Read Lord of the Oasis - Chapter 713 - The Heartache of the First Taste of Bitterness online free - Novelfull
Chapter 713: The Heartache of the First Taste of Bitterness
Claremont glanced at Abel, who was standing at the side. After seeing Abel nod at him, he pushed the Black Elf Leader away and said, "I hope that you have more self-awareness this time. Don't come and provoke us again in the future."
"Hehe." The Black Elf Leader stood up, rubbed his shoulders, and laughed softly.
The other soldiers watched as Claremont released him. Although they didn't quite understand, they let go of the hands that had bound the black elves.
"Scram!" Abel said.
"One day, I'll come and try it out. The feeling of being cursed by the legendary King of Light," the Black Elf Leader said as he gave Abel an evil look.
After saying this, he turned around and beckoned the other black elves to leave.
"Hiss!" A silver light pierced through the air and entered the back of the Black Elf Leader.
"Ah!" the Black Elf Leader cried out in surprise.
It was only a ball of light the size of a fingernail, but it burned a big hole in the Black Elf Leader's back.
The black spiritual power in the black elf's body kept surging out.
The Black Elf Leader stopped the other black elves from going forward to fight and he shot Abel a hateful look.
Abel looked at him and said in a relaxed manner, "From the looks of it, you shouldn't even think about trying. Be careful not to fall into pieces. Take this strike as my return to you on Captain Devitt's behalf."
"Let's go!"
The Black Elf Leader walked out of the military camp with the support of his two companions and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The warriors put down their weapons and celebrated the victory of this war with the elven mages. Meanwhile, Claremont silently helped the trembling Abel back to his tent.
"Even the slightest bit of strength from the King of Light is not something our bodies can withstand."
Abel sat down on his seat and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.
The move he used on the Black Elf Leader just now had exhausted all the strength in his body.
Even now, his calves were cramping.
Claremont brought a basin of water and said to Abel, "Thanks to your presence, we were able to resolve this predicament. The Caradia soldiers owe the elves another favor."
"We're all in the same team. Naturally, we'll attack when we can. There's nothing to owe," Abel shook his head and said. He used a wet towel to massage his calf.
When they were on the battlefield, Abel had told Claremont that he could not use light magic. He could only borrow a little bit of energy from the runes that sealed the power of the King of Light, he used it to pretend to be a light elf.
The other elves were the same. However, the power in their bodies was dispersed by Abel, so they did not feel any pain during the process of receiving it.
The two of them worked together to force the black elves out of their own territory and gave them a warning when they left.
"In this way, I reckon that the black elves won't dare to come and find trouble with us in the future," Abel said.
Claremont also nodded.
At this time, a soldier rushed into the tent and said to Claremont in surprise, "Captain Claremont, Herne, and the others are awake!"
"Awake?!" Claremont stood up and said in surprise.
Then, he said to Abel, "Captain Abel, I'll go to the two soldiers to take a look first. You should rest well for now."
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"Okay," Abel replied.
Claremont followed the reporting soldier to the tent where the two fainted soldiers were.
He walked to the bed of the soldiers who were still recuperating and said, "You two are finally awake."
When Herne saw Claremont's figure, he was so moved that he almost cried. He had just woken up not long ago and did not actually feel the fact that he had returned to the real world. After seeing Claremont rushing over, he finally realized his current situation.
"I also thought that we would never wake up again," Herne said with a smile as he looked at his comrade who had just opened his eyes.
"Tell me what happened that night," Claremont said.
Herne thought for a moment and explained in detail. That night, he and Wilkes stood guard at the entrance of the camp. They met Devitt, who had eaten something bad, left the camp to find a place to go to the toilet. Not long after Devitt walked out of the door, he noticed the rustling of leaves in the grass. He thought that it was Devitt who was walking over. However, he found that it was a dark-skinned foreign elf standing in front of them. Then, the two of them were attacked and fell unconscious.
"I see." Claremont nodded and said, "It seems that the black elves are ready to attack."
"After I fainted, I felt my soul leave my body. I was thinking that I might have been killed by the black elves, but I ended up in the hands of a black elf," Herne continued.
"So, you all remember what happened on the battlefield?" Claremont asked in surprise.
"Battlefield? What battlefield?" Herne asked curiously. "After my soul fell into the hands of the black elves, I lost consciousness. I don't know what happened next."
"Okay." Claremont ended his visit and told the two wounded, "Rest well."
Walking out of the tent where the wounded were, Claremont immediately headed toward Devitt's tent.
Although he had heard from the soldier that Devitt's life was no longer in danger. However, recalling the scene of Devitt being assassinated, Claremont could not help but feel his heart clench.
Thinking of this, Claremont hurriedly quickened his pace.
When he walked into Devitt's tent, the smell of blood and alcohol assailed him.
Claremont frowned.
It seemed that the soldiers in charge of medical treatment had not cleaned up the scene.
When he walked to the bed where Devitt usually rested, Claremont found that Abel was also there.
The pale-faced Devitt lay on the bed. His breathing was so shallow that it was almost imperceptible. His shirt had already been taken off. A thick bandage was tied around his abdomen.
"Still not awake?" Claremont asked softly.
"He lost too much blood. All the organs in his body are still recovering," an elven soldier replied.
The elven soldier's healing skills, coupled with the Caradia soldier's on-the-spot medical skills, finally stabilized Devitt's vital signs after a long period of work.
"If that's the case, we shouldn't be able to continue on our journey," Abel sighed softly.
"Let's see how our recovery will be tomorrow," Claremont said after a moment of silence.
"I wonder if our group will be able to successfully reach the destination of the mission." Abel looked up at the sky and said, "It seems that it is indeed difficult for us to move forward."
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Chapter 714: A Day of Rest
When the sun rose the next day, Devitt was still unable to wake up from his injury.
The scouts decided to stay overnight and wait for Devitt's recovery.
Claremont led his soldiers to carry out regular military physical training in the wilderness of the plains.
Camping outside was not as complete as the training equipment and facilities in the military camp.
However, everyone completed their daily training seriously.
The attack of the black elves yesterday made everyone return to their high standards.
If they wanted to continue on the road to the volcano, they would have to increase their strength.
The elves also had the same idea and gathered together to practice their spells.
During the free time of training, many soldiers came to Claremont's side and asked, "What kind of race are the valley trolls outside the Plains?"
Claremont answered the soldiers' questions one by one and told them all about the habits of the trolls.
"The trolls' attack power is relatively small. But you can't underestimate them," Claremont introduced.
"What weapons do they use to attack others?" a soldier raised his hand and asked.
"They usually use their homemade cudgel-type weapons, or their sharp fangs," Claremont replied.
"So they are suitable for opponents like us who are good at close combat," a Caradia soldier commented.
"Yes, but you can not be exhausted by them in close combat. Trolls, no matter what kind of trolls they are, have astonishing stamina. Moreover, their life force recovery ability is extremely strong. In my knowledge, there shouldn't be any race that can be compared to them in terms of resisting pressure. Therefore, when fighting against them, you must be extremely careful and keep a distance so that you don't get killed," Claremont carefully exhorted.
"They are indeed very powerful!"
A Caradia soldier nodded and said, "The previous two battles were settled by the elves as if we didn't have any effect. This time, we must show our strengths to the elven mages."
"War is the last resort. It's better to avoid it. Don't forget what our mission is," Claremont instructed seriously.
The training ground was still a little far from where everyone was camping.
Thus, no one wanted to go back. After the training ended, the scouts returned to the barracks before the sunset.
When Claremont stepped into the barracks, an elven soldier came forward and reported, "Captain Claremont, Captain Devitt is awake."
The soldiers behind Claremont were restless.
"Captain Claremont, we also want to visit Captain Devitt," a soldier standing beside Claremont said.
The other soldiers also nodded and echoed his request.
"Captain Devitt has just woken up. If so many of you go, you might disturb his rest. Let Captain Devitt come to see you in person when he recovers a little better," Claremont thought for a moment, then shook his head and denied.
Hearing Claremont's words, the soldiers lowered their heads one after another, and their mood also dropped.
"Don't worry, do what you have to do. Today's gathering is disbanded," Claremont instructed.
With that, he followed the elven soldiers to the tent where Devitt was.
As expected, Abel, who was originally in the military camp, arrived before Devitt one step ahead of him.
After greeting Abel, Claremont leaned over to check on Devitt's condition.
Devitt had just woken up from his coma, and his eyes were a little hazy.
"Cough, cough." After seeing the two people standing in front of his bed, Devitt opened his mouth to say something, but the words on his lips turned into a cough.
A trace of blood flowed out from the corner of his mouth.
Claremont's originally calm gaze instantly turned into fear.
Abel also said worriedly, "Your injuries are too serious. Don't even think about talking when you just woke up."
The soldier in charge of medical treatment turned pale with fright. He walked over to Devitt's pillow and used a healing spell to calm the discomfort in Devitt's body.
After his breathing gradually calmed down, Devitt opened his eyes again and looked at the two people with a worried expression.
"The Black Elves have been chased away by us. You don't have to worry," Claremont reported first.
Devitt didn't seem surprised and nodded at Claremont.
"The army will temporarily set up camp on the plains and settle down. When your wounds are almost healed, we will set off again," Abel said.
Hearing Abel's plan, Devitt frowned. It seemed that he didn't want to drag down the progress of the entire army because of his own injuries.
"This is also for the sake of the entire team. Don't be stubborn." Claremont shook his head, he said to Devitt, "You are the leader of this team. If you don't maintain a healthy and strong appearance, how can we make the soldiers follow you move forward with trust?"
After listening to Claremont's explanation, Devitt thought for a while and finally nodded in compromise.
Seeing that Devitt had agreed, Claremont did not say anything more. He asked the elven soldier beside him, "How is Captain Devitt's current physical condition?"
"His recovery is very strong. I reckon that with someone watching over him, he will recover very quickly," answered the elven soldier.
"Mm." Claremont nodded and turned to speak to Devitt, "You heard it, right? It won't take long. Now, the most important thing is to take care of your own body."
Devitt nodded his head as if he had made a promise.
After asking Devitt some questions about how he felt about his own body, Claremont and Abel also took their leave.
The soldiers outside the camp had already begun to eat their dinner.
After instructing the soldiers in charge of the kitchen to bring some light liquid food to Devitt, Claremont also joined the ranks of the soldiers.
Abel walked to his side, and the two of them chatted as they ate porridge.
"The black elves are so hateful," Claremont sighed.
"They've always lived in the dark side of this world. They probably don't care about the severity of their attacks anymore," Abel replied.
"Is that so? Now that I think about it, I realize that there's a saying that makes a lot of sense," Claremont said, his eyes wandering.
"What?"
"Among the weapons used to defeat humans, the ones with the best effect are the humans themselves," Claremont said softly.
Abel sensed Claremont's melancholy and stopped his actions of picking up vegetables. He asked Claremont, "Did the attack that day remind you of anything?"
That day on the battlefield was the first time Abel saw Claremont in such pain.
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Chapter 715: A Dark Corner of the Past
"I remembered some of the things that happened when I was young." Claremont felt that his throat had become somewhat dry. He raised his cup and drank a mouthful of water before answering.
Abel recalled the words that Claremont kept repeating in his mouth that day. He asked hesitantly, "Was it related to your father?"
Perhaps it was best to say it out loud. In Claremont's eyes, Abel was a good listener.
Under the quiet moonlight, Claremont told Abel about his childhood experience of being abused by his father.
When the last sentence of the story was finished, Abel quietly stared at Claremont's side profile.
Even though it was dark around him, Abel could still see the sadness on Claremont's face.
"Then, where is your father now?" Abel asked hesitantly.
"Dead." Claremont sneered and said, "I didn't kill him. When I was twelve years old, he was killed by his enemy who was chasing after his debt."
Abel sat there silently, not knowing what to say.
"I originally planned to forget about this matter, but because of the Black Elf's spell, I remembered the past." Claremont shook his head, he said casually, "It seems that the impression that man left on me is quite deep."
After listening to Claremont's words, Abel recalled the impression he had gotten from spending the past few days with Claremont. Most of the time, he was very quiet, and his actions were strong. He maintained a clear boundary with his superiors and took care of others.
He did not see a single trace of negativity in Claremont.
When he thought about how Claremont had escaped from his dark childhood without the help of others to become a decent military officer, he felt even more pained when he faced the inferiority complex radiating from him.
"Claremont, although I haven't known you for long, you are indeed one of the most outstanding colleagues I have ever met." Abel paused for a moment before continuing, "Don't hate yourself because of your father."
After listening to Abel's words, Claremont was silent for a moment. He stood up and said to Abel, "Thank you, Abel."
After saying that, he picked up his bowl and chopsticks and left.
Abel stayed where he was and continued to chew on the cold food.
Tears did not represent weakness in every situation.
Devitt's injury recovered very quickly. The scouts rested for a day and a half on the spot. Then they began the next part of the journey.
It was noon when the soldiers set out. The sun shone on everyone's shoulders.
"Captain Devitt, is there really no problem with your body?" A Caradia soldier walked to Devitt's side and asked curiously.
"No problem." Devitt smiled and nodded. "It's not feasible to continue to slack off under my cover."
"Hehe, how can that be? We've been training well in the military camp these past few days." The soldier laughed in a relaxed manner. "However, Captain Devitt is really amazing. He suffered such a serious injury and recovered within two days."
"Didn't you see the medical soldiers guarding by my side all day and night? For their sake, I have to recover as soon as possible," Devitt replied.
"Are you sure you're okay?" After the soldiers left, Claremont walked forward and asked suspiciously.
"To be honest, I'm straining a little." Devitt patted Claremont's shoulder and stopped him from getting angry. "But it's still okay to use it on the road."
"If you feel any discomfort, remember to tell me immediately. Don't endure it yourself," Claremont pursed his lips and said seriously.
"Alright, I promise you," Devitt said clearly.
As they moved forward for the whole day, the plants by the roadside gradually changed.
"We're approaching the valley soon," Abel said to the soldiers.
"Are we going to set up camp in the valley tonight?" Claremont and Abel discussed.
"It should be. But we have to find a very hidden place."
Abel nodded and say, "It's best to find a place a little further away from the mountain road."
Claremont carefully considered the conditions that Abel had mentioned, and thought about how to find a suitable place to set up camp.
When the scouts heard Abel's words, they also began to discuss animatedly.
Until the moon rose into the sky, the scouts still had not entered the plains. This distance was much farther than they had imagined.
"How much longer will it take?" Devitt asked Abel, who was leading the way in front.
"Probably… about an hour," Abel replied.
The soldiers continued to trudge forward.
Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, Claremont suggested to Abel, a little worried. "Why don't we set up camp near here tonight? If we continue, it will be a waste of energy and time for us to adjust."
"Okay." Abel thought for a while and nodded in agreement.
"Everyone stop! Set up camp nearby!" Claremont ordered the soldiers.
The soldiers immediately stopped when they heard the order.
Everyone began to set up camp together.
Meanwhile, Devitt was forced by Abel to wait at the side.
Under the circumstances where he was bored to death, Devitt walked around the place where the soldiers set up camp.
"Hualala."
Devitt seemed to have heard something. He stopped and listened carefully. He realized that it was the sound of water flowing.
Devitt immediately called a few soldiers and went with him to inspect the source of the sound.
In the end, he found a small stream hidden in the mountains.
The soldiers who were traveling with him were overjoyed. However, Devitt frowned.
He stopped everyone from fishing for fresh water and brought the soldiers back to the military camp.
He summoned Claremont and Abel to discuss, "I think we've found the wrong place to camp."
"Why?" Abel asked.
"When I was patrolling the area just now, I found a stream of fresh water," Devitt said.
When they heard this news, both of their faces darkened.
The status of the water source on this island was practically on par with gold. According to Raphael, no river was not occupied by various races. When advancing in the wild, one must avoid places where there were rivers. Where there were freshwater resources, there would definitely be powerful forces entrenched. This should be beyond reproach.
Abel turned around and glanced at the soldiers who were still setting up their tents. He asked Devitt, "How far is that stream from here?"
"It's not considered very far. It's about fifteen minutes away," Devitt replied.
"That's quite dangerous," Claremont said after taking a deep breath.
"But finding another place to camp now is a little too much for me," Abel analyzed.
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Chapter 716: A Sudden Interlude
"Indeed." Claremont looked at the dark sky and agreed.
The three people's expressions became a little complicated.
"Why don't I bring some people over to take a look?" Abel suggested after a moment of silence.
"Yes." Devitt nodded and agreed.
After making his decision, Abel called a few people to follow him to the location of the creek.
Devitt and Claremont stayed in the military camp and waited for the news they brought back.
Half an hour later, Abel and the others returned to the military camp.
"How was it?" Claremont quickly walked forward and asked.
"We carefully looked at the movements around the creek. Other than the footprints left by Devitt and his men, we didn't find anyone who came," Abel reported.
"I see." Hearing this, Devitt's originally worried heart temporarily calmed down.
"In that case, let's stay here for a night. We'll set off early tomorrow." Claremont thought for a moment, then looked at Devitt and Abel and suggested.
Devitt and Abel nodded in agreement.
"However, we still need to strengthen our defenses tonight," Devitt instructed.
By the time Abel brought his men to scout the area, the camping tents had already been set up.
However, today, Devitt gave an order to the soldiers, "Do not use fire to cook dinner."
Therefore, when it was time for dinner, everyone sat around in the open space of the camp and began to eat their dry rations.
"Sigh, I miss having dinner at the military restaurant." Austin took a bite of wheat bread and sighed.
"Me too," a soldier echoed.
Everyone discussed the food in the military restaurant. When they talked about their favorite dishes, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
Devitt, who was sitting a little further away from the soldiers, said with a laugh, "Everyone is still chatting with each other."
"Yes, our soldiers have learned to find comfort from their memories," Abel continued.
"There are still many days ahead. I hope they are mentally prepared," Claremont replied.
The weather on the autumn plains was relatively cool.
However, this was only for healthy people. After eating dinner, Devitt was driven back to his tent by Claremont and the others to rest.
"The weather is getting colder and colder now." After sending Devitt back to the camp, Claremont and Abel went for a walk outside the camp to digest their food. A gust of mountain wind blew the grass and shook it. Claremont also felt a chill and turned to say to Abel.
"It's already November. The sky is turning dark very quickly." Abel nodded and looked at the sky.
"It's November. Ever since I boarded the ship, I haven't counted the days." Claremont sighed. "I didn't expect it to be the end of the year."
"It seems that we will be spending the new year on this island this year," Claremont said.
"I brought enough winter cotton clothes," Claremont said with a smile. He lifted his feet and walked toward the entrance of the military camp. "We should go back."
"Yeah, but elves don't have a clear feeling about the temperature," Abel said, following Claremont's footsteps.
"Huh? I'm so envious," Claremont said in surprise. "What about fire elves? Don't they feel different in the winter?"
"I'm not sure about that, but I don't think I'm very sensitive to the temperature," Abel thought for a while and shook his head.
"I didn't ask you before. General Abel, what kind of physique do you belong to as an elven mage?" Claremont thought of something and asked, "I haven't heard you mention it ever since we fought against the Black Elves."
"Actually, my spells aren't that powerful. Many elven soldiers in our team are more powerful than me. I was just chosen to be the captain because I was more focused on my physical strength." Abel said in embarrassment, "If you want to say what kind of spell I belong to, it should be water-type."
"A water element mage? It's amazing that you can train your physical abilities at the same time," Claremont praised.
The first time he met Abel, it could be said that he had overturned Claremont's impression of the elves.
Due to their talent and other reasons, the elves gave other races the impression of an exquisite and lazy group of mages.
And a rough general like Abel was also a member of the elves, which really broke a prejudice.
The two continued to chat while walking back to the barracks.
When they reached the entrance of the barracks, Claremont and Abel saw Devitt walking out of the barracks in a panic and meeting them head-on.
"What's wrong, Captain Devitt?" Abel asked anxiously.
"Two soldiers fainted," Devitt answered. His shirt was full of wrinkles. It was obvious that he had just received news from the soldiers. He didn't pay attention to his clothes and ran out.
"Where?" Claremont asked nervously.
"By the stream. I heard that they went there to drink freshwater, and found that the stream water was poisonous," a soldier walked up and reported carefully.
"What?!" Claremont and Abel were surprised.
"Were they carried back?" Abel asked the soldier who rushed back to report.
"They should be on the way back." Devitt strode in the direction of the stream.
"The two of us should go and take a look. Devitt, you're wearing so little. Don't go so far," Claremont suggested as he sized up Devitt's thin autumn clothes.
"It's okay. My body isn't that weak."
Just as the two of them were arguing, they stood at the entrance of the barracks and looked over. Two fainted soldiers, supported by four soldiers, slowly walked toward the barracks.
"They're back!" the soldier exclaimed.
Devitt and the other two also noticed the commotion and quickly walked toward the group of soldiers who had returned to the camp.
"Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, Captain Abel. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." One of the hunchback soldiers had obviously just cried. His eyes were red as he knelt on the ground and apologized.
"Wait, don't panic." Devitt commanded, "Quickly call the medical team over!"
Abel walked forward and placed his palms near the hearts of the two fainted soldiers. A wave of spiritual energy seeped into his palms.
Immediately after, Abel's face darkened. He stood up and said to Devitt, "No need. They have no signs of life."
"Ah…" Devitt opened his mouth but could not say anything. Tears fell directly from his eyes.
Judging from Abel's expression, what he said was indeed true.
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Chapter 717: They Were Lucky Enough to Pass By the Trolls
The scene fell into a deathly silence.
The soldiers on the ground trembled and cried out in pain.
Claremont looked in disbelief at the corpses of the two soldiers who had fallen to the ground. After they had set off from the Elf Kingdom, they had been troubled by the ent, and they had also been attacked by the black elf vagabonds. However, there had never been any cases of casualties. Devitt had been severely injured before, and he had been saved from the grasp of the Grim Reaper.
And without anyone noticing, the two soldiers had died in an ordinary accident.
In front of the withering of life, Claremont took a deep breath, feeling as if his heart had been chilled to the bottom of his heart.
In the camp, the Caradia soldiers and the elven soldiers had also gathered at the entrance of the camp. After understanding the current situation, their faces were all solemn.
"Soldiers can not leave the camp without permission. This is the first day of the formation of the team, I told you, right?" Devitt wiped away his tears and gnashed his teeth at the soldiers who had made mistakes.
"We were wrong, Captain Devitt." The soldiers knelt on the ground and confessed to Devitt.
"I won't punish you this time. Bury your comrades properly. Remember to bring their ashes and luggage with you tomorrow. No matter what, you must bring the things they left back to Drondheim. Leave your apologies until then," Devitt said coldly.
Abel walked in front of all the soldiers, he said, "Please take a good look at your current position. This world has always been cruel. Next time if there are soldiers who made such mistakes, I hope you can take off your armor and leave this team."
Claremont's eyes turned cold. He glanced at the soldiers who had admitted their mistakes and left.
After the three leaders left, the soldiers swarmed to the soldiers who had returned from the stream.
That night, the soldiers lit a fire near the military camp and cremated the two soldiers who had passed away.
Devitt and the others did not arrive. The funeral ceremony only ended late at night.
Many soldiers shed tears of heartache.
Early the next morning, the forty-eight scouts set off early in a sorrowful atmosphere.
The soldiers who were with the sacrificed soldiers had white scarves tied around their arms.
They looked at each other and silently advanced for an hour. The group finally reached the end of the transition zone.
They could roughly see the scenery of the valley.
A rapid river flowed through the valley. Today, the scouts would follow the direction of the river and pass through the valley.
The valley was green. Even in autumn, the plants by the roadside still grew and flourished.
The group stopped and waited for the leader to take the next step.
"General Abel, what's the next step?" The soldier behind Abel stepped forward and asked.
Abel often held a map in his hand. After checking the surrounding terrain, he looked at the map and said, "Although we are walking by the stream, we should still move forward under the cover of the forest. It will be more concealed."
After saying this, Abel commanded everyone to move towards the area covered by the forest.
"Will the trolls suddenly appear?" a soldier asked worriedly.
