Night falls, and tomorrow comes.

Tess only had a silver thread left, which meant that there was not much left of the autumn moon. Lily woke up with the sun, wiped her face by the river, threw the scraps of kitchen utensils into her backpack, and got up to work again.

She didn't go at full speed, and she retained her human form—she had plenty of time anyway. Ariel had no objection to her decision. In fact, if it weren't for Lily taking the initiative to provoke the conversation, the Celestials would hardly have said a word. During the daily break, the female mercenary took the initiative to serve each other a bowl of stew, and the Celestial Clan then thanked each other succinctly, which became the only communication between the two.

Since the sixth day of the journey, the rainstorm has been uninvited. The sky was iron gray, the gloomy clouds were almost palpable, and the rain fell like countless sharp swords, failing to pierce the rammed trade routes, but turning the fields on both sides into swamps. The nearby broad-leaved trees were originally only half-bald, but now there are no leaves left, only the withered branches stretching out into the sky.

The wind swept by, and thousands of branches danced wildly like arms, venting the anger that had been stored for a long time. From time to time, pale lightning pierced the sky, and in an instant it was engulfed by clouds; Then there was a continuous low roar, like a herd of beasts galloping, never ending.

The rainy season in the Oren Empire is mostly in the summer, which is somewhat unusual at this time, but Lily is too lazy to care. She walked unhurriedly, the rain soaking her woollen cloak, coat, burlap trousers and boots, bringing the coolness of late autumn. She tilted her head slightly, letting the liquid run across her face, into her mouth, and swallowed.

Sure enough, there was no taste, she licked her lips, wiped her face, and turned her head. Ariel walked quietly beside her, the greatsword in her hand, the silver armor clashing lightly, making a crisp sound.

Even though it was gloomy and dark, the Celestials' long rainbow-colored hair was still shiny and shiny. There aren't many people who have seen Ariel, not to mention the many who died in the royal court of Golden Spike City, but her identity is never a secret to those who have a heart. As a true "messenger of the gods", I am afraid that as soon as she opened her mouth, many believers willingly drank the potion—even many nobles of the empire.

By now, Lily had embraced Femir's ideals; Aside from her former relatives and friends, she doesn't care much about mortal lives. It's just that the current practice is a bit ...... for Lily or September in the past Not "upright" enough.

"—you're becoming less and less like yourself, Lily."

She seemed to hear Yufie's words, and understood that it was just her own imagination. If it were Al, how would you evaluate her now? A voice told Lily that no matter when, where, or what she did, the organists would not dislike her...... She pushed the voice away, avoiding herself from thinking about other possibilities.

The rain continued on the second day, and on the third day. The harsh weather somewhat obscured her sight and hearing, and the distraction of her thoughts lowered her vigilance. It wasn't until the rain suddenly stopped in front of her that Lily realized that she had been ambushed.

A transparent barrier of blue color rose from the mud of the ground and converged at the zenith, enveloping the mercenaries and the Celestials. Lily instantly turned into a giant wolf and ran to the farther end of the 'cage'. She leaned her head and slammed her body into the barrier with all her might, but it seemed to rush into a thick, viscous liquid without making the slightest sound.

She took two steps back in exasperation, tearing the barrier apart with claws big enough to shatter the rock, but to no avail.

"Calm down, Lily." Ariel somehow came to her side and slapped her on the shoulder with her greatsword, "Don't forget, Master Stark never panics. ”

She's Lily, not Femir, and she can't control everything. The mercenary thought so, but finally calmed down. A group of humans emerged from the air not far away, or slowly descended from the sky. They are half male and half female, most of them are middle-aged in appearance, and some are not old. All wore crimson velvet robes embroidered with gold thread with books, precious stones, and ribbons – representing knowledge, wealth, and companionship.

A wizard of the Arcane Federation. Lily licked her lips and narrowed her eyes, staring at them without showing any hint of weakness.

She remembered that Yuffie had mentioned that while she still believed that occult art was the preserve of a few gifted, the wizards of the Federation believed that more knowledge and power could be gained by sharing it with others than studying it alone. Lily had thought they were cuter than the White Tower Wizards, but now, she didn't want to see them at all.

A gray-haired wizard with a short beard approached the two, and the sound created by the occult art pierced through the barrier and exploded in her ears.

