Paradise, the Far Lands.
A carriage was heading towards the city of Sur. Now this city, which has been transformed into a starship port, has basically been blocked from the outside world. Only people or things with relevant certificates can go to the starship port via Storm City. On the only way to pass, a checkpoint guards the main traffic route, and there is enough strength for a regular barracks to ensure that the horse bandits in the borderlands will not attack the city of Sur. But in fact, in the years when Higgs ruled the border lands, violent horse bandits have been extremely rare.
The carriage stopped in front of the checkpoint, and a group of soldiers stepped forward to ask for a clearance certificate. When they saw a customs clearance certificate with a golden cross embedded in the cover, they all made the cross with their hands, and quickly opened the gate to let the carriage pass.
"Who's that up there anyway?" asked a young soldier.
The captain smiled and said, "That's a great character, kid. In that carriage, there's the Virgin Vera."
Today, with Christianity being the state religion of the empire, the power of the church has penetrated the country. A church will be set up in almost every large and medium-sized city in Bailegang, changing the previous chaotic situation of the empire's beliefs. Saint Vera has demonstrated the ability to peek into the future more than once. It is rumored that God observes the world through the eyes of the saint. In the church, the prestige of the saint is irreplaceable. Her brilliance even overwhelms the church itself.
Her followers are all over the country, and she doesn't even need to kneel when she meets the king. Such an honor can already explain everything.
At this time, Vera was sitting on the carriage, holding a letter in her hand.
The letter was sent to her by Edward, but it was not Edward who wrote it, but Ellen.
Allen wrote in the letter:
Literally.
In the past few years, I still remember that when we boarded the Shuguang, we each fulfilled our ideals, but now we have to separate our things. It's just that there is no permanent banquet in the world, and it is human nature to gather and part. On this planet, I have left many memories, and among them, more are the experiences of going through life and death with your friends. This experience will carry my heart, even if time passes, it will not lose a bit.
Vera, my friend. When I first invited you to join, I promised you that I would take you to a place. It's a pity that your wish has never been realized, and I am very ashamed. Fortunately, after all kinds of inquiries this time, I knew the location of that place. So I would like to ask you to go to Sur City when you receive the letter, there is a starship waiting for you indefinitely. When you get on it, you get where you want to be.
This is probably the only thing I can do for you.
I wish you peace and happiness.
Signed by Alan Bethkind.
After receiving this letter, Vera resolutely turned back from the north to the south, regardless of the church's objection, and rushed to the city of Sur without stopping. The Crusader Knights of the church and the Imperial Army escorted her all the way to Violet Harbor, and the rest of the journey was completed by Vera and ten elite knights.
The city of Sur is in sight.
The outside of the city still maintains the old look, but the inside is quite different. Nowadays, there are frequent exchanges between Paradise Star and the earth, and starships will be seen landing from time to time. The loyalty of those knights was not a problem, but they were still inexplicably shocked when they saw this scene. Vera looked calm in the carriage, but judging from the fact that she clenched the envelope tightly from time to time, it can be seen that her heart may not be as peaceful as she appears on the surface.
When she came to Sur City, there was indeed a starship stopping for her. This medium-sized ship bears the Bethkind logo, and the guards on board are full of strength. Even if it is attacked, it has enough counterattack force. Vera bid farewell to the knights here, and boarded the starship alone. A moment later, she was already in space.
The heavenly star gradually recedes.
The starship obviously already knows where its destination is, and the warp channel has been applied for early in the morning, so it can go to the destination at any time.
After the Gemini space station opened a tunnel, the starship fell into the tunnel. When it came out, a space station could be seen in the distance. The porthole panel in front of Vera's seat rose slowly, allowing the girl to see the space station.
Vera's eyes blurred just like that, and she put her hand on the window of the cabin window, staring at the space station that has been out of use. The space station was as quiet as a tomb. Fifteen years ago, there was an attack here, and Vera's parents were both buried in that attack. After that, she lived with her grandfather Hughton.
"Time must be the scariest thing in this world. Fifteen years ago today, when I heard the news about them, I was heartbroken. But now, I am so calm." An old voice suddenly sounded behind Vera.
The girl turned her head and saw an old man walking towards her, who else would it be if it wasn't Hughton.
"Grandpa..." Vera immediately threw herself into the arms of the old man. No matter how powerful she was on the heavenly planet, she would always be just a little girl in front of the old man. Hughton hugged his granddaughter and said with a smile: "This kid, Alan, likes to make some little mysteries recently. When he sent me on board, he only said that he would give me a surprise, but he didn't want to tell me what it was. When I arrived at Paradise Star, I guessed that it was this."
Vera nodded and said, "He fulfilled his promise."
