(Principality Arc ꔷ I)

In the year 256 of the Alchemy Calendar of the Principality of Van Lun Tieno, the fifth day of the Dark Moon......

The Fire Moon is the least number of days out of the twelve months of the year, with only seven days.

The next "Dark Moon" lasts thirty days—a regular number of days in the month.

The wonder of the "Magic Sea Tides" in the sky will also start to visit the Van Lun Tieno Continent from today.

In the holy capital of Grancis, the planned trip of Celis and Halluga was postponed by four days due to official business.

On the first day of the month, Alex had returned to Glancis from another town, and heard that the Demon Lord and his men had appeared in the desert not far from here, and had destroyed most of the ruins of the Eagle Palace.

This was a good opportunity, and the Marquis decided to return to Grancith immediately, ask the guild for support from the other knights, and send more men to defeat the Demon Lord as soon as possible.

In addition, this time, the Adventurer's Guild has also joined the raid queue. Despite their reputation, their reputation among knights is not very good, mostly because of the way adventurers deal with things and attitudes led by utilitarianism.

But the Knights' Guild didn't stand in the way.

However, the two guilds did not reach a consensus on cooperation, but acted separately. In fact, there is no shortage of strong warriors in the Adventurers' Guild, but not all of them are righteous in their hearts, and more of them are monster hunters who only live for bounties.

The word "neutral" is a good way to describe the overall nature of the organization.

According to some insiders like the old knights, it might be more appropriate to describe their actions as "mercenary".

The above remarks about the Adventurer's Guild are all information that Celis has heard from the local Knights' Guild.

He received the order to join the crusade against the Demon Lord and head to the ruins. Before leaving, he promised Haluga that in order to prevent her from being harassed, he would leave a room in the guild so that she could hide from the harassers until the day she left.

Cylis, he thought, might be able to meet Felsa in the ruins, and the other day he had revealed that his next destination would be the place.

If two people work together, they should be able to solve the task at hand very well.

However, by the time the Knights' Guild raiders arrived at the ruins, it was in ruins, and the enemy had long since left it. After three days, the search was still fruitless, and Celis did not see Firsa.

When he returned, he explained the situation to Haluga a little, and prepared to leave the next day.

-

Today is a good day to go out and the wind is beautiful.

On the first day of her dream trip, the first day of a few days of delay, Haluga set foot on the lush green meadows of the wild for the first time, and from time to time she departed from her original path and ran away to chase the beautiful butterflies that caught her sight in the wild.

Celis sighed that she was such an innocent little girl, though she didn't seem to admit it herself.

The figure of the companion in front of him seems to coincide with the impression of someone in his memory in a trance.

Mixed with sadness, mixed with mixed emotions, welled up for no reason. He stared at the sky, his eyes narrowed, remembering the sun-colored hair of the man he remembered.

Yes, he was also accompanied by someone in his past travel life.

It's just that until now, it's just a past that people don't want to know.

Alas, on such a happy day, why should you deliberately think about the unhappy things in the past.

He promised himself in his heart that he would protect the girl in front of him this time.

Speaking of which, isn't there anyone who can take Haluga out to play? The family's access control is really strict.

Hey, no, so why was she able to ask her family to allow her to go on a long trip?

"Hey—have you and your family made this trip clear?"

"Of course!" Halujia squatted aside, stroked the petals of the flowers with his fingers, his eyes did not leave his hands, and continued: "The relatives agreed without even thinking about it. ”

After listening to the reply, he felt that something was wrong.

Why doesn't she use the word "family" instead of "family"?

Is it because there is no difference between family members and relatives, or is it because relatives are not equal to family members?

"Oh. Don't lie to me, I'm going to take a lot of responsibility, and I'll send you back. ”

As soon as he heard "send you back", Halujia immediately glared at his companion with childlike resentful eyes, but in less than half a second, he changed his gaze to begging for mercy, "No, I just came out...... You're kidding, right? ”

Celis spread his hands and put on a "I can't help you" pose and expression.

In the end, Haluga secretly plucked a bright yellow wildflower, retracted the mood of play, and returned to the original road.

The girl stepped on the stone paved path, her boots making rhythmic sounds with her steps and singing.

The clothes she wore were really trendy.

The girl is not tall, but her figure is very well developed.

The main color of pitch black and mystery matches the girl's fair skin, and she even wears black hand socks and foot socks. The dress dresses up the girl to be precocious.

Girls really know how to dress up. Celis watched silently behind her, hearing her whining about Felsa.

"If you listen to my brother and go to Snowva by boat, I'm afraid I will be swallowed up by a storm...... He did it on purpose, right? ”

"What? Storm? ”

Celis remembered that a few days ago, the official body of the Principality that observed the celestial phenomena had warned in advance that several strong storms would sweep over the western part of the continent of Van Lentino.

"And then my brother left the Holy Capital before us!"

It was true that Filsa did not contact the two of them, and left Francis in a hurry without even saying goodbye.

"Well, now, he must be on a mission and enjoying the world of the two."

"This ......" the companion couldn't cry and laughed, speechless.

The girl was still chattering and complaining. Just as she said that she was tired and was about to close her mouth and be silent, she looked into the distance and found that a trace of smoke had inexplicably risen there, which was very obvious under the blue sky.

"Look, over there...... What the hell is going on? ”

The starting point of the smoke is not far from the original route.

So Celis and Haluga planned to speed up and go over to see what was going on.

The origin of the smoke is a pile of burnt hay with a very scorching smell of burning. The haystack was almost a man tall, and there were seven or eight middle-aged men in cloth clothes armed with spears around them.

They were residents from a nearby town, gathering together in a panic.

"Do it...... You should be able to get rid of them, right? One resident said timidly.

Another responded, "Be wary, they're not just one." ”

"Mayor Mare! It seems that two adventurers have come over and we can turn to them for help! ”

The middle-aged man in the gray shirt was called the mayor, and he hesitated, "Adventurer...... I don't know how much bounty they'll receive. ”

"But...... No one can help us anymore! ”

Mayor Mare nodded affirmatively.

A tall young man dressed as a dragoon, and a young girl beside him who was a head shorter.

The two figures gradually came into everyone's eyes, making them look as if they had met a savior.

Let's not talk about the short-haired black girl with a childish face.

