Looking at the sun in mid-air, Aaron was bored. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info under the dense foliage of the redwoods, the sun is just a vague yellow halo, and its blazing is not visible. It is early summer, and the branches and foliage of the cedar trees are vigorous, but they are all verdant green, far less gorgeous than the fiery red in late autumn. But Aaron had never seen Sequoia, and that wasn't his trouble.

He understood that Uncle Torrev and others were definitely good people of the first class. They took him in and gave him hope of going to the Moonland. Uncle Torrev kept the two hundred gold coins for him, but he never asked him about the origin of such a large sum. Even when he insisted on wearing his sackcloth clothes, the people of the caravan only laughed at him, but did not pursue his strange behavior. For more than a month, he actually had a deep trust in the twelve uncles of the caravan, but this time Guise's conspiracy revealed another side of the caravan.

Aaron was curious, but he also knew that Uncle Torrev didn't want outsiders to know about their past. Otherwise, there was no need for them to hide his wind elemental power all the time. The caravan kept a secret for him, and in return, he should keep his mouth shut. But the question scratched at his heart like a cat's claw, causing him to roll incessantly on the green field paved with branches.

Reclining down, Aaron saw that Torrev was still looking earnestly at the map he had with him. The map wasn't huge, but Torrev had been staring at it for at least a full hour.

He turned his head, and Uber's figure came into view, and the tall body seemed very small at this time. Uber was lying gracefully among a few carefully woven branches, more than ten meters above the ground, but his body was very relaxed. Aaron didn't know how he managed to climb the tallest redwood, but he felt that Uncle Beard was still as profligate as ever.

But others apparently felt that Uber was reliable enough. By the time Aaron woke up, the people who had gone in search of food had already changed batches. However, there is obviously nothing good in this redwood forest, and most of the harvest is small wild fruit, or barely half-ripe cedar fruit. The wild fruit is poured, but the cedar fruit must be roasted before it can be eaten, and the taste is really unpleasant.

As a chef, Aaron roasted a large number of cedar fruits, and then he was idle.

Like him, the only one who remained in the makeshift camp was Torrev. The yellow-faced middle-aged man never stretched his brows, obviously worried about the future of the caravan. The caravan was a bit reluctant, because it was impossible for them to retrieve the large shipment. Now that Akril has not returned, the situation is very uncertain, and Torev can only think ahead of him and his brothers.

Aaron took a cedar fruit, felt the residual warmth on its case, and finally couldn't hold back his doubts. He grabbed a few more fir fruits and walked towards the contemplative Torref. When he sat down next to Torev, the middle-aged man put down the map in his hand, turned his head, and smiled at him. Aaron noticed that the uncle's brown hair, which had been shiny, was now very withered.

He asked, "Uncle Torreve, when will Uncle Acriel be back?" as he handed over the nuts that had been pinched open to the hard shell.

"It's going to be evening. Torrev took a few cedar fruits, rubbed them with his fingers, and the tender white flesh was exposed, and he threw one into his mouth, chewing it vigorously, and his eyelids jumped slightly. "Acriel is a veteran, boy, and you don't have to worry about him. ”

Aaron nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer. Then he asked, "Uncle, where should we go next?"

Torrev rubbed his forehead and replied a little tiredly, "Aaron, if I know where to go, why spend half a day here?" he pointed to the map spread out on the ground, like a cheetah facing a turtle with a shrunken shell, full of helplessness.

Aaron saw Torref's annoyance, and said cautiously: "Then, uncle, I'll go first..." He wanted to leave, but the word "gone" could not be said, and his expression was full of hesitation and uneasiness.

Torrev glared at him and said, "Sit down and talk to me." "Obviously saw through Aaron's careful thinking.

Aaron then sat upright on the branch, looking serious, like a student in an ordinary academy waiting for his teacher to give a lecture. However, Aaron had never been to the academy, so he naturally didn't know how strange his appearance was.

Torrev ate another fir fruit and moved the map towards Aaron. He slowly spoke: "Aaron, how many states are there in the Xilin Federation, which ones are they, do you know?"

"Well, there are eight states in Xilin. As for the name, it's so strange that I can't remember it. But the most powerful one seems to be called Henathan. ”

"Henathan is the best one, you're right. But no matter how powerful it is, what is it? Let me ask you, what is there in the south and north of Xilin?"

"The north of Xilin is the northern country, and the south seems to be a bitter swamp. ”

"Okay, is the Northern Empire powerful, or Xilin powerful?"

"I don't know. Aaron couldn't help but scratch his head.

Torrev glanced at him and exclaimed, "It's good that you don't know. It has been nearly two thousand years since the strongest state in Xilin, Hainathan, represented the Xilin Federation as a vassal to the northern kingdom. As for the bitter marsh, the delicate Xilin people will never be able to conquer it. ”

Aaron listened carefully, but asked coldly, "What does this have to do with us?"

Torrev couldn't help but smile bitterly, and the lonely expression on his face disappeared. said angrily: "You kid, don't you just want to know the old background of our people, you really don't have any patience at all, and you don't want to talk to me." Aaron scratched his head again.