"Usually, they won't. The places they choose to live in are mostly a few hundred meters higher than where we are now. It's just that we don't know how far their range of activity will expand during the day. Generally speaking, it's better to be more vigilant," Abel explained to the soldier as he observed the wind and grass around him.
"Alright then," the soldier nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva and replied.
All the soldiers behind Abel slowed down their footsteps and carefully advanced through the mountain ridges.
The air in the forest was still rather good. The Caradia soldiers stooped down and sneaked into the forest until noon, but no one breathed heavily or anything. The elves were even more at ease when they arrived at this place, following Abel in a carefree manner.
Walking at the end of the line, Claremont noticed that Devitt's expression was not good.
He asked worriedly, "Captain Devitt, are you not feeling well?"
"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well last night," Devitt shook his head and replied. His face was still a little pale.
"Is it because of the two soldiers?" Claremont lowered his eyes and asked.
"… Yes." Devitt forced a smile and continued, "I was thinking that if I handled things more carefully and be more curious in wanting to know the reason why no one was interested in that stream, maybe the two soldiers wouldn't die."
"But, that situation might also change and you would have died in their place." Claremont said calmly, "I don't think there's any difference?"
"Is that so…" Devitt closed his eyes slightly and sighed.
"Life and death are not decided by us. I only understood this yesterday." Claremont sighed and said, "Captain Devitt, I hope you can reduce your burden."
Devitt bit his lower lip and didn't respond.
"It seems that we really don't have to meet the trolls today," a soldier said happily.
It was already afternoon. Everyone was already looking at the end of the mountain road.
"After walking the first part of the road, we will be able to walk out of the jungle trolls' territory," Abel also said happily.
"That's great!" the soldiers cheered in a low voice.
Everyone secretly encouraged themselves and sped up. They wanted to walk out of this place as soon as possible.
At this moment, two 200-pound jungle trolls were standing halfway up the mountain and looking at them.
The skin of the jungle trolls was purple, and there were tiny hairs on the surface of their skin.
These two had decent figures. Their waists were thin and their shoulders were wide. The bulging muscles between their arms emitted a dazzling luster.
"Lord Woking, are we really going to let them go?" a troll asked the other troll in front of him.
"Mm. Could it be that you're interested in them?" Woking raised his eyes and asked.
"No, no. I've been waiting on this island for a long time. I've long lost the habit of cannibalism," the troll replied. "It's just that we've never…"
"I heard that this group of people is here to investigate the reason why the Dwarfs who used to live near the volcano disappeared." Woking retracted his gaze from the scouts and interrupted the other troll, he said, "They're just passing by. On my account, let them walk over."
"Yes," the troll replied respectfully. "This group of people should be glad that they met the Lord when you were on the island to investigate."
"Dollond, the matters on this island have always been left to you to handle. It's been hard on you." Woking did not continue to discuss the matter of the scouts. He patted the troll's shoulder and consoled him.
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Chapter 718: A Wolf Pack That Was Easily Dealt With
"It's not hard at all." The troll named Dollond shook his head and said with a smile, "Compared to Lord Woking, who is responsible for the entire Dark Spear Clan, this little task of mine is nothing."
"You've done quite well," Woking said flatly and praised.
"Lord Woking's inspection of the island this year is a little early. How long are you planning to stay on the island?" Dollond changed the topic and asked.
"I should be leaving tomorrow." Woking lifted his feet and walked up the mountain.
"Why don't you stay on the island for a few more days?" Dollond followed closely behind and said anxiously, "The representatives of the outstanding subordinates haven't met you yet."
"Then call them over when we send them off tomorrow," Woking said casually.
"This is really…"
After walking out of the territory belonging to the trolls in the valley, the scouts were finally able to straighten their backs and see the sun again.
From where they were standing, the Sun had already set on the back of the mountain range. The sky was filled with the golden afterglow.
"Get ready to find a place to camp," Abel ordered.
"Yes!" the soldiers let out an orderly and loud voice.
The Autumn Sun was always falling at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The soldiers' tents were half-built, so they could not see anything clearly. They could only pick up wood and build a few open fire platforms before they went to set up camp.
"Although we are not in the troll's territory right now, the jackalans and wild beasts in this valley can be considered quite dangerous, right?" After a soldier nailed down a wooden stake, he spoke to the soldier who was working beside him.
"Indeed. Now that you mention it, I think I really heard a wolf cry," the soldier replied.
"No way, don't scare me," the soldier who spoke hurriedly picked up the hammer in his hand.
"Haha, it must be to scare you! Even if there really is a wolf, you don't have to be so scared, right?" The soldier stood at the spot and cupped his belly.
"I say, why are you…" the frightened soldier was about to curse something.
"Wolf! Wolf!" a soldier's shout came from afar.
At this time, setting up the military camp was almost completed. Devitt and the others stayed in the tent to collect their clothes. After hearing the shout, they quickly walked out of the camp.
Abel walked in front of the soldier who was shouting and asked, "Where did you see the wolves?"
"At the entrance of the camp, there seemed to be seven or eight wolves," the soldier reported while panting.
"Got it," Abel replied. Then, he walked out of the camp on his own. Just as the soldier had said, seven wild wolves were lying in the forest at the entrance of the camp. Under the illumination of the fire, their pupils refracted a green light.
When the pack of wolves saw Abel appear alone in front of them, they let out a grunting sound from their throats.
Abel did not care. He walked back to the group of soldiers.
"Captain Abel, what do we do now?" a soldier walked forward and asked.
"See if we can lure these wolves away. If not, we can only kill them," Abel replied.
After receiving the answer, the soldier nodded and said to the soldiers behind him, "You, you, you, you, you, follow me."
After watching the soldier lead the six-man team out of the camp, Abel dismissed the soldiers gathered around him.
Claremont and Devitt were a step too late. They passed through the scattered crowd and walked to Abel. "What's wrong?"
"A soldier found a pack of wolves at the entrance of the camp. He has already sent people to deal with it," Abel replied.
"Was the soldier bitten by the wolf?" Devitt asked with concern.
"No, he was just scared," Abel replied. When he asked the soldier, he had also carefully observed him.
"That's good." Devitt heaved a sigh of relief and said.
After half an hour or so.
The soldier who went out to deal with the wolf pack came back with the body of the wolf.
The leading soldier reported to Claremont, "Captain Claremont, we have destroyed all the wolves."
"Well done." Claremont nodded.
"These wolves should be enough for dinner today. I heard that eating wolf meat can keep out the cold and nourish the stomach," a soldier suggested.
"This… you have to ask the soldiers in the logistics department whether they are willing to cook for you," Claremont said hesitantly.
"Go, go, ask them," a soldier in the team said happily.
"Then we will take our leave first, Captain Claremont." The leading soldier bowed to Claremont and said.
"Okay."
Seeing the group of people walking toward the back of the camp, Claremont silently decided in his heart that he would make do with wheat bread for dinner today.
"What are you guys talking about?" The soldier in the kitchen, who was cutting vegetables, couldn't help but ask when he saw a group of soldiers dragging something towards him.
"Today's extra meal," a soldier said happily.
"Look at how fat the meat is," a soldier said as he placed the wild wolf in his hand on the chopping board.
"Okay, okay. You brought so much. Where can we find people to cook for you?" The soldier who was cooking put down his kitchen knife and waved his hand. "One is more like it."
"Sorry to trouble you." the soldiers heard the other party agree and thanked him happily.
Leaving the one on the chopping board, the soldiers dragged the other wild wolves and prepared to throw them outside the camp.
"Throw them further away, don't throw them into the river." The soldier who was cutting vegetables thought of something and hurriedly chased after them. He shouted at the back of the group of people who had left.
"Got it!"
After the group of people had asked Devitt for instructions, they walked out of the military camp and threw the body of the wild wolf in the jungle which was about ten minutes away from the military camp.
Dollond's two subordinates watched the soldiers throw away the body of the wild wolf. They turned around and left.
They walked out of the jungle.
A troll walked closer to the jungle where the bodies of the wolves were piled up and looked at it carefully. He turned around and said to his companion, "Looks like these soldiers are quite powerful."
"What's the big deal? They just defeated a few stray wolves," another troll said disdainfully.
"I'm a little interested in them. Why don't we go and find a few soldiers to practice with," the troll said as he walked closer.
"Lord Dollond's orders are only to keep an eye on them. He specifically told us not to let anyone attack. Do you want to disobey his orders?" the troll said sternly.
"I don't dare. Just take it as a joke." The troll who was reprimanded retracted his relaxed and casual look and lowered his head towards another troll.
"Lord Woking is about to leave this island. You don't want to find an opportunity to show off in front of Lord Woking. Instead, you're looking for people to fight one-on-one. What can you do?" the troll sighed and said, as he admonished the troll beside him, he walked back.
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Chapter 719: The Latest Challenge to Begin
"Why is there so little meat?" The soldiers who went hunting for the wolf pack, who were waiting excitedly for the kitchen to serve the dishes, could not help but complain when they saw the meat soup in their bowls.
"Don't say anymore. The wild wolves that you guys fought over only have this little meat." The soldier who was cooking sighed. "They live in this valley, so they should be having a hard time too."
"Don't snatch it. This piece of meat is mine."
The soldiers had already started to snatch the remaining wolf meat in the bowl.
No one was listening to what the soldier in the kitchen was saying.
The soldier in the kitchen sighed and walked towards Devitt's tent with a plate of food.
"Captain Devitt," the soldier called out softly after walking into the tent.
Devitt, who was lying on the table, raised his body. After seeing the bowl in the soldier's hand, he waved at him and said, "I'm sorry. I didn't notice that it was already dinner time. Sorry to trouble you."
"No problem." The soldier shook his head and walked forward to put the food on another table.
After seeing the soldier put the food on the table, Devitt was about to look away, but he found that the soldier had no intention of retreating. Instead, he stood there hesitantly. So he raised his head and asked, "What's wrong? What's the matter?"
"Well…" the soldier hesitated and said, "Captain Devitt, we're almost out of rations."
"Huh?" Devitt said in surprise, "But we have only set off from Dwarf Town for a few days. How could we run out of the amount we prepared and the supplies we purchased so quickly?"
"When we were purchasing, we were tricked by the dwarf merchants. After we set off, we found out that what they sold us were all scraps that could not be used for cooking." The soldier explained nervously, "In the past few days, we have been using up the food we brought with us. Now, we are almost at the bottom."
"Then, how long can we last with the food we have now?" Devitt rubbed his temples and asked.
"I am not very clear about the situation on the elves' side. On our side, we can only last for… three days." the soldier replied carefully.
"Three days?!"
This number really shocked Devitt.
Three days. He probably wouldn't even be able to walk out of the valley.
"… I understand," Devitt sighed and replied. Then, he asked the soldier to leave.
Devitt walked to the table where the dishes were placed and started to drink the soup one mouthful at a time.
Over the past few days, all sorts of unexpected situations gradually made him haggard.
As he ate, he thought about how to resolve this crisis.
After dinner, Devitt summoned Claremont and Abel. The three of them sat opposite each other in Devitt's tent. Devitt relayed to them the facts that the soldiers had reported to him today.
"Can the two of you think of any good strategies?" Devitt surrendered his hopeful gaze to the two of them.
"Why don't we give some of our rations to the Caradia soldiers as a contingency?" Abel suggested.
The elves only ate one-fifth of what humans ate every day, and they drank even less water.
Under such circumstances, the troops that supported Caradia soldiers should still have some spare food.
"How much food do the elven soldiers have left?" Claremont asked worriedly.
"This… I'm not too sure. We'll know once we get someone to ask." Abel immediately stood up and walked out of the tent to get someone to find the elven logistics soldiers.
Not long after, an elven soldier walked in.
When Devitt saw Abel's questioning, the soldier's nervous expression, the hope in his eyes extinguished by half.
The elves had encountered the same predicament as the Caradia soldiers. The rations could only last for ten days.
"These soldiers who knew about the situation but didn't report should be taught a good lesson," Claremont said angrily.
"The grain of our two teams can only be used for about six days," Abel concluded. His expression was not as clear as before.
"So, should we advance? Or retreat?" Claremont read these words and set his gaze on Devitt.
Devitt lowered his eyes and sat quietly in thought for a while.
He got up and took the map that the dwarf guild had given him from the table and spread it on the ground.
"If we retreat, the food storage will still be enough to support us to return to Dwarf Town," Claremont said as he pointed at the plains on the map.
"If we continue forward, we can only walk to the wilderness outside the valley," Abel added in a deep voice.
"No, we can't go back. It was purely a fluke that we were able to successfully pass through the Troll Valley this time. I don't think they will let off the foreign tribes who have been wandering around the borders of their own territory. Moreover, this trip will take at least half a month. We have to hurry and complete our mission." Devitt carefully examined the map, "We need to change the original route and find a new way out."
"But we don't know anything about the races other than the races around the route," Claremont reminded.
"A map is enough," Devitt insisted.
In the end, the two of them were convinced by Devitt's train of thought.
The three of them took out the piled-up maps and looked through them carefully. Only by taking the route and going there would they be able to provide supplies for their team.
"I found it," Devitt said after twenty minutes.
"Where?" Claremont and Abel came to his side and asked.
"We can cross the river to go to the centaurs' territory." Devitt raised the sheepskin map in his hand and said, "This map indicates that they have a market open to the public."
Abel took the map and looked at it carefully.
"But to go there, not only will we have to cross the river, but it's also very far. It'll take at least eight days to go there." Claremont gestured on the map and said worriedly.
"The food from the hunt should also be used as a part of the resources. Right now, this is the only way we can go," Devitt said.
"Then let's inform the soldiers and let them understand the situation the team is facing now." Claremont and Abel agreed to the plan and then suggested it to Devitt.
"Okay."
When the news reached the group of soldiers, none of them were as dejected as they had imagined. Instead, they started to joke with each other. They pushed each other and said, "It must be because you ate too much or something.".
In Claremont's eyes, this could be considered as his strengths complementing his weaknesses.
The combination of an optimistic attitude and carelessness was a problem that the three new leaders were still trying to figure out how to balance the two. But now that the team had reached this point, Claremont finally put down the requirements for his performance to be perfect. He also gradually understood the words that Derrick had said to Devitt at the banquet before the expedition.
After this night, they would begin a new challenge.
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Chapter 720: Information Obtained From Hunting
Early in the morning, Devitt and the others led the team and set off.
The current season was the time when the river was rushing, so it was not easy to cross the river.
Everyone tied the ropes around each other's waists and put their shoulders on each other as they walked slowly in the river.
The river was about 50 meters wide. In order to maintain their balance, the soldiers walked and stopped in the river. It took them nearly an hour to reach the shore. They had used up a lot of energy during this time.
Abel didn't have time to change, so he ordered everyone to continue walking.
In order to reach the centaurs' area within the estimated time, they had to seize every second.
Devitt and Abel walked at the front side by side. In order to accurately plan out a new route, they each had a map.
"According to this speed of progress, it will take three to four days to walk out of the valley," Abel stared at the map and said.
"Crossing the river today took a lot of effort, and the progress of the soldiers is slow. In the next few days, we will have to speed up," Devitt analyzed.
"Yes," Abel nodded and replied.
In the evening, when the day's journey was about to end, the scouts had already climbed up another mountain ridge. The rapid river was left far behind, not a trace of it could be seen.
"Set up camp and rest," Abel ordered.
The soldiers also heaved a sigh of relief. Their clothes, which had been drenched by the river water, had been dried by the sun during the journey. After trekking without rest for an entire day, it was the greatest happiness to be able to sit down and rest.
"You, you, you, follow me out." Claremont walked in front of a few soldiers who were squatting on the ground and commanded.
"Captain Claremont?" The soldiers immediately stood up and lined up. One of the soldiers looked at Claremont, who was walking towards the entrance of the military camp and asked hesitantly.
"Bring your weapons. We will go hunting now," Claremont said.
"Yes." The three soldiers put their weapons back on their waists and followed Claremont out.
"Claremont brought people out?" Devitt, who was building a tent with the soldiers, said when he saw Claremont and the others leaving.
"Yes. The investigation team will send people out to hunt every day," Abel replied.
"Why did they only bring three people…" Devitt seemed to be a little worried.
"This area is the Behemoth's territory. I reckon that Captain Claremont doesn't want to cause too much trouble and be discovered," Abel speculated. "The wild beasts in the mountains can't possibly hurt them."
"Mm." Devitt nodded.
Without waiting for Claremont and the others to bring back the results of the battle, Abel called the Caradia logistics soldiers to prepare the fire. He looked like he was very confident in Claremont and the others.
After a short while, Claremont and the other three returned with a full load at the entrance of the military camp.
A few soldiers who were patrolling in the camp quickly went forward to receive the prey that the four of them had brought.
"Wow, there are actually deer in the mountains! We can eat deer meat tonight!" a soldier shouted excitedly.
"How was it?" After the soldiers dispersed, Abel walked forward and asked Claremont.
"It was alright."
A hint of fatigue appeared in Claremont's eyes. "We didn't go far."
"Hurry up and change your clothes. Have a good rest."
Abel originally wanted to ask more about the terrain in the mountains, but seeing that Claremont was too tired, he instructed him, "Aren't we still on night duty tonight?"
"During dinner, a bowl of porridge is enough for me. Can you help me inform the kitchen?" Claremont said as he exhaled.
"Okay," Abel replied.
Claremont nodded, then turned around and walked into his tent.
After returning to his tent, he immediately walked to the front of the bed, took off his coat, and wiped his face with a towel dipped in water. He laid down on the bed.
Perhaps it was because he had exhausted all his strength after a whole day of hard work. He didn't even have the energy left to dream.
Claremont then fell into a deep sleep until late at night.
When he woke up, there was a bowl of porridge on the table in front of the bed that was no longer very hot.
After having this simple dinner, Claremont put on his clothes and walked out of the tent to hand over the shift with Abel.
"I see that you are much better." Abel handed the token in his hand to Claremont and said.
"That's how my constitution is. I'll feel stronger after a good night's sleep," Claremont said with a smile.
"I see."Abel nodded. "Did anything special happen today?"
"No." Claremont thought for a while and replied, "The places we passed by were very quiet. It didn't seem like there were any nomads from other races passing by."
"Didn't the map say that there was a Behemoth nearby?" Abel asked suspiciously.
"Even if there is a Behemoth, we aren't his target." Claremont thought of a Behemoth's appearance recorded in the history books and shook his head as he spoke to Abel.
"Have you seen a Behemoth before?" Abel knew almost nothing about Behemoths other than the name and portrait on the map. After listening to Claremont's comment, he couldn't help but ask.
"No, I've only heard of their legends," Claremont introduced. "I heard that Behemoths are huge and can eat thousands of mountains in a single meal. Time will also become chaotic because of their actions. When God created the world, he only created one Behemoth."
"Such a magical creature actually lives on this small island." Abel was dumbstruck.
"Actually, to be honest, I don't really believe it either." Claremont pondered.
"The territory of these mountains isn't occupied by any races. It seems that everyone is afraid of the existence of the Behemoth," Abel said.
"Mm."
Abel and Claremont did not chat for long before they went back to rest.
Claremont led the soldiers to patrol inside and outside the camp. It was not until four o'clock in the morning that he handed over the task in his hand to someone else. He returned to the camp and sat down to rest.
In another two hours, the soldiers were going to get up.
Claremont did not have any thoughts of sleeping at the moment. Perhaps the rest from yesterday had made up for his entire day's sleep.
Lying in front of the desk, he looked at the map in his hand.
He calculated the time of departure from the Elf Kingdom, or rather, from Drondheim.
At five o'clock in the morning, the rain in the valley hit the top of the tent, making "pitter-patter" sounds.
Like a hypnotic clock, Claremont felt a wave of tiredness welling up in his body.
In another hour, their army would set out from the autumn rain curtain in the valley, beginning a brand new day's journey.
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Read Lord of the Oasis - Chapter 721 - The Rain in the Autumn Valley online free - Novelfull
Chapter 721: The Rain in the Autumn Valley
"Pitter — Pitter –"
The rain was getting heavier.
The soldiers who poked their heads out of the tents couldn't help but frown.
This was the first time they were prepared to travel on the road when it was raining. However, for the autumn valley, this kind of situation was quite normal.
"It really is 'the house leaks rain every night'. It seems that the heavens want us to stay in this valley for a while longer," Abel said to the rain.
"But there's nothing to see in this valley. What are we going to do here?" Claremont reached out to catch the rain and said.
"This bit of rain isn't enough to make us stop," Devitt said as he looked at the distant valley.
Abel crossed his arms and said, "I didn't feel much when I walked into the valley. After a shower of rain, the temperature has indeed dropped quite a bit."
"Even the elves feel cold," Claremont said, shaking his head.
"Let's set off after breakfast." Devitt looked at the sky and left the small circle of the three people with his hands behind his back.
Because the rain didn't seem to have stopped, the soldiers could only pack up their food and eat their breakfast in their tents.
"The rain is getting smaller," Abel said, pointing to the sky.
"Indeed," Claremont said, glancing at the dark clouds that were gradually dispersing.
After breakfast, everyone carried the luggage they had packed the night before and gathered in the open space of the camp.
"Since everyone has rested well, put on your energy and hurry on your way. It is common for rain to fall in this valley. Don't think that you can slack off just because it is raining. If you can't reach the designated place today, don't think about stopping to rest," Devitt reprimanded.
"Yes!"
On the way, everyone stuck their trouser legs into their boots to prevent rain from dripping in.
As they advanced on the muddy mountain road, the soldiers' speed was not affected at all.
"Everyone, you've worked hard. Rest for ten minutes."
Because the soldiers' enthusiasm was much stronger than they had imagined. When Devitt passed by a cave that could take shelter from the rain, he ordered everyone to stop and rest.
There was a lot of dust at the entrance of the cave, and there were even spider webs.
"Take shelter from the rain inside this cave." Devitt looked at the pitch-black cave and ordered the other soldiers.
Everyone stood under the rock wall and used towels to wipe the parts of their necks that were wet from the rain.
Ten minutes passed quickly. Devitt continued to lead the march. After leaving the vicinity of the cave, they heard the roar of a bear coming from behind them.
"Don't worry about it. Let's keep moving," Devitt replied calmly when the soldiers cast inquisitive glances at him.
Until noon, raindrops were still falling from the sky.
As the sun was now high in the sky, the fog in the forest became heavier.
Devitt retreated from the lead position and walked with Claremont at the back of the group.
Abel was in charge of taking his place.
The Caradia soldiers rarely saw such a scene in the desert. Their expressions became a little twisted.
"You don't like this?" Abel looked back in amusement.
"Haha, it's my first time seeing it. I'm a little at a loss," a soldier replied.
"I do like this kind of environment." Abel looked at the fog that was attached to his body and said, "But if you find it inconvenient, just let them disappear."
After saying this, Abel raised his right hand, which was clenched into a fist, and his five fingers suddenly opened.
The fog that was floating in the forest suddenly turned into water droplets and fell to the ground.
"Crackle, crackle…" it was even clearer than the sound of the rain in the early morning.
In the eyes of the Caradia soldiers, their field of vision suddenly became clear.
"Wow!" the soldiers exclaimed.
"It's quite powerful." Claremont and Devitt looked at each other and smiled as they said.
"For the water elves, this kind of terrain should be unique," Devitt also commented.
After casting the spell, Abel took a deep breath. He looked at his palm, spiritual power was constantly flowing out of it.
Without the obstruction of their vision, the group walked out of the forest after half an hour.
"Watch your step. Poisonous snakes will appear here," Abel reminded them.
Hearing this, the soldiers became even more cautious.
Although there was no snake venom that elven healing spells could not cure, no one wanted to slow down the entire group's journey because of themselves.
Seeing that the sun was already setting, Claremont frowned and said to Devitt, "The sun is setting faster and faster. I don't know if we can still cover a few miles in a day in winter."
"Hmm." Devitt also fell into hard work.
"Why don't we count the time at night?" Claremont said hesitantly.
"On this small island, the situation after the sky turns dark is too dangerous for us," Devitt voiced his concerns. "Moreover, if we advance openly, it will easily attract the attention of other races."
