Chapter 616

Chapter 1 Winter Snow Falls, Parting Lovers Depart

Under the clear sky, wisps of smoke clouds flowed by.

In the sunlight, wolf banners fluttered on the battlements of the new Carie City. The accumulated snow had melted slightly in the warming temperature. On the inner side of the city gate, a heavy cavalry platoon thundered through the streets with a grand spectacle, leaving the city and heading south. Soon, they disappeared into the distance of the snowy plains.

In a majestic ancient castle within the city, faint candlelight illuminated a long table. The scent of incense wafted through the air. Over ten fierce warriors sat orderly before the table. Next to the main seat was a female knight clad in fiery red armor. At this moment, she rested her chin in her hands, her brows furrowed. Like the other men, she slightly turned her head, directing her gaze toward the main seat, listening intently as the beautiful lady spoke.

“…If we cannot solve the winter food shortage in time, Eagle City in the south will inevitably fall into turmoil again. This matter, Shantel Castle, Carie New City, and Erin Castle must share the burden. Anne, please inform Lady Erin as soon as possible that the several cellars of wine left in Phia City need to be sent south quickly; the soldiers there need it…”

“Soon, heavy snow will seal the mountains, and the southern campaign will slow down, but the army won’t withdraw far. They will lie low, quietly waiting to see if Eagle City can survive the winter. This is our most pressing issue now, one we all need to overcome together. As support from the rear, our actions must be swift; we cannot afford to stop for even a step…”

The graceful lady sat upright, methodically arranging one task after another. The meeting continued until sunset. People began to leave one by one. The lady at the main seat took a sip of water and stood up.

“The church’s leader should be arriving soon. Anne, come with me to greet them—”

While speaking, a steward suddenly pushed open the door, drawing everyone’s attention.

He looked flustered and hurried over to the female knight named Anne, whispering something in her ear. He handed her a report he had been holding, then glanced nervously at the lady.

“What’s wrong?” the lady asked with confusion, “What happened?”

The female knight did not speak, only looking grave as she unfolded the report, quickly scanning its contents. Her face abruptly changed, as if all the color drained from it.

She instinctively tried to hide the report.

But in the next moment, sensing something amiss, the lady snatched it away, holding it up to read.

The more she read, the paler her face became.

After a short while, the lady put down the report, her eyes trembling, lips quivering as she slowly raised her head. Her deadened eyes met Anne’s, seeing the same pale face and worried look. She heard Anne stand up and say to her, “My lady, this might not be true…” The words echoed in her ears, “嗡嗡嗡嗡,” and all the voices around her turned similarly distant. The scene in the conference room began to sway, the tables and chairs appeared double, everything seemed unreal.

It’s not real…

Lady Catherine told herself this, opened her mouth to speak to Anne—she had forgotten what she wanted to say—but felt as though all the blood in her body was instantly drained, only to rush back fiercely, flooding her blank mind.

“My lady!”

Clatter—

As the chair was overturned, Lady Catherine’s vision went dark, and she collapsed.

…………

The rain had stopped for days. The air in the royal city carried a chill. Buildings lined the streets, densely standing in the bustling center of the city. Pedestrians bustled along both sides of the road. A luxurious carriage sped through the middle of the street. Elizabeth, the queen, sat in the spacious carriage, repeatedly confirming the contents of the report in her hand.

Then, she suddenly tore it into pieces.

“Stop…”

She knocked on the carriage, telling the court attendant driving the beast ahead, her voice trembling slightly, her fingers shaking.

“Your Majesty, what’s wrong?”

Reckert, who had been resting his eyes opposite her, opened them, looking at the shreds of the report in the carriage, puzzled. He subconsciously became alert to any unusual activity around them, fearing some unexpected situation.

However, the queen ignored his question, her expression terrifyingly cold. When the carriage slowed down, she sat silently for a long time, not uttering a word. It wasn’t until Reckert picked up the shreds of the report and pieced them together, reading the content, that he spoke.

