Katoli's words reverberated in Roland's mind like an echo. Not only did it not disappear gradually, but it also shook the past that was sealed deep in memory by the death knight.
"My dear disciple, let's stop here. If you take revenge out of remorse, the final result can only be more remorse..." In the majestic tower of the City of Flames, Uther's old and deep admonition sounded again stand up.
"Jiu Yuan would never like someone like you... Absolutely..." In front of Jiu Yuan's tomb with fluttering petals, the depressed and sad expression of the elf girl gradually became clear.
"Why did the blade pointing at Wendam end Uther's life? Why is your former comrade-in-arms standing in front of you now? Roland, don't you understand? You are falling~! Stop~! In the icy crown standing above the sky, Dilicia's figure throwing the sword was reflected in the water-colored pupils again.
When the scorching fire of vengeance is burning in the heart, everything can be put aside, but now, those eyes that are only obsessed with one thing have lost the focus of their gaze. The cracked blade had been soaked in the blood for too long, and when he cut off what he wanted to cut off, he could no longer resist the impact from the outside world.
There was no way for Roland to refute the girl's declaration. The only thing he could do was to stare at Katoli while subconsciously pursing his lips.
"You're right. Maybe... if you stick to this belief, I think you can comprehend the profound meaning of 'Yunyao' even if you don't need revenge. Josephine will definitely be proud of you." Silence swept across the two In the end, the witcher finally came up with a suitable sentence to answer the other party.
"Thank you, Kaos." The girl replied, but then she covered her mouth as if she had discovered something, and her fair face was instantly flushed, "Ah, am I being too wordy like this? Does it seem like a boring lecture? I actually spent a whole morning talking about my childhood, and condemning the undead thousands of miles away... "
"No, it's nothing like that, I really like to hear it." Roland avoided the other party's sight, looked at the sky dotted with fresh green, and sighed deeply, "Your voice is clear and sweet, very attractive."
"You're not coaxing me, are you?" Katoli smiled shyly, and her short hair covered her shining eyes at that moment.
"How is it possible? If there is a chance, I would like to know more things." The demon hunter patted the other party's shoulder, "But it's getting late now, maybe Ren and Xiu Yin will get impatient, you Let's go back to camp first."
"Aren't you with me?"
"The demon hunter is also a ranger. I found an interesting plant nearby," the death knight said nonsense, "I want to go and observe it first, and I'll be back later."
"Then I'll go first." The girl nodded, "By the way, Kaos..."
"how?"
"Next time, if you can, chat with me again, okay?" Katoli asked softly.
"Of course, it's my honor." The witcher tried to make his smile as natural as possible.
The girl turned and walked towards the camp, while Roland stared at the black hair that was gradually disappearing into the green without a word. When the light figure of the other party disappeared completely, he shook his head as if relieved, and then covered it with his hands. The face, the flame flickering at the bottom of the pupil was immediately buried under the haze of the palm.
There is no way to answer in one sentence~! Even if it is just a sentence, there is no room for it to be spoken~!
That crisp and clear voice was like the sharpest blade, mercilessly piercing the cold fact into his heart—under Wendam's body, there was still a bottomless sea of blood.
As Orin of Ishutori, Roland can completely kill on it without any worries, but he has no way to make this reason the basis of his belief. Because the reason why I acted as the vanguard in the undead war was more for revenge, not for the belief of the death knight. In the battle on the Great Plains of Western Erazia, if it wasn't for Richard's scolding, maybe I would even abandon Ishutoli~!
You're right, it's narrow and selfish revenge, and I know that best.
"Catori Orlande, I can't refute a word of what you said." Roland murmured to himself, with an uncontrollable tremor in his tone, "but...revenge...that's the only thing I can do for Jiu Yuan. Other than that, there is no other way~! And, I will never regret revenge~!"
Before the words were finished, the side of the big sword had already slammed into the tree trunk. Under the impact of the epee, the big tree embraced by the two immediately shook violently, and a cloud of leaves suddenly fell from the top of the death knight's head. heavy rain. But before those emerald green raindrops fell to the ground, Frostsorrow's blade had already passed by and split them in two. That dazzling sword light seemed to be a silver poisonous snake spitting out a letter, lingering tightly around Roland's side.
