On the other side of the field, Androcles found the horse and his sons, who had gone to a hut and began to eat a pile of hay, next to which was a fenced enclosure which to the barbarians could count as a barn. It looks like his children are still tied to its back, which means that neither of them fell into the snow and was not left out, thanks to the orphans. Now all he had to do was sneak over and grab the reins, and his sons would be hiss again.

"I saw them. Be quiet. The little devil nodded, gripping his hand tighter. They quickly walked towards the horse, which ignored them and focused on its dinner. His children had their backs to him, but their tails were twitching, so they were probably awake. Luckily, both of them had their shoes there.

After considering his options, he decided not to steal the horse, because without it, the chances of him being hunted seemed to be even smaller. He tiptoed over to where the children could see, untied their mouths, and covered their lips with his fingers to silence them. Pepper was relieved, tears welled up in his eyes, and Hana had to hold back screams of joy, but they stopped anyway. He gently dismounted them, with one under his arm, and left the hut, with Sev following closely behind. He ducked behind a fire, hoping not to be seen by anyone who came by, and put them down.

"How are you?" He asked calmly, and cut their chains with an iron knife.

"Daddy, you saved Sef!" Thank you. Hua said, because he could speak now.

"I did. Answer me now. Are you hurt? Androus said impatiently.

"The rope hurts, Daddy. I think my hands are going to fall off," Flower said, rubbing his wrist. "But I think I'll be fine."

"Me too, and my shoulders, because my arms are at an angle," Pepper said. "But I'll be fine. My knee hurts a lot, though. But I'll be fine. ”

A

d

Okles helped the boys regain their sanity in their arms and legs. Seif helped, or more accurately, he tried to help, but it didn't work out. His hands weren't strong enough to do anything good, but the kids didn't mind, so he just let it go. The warmth of the fire rejuvenated their faces, and although they all looked tired, they were still able to walk.

"Are you ready to move?"

The three boys nodded.

"Come with me, don't make a sound. If you see someone, tap me to get my attention and point it out. ”

"Dad, I didn't see anyone. Can't we just sleep here? Flower asked.

"I just said don't make a sound. Shut up now!" Andlocks whispered with a stern glare. Hana lowered her head and nodded, a little embarrassed. The red glow of the flames reflected on the suit's white fur, making Anchors nervous, thinking he was bleeding somewhere, but not noticing.

They lowered their bodies and crept towards the edge of the clearing, and as they reached the darkness of the woods, Sev screamed and slapped Angelus on the thigh a few times. He pointed to a visibly large bush on the edge of a clearing about forty paces away from them.

Androx stopped to see what was happening, and soon he noticed a dark shadow moving beneath the bushes. After a while, a dark figure sprang out and stopped beside a flat rock. It had a tail that Androcleus had a horn that gripped him firmly with fear, which he knew was a demon. Not big, but not a child either. Maybe it's a young man, maybe it's a woman. He pushed the children to the ground, then bent down himself, ready the spear.

If it comes towards them, he will kill it instantly, or die trying. It turned out that little Sev was harmless, except for a finger injury, but Anchors did not intend to let his guard down. He has too much experience with them.

Ancrex muttered prayers and cursed, trying to control the fear that roared within. Facing demons alone in the dark? Off one's head. God forbid it didn't see them.

They watched as the devil pulled with all his might, trying to lift or overturn the altar. However, no matter how hard the demon tries, it lacks the strength it needs to complete its mission. It circled in all directions, trying every nook and corner, but the altar just didn't move.

"She wanted a child to come out. Dewey was still a child, and she wanted to save him! Sev said excitedly. A

d

Okles looked down and saw that the little devil was full of pity, swaying back and forth.

"What?" A

d

Okles asked.

"Daddy! Flower said, with pity in his eyes.

"Shhhhh Sef, what are you talking about? Andlocks asked.

"There's a kid like me under the rock, and she wants him to come out!" Probably his mom. Oh! He was grief-stricken, his hands over his mouth.

Hua was convinced, and begged: "Dad, you have to help her!" Please, Daddy, please!"

"Dad, those guys said they were going to put Sev back under the rocks. I think there are little kids underneath all these rocks. Dad, you have to do it! Pepper touched Anjack's arm and added.

Androx looked at the three boys, mused. They looked back at him with big, lovable, pleading eyes. All three of them have ears that look like puppies craving leftovers, even if Sef's ears are not angled at the right angle.

He asked the little devil, "Deanna said she found you under a rock." She's not kidding, is she? Is it one of them?"

Seff nodded.

"Daddy! Flower said, his hands clenched into fists in the dirt.

