"Two hundred and forty-seven years in the holy Leon calendar, the fourteenth day of the winter month.

The rain comes and goes, taking away a little warmth each time, and winter is quietly coming. But the war is still going on, and we are stuck in this time, trying to witness or change a history that has long been different.

Half a month is not too long. Even from the eighteenth day of the autumn month, the day we left the south and embarked on our journey, only a quarter of a year had passed. In the midst of busyness, time tends to go faster...... Making a pact with Kylo Russell feels like it was yesterday. But in the past few dozen days, there are several times more memories worth keeping than in the past year.

After forming an alliance with Elders, Kylo led us to the kingdom of Mellon, but nothing came of it. In the history books I've read, the Kingdom of Mellon stayed out of the early stages of the war until the northern part of the kingdom was turned into a desert by Fermir Stark's spells, and then willingly joined the coalition. Now that Femir has the help of Lily and the "living gods", the destruction of the original cannot happen. That's probably a good thing, but I can't predict what the future holds.

In addition, the contradictions between the Perons and the Erna can be traced back to two wars thousands of years ago; At the time of my life, there were only a few words of mutual derogation. Historians attribute it to the Covenant during the "Grey Wars" as an example of the friendship that war brings. Looking at it now, the good and bad of a piece of history is probably not as direct as in books.

The other side of the continent is good news. The Kingdom of Bedin, the current state of the Fritzians, did not point the finger at the neighboring Church, but continued to raise armaments and await the 'day of decisive battle'. From known indications, it is surmised that Jill Wind Whisper brought about this change. Her purpose in doing so was to defeat Fermir once more, so that she could learn where history was going and what happened to Fermir Stark.

Now I am beginning to confirm that she also has a part of the credit for coming to this history. Of course, Lily and I are equally responsible, and Elena, is no exception. Each of us has different, even conflicting, aspirations; Some of them can be achieved, and the other part will eventually be lost. In any case, I have gained a lot from this trip, and I should not be confused and have no right to regret it.

The only thing left is to look directly at fate and move forward."

The days of the winter moon are always short. The continuous rain in recent days has made it seem like night has come earlier. Ann stopped the pen in her hand and looked up, looking beyond the dim orange lights of the tent to blend into the dark plain.

She didn't wait long. The sound of small footsteps pierced through the rain and rushed from far to near. And her familiar, slightly excited voice came into the camp one step earlier.

"A big win!" Elio stopped in front of the girl and saluted her with his hand over her breast, "I'm back, Ann." ”

An looked at the young man, and his heart was settled. Compared to some time ago, Elio looks a little embarrassed, but he is also much more mature. His chin protruded from his short beard, perhaps in armor, and his body looked more solid than ever. The felt robes engraved with the coat of arms of the Holy Violet family were covered in blood, old and new, and there were several gray marks of sharp blades. But judging from the pace and sound just now, it was clear that the boy himself was intact.

He took off his light helmet from the dome, held it in his arms, and straightened his black hair, which was covered with sweat, and smiled brightly with his familiarity.

"The mercenaries were hiding in the woods north of the West Fran River, intending to launch a surprise attack at night." Elio looked satisfied, "I asked some of the sergeants to pretend to be fleeing caravans to lure them out, and then wrapped them in dumplings from the side!" He patted his chest, "The area of the Two Rivers has been cleared, and I have left a team of cavalry to patrol over there, which is enough to ensure the safety of the line from New Sunset Fort to Glowlight City." ”

"Have you found any signs of dragons?" Ann asked, "What about the puppets of the White Tower?"

Elio shook his head. "No one saw the dragon, and it seemed that as expected, the monsters had been led away by Kylo and the Elnaians. As for the puppets......" the boy scratched his head, "the mercenaries got five, but it was said that they somehow broke down...... Eighty percent, it's some defective products, right? ”

Ann doesn't think so. She had read it from her great-grandfather's library, and the White Tower Wizard had always been known for his puppet-making skills. Before being destroyed by Fermir and the dragons, many of the royal nobles had purchased puppets, and praise and regret for them were still heard of in her own time.