Katoli, your soul has a beautiful color, but, in the face of a mocking fate, can you still shine the light that burned me? When you face the murderer who killed Josephine again, can you still swing your sword calmly? On a certain day, when you face Roland Strife, will you still be able to firmly implement your principles
... Maybe at that time, you will become like me
"Only by feeling it with your own soul, will you understand what kind of pain it is." The corners of Roland's mouth rose slightly, forming a cold smile, "I will do a good job as the demon hunter Kaos, there is no need for that Worried. Wait until that fateful moment, and everything will be revealed."
The death knight put away the great sword that exuded a cold breath, and then slowly walked towards the camp. The cloak behind him was fluttering wildly, like the vibrating wings of a dark eagle.
"Finally solved~! One of the biggest crises in this mission~!" Looking at the gradually rising sun, Katoli showed a bright smile. Ren and Xiu Yin behind the girl also cheered in unison when the result was announced.
"Josephine, I will definitely reach the agreement with you, successfully complete the mission and return to the holy capital safely~!" Katoli whispered softly, and the next moment, Roland's smile came into her eyes.
"The team has successfully withstood the test. As the captain, you have done a very good job." The death knight said in a complicated tone.
"That's because there is an omnipotent backing." The girl replied mischievously, her jumping eyes were hard to catch.
On May 28th, 235, Luvis calendar, Katoli and her party passed through the last meeting point between the world and the underworld during the journey, which means that in the following journey, the power of the devil will no longer be able to deal with them. posed a threat.
It has been more than four months since they left the holy capital, and the time the demon hunter and Katori have traveled together has also been more than two months. After Roland officially became a member of the team, it became feasible to avoid demons—according to the known materials in the magic world of the Alliance, demons can sense the activities of living creatures only at the intersection of the world and the nether world, and experience Rich witchers "just so happen" to be very familiar with the location of these locations in Fahdodd - especially those in the areas the party is about to set foot in.
In addition to Belial Village and Stantyr Hills, there are three other places where demons may appear—the agricultural city of Radjano, the city of Gisan, and Mount Rubis. The two cities are not the only way to go, and even if there are no demons, the wanted group can't enter the city. Roland led them around carefully. The only trouble on the way was a few hell dogs—these guys The sense of smell is too sensitive, even if they walked close to the edge of the intersection, they still found the tempting target—but these low-level demons who were overwhelmed quickly became the souls of the sword.
There are also many roads to choose from in Lubis Mountain, but unfortunately, the intersection of the world and the netherworld covers the entire mountain, no matter which road you choose, you can't escape the devil's pursuit. Even with full combat preparations and psychological preparations, the ensuing tug-of-war of endurance still severely tested the physical strength and will of the group. The exhausted team still encountered a 20-member Fahdoud patrol on the mountainside. The other party quickly recognized that these disguised travelers were the target of the Knight Commander, but before they launched an attack, they were furious. The Balrogs and Cerberus tore these poor scouts to pieces.
Finally, after four days of almost non-stop anti-stalking battle, Katoli and her party finally crossed Rubys Mountain. When Roland's great sword cut off the head of the last hellhound that followed, the other three seemed to be Forgetting the pain all over his body, he cheered uncontrollably.
"According to the current advance speed, in about a week, we will reach the Yahevi Mountains, where the legendary star capital is located." Roland summed up the current situation.
The land under the death knight's feet is much drier than that of the Stantyr Hills, because there are hard rocks under a layer of soil several meters thick, and the surrounding trees are gradually turning into cold coniferous forests. Those water-colored pupils are the towering and majestic figure of the Yahevi Mountains—it is said that the height of this mountain range even exceeds the Naga Mountains, which the Alazeans are proud of, and at the feet of this sleeping giant, there is also a There is an ancient river - one of the sources of the Nilu River, the Glendale River.