"Why should I let another demon go?" He muttered to himself.

"Daddy! Pepper said. His two sons suddenly turned from pleading to indignant, angry. He suspected that if he didn't budge, they would use it against him for years. Looking inward, he found that most of his fears were gone. This looks ...... Not bad. Oh my God, they're going to watch him be torn to shreds.

"Oh, don't say it. I'm leaving. If you see a slave trader coming, slip into the woods. When I deal with them, I'll come to you. ”

"Thank you, Dad." His children said in unison. Then, sweetly, they leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Sev imitated them, and Anders agreed.

He sighed, once again defeated by the active children. Between them and Agn, he was inferior to an ox with a spear. He walked towards the demon, who had approached her before she could notice him. She hissed viciously and staggered into a hand-to-hand combat pose, baring her teeth and claws.

She wore a dark coat of thick wool and leather, with a rough and primitive cut that appeared to be painted black. Her black hair was pulled back to reveal her jet-black horns sticking out of her head. Her strangely reflective eyes almost glittered in the flickering firelight. In such light, her skin did not show the typical blue-black; Instead, she looks almost like a shadow with teeth. Long, sharp, angry teeth. He held out his palm to her, trying to show that he had no ill intentions. "Can you speak?" He asked.

"I'm not alone!" Leave me! She snarled at him.

He had never been so close to an adult who was not surrounded by the blood mist of his comrades. Although his heart was beating violently with fear, wrapping around his chest and making it difficult for him to breathe, he did not flinch. He felt like a recruit again, afraid of battle. He plucked up his courage, took a deep breath, and said, "I'm not like them. Need help moving rocks?"

She looked confused, and her posture lost a lot of enthusiasm. Mentally prepared for any sign of violence from her, he pretended to lower his spear and slowly walked to a corner of the rock.

The rock is about 4 feet wide and 3 inches thick and 8 inches thick. In the dim light, it looked like it hadn't been cut, which made him wonder where they had found so many flat boulders. It also looks very heavy. But ever since Deanna had lifted one up to steal Sef, he had to give it a try. He dug out a place to put his fingers, then crouched down, braced himself up, and lifted it with all his strength.

He lifted himself and stood up, his face flushed, his muscles bulging, and he lifted a stone. The demon woman rushed under the rock, and then came out again, holding a child younger than Sef in her arms. As soon as she was free, he threw down the stone, which cracked into four pieces with a clatter.

The enchantress knelt in front of him, took his hand, and placed his knuckles on her forehead. "Thank you." She said, and ran away as fast as she could. Androx straightened up and shouted. Tomorrow will hurt more than usual. He wished he could move. If not, he smiled and thought, it would be a fitting ending for him - he was frozen to death because he helped a demon. In fact, helping a demon without dying is an act of injustice for all Dikaia, so he deserves it now.

Androx took a moment to look into the field again to make sure anyone saw them. He still couldn't see a single person, only dozens of fires and large stones. How many stones are there? Twenty? More? He couldn't see it—they were scattered among the fires, not in a row like soldiers. Do each of them have a demon child?

When he realized this, he couldn't help but feel a little horrified or unfair. Hatred of demons is one thing – an admirable thing – but what about starving their children under rocks? It makes no sense. It seems too cruel. A good farmer kills wolves, but he doesn't kill slowly for fun. This seems dishonorable.

No, there can't be a child under every rock. Where did they get so much? It must have been just a place for one or two people. But if that's the case, why bother? Those stones were heavy.

He thought as he tiptoed back to where his sons were. The children lay as they had left, looking at everything with wide eyes and a golden glint in their eyes.

"Dad, does your back hurt?" Hana asked in a sympathetic tone.

"Maybe. I'll be fine," he replied. "Keep your distance low. Let's find a place to sleep. Hopefully we'll all get into this bearskin. ”

Pepper had to put the white tail of the flower down because it kept waving its tail, but they were not chased when they left the field. As they left the campfire, Andax took one last closer look at the scene. At the far end, he saw a group of people approaching from the east, about twenty people, mostly dressed in gray, carrying wood on stretchers. Thankfully, he managed to evade them.

As far as the eye could see, his mind was full of rocks. He couldn't help but wonder if they both had a child. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to be trapped in a narrow, dark, filthy cave and God knows what it would be like. He thought about it, choked in his throat, and then realized that exhaustion had made him emotional, so he suppressed his emotions

Think about it, are the children of demons born like humans and animals, or do they grow in the dirt like crops? The witch had taken the child from under the rock, so she might be able to smell the stone ripe. He'll have to ask Agna about it later. Maybe she'll know, maybe the god Patos will tell her.

