Chapter 1426 Parting the Way. Garrisoning

Woo, woo, woo!

Amidst three consecutive rapid horn sounds, the huge and bloated motorcade immediately became panicked. The civilians and wealthy businessmen in the motorcade looked behind them in horror.

The only good thing is that the knights passing by on both sides of the convoy quickly suppressed the panic.

People quickly followed the instructions of the knights and turned the convoy into a simple fortification. The woman and her child knelt on the ground and prayed to their respective gods.

And the men took up arms and acted as the last dam.

The prayers quickly spread to the entire convoy.

The panic disappeared quickly.

What remains is peace and anticipation.

People firmly believe that their gods will not abandon them.

Just like taking them out of Navia City in the first place.

This time, they won’t be disappointed!

Faith is so wonderful.

It will always obscure some things that can be seen but are not willing to believe, but not everyone can "survive" by relying on faith.

At least not Etelina.

From the moment she was able to plan the theft of the 'Holy Grail of Thorns' for the sake of her priesthood, one can imagine this woman's faith.

She looked at the back of the convoy with a sad face.

The accompanying knights from various temples had already gone to meet the enemy, but she felt no joy at all.

Because she knew very well that this was just a sign.

A sign of a monster chasing the convoy and launching a series of attacks.

She could even imagine how the entire convoy would be cannibalized step by step.

"Eileen, are you okay?"

"Did you think of... him again?"

"Don't worry, he will be fine."

Lilith looked at her friend worriedly.

Etelina's expression obviously caused the priest of the Temple of Love to have a certain misunderstanding, but in the face of such misunderstanding, Etelina did not explain.

After all, this is how she should behave now.

After losing the support of that man, the only thing she can hold on to is the legacy left by that man. Doing so will at least make her feel better in the days to come. You must know that the other party is one of the few who can take the initiative to leave a confrontation. One of the Devourers' people.

Moreover, it is still the strongest one.

That sword that seemed to cut the sky apart was enough to shock everyone even if they think about it now.

If it hadn't been for that sword, the outcome of that battle might have been completely reversed.

them?

Don't say you escaped.

Death will be a gift.

pity……

The man who could strike out with such a sword was dead.

Etelina still can't understand the other party's choice.

"There is obviously a chance to leave."

"But you have to fight."

"Sure enough, men are a bunch of fools when they are passionate?"

Etelina whispered to herself.

"Your Excellency Ryan is not a fool."

"yes……"

"hero!"

Lilith heard such soft whispers to herself, and she emphasized.

However, the voice was very soft.

She didn't want to rub salt into her friend's wounds anymore.

Etelina looked at Lilith and shook her head. For this girl she could befriend, she was very aware of her innocence in some aspects, otherwise she would not have become a disciple of the high priest of the Temple of Love, but this was doomed for her. It is impossible to tell the other party the truth about something.

But even if I say it...

I’m afraid no one believes it anymore, right?

Etelina looked at the people around her, and these people looked at her with respect.

Not from herself.

But because of that man.

"The monster was defeated!"

"The monster was defeated!"

The cheers swept away the solemn atmosphere of the team.

Etelina and Lilith breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately, Etelina's face darkened.

She saw many injured knights.

More than she had guessed.

Many more died in battle.

Without any hesitation, Etelina picked up the medicine box that had been prepared and walked towards the injured knights.

Having that man's legacy doesn't mean everything will be fine.

There are some things she still needs to work on.

Lilith, on the other hand, is much simpler.

The priest of the Temple of Love just hopes that no more people will die.

After the war, work began in an orderly manner, and the meetings on the carriage continued again.

"The enemy is very strong."

"Only knight-level people can cause harm to them."

The high priest of the War Temple was the first to speak.

He looked at the Temple of Thorns and the High Priest of the Hunter Temple.

The topic seems a little off topic.

But there is an implicit warning: in the face of such an enemy, parting ways is definitely not the best choice.

"The oracle cannot be violated."

The high priest of the Hunter Temple said solemnly.