The momentum of the young man in front of him and the purple and black armor on his body that showed his majesty showed that he should be an adventurer with no bad strength.

His weapon is a short spear more than a meter long that is tied to his waist, and he is supposed to be a fighter who is good at close combat.

Looking at his eyes are bright and righteous, it seems that he will not belong to the kind of risk-taker who is mercenary......

As for the girl beside him...... It doesn't look like a magician...... In short, he is also an adventurer.

"Did something happen?" The young man asked.

The group of people who set the haystack on fire were residents from the town of Laifrem, who had been attacked by monsters one night just three days earlier, killing and injuring dozens of people.

Although there is a nominal knights' guild in the town, it is a non-existent one, and there are usually few knights, and most of them will gather in the holy capital to visit if they have free time, and they will only visit this small place if they accept a mission about coming to Frem.

The head of the Obsidian Order, Marquis Alex, and another knight had visited Frem, but they did not stay for more than a day before leaving. Coincidentally, the night after they all left the town, the monster attacked.

Lefrem was originally a peaceful town, undisturbed by monsters.

"That...... As for the bounty...... We'll do our best to pay when the time comes. If money isn't enough, we have a lot of specialties here......"

The mayor pleaded in a low voice, promising to spend everything he could on the monsters.

"What?" Before he could react, Celis asked in astonishment.

The mayor thought that his words had upset him, so he rubbed his hands and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, we are not rich in Frem, so we ......"

Celis smiled with relief, "I think you're misunderstood. I'm not an adventurer, but a knight of the Knights of the Silver Wing. As for the bounty or anything, I can't take it, but I'll do my best to help you deal with the monsters anyway. ”

After listening to Cialis's explanation, they dispelled their initial anxiety and secretly thanked the gods for giving the town a savior, and hurriedly thanked them.

"But before I can help you, I need to know a few things......"

When Celis asked where the monster came from, everyone pointed to a special area not far to the south.

He looked that way. The meadow area, which was completely different from the grassland in which he lived, was full of herbaceous plants with slender leaf tips, which should be a grass to the eye, but the growth momentum was unusually dense and verdant, about a meter high.

It's like an endless high grassland, where the sea of green grass meets the blue sky, and the horizon is obscured. He thought to himself.

"What do monsters look like?"

The inhabitants gestured with each other, synthesizing the information they had given about the demon's appearance, and Celis had a rough idea of its main characteristics.

He speculated that it was a demon species called the Human-Faced Demon.

As the name suggests, they have a human-like face and thick black hair. These demons have well-developed limbs, sharp claws, and can walk on flat ground on both feet and crawl along walls, as well as jumping with great strength.

Another distinctive feature is that they have a large hard horn on their backs, and their skin is mostly dark in color such as red or brown.

"They often hide inside and attack the residents." One person added, saying.

"I've got a general understanding, and I hope you don't get any near this high grassland until I deal with them." Then he looked back at his companion, "Then you-"

Haluga interrupted with a grin, "Of course I'm following you." ”

"Okay. But do you know martial arts, or any kind of magic? Celis expects her to know a little bit of self-defense martial arts.

"Yes, a little."

"Liar. Where are your weapons? Celis debunked in a word.

"Hee-hee, I'm sorry ......"

"It's ......" Celis had already seen through her lie, she didn't know how to fight, and it wasn't very reassuring to keep her here with strangers, so she decided, "You have to follow." ”

-

The inhabitants who had come to Frem watched them both leave, and stayed where they were. Celis put on his helmet and carefully inspected his weapon.

After making thorough preparations, the two quickly burrowed into the gap between the tall grasses and submerged half of their bodies in the middle of the grassland sea.

The Human-Faced Demon has a giant horn growing on its back, although it should still show a little bit of a point in this tall meadow that is more than a meter high, and it is easy to recognize.

From time to time, Celis looked back worriedly to see if Haruga had gone away from the way he came, only to find that he had been following him very peacefully.

It turns out that she also knows how dangerous this mission is.

"Are we going to step on something? For example, snakes, earthworms, and so on. The companion asked timidly.

"Oh, don't worry, this armor on my body will generate a holy breath nearby, which can dispel some small animals, and even some low-level monsters."

"Can you dispel those Human-Faced Demons, then?"

Celis smiled and shook his head, "No, if you release the Holy Breath too much here, you will faint!" ”

He groped his way ahead with his hand and continued on his way. He stepped on the next step in the mud, but luckily didn't pull his foot away before he sank.

He reminded his companions behind him, "Although it is said that you don't have to worry about stepping on monsters, you still have to be careful of your feet, the meadow is full of silt. ”

Haluja nodded in understanding, and she told Celis not to worry too much about herself, so that she could find the monster and kill it as soon as possible.

In fact, Celis wanted to quietly release his magic power and spread it in all directions, so as to lure the demon to come on his own initiative, so that it could be easily destroyed in one fell swoop.

In the past, dragoons used this tactic to annihilate demons, and they were very efficient.

However, now that there are unarmed companions behind him, it will be difficult to deal with a group battle, and when faced with the situation of protecting his companions while fighting, the safety of Haluja should be the priority.

But you can't blame your companion entirely, because the two of them are in the same meadow sea. If it were somewhere else, Celis might have made it easier.

If the fire magic he is good at is unleashed, this continuous grassland will turn into a sea of fire, and the fire will be out of control, hurting innocents. Therefore, Celis can only fight with a short gun.

"Hey, ......"

"What's wrong?" Hearing his companion call to him, Cialis jerked his head.

At that moment, both ears caught the sound of "popping" from the left and right;

In the field of vision of the eyes, there are two protruding horns on the sea of grass, which are moving rapidly.

Haruga had discovered the demon's sneak before he did.

Celis pulled out a short shot from the midfield, ready to meet it in the next moment.

Purple holy breath spread out with the unsheath of the spear, playing a protective effect, haunting the two of them.

"Be careful."

Haluga nodded, leaning right behind Celis.

A fluctuating breath struck, and Celis raised his gun.

"But you don't have to be too nervous, it looks like there are only a few human-faced demons." He said confidently, calculating the distance between the nearest monster and himself, and saw the right time to shoot it.

The cut grass tip flew out suddenly, and at the same time, a dark green liquid splashed from the grass.