"That makes sense…" Claremont thought for a while in his mind, but he still couldn't find a suitable method.
"We're here."
Before the sunset, Abel led the soldiers to the location marked on the map.
After praising the soldiers' performance. Abel led a few soldiers out to hunt for prey.
"It just rained. I don't think any animals will come out to wander around," Claremont said.
"It depends on luck. We can't be lucky all the time," Devitt said. "If the hunt doesn't produce any results, we can only use the last of our remaining food."
An hour later, the construction of the camp was completed. Everyone was anxiously waiting for the return of the hunting team.
At this time, Abel led the soldiers back to the camp gate with a dejected expression.
He was holding a bulging bag in his hand.
"How was it?" Claremont mustered up his courage and walked forward to ask.
"I didn't find any. I only found some fruits in the forest over there," Abel said regretfully.
After opening the bag in his hand, he saw a pile of yellow fruits.
"It's not bad to have fruits. It's too extravagant to eat meat every day," Devitt also walked up and comforted him.
Abel handed the whole bag of fruits to the soldiers in the kitchen. He said dejectedly, "The soldiers have been walking for a whole day. They should eat something hot."
"Don't we still have some rice? It's not bad to cook porridge with these fruits," Claremont said.
"Yes, it would be good to cook wheat bread with this porridge," Devitt said with a smile.
"Yes," Abel sighed and replied.
After the soldiers saw the results of the hunt, although they were a little disappointed, they were not too depressed. They all walked to the side of the soldier in the kitchen and watched him cook.
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Chapter 722: The Next Stage of the Stage
"With everyone crowded here, I can't cook dinner for you right away," the soldier behind the kitchen said in distress.
"Uh… we're just here to see if there's anything we can help with," a soldier in the crowd explained in embarrassment.
"Then help me taste whether this fruit is poisonous," the soldier behind the kitchen said as he picked up a fruit from the chopping board.
The soldiers behind him all took a step back.
"Help me keep an eye on the fire." The soldier shook his head helplessly. He picked up the fruit himself and went to look for Captain Abel. He asked, "Captain Abel, this fruit is fine, right?"
Abel turned his head to look at him and nodded. "Yes, we've all tried. But we still have to peel off the skin and the core of the fruit."
"Okay. Thank you." The soldier in the kitchen was relieved.
Under everyone's expectations, the homemade fruit porridge was finally ready. Everyone picked up their lunch boxes and lined up at the porridge-making place.
The soldiers in the kitchen who had finished their dinner earlier served each soldier a bowl of porridge and then handed them a piece of wheat cake.
The air after the rain was so fresh that it made one's heart and lungs feel refreshed. The soldiers all chose to have dinner together in the open space of the camp and started chatting.
"Sure enough, the happiest moment of the day is now," Austin said with a smile after drinking a mouthful of hot porridge.
"The last few days' dinners have been porridge and the like. I thought it would be hard to get used to it. I got used to it unconsciously," a soldier said as he dipped the wheat cake into the porridge.
"I think so too. I don't even feel that tired when I'm marching in the mountains," another soldier said.
"Really?" Austin was surprised. "I also want to get used to the rhythm of the march as soon as possible."
"How did you do it?" a soldier asked the soldier just now.
"I'm not sure. Anyway, I don't think about anything during the march. If I stare at General Abel's back and follow him, I won't feel tired easily," the soldier who was asked replied.
"General Abel is really amazing. Not only is he so strong, but he can also make people follow him without worry," the soldier who asked sighed.
"When General Abel used that spell today, I was completely stunned," a soldier exclaimed.
Abel's spell had indeed left a deep impression on everyone.
"Me too. The world of magic is really wonderful. Let me reincarnate as a mage in my next life," a soldier pleaded.
"Even if you reincarnate as a mage, you won't become as strong as General Abel," Austin couldn't help but complain.
The dinner ended noisily under everyone's frolicking.
The tent was built on the wet ground, and there was always a damp temperature in the room.
Therefore, that night, the logistics provided lighting for the tents. All the kerosene lamps were replaced with candles.
"Can candles remove moisture? How did you know?" Devitt asked the soldier who had brought the candles.
"My own family used to sell rice, and the rice warehouse was usually filled with candles. I learned this trick from my father," the soldier replied.
"It came in handy." Devitt nodded and praised.
"But the gas from the candles may not smell good. Captain Devitt, you must remember to keep the camp well ventilated," the soldier reminded him before he left.
"Okay, got it." Devitt nodded.
After a night of peace, the next morning, the soldiers got up early as usual.
The breakfast table was served with juice made from the fruits they obtained last night.
Devitt looked at the green juice in the cup and said with a smile, "The soldiers in the kitchen are really hard-working. Looking at this, I thought we were in the canteen of the military camp in Drondheim."
After drinking a mouthful of sweet and sour juice, the soldiers became energetic.
However, each of them could only get one cup. If they drank it up, it would be gone.
"At this rate, if we are attacked on the road, we must protect the soldiers who do this well," Claremont also joked.
After eating the carefully prepared breakfast, the soldiers of the scouts' team started a new day's journey with vigor.
"We have to leave the valley today, right?" Devitt said as he walked quickly.
"It should be fine." Abel made a mark on the map and estimated. "After crossing the grassland in front, we can walk out of the border of this valley."
"The soldiers are in a good condition now," Devitt said as he looked at the soldiers behind him.
"The mountains we need to cross next won't be as easy as before," said Abel, looking at the map. "Besides, it's not easy to find a place to rest in the forest."
"Let's take it one step at a time," said Devitt.
While the scouts were advancing smoothly, a letter sent from the island station to Drondheim was delivered to Kant.
"The situation at the island station seems a little tense." Kant read the contents of the letter and muttered to himself, "I wonder what the Elf Kingdom will do."
In the letter, Raphael described the situation of Devitt and the others set off from the top of the mountain, as well as the predicament the elven soldiers at the station were in.
Bunduk just happened to walk into the hall.
Kant said to Bunduk, "It seems that the soldiers sent by the elves to the station are being oppressed by the local forces."
"How can this be? How can someone dare to offend the elves so openly?" Bunduk was slightly surprised after reading the entire letter.
"The situation on the island is not quite the same as on the ordinary mainland. The people who live on the island are originally a group of vicious wanderers who have been ostracized by their own race," Kant explained.
"According to the letter, these elven soldiers are hidden deep in the mountains, and there is a risk of being discovered at all times. What should we do?" Bunduk said worriedly.
"The elven soldiers at the station seem to be thinking of waiting for the scouts' team to complete their mission and take a boat back to the Elf Kingdom with them," Kant stated.
"That would have to wait until the beginning of next year. Can they hide for that long?" Bunduk asked.
"Let's see what the Elf Kingdom is planning to do. If they plan to send troops, we have to make a move," Kant said calmly.
"Yes." Bunduk nodded.
"What are you here for today?" Kant looked up and asked.
"The summary report for this month's military camp." Bunduk bowed and walked forward, he handed the document in his hand to the desk. "In addition, Derrick and the others left for Durandal today. They couldn't bid you farewell, so they asked me to report to Your Highness on his behalf."
"Is the holiday over so soon?" Kant turned his head and asked.
"They said that Durandal's canal project is about to begin," Bunduk replied. "So…"
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Chapter 723: Meeting With the Centaurs
"He is indeed very concerned about the matter of Durandal," Kant said. "It's just that this doesn't seem like what a commander should be like."
Upon hearing Kant's comment, Bunduk's entire body tensed up. He nervously explained, "Derrick is the type of person who will take full responsibility for the mission given to him. This is pretty good, right?"
Kant smiled and asked, "When he returned from his vacation in Drondheim, did the two of you talk in private? How did he get along with Adonis?"
"We did." Bunduk nodded and answered, "I didn't hear much about Adonis. He only said that his work in Drondheim was quite smooth."
Returning from Durandal from his vacation, Bunduk took two days off to accompany him to visit Drondheim, eat, and chat in the tavern.
"I guessed it. Derrick is rather reticent in front of others," Kant said.
"Well, not really. He's more of an easygoing type," Bunduk said after some thought.
He tried his best to protect Derrick's image in Kant's mind.
"Among the scouts sent to the island this time, the soldiers responsible for helping Devitt manage the soldiers are Derrick's old subordinates. "I heard that when they passed by Durandal, Derrick chatted with them quite a bit," Kant said.
"C-C-Clare-mont? I can remember his name. He does have a good relationship with Derrick," Bunduk replied. "This person has a personality similar to Derrick's, but he's younger. When he was in the military camp, he was often taken care of by others, making him appear more childish. I wonder how this trip will turn out."
"Both Derrick and you have a good comment on him." Kant nodded and said, "When the Scout Army returns, let me see how this soldier is doing."
Bunduk sensed the ominous atmosphere and said hesitantly, "Your Highness Kant, are you thinking of…"
"If there are really good talents left behind in the army, we should promote them and give them confidence," Kant said of his plan.
Bunduk widened his eyes and hurriedly excused himself, retreating from the hall.
Kant looked at his departing figure and sighed. He admitted that Derrick was indeed a smart person. He maintained a harmonious relationship with the people around him, and he would be satisfied with anything given to him, however, one day, this tepid attitude would become a barrier in front of him. He would have to think of a way to shatter it.
Derrick was a person who could achieve great results even if he worked alone. What Kant cared about was whether Derrick could break through the thick walls in his heart and lead everyone forward from his position as the leader. If he couldn't, it also proved that he wasn't suitable for his current position. Kant should remove Derrick in time and replace him with a new character.
And Bunduk was the button that Kant had set in his heart to change the structure of Derrick's life.
When Bunduk returned to the military camp, he immediately wrote a letter to Durandal about everything he had heard today, as well as his thoughts.
I mustn't let Lord Kant replace Derrick, Bunduk muttered in his heart.
"Eh? Was it snowing last night?"
Early in the morning, a scout soldier walked to the fence of the camp and asked as he looked at the frost on the wooden stake.
"How is that possible? It's only the end of November now." A soldier yawned and said from the side, "But it's really quite cold. I have to add a thicker piece of clothing to my tent."
It had been three days since the scouts' team had climbed up the forest where their target was.
This mountain was harder to climb than they had imagined, and it covered a huge area.
The soldiers had gradually become familiar with the taste of camping in the forest.
However, as the elevation of the mountain road increased, the temperature also dropped a lot.
"Do centaurs live at such a high place?"A soldier hid in the grass and drank the leftover meat soup from yesterday, looking up at the mountain.
"Fortunately, we're almost there. The first food of the day is the leftovers from the night before. This is too sad," a soldier wailed.
"Gather!"
Abel's voice called the two people squatting in the grass back to the center of the camp.
"Everyone, we're almost at the location of the centaur market. In order to arrive as soon as possible, please follow me and set off now," Abel said with joy.
After running around for days, this moment had finally arrived.
The ground was a little slippery due to the frost. Everyone was climbing carefully on the mountain road.
"Look! Here!"
A soldier pointed at the ground and shouted at the people around him.
The soldiers looked in the direction he pointed. There was a dent in the soil where the horse's hooves had stepped on.
"There really are centaurs here," the soldiers exclaimed.
After climbing for a few hours on the narrow mountain path, the sight of the soldiers in the front row suddenly widened.
"It seems that the area of this mountain is indeed extraordinary. It actually has such a vast flat land," Claremont said in surprise.
After carefully comparing the vegetation on the flat land with the trees at the foot of the mountain, Devitt concluded, "This should be the place we've been looking for."
"But there's nothing here but grass," Claremont said as he surveyed his surroundings.
Abel looked towards the other end of the plain. After not finding any buildings, he felt a strange feeling in his heart.
"Keep moving forward," Abel ordered.
The soldiers moved forward slowly on the flat ground.
"Da da da da da!"
The sound of horse hooves stepping on grass could be heard.
Devitt looked around and found several armored centaur warriors hiding behind the forest.
"Stop!" Devitt ordered.
Everyone was shocked. After looking around, some sharp-eyed people noticed the centaur warriors and told each other about it.
Devitt walked out of the formation of the soldiers and took off his armor and weapons, placing them on the grass. He said loudly to the centaur soldiers hiding in the dark, "We only heard about the existence of Claude Market and came here to purchase goods. We have no intention of invading the Centaur's territory."
After Devitt's words, the scene fell silent for a while.
A Centaur soldier stepped through the grass and walked towards Devitt.
This was the first time Devitt had seen a centaur. The centaur's muscles were as strong as described in the epic portrait. The lower half of the body had four limbs that looked like they could crush the ground.
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Chapter 724: A Forest With a Different World
"Who introduced you?" The tall Centaur soldier asked in a magnetic voice.
"We found it ourselves," Devitt said hesitantly.
After hearing this answer, the Centaur closed his eyes and said, "The market is closed. You shouldn't be here now." His tone was very arrogant, with a hint of threat.
Devitt's mouth was half-open, not knowing what to do. A voice came from behind.
"Dwarf, it was the dwarf who introduced us. This map was also sold to us by the dwarfs." Claremont walked to Devitt's side and urged the Centaur warrior to stay.
The Centaur warrior who was about to turn around and leave stopped. He used the handle of his sword to pick up the map in Claremont's hand. He held it and looked at it for a while before asking, "What is the name of the person who introduced you?"
"Madoran," Claremont replied with a face full of certainty.
Actually, this was just the name of a person in charge that he saw on the notice board in the Guild Hall.
However, if he did not answer the centaur warrior's question earnestly at this moment…
The Caradia soldiers behind him would have no way out.
When the centaur warrior heard this name, a trace of shock appeared in his eyes.
The other centaur soldiers who were standing in the hidden areas also let out a surprised exclamation.
"So it's a guest arranged by Lord Madoran. Follow me." The Centaur soldier didn't continue to ask. Instead, he called for the scouts to follow behind him.
Devitt gave a signal to all the soldiers, telling them to quickly follow.
The leading Centaur soldier was running very fast on the grassland. All the scouts had to sprint to catch up with him.
"Is this really okay?" Abel looked at the other Centaur soldiers behind them and asked Claremont.
"Since we have chosen this path, we can only give it our all," Claremont replied.
The elves' stamina could not keep up with the galloping troops, so they could only cast spells to allow themselves to fly in the sky.
"Hoho." the centaurs at the back of the formation cheered.
It was rare for elves to appear on this island.
After about ten minutes, the centaur soldiers leading the team slowed down. Finally, they stopped in front of a small slope.
The Caradia soldiers and the elven soldiers also stood in front of the slope.
"What is this place?" Devitt asked.
"The entrance to the market." The centaur soldier answered, "But you have to put your weapons here before you can go in."
Hearing this, the Caradia soldiers looked at each other. In the end, they all looked at the three leaders.
"Alright." Devitt and Claremont nodded in agreement and removed their weapons from their waists.
Abel stared into the eyes of the Centaur soldiers. The magic spells that the elves were good at could not be removed.
After seeing the actions of the two captains, the soldiers also threw their weapons on the ground.
"That's enough." The Centaur soldiers nodded at the scouts.
Then, he walked to the slope and raised his right front hoof.
"Rumble!" The rock wall shook violently and a secret door appeared in front of everyone.
"Is this a spell?" a Caradia soldier asked in surprise.
"Please come in." After the dust settled, the Centaur soldier gestured for the scouts to come in.
Devitt displayed his imposing manner and walked forward to open the door of the secret door.
Different from the dark tunnel that was illuminated by bright flames, colorful rays of light flowed out from the tunnel. It made the entire road look very dreamy.
"It's so wide." Devitt walked into the door and looked at the surrounding space.
"If you guys want to go in too, hurry up and move," the Centaur warrior said.
At this moment, Devitt walked out of the door and said to the scout soldiers who were waiting for him, "There's no problem inside. Let's go."
At this point, the scout soldiers finally relaxed and carefully stepped into the secret door.
"Ah!" When the troop of soldiers had almost walked into the secret door, a scream came from the end of the line.
"What's wrong?" The Caradia soldiers and the elven soldiers all looked back in panic.
The body of a Caradia soldier whose upper body was separated from his lower body fell at the door. Claremont, who was in charge of holding the line, stood there with his pupils dilated. Warm blood splashed on his face.
The Centaur soldier guarding the secret passage walked over with a cold expression. He used the hilt of his knife to lift the coat of the fallen soldier.
"Clang –" a dagger fell out.
"If you don't follow the rules, you will be punished like this," the Centaur warned. As he spoke, he raised his hoofs high and prepared to stomp on the corpse.
"Bang." Before the Centaur soldier's foot landed on the ground, the Caradia soldier's corpse was teleported into the hands of the elven soldier.
Abel stepped forward and said, "The punishment is almost over, right?"
There was a deadly threat hidden in his eyes.
"That's fine too," the Centaur soldier said with a fake smile.
"Bang…" the secret door was closed by the Centaur soldier.
A voice came from outside the door. "After your transaction is over, someone will send you out."
"Fullock is…" a soldier said in the silence.
"Dead," Abel said.
"We can only leave him here. Let's continue forward," Devitt said.
To be honest, Fullock's actions were not rated high in everyone's heart.
What could he do with a dagger? If he really encountered a dangerous situation, he might not even be able to defend himself.
If they came to someone else's estate, they had to follow the rules of others, and Fullock almost killed everyone.
It was really a foolish and selfish performance.
However, because he was a comrade who had been traveling with them for many days, Devitt and the others did not reveal their inner emotions on the surface.
After receiving Devitt's order, the Caradia soldiers placed Fullock's body against the wall.
After mourning for him for thirty seconds, everyone continued to move towards the depths of the secret passage.
"Where did these distinguished guests come from? Bringing me a business deal." A short old man blocked in front of everyone.
Claremont became alert, raised his fist, and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm an ordinary businessman. My name isn't important." The old man narrowed his eyes and smiled. "This time, the guest is human. Oh! and an elf! Rare guest, rare guest."
"We don't have any business with you!" Claremont said sternly. In his opinion, this old man was definitely a shady person.
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Chapter 725: The Old Man in Charge of Guarding the Door
"How can that be? When you entered the secret passage, I was watching you the whole time." The smile on the old man's lips widened. "Look, isn't that comrade of yours being abandoned on the spot by you?"
"When we come out of the market, we will definitely come and take him away. What does this have to do with you?" Devitt said with a dissatisfied look.
It was really displeasing to hear someone mention a soldier who had just lost his life so frivolously.
"I'm worried that before you guys come back, your comrades' corpses will be gone. After all, Rainbow likes to eat such fresh flesh and blood the most." The old man raised his hand and pointed at the wall.
"Ahhhh!" a few soldiers cried out in alarm.
The protruding parts of the wall were emitting multicolored light. Devitt and the others originally thought that they were colorful stones that were installed on the wall for illumination. However, after the soldiers came closer and looked carefully, they actually found scales densely covered on them and shallow transparent blood vessels.
There was actually a giant snake hidden in the four walls of this secret passage.
Claremont felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
"Don't be nervous. I'm just here to remind you." The old man maintained the smile on his face and continued, "I've watched the door here for many years. I have to find a way to make a living."
Devitt glanced at the corpse of Fullock not far behind him. He asked the old man, "How much is this business of yours?"
"10 gold coins." The old man smiled and gestured with his index finger.
"10 gold coins!" a cry of surprise came from the group of warriors.
"10 gold coins, we can give it to you. However, not only do you have to help us keep the corpse of this soldier, but you also have to tell us the situation of the road ahead," Devitt said word by word.
He was already aware of the strangeness of this market controlled by the Centaurs. In order to safely escape from it, he had to seize the opportunity to ask for information at the beginning.
"Sure." The old man said with interest, "However, the people who stay in this market are all good people who follow the rules. What would you like to know?"
"Who is the organizer of this market?" Devitt asked.
"Of course, it is organized by the top forces of all the races on the island." The old man smiled, "You will know when you go in and take a look. The forces of one race can not support the business transportation of this market."
"What can we get from this market?" Claremont threw out another question.
The old man paused for a moment and said, "As long as there's something you want to buy, it will be sold in this market."
"Are there any special rules in this market?" Devitt thought for a moment and asked the last question.
The old man smiled lightly and said, "This market is a kaleidoscope. There are different rules for different people. If you want me to tell you in detail, then forget it."
After receiving the old man's reply, Devitt stood still for a while. Finally, he took out ten shiny gold coins from his bosom. He sprinkled them in the old man's hand.
"Hehe." The old man shook the gold coins in his hand twice. After giving Devitt a deep look, he disappeared in front of everyone.
"Let's continue forward," Devitt ordered.
This secret passage was not as long as they had imagined. After a while, Devitt and the others stood in front of another door at the end of the secret passage.
"Click…" Devitt turned the lock of the door solemnly.
All kinds of noises surged toward the people standing at the door like a tide.
The flowing light on the colorful snake in the secret passage also disappeared at this moment.
"What is this place?" a soldier couldn't help but ask as he looked back and forth.
The secret passage was pitch-black, and what was displayed in front of them was the air that was as large as a workshop, illuminated by the dark blue light.
The room seemed to be filled with hazy smoke.
Although he felt that people were walking in front of him, he couldn't see anyone's face clearly.
"How strange," Abel said.
When he tried to cast a spell to remove the smoke in front of him, he found that he could not see anything around him.
The white smoke was like the bricks and soil under his feet. It was an existence that was fixed in this room.
"I can't see the way clearly at all," Claremont said with a frown.
"Let's go," Devitt said.
Everyone could only follow the figure of the person in front of them as they groped their way forward, blending into the crowd.
PA!
An ear-piercing sound of whipping came from the right side of the group.
The soldiers looked over and saw a tiger-skinned girl with a collar around her neck kneeling on the ground. In front of her was a middle-aged man in uniform who was holding a whip.
The man was beating the girl who was lying on the ground as he yelled at the outside.
"Disgusting…" Claremont saw the scene and turned his head away.
As the team moved forward, the scouts noticed more naked boys and girls who were locked in the nutrition cabin. Many of them were injured.
Devitt sighed and said with patience, "Let's go out as soon as we find a place to supply food."
"Actually, I really want to know if there's a shop that provides food," Claremont said with a complicated expression as he rubbed his temples.
The two of them walked silently for a while. They saw a shop on the street in their field of vision. There was a butcher shop that had cut meat all over the chopping board at the entrance.
"Is that a butcher shop?" Claremont asked in surprise.
"It should be." Devitt looked at the shop, hope burning in his eyes.
Claremont didn't say anything. He walked directly to the door of the shop. He asked, "Hello, is this a butcher shop?"
"Yes." A middle-aged man covered in grease put on the straps of his work clothes and walked over to answer.
Even though there was only a chopping board less than a meter wide in front of the two of them, Claremont still couldn't see the face of the butcher shop owner clearly.
Putting down his doubts, Claremont smiled and continued to ask, "We want to buy some meat. May I ask what kind of animals do you sell here?"
"Animals? We don't usually catch those. The meat in front of you is fresh elven thigh meat," the butcher replied. "If you want to buy low-grade meat like animals, you have to go a little further."
When Claremont heard the butcher's first words, his brain hadn't reacted yet. His body reacted first, and his stomach churned.
"Got it. Thank you." Claremont covered his mouth and nodded, then left the door.
When he was about to leave this time, Claremont realized that there were all kinds of names marked on the meat board.
After seeing the human nameplate, Claremont took even bigger steps.
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Chapter 726: Inexplicable Encounter
"How was it?" Asked Devitt as he looked at Claremont, who had retreated from the shop.
"…" In order to prevent himself from vomiting because of the scene he had just seen, Claremont had been covering his mouth the whole time. When Devitt asked him a question, he shook his head violently.
After seeing Claremont in this state, Devitt had a rough idea of what was going on. He didn't say anything and continued to lead the group forward.
"We don't need anyone we met at the beginning." After recovering, Claremont relayed the conversation between the butcher and himself to Devitt.
"Let's continue forward. We should be able to find them," Devitt replied.
The scouts had never walked for so long in an enclosed space. After half an hour, they finally found a normal shop selling firewood, rice, oil, and salt by the street.
There were not many people in the shop. After browsing through the goods on the goods column, Abel walked to the checkout counter and asked, "Boss, where did you get the goods from?"
