"We're almost there." Lily stretched hard and announced loudly.

They continued on their road early in the morning, walking for half a day along the dusk desert and up a mountain trail full of reddish-brown rocks. As the sun sets, the volcanic castle has gone from a black spot at the end of the line of sight to a blue and red behemoth.

"It's a good place." Bell shuffled with heavy footsteps, and grumbled weakly, "It's not that you have to see how this broken desert is. He swallowed, "It doesn't make any difference to me." It's all sand. And bugs. ”

"Thou hast spoken the most." Lily snorted softly, "We can fly, don't complain when the time comes?" ”

"Actually, the change has already begun." Sitting in the crook of the machine's arm, he softly retorted to Bell's words, "The magic circle of the Lugrand Forest has isolated the sea breeze, and the magic that continues to leak has created this dead place full of demonic creatures. With enough time, the rain can bring the soil and plants back to the Mellon Plains of 200 years ago. ”

"Okay, okay, you're all right." The Beron man shook his head and picked up the empty water bladder at his waist, "I can't wait for that day anyway." It's better to find a tavern and have a drink of barbecue. I'm dying of thirst! ”

This time there was no objection.

After a whole week of trekking in the desert, even Lily felt a little tired. It's always satisfying to be able to eat something normal instead of roasted centipedes and "paste" made by magic.

Fortunately, they never encountered the flock of butterflies that obscured the sky and the sun, as if it were a natural disaster. According to Ann, they live on the magic of the forest, and may have died out before the crowd returned.

That's exactly why she took the walk.

It was her personal decision to venture north, but Lily knew that many people were watching the outcome of their expedition. On the way back, she collected a lot of specimens, and Ann recorded everything she saw in detail. Just give them back to the right people, such as the Mellon Kingdom or the Arcane Federation, and each member of the group will receive a large amount of wealth.

The northwest gate of the volcanic fort has always been uninhabited, making the guards appear lethargic. Despite this, when they heard that several people had returned from the northern forest, the two Belonians immediately came to their senses.

"I—I thought ...... You're not dead! The younger guard gasped and slapped himself on the mouth, "No, no, no, I mean, you're still alive!" It's ...... in the forest How's the curse going? ”

"There are no more curses, and there are no undead. Wait a few decades for that desert to be able to grow crops? Lily raised her head and relayed Ann's words as she understood, "As for the specific situation, you will take the time to take a look, and you will not be able to die after all?" ”

When they arrived at Chalk Street, the evening market at Volcano Fort had just begun. At the end of the day, the people of Belon gather all over the streets, laughing and laughing as they go to their favorite bars or restaurants. However, under the seemingly prosperous scene, Lily instinctively felt that there was an unpleasant smell all around.

Even the time she retreated to the Elna people, she didn't feel anything like that.

The mercenary stopped and looked around at the group behind her. Bell and Elio discuss the next ale, food, and entertainment; Alphonse and Ann walked side by side, and the girl took a serious look at everything around her, after all, she had only glanced at it in a hurry; Groom's hands were clasped to his chest, and his face was relaxed and broad; Ariel walked last, and as if noticing the gaze cast, she stopped in front of her.

"What are you looking at?"

“…… I don't know. Lily muttered, "Don't you think there's something wrong?" ”

The Celestials looked at her and shook their heads earnestly.

"I don't feel anything wrong." Ariel said calmly, "You are the daughter of the Lord of Heaven, and perhaps you are right. ”

Maybe she's just thinking too much. After this trip, and returning from "history" and 'dying' once, it is inevitable that it will be a little overly sensitive. Lily shook her head and walked unhurriedly through the crowd towards the hotel where they had stayed.

The exterior of the inn is made of blue bricks, and a plaque carved with mandrill hangs above its head, as its name suggests. A blackened wooden board stood diagonally in the doorway, with the day's menu written and the words "Ten copper coins, after seven o'clock, drink until you fall asleep."

Everything was still as she remembered it.

This is a tradition of the volcanic fort. Many young Belons, both men and women, have made a living in mining. They often returned to the fort only once in a few weeks, exchanged the harvest for coins, and after a little cleaning, went straight to the tavern. It is usually their richest and most relaxed moment, and it is here that many couples meet, talk happily, and even make vows.

She also tried to find a partner for Bell. It's a pity that although Bell's story has attracted many people, in the eyes of those young women of Peron, neither mercenaries nor "explorers" are a safe and reliable profession.