"The tribulations of fate are like thorns everywhere, but we need... to cut through them!"

“I believe Ms. Vanessa is not wrong!”

Ederson was equally insistent.

Faith has long been ingrained!

The choice is inevitable!

"May everyone... be safe."

The high priest of the Harvest Temple stood up and said to everyone present.

"Peace be upon you."

After everyone looked at each other, they said goodbye.

Not only as an old friend, but also as a blessing.

Because they each knew in their hearts that it would be difficult to see each other after this time.

Edson sighed and got out of the carriage.

The older, new high priest adjusted his mentality and summoned all the people who belonged to the Temple of Thorns.

"We're going north."

"Go and tell Lady Vanessa's followers that they will suffer another test of fate."

Edson whispered.

"The others aren't coming with us?"

Etelina was startled.

"Except for those who are with us outside the Temple of Love and the Temple of Music, the remaining people..."

"They all have their own directions to go."

"This is not something we can stop."

"It's like they didn't stop us - if you want to say goodbye, please hurry up, we don't have much time."

Edson said this.

Looking at the worried and dispersed crowd around him, the old priest couldn't help but sigh again.

He regrets it now.

If he had persisted and chosen to stay and let Ryan lead the team, the situation would have been many times better, right?

At least the morale of the people around him wouldn't be so low.

You won't have to worry about being chased by monsters.

Ryan's strength is enough to scare those monsters!

And him?

Now he is worse than an ordinary knight.

What can he do without the support of Ms. Vanessa?

The chaotic thoughts in his heart made the old priest even more melancholy.

But such melancholy could not be expressed yet. When the entire convoy was divided into three, he looked at his own team, the smallest of the three convoys, and couldn't help but take a breath.

"north!"

"All the way north!"

"Set off!"

No more words of encouragement.

No one who can join this team needs such encouragement.

Although it was a little less than expected, Edson was no longer in the mood to pursue those who had temporarily changed their beliefs.

All he has to do is be responsible for the people behind him.

Sitting in the carriage, Edson spread out an oxhide map that Lady Thorn had given him when he left Navia.

The location of the hidden temple is plotted above.

and the dangers you may encounter along the way.

"Aia Outpost, Yot Plains, Smako Hills, Wyss Valley, Linya Mountains."

As Edson moved his fingers, he read out the names of the places that Ms. Thorns had marked and needed attention, and then shouted outside.

"Eileen?"

"What's wrong, Lord High Priest?"

Etelina stepped into the carriage.

"How many people do we still have who can directly participate in the battle?"

Edson asked.

"Including the people accompanying us who have experienced previous battles, there are no more than 300 people."

"I haven't counted the temples of love and music."

Etelina replied.

Following the deeds of 'Hero' Ryan, Etelina, who already had a certain status in the Temple of Thorns, her status in this team has skyrocketed.

To put it simply, apart from High Priest Edson, Etelina has become the second-in-command in the Thorn Temple team.

And for Etelina, the 'lover' of the 'hero' Ryan, Edson also believed unusually.

So, without any cover-up, he put the cowhide map in front of Etelina.

"This is?"

Etelina was stunned for a moment, and then she realized what was happening. Her expression changed, and when she finished reading the entire map, her expression became even more solemn.

"The Aia Outpost closest to us can become our temporary rest camp."

"But then the plains of Yot..."

Speaking of this, Etelina looked at Edson.

From the moment you leave Aia Post and enter the Yot Plains, you have officially left the scope of the Nawea City. Compared with the 'completeness' of the Nawea City, the Yot Plains not only has dozens of lords, but also the terrain It is gentle and extremely long. It would take a normal caravan about four weeks to pass through this area without any accidents. But at the speed of their convoy, it would take at least five to six weeks.

Such a long time is enough for the monsters behind them to eat their entire convoy.

If you want to buy enough time, you need to build a line of defense at Aiya Post to block the monster's progress.

Or to be more precise, he used his body to delay the monsters, fill their appetites, and buy more time for the large troops to evacuate.

A more concise meaning is...abandonment.