"We shipped them directly from overseas. The quality is really good," replied the twenty-year-old young man sitting on the wooden stool.
"Okay, then we'll buy more goods from you. Please give us a discount," Abel discussed.
"Okay." The young man glanced outside the shop, then walked to the room behind him and brought out a scale.
Abel called the Caradia soldiers and elves in charge to the kitchen in the shop to pick up the goods.
"You all look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?" The young man said as he moved the goods.
"Yes. I was passing by," Abel answered simply.
"Then thank you for taking care of my business." The young man smiled and bowed.
"No problem." Abel looked at the young man's friendly attitude and said to him, "We also searched for a long time before we found this place."
"Do you want to continue shopping later?" The young man asked.
"No, no, we just want to walk back quickly," Abel shook his head and denied.
"I see." The young man calculated the price and answered, "That's enough. The vegetables and grains you bought are a total of thirty Great Silver."
"Boss, you've given us quite a discount." Abel was slightly surprised.
The young man smiled and didn't comment.
Abel took out thirty Great Silver from his pocket, greeted the young man, and then took the supplies away with the other soldiers.
"Everyone, share some."Abel placed the bag of grain on the ground and ordered the soldiers of the reconnaissance team.
Everyone consciously went forward, carried a bag of grain on their backs, and stacked it on their luggage.
"Are we going back now?" Abel panted as he asked de Weite.
"Yes." Devitt nodded.
"Are we going back the way we came? Didn't the centaur soldiers say that someone would lead the way for us?" Claremont said.
"We didn't see anyone who came to lead the way." Devitt looked around and made a decision. "Let's go back the way we came."
"Okay." Abel and Claremont nodded and replied.
When the soldiers were almost ready, Devitt was still standing in the lead position. He led everyone back the way they came.
"Wait, why doesn't it feel the same?" After walking for a while, Claremont noticed the surrounding scenery and asked suspiciously.
Devitt slowed down his footsteps and cast his gaze to the two sides of the street. The messy shops that he had passed by previously had all disappeared.
Even the smoke in the air had a tendency to recede.
Groups of people came and went on the cobblestone road. They seemed to be full of vitality.
"Are we going in the wrong direction?" Abel raised his eyebrows.
"Impossible. I still have this bit of memory," Devitt said with a serious expression.
The reconnaissance team didn't choose to stop, but continued to walk forward.
They finally reached the end of the road and saw the familiar door.
"Look, the mark on this door is exactly the same as when we first came out," Devitt said, pointing at the mark on the wooden door from a distance.
"But the neighborhood has really changed." Claremont frowned and turned around.
The flesh-colored shop that had sold the young men and women of various races had also disappeared. In the original place, there was a magical beast pet shop that was decorated very elegantly.
Devitt walked to the door, glanced behind him, and gently pushed the door open.
"Swoosh –"
The whole street suddenly turned dark.
"My God, this place is too strange!" A soldier exclaimed.
Everyone quickly followed Devitt to the door. The secret passage inside the door was still the same as before. Although the situation still wasn't too good, everyone still breathed a sigh of relief.
Devitt looked around, but he didn't see the old man he met before.
"Go!" Devitt ordered.
Everyone rushed to the other end of the secret passage. Devitt walked at the front.
"Creak –" the door leading to the outside world was opened.
Natural light shone on everyone's faces.
The color of the sky at the horizon indicated that it was almost evening.
"Hurry down the mountain!" The centaur soldiers guarding the door watched them rush out and coldly threw the dead body of Fullock into the arms of the Caradia soldiers standing in the front row.
The Caradia soldiers carried Fullock's body behind them. To their surprise, not only was the blood on Fullock's body wiped clean, even his upper and lower body, which had been separated by the mechanism, had been restored to its original state.
Devitt raised his head to look at the centaur soldiers, then looked away and led the other soldiers to the other side of the flat ground. According to the route in his memory, that was the way down the mountain.
"Go this way." A centaur soldier stopped them and pointed to the other side of the flat ground.
Devitt surprisingly didn't ask anything. He just followed the direction the soldier pointed to.
When they reached the border of the flat ground, the scouts saw a mountain path that had been smoothed out.
"Let's go," Devitt said.
The path they had taken this time had shrunk quite a bit compared to before.
Not long after, the group descended halfway up the mountain.
"Are we going to set up camp on this mountain tonight?" Abel asked.
"I don't think so. Let's hurry up and walk to the foot of the mountain before we find a place to rest," Devitt replied.
"Actually, I'm quite surprised. Captain Devitt, why do you believe the words of the centaurs so much?" Claremont said.
"Not really. I just feel that this mountain is indeed a bit strange. Compared to following my own memories, it's better to trust the centaurs who are more familiar with this mountain," Abel replied.
"I also feel that there must be something strange about this mountain. There's actually such a large market hidden within the mountain." Claremont nodded, "And the ones we encountered were simply baffling."
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Chapter 727: The Time for Dinner
"The secrets contained within this mountain forest are probably unimaginable to us." Devitt recalled the encounter in the market and was even more certain that they had walked into some sort of formation. It caused the exchange of time and space and so on.
"However, to be able to make up for all the resources as originally planned, it's quite something to be happy about." After walking down this mountain ridge, Claremont felt much more relaxed.
"Mm." Devitt's brows relaxed as Claremont spoke.
"We're at the foot of the mountain!" Cheers came from the front of the group.
"Quickly find a suitable place to set up camp," Abel commanded.
"Is this the place we passed on our way up the mountain?" Devitt confirmed with Abel.
"Mm," Abel confirmed. On the day they set up camp at the foot of the mountain, it was his turn to bring people out to hunt. He was very familiar with the scenery here.
"I'm right. This mountain is changing at all times. The distance of each mountain path and the destination are changing," Devitt said to the other two.
"I noticed it the moment I walked into the market. Although I didn't sense any specific movement, there is a force restricting our ability," Abel nodded.
"Don't think about it. We won't come here again." Claremont interrupted their conversation. As long as he recalled everything that happened in the market, he would feel a chill.
"Mm."Abel felt the same way.
Devitt was silent. He cast his gaze towards the mountains. Will they come again?
"Let's go. We should go help." Claremont brought the two of them to the scene where the soldiers were building their barracks.
After receiving the new supplies, everyone was in high spirits. When they started working, they were full of vigor, and their progress was fast.
"In the future, we won't have to go out hunting. That's really great." Claremont sighed.
"The results from hunting are different every day. It's really not that stable. Now, we can finally have peaceful meals." Abel, who was experienced, added.
"I didn't realize it until now. Eating is such a blissful thing," Claremont said.
"In terms of the speed at which you realize this, you can't compare to the soldiers under you," Abel joked with a smile.
During dinner time, the kitchen served many delicious dishes with the new food.
When the dishes were served, everyone looked very happy.
Looking at the large pieces of fat meat in the soup bowl, they couldn't help but swallow their saliva.
"Such days are too good," a soldier shouted.
The few days before had been too hard. Now, the bitterness had come to an end. Everyone was a little touched.
"I can't bear to eat anymore," a soldier said with a sad face.
"Eat more on the days when you can eat. You can last longer when you are hungry," a soldier beside him understood his mood and joked casually.
"Mm." The soldier pursed his lips and uttered a word from his throat.
"What a sumptuous dinner today." Claremont and Abel would always gather together during dinner. They would chat for a long time. At this moment, Claremont walked over with a bowl of vegetables to Abel who was sitting.
"Sit." Abel pulled over a simple chair and gestured for Claremont to sit down.
Claremont glanced at Abel's bowl and said, "Actually, I was very curious in the past. Do the elves like to eat things like carrots that much? Every time, you always have a full bowl."
Abel scratched his head and asked, "As for carrots… I'm not too sure. I really like to eat things like tomatoes.".
"Are these carrots boiled in plain water?" Claremont continued to ask.
"Yes." Abel nodded and said, "Have a taste?"
"Sure." Claremont had never eaten food cooked by the elves before. As he spoke, he raised his chopsticks and took a piece from Abel's bowl into his own.
"Hmm… what a strange taste." After tasting it for a while, Claremont pursed his lips and said, "You actually eat this every day."
"It's not strange." Abel shook his head, picked up a carrot skewer, and naturally began to eat it.
"Seeing you eat so well, I thought it was delicious," Claremont complained.
The two of them started to joke with each other.
After dinner, the two people who had just put down their bowls were called to Devitt's tent.
The three of them gathered around the table and began to plan the route they would take the next day.
"It seems that we are closer to the next target than before," Devitt said.
"However, this area on the map doesn't show the specific route. We can only try to figure it out on our own," Abel said as he circled an area on the map with his index finger.
"This should be an area that no one is in charge of, right? I wonder what kind of monsters will appear here," Claremont commented.
"Indeed, it's quite troublesome." Abel nodded.
"However, isn't Captain Abel the best at leading the way?" Devitt leaned on the table and said with a smile.
"I just have some understanding of the natural world." Abel said helplessly, "My luck has never been that good."
"I have faith in you." Claremont followed Abel's words and joked.
The three of them chatted idly until late at night.
At eleven o'clock in the evening, Devitt invited the two of them out of the tent. He explained, "I have to go to the night shift.".
"Are you alright now?"Abel asked with concern.
"I have already recovered. I had time to rest for a few days. My body is in the best condition now," Devitt replied.
"I hope you can always be as healthy as this." Claremont smiled and said, "We'll go back and rest."
"Okay." Devitt smiled and sent the two away.
He walked back to the tent, put on his armor for duty, and brought his own weapons.
The night patrol team waited for Devitt at the entrance of the tent. This was the first time the captain picked up duty after being injured. There were still many soldiers who came to show concern.
"What are you doing in such a large formation?" Devitt walked out of the tent. When he saw the faces of the soldiers, he was slightly surprised.
"Captain Devitt, we are in charge of duty with you today,"a soldier replied.
"Hurry up and go do your own tasks. I can do it alone." Devitt waved his hand and said.
"Captain, your body…" a soldier said hesitantly.
"My body has been well-rested for the past few days. Do any of you want to try it?" Devitt said.
"No, no." The soldiers quickly denied.
Usually, not many of them could beat Devitt, let alone in this situation.
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Chapter 728: A Trip That Can Not Be Delayed
The next day, the team continued to move forward under Abel's lead.
"The quality of the dwarf's map is really good." Abel sighed as he walked. "To be able to draw every road on this island so clearly, I've never seen it before."
"That's true." Claremont nodded. Today, it was his turn to walk to the front and lead the way with Abel. "I feel that we don't need to worry too much about the route we're taking."
"How did they do it? They spend a lot of manpower and money on it every year," Abel said.
"The dwarf guild is so popular. This is also their way of making a living," Claremont commented.
"Mm." Abel nodded.
It was almost December. Staying in the mountains, it felt like it was already winter.
"Is it because the place is different? It feels like this is the coldest winter I've ever experienced," a soldier said as he looked up at the sky.
"According to the time, it's not winter yet," a soldier replied. "I reckon that by the end of December, the entire valley will be frozen."
"Fortunately, we should be near the volcano by then. It shouldn't be colder than staying here," the soldier said as he sniffed.
Abel noticed that the moisture in the air had become scarce. He also heard the coughing sounds of the soldiers behind him. He said worriedly, "If the soldiers catch a cold at this time, it will be troublesome."
Hearing this, Claremont looked behind him and said, "The bodies of the soldiers shouldn't be so weak." At least he felt that although the autumn wind in the valley was bone-piercing, it still didn't affect his body's status.
"The air on the island in this season is cold and humid. It's different from the situation in the Nahrin Desert," Abel explained. "We walk in the mountains and forests, and we can't see the sun behind the clouds all day long. After a few days of living like this, the cotton-padded jackets worn by the warriors might be soaked."
"Do the elves have any ideas?" Hearing this, Claremont was distressed for a while, and then he thought of the spell that Abel and the other elven soldiers had cast a few days ago.
Abel pursed his lips and shook his head. "Our bodies are already oversaturated. In this environment of the entire island, that spell can't do anything."
"It doesn't matter. Humans have their ways. Among the various races that live in this world, the ones who have fought against nature the most are the humans. Just remind the warriors to be careful," Claremont said optimistically.
"Yes," Abel replied.
After noon, the sky became darker and darker.
After advancing for a few hours, the two people leading the way began to plan for everyone to stop and rest before finding a place to set up camp.
Claremont slowed down his pace. He watched as the scouts passed by him and counted the number of people.
"Forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven. All present," Claremont said quietly.
"Claremont." Devitt walked to Claremont's side and called out, "Are you ready to let the troops rest?"
"Yes. After all, the weather now…" Claremont pointed at the dark sky.
"But it's only four o'clock in the afternoon." Devitt widened his eyes and said.
"So early?" Claremont glanced at Abel's back. He didn't pay much attention to the time. He just looked at the drowsy sky while listening to Abel's conversation. He had the illusion that it was already evening.
"Although the time for marching will be shortened in the future, we still have to make good use of time to move forward on such days," Devitt said with a slightly serious expression. "I'll go explain to Captain Abel."
Devitt handed the task of tailing the troops to Claremont and walked to the front row himself.
"Captain Abel." Devitt walked to Abel's side and called out.
"Eh? Captain Devitt, why are you walking in front?" Abel turned around and glanced at Claremont who was following behind the troops.
"I think that even in this season, we have to maintain more than eleven hours of marching time every day," Devitt said directly.
"Yes." Abel understood what Devitt was referring to, and then voiced his doubts. "But I'm worried about the environment in the valley after dark."
"Don't worry about that. I brought something back from the centaurs," Devitt said.
"What?" Abel was a bit curious. He didn't expect Devitt to buy other items after entering the market.
"This." Devitt took out an item that looked like a lantern.
Abel pointed at this magical artifact in surprise and asked, "What is this?"
"This magical artifact is called the Light of Caucasia. After opening it, any species outside of the light will find a way to avoid it," Devitt introduced. Then, he handed the magical artifact to Abel, he hoped that he could inject a trace of magic into it.
Abel circulated his power suspiciously as usual, and his spiritual power surged to his fingertips. The 'lantern' immediately absorbed the spiritual power between his fingers.
After a moment of silence, "Bang!" Something seemed to explode in the lantern.
Then, the magical artifact emitted a dazzling light, which made Abel gasp in surprise. The other soldiers noticed this movement and also cried out in alarm.
The areas surrounding the scouts shone as bright as day. This light followed Abel's will and attached itself onto every soldier.
Whether it was the humans or the elves, when that light attached itself to their bodies… Their vision became bright.
Abel himself also noticed this change and exclaimed in admiration, "This magic artifact is really powerful. However, under such great power, won't the user be able to react to any side effects?"
"No." According to the owner of the shop, this magic artifact has a long history. In the beginning, the effect it displayed was far more than that. However, after it fell into the hands of all kinds of people, it can only have this effect now. It's already considered a waste," Devitt explained.
"For us, it's enough to achieve the legendary effect of driving out other races." Abel used his finger to caress the gap on the magic artifact and guessed, "Even so, the price that the shop owner offered is still high, right?"
"Five gold coins. For us who need to hurry, it's worth it," Devitt replied.
"I'm really curious about the price level in the centaur market. From the looks of it, there is indeed a considerable gap between different shops," Abel pondered.
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Chapter 729: The Agreement of the Three Leaders
"They probably all use gold coins as currency." The image of the centaur market in Devitt's mind was always shrouded in a layer of fog.
"Is that so?" Abel thought of the young boss of the rice shop and felt a little strange.
Abel kept the glowing magical artifact in his arms. The previous plan was canceled, and the scouts moved forward for another three hours or so.
"We still haven't made it to the flat land as we had planned." Finally, it was time to rest. Abel sat on his suitcase and panted.
Devitt smiled. "We'll set off a little earlier tomorrow. We should be able to reach there before noon."
It was not easy to find a suitable place for dozens of people to sleep in the woods. Everyone spread out in small groups and searched for about twenty minutes before they found a suitable open space.
Claremont laboriously cut off the green plants around the tent with his weapons.
From time to time, he would find one or two snakes darting past. Claremont paid attention to this aspect. When he returned to the tent, he instructed the logistics staff to sprinkle a circle of lime outside the camp.
Dinner time. The preparation for dinner today was also quite good.
It was estimated that the logistics soldiers in the military camp had suffered quite a bit a while ago. Now, they were looking for an opportunity to make up for the missing days.
"After completing this mission, what are your plans?" Claremont asked Devitt and Abel beside him.
"Return to the military camp and continue to serve a soldier," Devitt said without hesitation.
"Me too." Abel nodded.
"Of course I know. I mean when you're on vacation." Claremont looked at the two of them helplessly and explained.
The importance of this mission was well known to everyone involved. Although they didn't send many people, as long as they could successfully complete the mission, the soldiers participating in the mission would definitely receive rewards personally given by the Lords of the various countries. Vacations were naturally not a problem.
Ever since they came down from the mountain, the reconnaissance team had been going smoothly. This made Claremont unable to resist fantasizing about the future in his leisure time.
However, Devitt's interest was still lacking. "I haven't really thought about it. I think I will stay at home and rest."
"What about you Abel?" Claremont asked Abel.
"I haven't had much of a vacation. If I have enough time, I would like to go to your country and take a look," Abel replied after thinking for a while.
"Really?" Claremont was overjoyed.
Devitt was also a little surprised. "You're welcome to come to Drondheim anytime."
"Yes." Abel nodded with a smile.
After a moment of joy, Claremont thought of something and said with a sad face, "But it will take a month from Drondheim to reach the capital of the Elf Kingdom. There wouldn't be any vacation that can last that long."
"That's true." Devitt and Abel both nodded after they came back to their senses.
"Abel, why do you want to come to Caradia?" Claremont asked.
"After coming into contact with you for the past few months, the idea of the human race in my mind has been subverted. Therefore, after the mission is over, I hope to see you and see your country again," Abel replied seriously.
Claremont and Devitt looked at each other. They were so touched that they didn't know what to say. Finally, Devitt broke the silence and said, "After we return to the familiar land, let's find some time to meet in Cumberland. Although I don't know how long you can stay away from your team, Abel, we still often have the opportunity to go there on business."
"Oh? Good! In the future, as long as you come to Cumberland, I will come and pick you up," Abel said happily.
"It's a deal," Claremont said with a smile.
Beside the bonfire outside the tent, a few Caradia soldiers were roasting their cotton clothes above the fire.
"I feel that the clothes are getting heavier and heavier," Austin said helplessly. He then used his finger to gently press on the cotton clothes, but the furrow caused by the pressing did not recover after a long time. It had really absorbed too much water.
Austin sighed.
"Will this roasting really work?" A soldier sitting next to him asked suspiciously.
"I feel that the damp smell is getting stronger," a soldier leaned closer to the cotton-padded clothes and sniffed before continuing.
"Hey, stay away from the fire. Be careful that sparks don't rise and burn a hole in the clothes you're wearing," Austin shouted. "Isn't this the only way now?"
"I don't think roasting it for a while will be of much use. I'll leave now." One of the soldiers couldn't wait any longer. He picked up his clothes and was about to turn around and leave.
At this time, an elf soldier passed by and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"The moisture has gone into the clothes. The moisture is too heavy. We're trying to dry it,"Austin replied.
The Elven soldier looked at the drifting flames, shook his head, and sighed. "What you guys are doing now, when the sun comes up, your clothes probably won't be dry at all."
"Why?" A soldier followed up with a question.
"At least in my opinion, the fire has no effect on the clothes," the elven soldier replied.
A surge of spiritual energy gathered in his eyes, allowing him to see through the elemental movement around the fire.
"Then… can you help us?" Austin could already tell that this elven soldier was a fire mage. He asked hesitantly.
"It's impossible. You want me to use magic to roast your cotton-padded clothes for you?"As expected, the elven soldier immediately rejected it.
He had already been tired after a long day on the road, and now he had to use magic to do such a meaningless thing. It was really not what he had expected. At this time, the elven soldier only wanted to return to his tent to rest.
When he was about to leave, Austin urged him to stay. "As long as you help me with this, I will agree to whatever you want in the future."
The elven soldier stopped walking and turned around. "Really?"
"Really." Austin nodded earnestly. He had already sneezed a few times on the road today.
"So, you're the only one who needs my help?" The elven soldier said with a smile.
"Me, Me, me!"The surrounding soldiers raised their hands enthusiastically.
"There are so many people." The elven soldier put on a thoughtful look. After a while, he nodded and said, "Sure, but your conditions have to be the same as his." The elven soldier raised his hand and pointed at Austin.
"Sure!" Everyone immediately agreed.
In the end, the fire mage invited a water elf as 'external aid'. The two of them were in the camp, surrounded by a group of Caradia soldiers. They worked until late at night, drying everyone's cotton clothes properly.
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Chapter 730: Goblins Picked up by the roadside
The next morning, Abel told all the soldiers that they could leave the mountain forest by today.
The Elven soldiers did not feel anything special, while the Caradia soldiers were overjoyed.
After breakfast, everyone set off in groups.
As expected, before noon, the mountains were forgotten behind them. In front of everyone was a wide plain.
Perhaps because of the geographical environment, compared to the plain at the entrance of the dwarf town, at this time, the grass that everyone stepped on was yellow and withered. When the soldiers passed by, there was a crisp sound of "swish swish".
"Now that I look at it, it really looks like autumn," Abel said.
"The plants in the desert are always evergreen all year round. This is the first time I've seen such a wide autumn plain. I can really feel the changes in the seasons," Devitt sighed.
It seemed that there would always be only summer and winter in the desert.
In order to balance such a climate, even in an oasis, there would not be any trees that would wither with the seasons.
"It's a pity that we won't be able to see the sun in the sky today," Claremont said as he glanced at the sky that was covered by clouds and fog.
Everyone continued to move forward on the plains. The withered grass on the plains had already covered the soldiers' calves.
Seeing this situation, Devitt suggested that everyone move forward slowly and pay attention to the movements of the grass at all times.
The Elven soldiers naturally flew in midair with their feet off the ground to avoid threats. However, in order to maintain their stamina, they only flew about 50 centimeters above the ground.
The Caradia soldiers used their scabbards to pull the grass as they moved forward.
Austin stood in the middle of the group. When he was pulling the grass with everyone, he felt that his backpack was being pulled by someone. When he thought of who was behind him, he turned his head impatiently and said in a low voice, "Macleay, stop playing."
Macleay, who was standing behind him and crouching on the grass to check the situation, looked up with a confused expression. He raised his eyebrows. Wasn't he checking the situation on the road? When did this person see that he was playing.
However, due to the quiet atmosphere around him, Macleay did not make a sound. Instead, he continued to rummage through the grass.
After a while, Austin felt the backpack on his back suddenly drop down. Instantly, anger surged in his heart. I'm so busy here that I'm getting dizzy. What are you playing here for?
"Bang!" Austin threw the backpack on the ground and shouted at Macleay behind him, "You don't understand human language, do you?"
The soldiers around them were shocked to the point that they stopped moving.
"Are you crazy? !" Macleay stood up and raised his head.
"You…"Austin was about to grab the other party's collar and question him properly.
However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that his backpack had actually 'run' away.
"Wait!" Austin panicked and rushed toward his 'moving' backpack. As a result, when his backpack was firmly held in his arms, he heard the wail of a living creature.
Not only him, but the surrounding onlookers also heard this voice.
"Austin, come back quickly!" Macleay shouted.
Although he didn't know what kind of creature it was, it was still very dangerous for the unarmed Austin to keep such a close distance from a strange creature.
Devitt and the other two also walked over. They gestured for Austin to step back.
Austin did feel that there was not only a backpack in his arms, but also a living creature with a beating heart.
Austin slowly let go of his arms, but the creature under the backpack did not move. Then he carefully moved the backpack away.
"So ugly," Austin could not help but say.
He had yellowish-brown skin, pointy ears, and fur all over his body. The first time they met eyes made Austin feel a chill.
After seeing that Austin was safe and sound, Claremont walked forward to observe. "Gnomes?"
After hearing Claremont's words, Devitt and Abel also hurried forward.
After observing carefully for a while, Abel asked in puzzlement, "This is a gnome?"