The tip of the spear stabbed the monster. Celis didn't really like staring at the monster that looked a little like a human, so he didn't pick it out of the grass with a gun. After a few violent shakes of the gun head, there was no movement.

The breath of the human-faced demon dissipated into the air along with the breath of life.

He succeeded in assassinating the first monster that was entrenched in the surrounding area.

The rest of the Human-Faced Demon hid in one place, no longer showing the tips of their horns. Celis and Haluja had no choice but to move on.

"It's really hard to distinguish the aura of a human-faced demon from a human, and I don't have the special ability to identify demons like Filsa, "Magical Perception." Celis thought to himself.

"Ahh

Haluja landed a few meters behind him, surrounded by several human-faced demons that had already peeked half out of the grass.

"This ...... What kind of monster is this? ”

The monster that appeared in front of the girl had a patheticly distorted human face, and it was simply a demon demonized from a real human.

The face was so frightened that Haluja couldn't move, and forgot to run away.

The monster leaped into the air and pounced on the girl.

A few meters away from the girl, Celis had no time to rush over, so he threw the short gun in his hand. Above the girl, Xunfei's spear stabbed into her head from her face and landed with the monster.

With the sharp horn on his right shoulder armor, Cyris dashed away from another human-faced demon that had crept behind the girl.

He protected Haruja with his body.

The spear stabbed into the head of the fallen monster, and he slowly approached, reclaiming his weapon.

A dull roar came from all directions, and Celis kept an eye on each monster's every move, not forgetting his companions behind him.

The human-faced demons were also waiting for the moment when Celis was negligent, and they all pounced.

Cyris stepped on the monster's corpse, drew his spear with all his might, and used his remaining strength to deliver another forward slash.

At the same moment, the group of monsters surrounding the two began to leap up and attack, and the figures of the group of flutterers blocked the sunlight overhead.

The tip of the weapon with a purple glow leaped rapidly. It's even faster than swinging a sword, making it impossible to discern the trajectory. In a few moves, all the human-faced demons fell into the grass with fatal scars.

The breath is gone. Celis wasn't sure if all the monsters had been killed.

But at the very least, all those who inhabit the neighborhood have all died under the blades of their guns.

"You...... You're amazing......" Haluja exclaimed in amazement, hiding behind him in a weak admiration.

Cialis looked around with a wary gaze to confirm the situation. There was a deathly silence in the sea of grass.

-

"I slew eight Human-Faced Demons in the meadow. If it hasn't been wiped out - the rest shouldn't be able to come near this place again. However, I suggest that you ask the Knights' Guild for help in a few days to get rid of the monsters. ”

The townsfolk thanked them and invited them both to come to Frem for a night's rest and leave the next day.

"But...... If you want to come to Frem, you have to go back to the Holy Capital to get Fram. ”

"Well, in that case, this journey will be in vain today."

Celis had no intention of coming to Frem, and Haluga had the same idea. After explaining what had happened, he politely declined the townspeople's kindness and continued on his original journey.

After completing the temporary task of slaying monsters, it was already afternoon. Although the afternoon sun was still violent, the faint sound of the murmuring of the stream at this time made Haluja feel cool for a while. In two hours, the "Magic Sea Tide" will appear, and night will fall.

"Celis ......"

Haluga seemed to be calling out to his companion in a pleading tone.

"Huh? What's wrong? ”

"I ......"

"Are you feeling any discomfort, or are you tired?"

"Coo-" A signal of hunger came from the girl's belly, and the answer was answered in her place at the right time.

She smiled sheepishly.

Celis laughed twice, "It's been so long to travel, I have dry food here......"

As he spoke, he hesitated for a moment, then immediately changed his words: "Or ......"

He gestured with his eyes to a babbling brook not far away.

A hungry child is the most sensitive to food, and Halujia suddenly understood, and his eyes became shining: "You mean...... Want to eat fish? ”

He nodded.

"But what tools are you going to use to catch fish?"

Celis pulled out the spear that was lying at the back of the body.

"However, you need to wash it carefully before using it. I'm afraid you'll get dirty. As...... How about you go to the lower reaches of the creek and wash it until you think it's clean, and I'll go upstream and get ready. ”

Haluja was glad to accept his suggestion for his own sake, and took the short gun in his hand, feeling extremely heavy, and at the same time feeling that "killing pigs with a knife" was used.

The blade of the gun was also stained with some inky contaminants.

But she'd definitely cleanse the tip of the spear a hundred times that had been stained with the blood of the monsters.

"Watch out for the tip of the blade!" After careful instructions, Celis walked up the stream.

Haluga carried the heavy spear to the side of the stream with almost all the strength and posture of the carry, and at the same time thought to himself, Celis is really powerful, and when facing a monster, he can still swing this undescriptively heavy weapon without hindrance.

But can this gun really be used as a harpoon?

Haruja plunged the filthy blade of her spear into the river, allowing it to wash down the river at will.

The blade was almost a quarter of the length of the gun, about thirty centimeters long, and was branded with dark red veins.

The tip of the spear looked very sharp - a good proof of this when Celis was confronting the monsters just now, knocking the huge monster down with a single blow, leaving a long scar. Halujia didn't dare to touch it directly with his hands.

Avoiding water, she took off her socks and carefully wiped the stains off the blade with a rag.

Unexpectedly, after a little wiping, half of the traces remaining on it were gone. She repeated this several times until the blade of the gun was wiped to look like brand new.

She was so satisfied with her cleaning job that she naively thought she had a talent for housework......

Haruga called out to Celis to come over, and with a sense of accomplishment on his face, he returned the clean-cleaned spear to its owner.

At this point, Celis took off the armor of his upper body, wore a short white shirt, and was sweating profusely. He gratefully took the spear and looked at the Harpoon in his hand again with satisfaction.

Haluja noticed the dark red mark engraved on his arm, although the shape of the pattern was a little terrifying, but she couldn't help but be curious, and asked, "The mark engraved on your arm...... What is it? ”

"It's a kind of mark called the 'emblem'." Celis replied briefly, without further explanation, "Well, night is coming, and I should go and prepare the ingredients for dinner." ”

Celis told her to take a break in the shade of a nearby tree, and to a nearby river by himself to perform his "spearfishing" operation.