Seeing his appearance, Torrev's tone softened, "Alas, you are young after all, forget it, listen to me." I guess you didn't notice that the twelve of us don't have surnames. ”

"But uncle, don't you usually have a noble surname? like that Baron Rundy Ryan of Lodtay. ”

"Aaron, you don't have enough insight after all. Except for a few who are so poor that even eating is a problem, who will ignore the glory of their ancestors? Uber and I, and your other uncles, were orphans living in the streets of Lille when we were children. During the reform of the Syllin Federation, the New Deal manifesto stated that the nobles and commoners would be bathed in the afterglow of Uk Ryan the Great. But what nobleman would take commoners seriously these days?"

Torrev said, his eyes shining inexplicably, "Life was really difficult at that time, and the twelve of us knew each other well, but we hugged each other. Later, there was friction between Henathan and the second strongest state, Gadaris, and the situation was very tense for a while. Conscription orders were plastered everywhere in the city of Lille. Ordinary residents, of course, avoid it. But we decided to join the Boy Scouts, at least not to go hungry.

"Thirteen, that's not quite right!" Aaron stiffly interrupted Torrev's story, rolling his eyes again.

Later, the two lords inexplicably shook hands and made peace. We had five months of full military training, but it seemed like a funny joke that lost its value in the blink of an eye. The redundant troops were cut, but the elite members were retained. It was then that the thirteenth, Rensa, disappeared forever. Twelve of us were lucky, and in ten years, we became more and more refined, and together we entered the Lord's Guard, the trump card army of Henasen. ”

"It's funny to say that the so-called elite troops have never been on the battlefield. Xilin's decay is probably irreparable long ago. Torrev said this, his face gloomy.

But Aaron didn't buy it, and urged: "Uncle, you can't get involved with any elite troops now." ”

"That's all in the past," Torrev's voice grew deeper, "in July 1986, there was a serious trade conflict between the Hainathan and the Greentree tribes on the edge of the bitter marsh. The Green Tree tribe, that is, the barbarians who live in the bitter swamp. It was customary for the states of Xilin to provide some necessities of life to the three tribes on the edge of the bitter marsh every year. But I don't know what the Lord of Henathan was crazy about that year, he didn't give anything, and he had a tough attitude. As a result, the southern trade routes were plundered, and the war between Henathan and Greentree began. ”

"In my opinion, Henathan has lost. ”

"No, the Green Tree Tribes have shrunk into the depths of the Bitter Swamp, and our troops have been the vanguard and plunged into the Bitter Swamp. As a result, there were no barbarians, but the rainy season came, the epidemic was rampant, and the army collapsed directly. The twelve of us had run early, but what kind of face did we have to report to the barracks again? I thought that something big was going to happen this time, but after the ministers made a move, Heinathan was still in a peaceful scene. As for us, with a little guts, we began to steal business from the robbers and make some difference. ”

"Why is this so wrong? I think you're very powerful, uncle, and so are Uncle Uber. ”

"Aaron, you have to remember that individual martial arts are no match for collective strength after all. Moreover, force cannot prevail over wisdom and rules. Torrev spoke with sadness.

The brunette boy was silent. Wisdom and rules, it seemed like exactly what he needed.

Torrev patted him on the shoulder, stood up, and said, "I'm afraid that what Acriel brought back will not be good news." Keith Ryan is a unique aristocrat. He was hypocritical and insidious enough, and did not seem to have the common problems of arrogance and arrogance. He was unlike many of the greedy and fat aristocratic lords I had ever met. ”

"So, Aaron, we may have to go south, to the Moonling. At this, Torev smiled slightly.

Aaron, who was thinking about how to get wisdom and power, stiffened when he heard this. The figure of Soyth came to his mind, and the knight's smile still seemed so hateful, but it couldn't make people angry.

I'm going to be a knight!

Aaron gritted his teeth secretly.

He looked up, his eyes moistened. In his eyes, the vague sun was shrouded in Torev's ears, setting off the middle-aged uncle's brilliance. He unconsciously bit his lip in disbelief.

Torrev looked at the excited Aaron, shook his head, and went to find Uber to change shifts.

The caravan gathered together in the evening, but did not dare to light a fire as usual. Until Akril returns, the future of the people is uncertain. Everyone was worried about where to go in the future, and the rampant mosquito infestation made it difficult to talk to others, and the camp was silent. Uber, who had gone around for a while, got some mosquito repellent grass and came back, and with the sap of this strange plant, everyone's situation finally improved. Coupled with the fatigue of the day, after a simple dinner, the caravan members went to bed early.

Only Aaron couldn't sleep. The sound of Uber's regular breathing reached his ears, but the peaceful atmosphere could not calm the turmoil in his heart. A month later, Soyth's demeanor still haunts him. The journey to Moon Territory seemed to begin happily, and he felt that the little hedron in his cloak had become more weighty.

From time to time, the chirping of night birds can be heard, and a cool breeze makes a subtle rustling sound through the cedar forest. The young man who repeatedly thought about his heart was in a daze, and finally fell asleep. But it seemed that the next moment, as if a long time had passed, the commotion in his ears woke him up.

As soon as Aaron rolled over and got up, he saw everyone surrounding the tired Acriel, but he didn't speak first.

Akril, whose face was dark, gently put down the package in his hand and said:

"We are wanted. ”

Uber and Torref stepped forward, and Akril followed Uber to find a place to rest. Torev, who was surrounded by everyone, had a solemn face, and looked at everyone one by one with an expressionless face before he spoke.

"We went to the South. "A few short words are like gold and stone falling to the ground, and they are extremely hard.