Claremont squatted down in front of the fainted gnome and rolled his eyes. After seeing the dark red pupils, he confirmed, "Yes."
"How did the gnomes appear here? Didn't they live in groups near the volcano?" Devitt asked.
The three of them looked very serious. After all, they had come to investigate the disappearance of the gnomes. In the initial evidence, the suspicion of the disappearance of the gnomes was all focused on the Gnome Tribe.
They had never thought that they would meet them halfway.
"Did they run out alone, or have we already walked into another gnome stronghold?" Abel voiced out the possibility that he had guessed.
"We won't know for the time being." Claremont looked around and said, "The gnomes are cunning and greedy by nature. Even if they see their companions injured, they won't come to rescue them."
"Okay." Devitt thought for a while, then squatted down in front of the gnome with Claremont and touched the pulse on the gnome's neck, "It's still alive. Take it with you. Maybe we can get information about the gnomes from its mouth."
Abel and Claremont nodded. It was best for them to have more realistic information.
The three of them looked at Austin, who was lying on the ground.
Austin noticed the gaze and smiled awkwardly. "May I ask what you need me to do?"
"Your name is Austin, right? I remember you," Claremont said with a smile, he still had a deep impression of Austin. After all, when he was in Durandal, he had even sent him to the restroom when he was carsick. "I'll leave this gnome in your care. You have to take good care of it."
"Me? ! How can I…"Austin was about to deny it, but after thinking for a while, he agreed. "Then I'll take care of it."
"Sorry to trouble you."
After explaining this matter, Devitt and the other two returned to their positions and commanded the team to move forward.
Austin pulled out the fainted goblin from the bushes and carried it on his back.
"It's so heavy," Austin shouted.
Just as he was agonizing over how to carry such a thing and move forward with the team…
Claremont's voice came from the end of the team. "Austin, come, come with me."
"Okay." Austin bowed respectfully and nodded. He hurriedly walked over.
Over the past few months, the leadership positions of Devitt, Claremont, and Abel had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of every scout team soldier. Thus, everyone could not help but treat these three people respectfully. They had completely forgotten the time when they had participated in training as colleagues in the same team.
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Chapter 731: The Hardships of Being a Father
In the evening, the group found a place to set up camp on the plains. Everyone stopped to rest and reorganize.
Austin placed his backpack on the ground and sat on it to rest.
"If you fainted, do you stop breathing?" Austin muttered to the goblin on his back.
Along the way, he could only rely on the weak pulse on the goblin's wrist to determine whether he had crushed it to death..
Austin glanced at the soldiers who were setting up their tents and felt a strong urge to help them out. However, he remembered Claremont's order: He must never be more than an inch away from the goblin.
Resentment regarding the mission couldn't help but surge into Austin's heart, causing him to frown.
In order to protect the Goblin and prevent it from falling, his arm had been stretched until it was stiff. Even so, Austin was still unwilling to change his position — to face the Goblin's directly. With his back facing it, he could still imagine that he was carrying an ordinary child or something. If he held the goblin in his arms and stared at it, Austin wouldn't be able to stand the horror.
"My hand hurts," Austin could not help but say.
In the end, he set the goblin down from his back and put it on his leg.
"My God, it's really ugly," Austin said with his eyes closed.
"Austin, what are you doing? Come here quickly!" A soldier in the camp shouted at Austin from afar.
It was the captain of the squad.
"What's wrong?" Austin put on his backpack and walked over quickly.
"Captain Devitt asked you to take this goblin to take a bath, and then let the medic be in charge of the inspection. We just found some rotting corpses of animals on the plains. Captain Devitt was worried that the goblin might be infected,"the soldier explained in detail.
"Okay." Austin reacted and asked, "Captain, where is the water source around here?"
"There's no water source," the soldier said. "The kitchen has boiled a basin of water for this guy. Use that to wash it."
"Roger that." After Austin asked, he walked to the kitchen.
When the soldiers in the kitchen saw him, they immediately carried out the wooden basin filled with boiling water.
How unfortunate, this wooden basin meant for washing vegetables has now it had become a bath basin.
Austin walked up and thanked him. He took the goblin in his arms and compared its size with the bath basin. It was just right.
"After the bath, pour the waste water outside the camp," the soldier in the kitchen instructed. After seeing Austin nod, he hurriedly ran to continue cooking.
Austin used his palm to test the temperature of the water, but it was so hot that he retracted his hand.
For a moment, Austin felt like he was taking care of a newborn.
But he was only twenty years old.
Austin took out a towel from his backpack, dipped it in water, and used it to wipe the goblin's body.
With just one swipe, the white towel turned black.
Austin looked awkwardly at the soldiers who were busy in the kitchen. This basin of water might not be enough.
Taking a deep breath, Austin patiently wiped every part of the goblin's body with a freshly washed towel.
Until the entire basin of hot water became cold and muddy.
When Austin took out the dirty water and walked back, the kitchen soldier who had been looking at the chopping board came to him with a pot of hot water, saying, "This was reheated in the kitchen. Captain Dewitt ordered that it be washed clean."
"Thank you." Austin poured the boiling water into the basin. He kept stirring it with his hands to cool it down.
The soldier in the kitchen held the empty kettle and stood where he was, looking at Austin's face with a strange expression.
After a while, Austin noticed that there was someone standing in front of him. He raised his head and asked, "What's the matter?"
"What… are you doing?" The kitchen soldier asked curiously.
"The water in the basin is too hot," Austin replied.
"Do you really think you're taking care of the child?" The kitchen soldier frowned and ridiculed.
"Umm…" Austin was stunned and didn't know what to reply.
"It seems that this mission suits you quite well," the kitchen soldier commented. After saying that, he turned around and left.
Austin turned his head and glanced at the unconscious goblin. After a moment of silence, he said —
"So ugly."
The construction of the camp was officially completed.
After experiencing the incident this afternoon, Dewitt ordered the soldiers, "Strengthen the night guards to avoid being ambushed by the goblins who might be concentrated here."
The night shift returned to the three-shift system during the tense period.
While some people were setting up tents, the soldiers in the kitchen were busy preparing dinner. When they were ready to let the soldiers complete the task of setting up tents, they would immediately be able to eat a steaming hot dinner.
During dinner time, five or six Caradia soldiers gathered around a table. When the people around the other tables were chopping large pieces of meat, they didn't even pick up their chopsticks.
"Why isn't that elf brother here yet?" A soldier sighed.
"He should be here soon. I hope he comes as soon as possible,"another soldier said.
During the rest of the march, the two elven soldiers who helped them yesterday made their first request: they wanted to taste the human's dinner. Although everyone was very reluctant to share the food in their bowls when they thought about it, they had to keep the promise they made the night before. And so they agreed to it.
In the end, eleven minutes after the dishes were served and the soldiers at the other tables walked past them while picking their teeth, the two elven soldiers still didn't show up.
"No, I can't help it." One of the soldiers picked up his chopsticks and was ready to start at the dishes.
"Pa!" The chopsticks in his hand fell on the table. The voice of the elven soldier came from behind, "Are you people from Caradia so untrustworthy?"
The soldier looked back and saw the elven soldier staring at them angrily.
"No, no, no, we all know the rules. Only he did it!" The soldiers sitting at the table denied one after another, distancing themselves from the soldier who was caught.
"You guys…" the soldier was speechless.
"Forget it." The two elven soldiers waved their hands. "Give us a seat. How can we eat standing here?"
"Okay, okay, okay." The soldier who made a mistake immediately moved his chair to make space.
The elven soldier took two chairs and sat down. Under everyone's gaze, he ate the first bite of the dish.
"Mmm, it's quite delicious. You guys eat it too." After one of the elven soldiers tasted it, he gestured to the others on the table.
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating.
After the meal ended, the soup on the table was also demolished.
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Chapter 732: Guarding the Goblin in the Bed
When everyone was full, they collapsed on their chairs with their round stomachs. The elven soldiers looked around and asked curiously, "Where's the soldier from yesterday? Doesn't he eat?"
"Who? Austin? He should still be taking care of the 'child'," a soldier answered while picking his teeth.
The elven soldiers looked at the messy dining table and silently lowered their impression of these soldiers.
"I'm finally done bathing."Austin scooped the goblin out of the bathtub and placed it on the white towel that was spread out. "This way, it won't look so ugly."
After the goblin finished bathing, the fur-like things on its body were also washed away. On the yellowish-brown skin, an ancient totem that looked like an oil painting was exposed in the air.
"What is this?" Austin looked at the strange pattern curiously. He had an idea and wanted to bring the goblin to Captain Dewitt and the others. However, in the blink of an eye, he remembered that he had to bring the goblin for a health check.
"I have to hurry," Austin muttered. He carried the goblin on his back. He walked toward the tent where the medical soldiers were.
When he passed by the kitchen counter, Austin suddenly remembered that he hadn't eaten dinner yet. His body suddenly froze. It was impossible for those guys in the same team to keep his share.
The more he thought about it, the more impatient he became. Austin shook his head fiercely. He hurried to the medical soldier.
"Doctor." The moment he walked into the tent, Austin called out softly.
"Yes. Coming." The medical soldier put down the bowl in his hand, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and walked over to welcome him.
"Sorry to disturb your meal." Austin looked at the dishes in the medical soldier's bowl and silently clenched his fists.
"It's okay. Come earlier. It'll save me a lot of trouble." The soldier washed his hands with water and took the goblin from Austin's arms. "It's much smaller than I thought."
"Hehe, then I'll sit here and wait for you." Austin found a low stool and sat at the door.
"You should come in too," the soldier said.
The medical tent was divided into two parts. At this time, the medic had already carried the goblins into the other side of the tent and called out.
"… Okay." Austin nodded. He walked in.
The medic had already put on his coat and sanitary gloves. He took out a tube of medicine from a sealed box and poured it into the syringe.
"Is this for an injection?" Austin asked.
"Yes, to test for body disease," the medic replied. As he spoke, he placed the needle into the vein on the goblin's neck. The transparent medicine was pushed in. "Fortunately, it's unconscious. If this was injected into a conscious person, it would hurt like hell."
"Ah?" Austin's expression became unbearable. He looked at the medicine in the syringe that was like jelly, squeezed into the needle. "Can this really be absorbed by the body?"
"Yes, don't worry about that." The doctor finally took out the needle and gently pressed it on the injection site with a medical cotton pad. He wiped the medicine that was piled up there bit by bit. "Okay, put him here."
"Huh? Don't you need me to take care of him?" Austin asked.
"The results will be out in two hours. We'll talk about it then." The medic took off his coat.
"Okay." Austin retreated to the other side of the room in a fluster.
"Haven't you eaten yet? Hurry up and eat. The kitchen will prepare it for you," the medic said, gesturing for him to leave.
Austin bent down to thank him and walked out.
After sending Austin away, the medic walked back to the unconscious goblin's bed.
Looking at the other party's calm appearance, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Bi Kelun."At this time, de Weite, Kelei Mengte, and Ai Buer walked into the tent and called out the medical soldier's name.
Bikren moved his feet and quickly walked to the front to welcome them. "Captain Dewitt, Captain Claremont, Captain AI Buer. You guys are here."
"Yes." Devitt stood at the front and replied, "Austin came just now, right?"
"Yes. He just left my place not long ago," Bikren replied.
"Where are the goblins?"
"They are still in a coma status. They are lying inside to rest," Bikren said.
"Let's go take a look," Al Buer said.
"Yes." Claremont nodded.
Bikren led the three of them inside.
After seeing the goblins lying quietly on the guard bed, Dewitt asked, "You have already injected him with the medicine, right?"
"Yes." Bikren nodded, his eyes filled with doubt. "This is also the first time I've seen a patient who can remain motionless after being injected with such a dose of vaccine."
"What's the situation?"Al Buer asked the two.
"The drug being tested this time is the most accurate one so far, but it also has a drawback: the moment it is injected into the body, the body's functions will rapidly decline. The heart will also suddenly shrink. Therefore, at that moment, the pain anyone feels is indescribable, and it will cause the body to twitch involuntarily. "You previously told me the goblin was knocked out by someone. But it has been several hours since then. When I saw Austin carrying it in, I was very puzzled. How could he have fainted for so long?" Bikren explained in detail, he pointed to one possibility.
"You mean… this goblin has been pretending to faint?" Claremont asked.
"Yes." Bikren nodded.
"What should we do? Since the potion you mentioned can't wake him up, how should we expose it?"AlBuer said.
"This is just a guess I have made. After all, there are always twists and turns behind strange things." Bikren shook his head and said.
"I agree with Bikren's words. Right now, it's all our guesses." Dewitt pondered for a while, he replied, "Moreover, even if this goblin really disguised himself and sneaked into our team, we don't need to be in a hurry to expose him. No matter what method we use, getting information about the volcano from his mouth is the ultimate goal."
"Right." Claremont nodded.
At this moment, Al Buer noticed the skin totem on the goblin's neck. He silently walked to the edge of the goblin's bed and lifted the quilt. The patterns on the goblin's body were exposed in everyone's sight.
"I've seen some illustrations in the ancient books that talk about the goblins. The goblin's portrait also has such a totem." Claremont walked forward and took a closer look. "But the one on its body doesn't look the same."
"It might be different according to the region or age." Devitt didn't pay much attention to it.
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Chapter 733: The Diagnosis
"How many years have you been reading the ancient books?"Al Buer asked.
When Claremont was in his teens, he used to read all kinds of books by himself. Anyone who was close to him knew about this period of history.
"It was a long time ago. It's just that…" Claremont thought about it carefully in his mind, but he wasn't very clear about that period of memory.
In his vague memory, the totem on the goblin seemed to have some special use.
He really couldn't remember, so Claremont didn't continue talking about this matter. Instead, he planned in his heart: I'll go back and search for this kind of information.
This vague feeling of not being able to make sense of anything was really too uncomfortable.
Devitt told Bikren to remember to report the results of the examination to him in time, and then left.
Al Buer tucked the goblin in and left with Claremont, following Devitt.
Bikren walked to the hall, tired, and sat on a chair to rest.
He waited for the drug to take effect on the goblins.
Austin listened to Bikren's words and went to the kitchen. Sure enough, he got his dinner.
He squatted outside the tent and ate alone.
On the way, a teammate passed by and greeted him, "Ah, Austin."
"Mm." Austin raised his head and replied.
When he thought about how these guys didn't care about him and just ate at the dinner table, Austin was filled with anger.
"It's good to eat alone. You don't have to worry about the food in your bowl being taken away." A soldier stared at Austin's dinner, feeling hungry again.
"Come on, do you dare say that you didn't eat as much as I did tonight?" Austin said angrily.
"I really didn't. You know, didn't the elf soldiers come to share the meal with us today? They ate more than half of the food on the table," a soldier squatted beside Austin and explained to him.
Hearing this reminder, Austin thought of the agreement he had with the Elven soldiers and wondered if he should treat these two people to a meal alone. But on the surface, he still said to his teammates with disdain, "Do you think I'll believe you? It would be a miracle if the elven soldiers could steal food from you."
Austin hurriedly cleaned the food in his bowl. He stood up and said goodbye to everyone without turning his head, "I'm leaving."
"This kid…"
Austin walked to the kitchen and washed his lunch box with water.
After putting the lunch box back into his luggage, Austin rushed to the medical soldier's tent early.
"Why are you here so early?" Bikren asked in surprise when he saw him arrive.
"My mission is to look after this guy anyway, so I came to take a look,"Austin said.
Hearing his words, Bikren said in a slightly awkward manner, "According to the rules, the results of the inspection can not be disclosed to you immediately…"
"Ah… is that so…" Austin responded a little awkwardly. He did not think of this before he came. After Bikren reminded him, he suddenly came to a realization.
However, walking out now didn't seem like such a good idea.
"Forget it." Bikren waved his hand helplessly. "But you have to keep your mouth shut with me."
"Okay, okay," Austin hurriedly agreed.
Bikren glanced at the small pendulum clock on the table, looked at the curtain behind him, and said, "Now it's time to take the blood sample. You can help too."
"Blood…blood sample?" Austin said in surprise.
"Yes, this is the procedure of the examination." Bikren nodded and pulled the curtain open.
Austin followed Bikren into the room.
When he saw the goblin lying on the bed, he asked Bikren, "When will he wake up?"
"That depends on himself. He will wake up when he wants to," Bikren said, clearly implying something.
Austin was stunned. He didn't understand what Bikren meant. He just felt that this doctor was a little cold.
"Is this how doctors are like…" Austin muttered in a low voice.
"Austin, come here," Bikren had already put on his gloves and ordered Austin.
"Okay." Austin walked over in due diligence.
Bikren handed the medical cotton swab to Austin and said, "I'll have to trouble you to take care of it later."
"Okay… okay…" Austin replied as he nervously held the cotton swab in his hand.
"Okay." Bikren nodded. His preparations for the blood sample were smooth and neat. Even when the needle was inserted into the goblin's wrist, Austin, who was squatting at the side, was not prepared.
100 milliliters of blood was drawn into the needle.
The goblin's blood was blue, and the blood in the needle was almost transparent.
Austin was stunned.
"It's quite clean." Bikren took out the needle and put the needle under the sunlight. He looked at the transparent blue color and commented.
Austin, who was sitting by the bedside, saw blue blood coming out of the needle hole after Bikren drew the needle. He quickly used the cotton stick in his hand to block it.
The goblin still didn't move. Austin glanced at him and immediately looked away.
After about twenty minutes, Bikren stood up from the operating table and said, "I'll pass the report to Captain Devitt and the others. I'll have to trouble you here."
After saying this, Bikren lifted his foot and walked out.
"Wait, wait, doctor." Austin's eyes widened and quickly stopped him. "What's the result of the examination?"
"Yes. There's nothing wrong with its body." Bikren looked at him and nodded.
"Good, good, good," Austin replied happily and then stepped aside. He made a path for Bikren.
Bikren glanced at the goblin lying on the bed and found that it had already opened its eyes and was leaning against the wall.
"You're awake?" Bikren greeted.
Austin raised his head in surprise. After a while, he looked behind him.
The goblin's expression was confused, as if he had no focus.
"It's good that you're awake. You can ask questions now. Austin, keep an eye on him. If you can't keep an eye on him, find someone to help," Bikren instructed. Then, he walked to the door of the tent. He headed toward Devitt's location.
"You're awake? !" Austin said in surprise.
The goblin's face remained expressionless. He crossed his arms and hugged its slippery body, not saying a word.
"I just gave you a bath. That's how you became so clean," Austin said to himself. In his eyes, the goblin who had been with him all day was like a puppy he picked up by the roadside. It was not threatening at all.
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Chapter 734: The Hastily Concluded Conversation
Under Austin's constant chatter, the goblin raised its head timidly.
When Austin made eye contact, it seemed to see the dawn of hope for communication.
What he neglected was that the goblin's hands buried in the sheets were clenched into fists.
The choice to snatch the Scout's backpack was a random one, and it was also a pure accident for Austin.
It had been wandering alone for many days, and it was so hungry that it lost its mind.
The coma after lying down was also an act of helplessness. It only hoped that this group of people would be soft-hearted enough to bring it along, so that it could find an opportunity to act again.
In the end, it was brought back, and the person in front even gave it a comfortable hot bath.
For the goblins who had been rolling around in the fields for many days, it was a heaven-like time when it was carefully cleansed. With this level of comfort, it fell asleep in Austin's arms.
In a daze, it imagined the dining table in front of them with all kinds of food.
Them the needle in Bikren's hand stabbed into his neck.
This time, he really fainted from the pain. He had been unconscious until now.
When he opened his eyes and saw Bikren calmly greeting him, the goblin's fury surged in his heart.
Just as he was about to exert force with his arm, he could not feel the slightest bit of strength.
Looking at Austin in front of him, the goblin was still filled with wariness.
"Oh right, I forgot to ask you. What's your name?" Austin asked with a smile.
The goblin gently turned its head away, looking as if it was unwilling to communicate.
"There's no way you don't understand the common language, right? That would be troublesome." Austin raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. Thinking that Bikren would bring captain Devitt over to ask questions later, Austin fell into distress.
"Gilbert," the gnome said softly.
Austin raised his head in delight and said, "You can understand what I'm saying."
Gilbert nodded as if it was a obvious matter. He seemed to be very disdainful of Austin's question.
"That would be much more convenient," Austin explained. "Later, our team's captain will come and ask you a few questions. You just have to answer honestly. Don't be so quiet."
"I don't know anything," Gilbert said.
"Huh?" Austin frowned and said, "Of course we won't force you to do something you don't know. But if you're lying, we can tell. And the consequences of doing so are extremely serious for you."
Gilbert looked at Austin's suddenly tense face and couldn't help but cower. "Got it."
"They haven't come yet. Let's talk about something relaxing."Austin softened his tone and smiled at Gilbert. "How old are you?"
Gilbert realized that the Austin was really asking his age, so he calculated the age of his birth according to the age of a human. He replied, "Eight years old."
"Eight years old?" Austin said in surprise, "Then are you an adult now in the goblin race?"
"Soon." Gilbert only felt that the Austin's question had been very boring, so he answered absent-mindedly.
"Then your height…you won't grow any taller?" Austin had previously asked Claremont why Gilbert's figure was much smaller than what was recorded in the book. Claremont could only guess: it was probably because this goblin was still young.
Hearing Austin mention his height, Guibert's face fell. He laid down and covered his whole body with the quilt, not answering.
"Hey, hey, don't be angry," Austin said with a laugh. "I think you still have a chance to grow taller."
Gilbert was so angry that he kept kicking the blanket.
When Devitt and the others saw this scene, Bikren reacted quickly and called out, "Austin."
"Oh… Oh, Captain Devitt, Captain Clare not, Captain AI Buer." Austin hurriedly stood up and greeted him politely.
"Yes." Devitt nodded and stood in place.
Austin immediately pulled Gilbert out and said to him, "These three are the captain of our team. Listen carefully to how they ask you."Then, he retreated to the side.
Devitt led the other two people behind him and walked forward. He asked Gilbert, "What's you name?"
Gilbert retracted his gaze from Austin and looked at Devitt. "Gilbert."
"Why are you here? What's your identity?" Claremont continued to ask
"I'm an exiled goblin. I walked here on my own," Gilbert replied.
"You came this far?"Al Buer was puzzled.
"After being expelled by the goblins, I came here while searching for food," Gilbert explained with his head lowered.
"That means you don't belong to the goblins now, right?" Devitt confirmed.
"Yes, I don't want to go back either," Gilbert said indifferently.
Claremont raised his eyebrows because of his answer. But he didn't say anything.
"Then do you know about the disappearance of the goblins three months ago near the volcano where your goblins live?" Devitt threw out the topic and asked in a low voice.
"I don't know. The people in the clan were ordered not to talk about it in public." Gilbert lowered his eyes and said, "At that time, the vagrants living on the volcano were all in danger."
Devitt stared straight into Gilbert's dark red eyes, as if he believed that Gilbert was telling the truth. He turned around and asked the two people behind him, "Do you have anything you want to ask?"
Claremont took a step forward, pointed at the tattoo on Gilbert's shoulder and said, "This series of letters is the language of the goblins, right? Can you tell me what it means?"
Gilbert paused and replied coldly, "It means 'abandoned'."
Hearing Guibert's words, Austin, who was standing in the corner, became worried.
"I'm done asking." Claremont waved his hand.
"I don't have any questions," Al Buer continued.
"Okay." Devitt nodded and said to Austin, "Let it go tonight. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with our mission."
Austin received the instructions and nodded slowly. "Yes."
Before leaving, Claremont carefully looked at Gilbert. The three of them then left the tent.
"The effects of the medicine on it haven't dissipated yet. Sending it to the wilderness at this time is equivalent to sending a sheep into the tiger's mouth. Let it stay here for the night. We'll find time to release him tomorrow," Bikren suggested.
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Chapter 735: A Night of Companionship
"Okay." Austin calmed down and nodded.
After testing Gilbert's temperature and pulse, Bikren was ready to leave.
"Aren't you leaving?"Bikren asked Austin, who was still guarding the bed.
