From the second day onwards, the distance between the two of them every day was slightly shorter than the previous day.

It's not just because Ann needs to rest. The horses they rode were also not well suited for long runs of this intensity. As the son of a knight of the Northern Empire, Elio grew up mingling with all kinds of horses and naturally knew how to keep them in shape.

Even so, the speed of horseback riding is still much faster than on foot. Not long after the departure on the third day, the two had already left the border of the Oron Empire and stepped into the territory of the Cult of San Leon.

According to Ann's estimates, it was about 120 miles away from the hotel where they departed. Not far to the south is the Ymir Forest, where evergreen iron chestnut trees and bread trees are connected, and the canopy of the trees spreads out at a height of more than ten meters, like thick green clouds. She remembered that it was written in the book that the Erna people in the south of the continent were very fond of these two kinds of trees. The seeds of iron chestnut are rich in oil and can be used to make pigments or paints; The fruit of the bread tree is one of their favorite foods.

It's not as vast as the Forest of Parting and the Breeze Forest, but if you enter without a guide, you're probably going to get lost.

"Wow - there are so many trees here, too." Elio exclaimed, exaggeratedly, "They're not going to run into this, are they?" Inside the knights, the robbers seem to ...... Generally out of the woods and hillsides! ”

So let's watch less, and give Elio a blank look. She didn't think the 'bandits' would go deep into the forest. There are better ways to get to the Roland Confederation than through the forest; As for camping...... The lack of water nearby, and the damp and muddy woods due to the recent autumn rains, were no good place to be—unless they could live in the trees like the Elna people.

Elio shrugged his shoulders and continued to follow Ann, apparently not taking his words seriously. Nearly noon, the boy spotted a fresh enough rut on the ground, so the two slowed down further, cautiously observing the scenery ahead and on both sides.

"I'm sure those guys aren't far from around – I can smell them already!" Elio muttered to himself, suddenly tightening the reins and stopping the horses, "They're off the road." Ann, do you want to catch up? ”

The girl nodded, and slid lightly off the horse.

The location of the 'enemy' camp should not be far from the avenue, and it is even less likely to attract attention when approaching on foot. This time the young knight walked ahead, and Ann carefully followed. They followed a gentle ramp into the alluvial plains of the southern part of the church.

The fields are dotted with small patches of woods, grasses, wastelands, and farmland, through which the Tatar River meanders. At this time, it is still the flood season, but judging from the water level of the river and the rainfall in the past few days, it is unlikely that the embankment will burst. She looked down at her feet, avoiding tripping over tree roots or something, as she made a note of her surroundings and topography.

Elio stopped abruptly and patted her on the shoulder. Ann raised her gaze in the direction of the boy's finger, and through the gap between the tree trunks, she saw that the "target" they had been chasing was in the middle of the wasteland not far away.

She walked as lightly as she could, trying to get closer with the help of the trees. Now the camp was only a hundred meters away from her, and the general structure and layout were clearly visible—however, it was not what the girl wanted to see.

The outermost layer of the camp was a fence made of wooden strips, a section of which was dug into the earth and reinforced with ropes. The tents were neatly arranged in the open space, surrounded by wooden frames and tarpaulin, and although they were rudimentary, each one was almost the same. She turned her gaze a little and found open space for cooking pots and a ditch dug between the tents for garbage and excrement. A man in a cloak and a spear in his hand stepped into her line of sight, and Ann quickly retreated behind a tree to avoid being noticed by the other party.

It's not like a robber at all...... Or a gathering place for the remnants, closer to a small makeshift barracks. Judging from the number of tents, the number of enemies was far more numerous than the innkeeper had described, and it was estimated that there were more than a hundred. This was barely what she expected - even if it was a real bandit, it was not necessary to go out every time.

The question is, what's next?

The ratio of numbers is six to one hundred. Even if both Bell and Elio were outnumbered, there was no chance of victory in a head-on battle, whether it was a strong attack or a sneak attack. If the other party is a rabble, she can also let Elio infiltrate at night, or cause a riot to create an opportunity; But looking at it now, it is obvious that the ingredient of doing so is a little bigger.

