The church in the small mountain village is the only stone building in the village. It is located on a small hill, with an arrow-like spire and a solid stone wall similar to a tower. Although it is several sizes smaller than the temple in the city, it is still enough to instill awe in the residents of the mountain village. The gravel road leading to the church is covered with a thin layer of ice, and walking on it is like going through the test of the gods.
"Only those who have experienced hardships can obtain the favor of the gods." The priests of the gods always preached this. But the current "difficulties and obstacles" caused by laziness
¡The village chief was trembling and staggering. After climbing a few steps, his face was covered with sweat and he kept breathing heavily. However, he stubbornly refused to let Leo help him, and could only move up like a snail.
The alchemist stamped his foot vigorously. The boots shattered the ice, and tiny ice cubes flew in the air, reflecting the brilliance of the setting sun. The gods who were so high in the past are now gone, but for ordinary people, even if they fall like meteors, they are still their last spiritual sustenance in this world. He sighed and followed the village chief like a puppet.
A repaired door was open, and the light of a candle shone through.
The church seemed crowded, with several rows of long-backed chairs taking up most of the space. The statue of Our Lady of Andal stands on a pedestal with flowers and tributes. She wears a wreath of flowers on her head and holds a staff of blooming light. However, she was the only one here, and she seemed particularly lonely. There are still two guard statues missing here, Leo thought.
Sitting on a long chair, Iweila was talking face to face with the elderly pastor who presided over this remote church. The latter wore a brown robe, had short gray hair, and had a cane by his leg.
Hearing the footsteps of the visitor, they stopped talking.
"Leo?" Eveira looked quite surprised.
"Old sir, why are you here in person?" The pastor stood up with a cane. Only then did Leo realize that the other person was missing a leg, and the trouser leg of his left leg was empty. He came over with a cane, supported the village chief with his right hand, and helped him sit down. "Is there a problem?"
The village chief gasped and leaned on his chair, unable to speak for a while.
While the pastor was combing his back, he turned to Leo and said, "Please, sir." He requested, "Please close the door. There are two old bones here, and we can't bear the cold."
Leo closed the door in response and sat down next to Ivira.
"You are just like this lady, right?" the pastor asked.
Leo nodded, "Yes. We are partners."
"They all come from the sea?"
Why do they all have the same tone of interrogating prisoners? Logically speaking, guests should be welcome here. Otherwise, how can an autistic mountain village continue to survive? This barren land cannot support so many people. Leo and Ivira looked at each other, and he found the same doubts and worries in Miss Bachelor's eyes as his.
However, he didn't show it on his face. "Yes," he replied, "I have told the village chief the process in detail. We encountered a storm and lost our way. The captain did not take us to our destination, but abandoned us here. "
"Where's the ship?"
"I don't think they can sail much further." Speaking of which, Leo was determined to leave the broken ship. "No one can guess what the gods are thinking. What if the goddess of misfortune still hangs over her?"
"Then we can only wish them good luck." The pastor said. His eyes were full of wisdom. Leo would feel very happy talking to this kind of person. Although this happy mood was broken in an instant. The other party turned to Ivira, "This lady said that she is a bachelor and that your companion is in urgent need of treatment."
Leo didn¡¯t want to admit it from the bottom of his heart. He once stubbornly believed that he could cure Rosie. But the cruel fact is before him: he has tried every imaginable method - and all failed. "Yes." He heard himself say in a bitter voice, "She needs treatment, spells or medicine. Iis at my wits' end."
These words came out at once.
He was horrified to find that he could not suppress his emotions. Sadness, sorrow, self-blame and guilt all came like a tide, wrapping him tightly, as if a spider web had entangled him airtight. They had accumulated in his heart for a long time, like blood clots blocking blood vessels. He was breathing heavily, as if a drowning man was craving for a ray of oxygen.
Eweila¡¯s cold hands pressed his knees, ¡°Leo?¡± she called with concern.
"Iit's okay." He said with difficulty as his throat was dry. PassedAfter a while, he finally calmed down. "Sorry" he said to the priest.
"I am the one who should say sorry." The pastor waved his hands. "I can understand your pain and self-blame. However, you have also seen that if it is something that even a bachelor can't do, what use can a priest like me who can't even save his own legs do? What?" He had a sad smile on his face.
There was an inevitable silence in the church.
Do we really want to go to the Fortress of Despair on the top of the distant snow-capped mountains? Leo thought feebly.