"I'll…stay and watch him," Austin said hesitantly.
"Okay." Bikren did not stop him. Instead, he nodded and said, "There is only one bed in this tent. If you want to sleep here at night, remember to cover yourself with a blanket or something."
"Thank you. Take Care."Austin bowed slightly and said goodbye.
"Also, remember to turn off the lights at night." Bikren reminded him one last time before walking out of the tent.
Outside, Bikren made a 'Yes' gesture to Devitt and the other two who were standing under the shadow of the tree.
Devitt nodded in response.
As he watched Bikren walk away, Al Buer could not help but say, "I was wondering why Captain Devitt ended up asking so many questions. Because you knew that your opponent was lying."
"This goblin's identity is not so simple," Devitt said.
"Among the goblins, he should be at least a noble of the rank," Claremont added.
"Did you find out from the conversation?" Al Buer smiled. "Actually, I also noticed that this goblin named Gilbert showed disdain and contempt for his own race in his speech. It's not something that a commoner who was arbitrarily exiled would have."
"After all, he's just a child. The excuses he came up with are also full of flaws." Devitt recalled Gilbert's answer to his question of 'why did he come here?' He couldn't help but blurt out.
"Wouldn't it be bad to keep our soldiers in the dark?"Al Buer asked worriedly.
"There's nothing we can do about it. In order to make Gilbert let down his guard, we can only pretend that everything is going as planned. Austin's role is even more important," Claremont said helplessly, after saying that, he couldn't help but frown. Even Claremont despised this plan of deceiving his subordinates and making use of their true feelings.
Devitt also sighed and said, "Tomorrow morning, Austin would probably propose to let Gilbert join the army."
Looking at the bright moon that was covered by clouds, Devitt's mood was like the moonlight, half gloomy and half hopeful.
Hopefully, he could find an opportunity to make up for it in the future.
After Bikren left, Austin squatted down in front of Gilbert.
Before he could say anything, Gilbert said unexpectedly, "I'm so hungry."
"Huh?"Austin looked up in surprise and blinked. He asked, "How long has it been since you last ate?"
"About three days," Gilbert replied and kept his hands on his stomach.
"Three days? !" Austin's eyes widened. Without saying another word, he got up and walked to his luggage. He rummaged through it and said anxiously, "I think I only have wheat bread left."
Guibert stared at his back with a hint of absent-mindedness.
"Here, have some to ease your stomach." Austin handed two pieces of wheat bread to Gilbert and said apologetically, "I've eaten a little too much recently, so I only have this much of dry food left."
"Thank you," Gilbert said gently.
"Of course."Austin took a kettle filled with water from the other side of the room. He poured the water into his usual lunchbox. When he saw Gilbert choke on his food, he handed the lunchbox to him. "Eat slowly, there's water here."
Under such careful care, Gilbert became embarrassed.
"It's the first time we met…" Gilbert murmured as he gulped down the water.
"What?" Austin turned around and asked.
"It's the first time we met. Why are you taking such good care of me?" Gilbert swallowed the water in his mouth and asked.
"Huh?" Austin recalled what happened that day. Indeed, he seemed to be very concerned about this foreign vagabond who appeared out of nowhere. After pondering for a while in his mind, Austin giggled and replied, "Maybe you're too ugly. I was quite ugly when I was young. When I saw someone who was in the same situation as me, I'd always recall the bitter history of the past. I wanted to take good care of you."
To think about it, the reason was still a kind one. However, this method was not worthy of praise.
Gilbert pursed his lips and continued to eat the wheat bread in his hand.
Austin took out a blanket and laid it on the ground.
"When you're done eating, put the lunch box there. I'll clean it up and you should rest," Austin reminded Gilbert as he made the bed.
"Okay. I'm done eating." Gilbert ate the last mouthful of wheat bread. Then he turned over and lay down on the bed. He tucked in the corners for himself.
When everything was ready, Austin stood up. Staying in a half-squatting position for a long time would still make people dizzy when they stood up.
After stabilizing his body with great difficulty, Austin turned his head to look at Gilbert. He found that Gilbert had already fallen into a deep sleep. Perhaps it was because he had replenished his body's needs for food, but his breathing was also much stronger than what he had seen this morning.
"He fell asleep so quickly…" Austin muttered silently. After stretching by the side of the candlestick, Austin also felt a wave of tiredness.
"Phew –"Austin extinguished the candle, and the room became pitch-black. He could only grope his way back to his bed.
However, Austin was already used to such occasions. In the soldiers' tents, the lights would be turned off at around 10 o'clock every night. Every time he went back after the night shift, he could only grope his way forward in the darkness. Or he would use the snoring of a person who was sound asleep to determine his position.
Austin lay on the paved floor, closed his eyes, and fell asleep in a short while.
The next morning, Guibert woke up with the smell of porridge coming from outside the door. When he got out of bed in a daze, he kicked Austin's thigh.
"Ah!" With a scream, Austin had to wake up from his dream.
In the dream he had last night, Austin dreamed that Gilbert had changed from his original appearance into a cute and adorable child. He would be welcomed by everyone wherever he went, and Austin always followed him, looking at him proudly and walking with him.
Dreams were beautiful, but reality was always harsh. This was the reality that Austin felt when he woke up early in the morning to Gilbert's face.
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Chapter 736: Austin's Request
"Be careful!" Austin hugged his thigh and shouted.
It was then when Gilbert opened his eyes in a daze. He did not react when he saw Austin lying on the ground with a twisted face and the unfamiliar environment around him.
His eyes rolled back and forth a few times, and his throat became drier and drier.
"Hello? What's wrong with you?" Austin supported himself with his body and waved his right hand in front of Gilbert. "Did you sleep too much and not thinking straight now?"
Gilbert came back to his senses and recalled how he met Austin yesterday. He slowly raised his hand and pointed outside the door. "It smells so good."
"So you are not fully awake yet." Austin lowered his head helplessly and said, "I'll take you to have breakfast later."
"Okay." Gilbert nodded and then sat back down on the edge of the bed. He quietly waited for Austin to make his next move.
Austin stood up and put on his clothes neatly. He rolled up the quilt on the ground and put it back into his luggage bag.
Just as he was about to go out to find water to wash his face, Austin thought of something and stopped to say to Gilbert, "You have to wash up with me too."
Gilbert did not say anything. He obediently got off the bed. He slowly walked to Austin's side.
Looking at his naked body, Austin suddenly felt that it was not good to take him out like this. With a thought, Austin took out a jacket from the luggage on his back and put it on Gilbert without saying a word.
Austin's jacket was on Gilbert, and the hem covered Gilbert's thigh.
"Well, not too bad," Austin said with satisfaction.
Gilbert carefully rubbed the cloth on his body with his hand.
"Well, go wash your face and brush your teeth." Austin smiled and held Gilbert's hand.
The two walked out of the tent and went to the sink in the kitchen to wash their faces.
"After washing your face, you still need to brush your teeth," Austin said. He raised his toothbrush.
Gilbert looked at the toothbrush, frowned, and raised his foot to escape.
However, Austin blocked his way. "If you don't brush your teeth, don't think about eating."
Gilbert stood stiffly on the spot. At the moment, nothing was more important than eating. Gilbert could tell that if he wanted to get food, he had to listen to the person in front of him.
"Open your mouth," Austin said to Gilbert after brushing his teeth.
"Um…" Gilbert reluctantly turned his head and whimpered. His eyes turned red.
"This is good for your health. You won't get sick if you brush your teeth often," Austin comforted him. "It'll be over in two minutes."
Gilbert slowly raised his head and looked at Austin with tears in his eyes.
"Well, be obedient," Austin encouraged him.
Gilbert opened his mouth in doubt, revealing the bright fangs in his mouth.
"Your teeth are so sharp." Austin carefully brushed Gilbert's teeth and said, "And they are cleaner than mine. What do you usually use to grind your teeth?"
Gilbert was still not used to the feeling of the toothbrush in his mouth. He stared at Austin with a grumbled face.
After more than ten minutes, the two of them finished washing up. Austin led Gilbert to the breakfast stand in the kitchen and received his share of food.
"I just made an extra one. Give it to this little guy." The soldier in the kitchen took out a lunchbox and said, "He looks much better than yesterday."
"What a coincidence. You're quite lucky." Austin handed the steaming breakfast to Gilbert and said with a smile.
"But you have to hurry up when you eat. Don't you still have to send this little Gnome out of here? I heard from Captain Devitt that there are still about twenty minutes before you have to assemble for departure," the soldier reminded them.
"Thank you." Austin nodded.
They found an empty seat in the center of the camp and sat down.
As soon as Gilbert sat down, he held his bowl and ate.
Austin, on the other hand, did not have much appetite. He ate a few mouthfuls of bread with a lack of interest. Then he closed the lunchbox and put it back into his bag. He sat there and stared at Gilbert's eating style in a daze.
"I'm done." In less than five minutes, Gilbert raised the empty rice bowl in his hand and said with high spirits.
"Well, are you full?" Austin came back to his senses and asked him.
"Quite full," Gilbert replied.
Every portion of food in the army corresponded to the number of calories an adult soldier needed to consume every day. Based on the portion, it should be enough for a skinny, underaged goblin.
"Then let's go. I'll send you off," said Austin with a sigh.
Gilbert stood up obediently and handed the lunchbox back to Austin.
"Actually, you don't have to send me off. I can walk out of here by myself," Gilbert said clearly.
"Do you have a place to stay on this plain?" Austin pursed his lips and asked with a struggle in his heart, "Can you find food on your own?"
"No. There's no prey on this plain," Gilbert said with his eyes lowered as he recalled the tragic situation a few days ago.
"… Do you want to come with us? We'll go to the volcano where your companions are. Maybe they can help you." Austin asked, recalling the expression on Gilbert's face when he said that he didn't want to go back last night.
"I don't have any companions there anymore," Gilbert said with a lonely expression.
"How can that be? There will be your friends waiting for you to go back," Austin said hurriedly. "If you continue to wander, you can only resign yourself to fate."
Gilbert was silent for a long time. Finally, he raised his head and said, "Can I join you guys?"
"You and I will go to see Captain Devitt and the others." Seeing that Gilbert had accepted his suggestion, Austin blurted out his thoughts, "I'll help you persuade them."
"Okay." Gilbert nodded heavily.
Austin looked at the increasing number of armored soldiers in the open space of the camp. He thought that it was almost time to assemble.
He hurriedly took Gilbert's hand and ran toward the tent where Captain Devitt was.
"Captain Devitt!" Austin rushed into Devitt's tent and shouted into it.
Devitt, Claremont, and Abel, who were standing in front of the table, stopped their conversation and looked back at him in surprise.
There were also soldiers moving tables and chairs around.
"Gilbert said that he wants to go to the volcano with us. Can you let him to join us?" Austin took a deep breath and said.
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Chapter 737: Unknowingly Taking Care of Him
Hearing Austin's words, Devitt's expression became awkward.
"I'll take care of it," Austin hurriedly added.
"Your mission is to protect yourself and your comrades. Where would you find the time to take care of a nomad from another race?" Claremont stood at the side and said seriously.
"I. . ." Austin was at a loss for words. He could not think of what to say.
"Didn't you say that you don't want to go back? Why have you changed your mind now?" Abel took a step forward and asked Gilbert.
"… Actually, I've always wanted to go back." Gilbert was silent for a while and continued, "I want to get back what I deserve."
Abel and Claremont looked at each other and nodded secretly.
Devitt focused his gaze on Gilbert and hinted, "If you want to use us to return to the Gnome Tribe's territory, you have to be mentally prepared to pay the price."
"Got it." Gilbert looked at the ground and nodded. "I'll tell you all the information I know."
"Including the information about the Gnome Tribe?" Claremont confirmed.
"… Yes." After a while, Gilbert nodded.
"Then, Austin, from now on, Guibert will be taken care of by you," Devitt promised Gilbert. "Don't worry, we won't force you to tell us unnecessary information."
"Great!" Austin shouted. He put his hand on Gilbert's shoulder happily.
"Austin, take Gilbert to the military logistics to get a pair of smaller shoes. Hurry up and don't delay the journey," Claremont instructed.
"Yes!" Austin replied. He bent over, held Gilbert's shoulder and took him out.
"I didn't expect Captain Devitt to agree! I didn't even have the time to say anything," Austin said in high spirits. When he turned around, he saw that Gilbert had his head lowered and was silent, he immediately asked with concern, "What's wrong with you? Are you okay?"
"Nothing." Gilbert stood up straight and shook his head.
"Captain Devitt and the rest are very considerate people. Honestly, they are just kind. They wouldn't have the heart to do anything to hurt you," Austin comforted him. "I'm also very happy to be able to go with you."
Gilbert looked up and saw the dazzling smile on Austin's face. The corners of his mouth also curled up. "Okay."
"Everyone gather!" Abel stood outside the separated camp and shouted in a loud voice.
The scouts, including Gilbert, quickly lined up neatly in front of him.
"Today, we must strive to get out of this flat land. No one can relax," Abel said.
"Yes!" The soldiers replied.
The group officially set off. When Abel led the group, he would usually walk at the front, looking at the map to find a route, not caring much about the soldiers and their discipline behind him. Indeed, under such circumstances, the Elf Soldiers were still traveling quietly. They would not talk to each other. Perhaps it was because of their innate laziness.
However, the Caradia soldiers were not so well-behaved. When they were in a good mood, they would talk to each other. At this time, Austin brought a new guy into the army. Many of the Caradia soldiers could not help but gather around curiously.
"This is the guy that you squashed the other day, right?" One of the soldiers said.
"I heard from Captain Devitt and the others that this little guy is a Gnome," another soldier added.
The topic of Gilbert became very popular among the soldiers.
"How did you think of bringing him along?" One of Austin's teammates asked.
"Isn't his home near our destination?" Austin casually replied, "This little guy will probably not survive in the wilderness for a few more days. Why can't we send him home on the way?"
"I see." Austin's teammate nodded and then gave Gilbert a friendly smile.
In fact, Austin didn't know why he had to bring this little guy along.
He had thought about it for a long time before coming up with this reason.
With this thought in mind, his gaze naturally shifted to Gilbert.
Even though the people around him were noisy, this little guy still had an indifferent look as if there was nothing to do with him.
However, as the journey got longer, his lips tightened.
"Are you tired?" Austin leaned over and asked.
"Yes." Gilbert squeezed out such a syllable from his throat.
Austin put his hand on Gilbert's arm and suggested, "I'll carry you."
Gilbert did not try to be brave anymore. With the strength of Austin's arm, he climbed onto his back and sat down steadily.
Austin looked up at the sky and thought to himself, "after all, he's just a skinny kid. He must be tired after walking for the whole morning."
With a place to rest, Gilbert fell asleep on Austin's back.
"From the back, the two of you look like father and son," a soldier passing by commented to Austin.
"Don't talk nonsense." Austin glared at him. "Have you ever seen such a young man carrying such a big son?"
"Hehe." The soldier smiled and did not say anything else.
Austin lifted his feet and walked forward. He silently thought to himself, "I must find a beautiful wife in the future and give birth to a cute child. Others can envy me."
"Rest for fifteen minutes," Abel ordered.
The soldiers found a lawn and laid down casually.
Austin was worried that his actions would wake Gilbert up, so he stood near the soldiers lying down and chatted with them.
Devitt walked over and said, "Why are you taking care of him so much?"
"Ah," Austin sighed and said, "I don't know. I just feel that he is like a wilful child who has no family and no companions. It's too hard."
"In that case, all the more you shouldn't take care of him in every detail." Devitt shook his head and said, "Falling from complete pain to complete doting will make people more vulnerable to the hardships."
"Is that so?" Austin looked back at Gilbert who was sleeping soundly on his shoulder, he said softly, "Captain Devitt, you are really amazing. I suddenly realized that I only gave him a different extreme environment."
"It's nothing," Devitt continued, "If you choose to be a kind person, it proves that the person who makes the choice is very smart. It's just that this world is so big, and the meaning of kindness is different in different places."
Devitt only hoped that Austin would not spend too much time with Gilbert during this period.
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Chapter 738: A Sudden Increase in Pace
Nearing evening, the group of Scouts walked out of the plains and stepped into the territory of the Snake-women.
Abel looked at the yellow soil and became worried.
The altitude here was much higher than the mountain where the Centaurs had been.
Everyone had felt the winter on the island earlier since they arrived.
Claremont kicked the cracked ground under his feet and said, "Is this where the Snake-women lives?"
"It's similar to what the information states. We have to be careful from now on," Devitt said from the side.
"According to the information, Snake-women would plant plague bombs near her territory. There's no way to solve it," Claremont added.
"Perhaps in the eyes of the Dwarf Clan, this defense is nothing," Devitt speculated.
"But for us, it is a difficulty we cannot overcome." Claremont sighed.
"Now we can only leave this problem to Abel, and let him judge the location of the Snake-women based on the terrain. As long as we go around them, the chances of us being infected by the poison gas would not be that high," Devitt said nervously.
"Okay." Claremont nodded.
"Everyone! Cover your mouth and nose and follow me slowly," Abel turned around and ordered the soldiers.
The scouts all took out a piece of cloth from their bags with solemn expressions and covered the lower half of their faces.
"What happened to them?" In such a serious atmosphere, Gilbert pulled on Austin's clothes and raised his head to ask.
His voice made the few soldiers standing in front of him look back.
Austin quickly gestured to Gilbert to keep quiet. He waited for the team captain to turn his head.
Austin bent over and whispered into Gilbert's ear and said, "We've already entered the Snake-women territory. We have to be careful of hidden mines. Quickly cover your nose and mouth with a handkerchief." Austin handed Gilbert his handkerchief.
Gilbert pushed away Austin's hand that was in front of him and walked towards Abel's position.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Austin stopped him with a voice that was forced out of his throat.
Gilbert pointed at Abel's back and continued to walk forward.
Austin followed him anxiously. When he noticed Gilbert walking all the way to the front row, the captains in the front row had unpleasant expressions on their faces.
"I want to see this captain," Gilbert said to the soldier who stopped him, pointing at Abel's figure.
Abel turned to look at Gilbert after hearing the childish voice. He stopped and raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Why did you come to me and not stay by Austin's side?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Austin rushed to the front and made an apologetic gesture to Abel. "I'll take him away immediately."
"I can lead the way for you." Gilbert was naturally held by Austin's wrist, but he had no intention of moving, sounding very firm in front of Abel.
Devitt and Claremont, who noticed that the team had stopped, also rushed over from the back of the team and heard what Gilbert said.
"Huh?" Abel was surprised. "You're willing to help us?"
"Only to help him." Guibert raised his arm, which was held by Austin, and explained, "But you have to agree to one condition of mine."
"What?" Abel asked.
"After you reach the volcano, you can't step into the Gnome's territory," Gilbert said word by word.
Devitt and Claremont, who were standing silently at the side, looked at each other when they heard that. This goblin child was still guarding against them.
After hearing that, Abel looked at Guilbert from head to toe. Gilbert had taken the initiative to suggest letting him lead the way, which reminded Abel that the goblins did indeed have such abilities.
Abel thought for a moment and replied, "Okay. I promise you."
"You too." Gilbert turned to look at Devitt and Claremont.
"Mm." Devitt nodded as a representation of agreement.
This statement made Gilbert feel a little more at ease. Although he did not know what the intentions of this group of people were, but in order for the Gnomes to not be involved, he had to use his abilities in exchange.
Whether it was for prosperity or decline, he was still the crown prince of the goblins.
The sense of responsibility for the safety of the tribe had always flowed in the blood of the royal family.
With this thought, Gilbert lowered his head and looked at the prisoner bird tattoo on his left chest.
"You go ahead," Abel gave up his position and said to Gilbert.
Austin was stunned when Gilbert raised his hand. He watched Gilbert walk forward and followed him closely. However, he was stopped by Claremont. "Ask the captain of your team to keep an eye on him."
Austin and Claremont looked at each other and nodded. After asking the captain of the team to keep an eye on him, Austin walked back to his original position.
Gilbert looked back towards Austin's back and then looked forward. He said to Abel, who was standing on his left hand, "My instructions might be a little fast. You would have to catch up."
"Okay," Abel replied.
Everyone quieted down and waited for Gilbert's next move.
Gilbert squatted down and picked up a pile of yellow soil with his hand. He held it in front of his eyes, blew it away with his breath, and rushed out before the yellow sand landed on the ground.
Abel also immediately moved to follow behind him.
Although the soldiers were somewhat baffled by this sudden start. However, their daily training was not in vain. It did not take long for the Caradia soldier to organize the team and follow the two leaders by running.
The Elves stood at the end of the team, moving forward confidently.
Gilbert walked quickly on the plateau, with the wind blowing past his ears. He was currently using his spiritual power to survey the surrounding underground environment. While using his spiritual power, his pupils also became redder.
Under such special circumstances, the soldiers of the reconnaissance team ended the last part of their march today.
After sunset, Abel quickly called out to Gilbert, who was still running forward.
The soldiers also stopped after the long run.
"I didn't expect this little guy to run so fast." One of the soldiers panted.
"Are you kidding me? He's a gnome. I think he can run faster than this." Another soldier patted the soldier's back to help him catch his breath. With a relaxed smile, he said, "I think today's situation is quite interesting. It's usually too slow."
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Chapter 739: The Snake Woman's Ambush
"Where are we now?" Devitt looked at the surrounding and panted as he asked Claremont.
"Gilbert took us around the shortcut. I guess we're halfway there." Claremont replied as he looked at the map.
"So fast!" Devitt was a little surprised.
Claremont said helplessly, "In order to keep up with his speed, we've also increased our speed."
"Fortunately, under his guide, we have already covered more than half of the distance today. Otherwise, if we continue to be led by him like this, the strength of the soldiers will be wearing out." Devitt took a deep breath and said.
"Yes." Claremont nodded. "But after the order to rest just now, I haven't seen Gilbert. where is he?"
"He probably went back to Austin and stayed by his side." Devitt speculated.
Sure enough, after a while, Austin brought Claremont over.
Austin was helping everyone set up their tents, while Gilbert quietly followed by his side.
"Go sit under the shade and rest." Austin said to Gilbert.
Gilbert shook his head without any emotion in his eyes.
This was the third time Austin had tried to persuade him to go back and rest, but he had failed.
"Yo!" a tall and strong soldier walked toward the two of them and greeted them with a bright expression. "Gilbert."
Gilbert looked up at him and looked away without saying anything.
"My name is Brian. I'm the captain of the fifth squad in this army." The soldier didn't give up and introduced himself. "You ran very fast today." then he reached out his right hand to touch Gilbert's head.
Gilbert took a step back and avoided his hand gesture. He looked at him coldly.
Brian took back his hand resentfully and smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, I offended you."
Seeing this, Austin quickly shielded Gilbert behind him. He smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Captain Brian, I'm sorry. This little guy is a bit shy. Don't mind him."
"Of course not." Brian raised his head and said, "I just want to try to get to know him. After all, his performance today was really amazing."
"Haha." Austin laughed and said, "In the future, he will follow us until we return to our hometown. We'll be friends in the end."
"You are right. I'll keep visiting this little guy." Brian nodded. After waving to Gilbert with a smile, he returned to his team.
"I don't want to know him." A low voice came from behind Austin.
Austin sighed, he turned around and squatted down to carefully exhort Gilbert, "In the human world, whether you like it or not, it is important to be polite. In the future, when others come to talk to you, you can't be as rude as you are today."
"Okay." Gilbert stared at Austin's eyes for a while and nodded in agreement.
"You're so sensible." Austin smiled again. "If you smile at others, they will smile at you and won't make things difficult for you. Isn't that good?"
Gilbert pursed his lips and didn't say anything.
The tent was built very quickly. Because Gilbert was so energetic when he led the way today, it was already very late when everyone was organized and settled down. In order to prepare dinner, the cookers stayed in front of the stove at the back of the camp and did not show up.
There was little smoke in the kitchen. The soldiers had their dinner at ten o'clock in the evening.
"It's great that we didn't meet the snake-women after crossing this plateau," Claremont said to Abel as he drank a mouthful of soup from his bowl.
