue, as fast as they could—more precisely, at a speed that Ann could control. The young knight rode his horse with ease, keeping himself about two meters away from the maiden, and walked side by side with her.

The rammed trade road was flat and solid, and yesterday's drizzle did not make it muddy. It stretches east in a straight line, and not far north is the Tatar River, the largest tributary of the Bresson River, and the border between the Orren Empire and the Fleld. From time to time, Ann raised his head from the horse's back and compared the surrounding terrain with the map in his memory to confirm the current location of the two.

For Ann, this journey was a big test.

It is true that the inferior horses ridden by the two can't run too fast, but staying on the back of a bumpy horse for a long time is also a very physically demanding thing. The young knight kept an eye on her and asked her to rest every hour, so that the horse could regain his spirits.

Maybe it's better not to rest, An muttered to himself. The refreshment of the wind on his cheeks, the euphoria of watching the scenery pass by quickly—all of this turned into fatigue and soreness in his body when he stopped. And she knew that when she woke up tomorrow, these bad feelings would be raised to another level.

Elio had persuaded her to join Bell and the others, but Ann insisted on doing so. Her physique didn't allow her to fight like a young knight, and at least when it came to analyzing clues and making plans, she hoped she could make a difference. And that requires sufficient, authentic and detailed clues that she has personally investigated and confirmed.

As for whether it still contains the thoughts of some girls, Ann can't say yet. But it didn't matter, she said to herself, they still had a lot of time.

The sun was turning south, and it had been three or four hours since they left the inn. The road in front of them had never been walked before, but judging from the map in her hand, the next fork in the road was hundreds of miles away, enough for them to catch up with the people who had left three days earlier.

There are two roads east of the hotel. The one to the south leads to the Roland Federation, which is the road where the two of them came. If a team of more than 20 people misfits them, it will attract Elio's attention. Ann had asked the teenager before, and as expected, she received a negative answer.

In this way, the greatest possibility is that those people are following the route they are currently pursuing, heading further east to the Church of San Leon. That doesn't seem like a wise choice - the Cult's hostility to the Oron Empire has been evident in recent days, and even if you surrender as a remnant, you won't get much preferential treatment. Or is it ...... 'those people' intent on using Elena as a bargaining chip in exchange for some promise from the Church?

Ann unconsciously closed her eyes, trying to catch a glimmer of light in her thoughts. As a result, her hands that grasped the reins also used a little more force—'Red Bean' turned sharply in a different direction, startling the girl into a cold sweat. She hurriedly hugged the horse's neck to prevent the whole person from rolling down.

"Be careful, Ann!" Elio quickly reined in his horse and approached with some concern, "It's almost time for lunch!" Don't be too strong, everyone has something they are not good at, just follow ...... I can't always memorize the rules of knighthood! ”

What kind of metaphor is this, the girl couldn't help but laugh. But Ann understands that Elio's concern is genuine, and that he is right. Her riding skills and physical strength are weaknesses, and forcibly ignoring this will only cause trouble for herself and others.

She soothed the horse, and carefully slid it off its back to the ground—at least for this matter, she could no longer rely on the help of the young knight, thought to peace.

……

On the first day, they didn't stop completely until the sun began to sink into the horizon. Elio cooks as usual—he picks up a large handful of mushrooms from the nearby woods, and Ann identifies the edible varieties. Two horses were tethered to a young oak tree, and their heads bowed to nibble on the blades of grass that had just begun to turn yellow.

The canopy soon turned from fiery red to inky blue, and then to a starry silver glow. There was silence all around, except for the crackling of the campfire. Ann gently sipped the warm soup and munched on the rather soft dough to let the warmth dispel the fatigue inside and outside her body.

The young knight ate a little faster than she did. He put down the bowl, got up and fed the horses two handfuls of beans, and sat back beside her whistling. "What do you think? Go to bed early, there's still a lot of work to do tomorrow! ”

Ann turned her head and looked at the young man with a serious look. "Speaking of which, Elio, what is your wish?"

"Eh, what's the ...... Suddenly asked this? The young man was stunned for a moment, and then thought seriously, "Probably...... Belch...... Haven't thought about it yet? ”

She shook her head amusedly, and flipped the page of the notebook full of words in her hand, "You are a descendant of knights, and you will one day inherit the responsibilities of the family. Until then, if you have any wishes, I will do my best to help you fulfill them."

"What are you talking about, it sounds so serious......" Elio muttered quietly, and then his eyes suddenly flashed, "In that case, my wish is - where Miss Ann goes, I will go!" ”

An was stunned for a moment, not knowing whether to laugh or be a little moved, but the corners of his mouth involuntarily provoked. She turned, her back to the jumping campfire, charcoal lightly tracing the trajectory on the paper.

"Since that's all said, it's not bad to help you make your wish come true."

Then she closed the notebook and did not let the boy see the sentence.