"Finally we can arrive at the legendary city...the secrets of magic and countless historical secrets are waiting for us~! It's almost like a dream~!" The high-level mage who has always been calm has become the most excited person at this moment , "I really want to know, what kind of place is there?"
"Who knows. It is said that there are countless practitioners who have reached the Yahewei Mountains, and they all went to the capital of stars, but no one can confirm the legend," Ren shrugged subconsciously, "The current conclusion is : The actual location of the Star City is on the highest peak of the Yahevi Mountains... since no one can climb that high, so there must be the location of the legendary capital... "
"However, there is one person who has witnessed everything in the capital of stars—Roland Strife." Katoli took over the words of the paladin, "There the Dark Eagle met the woman who changed his life... that was not nothingness Misty legend, because the blood of that girl is flowing in my body at this moment, this is also a kind of irony of fate, right?"
"Roland Strife's eternal love, long ago." The death knight stared at the magnificent barrier at the end of the horizon in ecstasy, his water-colored pupils filled with the fire of longing.
If I arrive at the capital of stars, how should I speak to Flora? The witcher remembered what he was worried about once again, and subconsciously pressed his hand on the pendant on his chest. The gentle breath remained the same, and the death knight was immersed in the silence of nostalgia.
But soon, the warrior's instinctive reaction brought Roland, who was in memory, back to reality. He could clearly feel that a faint but real presence was hiding in the nearby bushes. Only a few meters away.
Almost at the same time, Katoli and Renn also noticed the strangeness mixed in the surrounding environment. Shuyin's insight was much slower, but the eyes of the three people beside him quickly made the smart high-ranking mage understand everything. The originally relaxed atmosphere was suddenly pulled away like a bowstring, and the tension made people feel suffocated.
Katoli, who was closest to the Lurker, pulled out the short sword on her waist in an instant, and her light body passed over the obstacle. In the blink of an eye, the sharp edge of the sword pointed at the enemy hidden in the bushes. Roland had a tacit understanding Served as the girl's backup. The mage on the other side immediately cast two barriers for himself, and the paladin also circled around the demon hunter's flank at the same time.
However, in the next instant, Katoli's shout mixed with surprise made everyone stop.
"Both of you, put down your swords, put them down~!" The girl ordered the two people behind her in an unquestionable tone, and at the same time put the dagger into the sheath.
The reason why she did this was unexpected, but it was also natural—it was not an assassin from the Knights order lurking in the bushes, but a boy who was only twelve or thirteen years old. After being discovered, the only thing the other party could do was to lean against the big tree behind him without saying a word. He tried to cover up the obvious marks of the fall on his leg, and maintained a posture of confronting Katori. However, Those brown-black pupils revealed the fear hidden in the kid's heart.
That's why he hid in the bushes... Being injured and unable to move, but suddenly meeting four armed and unidentified travelers, no one would feel uneasy, right? Katoli speculated like this, sighed secretly, and then slowly approached the boy: "Don't be afraid, we are just ordinary travelers, I promise I will never hurt you~! Your leg is hurt, does it hurt? Yes Didn't it hinder walking?"
"Don't, don't come here, I'm fine~!" The boy was a little incoherent.
"Nowadays, children are becoming more and more timid. This is not cute at all." Katoli changed from her cautious diplomacy just now, and pressed the little devil involuntarily, "Let me see your wounds... they are all swollen , No wonder you can’t run away~! Don’t move around, it will only make you hurt more. Xiu Yin, come and help me.”
Next, the tense fighters could only wait silently, but the instigator of the crisis accepted the treatment of the mage with peace of mind, and at the same time enjoyed the meticulous care of the first place in the paladin assessment for free.
"Is this the so-called soft policy?" Ren asked the demon hunter in confusion.
"I prefer to call this 'the irrepressible and irrational maternal love psychology that all women have and that is strictly forbidden to be stopped by others'." Roland shrugged and answered helplessly.
After all, a child is a child, and under the effect of the girl's friendly offensive and healing skills, the kid's defensive psychology quickly collapsed. And after the brief treatment, the team took him as a matter of course—a jungle infested with ferocious beasts is not suitable for a thirteen-year-old child to act alone. No one doubts this.