Bell himself didn't mind, but was a little complacent. In his words, "I told you that we are in ...... It's hard to find someone as bold as me! ”

Lily pushed the door open, and the others were already seated. The innkeeper seemed to recognize her, and raised his glass at her—Lily remembered that his name was Duden, and that he was a nosy but warm-hearted man. She pulled out two silver coins that had been sitting on the bar for a long time, leaned over the bar, and yawned.

"Give us a glass of milk and some special dishes? And a few of them, all of them are recorded in our accounts! ”

Time slipped away in the blink of an eye.

The tavern became lively at some point, and the noise around it gradually became familiar. Bell's face was flushed with drink, and he dragged the strange Peronman to boast about the previous story, which also attracted many listeners. Groom took the cup and took a sip unhurriedly, not trying to debunk Bell's big words. Elio sat in the corner with several empty plates piled up in front of him; And the girl opened the book that never left her, and drew something on it.

This is normal life, the mercenary thought silently. But after this time, as the changes in the Lugland Forest become more and more known, the "Lilinoor" should become more famous, right?

She sniffed the mixed aroma in the air, and tore the steaming, wheat-filled baked stone cake into small pieces and threw it into the pork stew thick as porridge.

The sight of the first visit is still in front of me. Alphonse had damaged her to protect her, but it was the seemingly ordinary old wizard who restored it and gave him a human heart. Later, she asked Yuffie and learned that the other party was still staying at the academy, trying to make the secret art a knowledge accessible to more people.

After that, she took the mercenary group to the snowy mountains to reunite with her former 'old friends'. The memories of that trip weren't good, and the ending wasn't satisfying for her—except for Amberly and Bai Li. I wonder what the Erna woman who is good at making snacks and always has a smile on her face is doing now? And the white bear that is always noisy and shouting, as if it will never grow up, didn't cause her too much trouble, right?

And the knights of the "Black Crow". They were at first hostile to her, but later they became allies in the battle. On the terrace on the top floor of the fortress, she also pushed her from behind, so that the young Grand Master had his wish.

It's been half a year, she can't help but think. Returning to the familiar surroundings made her feel a little nostalgic. Lily closed her eyes, prayed for the safety of her friends, and began to enjoy dinner.

The door creaked again, and the commotion fell silent. Lily had just filled her mouth with a spoonful of food when she instinctively pricked up her ears and turned back to see a black-clad Kamal male standing in the doorway, taking a cautious look and taking a hesitant step.

It's a member of the Crow Knights. She and Sean have several faces, so she naturally recognizes their outfits, as well as the aura that belongs to Mar.

"Excuse me. You can give me—"

The innkeeper slammed the wooden cup in his hand on the bar and interrupted the other party with a muffled thud.

"Get out." He didn't even look at the other party, "Hurry up, now." ”

The man seemed to have expected it, and turned away without saying a word. Duden picked up the cup and stuffed it back into the bar with a gloomy face, as if muttering something. The sound of conversation filled the room again, but no one mentioned what had just happened, as if it didn't exist.

The attitude of the Beron people made Lily a little dissatisfied, and more confused. "Why did you drive him away?" She put down the spoon and looked up and questioned, "What bad did that person do?" ”

No one answered her.

A drunken drinker tried to speak, but was immediately held down by his companion. Lily tried to ask something, but Duden stared at her coldly, causing her to swallow the words back.

"Stay away from those people, they are messengers of death." "Don't ask, miss, just do it," said Beron, solemnly. ”

The atmosphere in the tavern is no longer what it used to be. Lily lowered her head to eat, but someone was always looking at her from behind, which made the food taste much worse. She drank the soup and bread in two sips, tossed her luggage into her room upstairs, and then left the inn to wander and listen to the gossip of the people in the street.

"—In half a month, the harvest should be harvested. But seriously, I don't really trust those Elna, who knows what they're going to do with witchcraft. ”

"—I heard that something had happened in the Oren Empire, and the emperor's brothers and sisters were about to fight. Hmph, what about the long-standing civilization all day long, I think they are the most barbaric. ”

"—Rubeus just told me that the mercenary group had returned from the north alive! …… Still, let the king worry about it, for there is no ore to dig in the desert anyway. ”

It's all pointless. Rumors of the Empire reminded her of the "Wolf Shepherd", but civil strife would kill Barak. No one mentioned the Crow Knights, and even Lily instinctively sensed that they were avoiding the topic.