Unlike the "Golems" that bind the souls of the outer realms and possess a small amount of thinking ability, these metal bodies can only complete their corresponding tasks if they are equipped with specific "control modules" - assisting in experiments, serving others, and even defending and fighting. Despite a slight lack of flexibility, these secretarily inexpensive, stable, and non-risky secrets are formidable opponents if they fall into the hands of the enemy.

"They were destroyed. Maybe we'll see that guy soon." The girl wrote, "What about the letter to New Sunset Castle, is there any reply?"

"Grand Master has agreed to help!" The boy replied with some excitement, "He also said that if necessary, the crow will ask the 'mother' for help!" With her powers, we'll be able to take down the lich! ”

That sounds good. However, through the accounts of witnesses, Ann speculated that the 'mother' of the Crow Knights, Tiana Marr, is in a rather bad state. Combined with the fact that in the original era, Mar no longer responds to believers, the current "Lord of the Earth...... It is likely that it fell in this war.

In other words, Mar is not as trustworthy as he thinks. Femir Stark's potential is even better than what she has seen in the history books. The trouble is, maybe defeating each other is the only way for them to 'leave' safely-

Put down the pen, raise your hand, and gently rub the temples on both sides to relieve the fatigue of this time. At this moment, a herald walked briskly into the tent and saluted her with a serious expression.

"Someone is asking to see you, General. She was a dark-haired woman, and she couldn't tell which one she was, but she claimed to be ...... The 'Great Chief' of the Saatchi people. ”

The identity of women is already on the horizon. Eighty percent of the puppets that were damaged before were also done by her. Ann beckoned to Elio and asked the boy to stay with him.

"Bring her here, thank you."

A moment later, the black-haired woman came up to the two of them, bent down slightly, and met Ann's eyes. "Looks like you're doing well. Elio, and - General Saint Violet. ”

Ann smiled wryly and shook her head slightly. In the battle to recapture the city, the Saatchi and the gods of the world intervened, and they paid far more losses than expected. Nearly 1,000 soldiers belonging to Golden Rock City suffered casualties, Baron Martin was killed in battle, and Langton St. Violet died of his wounds on the third day after the battle.

While the old duke was still sober, he first met with Ann, Kylo, and Elena, and asked straight about the girl's 'true' identity. He then wrote a document with his own hand, announcing that his daughter-in-law, Ann St. Violet, who would be seven generations later, would temporarily act as duke and lead the rest of the soldiers until the end of the war.

This kind of fantasy is naturally difficult to accept. But the Duke of Langton still has prestige, and he can't find a better choice. Alberton St. Violet needed to defend the city of Golden Rock, and the rest of his children were either not good at military affairs, or had fled to the south for refuge and were long gone.

During this period of time, Ann used the military strategy taught by Kylo, combined with her good analytical reasoning, to fight several beautiful battles, and also won the approval of most of her subordinates. But if it were possible, she would rather never get the title.

"So do you, Jill." Regardless of the appearance or the way people feel, Jill Fengyu at this time is almost the same as the last time they met, "I thought you would break in directly."

"The less trouble, the better." The woman casually spread her hands, "I don't mind waiting a few more minutes than a needless fight." ”

"Okay, welcome. What's the matter?"

Jill looked around the tent left and right, then snapped his fingers, and peace descended all around.

"September was taken away by the wizards of the Federation and imprisoned inside the Wizard's Tower." She looked a little more serious, "Would you like to see her?" ”

"Captain Lily!?" Elio took a breath, "How is she, what are the wizards going to do to her!" ”

"The Federation plans to take her hostage, and I guess I'm worried about what spell Huruman Stark planted on her, so it's okay now." The black-haired woman glanced at the young man, "But as far as I know, there are quite a few people who want to kill her, and it is not surprising to put it into practice." ”

Ann slowly stood up. She didn't doubt what Jill said, and she believed that the other party would let her see Lily. Indeed, as the "Duke's Agent", she is responsible for the safety of thousands of soldiers and the surrounding people. However, if one of her 'speculations' is true, none of that matters.

