Chapter 631

Chapter 16 The Small Town in the Desert Part 1

Not long after, when the wooden door was pushed open again, what walked in was no longer just the little girl. Several women dressed in colorful clothes, similarly veiled, entered with her, each carrying a large plate or bowl on their heads. They all looked nervous and uneasy, their eyes darting around.

“Mi-Miss, this is what you asked for… ten portions…”

The women, led by the little girl, placed the food on the table one by one. The plates were filled with purple meat broth, almost covering the entire tabletop. The aroma of the food wafted towards me. The women stood to the side, ready to dance, but I quickly stopped them and asked for some clothes, bathing supplies, and a mirror instead.

They complied obediently, not uttering a word, and left soon after.

For a moment, I felt like I was back at Sanderburg. Back then, whenever I wanted something, I would just ask, and the maids would help me get it.

After the women left, I no longer had to hide or hold back. My eyes gleamed as I indulged myself, eating and drinking everything in sight, even the last drop of the broth.

The food brought this time wasn’t just lizard meat. There were also some dark, unknown leaves and a few large pieces of hard, black bread. The hardness of the bread felt like it could knock someone out. Though it might sound exaggerated, it really did feel like biting into a brick, which was quite challenging.

However, soaking the bread in the broth made it more palatable. The intense hunger left me with no energy to be picky. I knew there wouldn’t be any delicious desserts here, but as long as it wasn’t insects, I could eat anything.

Once everything was finished, my stomach finally felt somewhat full.

Though it still didn’t seem enough.

As I continued eating, a warm current began to gather in my abdomen, spreading out like an invisible whirlpool, quietly distributing energy throughout my body.

I seemed to…

Regain a bit of strength.

This feeling was vague and unclear, but before I could confirm it, the women returned. They carried a wooden bucket for bathing, clean shoes, and clothes. Inside the bucket was hot water. Though they weren’t strong, they struggled to carry it, slowly placing the bucket in the corner of the cellar.

On the other side, the little girl timidly approached me, holding out a small, worn copper mirror. She kept her head down, looking somewhat awkward as she said it was the best mirror in town.

It suddenly dawned on me how remote, poor, and isolated this place called Messe was.

I didn’t want to trouble these women further. I declined their offers to bathe and change clothes, only asking them to clean up the table and not disturb me again. Then, I let them go home. Although I had many questions, I didn’t trust the people here. I decided to wait until Elma returned to ask them.

Now, I just wanted to be alone for a while.

Night had fallen.

The cellar was quiet and desolate. The air, once stifling, now felt cool. The flickering light cast shadows, revealing a spacious yet lonely stone room.

I locked the door from the inside, used the hot water in the wooden bucket to wash myself from head to toe, put on clean linen robes, and wore ill-fitting boots. As I walked towards the hard bed made of stacked stones, I rubbed my wet, black hair.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I swung my feet back and forth. Holding the copper mirror, I stared at the unchanging, almost unreal face of the young girl reflected in it, lost in thought under the firelight.

For a long time.

In my mind, aside from the chaotic thoughts that gradually sorted themselves out,

Beyond the truth of this world, there were more people in the distant West Continent, full of concern in their hearts.

I hadn’t thought about escaping from here and leaving immediately.

I just didn’t know where I could go if I left.

This was the East Continent, a completely unfamiliar land. Outside the town, there were vast deserts all around, endless yellow earth. I was alone, and without most of my strength, I couldn’t even tell which direction to go. If I left like this, I would likely face the dire situation of not finding water, having nothing to eat, and struggling to survive.

Moreover, so much time had passed; the Church’s knights might have already found this area. If we met by chance, they would probably recognize me quickly and take me back.

I currently lacked the ability to deal with them.

Being caught meant the end of everything.

I actually wanted to go home very much.

I wanted to see my father and mother immediately and, at the moment I woke up, see Victoria’s icy but reassuring face.

But there was no such good thing; I was already in the East Continent.

For now, I could only hide here, waiting for that woman to return, regaining my strength gradually before making further plans.

Apart from this, I had no other choice.

…………

On the first night after waking up in the East Continent, I had a terrifying nightmare.

The scene in the dream became blurry the moment I woke up, but I vaguely remembered it was a snowy night. A slender girl stood at the edge of a cliff, waving goodbye to me.

Her dress rustled in the wind, and her messy black hair slapped against her indistinct face. She jumped into the abyss below the cliff. A withered black arm stretched out from the darkness, grabbing the girl as she sank. At that moment, I seemed to want to shout something, opened my mouth wide, but no sound came out.

I only remembered these details.

Early the next morning, I left the cellar. The sun had just risen, and the wind carried sand grains, cutting like a knife.

Wrapped in a robe, I took small steps on the uneven dirt road. I wasn’t going anywhere specific; I just wanted to clear my mind, observe this unfamiliar town, and test the attitudes of the people around me. Would they restrict or take measures if they saw me walking around freely?

No one jumped out to stop me.

Messer Town wasn’t large, and Elina’s mud house was roughly in the center. It took me less than half an hour to walk from there to the western exit of the town.

Perhaps due to the early hour, few people were out and about in the town. The ones I encountered were mostly young, strong men. Some were smoking straws, driving several strange animals with horns, similar to antelopes but with four eyes, past me. Others led cumbersome pack beasts, resembling rhinos with armor on their backs, carrying various-sized packages, perhaps heading somewhere to trade for supplies.

These people looked at me with wary and reverent expressions, but none of them stepped forward to stop me or order me to go back. They probably dared not do so, so they passed by in silence, often glancing back at me afterward. But if that was all, I didn’t want to bother with them.

I had no interest in interacting with these people and didn’t want to have too much contact with them. I would soon leave here and never cross paths with them again.

However, when I reached the town entrance, three men wearing headscarves and carrying long knives at their waists stood by a spiked fence made of purple tree vines. They were laughing and chatting, but upon seeing me, their voices faded, and their smiles disappeared. One of them approached me, his steps light and steady, his expression serious.

“Excuse me, Miss… Do you need anything?”