"I've finally caught you, Stark's vicious dog." He pointed the staff in his hand at the two of them, his gaze was as cold as frost, "What else do you have to say before you die?" ”

"We're wolves, not dogs, wipe your eyes to the brim?" Lily raised her head and let out a breath from her nostrils, "It's up to you, if you want to defeat Fermir, it's still a hundred years early!" ”

She tried to appear fearless, but her heart was full of unease. What should I do? There were more than thirty enemies in all—most of them perhaps not as strong as Fermir or Ariel, but they were more than enough to make up for it. The barrier in front of him blocked the way, and even blocked the passage to the astral plane...... And judging from the attitude of the other party, it is obvious that they did not intend to let them leave alive.

The wizard's staff swung and began to chant a lengthy incantation. But a middle-aged woman stepped forward and raised her hand to press down on the staff.

"Killing them won't solve the problem." She said, turning to Lily and Ariel, "Tell me, what did Femir Stark ask you to do?" ”

I won't say a word, Lily thought to herself. If she fought with all her strength, plus the Celestial Clan around her, she would probably be able to kill two or three wizards...... Or a little more. As for their endings, most of them are the same as the blue dragon, but what is there to be afraid of?

It's just a death. Anyone will die, and she is no exception.

"Master Stark has created a drug that will immortalize life." A clear voice sounded from beside him, and the silver-white giant wolf turned his head and stared at Ariel, the Caleb Celestial with a smile on his face, his voice as steady as ever, "We are taking them all over the continent and giving them to those in high positions. ”

"Bastard." The gray-robed man's face was cold, "That madman, are you going to turn them into zombies too!" ”

"Not really." The Celestial Clan shook his head calmly, "The effect of the potion is real. Those who take it can share a part of Edda's power, saving them from disease, injury, aging, and death. As for the cost—"

Lily didn't believe that Ariel would betray Fermir, but she couldn't understand what the Celestials were doing. She was about to stop the other from talking, but a flash of light from the outside of the barrier temporarily caught her eye.

The silver door spread out not far away. A red-robed Erna male appeared from it and walked in three or two steps to the gray-haired wizard.

"She's not lying." Lily stared at the male's lips and struggled to read what he said, "I killed Grant twice and he came back to life. Spells that imprisoned his mind were useless, and his soul was too strong to be stripped from his body. ”

"—When the scheduled time comes, all those who drink the potion will compete for victory and defeat on the battlefield of the soul." Ariel continued, undisturbed, "The loser will return to nothingness, and the only victor will gain true eternity." ”

The wizards exchanged glances and fell silent. Lily glanced at the Celestial Clan, and suddenly realized something. Perhaps Fermier had foreseen what was in front of him, and even Ariel. The ideal target of the black-robed wizard was not a king or a nobleman from the beginning......

It's the group of people in front of you.

She exhaled, turned back into human form, took the package that Femir had given her from her bosom, and looked at the red-robed wizards with contempt.

"They're right here. Aren't you going to give it a try? ”

"Shut up." The gray-haired man yelled, "Only fools want eternal life—"

"We didn't say eternal life." The mercenary's face was even more sneering, "Fermir drank it too, just like Grant." She shook the bag deliberately, "You only have ...... if you want to kill him And the last chance? ”

She's telling the truth. What's more, the other side also knows this. The red-robed wizards stopped paying attention to the two of them, and instead gathered around in groups, trying to discuss in a way she couldn't detect. This gave Lily a chance to escape, but she didn't try, after understanding Femir's purpose.

The longer the wizards discussed, the more certain she became that they would accept the 'offer'. But Lily can't confirm her fate. The wizard may cast various spells to get clues that she is reluctant to confide in; Or they will kill her with a vengeance, just because of the murder she had. At best, she could be imprisoned within the Federation until Fermier wins the war for souls...... or perdition.

She sat cross-legged, staring at the ground without saying a word, trying to put her worries about the outcome behind her. Many figures or names flashed before her eyes, Louvier, Alphonse, Yuffie, Pfister...... Fermier. Nothing seemed to frustrate Fermier. Is he worried about her safety? Would he feel sorry if she died here?

Or is it ...... That wasn't what he wanted, but it was still in his expectation?

The wizards have finally come to a conclusion. The gray-haired wizard seemed a little dissatisfied, and even deliberately took a few steps away from her. The last Elna walked to the barrier, sending a cold, disgusted voice to her ears.

"Don't resist." "We don't want to startle you, so we're not going to kill you — at least for now," he said. ”

The mercenary glanced at Ariel, and the Celestial nodded calmly at her, "Please trust Lord Stark. ”

So Lily did as she was told, pinning her hopes on Femir's victory.