"Can you bring Lily back with you?" She quickly wrote.

"Don't forget." Jill's eyes sank slightly, "She's an ally of Huruman and your enemy. ”

"The regiment commander is not such a person!" Elio retorted loudly, "She's just...... Pretend to be the lich's companion so you can ...... Gain his trust! He waved his fist, as if that would boost his confidence, "Otherwise, it's a misunderstanding!" All in all, she'll be back for sure! ”

The dark-haired woman continued to look at Ann with a playful expression. "You think so too?"

Ann shook her head and was silent for a moment. It's not that simple. Lily's choice was a little hard to believe, but she understood that the mercenary's decision would not be easily shaken. What the girl wants is just an opportunity to "talk"-

Only by obtaining sufficient clues can the cause of all things be deduced.

"I'll try to convince her." Juanxiu's handwriting swiped across the paper, "though there is little hope."

"She's got a couple of good "members." Jill raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers, "Let's go." ”

……

For space spells, Ann has personally experienced several kinds of spells: go to the "Otherworldly Gate" where the 'Earl Stark' is located; It not only crosses space, but also crosses the "mirror realm" of time at the same time; and the "High Teleportation" that allowed them to quickly return to Duke Langton's side after the Battle of Golden Spike -

But at the moment, there are still some surprises. The brunette woman just took her hand and calmly took three steps forward.

She didn't feel even the slightest weightlessness or vertigo. At the first step, the scenery ahead seems to be stretched into countless colored lines; In the second step, the ground turns black and the sky is covered with milky white mist. And after another step, the fog cleared, and there was already a square hall in front of me.

"Who!? I broke into here to think—"

An Xun looked at it, and a wizard in a red robe was getting up in a state of rage, the glimmer of mystic magic quickly converging on his fingertips. But before he could complete any spells, the black-haired woman was already in front of him, and he lost consciousness with a single palm.

"Time is limited." Jill stood with his hands in his hands, facing Ann, "Go ahead." ”

Ann had a chance to look around. The side of the hall is about 20 meters long, and the floor and four walls are made of smooth stone bricks, with no entrances and exits, and there is almost no trace of dust. Each stone brick is stamped with a bizarre notch, emitting a soft blue glow that is clearly visible in the slightly dim lighting.

Elio stood not far from her, sword in hand. This surprised Ann slightly—she was sure that Jill hadn't caught the boy's hand before. In the other corner, she saw the rainbow-haired Caleb, and Lily Nono, still in human form, clad in brown linen robes and sitting on her knees folded on the ground.

Although they had heard many rumors about the two of them for a long time, this was the first time they had met since leaving the half-plane of "Earl Stark".

"Captain Lily! - Bah, why are you too! The young knight's gaze swept over Ariel, and then decided to ignore the other party, "Come with us, Captain!" Bell, Groom, and Elena, as well as Ann and I, are all waiting for you to return! ”

The female mercenary looked at the boy wordlessly, her expression softening slightly. Ann could see clearly from the sidelines, Lily's eyes were full of nostalgia, but there was no weakness.

In other words, it really ...... Al isn't with you. ”

"Don't worry about this! When we take out Huruman together, it won't be easy to find Alphonse! Elio waved his hand away, "Alta is so strong, don't worry, he'll be fine!" ”

Lily provoked a faint smile, and the next sentence knocked the teenager's efforts back to the bottom.