Although the sun does not want to set in the western mountains yet, because this month is already a dark month, the night will set early.

He planned to complete the task before it got dark.

Celis took off his boots and stepped into the river.

On the river, his lower body is still, with a gun in one hand, hunched over and staring intently at the movement of the fish in the river.

Ignoring the eyes that followed the fish in the river, his whole person was like a statue standing in the river.

Due to the refraction of light, the sight of fish swimming on the surface of the river seen by the naked eye is a virtual image, and the angle of deviation must be calculated when shooting.

River fish are small and swim extremely fast, which makes aiming more difficult. However, all this is not a problem for experienced fishermen.

There are two keys to accurately spearing fish –

First, calculate the angle of deviation due to light refraction;

Second, predict the swimming trajectory of the fish. Once you have more experience in fishing with a spear, it becomes easy to understand and becomes simple.

A large catfish swam past his feet, and Celis stabbed his gun into the water with little splash, but the river inevitably caused a faint wave.

The other river fish that were alarmed by the waves scattered in panic, and the catfish, which had no time to dodge, had already been pierced through the abdomen from the head of the fish with the tip of a spear, and could not move.

The river fish is very violent, constantly beating to break free from the sharp weapon that stabs it. Celis scooped his booty out of the river and threw it onto the grass by the river.

He went on with his work and didn't stop for a moment.

Haruja went to rest under a nearby tree, and at the end of the day she felt a little tired, and as soon as she sat down, she quickly closed her eyes.

She closed her eyes at this time, not only because of fatigue, but also because of the strange sight of the coming "night and the sun in the sky".

This is a period of time that exists after the tide of the Demon Sea comes and before the actual sunset.

When you imagine a golden sun shining dazzlingly in the night sky, this landscape seems to herald the coming of the end of the world, which always makes people feel not so reassured, and even have a fear that there is no source.

Haluga, like some people, hates this kind of intervening time. In order to avoid it, not wanting to see it, she developed a habit of falling asleep a moment before the tide of the Demon Sea.

In this quiet, undisturbed moment, not far from the tree, in the dense grass that no one noticed, a pair of looming eyes were closely watching the sleeping girl.

He hid his aura so skillfully that no one could discover his presence.

-

Until dark, Celis was plentiful in the harvest of seven fatty river fish, including four catfish, two grass carp, and even a yellow eel.

He found a pile of hard branches nearby, and specially selected two of them that were relatively straight and unforked, and used them as strings of fish.

He carefully cleaned each fish, descaled and gills, and skewered it with a branch.

After all, he is not a professional chef, so Celis does not know how to remove the internal organs without destroying the body of the fish.

Therefore, you can only remind your companions not to eat dirty things in your stomach when eating.

As for the source of fire, this one was easier for Cellis. Don't say light a bonfire, even if it burns a big tree to ashes.

It was easy for him, who was good at fire magic.

However, the current situation is not enough to use fire magic to do such an exaggerated situation.

I didn't carry spices with me. He's not like someone who has an assistant by his side who carries all sorts of things with him.

However, from a certain moment, he used to go alone in the field to carry out tasks. For him, there are only three necessities for being outdoors – weapons, water, and food.

Now it's not a camping activity, he's just going to make an ordinary dinner. Therefore, there is no need to prepare too carefully, and the food can fill the stomach and replenish the energy needed for activity.

Although he thinks so himself, the work at hand is handled so meticulously.

He was crouching by the campfire, holding two skewers of fish in each hand, hanging them some distance above the flames and starting to bake.

Other skewers are placed on top of a clean pile of branches so that they do not touch the dirt and grass.

The fire is not very large, and it will take a long time to cook the raw fish in your hands.

Celis looked at the firelight, and gradually remembered the first time he went out on a mission, deep into the forest.

The purpose of that mission was to kill a huge monster that looked like a giant dragon somewhere in the forest.

Yes, then, as now, he was with a companion of the opposite sex. The man claimed to be Celis's assistant, but he often helped more and more, messing things up.

However, at the last moment of this mission, the female assistant chose to sacrifice herself to save Cialis's life.

And she was trapped in a cave with the fierce and huge dragon-like monster, and her life and death were still uncertain. Celis knew in her heart that she was no longer in this world.

From then on, he refused to carry out tasks with anyone, except for the collective actions prescribed within the regiment.

However, he occasionally solves incidents with Firsa, and this friend is the only one who knows his past.

Celis took a deep breath and realized that he had lost his mind in the process of grilling the fish. Luckily, the color of the fish is just beginning to change.

Soon, the fish skewers in your hand are carefully baked, and the color of the skin changes to a mouth-watering golden yellow.

He picked at the body of the fish with a twig and noticed that the bones were no longer sticking to the flesh – a sign that the skewers had been grilled and became the first dish made in the wild today, ready to be tasted in the mouth.

When Haluga woke up, he found himself asleep for two hours with hunger.

It was now completely dark, the tide had receded from the sky, and the hour was truly evening. She rubbed her eyes dimly, and saw a little fire not far away, and above it there was light smoke rising from it, and the fragrance was even more fragrant.

When Celis saw Haluga approaching, he didn't need to ask her how hungry she was, and handed her a freshly grilled fish skewer with an enticing aroma.

She sighed and carefully put the fish in her mouth.

"It's delicious!"

Haluja was a natural favorite fisher, especially the river fish that were grilled golden and brilliantly and rarely seen in large towns.

"By the way, be careful not to eat the fish guts!" Cialis smiled and reminded.

The taste of the wild river fish was delicious, and it didn't take long for Haluga to send the whole grilled fish into his belly, licking his lips playfully with his tongue, as if he was still unsatisfied.

"Don't rush...... And many more. Alas, you're like a child. But he didn't say the last half of the sentence, otherwise he would suffer another roll of the eyes of his companions.

"It's really, really delicious!" As he chewed, he kept admiring his companion's skill in grilling fish.

For life in the wild, she thinks that this level of cooking can be called top-notch.

"Hehe, in fact, my cooking level is only enough to swallow without vomiting, compared to Felsea, it is far worse."

"What? My brother can actually cook? Haruja spat out tiny fish bones to the side, and asked incredulously.

