In order to reach the city of Thorns on the border of the Kingdom of France before dark, before dawn the next day, Ivan and his room door were knocked on the upper floor of the hotel one by one.

Ivan listlessly changed his clothes, packed his luggage, and shuffled slowly, too sleepy to make a sound.

"Ha-ah-huh-"

Katie was in the hallway, yawning weirdly as she went, and she woke everyone up early in the morning. However, Katie apparently didn't sleep well either, her head drooping and her violet ponytail combed in a mess.

"Later...... I'll go to the office...... I'll help you register......" Katie muttered as she slowly descended the stairs. The kitchen hadn't started working yet, there wasn't even breakfast, and there was no way to rent a carriage at this time. Katie gave them a package with a scarf, a water bag, a small magic lamp to carry in her hand, and the necessary medicines. The clerks were still asleep, and Katie's father, Corey, came to see them off.

"When you come back, I'll be here for a few days. With a look of regret on his face, Corey gathered his spirits and stood under the porch of the inn, waving goodbye to the guests who had traveled away.

......

"I'm really sorry. ”

After leaving the "Cat House", she didn't go far, and Devany Shelling, who was at the front, turned around and sincerely apologized, "I've caused you trouble." ”

"Anyway, it's a paid mission, so what's the matter. Xiulin waved her hand open-mindedly, her eyes glancing behind her intentionally or unintentionally, but her pace did not slow down.

"I'm really sorry!" Daphne was so polite. The temperature was cold, and she wore a dark blue shawl with a hood. It is completely impossible to tell that she is a feather clan with "wings on her head".

Carlo suddenly frowned and glanced back.

"Huh?" Asha finally noticed something unusual, "back...... Someone looks like it?"

The roads in Sapphire Town are often lined with flower beds, street lamps and landscape trees, which are generally quite easy to follow. She paused for a moment, looking in amazement at the seemingly empty road behind her.

Ivan sighed.

Sure enough, it followed.

Seeing that everyone in front of him stopped and did not leave, the flower bed on the side of the road shook, and a little cat in a dress came out of the flower bed with her short cherry blossom-colored hair covered with fallen leaves and petals. The little wildcat Nell sprang up from the ground and put her hands behind her back. Writhing uneasily.

"Nelle, why are you here?" said Isha scrambled over and pressed Nelle's shoulder. "Really, why are you following us, hurry back!"

Na'er's mouth was cocked high, and her dark burgundy eyes seemed to overflow with crystal tears. It looks pitiful.

"But—" she pleaded up. "Na'er. Na'er doesn't want to stay in the cat's house, Na'er doesn't know the people in the cat's house, Na'er is scared!"

Aisha was stunned. Both hands involuntarily let go.

Oh, Na'er used to ...... She was bought from the orphanage of the church by a circus leader, nominally an adopted daughter, but the head of the troupe never treated her as a daughter, only as a commodity, and it was normal for her to be afraid of strangers.

"But there's Sister Katie!" said Elsia, unwillingly.

"Sister Katie is busy, Na'er is scared......" Na'er showed a timid kitten-like expression, she suddenly raised her face and said very seriously.

"Na'er is not the same as before, Na'er is very obedient, Na'er can repair things, yes, can repair carriages!"

"Ahh Devany shouted in surprise at this time, "Can I entrust you with my camel cart? ”

Devany bent down, as if in earnest! Asha and Ivan were both taken aback.

"Good—" replied Nalle happily, and ran away from Asha while she was not holding her, as swift as she had been in the circus.

......

"We're not on a trip!" complained Aisha.

"Mm-hmm, Na'er won't make trouble!" Na'er happily took Daphne's hand.

"We, we may encounter a very dangerous situation, there are monsters, and there may be demons!"

"Mm-hmm, Na'er will run fast and hide!"

Carlo stared at Nail's curled cherry blossom-colored hair for a moment, and somehow turned his gaze to Ivan, who looked back at him with some confusion.

"You're not surprised. Carlo concluded in a statement tone.

“...... Oh, well, she used to be like that. Ivan said helplessly. Soon, he understood what Carlo meant.

"I didn't ask her to come, you ask Sister Xiulin!"

"Huh. Xiulin smiled proudly and touched Na'er's hair, "Don't worry, you can still protect a kitten." ”

......

When the sky began to white, the group reached the south gate of Sapphire Town, bought a bag of hard bread in a store that sold breakfast, and ate a simple breakfast, and the town gradually began to have the vitality of the morning.

They boarded a horse-drawn cab and headed to the city of Thorns in the south.

To the south of the town is a vast expanse of wasteland.

In the distance, the dark blue shadows of the mountains continued, a hazy rosy hue in the morning light, and the land was full of rocks and mounds. Some sparse bushes grew between the rocks, and it was clear that no one had ever groomed them, and they were not adequately nourished, and they were a barren sight. A little further north is a flower-filled tourist town, but it's so desolate.

Can't you reclaim this wasteland? It would be better to use it as a farm, Ivan thought to himself, and suddenly he remembered the legend that Katie had told.

"Miss Shelling?" he said, looking at Devine across from her. The people in the car, except for the overexcited Na'er and the always cheerful Carlo, were sleepy and resting on their seats. Daphne jerked up, as if frightened.

"I'm sorry. Ivan couldn't help but apologize softly.

"It doesn't matter. Devany quickly came back to her senses and smiled softly, "What's wrong with Mr. Yafil?"

Ivan glanced out the window and lowered his voice.

"You, have you ever heard that this town has been attacked by monsters?"

Devany looked blankly at the wasteland and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know the history of Sapphire Town, many towns have been attacked by monsters in the past when humans were not mature enough to master magic crystals, even ......now, even now," Daphne paused, as if not very happy, and sighed slightly.

"Have you ever heard of a human named Bradley Gale?" she smiled and put her hand on Daphne's shoulder.

"Ah, that human, I did hear of it. Devany looked at Xiulin with some hesitation, as if she was a little uncomfortable with Xiulin's sudden approach.

"However, what I know about Brandley Gale may not be the same as what you know about him, after all, I am from the Feather clan of Arcatia. ”

"It's okay, we just wanted to hear what the Yu clan has to say, right, kid?" Xiulin squeezed her eyes at Ivan and said......)