This is evident as more and more monsters gather.

The fall of Aiya Outpost is inevitable.

Etelina and Edson know very well what the consequences will be if they fall.

So, who will be the outcast?

"Eileen, do you have any ideas?"

Edson asked.

Edson is old enough to have enough life experience, but no matter how much life experience he has, it will be of no help to the current situation.

Whoever is left behind is killed.

As Ederson holding a 'butcher's knife', it is difficult for him to make a choice.

Therefore, he hopes to hear more opinions.

However, the next scene surprised Edson.

"I'm staying!"

Etelina said decisively.

"Aileen, don't get me wrong."

"I brought you here for discussion, not..."

"I know!"

"But besides me, is there anyone more suitable?"

"Staying here is a narrow escape. No one with a suitable status can convince the public, even with the brilliance of Ms. Vanessa!"

"And besides you, the only one in this team is me."

"But you need to lead the entire team to Northland."

"Then I am the most suitable person."

Etelina interrupted Edson and said with a serious face.

Edson looked at Etelina without speaking for a long time.

Finally, the old man sighed again.

"Is it because... Ryan?"

Edson asked softly.

Etelina's body trembled and she said nothing, but the sadness on her face could not be concealed.

"Lane and you..."

"I respect your choice."

Edson wanted to comfort Etelina, but after the words came out, he realized that there was nothing to say.

Between life and death.

Any description is an understatement.

Just as the former high priest Slotu and the chief priest Barry died in battle, Ryan and he inherited the positions of high priest and chief priest respectively.

Then, Ryan chose to stay, and the position of high priest was inherited by him as the chief priest.

Can……

The burden is too heavy.

It was so heavy that he couldn't breathe.

In fact, when he thought of Ryan and Etelina, the 'lovers', dying, he felt heavy in his heart.

Etelina left the carriage.

In the empty carriage, Edson knelt down on one knee.

He prayed for the 'lovers'.

"The road full of thorns is your test."

"The painful body brings a noble soul."

"When you appear, everything will turn into fate's favor."

“May the song of the thorn bird never cease.”

The thorn bird sings only once in its life.

at the time of its death.

Since leaving the nest, it has been persistently looking for the thorn tree.

When it got what it wanted, it stuck its petite body into the longest and sharpest thorn, and sang loudly with tears in its eyes - that poignant, moving and graceful song eclipsed all the sounds in the world in an instant!

At the end of the song, the thorn bird finally died of exhaustion and died singing.

How Edson hopes this ending will change.

At least,

At least,

At least……

Don't be so lonely.

With some ideas in mind, Edson began to pick up a quill and write something in the carriage.

Outside the carriage, there was a trace of hesitation in Etelina's eyes.

She would never do such a thing as interdicting someone's wife.

What she wants is to use the entire convoy as bait to buy herself a chance of survival.

There is nothing wrong with that!

She told herself this.

But the feeling of guilt arises involuntarily.

Moreover, as Aiya Outpost gets closer, this guilt becomes more and more intense.

When the entire convoy entered the Aia Outpost to rest, and when the people in the convoy turned their respectful eyes to her, she almost felt guilty.

"Sister Eileen...thank you."

"I finally know why Ryan chose you."

Before dawn, just before the motorcade set off after a midnight rest, Lilith found Etelina.

The priestess of the Temple of Love handed Etelina the 'talisman' she had woven overnight and sent her most sincere blessings.

After receiving the 'talisman' woven from three-color satin, Etelina subconsciously wanted to say something, but before the words came out, she swallowed them back.

I just want to survive.

Feel sorry.

With such apology in her heart, Etelina watched the convoy leave. When the convoy almost disappeared, the priestess of the Temple of Thorns turned her head and looked in the direction of Navia City behind her.

It was as if she was saying goodbye to the past.

but!

next moment!

Her eyes widened!

A black line appeared on the horizon!

A black line made entirely of pitch-black monsters!

Like waves in the sea, it was rushing towards the Aiya Outpost where she was!

PS two-in-one chapter~