“How is this possible…”

The man couldn’t believe it, his eyes wide.

“Turn around, go to the parish.”

The queen’s breathing was heavy.

“Your Majesty, please calm down…”

“Go, to, the, parish.”

The queen repeated each word distinctly, struggling to suppress the surging emotions in her heart. Yet, the tight grip on her knees made a whistling sound, making Reckert’s heart tighten. He quickly lifted the curtain and waved to the attendant, urging them on. Soon, the carriage turned around, speeding northward.

“Stop at the church, arrange a meeting with His Holiness. Reckert, find Sharman and little Reckmont later, bring two thousand royal guards; we’re going to the holy city today…”

“No one can stop me.”

…………

“Ahh—”

On the shady path of the Royal Academy, the sound of a girl crying in sorrow drew the attention of passing students.

Under the yellow-brown tree trunks, a first-year student with a baby face knelt on the ground, clutching a crumpled report, mouth agape, gasping for breath. She screamed loudly, tears streaming down her face. Next to her, a noble girl with smooth golden hair patted her back silently, her eyes also red.

“Sara…”

“This is a lie! Sophia, this is a lie—”

“Get up…”

“What are we going to do, Sophia… What are we going to do, what are we going to do…”

“Ahh—”

The girl’s mournful cries echoed far and wide.

…………

Aretine City.

The crimson sunset set behind the eastern mountain, gradually fading into the shadows. The broken city walls were slowly enveloped in darkness. The stone workers under the wall finished their work, chatting and walking back into the city in groups. The corpses outside the city had yet to be completely cleared, and sometimes the evening breeze carried a foul stench.

Many people had already fallen ill.

In the white tents lining the east side of the city, weak moans could often be heard. The nuns and the spontaneously organized relief groups—mostly women—worked tirelessly. The light of healing miracles flickered throughout, but the wounded knights had yet to fully recover. Occasionally, someone would quietly pass away in the stillness of the night.

The city was in chaos, especially at night. Murders and robberies frequently occurred, and sometimes heretics were found hiding among the crowd.

But no matter what, the war had finally ended.

The survivors immersed themselves in such emotions, praying to the gods daily and thanking the Pope for granting them new life.

The parish in the northern part of the city became lively again; communication with the outside world had returned to normal just a few days ago. On this night, the young knight Barry sent a letter home. He walked out of the crowd and all the way to the end of the street. His armor made everyone who passed by look at him with hero-worshipping eyes.

Barry enjoyed these looks somewhat, as did the noble girl named Lilith who accompanied him.

“Barry, you’re truly remarkable, just like your sister…”

Lilith had said such things to him countless times over these past few days.

He liked hearing the girl say such things to him, even though he knew that the distance between him and his sister Hill was probably something he could never bridge in this lifetime.

But it was always pleasant when someone praised him. He wanted to share this feeling of being recognized with his sister Hill. He remembered having a fight with her before, and now he missed her. He wanted to apologize to her, but he hadn’t seen her since then.

Perhaps she went out with the knights to clear out those fleeing heretics… Given the current situation, she should be back soon.

When she returns, he would definitely apologize to her…

Of course, apologies aside, he would never change his resolve on what he was determined to do… He needed to make sure she understood that too…

In the days ahead, he needed to become stronger…

With such thoughts, the young knight waited in the increasingly orderly and peaceful city for his sister’s return and for a reply from his grandmother at home.

He never got to wait for either.

…………

Winter arrived.

Snow began to fall along the coast in the southern part of Silgayana, like feathers softly drifting down and melting into the approaching waves. The blue sea surface shimmered with an agate-like luster.

People bustled about on the shore, various trading ships docked at the harbor. Ragged sailors carried boxes of goods off the ships, barefoot, and transported them to nearby stone warehouses.

The silver-armored knights of the Church’s Sixth Order were stationed nearby. Whenever a new ship arrived, they would approach the captain to question and record the ship’s stay time and the number of people aboard.