"Of course, don't you know, his skills are among the best in our Order. However, he is not a cook, and he travels all year round to carry out tasks in various places and does not stay at headquarters, so few people can taste his craft.

Even I only got a taste of his craft during that occasional mission where I got together and worked together at the Demon Martial Academy. ”

Unexpectedly, Halujia had more interest in the Demon Martial Academy, "Demon Martial Academy! What kind of mission was that? Can you tell me about it? ”

Because of this topic that connected all three, Celis and Haluja gradually became acquainted.

He still has a very clear impression of the time when he and Filsa returned to their alma mater and carried out a mission together.

It was the third month after the two men finished their studies and left the academy.

One night, a dimensional crack appeared in the sky above the Demon Martial Arts Academy of the Far North, and a large number of floods and monsters poured out of it.

The academy is located on a mountain mountain, in order to prevent the residents of Snova City from being infested by unknown monsters at the bottom of the mountain, the tutors opened a closed barrier overnight, tightly surrounding the academy, and preventing a drop of flood and a monster from falling down the mountain.

The amount of water gushing out of the cracks is staggering enough to cover the town below, and the consequences of flooding alone would be unimaginable.

Because of the existence of the barrier, the Far North became a "Venice" - the Water Academy. The first floor of the school building was completely submerged in an ocean of water, water, and water everywhere.

Fortunately, there are not many students in the academy, and most of them are excellent students who are about to become magicians or magic swordsmen.

So it's not so much about the safety of the students as it is a great internship for them.

During the day, the students go out to hunt monsters;

At night, they go to the second floor of the teaching building that has not yet been flooded to rest collectively.

By that time, Celis and Filsa had already finished their studies.

In order to resolve this bizarre incident as soon as possible, the principal decided not to ask outsiders for help, but instead called the two graduates back to help.

"Sounds like a lot of fun!" Haluga is very interested in this, and is also very eager for the adventurous and exciting "water park".

"You won't think that anymore when you learn that there is a terrifying sea dragon swimming in the water at a depth of four meters......"

Some students found a piece of emerald scales the size of a fan near the school building where they were resting, and they speculated on the existence of a sea dragon monster.

This is very dangerous, and Celis and Filsa receive an urgent order from the headmaster to eradicate this dangerous monster in the shortest possible time.

"That night, in order to prepare for battle, to replenish his strength and energy, your brother, Filsa, proposed to go into the water to catch fish and then roast and eat. Well, it seems that you and he both have one thing in common - they are both foodies. ”

"Alright, alright, leave this alone......" Haluja urged, eating the last string of fish into her stomach.

It's amazing that the fish that emerges from the dimensional rift are actually edible.

I guess the water came from a certain river or a certain sea area.

It was then that Celis got his first taste of Felsa's mastery of cooking, and he also ate grilled fish.

However, at that time, Filsa got some spices from his assistant.

The combination of high craftsmanship and unique condiments makes the grilled fish so delicious that it becomes a dish that will keep Celis coming back to this day.

Later, he found out that Filsa had known that Celis's magic skills could not be released in the water, and he also knew that he was not good at working in the water.

So while he was fishing, he went deep into the water on his own to detect the situation. That's why on the second day, everyone was able to lure the sea dragon out so easily.

"After a full day of fighting, and with the help of powerful wizard teachers, Filsa and I dragged the body of the sea dragon ashore. And that was the end of the incident. ”

"You're all amazing...... I'd love to see a water park like this, but I'm not familiar with water. Well, no matter what, whether the Monster Academy has a water park or not, I'm going to it! ”

Haluga confidently promised.

-

From behind Haluja, there was a rustling sound, and Celis was vigilant and grabbed the weapon lying beside him.

The figures of several running people came into view.

It turned out to be the townspeople from Fram today.

Judging by their panicked looks, it doesn't seem like anything good is happening.

"Knight! Finally let us find you......"

The townsfolk followed the light of the campfire and struggled to find the two.

Celis put down the uneaten cooked catfish and asked solemnly what had happened.

"Human-faced demon...... They ......"

"Are they coming back to attack you again?" ”

"No, no, not exactly......" another townsman explained.

Just as the tide of the Demon Sea had receded and the moon appeared out of the night, a terrifying mutation occurred in Lyfrem.

A normal-looking male pedestrian who was walking on a night road suddenly roared at the moon without any expectation, and his body began to expand violently.

The few people who were still on the road at the time witnessed his transformation from a living human to a vicious human-faced demon.

In the end, the passerby was left with only a human face, covered in brown fur, and a terrifying roar from its fangy mouth, almost indistinguishable from a human-faced demon.

Before anyone else could escape, the demonized human began to attack the surroundings.

Until now, several casualties have been caused.

"How can a human become a human-faced demon?" It was the first time Celis had heard such an incredible thing, but it didn't sound false.

He instructed the townspeople, "Let all the townspeople who have come to Frem hide in the church or some other safe place, and I will go there at once!" ”

He turned his head again and instructed Haluja: "This operation is more dangerous, you better stay here and wait for me to come back." ”

The companion nodded obediently.

"Don't worry, we'll be optimistic about this little girl! As for coming to Frem...... I'll leave it to you! One of them seemed to have suffered a minor injury, lost his strength and fell to his knees, supported by someone next to him.

He said this, please.

"Uncle, you have a good rest here first!"

Putting on his helmet and armor, he let someone lead him the way, and he ran as fast as he could to the town that was being attacked.

A quarter of an hour later, when he arrived at the gate of the town, he saw a strange figure swaying under the moon at the top of the tallest building in the town. It was excitedly nibbling on something.

"That's it...... That's it! ”

Another middle-aged townsman ran out from the side of the road and informed, "Knight, all the residents in the vicinity have been evacuated!" ”

"Okay, I see, and please hide somewhere else safe, I'm going to start hunting it!"

Cellis skillfully swung the spear in his hand, the barrel of the spear rotating in his palms, leaving a trail of blades, and unleashing the dragon's breath.

A purple whirlwind rose in front of everyone's eyes, and after this gust of wind, the figure of the dragoon disappeared from the spot.

When they looked up, they saw that the swift figure of the dragoon had already crossed the roof of the house to chase their prey.

Today is not because of his own negligence, but the Human-faced Demon has been lurking in the town for a long time, waiting for the opportunity to prey on humans.