"We're not going back. It's like you, you won't come with us to Femir. She shook her head slightly, "In this world, the Lilianor Regiment no longer needs to exist. ”

"What......! We're all still here, and so are you, Commander, why—and, besides, aren't you going to go back! ”

"This is our world." The mercenary shook her head and said, "There are people we value, and there are ideals we want to achieve...... So I'm sorry, but I'll leave it to you over there, huh? ”

"But ......," the young man froze, "maybe Alphonse has already gone back first!" If you stay here, you'll never see him for the rest of your life! ”

"That's a pity." The mercenary turned away from Elio, "There are always things that are not important and must be sacrificed. ”

“…… Even if the wizard here kills you? ”

Lily sat down with her back to the boy. Her voice implied a hint of exhaustion, but it was as steady as ever, "If that's the case, it's our fate." ”

"You...... It's unreasonable! Even if you work with the enemy, what kind of martyrdom is there in such a place!? ”

"Our choice, you don't have to care—"

Ann listened to the two arguing and shook her head wordlessly. She walked to the side of the hall, stood beside Ariel, and handed her the notebook in her hand.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm only here to confirm Lord Stark's purpose and his means to achieve his ideals." Ariel replied, "When I return to my original time, I will tell Lord Protodis everything, and then listen to your opinions." ”

"What if I can't go back?"

"I'm going to judge for myself whether Lord Stark here is worth following in accordance with what my adults have taught me before."

Ann nodded, thanked the other with a lip sync, and returned to the dark-haired woman.

"Get them out of here, please."

"You heard it in September." Jill looked coldly at the two arguing, "Why?" ”

"If I'm not mistaken—you're going to defeat Fermir and bring his whereabouts back. That's why you're here?"

"Even so." The brunette woman glanced at her and then at Lily, "What does it have to do with her?" ”

"You need Femir's whereabouts from the original era. If history goes completely astray, even if Fermier loses in the end, the clues given will be meaningless." The girl calmly analyzed, "We've seen that the oil lamp used three times. For the first time, Fermir prayed for the destruction of the White Tower, and at the same time became a disaster for the mainland; The second time he prayed for the destruction of the forest, at the cost of the separation of his own soul—"

"That's what you say." Jill seemed to think of something, "Lugland Forest is alive, but the demigods have become Huruman's lackeys......"

Ann nodded seriously, "Fermir changed the second curse, and the content may be related to Lily."

"Is there any other evidence?" The brunette woman frowned, "If this is just speculation......"

"Lily seems to confuse history with the present. However, the rest of us, including Ariel, are clearly aware that the world in front of us may not belong to us. More importantly......" Quietly flipped through the pages and was silent for a moment—

"What I know, and what you know her, wouldn't do that."

Jill sighed lightly.

"If September is gone, Femir and the 'demigods' will inevitably have a disagreement. That would be the best chance to eliminate him. Besides, even if it was related to the curse, losing her might not change Huluman's ultimate wishes. She stared at the girl, "After all, you just don't want to see her die here, do you?" ”

Ann didn't answer, and the brunette shook her head self-deprecatingly.

"Me too."

……

Moments later, the previous scene played out again.

The original hall disappeared from view, and when the clouds cleared, it was replaced by a primitive but huge city. Ann looked around and saw simple felt tents and simple houses made of thatch and cypress. Hundreds, if not thousands, of tall, lanky Thatchi came and went, busy building the city. Their expressions were somewhat apprehensive and tired, but they were completely different from the group of 'warriors' she had heard of attacking the old duke during the Battle of Golden Harvest City.

Lily apparently noticed the same thing. She stopped arguing with Elio and let out a breath with a somewhat complicated expression, "It's you...... Saved them, Jill? ”

"It's just a matter of exploitation. They will be Huluman's enemies and yours. The brunette woman chuckled, "If that's your wish." ”

“…… It doesn't matter. The mercenary did not look away from the inhabitants of the wasteland, "How did you bring us out?" ”

"The power that Bayard has granted me." Jill looked at the brown-haired girl seriously, "Don't you think about it?" He can give you more if you want. ”

This time, Lily was silent for a long time.

Eventually, she turned her back and turned into a silver-white wolf, and began to run without saying a word until she melted into the wasteland. Ariel came up to Jill, slammed her sword on the ground, and bowed to her.

"I'll take care of her." The Celestials said, "May we meet again on the battlefield." ”

After the two left, Elio returned to Ann's side, and the black-haired woman turned back and stared at the girl, who was not yet twenty years old.

"Tell me about your plans." She whispered, "The decisive battle is coming." ”