"Why? Are you afraid of them?" Abel asked with a smile.
"I'm not that afraid. However, when I think of their heads and tails, I get goosebumps on my arms." Claremont held onto his arm and said with a twisted expression, "Don't you think so?"
"Hmm? I don't think so." Abel shrugged and answered.
"Eh?" Claremont looked at Abel with a puzzled expression.
Under the care of Austin, Gilbert sat on the small bed in the tent and ate the porridge in his bowl.
"I'm not eating anymore." Gilbert looked up and said to Austin.
Austin's eyes widened. "Why are you eating so little? Have a few more sips."
"I'm full." Gilbert said, pointing at his bulging stomach.
"I don't remember your usual appetite being this small." Austin was puzzled. "Is this vegetable porridge not to your liking? I'll go to the kitchen to see if there's anything else to eat."
Saying that, Austin stood up, placed the porridge bowl on the table, and turned to walk to the kitchen.
After watching him leave, Gilbert got off the bed and put on the shoes that Austin had given him. He slowly walked out of the tent. After avoiding the place where the soldiers were gathered, he climbed over the fence of the camp.
"Come out." Gilbert stood on the loess-covered plain and shouted at the dark night.
"Sizzle –" something passed through the grass and approached him.
"You killed half of our tribe, and you still dare to come here." A cold voice reached Gilbert's ears.
"I killed them because they wanted to kill me," Gilbert said with a calm expression. "The human and elven soldiers in this camp are not to be trifled with. If I tell them that the snake-woman tribe has been weakened, you might not even be able to defend your own home. How dare you lay an ambush here and prepare for a night attack. Where did your courage come from!"
After saying the last sentence, the spiritual power in Gilbert's body gathered in his palm, and his fingers suddenly became sharp.
"Stop scaring us." A snake-woman said sharply, "The news that this army is going to the volcano has long spread across the entire island. Do you think we don't know what they are capable of?"
"Oh?" upon hearing this, Gilbert chuckled, "Then you mean, you want to give it a try?"
"Humph! As expected, he is a b*stard gnome born with a rebellious nature in his body." A snake girl mocked, "Even his words are so arrogant."
Upon hearing the word 'b*stard', the corners of Gilbert's mouth stiffened for a moment, after taking a deep breath, he said to the snake-women, "Anyway, if you want to besiege this place today, you'll have to go through me first. I advise you to think it thoroughly before you come back."
Seeing the surging spiritual power in Gilbert's body, the snake-women showed a hint of fear.
However, as long as the leader did not say anything, they could not retreat.
The snake-woman leader narrowed her eyes and said, "You may be the first gnome who protect humans like this."
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Chapter 740: Scaring Off the Snake-women
"This has nothing to do with you." Gilbert could see that the snake-woman in front of him was the key to forcing the group to retreat. He locked his gaze on the other party.
Their gazes met in the air, and the atmosphere became tense.
"Alright." Finally, the snake-woman leader waved her hand and said, "There is nothing on these soldiers that is worth risking our lives for. Besides, we're still waiting for you to go back and continue watching the gnomes' show. I heard that it's a mess there now."
"Humph." Gilbert snorted. "It's good that you know what's good for you. Besides, the gnomes are only in a temporary civil war. No matter how chaotic it is, you outsiders won't have a chance to interfere."
Hearing that, the snake-woman leader narrowed her eyes angrily.
Gilbert didn't care. He turned around and left.
Returning to the camp, Gilbert saw Austin, who was looking for him everywhere.
Austin was currently asking the passing soldiers if they had seen Gilbert. Halfway through his words, he noticed Gilbert standing in front of him.
"Where did you go?" Austin asked with concern.
Looking at the sweat on Austin's forehead, Gilbert made an uncomfortable expression and whispered to him, "My stomach doesn't feel well."
"Stomach doesn't feel well? Is it because of the porridge you just had?" Austin asked in surprise.
"I'm not sure." Gilbert shook his head and continued, "It's much better now."
"Then…" Austin looked down at the steak in his lunchbox and hesitated.
"You can have it." Gilbert said with a bright smile.
"No, I'll leave it for you to eat when you're hungry at night." Austin shook his head, closed the lunchbox, and looked at Gilbert.
Gilbert saw that he couldn't persuade Austin, so he didn't say anything more. He let Austin take him back to the tent to rest.
After Gilbert laid down on the bed, Austin put a blanket on him.
"Are you going to sleep here today?" In the dark room, Gilbert's eyes were indeed sparkling as he looked at Austin.
"Um…" Austin hesitantly pursed his lips, he recalled the words that Devitt said to him that afternoon, so he said, "This is not a place prepared for me to rest. Of course, I have to go back to my bed to sleep."
"Okay." Gilbert replied and then closed his eyes.
Austin stood by the bed and watched him fall asleep. When he heard Gilbert's breathing become even, he extinguished the candlestick in the corner of the wall. He walked out of the tent quietly.
A comrade of his team saw him walk out and walked up to him, saying, "Austin, it's our turn to work the night shift today."
"Okay, I'll go make some preparations." Austin nodded immediately.
"Can you do it? You look tired," his teammate asked.
"Do I look tired?" Austin looked up curiously and asked.
"Yeah, I feel a little tired," his teammate teased. "It must be hard for you to take care of your 'son'."
"Son?" Austin raised his eyebrows.
"It's that newly recruited kid," the soldier explained with a smile. "Now everyone treats that kid as your son."
"Is that so?" Austin lowered his head wearily and waved his hand. "You can think whatever you want."
If this could make Gilbert happier in this group.
"I say, when you're taking care of others, you should take care of yourself also." the soldier shook his head. "We won't be able to walk with that little guy for long. At this rate, we'll probably break up after more than ten days."
After saying this, the soldier was called away. Austin was left standing alone, wondering why everyone would say this to him. He clearly hadn't thought of anything.
This question piled up on Austin's chest, and he felt suffocated.
He did not intend to continue thinking. Austin put on his armor.
Then, he hastened his pace and walked to his own row, accepting the duty of patrolling with everyone.
In Claremont's tent, Claremont was rummaging through the pile of documents in his luggage bag.
Sitting on the other side of the table was Abel. At this moment, he was leisurely eating the snacks on his plate.
"So, this is what you have in your luggage bag? No wonder it's twice as big as the others," Abel said as he dipped his hand in the remaining sugar on his plate.
"I can't bear to throw these things away. There's no one to clean them up for me in the military camp, so I can only bring them with me." Claremont replied.
"You must have read every book here dozens of times." Abel finished his snack and went over to squat on the ground. He was surprised by the number of books.
"Not really. Some books are bought by myself, so I didn't bear to wear them out by reading them too much. Some books were given to me by the owner of a bookstore, but I've read them dozens of times." Claremont explained.
Abel raised his head and gave him a look of disdain. "You are the elites selected from the Claremont soldiers. Why do you save so much money for yourself?"
"I've saved all the rewards," Claremont said with a smile. "The money for these books was collected from the rewards given to us by the generals."
Abel rolled his eyes at him and sat back down on his stool. After sitting for a while, he really couldn't sit still. He asked Claremont, "Why did you ask me to accompany you to this military camp to find a book?"
"I have an illustrated handbook. I think I lost it." Claremont said anxiously. His hands rummaged through the pile of books faster and faster.
"Is it a very valuable illustrated handbook?" Abel came over and asked with concern.
"Sort of. But now I remember that the illustrated handbook has a record of the history of the elf clan." Claremont nodded and said, "Perhaps it can prove Gilbert's identity."
"Didn't you and Commander Devitt both determine that Gilbert is the prince of the elf clan? Why do you still need to find something to confirm it?" Abel recalled the conversation outside the tent that night and asked.
"No, I think the tattoo on Gilbert's body has another meaning. It's not just the crown prince." Claremont vaguely voiced his guess as the image of the caged bird appeared in his mind.
"I see." After understanding the current situation, Abel also followed Claremont to search through the pile of books.
"What's the name of that book?"
"The Encyclopedia of Nature."
"What? Why would a book about other races on the continent have such a name?" Abel's expression froze for a moment.
"Stop talking nonsense and help me find it."
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Chapter 741: Wonderful Breakfast
The two of them rummaged through Claremont's bag, but they still couldn't find the legendary illustrated handbook.
"What should we do if we can't find it?" Abel asked Claremont as he shook off the dust on his body with his hands.
"There's no other way." Claremont sat on the ground dejectedly and said in distress, "How did I lose that book…"
"Did you get rid of it?" Abel frowned and turned to ask.
"No way." Claremont supported his chin and thought for a while. "I did clean up the books once when I still at Elf Kingdom, but this book is so rare, how could I throw it away?"
"It must have been stuck somewhere by you and thrown away together." Abel curled his lips and said, "Look at your pile of books, they don't seem to be arranged orderly."
"Yeah…" Claremont lowered his head in self-reproach.
"Don't worry. How high can the status of this gnome be? Even if it's related to our mission, haven't we always arranged for someone to take care of him?" Abel comforted him.
"I don't know why, but I still feel uneasy." Claremont covered his chest and said.
"You're overthinking." Abel shook his head. He stood up and dusted off the dust on his pants. "Then I'll go back first. Remember to rest early."
"Okay. I won't send you off." Claremont nodded.
Abel then walked out of the tent.
After watching Abel leave, Claremont sat at his desk and took out a pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. He recalled the tattoo on Gilbert's chest that he had seen a few days ago and drew it on the paper.
"This might be useful." Claremont said quietly.
After doing this, it was already late at night. Claremont closed his eyes tiredly and sat on his bed, closing his clothes and lying down.
In the military camp, other than the footsteps of the soldiers patrolling around, everyone became quiet.
The next morning, Austin woke Gilbert up. After washing up, they went to eat breakfast together.
The remaining steak from last night was brought to the kitchen by Austin and asked to be heated. He wanted to treat it as Gilbert's breakfast.
"You're going to run with everyone again today, right? You have to eat more. After all, your body is so weak." Austin told Gilbert while waiting for the cooked steak to be brought out from the kitchen.
"Yes." Gilbert nodded. After smelling the fragrance of the meat coming out from the pot, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
"Okay, here you go." the kitchen soldier took out the steaks that were emitting hot steam from the plate. "Fortunately, the weather is freezing now. If your steaks had been kept overnight earlier, there would have been bugs crawling inside."
"I know." Austin said with a smile, "Thank you. I'll make it up to you some other day."
"Don't make it another day. Let's do it today." the kitchen staff shook his head, looking down at Gilbert from the half-meter-high stove, he said, "Kid, you should lead the way today, right? You should at least run slower. We are chasing after you with a big iron pot on our backs, we really can't take it."
"Wow!" Gilbert exclaimed in surprise when he saw the steak in Austin's hand. Then, he smiled and nodded to the soldier in the kitchen. "Okay!"
"Good boy." the soldier in the kitchen showed a gratified smile, then he turned around and went back to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
"You must keep your promise to others. Come, let's sit over there and eat." Austin held the hot plate for himself, and let Gilbert take his vegetable cake and corn porridge.
The two of them walked to a corner of the campsite and sat down. As soon as they put down the plate, Gilbert rushed to get the steak.
"Don't worry, this is to be eaten cut." Austin quickly held his hand and pointed to the water bottle beside him. "Drink some water first."
When Gilbert leaned over to drink the water, Austin cut the steak on the plate into pieces.
"Okay, you can start eating." Austin handed the knife and fork to Gilbert with satisfaction.
"Thank you." Gilbert said softly, and then began to enjoy his breakfast happily.
Austin sat at the side, eating the vegetable cake while watching Gilbert eat. He thought to himself, 'Gilbert is becoming more and more human.'.
When breakfast time was almost over, Devitt led Claremont, Abel, and the others to the dining table of Gilbert and Austin. He said to Gilbert, "Yesterday, your speed was too fast. Many soldiers couldn't handle it. Can you walk slower today?"
"Yes." Gilbert was drinking water. After hearing Devitt's question, he squeezed out a word in response.
"Will we have a chance to walk out of the snake-women's plains today?" Claremont continued to ask.
Gilbert nodded in affirmation.
"I'll follow you today. Remember to find a clear position when you stand in line later." Abel reminded him.
Gilbert looked up at him and said, "Okay."
The three of them left the table and walked to the center of the camp. They gathered the soldiers who had finished their breakfast and cleaned up the equipment used to build the camp.
"I have to go there as well." Austin said to himself as he stared at the backs of the three of them. He took the last bite of the vegetable cake.
"Okay." Gilbert nodded and handed the finished dish to Austin.
Austin glanced at the greasy plate in his hand and looked up at Gilbert. "I'll wash it for you this time. You have to remember to wash it yourself in the future."
"I don't know how to do it." Gilbert said innocently.
Austin rubbed his forehead and said in defeat, "Then you have to tell me: Please help me wash the dishes, something like that. Got It?"
"Got it." Gilbert nodded. "Please wash the dishes."
"Uh…" Austin said helplessly, "Okay, okay. I'll help you wash the dishes in the future. You don't have to say these words."
There was not much time left before they set off. Austin rushed to the sink and washed the dishes. Before he could dry them, he put them into the package.
Gilbert followed him the whole time.
When he finally reached the front of the army, he consciously found Abel and walked to his side.
"You're here?" Abel said.
"Yes." Gilbert did not have a good impression of any human except Austin. Abel greeted him and replied expressionlessly.
Abel was a warm person, but due to the atmosphere in the army, he did not continue to speak to Gilbert.
The two of them stood at the front of the line, side by side.
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Chapter 742: A Sudden Invitation
Under the honing of their daily training, the Caradia soldiers quickly stood in line.
Gilbert turned around and glanced at the soldiers. He found that everyone's eyes were also focused on him.
"You promised us to run slower," Abel patted him on the shoulder and said.
"Okay." Gilbert finally understood why everyone was staring at him. He said to everyone, "Get ready to set off."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gilbert took a step forward and lowered his upper body. As he moved forward, he confirmed the situation on the ground. One by one, he bypassed all the snake-woman tribe members who had planted the plague bomb.
His speed was much slower than yesterday. The soldiers trotted behind him.
"Today is much easier than yesterday," a soldier said happily as he ran.
"It's all because of your poor physical strength that you almost couldn't keep up. That's why Gilbert slowed down for you." a soldier complained.
"We're keeping our strength. Isn't the work of building a camp tiring?" the soldier retorted, "Do you think everyone is like you, you're a stupid pillar born with a lot of strength that can't be used up."
"It's too boring like this now." the taller soldier said dejectedly.
When the soldier at the side saw him like this, he moved closer to his ear and said, "I have an idea. When we rest tonight, you can go find that gnome and have a competition to see who is better. Isn't this much more interesting than you running behind him? You don't have to drag everyone down."
When the soldier heard his words, his eyes lit up and he said, "Okay. But I'm not very familiar with that little guy. Can you help me contact him?"
"Why do you have so many people?" the soldier who gave the suggestion said with disdain, "Okay. I'll help you arrange it. But in the future, when we march, don't let me wander around like today."
"It's settled." the soldier said happily.
"Oh right, What's your name again? We need to have a name if we want ti invite that gnome" the slightly smaller soldier asked.
"Jeb, I'm a recruit who joined the army a year ago." the tall and strong soldier replied.
"Oh, then I'm your senior. I've been in Drondheim's military camp for three years." the soldier was slightly surprised. "My name is Levin. I heard from your brother beside you that you were born with this size?"
"Yes, when I was born, I was heavier than ordinary people, and my bones were quite big." Jeb said.
"Why did you think of joining the army?" Since they were marching, he had nothing to do. Levin took the initiative to talk to Jeb and began to chat.
"My father originally planned to let me take over the family field and help with the work." Jeb thought for a while and explained, "But after I broke a few hoes, my father suggested that I join the army, and I was recruited."
"… I see." Levin stared at him with wide eyes and answered slowly.
The two of them continued to chat about the situation in their respective homes, and the dull and boring march became much more lively.
At noon, Abel glanced at the sun hanging high in the sky. Sun shone on them quite a lot of time on the plateau. After running alongside Gilbert for a few hours, his forehead was already covered in sweat.
Glancing at the compass in his hand, Abel called out to Gilbert, "Gilbert, stop."
"Okay." Gilbert stopped running and turned to look at Abel.
"It's already noon. Let's Find a place for the soldiers to rest for a while," Abel explained.
"Okay." After looking around, Gilbert took another step towards a shady area.
"Everyone, stop and rest." Seeing that Gilbert finally stopped, Abel ordered all the soldiers.
"There are no poison bombs in this area." Gilbert's words drifted into Abel's ears. Abel watched as Gilbert rubbed his arm and walked over.
"Got it." Abel replied to Gilbert.
Gilbert looked for Austin among the armored soldiers. After he saw Austin, a smile appeared on Gilbert's face.
"I want to drink water."
Austin watched as a short figure jumped in front of him.
He paused when he raised the water bottle to his lips.
After seeing Gilbert's face clearly, he bent down and handed the water bottle to Gilbert.
Gilbert raised the water bottle and gulped it down.
"Are you thirsty?" Austin looked at him and asked.
Gilbert shook his head. He thought to himself, 'Ever since I spent more and more time with the humans, my eating habits have become like them.'.
When Abel told him to stop, he felt his body calling out: water, water!
He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
"Here you are." Gilbert handed the mostly empty water bottle back to Austin.
"Drinking more water is a good thing. It won't cause constipation." Austin said as he smiled and stroked Gilbert's head.
Gilbert glanced at him but didn't reply.
The moment Gilbert returned to Austin's side, their actions were noticed by Levin and Jeb.
"Hi!" After walking in, Levin greeted Austin.
Austin hurriedly swallowed the water in his mouth and replied, "Hello, Captain Levin."
When Levin was training in Drondheim's military camp, he had once trained Austin, who had just joined the army. Although they didn't have much contact after that, the two of them could be considered to be familiar with each other.
Because Levin was a senior who had taken care of him before, even after he had been promoted, Austin still maintained respect for Levin. He also called him 'captain'.
"This comrade of yours is looking for your 'son' for something. Can you give him a chance to communicate with him?" Recently, there had been a lot of news about Gilbert in the army. Even if Levin didn't join in the discussion, he had heard quite a bit. In his eyes, if he wanted to talk to Gilbert about something, he had to use Austin as a breakthrough point. Otherwise, this little fellow wouldn't care about what you said.
Therefore, he had come with the intention of making Austin loosen his tongue.
"This…" Austin put on a troubled expression.
To Levin's surprise, Austin actually hesitated. In his impression, Austin would almost immediately agree to the requests of his seniors or superiors.
Seeing Austin hesitate to speak, Levin quickly added, "Jeb has always liked Gilbert. It's really not a big deal to look for him."
"This…" Austin looked up at the burly soldier standing beside Levin, who hurriedly nodded. After exchanging a glance with Gilbert, he said, "Alright."
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Chapter 743: Racing Match
When Levin heard this, he immediately pushed Jeb in front of him.
When Jeb really walked in front of Gilbert, he immediately felt the aura of this child in his eyes.
His movements unconsciously became timid. He opened his mouth, but he couldn't squeeze out a word.
It wasn't until Levin pinched his lower back that he asked in a panic, "I see that you run quite fast, and I can run quite well too. Do you want to compete with me?"
After saying his request, he added urgently, "I'm just asking. I'm not forcing you or something."
"Okay." Gilbert nodded and agreed.
"Really?" Jeb widened his eyes and said happily, "Thank you."
After listening to his thanks, Gilbert shook his head and said, "But if you lose, you have to give me your dinner."
He had long been unwilling to share a meal with Austin.
"Ah?" Jeb was slightly surprised. "Tonight's dinner, or every day?"
"Every day." Gilbert said simply.
"Gilbert." Austin stopped him. Did this kid really want to steal someone else's dinner?
"Forget it if you don't agree." Gilbert said as he looked away.
Abel was already gathering a team and ordering everyone to prepare to set off. Gilbert had to return to his original position.
"Alright, I promise you." Jeb shook his head at Austin and replied.
"Alright. Let's compete before the meal." Gilbert didn't wait for a reply before he turned around and walked forward.
"He's not very sensible yet…" Austin hurriedly explained, but Jeb interrupted him halfway. "Since we made a promise, we have to be able to afford to lose. Moreover, I might not necessarily lose." Jeb said with a smile. After saying this, he followed Levin back to the back row of the team.
Austin stayed in place alone. He was stunned for a long time. Finally, he held his forehead and sighed.
The news of the match between Gilbert and Jeb quickly spread among the marching troops.
Even Devitt and Claremont, who were holding the line, heard the news from the soldiers' small talk.
"I didn't expect Gilbert to agree to such a request." Devitt said.
"It's good to have such activities from time to time, to liven up the atmosphere in the army. I think it will be quite interesting." Claremont said with a smile.
"You just want to watch the show." Devitt said with a smile.
"I still have a serious purpose. I want to see how strong this gnome is." Claremont added.
"How can we tell who is stronger through this match. Whoever faster will win." Devitt shook his head and said.
"Not necessarily. Although the goblins are naturally faster than humans. But we are soldiers who have joined the army for a year, so our strength is much higher than ordinary people. If the gnome can barely win, then I will accept it. With his tiny body, if he can outpace his opponent by a long distance, then I don't think an ordinary gnome will have such ability." Claremont analyzed in detail.
"Mm, what you said does make sense." Devitt nodded and said, "So far, other than being able to observe the terrain, Gilbert doesn't seem to have shown anything in front of us."
"Do you think this match is interesting now?" Claymore smiled at Devitt.
"Yes, we should go and take a look." Devitt said.
Under everyone's expectations, the marching schedule finally came to an end. Except for the people who were arranged to set up tents, all the other soldiers gathered near the venue that Gilbert and Jeb had chosen for the match.
They were prepared to watch the match.
The venue was a flat piece of yellow soil. Jeb and Gilbert were about 500 meters away from the finish line at the jungle.
"Let's not talk too much. So many people have come to watch our match. Let's not waste any more time." Jeb said as he stood on his own track.
Levin stood in the middle of the two.
"After I count down to one, the match start." Levin said as he raised the flag.
Jeb and Gilbert turned to him and nodded. Before Jeb made his preparations, he glanced at Gilbert on his right and found that his expression was calmer than usual.
"I can't let you underestimate me." Jeb thought to himself.
"Three!" Levin waved the flag in the air.
"Two!"
"One!"
When Jeb and Gilbert rushed out, the distance between their shoulders was only a few millimeters apart.
However, in the blink of an eye, Gilbert had shaken off Jeb by a large margin.
Even though Jeb was desperately chasing after him, he still did not shrink back in the slightest.
In the end, this match ended with a crushing victory for Gilbert. When he crossed the finish line, Gilbert directly pounced on Austin, who was waiting for him.
"Ouch." Austin called out.
"I won." Gilbert's face was still red. After all, this was a high plateau, and he couldn't catch his breath while running.
"Congratulations." Austin said with a smile.
"You can eat more tonight." Gilbert said to Austin proudly, still hiding a part of his childish nature.
"So that's why you're doing this." Austin suddenly realized.
After Jeb crossed the finish line, he silently walked to Gilbert's side and sighed. "I'll give you all my dinner from now on."
"Forget it. Our army isn't so poor that we can't even afford a dinner for one more person." a sentence came from afar. Jeb raised his head in fear and saw Devitt and the others walking over with a smile on their faces.
"I'm sorry, Gilbert. I forgot to arrange it for you over the past few days," Claremont said. "Let's choose a smaller bet in the future. If he doesn't say anything and starves to death like this, our losses will be huge."
Gilbert glanced at the three of them and nodded.
"Disperse, disperse. Hurry up and help. Do you still want to eat early?" Abel said to the surrounding soldiers.
The soldiers who wanted to come over hurriedly left. Levin also hurriedly came over and pulled the exhausted Jeb away.
"I didn't expect you to actually win against Jeb. He can be considered to have quite a strong footwork in our army." Devitt praised.
"It's nothing. There are many of my people who are faster than me." Gilbert said with a calm expression.
"It seems that our understanding of the gnome race is still too little. The advantage of race is indeed not to be underestimated." Abel sighed.
