Chapter 451

Chapter Seventy-Four: Journey in the Rain

Rumbling…

The overcast sky roared with thunder, and rain poured down heavily.

Under the leaden morning sky, a wild and muddy plain at the foot of a mountain suddenly whipped up strong winds. The marching column that traversed the dirt path through the wilderness was like a vast river, stretching out in the faint dawn light. The front and back of the column were barely visible in the vast expanse.

Flags embroidered with golden crosses unfurled in the fierce wind. The armored knights, cloaked, trudged through the mud and rain, moving southward with difficulty. The sound of hooves, footsteps, and rain merged together, creating a continuous “splash splash” noise that reverberated across the muddy ground and standing water.

A group of ragged, drenched refugees turned their heads to look at the gold-gleaming column in the heavy rain. A thin woman held her child’s hand, her hair plastered to her face, expressionless and numb.

I rode a large, magnificent horned beast, its body covered in armor, through the rain. I gripped my hood tightly, keeping my head low. Captain Gray’s leather box was strapped to my back as I rode near the front of the column, slowly following the knights.

“Hss—”

The snort of the creature, nearly two and a half meters tall including its head, shook its massive body, making me grab the saddle tightly. My heart raced faster.

This horned beast, called Floris, originated from the Yaha Oasis in the Karakuz Desert. It was one of the oldest breeds of beasts, having been cultivated for over a thousand years. With its slender neck, long limbs, thin skin, fine fur, and three spiral black horns on its head, it was incredibly powerful, fast, and enduring. Due to its rarity and high training costs, it was exclusively used by the Sacred Church’s First Knight Order.

Riding such a massive beast felt like a child riding an elephant. Even though the saddle and stirrups were specially designed, with steps on both sides, I still couldn’t reach the top step. Later, Isaac modified them for me, raising the stirrups and lengthening the reins, allowing me to ride it more comfortably.

But I was still nervous…

In such moments,面子 (face) didn’t matter anymore. I had tied a rope to the saddle, the other end hooked onto my belt, securing myself firmly to the beast. This wasn’t for any reason other than to feel a bit safer, without the fear of being thrown off.

This way, I could finally keep up with the column… without having to share a horned beast with Angel. And after a few days, my riding skills improved significantly. I was no longer stiff or anxious, nor did I struggle with direction. Although it was still strenuous to run, walking was manageable.

Rumbling…

Dark clouds filled the sky, rumbling thunder continuously, and lightning streaked across the sky like a monster in the clouds roaring.

The cold wind blew my cloak up, flapping loudly. Large raindrops pelted my face and body, chillingly cold. Rain dripped from my hair, sliding down my cheeks. I loosened my grip on the saddle and pulled my cloak tighter around me.

Even though the cloak was waterproof, raindrops still found their way in, soaking my black dress underneath. It was uncomfortable… but幸好 (fortunately), the dress was made of leather and wouldn’t get wet through.

Squelch… squelch…

The sound of hooves sinking into the mud was unpleasant.

I didn’t know how long it would take to cross this muddy terrain…

忍不住 (unable to hold back), I looked back and saw the column stretching out like a long dragon in the rain, extending far into the distance… Despite its appearance, the column only consisted of about fifteen hundred people—this was the maximum number that could be mobilized even with insufficient military rations.

We were marching south along the road, which was barely recognizable as such. Along the way, we encountered scattered refugees, their cloaks dirty and faces gaunt. Both adults and children wore expressions of numbness.

I had seen their eyes. There was no fear, no sorrow, not even life. They pulled carts full of belongings, some without carts, carrying old bags, using branches as crutches, and walked north under the rain, families in tow.

“Knight Sir… where are you headed… going to war?”

“Knight Sir… Knight Sir… please give us something to eat…”

“Knight Sir… is there a future in the north… I heard there is hope in the north…”

Sometimes, disaster victims would approach the knights for help or food. Throughout our journey south, I heard these voices repeatedly.

But we were helpless.

The marching rations were already insufficient. Even under the best circumstances, they barely sufficed. The supply wagons lagged behind, guarded closely by a knight named Harren. Even I received only one ration of dried meat per day, enough for a single meal. Mine was a double portion, but I could only enjoy hot, cooked food like porridge or soup during evening or late-night breaks.

In such situations, the knights could only give some of their jerky to those on the brink of starvation when they saw them, but what they could give was not much. Such a small amount could not save a person’s life; it could only prevent them from dying in front of their eyes.

