Chapter 676

Chapter Sixty-One Departure Without Farewell

“Actually, buying this earthen building… was for the purpose of taking refuge… well, saying it’s for refuge might be an exaggeration, but one must have a place to stay.”

“I grew up in this desolate land, and after I came of age, I never returned again… My father and mother died early in a bandit raid. The town where I lived as a child, now all I can remember is the red river flowing past the door, and the corner of the roof that collapsed overhead…”

“After the bandits left, the town was gone, and the earthen house collapsed too. There was actually very little to linger over there… But the taste of this loess always reminds me of that carefree ease and freedom in my childhood memories.”

Clang, clang, clang—

The night wind beat against the window, carrying sobs, reaching the ears like mournful cries.

In just a short while, Carlos had drunk half of the wine in his hand, his face becoming increasingly flushed, and his speech becoming incoherent: “I originally didn’t plan to return…”

“Just stay here, think clearly… think through everything… I’m a bit confused… I don’t know which way to go next… So, Leah bought this place as… a temporary resting spot. But… how long to stay, I haven’t figured out yet…”

“Teacher… Appfel, they will have a major move soon, related to that spirit essence… I don’t want to know what it is… I’m a bit reluctant to get involved in those matters anymore… But I imagine, after this matter is resolved, the church might take some measures against me, and against Leah who chose to follow me…”

“I don’t mind if things really reach their worst, then I’ll face whatever comes… But Leah… I might involve her… She actually doesn’t know the whole story… But she just, naively… followed me…”

The firelight in his eyes dimmed, and from around the corner of the passage leading to the second floor of the earthen building, a woman’s black leather boot could be seen peeking out from behind the wall.

“…Little Hill.”

“Hmm.”

“In fact, even without you asking, I already understand these matters. You knew about them earlier than me, perhaps even more so… It’s fine, you don’t have to say anything… I just want to ask you one thing… What do you plan to do next…”

“…”

I looked at the man’s drunken face, silently.

What do I plan to do?

That would be—

Sigh…

Even I myself am not quite clear.

There are many things that need sorting out…

But after hearing Carlos’ experience, besides feeling sorry for him, I feel that the most urgent thing should be to send Betty back to Messer Town first, then let the old man Robert find someone to take me to the sand valley, the site Carlos mentioned, to see if that woman is really dead…

Perhaps I can also figure out the exact whereabouts of that spirit essence.

Although Elina has been torn apart by the Sword Saint in the man’s eyes, I always have a feeling that she won’t die so easily…

Even though I dislike her.

But indeed, there are still some things I want to ask her.

At least, I must quickly figure out what’s happening with my body and find a way to restore its peak condition…

After that…

I will prepare thoroughly, and set out alone to the Western Continent.

Just wait until I regain my strength…

By then…

Nothing can stop me from thinking about what to do next…

No one…

…………

Not long after, the oil lamp on the table burned out, and a woman named Lapulea came down to change the wick.

My conversation with Carlos was also coming to an end around that time.

In the end, I still didn’t tell him anything.

It wasn’t because of distrust.

Actually, as the conversation progressed, I had almost completely dispelled my doubts about him. I thought… I understood Carlos; even if he really wanted to deceive me, he wouldn’t show such a pathetic and even cowardly appearance, using that method to deceive me.

What he said was true and fully consistent with the actual situation.

Carlos was unaware of many things… He now knows some, but it’s not particularly much, yet it’s enough to shatter his previously steadfast heart.

Carlos is a guy with a strong sense of justice. He once said he wanted to be a knight like a teacher, serving the people wholeheartedly. But now, he has long lost the confident demeanor he had when he told me those words.

Many things cannot be faked.

I believe at least Carlos cannot fake it.

In our final conversation, the man was almost drunk, his tongue stumbling. I asked him about the current state of West Continent, and he vaguely told me that the Church’s situation was complicated, internal disputes escalating, already out in the open. And there were rumors of human experimentation, causing Pope Angel great distress, but he couldn’t explain the specific complexity of the situation to me.

After nearly a year in East Continent, Carlos, who had been running around, probably only knew the general situation. He didn’t have much time or energy to think deeply, and when he was running day and night, he didn’t have the time to consider so much.

The war in Valen Empire hadn’t ended either. Carlos continued to pay attention to this news. He said that his father seemed to have started attacking the southern region when the snow stopped early in the year. Although progress was slow afterward, no bad news reached us here.

Even though I was drunk, I believed the messages he conveyed.

But I still didn’t tell him anything.

The reason was simple.

When I asked him, “If I stood against your teacher, Sir Knight Ryan, which side would you choose?” When I asked him this, Carlos fell silent for a long time, finally just drinking his sorrows in silence, unable to utter a word.

We both knew deep down…

This might be the choice he would have to face soon.

I felt this premonition.

That moment…

might be very close.

But the man couldn’t make that decision at this moment, tonight.

Since that’s the case…

what else is there to say?

I didn’t touch the pastry on the table at all. After the conversation ended, I called Betty in to eat it. I intended to leave then, but Carlos called me back at the door.

“Where are you going…”

“Leaving here.”

“It’s so late, do you have somewhere to stay?”

“…”

“A stranger in a strange place, why don’t you rest here tonight? We can talk about tomorrow’s matters tomorrow.”

And so, I stayed.

The second floor of the earthen building had empty rooms available. The red-haired woman helped us quickly tidy up a room. I slept squeezed together with Betty on one bed. Several times in the middle of the night, I heard footsteps outside the door, and I could tell by listening that it was Carlos. He probably wanted to knock on the door and say something more, but he didn’t actually do it.

That night, I couldn’t sleep.

I only dozed off faintly until dawn began to break.

When I left the next day, I didn’t wait for him to see me off.

And it seemed Carlos didn’t plan to see me off either.

He just slung his bag over his shoulder, pulling Betty out onto the street. At that moment, I couldn’t help but turn my head again, looking back at the earthen building where we had stayed last night. On one of the round beds on the second floor, I saw a vague figure standing by the window, gazing outward.