Damn, if I had kept an eye on them and made a little more effort to come to Frem's place, I might have noticed them.

The Moon-Faced Demon noticed that someone was jumping on the roof of the house in pursuit, so he stopped nibbling and threw himself at the pursuer, then turned and jumped off the building with agility.

Celis made a sideways move, dodging the thrown object.

The corpses of human beings whose faces had been gnawed away swept towards them. It made Celis's heart tighten. The divine dragon breath on his body grew stronger and stronger, surrounding him.

Jumping from the height and reaching the ground, the figure of the dark purple Celis scurried down the straight avenue, chasing the four-legged monster fleeing in front of him like a dragon.

On both sides of the street lay many corpses that had been eaten by monsters.

It must be killed as soon as possible, or it will cause more casualties.

The target demon disappears from the corner in front of him. Celis advanced to where it was gone, and paused, looking around warily.

The magic breath on the left suddenly appeared, and Celis raised his gun in both hands as a defensive stance, resisting the sudden and ferocious bite.

But what caught the dragoons off guard was the violently agitated magic breath that came from behind him again-

Another human-faced demon clamped its claws around his shoulders, its sharp teeth biting down on his face. Cialis' helmet was gnawed and rattled.

Struggling, Celis shouted a spell.

"Magic, release—"

The emblem on the arm turned bright red at the owner's will, and the mark of a dragon's head was reflected through the dark purple gauntlet.

In an instant, an explosion of fire magic ignited from the dragoon's body, engulfing the two monsters that were haunting them in an instant, and in a moment they burned them to charred black corpses that could no longer move and fell to the ground.

On the road of the original main street facing the dragoons, three more human-faced demons were spotted, crawling and approaching with a dull roar.

However, there was another thing that surprised him - how many corpses seemed to be missing from the corpses lying on the ground before?

These people are demon-faced...... Where does it come from?

With a bad premonition, Celis raised his gun before the monsters attacked en masse.

He dodged the oncoming claw blows, turned sideways, and raised the blade of his spear to cut the monster's throat with precision. At this time, he sensed a gust of wind rising beside him.

Kicking away the monster in front of him, he deftly avoided the impact of the other human-faced demon.

As soon as his toes hit the ground, he turned around and gave a thrust to the monster behind him, and the monster turned around and raised his wrist in a resisting stance.

However, the sharp blade with powerful magic-breaking power eventually pierced the wrist and stabbed the monster's heart to take its life.

Behind him, another demon's breath struck. The dragoon raised his spear horizontally, turned around and swept away, swinging his blade violently, cutting off the monster that was almost a meter away from him.

The moonlit streets were stained with the russet blood of the human-faced demons.

Celis's eyes darkened, and his body was overwhelmed by an unknown weight. In a moment of his negligence, a human-faced demon was struck from the roof above.

Through the gap in the helmet, the demon's human-like face was seen to be gnawed and shattered.

Celis suddenly realized that this demon was the corpse of the human being eaten by the human face demon just now!

In other words, anyone who has been bitten by a human face demon will ......

Worst! Celis secretly shouted in his heart, there is a person who is in a more dangerous situation than him!

-

"Uncle, you seem to be seriously injured......

In the grass outside the town, Haluja sat on the grass with her knees folded and waited for Celis to return. For a moment, she caught a glimpse of a middle-aged townsman who was beside her, protecting her, hunched over and looking as if he was in extreme pain, and asked with concern.

"It's okay...... I just had a bite on the shoulder. ”

"Didn't stop the bleeding?"

"It's stopped. But I'm a little hungry right now......"

With that, he stood up as if he was fine, and summoned another companion a few meters away.

When his companion was impatiently asking what was the matter, he opened his mouth without saying a word and bit his companion's face.

"Ahh Seeing this shocking change, Haruja cried out in a lost voice.

The injured middle-aged man suddenly roared at the moon, his skin gradually turned black and hardened, and in the blink of an eye, he completely turned into a human-faced demon.

-

If the injured townsfolk who were protecting Haluja the Protector had been bitten by the Faced Demon...... So what about Haluja...... She's in danger now!

Haruja must be saved as soon as possible! However, he couldn't just sow this group of monsters that were doing evil in the town.

According to their own observations, the residents seem to have all taken refuge in safe places.

As a result, Celis was forced to make a cruel decision.

Human-faced demons will gnaw at humans and turn them into their own kind. Therefore, it is dangerous to leave the town alone.

The knights' guilds in other places couldn't rush over to deal with it in the fastest time.

Hurry up and wipe out all the monsters that exist in the town in one fell swoop.

Then go back to rescue Haruja.

With a "clang", the dragoons threw down their weapons in order to better implement the strategy they had just decided. And at this moment, several nearby human-faced demons waited for an opportunity to pounce.

The dragoons chanted incantations unhurriedly.

"O emblem of the dragon—please respond to my call."

The dragon's head sigil on the arm lit up again until it turned from dark red to pure white. The dragoons unleashed their breath of fire, transforming into a dazzling crimson glow.

The surrounding scenery is surrounded by a burst of firelight.

……

After that, no one knew what was really going on in the town.

Just looking at it from a distance, in the center of Lefrem, a giant dragon tens of meters high with its whole body entangled in high heat and red flames quickly rose.

And beneath the dragon's body, the sea of fire that ignited spread as fast as it could.

The flames engulfed the entire town, leaving not a single living living in the town, if ever alive. It's either a human-faced demon, or a human who is about to demonize a human-faced demon.

With the roar of the dragon, the flaming flames lit up half of the night sky, ravaging everything within its reach to ashes.

The flame dragon raised its flaming wings, its eyes glaring at the sea of fire and the scorched remnants of the demons that screamed in it, showing no mercy.

The light of the fire gradually dimmed from the night sky. From the town, in the middle of the remaining smoke, Celis gasped.

Having consumed more than half of his mana, he ran out of the town's half-destroyed doorway with all his might, and galloped in the direction he had come.

Come on! Haluja, don't let anything happen! If she had any strengths and weaknesses, Filsa, who had entrusted her to herself, would never forgive herself, not even herself.

Stepping across the prairie, he returned to the place where he and Haluja had met the townspeople.