"Look, we've turned enemies into friends now." Katoli shook the boy's little hand, and then blinked at the demon hunter beside him showing off.
"Yeah, you're really good." Roland's expression was a little complicated. In order to divert his attention, the death knight immediately turned his gaze to the little guy beside him, "By the way, can you tell us your name? Also, you How did you come to such an inaccessible place?"
"I'm Freund from Enoch Village. The village is more than a day's journey away. I came here to check on the bear traps I put down a few days ago." The kid was still a little cautious, but his tone had relaxed , "I didn't expect to meet a wild boar when I went home... If I hadn't climbed the tree in time, I would have died~! But when I came down, I fell and hurt my leg, what a bad luck~!"
"It's more than a day's journey... Why did you go hunting so far away from home?" The girl asked puzzled.
"That's because all the prey that can be caught near the village have been caught," Freund said with a natural look, "Enoch Village can be said to be at the foot of the mountain, because the mountain is too high, we can only see it in a day." At half the sun, there was no harvest at all in the fields, and the current of the nearby big river was so fast that it was impossible to cast fishing nets. Originally, there was a road leading directly to the big city, and Enoch Village was considered a lively post at that time, but later The nobles have set up a lot of checkpoints, and the situation has been getting worse... If you want not to be hungry, you have to think of ways... "
"Is that so..." Katoli lowered her head. The young paladin suddenly realized that he was more speechless than he thought when faced with this situation.
Leaving aside the extravagance of the princes of Draenor and those descendants of nobles, even I, who always consider myself noble and not tempted, have never left the holy capital before the age of thirteen, either to study or practice swords, or go to the temple choir. But this thirteen-year-old child in front of him has no choice but to run for survival... Is such a contrast a reality that even God cannot eliminate
"Sister, where are you going?" Freund's voice interrupted her emotion.
"We're going to climb Mount Yahevi." The girl patted each other on the head.
"Going to climb Yahewei Mountain~!?" The kid's eyes lit up all of a sudden, "Are you going to find the legendary star capital like the adults in the village said?"
"You're so smart, you guessed it right away." The girl smiled and nodded.
"In that case, Sister Katoli, how about you coming to our village? I'm not exaggerating. Climbing a mountain is very difficult. It's okay not to have a good rest before that. Moreover, you must also make preparations for climbing, yes wrong?"
Freund's words silenced the four of them for a moment. "Go to the village to take a rest", this is a very big temptation for people who have been in the wild for three months, not to mention that they have experienced several cruel battles with demons not long ago, and they have completely rested is required. But at the same time, the pursuit from the Knights is another factor that has to be considered. For this four-member team, entering the area where the Fahdods live may mean throwing themselves into the net—this time if If there is anything else, there will be no demons coming out to help disrupt the situation.
"Come on~! Although the current living conditions are not very good, compared to the neighboring villages, our life is still very good. It must be no problem to entertain four people for one night~! You healed my wounds and escorted me all the way When I go back to the village, my mother will definitely welcome you to my house~!" Looking at the travelers who exchanged glances, the little guy sent out the invitation again, this time his tone was a lot stronger, it seems that Katoli's friendly offensive It is indeed very well done.
How to decide? Looking for a reason to refuse? Or... accept it? If you only stay for one night, there shouldn't be any accidents, right? After all, even in the alliance with advanced communication technology, it is impossible to issue wanted orders to all villages... It is even more impossible for the Fahdods to do so. And climbing Mount Yahevi does require a lot of preparation...
The seventeen-year-old captain felt that she couldn't make up her mind by herself, so she sneaked a glance at the blond swordsman beside her.
"So, comrades, what do you think we should do?"
"I think it should be fine." The high-ranking mage showed an affirmative look.
"Our food reserves are almost exhausted, and we may not be able to replenish them by hunting on the mountain." Ren weighed the bags on his back.
"What do you think, Kaos?"
