Chapter 505

Chapter 128: The Gap Part 2

“…I, I’m fine!”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I, Sylphie, I killed quite a few heretics this time!”

“How amazing.”

“In this year, I’ve learned so much…Sylphie, you don’t need to worry too much about me. I am no longer the same as before!”

“Is that so? Is that so?”

“There are many excellent seniors in the knight order. Many remarkable ones…although none of them are as powerful as you, I think they are all remarkable, each and every one of them…I, I have learned from them…I have fought alongside them…I have become a brave knight…”

In the flickering light, amidst the faintly bloody air of the infirmary, the young girl conversed softly with the young knight she had not seen in a long while.

Throughout this conversation, Barry, the big boy who had experienced life and death countless times, gradually relaxed under the soft voice and gentle attitude of the girl. His speech was still somewhat jumbled, but he seemed to be…gradually regaining some of his old feelings.

The Sylphie in front of him, though somewhat unfamiliar,

that unfamiliarity seemed to be something she did not possess a year ago, an intangible aura.

It was the aura that someone would inevitably display after experiencing things beyond ordinary people’s imagination, going through countless lives and deaths, seeing the world’s tumultuous chaos, and having an outlook far above that of ordinary people. This kind of “aura” was something the young knight had yet to notice, and the girl had not been aware of, the aura of a “superior person.”

However, at this moment, in the natural easing of the girl’s attitude, that unfamiliarity gradually became familiar. In a fleeting moment, Barry felt…she seemed to be the Sylphie he knew again.

Thus, the young knight unconsciously put down his burdens and talked more and more enthusiastically. The girl in front listened attentively, nodding cutely from time to time and praising him. Occasionally, a nearby knight would come over and interrupt, their eyes filled with a hint of envy when looking at Barry.

In their hearts, being able to talk to the stunning Pontiff Knight in such a casual manner, and having her listen so patiently, might just be what a “brother” would receive.

On this journey, knights occasionally looked at her from afar, hoping for even a brief encounter with this beautiful Pontiff Knight. But those who dared to approach and speak were few and far between.

Only at this moment could they truly get close to her through Barry’s opportunity, speaking to her directly.

The atmosphere remained harmonious.

Not long after, people came from the east, making the camp noisy. The cleanup operation by the nobles and knights of Arretine City began, and the girl bid farewell to Barry, saying she would visit him again that evening before leaving the infirmary. She then left with Safirros and the others, heading to Isaac’s location.

…

The rain continued to fall, drizzling and continuous.

Heavy rain washed the streets of the city, cleansing the blood-red ground. The burning flames gradually went out over time in the rain.

As evening approached, the corpses piled at the foot of the city walls were pushed away in batches, transported outside the city. A young bishop led the believers standing on the high walls, singing praises for the deceased. Soon after, a massive fire started outside the city, spreading across the hills and fields. Countless civilians and heroes who fought until their last breath turned to ashes in the flames and amidst people’s cries.

The fire illuminated the sky. Inside the city, golden-armored knights searched the ruins and dark alleys. Occasionally, there were sounds of slaughter, sometimes mixed with human screams and shouts. Heretics hiding in the shadows were dragged out and brutally killed, even being tortured to death as a form of venting anger—such incidents occurred frequently and could not be stopped.

By nightfall, the city gradually quieted down.

As the sky darkened, the girl returned to the camp with messy hair and a new dress stained with blood. She looked exhausted, riding a horned horse back to camp with Safirros and the others. Many people knelt by the roadside in prayer, bowing their heads in gratitude, and weeping loudly.

A dirty woman rushed forward, grabbing Safirros’ leg, sobbing as she asked, “Did you…did you see my husband…he has been on the city wall for days, he said he would return…when will he come back…”

The woman appeared to be deranged.

On the tower in the north of the city, the golden light on the bodies of more than ten believers gradually dimmed. They ceased their miracles, and the rain in the city also stopped. The wicked flames had been extinguished, but the blood on the streets remained uncleaned.

After returning to camp, I exchanged areas with another group of knights, sent the horned horses back to the stables, and climbed the city wall alone, gazing at the distant fire outside for a long time.

The black ashes from the burning corpses drifted from the sky into the city, obscuring the clouds.