The wooden door was closed tightly, but the cold wind blew through the windows, as if there were ghosts walking around outside. The elderly village chief finally took his breath away after a long rest. He huddled in his chair and spoke weakly: "Are you sure this lady is a bachelor?" He still didn't trust them at all. "We cannot take their word for it."
The priest smiled, "Of course, I know what to do. But this elegant and beautiful lady," he turned to Ivira, "I swear to the Virgin of Andal, she is indeed a respected bachelor. "
"Cough, cough why are you cough so sure?"
"Her knowledge, her conversation and behavior"
¡°¡Ahem, this doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡±
The pastor continued, "There are also her badges, secret gestures, and mysterious code words. Old sir, you should believe me, right?"
"Of course I believe you." The village chief defended hurriedly while coughing, "I just don't believe cough our small mountain village one day there will be a bachelor visiting."
¡°Is it like when I came here to build the church?¡±
The old village chief blushed, "That's all in the past, why bring it up now?"
They really wanted to be two children teasing and noisy with each other, Leo thought so in his heart. However, the sun was about to set, and the church without a brazier became more and more like an ice cellar that could freeze someone to death. Knowing that the warm room and soft bed were not far away he really didn't want to stay here anymore. Staying any longer felt like torture.
"Now," he saw the opportunity and spoke, "Village Chief, can you tell me what happened?"
The first person to interface was the pastor, ¡°What do you want to know?¡±
His eyes narrowed, and a certain vigilance mixed with uneasiness was deeply revealed on his face. Leo tried to find an adjective and found that holding a sharp knife in his hand was the perfect way to describe the other party's symptoms. It was as if he was planning to slash at them with a knife if he said anything wrong. No matter that Iweila is a "respected bachelor" in his words.
"Don't be so nervous, Alton. Since you are sure that this lady is a bachelor, then we can trust her, and of course her companions." The old village chief finally said something fair. "This gentleman with strong curiosity," he glanced at the alchemist, shook his head and smiled bitterly, "is always asking questions to understand what the hell we have encountered here."
"We haven't met anything," the priest said firmly.
"We came from the sea, from the other side of the Silent Ocean, Mr. Pastor." There was a hint of anger in his words. "You should be able to understand the psychology of a stranger arriving in a strange place for the first time. They try to take control of the situation and understand the local conditions."
"This is understandable," Iweila said. "This is self-protection, and everyone does it."
"Yes, this is normal, not to mention" He couldn't help but sneer on his face. "Besides, we don't feel muchgoodwill here."
The village chief's face showed embarrassment.
"I'm telling the truth," the priest defended. "We didn't see anything. Except damn snow."
"I'm sorry for our behavior." The village chief continued, "It's just that recently we are really panicked here."
Since there are no monsters, what are they worried about? What are they afraid of?
"People are panicked? Where to start?" Iweila asked.
The village chief and the priest looked at each other. The two hesitated, hesitated, and struggled internally.
"The black bird brings black news." Finally, the village chief sighed, as if he had breathed out his life. For a moment, Leo felt that he seemed much older. He wondered if it was because a candle had gone out. "On this cold highland, several villages within a radius of hundreds of miles have been reduced to lifeless dead cities."
"Did a robber do it?"
"No, not a bandit or a robber!" The village chief denied loudly, his hands shaking violently and his eyes full of fear.It was as if he had seen the tragic scene there with his own eyes. He told in a trembling tone, "People say the murderer is alone. His eyes are cold and not like a living thing."
"Since no one is alive, how can anyone know his characteristics?" Leo raised his doubts.
"ThisI don't know this." The village chief hesitated for a while, and finally said loudly, "Anyway, he must not be a human! Otherwise, how could he massacre several villages without leaving any traces?"
"Mr. Pastor, do you think so too?"
"Although words are like the wind, rumors may not be credible, but what has happened recently is not something humans can do." The pastor rubbed his brows in distress, "According to the reports from the militiamen who went to investigate, there it's like Nine levels of hell" His face turned pale. "No, it is more terrifying than hell. Even a complete lunatic cannot do thatThose unfortunate dead seem to have been subjected to the most evil desecration"
These living people can do it, Leo thought, and crazy believers can also do anything.
"Miss Bachelor, can you tell me what is going on?" the village chief said painfully, "Why do we encounter such a thing in this area? I can hear the cruel laughter of the ghost, and he is wandering nearby. ! He is eyeing us and plans to attack us! Miss Bachelor, what evil have we done?"
"Don't worry, I will investigate clearly." Iweila tried her best to comfort the two old people. "Leo is an alchemist, and among our companions, there is also a mage. No monster will hurt you, I promise."