The girl had fainted and fell to the ground. Beside her, several human-faced demons fell, who had long since died. Their throats were accurately cut by sharp weapons, and they were cut off with a single slash.

Luckily, the girl was fine, and there were no wounds on her body. Celis was relieved.

He called out to Haruja, hoping to wake her up.

Celis carried her to the river and poured water into her mouth. After a few coughs, the frail girl finally opened her eyes.

"Celis ......"

As soon as Haluga awoke, he cried out to his companion's name and hugged him tightly.

-

(Principality ꔷB)

At the same time, on the same latitude of the sea, General Kereser ꔷ Gloria was enjoying the voyage.

The hallucinatory emblem of time implies that he is going to the other side of the sea to find the broken part of the emblem.

After careful consideration, Keresse planned the route of the journey.

A few days earlier, he had boarded a regular Magic Cruise from the coast of Van Lenteno's West Harbor, with the goal of crossing the ocean to the northern part of the continent to the Far North Syracuse city of Snow.

The ship risked a potentially violent storm and went to its destination with an urgent transport mission.

The stars in the sky are bright and lined up in the night, arranged like a grand chess array, and each "chess piece" is clearly visible.

In addition to purely stargazing, astronomical captains can also use it as a sign of night navigation, and even more reliable than a compass.

There are a lot of people on the spacious deck.

The sailors were working overtime with a straight face, and it seemed that they were not in a good mood because of the hard work at hand.

In contrast, passengers relax on deck to watch the stars and enjoy the salty sea breeze on their faces.

Karese's attire was very different from theirs, and not only that, but passengers in regular knightly attire seemed to be very rare at the moment.

Most of the passengers are adventurers from the local area of the Holy Capital.

Of course, there are also a small number of aristocrats who catch the cruise ship due to urgent matters.

But these noble people did not bother to be with the adventurers, but gathered together at a table, drank their own expensive red wine, and chatted about elegant topics.

So what Kereseer is seeing now is a phenomenon of "like gathering, people grouping".

There was a loud bang. Kereser was startled, and when he turned to see that it was the same group of sailors, who slammed the heavy objects in their hands onto the deck and sat down collectively to rest.

It is an elaborately carved work of art in fine marble, presumably depicting a knight galloping across the battlefield, and his mount is a rare Saint Pterodactyl mount.

Kereser looked up from below.

The whole body of the Holy Wing Dragon is not obviously covered with dragon scales, which is very peculiar, different from any dragon species recorded in the history books;

Standing on one foot, supporting the entire body of the dragon and the people on it;

Raise the sharp claws of the two swords, showing the momentum of sprinting;

The fierce dragon's head looked up ahead, as if it was chirping into the air. Riding on the back of the dragon is a knight wearing a unique mask that covers only his eyes, and holding a sword in his left hand.

Kereser found that the person on the seat of the statue was very familiar.

Although it is said that I have only met once on the Tower of Reverse Time, it has been a few months now, and the impression has long been blurred. However, when I saw this statue today, I completely remembered what that person looked like.

It's so strange that that person would be carved into a statue as a memorial?

"Excuse me, who is the figure carved on this statue?" Kareser asked curiously, to one of the sailors who was resting on the deck.

"Huhu, look at the name, huh, there is a writing next to the base, huhu." The sailor replied while gasping.

Kereser crouched down to observe. The base of the statue is a quadrangular platform, and one of the four sides bears the full name of the person on it, as well as the honorific title bestowed upon him by the world.

"Alphonse ꔷ Danley Tier, Pioneer of Van Lentino......"

This string of letters is carefully engraved in gold characters, and it is estimated that the statue of this hero is worth a fortune.

It turned out to be Alphonse...... Then, the existence value of this statue makes sense.

But it wasn't that that surprised Kerese the most.

It's that this statue of Alphonse looks too similar to the demon boy he met that time! The hero of the statue is holding a sword in his left hand, and the same is true of the boy he saw that time.

"Is it really Alphonse? It's the ...... who founded the country," Kereser asked, still incredulous.

"Yes, yes, that's the person." The sailor replied indifferently, unlike Kerese, it seems that he did not admire the hero of the statue much.

If this is really Alfonsi's honorable face...... Then he and the boy who exuded demonic breath that he met on the Tower of Reverse Time were too similar in every aspect.

The stone statue is carved out exactly according to his physical features!

"It's too similar...... Except for this sentence, Karesser really didn't sigh any more.

"Maybe you can still see the souls of the dead in the Sea of the Dead!" The sailor joked, until he was glared at by the other colleagues, and immediately realized his mistake, so he quickly apologized to the guest: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned those bad things to you......"

The "Sea of the Dead" is one of the legends of the ghosts of the sea passed down among sailors, saying that in the gloomy sea at the end of the Western Sea, there is an isolated island, and a precious treasure is buried in the island.

Although the sailors and other crew members were very interested in the treasure, they also dreamed of discovering it every night.

But that's not the case with passengers, they just want a pleasant and safe voyage at sea.

Treasure or nothing is more important than life.

Kereser did not respond to the sailor's apology, or even ignored its existence, thinking about what had just happened and leaving on his own, causing the sailor to think that the guest was angry.

At this time, the beautiful starry sky was clouded, and a thick fog spread from the sea.

In deep thought, Kereser noticed that the wooden floor beneath his feet began to tremble, and a manic wind rushed towards him. He had a bad premonition.

On the fourth night of the voyage in the sea, the Magic Cruises encountered a storm.

The wind helps the waves, and the brakes are scary.

The crew restlessly teased the work at hand, settling everything on deck, including the heavy statue.

The sailors, who had been resting a moment earlier, immediately got up and worked hard. This makes people suspicious, and they all hide their frightened looks, using their work as a cover.

At the same time, Keresse heard a commotion among the passengers in the largest cabin who were having a dinner party.

The sudden onset of wind and rain made them feel uneasy.

"Didn't you say it a long time ago, if you take this boat, you will be at risk of a storm, and those passengers are still making a fuss there!"

One of the sailors, who was working impatiently, whispered.

In order not to get his clothes wet from the wind and rain, Kereser returned to the cabin where the crowd had gathered.

He happened to meet the captain of the cruise ship in the cabin. He was about half a hundred years old, and his wide and majestic captain's hat showed the middle-aged man's status on the ship.