Actually, it doesn't make sense. If that's the case, it's the demons who are making fires, and he now thinks it's to keep the ground warm, not the slave owners. Well, they must be stealing the children, not winning them in battle, or taking them as a payment for their debts. After all, if they win in battle, no one will try to steal them back.

But that's none of his business until they steal his baby. Who cares if the devil's child is stolen? What does he want a bunch of demon kids to do? How does he feed them? Where will he put them?

No, he's crazy. He didn't want to involve himself and his family further in the matter. He put Sev back on his shoulder and thanked Diodon Paz – he said his back only hurt when he was bent over. His sons silently followed him into the darkness, following the path he had carved out in the snow. He has one goal, only one: to find Della, get his money back, and keep his family intact. In this bleak, icy wilderness, he had no other choice.

As for Della, he occasionally saw some people with wavy, red hair just like hers, so her family was somewhere. Since winter, two people have dealt with Skywalker who is pretending to be a merchant, and they are on the same path, so he knows that he is going in the right direction. None of them knew where the "meadow" was, but it was only a matter of time. Agunn said that God would not let Anchors wander aimlessly until death, and he could only trust that and move on. When the children of Partos are finished with them, they will find Della and his money, and then all return to Dikaya to spend their lives in modest luxury.

In those golden fields of my hometown, with its white houses and brightly colored temples and sanctuaries, it certainly has never been so cold. Brass gates, paved roads. Markets and forums. Good bathroom. The weather ranges from cold to warm, but rarely hot or cold. Music. Food......

He was satisfied that they had come far enough. He found a hole under a wide evergreen tree, and there was not a single drop of snow on the coniferous bed under the tree. When he climbed in, his back stiffened involuntarily every time he didn't move properly. He sat down slowly, and the boys gave a lot of concerned glances. Flower sits on one leg, Pepper sits on the other, and Sev curled up on their lap. The bearskin was wide enough to almost cover them, and even though Androx's ass might freeze in the morning, at least no one would succumb to the cold.

"Dad, do you think there's a child under every stone?" As he snuggled up to one arm, Flower asked.

"I don't think so. Where did they get so much? Why hide them under stones? He replied.

No one answered, and no one spoke for a while. Then Pepper said, "I think I know why." I think they put them under the rocks to make them mean. ”

"What do you mean?" Andlocks asked.

"Hmm...... That's because...... After my first mom was killed, and before I met Flore, I started going crazy because I was too lonely. "It's so hard to even just be alive, and it breaks my brain. I can't really explain it. But I think if I keep being trapped in such a little hole, I'm going to go crazy and become evil. ”

"yes...... I've been to this too. Even after I met Pepper," Flauer added calmly. "I'm so sad that it keeps hurting in my chest. We had no food, no clothes, nothing. ”

Andrew thought for a moment. At the end of last summer, the cubs tried to stop him in a final desperate situation. Hungry after being abandoned, Flower wanted to steal his money to buy some bread, but they were too weak to succeed. Pepper was starving to death, he couldn't even stand up, and Flowers was starving to death. Even if the boy bites off A

d

The idea of a chunk of meat on the legs of the okles ended up winning some money, and they couldn't possibly go back to town. He half-jokingly said, "I think you must be crazy to think it's a good idea to bite me."

"Well, it worked, didn't you, Dad?" It worked," Flower said. "It's just not what we think."

A

d

Okles snorted with laughter.

"You bit him?" Sev asked. It sounds like he's scared by the idea.

Pepper replied, "Flower was going to rob him, so he bit him and wanted to rob him of his money." That's how Dad met us. Dad saw that we were starving to death, so he saved us. That's why we are now his sons. ”

Hana said, "Daddy just looks scary. He was very nice to the kids. Mom said, "

"Stop spreading rumors!" Andro interrupted.

- Mom said he was like a roasted nut. He's just the outside and soft and warm on the inside," Flower continued.

"Flowers, everyone's heart is soft and warm."

Pepper giggled, but Hana said, "That's not what she meant." She meant—"

I understood what she meant. It's time for you to go to bed. Me too. Androx said. And so the conversation ended, and the sudden silence seemed strange. He could see that his sons still wanted to talk to him, perhaps just to reassure themselves; But he's really, really tired, that's all.

Sev seemed to be the first to fall asleep, followed by Flower, then Pepper, and he dragged for a while to put his black tail in a more comfortable position. As Androcles slowly drifted towards the world of dreams, a thought kept clinch his toes and pulled him back—that thought was a little devil trapped beneath a stone. It wasn't until he made up his mind to tell Agna about it, and Agna knew what to do, that his heart put him to sleep.