"Well, what do you want me to do next?" A slightly muffled voice came from behind him, and his tone was the same as usual, "Don't worry, it's just a bunch of bandits." There are more people, but there is nothing to be afraid of! ”

She looked back. The boy's gaze was relaxed and determined, as if he was convinced that the two of them could solve any problem. I don't know if this fearlessness and confidence is the nature of the teenager, or the aftermath of the contract with Pyrassine, which according to Ann's memory should have been completely dissolved after Dikdullah's death.

Wait a minute, if she's not mistaken...... Dragon Lich, it seems that it is very difficult to "really" kill?

If the black dragon would still be resurrected, in a sense, they would not have fulfilled the requirements of the contract. This is probably a 'little trick' played by Pyrassine, and at this moment, it makes Elio's combat power more worthy of reliance.

Although still limited.

She suddenly felt a little envious of Lily and Jill, as well as the other two companions mentioned by the mercenary. If you are also a witch, or have the power of a mercenary, many difficulties can be solved, right?

That's all pointless assumptions. Letting Elio take senseless risks was not an option she could accept.

Settle your eyes and lean your back against the trunk of the tree to calm your slightly confused mind. No help could be brought in in a hurry, and according to the innkeeper, Elena and Grum should not be in danger of life. Now it is more important to find out the purpose of the other party and the reason for taking the two of them.

"Let's keep watching, try not to be spotted, and wait until Bell and the others come over." She turned the notebook to the boy, "Can you do it?"

The young knight straightened his face and nodded earnestly.

……

That night, Ann and Elio carefully pitched their tents in the woods three or four hundred meters away from the wasteland.

In order to avoid being detected, the two did not light a bonfire, and only ate some water and dry food for dinner. Luckily, the sunny weather lasted until the next day, so they didn't have to spend the night in the cold and wet.

Every two hours, Elio would travel to a location where he could see the 'enemy' and report back to her on the results of his investigation. The sun soon rose again, and Ann tried to drive away her sleepiness and observe the camp with the boy.

To her surprise, the group of 'remnants' did not leave the camp the next day, and even on the third day. At every time of the day, the camp is calm and secure; No less than four sentinels patrolled the camp day or night, and with her and Elio's abilities, there was no room for any omissions worth exploiting.

They had seen a short, stout figure that seemed to be of a Beron. But it's too far away to determine the identity of the other party, let alone try to make contact.

There is no point in continuing to observe, Ann said. She returned to the tent and sat cross-legged on the mat, trying to rearrange all the clues and experiences of her reunion with Bell until now.

It wasn't the ordinary remnants of the army who ambushed Elena's group, and their identities had probably been investigated - according to Bell, they were "messengers of God". Since the other party has come to the territory of the church, the purpose is to use them, not to harm them.

The nearby Tatar River is often diverted during the summer months, leaving behind many remnants of sand banks, depressions and river channels. Due to frequent flooding, the nearby alluvial plains are sparsely populated and are not suitable for long-term strongholds. The other party stationed the camp here, more like waiting for a certain moment...... Or a particular person.

She remembered the vague anomaly of the journey. Bell, who had been heading west, turned back to the inn to the east. At the cost of a meal, she won the approval of Bell's 'men'. From the innkeeper, they learned of the whereabouts of Elena and her group, and decided to catch up—

Assuming that the 'enemy' has more information and a certain purpose, these beads that seem to be worn together have a proper explanation.

Everything is just speculation, but it is no longer without reason. Ideas gradually took shape in her mind, and she closed her eyes and organized them into a suitable plan. It's not perfect, it's not safe, but it's barely viable compared to the others.

She sat up and explained her thoughts to the teenager beside her. Elio carefully read the words she had written, thought for a few seconds, and then smiled brightly.

"I like the idea." The young man waved his fist as he spoke, "With me here, you can put a hundred hearts!" ”