“Humph, humph…”

I bit into the cold, hard biscuit, and as I recalled the melody, I closed my eyes and hummed softly.

“Deep in the pine forest at night~ A new day…has yet to awaken… Hmmm… The dark gray boulders, moss and heather… The grass glistens with morning dew…”

Dawn will eventually come.

But it seems…

Not today.

………..

In the north of the Silgaya Republic.

The border town at the edge of Woodville Forest was more lively than ever before this year.

Over these past few months, the continuous disasters and wars in the south had caused widespread panic. To stabilize the soldiers’ and civilians’ minds, the Republic invited many famous wandering poets, traveling artists, and dancers to start their tour performances in the Emerald City a few weeks ago. They have been touring across the Republic until today. The first group of wandering artists finally arrived at the border of Woodville Forest with the soldiers transporting grain.

The usually quiet town was bustling with people on this day, with many nearby villages organizing groups to come and watch. Besides ordinary citizens, the teams that transported food to the disaster area and were returning were also present, including, of course, some knights who happened to be on guard duty and were taking a break.

As evening fell, the sky turned crimson under the sunset.

On the town square, a large bonfire platform had already been set up, and the entire town was filled with noisy chatter. People were eagerly awaiting the performance, but the show had not yet begun; the performers were still preparing backstage in makeshift wooden sheds, applying makeup and getting ready for their costumes.

“Miss Mese, Miss Mese!”

Amidst the busy, chaotic figures backstage, a silver-haired woman with blue eyes was sitting at her dressing table, slowly fixing her hair. Soon, a young man in his early twenties, somewhat handsome, came over and loudly called her name, asking, “Have you seen my powder?”

“No.”

She replied calmly without turning to look at him.

“Oh…”

The young man scratched his face. After hearing her response, he did not leave but instead walked closer to her, putting on an act. “Strange, I clearly remember placing it here… How could I not find it…”

He pretended to search around while glancing frequently at her beautiful profile, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Seeing that she was not paying much attention to him, he boldly said, “Miss Mese, I can’t find my powder. Could you lend me yours?”

“…Sure.”

She nodded indifferently and pointed to a small box of powder on the dressing table with her delicate fingers.

Seeing her agreement, the young man’s face lit up with joy. After taking the powder box, he sat down beside her and started chatting aimlessly. “Who knows when the turmoil in the south will end? Everyone is now on edge, afraid that those heretics might attack at any moment… But because of this, our performances have been scheduled two months ahead, and we’ve made more money this year than in the last three combined. It’s quite fortunate…”

“Perhaps,” she responded casually.

“There are so many people watching tonight… The audience has increased significantly at every performance recently, even including nobles and knights from the Church. This is a great opportunity for us to gain fame.”

“Miss Mese, your sword dance is superb, and my acting skills are among the best in the troupe… How about this? Starting tonight, we could add some unexpected elements to our script, making everyone react unexpectedly, then applaud in amazement. This way, they’ll remember us. My idea is like this, starting with…”

The man kept talking, observing her expression all the while. Seeing that she remained uninterested and expressionless, disappointment flashed in his eyes. Just as he was about to intensify his pitch and reveal his brilliant idea, she glanced sideways and suddenly interrupted him.

“Sorry, I have something else to attend to.”

With that, she stood up and quickly headed toward the exit, leaving the young man there, mouth agape, watching her graceful figure disappear. After a moment, he chuckled self-deprecatingly.

“A woman as beautiful as her would naturally be difficult to handle…”

Even if she heard such words, she probably wouldn’t take them to heart.

The twilight swirled in the clouds, shrouding the western sunset.

The silver-haired woman walked out of the wooden shed into the bustling square, through the lively streets of the town, and stepped toward the distant hills.

As dusk deepened, the woman reached a stream by the mountain, stopping and standing with her hands behind her back, gazing at the crimson sunset on the horizon, lost in thought.

After a while, light footsteps sounded behind her. An old, hunched figure approached and stopped three meters behind her, bowing respectfully.

“Miss Elina.”

After waiting for a while and seeing she did not speak, the old man continued, “The news from the south, the First Knight Order has entered Penxi Canyon several days ago and is expected to reach Alretin City soon, where they will confront the Fog Concealers directly.”