The captain personally intervened to reassure the passengers, saying in a calm voice that their cruise ship was specially designed to sail safely in the storm.

There have been many times when there have been storms bigger than the current ones, so passengers don't need to worry and will soon be out of the storm.

Most of the passengers thought what he said sounded true, and they believed the captain's words and fell silent.

But Keresse didn't seem convinced. When I returned to the cabin earlier, I occasionally heard a few crew members whispering and complaining—

Although the ship is very stable, it seems that the cargo carried this time is a lot overloaded.

The drugs that were destined for the north did not take up much of the load.

But there was also a pile of passengers' cargo, extra heavy items like the statue of Alphonse.

The cargo caused the ship to have a deep draft and was rocking violently in the water all the time.

Kereser agrees - it's the overload and useless cargo that makes the voyage even more dangerous.

The sailor I met just now who was not interested in Alphonse was probably not because he didn't worship and admired this ancient hero.

It was just a distaste for the statue as a burden.

He silently leaned against the window and watched the wind and rain outside.

To be on the safe side, the crew let the ship anchor in the middle of the sea and lowered the anchor.

No amount of worry is going on now.

Worry, complaining, or praying will not stop the storm immediately.

On the contrary, it will bring a greater burden to one's own heart.

So he planned to go back to his cabin and rest for a while.

Before leaving, he told the sailors that if they needed any help, they should come and knock on the door. The sailor was grateful, and waved him away after enthusiastically agreeing.

Back in his room, Kereser lay on the bed, swaying and closing his eyes. When I opened it again, I found that two hours had passed unconsciously, and at the same time, I found that the cruise ship had moved away from the storm zone.

Kereser also heard the occasional cheer from the crew who walked outside the cabin.

The air was particularly fresh after the storm, so Keresse, who woke up, prepared to go to the bow deck to breathe.

The sea has returned to calm, and the night sky has reappeared, only the stars have disappeared without a trace.

It's been a long time before the sky becomes as bright as daylight.

The pure night sky is particularly beautiful, probably because it has survived a storm.

There is an old saying in Van Lentino - "The rainbow after the storm is incomparably beautiful". Now it seems that General Kereser will also improvise a similar modern proverb based on his own experience: "The night sky after a storm is pure and beautiful." ”

Unknown danger crept closer.

While he enjoyed the sea breeze like the other passengers, he felt a violent vibration like the other passengers.

The hull of the ship appears to have been hit by a hard object. Keresse looked out at the sea ahead and saw that there were no objects such as icebergs blocking the cruise ship's progress.

What the hell is going on?

Suddenly, his gaze slanted, and a second, and more violent concussion beneath his feet, as Kareser clung to the railing before falling. Several passengers, who were not as agile as him, fell into the water as a result.

At the same time, several people began to scream in a lost voice.

There are no waves, no obstacles, what is this shock all about?

As he pondered, Kereser faintly heard a strange cry coming from the sea beyond the railing.

Demon's Breath envelops the cruise ship closely.

Before he could notice it, another screaming passenger was dragged away by a tentacle and dragged into the water. Soon, a patch of red rose on the surface of the sea.

Kereser drew his sword and prepared to attack.

A large number of fish, frogs, and monsters that had been lurking for a long time jumped out of the sea and crawled along the outer edge of the ship into the deck.

The mutated monster "Sea Devil", which has well-developed limbs, actually took advantage of this time to attack the cruise ship!

"This is on the ship, can you unleash the power of the emblem with great destructive power...... So I can only clear them one by one! ”

General Keresor unleashed the Thunder Breath and blessed himself, charging into the gathered sea demons. While slaying the monsters, he also tried his best to protect the hull of the ship and try not to damage it.

He concentrated on dealing with the sea devil entrenched in the bow of the ship, thinking to himself that there should be the rest of the adventurers elsewhere and not to worry.

He picked up the sea devils who were constantly approaching the cabin one by one, and stubbornly guarded the most crowded cabin.

The general who dealt with the monsters was easy, and it didn't take long for him to slay the monsters he could see in front of him. He breathed a sigh of relief when the enemy had been wiped out.

Suddenly, his feet slipped, and Karethe, who had not yet had time to stand still, fell on the railing. The deck sloped at a wide angle, and the entire bow seemed to be cocked.

Kereser secretly screamed that it was not good, and speculated according to this situation.

Could it be that the stern of the ship has been destroyed and sunk into the water?

There was a scream from the cabin.

A loud rumble from the stern confirmed Keresser's suspicions.

He took the first step to rush back to the cabin to save the passengers. However, the shock wave from the explosion under his feet threw him out of the boat and into the sea before he had time to react.

The adventurer was killed by a large number of sea devils, and the stern part of the ship was not saved, and was completely destroyed under the crazy attack of the sea devils.

The passenger cabin has long been a place for sea devils to forage for their prey.

Kelethor, struggling in the sea, watched the moment when a cruise ship crawling with sea demons exploded, and sank into the sea as wreckage fragments in the dark smoke.

Previously, I hadn't seen any passengers jump into the sea to escape, so it is estimated that they had already been killed by the sea devils. With the exception of Kerese, it seems that no one alive has survived the attack.

Kerese, who couldn't swim, struggled in the sea.

It didn't take long for him to be exhausted, his limbs cramped, and he gradually lost consciousness.

-

I don't know how long it has been, and I don't know how long I've been asleep. I guess I'm already in hell.

No, Kareser thinks she's going to go to heaven......

A delirious Kereser is filled with such absurd ideas.

Until the sound of waves crashing against the sand echoed in my ears, the smell of sea water irritated my nose and throat.

He opened his eyes and found himself hunched over the sand, his hands clutching the gleaming sword Belgared.

After fainting in the sea, Kereser was protected by the Holy Sword, and he survived in the sea and drifted with the waves to the beach of a lonely island.

The sky was dark and dark, and there was neither the sun nor the moon in sight.

The island I was on was filled with a shallow white mist, which was a little scary.

Kerese thought that maybe he would have to do something he could do so that a passing ship would find out that there were people calling for help.

He could only wait for rescue slowly.

Keresse walked around the island and found it small, which he estimated to be almost twice the size of a cruise ship he had ridden before.

He wandered for a long time, and found that the sky above him was still dark.