"Yeah, I really misjudged my eyes at the time. Who would have thought that a surface brat who came to Babylon to participate in the death ring would have such an achievement today." Hughton laughed and said, "Now everyone knows that I am his teacher , not to mention how beautiful it is, there are people shouting General Hughton wherever I go, even though I have been retired for so many years."
"But no matter how beautiful it is, it's better to be reunited with my baby." The old man patted Vera's head and said, "This time, Grandpa won't go anywhere, so he'll rely on you."
Vera hugged the old man tightly, nodded vigorously, and then stared at the space station in the distance.
The grandfather and grandson were speechless for a while.
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Earth.
Nameless town.
"Come and see Luo, fresh fruits and vegetables, guaranteed to be free from pollution."
"The beef sold is dried. It is marinated in a secret way. It is delicious and refreshing. Even if you have eaten it, you still want to buy it."
The small market in the town is very lively, there are hawkers selling goods everywhere, and there is an endless stream of people coming and going.
Two people in cloaks were walking in the market. It could be seen from their figures that they were a man and a woman. The man stopped from time to time to buy a few apples, a bag of beef jerky, and a bag of dried fruit. Just walking and eating, passing it to the female companion next to him from time to time, but the female companion obviously didn't appreciate it. He refused again and again, but the man didn't bother to pass it to her again and again. Finally, the girlfriend took a bite of the beef jerky, and the man laughed heartily like a boy who got his favorite toy.
They walked through the market and walked to a remote alley, suddenly several men rushed out and outflanked them.
The man said: "Don't you say that the people here are very kind? Why don't I think so."
"Because this is no longer the old village." The woman replied.
A burly man at the head shouted: "What are you muttering about? I haven't seen you before. It's strange. But it doesn't seem to be short of money. Leave your valuable things behind. We only want money and don't want to hurt you."
The man in the cloak smiled and said, "You come or I come."
"I'm a half-master, so let me do it." The woman sighed.
The man said: "He only wants to make money, and he doesn't want to kill his life, so you should take it lightly."
The woman hummed, and then took a step forward.
She got behind the leader in one step, and then she didn't know what trick she used, the leader was thrown out and fell into the ditch. The fall was not light, but the person was still alive. The next few men were thrown out, and the woman clapped her hands and said, "Let's go."
The man in the cloak still had time to pick up a piece of beef jerky, chewed it in his mouth and said, "You shot too fast, please slow down next time, I'm going to watch a good show."
The woman snorted in the hat, coldly.
at last
The two stopped in front of the ruins of a house. The house had long since disappeared, leaving only a few corners. Weeds grow everywhere, and when the wind blows, the weeds rise and fall like waves. At the place where the gate should be, there is no grass growing here, and it seems that someone has been here to weed. There is also a wreath on the gate, which seems to have been placed in the past two days, and the flowers on it have not withered yet.
The woman walked over, squatted down, put her hand on the wreath lightly and said, "Who could it be?"
"Don't you know?" The man put some apples on the edge of the wreath and said, "Let me weed."
"No, I just came back to take a look, and I don't plan to come back to live."
"It doesn't matter, it won't take much time anyway." He took off his cloak, and his conspicuous silver hair glistened in the sunlight.
Then he dialed the draft diligently, turning his head and smiling at the woman from time to time. The woman also took off her hat, and two ponytails of different colors came out just like that. She smiled, she knew that if he wanted to, let alone weeding, even making this town disappear would be just a stretch of fingers. But he bent over to pull the grass like an ordinary person, she knew very well what it meant.
"Are you... are you Catherine?"
A voice sounded behind them, the girl turned her head and saw a middle-aged woman in ordinary clothes walking over. In her hand, she was holding a wreath. Apparently she had placed the wreath by the door.
The girl suddenly remembered something, and said, "Are you Adjani?"
"That's right, it's me." The woman's garland fell to the ground, and she hugged Catherine fiercely and cried, "It's been so many years, I thought you were gone. I didn't expect you to be alive. It was a terrible disaster that day." Disaster. If it wasn't for the big snake, you and your father should still be living here."
Next, the two chatted for a long time by the door. By evening, Allen had pulled out all the grass in the ruins. In front of the door, there is an extra garland. They sat on the hillside in front of the ruins and enjoyed the sunset together.
"Who is that person?"
"Her name is Ajani. When my father and I came to this village, she was a beautiful woman."
"It seems that she likes your father very much, otherwise, she wouldn't always send wreaths."
"Well, they had a relationship back then, but Adjani's family didn't agree. After all, my father is a widower, and he brought me such an oil bottle."
"It seems that your father is quite attractive."
"Of course, he is the most handsome man I have ever seen."
"what about me?"
"You are at most the second most handsome."
"what… "
Catherine laughed, her face so bright in the setting sun. Suddenly, she paused, then turned to look at the ruins.
Inside the ruins, there seemed to be a man smiling warmly at her.
(end of this chapter)