Farther away, the lighthouse also had countless eyes watching the harbor’s movements. Soon, the next merchant ship was about to set sail. Amidst the “clanking” of the anchor being raised, a middle-aged captain, still reeking of alcohol, cheerfully said to the leading knight, “Sir Knight Commander, thank you for your care these past few days. If not for you, I wouldn’t know when I could unload my cargo, and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that my ship wouldn’t be plundered one night…”

He beckoned to a nearby sailor, took a brocade box from his hand, and handed it to the leading knight: “Sir, a small token of gratitude, just to thank you for your understanding and help.”

The leading knight didn’t refuse; they were used to such things. “Hmm,” he grunted, letting someone else take the box, casually observing the sailors and porters passing by. “I’m more at ease with your Norgavi merchant ships. However, with the recent rampant heretics, we’ve tightened security here. It’s easy for ships to arrive, but leaving isn’t so simple…”

“Yes, yes, we understand,” the captain replied repeatedly, then revealed a bitter smile, “Life is tough. We’re constantly on edge, preferring to rest at sea rather than risk lighting too many lamps, fearing that heretics might attack…”

As they chatted, they walked onto the deck. The sailors and porters began gathering. The captain talked with the knight commander, while other knights counted the crew members, confirming everything was correct before recording it. Then, the crew members resumed their tasks.

Soon, the captain said to the knight commander, “We’ll have to trouble you again next time.” The knights prepared to disembark, braving the falling snowflakes. Just as they reached the gangway, they suddenly saw a pile of wooden crates in the corner of the deck. Beside the crates stood a woman in her twenties, wearing coarse linen clothes with a thick fur cloak wrapped around her. Her hair was damp but very pretty, a silvery white.

She turned her face toward the knight commander and the captain, extending her palm as if to catch the falling snowflakes. The knight commander looked at her and faintly felt that, apart from her slightly dirty appearance, her profile was unexpectedly striking.

He instinctively stopped walking.

“That is…”

“Hmm?”

Following his gaze, the captain smiled, “Oh, that’s the daughter of an old friend of mine. Her parents died early, entrusting her to me. She follows me everywhere, enduring wind and sun, poor child… She once served tea to you, Sir Knight Commander, don’t you remember?”

“Oh…”

The knight commander nodded slightly. He wouldn’t remember the face of a serving girl. Such trivial matters didn’t concern him. After hearing the captain’s words, he didn’t think much of it, casually remarking, “An Epalistan, isn’t she? Her hair color is quite beautiful.”

The captain immediately showed joy, “Yes, yes, that child doesn’t talk much, but she’s quick with her hands. Next time, let me send her to serve tea to you again.”

“Hmm.”

The knight commander waved his hand and left the ship with his men, moving far away.

The captain watched him depart, the smile gradually fading from his face.

Soon, the sails unfurled, and the merchant ship sailed away from the coast into the vast, tumultuous sea amidst the cold currents.

The salty sea breeze blew gently, and amidst the chaotic shouts, the woman on the deck turned her head. Her azure eyes gazed longingly at the harbor slowly disappearing on the horizon. After a while, as if engraving something in her heart, she turned and walked to the pile of wooden crates. Pushing the frontmost crate aside, she pulled out a wet black coffin.

Shaking the water from her hair, she lifted the coffin, tied it with a rope, and slung it over her back. Stepping down from the deck, she walked through the ship corridor. Since the sailors were busy on the deck, she attracted little attention. Quietly, she reached the end of the corridor, pushed open a door, and entered a cabin.

In the dim room, the captain had been sitting at the table, waiting.

Seeing her enter, he seemed relieved, a smile spreading across his face.

Unlike his earlier interaction with the knight commander, where he appeared slightly drunk and uneasy, the middle-aged captain’s smile now carried a sense of relief and warmth, as if welcoming a family member safely back from war.

“Elina, welcome home.”