"The average altitude of the first ridge of Yahewei Mountain is 3,700 meters. As we all know, the huge mountain range is a gathering place for all living beings in the spirit world. The higher the mountain range, the more elemental spirits there are, so it is less likely to be controlled. , that means Xiu Yin’s spells will fail, and we can’t rely on magic to keep out the cold or protect ourselves. If we don’t use special tools, it will be very difficult to climb up, and the safety cannot be guaranteed. In fact, I originally I plan to find some climbing tools and lifelines." Roland glanced at the boy beside him, "Little devil, your village should have these things, right?"
"Of course~! When the village was busy, many people came to buy from us~! There are still a lot of stocks in the blacksmith shop~!" Freund replied loudly.
"Then, it's decided~!" Katoli nodded confidently, "Let's go to Enoch Village~!"
One day after the travelers from Luvis had made their decision, the crystal ball in Fahdod's Fifth Search Brigade suddenly came out of its dormant state—a certain fluctuation woke it up. In the purple transparent body of the crystal ball, the shining water-blue radiance explained everything to the monitoring mage - the target has appeared within the capture range with a radius of 60 kilometers~! Thirty minutes later, the communication technique sent this urgent information to the Necromancer.
"After two full months, have the cautious prey finally relaxed their vigilance?" Thomas smiled knowingly, "I knew this plan would be successful~!"
The area behind the Stantyr Hills is an open area. In order to prevent the target from slipping through his fingers, Austin ignored the dissatisfaction of the king and nobles, and mobilized a large number of troops to conduct a carpet search in the area where Katoli and his party might appear. , but with little success—the only clue is the team of scouts that disappeared in Lubis Mountain, and it has not yet been investigated clearly what happened.
In the end, Austin decided to pin all his hopes on the hint given by the mysterious mage—"The multicolored aurora appeared farther west of the capital of stars...the goddess will definitely destroy it at all costs"—the elites of the knight order were thus arrested. They are concentrated at the foot of Yahewei Mountain, the location of the legendary star capital.
But in front of this ancient giant, it is completely impossible to implement a blockade with tiny humans, and the power of the magic thread embedded in Xiuyin's clothes is too weak. Dozens of crystal balls specially used to receive the signal were quickly produced, and each search team was asked to carry one, and waited for rabbits within the designated range.
Now, the unwary moth is finally stuck in this carefully crafted web, and better yet, the moth doesn't even know it.
"Already found the target? Then, there is no need for me to stay here. Please tell me the location of the prey, Lord Thomas." A shadowy warrior stepped out from the darkness of his shelter, a black cloak outlined the His extremely thin figure, and his face covered by a black veil also looked eerie. If it weren't for the cruel coldness revealed by the pupils sunken deep into the eye sockets, perhaps everyone would regard him as a mummy.
"They are in Enoch Village, that small village is 140 kilometers away from here, Emoro, I hope you and your men can get there before the moon sets tonight." Necromancer stared at each other, He said word by word, "At all costs, no one can be let go, and those four people must be held back before the Knights arrive."
"It's to hold three people back, Lord Thomas, and at the same time kill the witcher with the big sword at all costs." Emolo replied with a smile, with a dangerous trill in his hoarse voice, "I think the contract should That's what I said, please don't change your mind at will, my lord, otherwise it will be very difficult for everyone."
"Yes... kill one person and hold three people back."
"One more small question... If it's 'whatever it takes', then I guess the Knights won't mind if I accidentally hurt those stupid villagers?"
"... Yes, but let me remind you, it's best not to do anything outrageous, otherwise I can't guarantee Master Austin's reaction~!" After a pause, Thomas finally suppressed his anger.
"I will keep it in mind." After bowing gracefully, the other party exited the tent. The necromancer couldn't see Emolo's expression clearly, the veil blocked everything, but he was almost sure that the guy didn't intend to listen to him from the beginning.
Forget it, in this case... as Lord Austin said, if the country can be revitalized by this, it will be worth it. Thomas thought blankly, finally shook his head, got up and strode towards the tent of the head of the knight order.
The spider web has been cast, and the poisonous bees have been released. Next, as long as the final blow is given before the moth notices, the winner will be decided.
The fate of Fahdod and the Knights will be decided tomorrow.