When someone fell nearby, we would see it and silently take care of the body… saying to take care of the body, but it was just about finding a place to drop the corpse, covering it with their cloak, then praying… there was certainly no time to bury them.

And I couldn’t remember how many times I had done this.

The first time, my heart was very heavy.

The last time, I covered the eyelids of a little girl with a dark face, seemingly not even ten years old, with a cloth. The heavy rain pelted the mud-stained cloth, making a “pitter-patter” sound. The outline of her small, emaciated body was sketched under the cloth, motionless. Life was so fragile. I looked at her… by then, I had become somewhat numb.

I recalled what Grandma Bertha said to me before she passed away.

“There are many powers in this world that cannot be stopped once they come… not even the thought of resistance can arise…”

It seemed that only now did these words give me a deeper understanding.

But Grandma…

What should I do…

Tak-tak… tak-tak!

Suddenly, hoofbeats sounded ahead, snapping me out of my reverie. I raised my head abruptly and saw a knight riding a horned beast approaching. The hooves splashed through the mud, and the knight’s face was hidden under a wide cloak. As he came closer, I noticed he seemed somewhat anxious… Ah, I remembered he was the one responsible for scouting the route.

What happened?

“What’s wrong!”

I waved my hand in the rain and shouted loudly. The knight turned his head when he heard me and saw that it was me. He quickly pulled the reins, and the horned beast let out a sharp whinny, lifting its front hooves and then putting them down again. It slowed down and walked over to my side, shouting at me over the howling wind and rain, “There’s a ravine up ahead! The mountain road has collapsed!”

Damn…

This damn weather…

I cursed inwardly, wiped the rain off my face, and asked him, “How serious is it?”

“The mud and rocks have blocked the entire road! We need to detour… Where’s Sir Isaac?”

“I didn’t see him! He might be behind us!”

“We might have to go around half the mountain! It will probably waste a lot of time! I saw a village near the ravine, and behind the village are hills. There might be a shortcut! But the situation there is strange. I must report to Sir Isaac first!”

“How is it strange?”

“There are too many dead! Corpses everywhere, and they don’t even smell yet! I saw some that were burned. This is abnormal!”

Burned…

Behind me, another set of urgent hoofbeats sounded. I looked back and saw Isaac leading more than a dozen knights riding past the left side of the formation.

“What’s the problem!”

He shouted loudly, and the scout knight repeated the situation once more.

“I suspect we encountered bandits! They might still be nearby, not far away! Jason and Rick are still guarding the village entrance! Sir Isaac, as a precaution, I suggest I lead ten more men over.”

“F*cking hell…”

Isaac swore, then touched his head and instructed the knight beside him, “Slow down the rear formation… Get the supply wagons ready. Those damned things might try to steal our food.”

After two knights left, he turned back, “Raelman, lead the way. Let’s go check it out!”

“Okay!”

The scout knight turned and started walking, Isaac squeezed the beast’s belly hard, leading more than ten knights behind him. Seeing this, I hurriedly pulled the reins, stiffly turning the beast’s head, and shouted at them, “Wait for me!” Since I couldn’t reach the beast’s belly, I could only squeeze its back. I stretched my hand backward, lifting my butt up and down twice, and finally, this huge creature understood my intention and started running.

Whew-whew-whew—

The wind roared by my ears instantly. Raindrops hit my face painfully.

I held tightly onto the reins, straightened my legs, pressed them firmly, slightly lifted my buttocks, bent my waist, and almost pressed my chest against the beast’s back.

Tak-tak! Tak-tak!

The hooves of the horned beast galloped, splashing through the muddy water, causing the body to sway violently. I clenched my mouth shut, squinted my eyes, and the cloak behind me danced wildly in the wind. I didn’t dare put the hood back on after it was blown off, and my wet black hair fluttered at the back of my head like silk flying in the rain.

Don’t fall off, don’t fall off, I won’t fall off into the mud…

I carefully controlled the big guy beneath me, quickly catching up to the knights in front, running alongside Isaac. He turned his head and saw me, shouting, “Why are you here too!”

“I’m coming with you… to check it out!”

Those burned people…

They may not have been killed by bandits.

“Then you’d better keep up! Little one, not that I’m saying anything, but your riding skills are terrible!”

As Isaac spoke, he increased the speed of his ride.

“If you dare call me little one again, I’ll smash your bald head… phew, phew!”

Ah… Mudwater went into my mouth!

“Hahahaha—”

The bald head laughed heartily, his hood also blown off, his round, shiny egg-shaped head being washed by the rain, shining brightly from behind.

We ran along the ridge, soon seeing the outline of a distant village.