Bell had said that the 'majority' of the Perons lacked a sense of adventure – and only now did the mercenaries really appreciate that. She clenched her fists in exasperation, considering whether to arrest someone and force her to find an answer.

A somewhat familiar figure flashed in front of her, and Lily sniffed, confirming that it was her familiar smell.

"Sean? Hey! ”

The blonde man in a long black coat and a long ponytail turned his head in some surprise to look at the mercenary who had several faces.

Lily...... Nono? ”

"Sure enough, it's you." The female mercenary ran to the other party in three or two steps, and grabbed his hand without saying anything, "Come with us, I have something to ask you!" ”

She dragged the other through the crowd and walked into the hotel without saying a word. Ignoring the stares of the innkeeper and the surrounding guests, she returned to her and Alphonse's room, and slammed the door.

"What have you done lately?" Lily pressed the other into a chair and glared at him condescendingly, "Or what did your knights do?" How did the city become like this? ”

The blonde young man looked at her for a few seconds, and the consternation in his expression faded. He lowered his head, his voice full of exhaustion.

"It's a long story." Sean Tempur sighed, "When did you guys come back...... Why did you find me? ”

The mercenary let go of her hand, sat down on the edge of the bed, and blinked.

"That's it. Is that a long story? ”

……

"That's the way it is."

Recounting the whole experience in one breath, Lily stood up and poured a glass of water, grunting down, "Now, it's your turn!" ”

"Okay."

The Grand Master of the Black Crow sighed, raised his hand and pinched the temples on both sides, and was silent for a moment.

"You know, after the end of the war started by the Empire, most of the regiment members went to the church. This is our pact with the Silver Witch. Some of the remaining knights returned to the empire to take care of the rest of the estate; Others stayed here to do some work as guards, martial arts instructors, and even miners. ”

"The people of Peron have a stubborn temper, but as long as they are willing to work hard, they don't care about our race. Overall, they have gotten along well with the knights for the past six months. ”

Sean stopped talking, got up and walked to the window, his back to Lily.

"But since three weeks ago, a total of seven Veronites have died."

Five of them, young miners, one jeweller and one innkeeper, were found dead at home. The autopsy found no scars, and the wizards of the royal family of Peron concluded that they had died from Mal's magic. ”

The door opened softly, and Ann and Elio walked into the room, quietly listening to Sean's story.

"The people of Perón believe that it was us who did it, or that we brought about these deaths, although there is not enough evidence. Since then, they have rejected all members of the regiment – dismissing them from their jobs, not allowing them to live, and refusing to sell them anything. ”

"I arrived here with Alaya the day before yesterday to find out the truth about it. So far, we've only confirmed one thing. ”

"The two most recent deaths do seem to have died from Maar's magic. Their bodies begin to decay from within, and they die from internal bleeding and organ disability – the effects of apoptosis. ”

"That is." The mercenary frowned, "Was it your regiment that killed them?" And, is that person still doing it? ”

"I don't know." Sean turned around and grinned bitterly on his face, "No one admits to doing it themselves, and they're even willing to swear to 'Mother'. But I also know ......"

The former Grand Master clenched his fists, "Mother' is long gone, even if I swear to her-"

"Wait a minute, Mr. Sean." Ann suddenly interjected, "How many of your members know about Tiana Marr's death?" ”

Sean was stunned for a moment, as if he was a little uncomfortable with the girl's name calling "Lord of the Earth", but he quickly came back to his senses.

"It won't be much. After the war, we regained the ability to use divine magic, and many people no longer cared about what happened before. Others believe that it was a test given by the "mother", in order to let the Knights get out of the empire and regain their lives. ”

"In that case, the oath of the knights should be credible." The girl held her chin and groaned, and then turned her gaze to Lily, "The truth can only be found if all reasonable doubts are removed." Can I meet those people? ”

Just like she expected to react - this self-proclaimed 'explorer' girl has never lacked curiosity about the unknown. Of course, that's what she wants.

"Speaking of which, Sean. You probably don't know it yet, but we can see through ordinary lies with just one look. Lily patted her chest, then gave her thumbs up to Ann, "As for her, she was killed by stratagem during this trip...... Two 'gods'. ”

"So, do you want to entrust our 'Lilianor Group' to help you solve this problem?"

The mercenary grinned, a wolf-like smile again.