"If you want to understand the gnome race, you just need to understand me." Gilbert said with a cold smile.
Devitt looked at him.
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Chapter 744: Return to the Reality
Seeing that the air pressure in the field was getting lower and lower, Austin quickly walked forward and hid Gilbert behind him. He put on a smile on his face and said to Devitt, "Captain Devitt, I'm sorry. We have to hurry up and help set up the tent. Please excuse us."
As soon as he finished speaking, without waiting for Devitt to reply, Austin held Gilbert's hand and left the place.
Devitt looked at the receding figures of the two people and asked Claremont and Abel, "Do you think that Gilbert has found out the reason why we sent Austin to his side?"
"Well," Claremont pursed his dry lips and replied, "I'm not very sure."
"I think that Gilbert hasn't found it out yet. Otherwise, it would be hard to imagine that at his age, he would be so calm and aggressive toward us in that kind of situation." Abel analyzed calmly.
"What Abel said makes sense." Devitt nodded. "But his vigilance towards us is indeed high."
"Since the plan to keep him in the army was established, don't we have to play the bad cop in front of him?" Claremont didn't care much about Gilbert's attitude just now.
Devitt silently lowered his eyes, looked at the blue sky and white clouds on the plateau, and sighed.
"My life is really hard!"
At the dinner table, Jeb held his lunch box that had been cleaned out by Gilbert and wailed.
Levin laughed and stomped his feet. "You silly big guy, who told you to challenge him? You asked for it."
Jeb said with red eyes, "That little guy is even faster than the badger in my hometown. I can't catch up with him no matter how hard I try."
"I can see it, I can see it." a soldier holding a rice bowl said with disdain, "Well, in order to make up for you letting us watch an amateur versus professional game, you can choose any dish in this bowl."
"Really?!" Jeb widened his eyes and said happily. His cheeks were also flushed.
"Yes." the soldier nodded.
"Thank you, thank you." Jeb said hurriedly.
"How can you fill your stomach with just that? Come, come, come. I'll share this rice with you." a soldier sitting across from him stood up and said.
"Thank you, all of you." Jeb raised his face from the rice bowl, and said emotionally.
"I thought you looked unfamiliar before. So you're a new recruit who just joined the army a year ago. As a new recruit, you must be very impressive to be selected here, right?" the soldier who shared the rice with Jeb said.
"I'm not very impressive. Levin already knew it when he first met me today. I am just born with some brute force." Jeb was a little embarrassed from being praised, and his words became humble. "Isn't that right, Captain Levin?"
"Uh…" Levin sat in his chair and looked at the eager and curious looks of the soldiers around him. He sighed in his heart. If he had known this would happen, why would he have hidden Jeb's portion of dinner.
He originally wanted Jeb to suffer the pain of not having dinner for an entire night. He could use this opportunity to educate Jeb that he should never compare himself to others in the future.
However, he didn't expect Jeb's personality and behavior would be respected by the soldiers.
Levin mostly dealt with higher-ranking officers in the barracks.
As a result, he spent too much time like this, and he couldn't help but ignore the enthusiasm of the other soldiers.
At the moment when the table was filled with soldiers celebrating Jeb's 'victory', Levin truly felt his military life.
"Actually, I knew that you came to our military camp a long time ago, because you are much bigger than us. I could see you at a glance in the assembled troops. However, looking at your face, I felt that you were quite difficult to get in touch with. I didn't come to greet you, but now I know that you have such a good personality." a soldier praised.
The group of people chatted more and more happily. From time to time, new people from other tables would join them. As a result, this table was the last to be cleaned up that night.
Unlike the noisy atmosphere in the open space of the camp, Devitt and the other two quickly gathered together after dinner.
They sat around the table and carefully planned on the open map.
"Gilbert did lead us out of the snake-woman's territory. We're only left with the dragon's territory for the rest of the journey." Abel first broke the quiet atmosphere.
"I heard that the dragon clan is currently in hibernation, but we still have to be careful." Devitt warned.
"We're finally close to the volcano. The past two months have really tormented me." Claremont said.
"Although this part of the journey hasn't been smooth, we been quite lucky along the way. We didn't make too many unnecessary sacrifices. I hope that the situation will be much easier when we're carrying out the mission afterward." Abel recalled the past two months and said.
"Carrying out the mission is not so simple." Claremont's eyes seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist. At this moment, he was crouching on the table as he spoke in a low voice.
The other two did not immediately reply. They also knew that the volcano was located in the center of the entire island. The forces that could take root there were probably more powerful than any of the forces they had seen before. If they wanted to get information about the dwarf clan, they would have to participate in the struggle between these forces. The situation would be even more cruel than it was now.
"If you want to control the future in your hands, you have to grasp the clues leading to it. The moment we step into the volcanic area, everything we encounter will determine our direction of progress. Prepare to set up your own defensive line." Devitt concluded.
Claremont straightened his body and nodded.
Abel did the same.
The three of them concluded their night meeting. Claremont and Abel walked out of the tent. As they enjoyed the night breeze, Claremont asked Abel, "Abel, have you fought in any wars before?"
"Yes, but at that time, I was not the commander-in-chief," Abel replied. "What about you? Before this, have you ever followed your country's army anywhere?"
"No, I have always been a small fry in the military camp," Claremont replied. "It's just that I was suddenly called out and followed everyone until now."
"Are you nervous about the future?" Abel turned to look at Claremont asked.
"I'm a little nervous, my emotions have also become a little sensitive." Claremont took a deep breath and said, "But not only for me, but also for everyone."
"It's also my first time being appointed as the leader. When I was sitting just now, I thought about it and realized that my resolution is far from enough." Abel nodded slightly and said while looking at the dark night sky.
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Chapter 745: Resolution as a Leader
"The stronger the light shines on us, the deeper our shadows will become." Claremont took a deep breath and said, "I can only get used to it sooner."
The two did not stay outside for long. After chatting for a while, they returned to their own tent to rest.
"You're very strong today. I see that you're a lot ahead of that soldier." Austin brought a basin of hot water to the bedside and said to Gilbert, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.
Gilbert looked at the hot water under his feet and frowned. He was not in the mood to listen to Austin's words at all.
"I heard from the other soldiers that we can walk smoothly for the next few days because the route Captain Abel took us to an open space that no one is in charge of." Austin was still talking to himself.
"What's so good about an open space that no one is in charge of? It's abandoned by others." Gilbert checked the temperature of the water and quickly retracted his feet. At this moment, he wrinkled his nose and said to Austin.
"How can you say that? Every piece of land has its own benefits. It can only be said that these open spaces are not very suitable for the residents of this island." Austin retorted casually. Then, he placed a low stool in front of Gilbert and sat down.
"This is so hot." Gilbert used his chin to point at the hot water beside the bed and said in disdain.
"Only hot water can kill bacteria." Austin did not care about Gilbert's protest and continued to persuade him, "I didn't check your body these few days. But your toenails are so black, and you still haven't washed them. You might get sick."
On such a disagreement, Austin would always put on a very reasonable and confident look and win an overwhelming victory in the end.
"Okay." Gilbert glanced at Austin, curled his lips and said.
Then, he slowly immersed his feet into the basin. From time to time, he would make irritating calls.
Austin sat on the low stool and pressed on Gilbert's lower leg.
After a while, when Gilbert got used to the temperature of the hot water, he could submerge his feet in the basin without Austin watching.
"Does it feel different now?" Austin asked with a smile.
"It does feel different." Gilbert replied while moving his feet.
"Soak in the water for about ten minutes. The water will be cold by then. I'll help you wipe your feet." Austin reminded him.
Then, Austin put a towel on the railing beside the bed and walked out with the bowl that had not been washed.
Gilbert looked at the water in a daze. He did not notice the passage of time at all.
"What are you thinking about?" At some point, Austin came back with the bowl that had been washed.
At this time, he was wiping the water droplets on his hands with a towel.
"I'm wondering if I'm too much like a human." Gilbert answered.
"Huh? Why did you think of this?" Austin walked over and asked.
"The water is cold." Gilbert saw Austin walking over, and his eyes seemed to focus back. He raised his feet and said.
Austin could only forget about his own problem. He placed Gilbert's feet on his thighs, which were covered with a towel, and helped him wipe off the water stains.
"Whether you're like a gnome or a human, I still hope that in your heart, the person you're comparing yourself to now will be your past self. Whether it's something you like or hate, at least you can make your own choice. Isn't that enough?" After a moment of silence, Austin said earnestly.
Gilbert raised his head and looked at him, his eyes seemed to be shining.
"Austin…" Gilbert whispered.
"Hehe." Austin laughed softly. "Actually, at the age of a human, I'm barely an adult. It's quite embarrassing to always say these big words in front of you."
"I understand." Gilbert nodded slightly and replied.
Austin placed Gilbert's legs back on the mattress. He raised the foot washing water, which was already black, and said in a clear voice, "You rest first. I'll come in later and help you turn off the lights."
"Okay." Gilbert pulled the quilt over and covered himself. He closed his eyes.
The moment Austin walked out of the tent, tears fell from his eyes. When Gilbert asked that question, he looked at Gilbert's expression. He already had the thought that the Gilbert would disappear at any time.
Although they had only been together for about a week, when Austin thought that Gilbert would leave him, his heart sank into sadness.
He poured the used water into the water tank in the camp.
Austin walked back to the tent that was still lit. When he saw that Gilbert had already fallen into a dream, he put out the candlestick and left.
Early the next morning, Gilbert stood in front of Austin's tent and waited.
The soldiers who passed by were all surprised by this scene. They rushed back to the tent and woke up Austin who was still sleeping soundly.
"Austin! Your son is waiting for you outside!!"
"Son… What!" Austin rubbed his eyes and reflected for a while. After he figured out the content of the words, he quickly got up from the bed. He rushed to the door with his upper body naked. When he saw Gilbert, he shouted, "Ah!".
"Good morning." Gilbert said.
"Why are you here? Who put this on you?" Austin squatted down and looked at Gilbert carefully.
"I'm standing here waiting for you. Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Gilbert answered seriously, "I wore this clothes myself. I've learned it since you helped me wear it so many times."
Austin still had a look of disbelief on his face.
"Austin! Why are you standing there without your armor?" the captain of the third team walked over and berated him.
"Yes! Yes! Captain, I'll come out when I'm ready." Austin replied in a panic. After glancing at Gilbert who was standing in the same place, he lifted the curtain of the door and walked back into the tent.
"This shouldn't be a dream…" Austin said to himself as he put on his clothes. "But how did he suddenly become like this?"
With doubt, Austin quickly put on his shirt and brought his weapon. He walked out.
Today, Gilbert didn't have to stand at the front to lead the way, so he returned to the seat beside Austin as usual.
"Today, everyone can relax a little. There's no need to hurry like two days ago." Abel stood in front of the line and spoke. "However, you still have to remember to keep up with the main group. Don't let down your guard completely."
This was the decision that Abel, Devitt, and Claremont came up with after discussing it with each other yesterday. After all, they had run for two days in a row. They still had to relax and rest.
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Chapter 746: Soldiers Who Miss Their Hometown
Austin glanced at Gilbert beside him, still confused.
On the way, Austin could not help but bend down and ask Gilbert, "What's wrong with you today?"
"I just feel that my question yesterday made you sad, and I want to make it up to you today." Gilbert said with a mischievous smile.
Austin's face was a little red because his mood was seen through by Gilbert. Gilbert's smile after that really made him shiver. He tried to explain, "No need, I'm…"
"It's okay, it's just today." Gilbert said with a smile.
It seemed that today was not a good day. Austin thought silently in his heart.
At noon, when everyone was hiding under the shade of the trees to rest. Claremont and Abel walked over and asked Gilbert, "During your exile, do you have any impression of the dragon?"
"Are you going to take the road where the dragon clan's estate is located?" Gilbert frowned and asked.
"Yes. After all, we want to reach the volcano as soon as possible. Based on our current position, it will be a shortcut." Abel explained. "Why? is the dragon clan very difficult to deal with?"
"This season is the dormant period of the dragon clan. When the dragon clan is dormant, they will ask the 'pseudo dragon' to guard the area around the estate. Although the ability of the 'pseudo dragon' is far from the ability of the dragon clan. However, they were extremely sensitive to their surroundings. As long as you step within a radius of ten miles from where they are, they could hear your footsteps clearly," Gilbert continued, "Moreover, the dragon clan is separated from the forces of all the races on the island. Not taking a single step into the dragon clan's estate is one of the iron rules of this island."
Austin's eyes widened when he heard this. "They're so powerful!"
Claremont and the other also became anxious. They had finally reached this step, but they didn't expect that the last obstacle in front of them would be so difficult to deal with.
No wonder the dragon clan had the least informative among the four pieces of information that the dwarf clan sent to them.
"Even if you can defeat the 'pseudo dragon', once the dragon clan's forces are awakened, you will become the object of expulsion of the entire island." Gilbert said with a heavy tone.
"Why? Isn't the dragon clan does not interact with you?" Austin asked in shock.
Although Austin hadn't seen the true appearance of the dragon clan, he already had some faint ideas of the terrifying commanding power of the dragon clan.
"This is an agreement signed between the various clans on the island. As for why such an agreement exists, I'm not too sure either." Gilbert first answered Austin's question. Then, he said to Claremont, "Therefore, I suggest that you take a detour. Even if you delay it for a while, you don't have to force yourself into a dead end."
After hearing Gilbert's words, Claremont exchanged a glance with Abel. Then, he said, "Thank you for telling us this. If it weren't for you, perhaps we wouldn't have known about this before we entered the dragon clan's estate. However, we still have to discuss the specific military plan for a while before we can make a decision."
"Of course, I'm only suggesting." Gilbert shook his head and said.
Claremont and Abel nodded and left.
After a while, Abel asked everyone to gather and get ready to set off.
During the afternoon journey, the soldiers were still as lively as this morning, discussing some popular topics.
Austin looked around and said in a low voice, "It seems that the news about the dragon clan hasn't spread yet."
"Of course. How could anyone know that there's a dead end ahead and still be willing to follow those three people? I guess the information they got from me has already been sealed among themselves." Gilbert stared at Abel's back, he said hatefully.
"Don't say that." Austin looked at Gilbert's confident expression, he sighed, "You don't understand the atmosphere in the army. Everyone wants to complete the mission, and these three captains are good people who are worthy of trust. Even if they choose to take that path in the end, I, who know the inside story, will believe that they have already thought of a good strategy, let alone the other soldiers."
"Humph," Gilbert said, "What can we do in this situation? If they want to die, I will take you with me and escape."
"Hehe," Austin chuckled, "I am a living person, how can I be dragged away by you? Don't think about this nonsense. The day of the decision is still far away."
Gilbert looked up at Austin and looked at his smile. He sighed. Were the Caradia soldiers have such an optimistic attitude when they joined the army? Why was everyone in this military camp like this.
"It's the first time I've seen a winter sunset." a soldier said to the sunset.
"Me too." another soldier replied.
"It's almost the end of the year. Drondheim should be preparing for the new year festival soon, right?" Jeb recalled.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to celebrate the new year in Drondheim this year." Levin's voice was muffled.
"Stop it. I'm reminded of the bacon that my hometown makes every year." Jeb sniffed and said.
"Why do you only think of food?" Levin glanced at Jeb in disdain.
"Uh…"
Just as the soldiers had said, the Drondheim City was bustling with activities.
Even though it was snowing heavily, there were still many people happily shopping for new year's goods on the streets.
Kant also wore casual clothes, which was rare for him, and walked on the streets. He only had Aubrey by his side as a guard.
"Seeing how bustling the Drondheim City is, your highness, you can rest assured." Aubrey said with a smile.
"It's good to be lively," Kant nodded and said, "The new year goods sent to Drondheim have probably arrived."
"Yes, the escort team that left a week ago is probably on the way back now." Aubrey replied.
"After they come back, Drondheim will close the city gates in a few days. Sure enough, you can't feel the autumn weather in the desert. In just a blink of an eye, it's almost the end of the year," Kant sighed.
"Your Highness." Aubrey said hesitantly, "The news from the island…"
"We haven't received any news from the elves recently. We only learned a few days ago that Devitt and the others seemed to have changed their route on the way. Therefore, the elves didn't receive any news from them." Kant said.
"Then, did something unexpected happen to them?" Aubrey asked worriedly.
"It is inevitable for accidents to happen in unfamiliar places." Kant explained. "However, according to the contents of the letter, it seems that there is only a slight mistake in the food aspect."
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Chapter 747: A Sudden Conflict
After hearing Kant's words, Aubrey heaved a sigh of relief and said, "That's good. There's no big problem."
Kant nodded and said, "I originally asked Bunduk to look for me today. Why are you here?"
"Commander Bunduk set off with the escort team to Durandal. They couldn't find anyone else in the military camp. Your Highness's guards came to me." Aubrey answered in embarrassment.
"Bunduk went to Durandal? Why didn't I know?" Kant asked, slightly puzzled.
"Your Highness, you didn't know?" Aubrey widened his eyes. He had a premonition that he might have gotten himself into a big trouble, he stammered, "I heard that Commander Bunduk went there because he heard that Commander Derrick won't be returning to Drondheim at the end of this year. After all, the two of them used to be comrades-in-arms."
"I see. Then, who is in charge of the matters in the military camp now?" Kant asked.
"… Adonis." Aubrey replied.
"Okay." Kant said indifferently without any displeasure on his face.
Aubrey followed Kant for the rest of the journey with trepidation and escorted him back to the palace.
After walking out of the senate, Aubrey thought to himself, should I send a message to Bunduk or something.
However, thinking that Bunduk should be on his way back with the escort team, he gave up the idea.
"What should I do?" Aubrey looked at the sky and sighed.
It was two days ago, when Bunduk had just arrived in Durandal.
Bunduk walked down from the camel and took off his woolen hat. He said to the surprised derrick, "Long time no see."
"Why did you come?" Derrick walked to Bunduk's side and asked happily.
"Since you won't return to Drondheim, I have no choice but to come here to see you, is that alright?" said Bunduk.
Derrick waved his hand and said, "Why do you say that? I'm just staying here to celebrate the new year. How many days are you planning to stay here?" As he said that, he took Bunduk's luggage.
"We have to set off tomorrow. His Highness doesn't know that I'm out yet. I have to hurry back." said Bunduk as he patted Derrick on the shoulder.
"Ha, you sure have guts." Derrick loosened his grip, and his luggage fell to the ground.
"It's fine. His Highness won't find out. Adonis will cover for me." said Bunduk. "Ah, this bag is my cotton-padded jacket. You'll be responsible for it if it gets wet. Quickly pick it up."
Derrick was stunned for a moment. Then, he picked up the luggage bag that had fallen in the snow and followed Bunduk's footsteps. The two of them walked side by side.
"When you go back, you'll see how His Highness will deal with you." said Derrick.
"I came just to see you." Bunduk shook his head nonchalantly and said, "You have to be honest. You're not going back this time because you want to stay here. But is it also because of the letter I wrote to you?"
Hearing this, Derrick took a deep breath, the corners of his mouth curled up into a smile as he said, "Yes. When I first heard that His Highness was planning to relieve my position, I was angry. But after thinking about it, perhaps there's nothing wrong with this. Claremont is more suited to try it than I am. My wish is to stay in Durandal and complete the project here."
"This is completely different from the purpose for which I wrote you the letter." Bunduk said.
"Then, what were you thinking when you wrote the letter?" There was still a long way to go, so Derrick didn't mind the topic continuing.
"Of course, I wanted you to return to Drondheim and make some achievements. This way, His Highness wouldn't remove you from your position as commander. This way, we can continue being colleagues and wait for the next time we charge into the battlefield together." Bunduk voiced out all the thoughts in his mind.
"Thank you, Bunduk." Derrick's eyes were red as he said, "However, I'm also very happy to support you from the position of a subordinate."
"No…" after Bunduk reacted, he said, "How did you…"
"I didn't have the determination to compete with others. Do you still remember? The first celebration banquet we held when we returned from the Elf Kingdom," said Derrick, "At that time, my desire to win was at its peak. I was able to make a name for myself as a leader in a battle I had just won. At that time, I had enough confidence to become an even more outstanding commander than you. That's why I wanted to express myself in front of you."
"Wait, a celebration banquet? How long ago was that?" Bunduk said with a frown. "Derrick, you are really excellent as a leader. However, sometimes, your meticulous thoughts can actually trouble you."
"I know," answered Derrick. "Anyway, I no longer have the confidence to stand in the position of a leader."
Bunduk looked at the side of Derrick's face and realized that the usually calm and composed Derrick actually had such a stubborn and fragile side to him. Derrick, Derrick, Derrick… He couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
After returning to Durandal's military base, Derrick was in a hurry to bring Durandal's men to help unload the goods. He didn't have the time to welcome Bunduk. Bunduk stayed in his guest room until evening.
"Commander Bunduk! It's almost dinner time!" a soldier knocked on Bunduk's door and said.
"Got it." Bunduk replied. After drinking the last mouthful of tea in the porcelain cup, he walked out.
The building they were staying in tonight was newly built near the military camp. When they walked to the door of the lobby on the first floor, they could see that the soldiers in the military camp were gathered together noisily.
"Commander Bunduk, please follow me," a Durandal soldier said.
Bunduk followed behind him and walked to the banquet table. Derrick was sitting there as well.
"You're here," greeted Derrick with a smile.
"Yes." Bunduk squeezed out a smile. To him, Derrick had become a complete stranger.
Less than two hours had passed since the dispute in the afternoon. Bunduk really couldn't imagine what Derrick's smiling face meant.
The banquet began. As representatives of both parties, Derrick and Bunduk each made a few remarks.
When Bunduk spoke, he had no idea what he was saying. After saying, "I wish everyone a good meal", he sat in his seat and drank a glass of sake.
The empty glass was filled to the brim.
Bunduk looked up and saw Derrick. Derrick still had a smile on his face. "Don't drink so quickly. Let's eat first." Derrick said
"I don't… feel like I can eat." Bunduk said with a wry smile.
"Then, I'll drink with you." Derrick replied with a sigh. Derrick said.
With that said, he took his glass and sat down in front of Bunduk.
"Come." said Derrick to Bunduk as he filled his glass with wine and raised it in front of him.
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Chapter 748: An Inconclusive Cold War
After three rounds of drinking, the two of them were already completely drunk. They couldn't sit properly in their seat.
At this moment, Bunduk no longer had his usual restraint. He began to talk to Derrick about how he admired Derrick.
As for Derrick, he leaned back in his chair and quietly listened to Bunduk's words.
In the end, when Bunduk's mouth was dry from talking, Derrick called for someone to bring him a pot of tea. He said, "Drink some tea first."
"No need. It's fine as long as there's wine." Bunduk shook his head.
"You haven't had enough?" Derrick removed the wine from Bunduk's glass and filled it with tea. "People who set off early in the morning tomorrow can't afford to have a hangover."
"Who cares? If you drink with me, I have to drink to my heart's content." Bunduk waved his hand and said, "If you want to stay here forever, won't there be fewer opportunities for us to drink together in the future?"
"Sigh." Derrick sighed alone and said to Bunduk with a smile, "How about this? Whenever you want me to go back to Drondheim to drink with you, I'll go back immediately."
"You…" At this moment, Bunduk's eyes had turned red. "I didn't know you would be so stubborn. Why didn't you listen to me after I told you so many times? Now that I think about it, I can see that His Highness revealed the decision he was about to make to me so that I could test your resolve. The outcome now will probably surprise even him."
After drinking too much wine, Bunduk's tongue went numb, and his words became irrational. However, Derrick could still hear the meaning in his words. He pursed his lips, raised his hand, and handed the teacup to Bunduk.
"Do you think it will be easy to walk down from this position? The things you are used to will be lost one after another. Why do you have to let yourself suffer those losses?" Bunduk took the teacup, as his lips moved, he thought of something. He placed the wine cup on the table and continued speaking to Derrick.
"I've thought about all of this…" Derrick whispered.
"I wonder how disappointed your subordinates will be if they know that you will make such a decision." Bunduk quickly drank a cup of tea and prepared to leave. However, when he stood up, he wasn't able to stand properly. He could barely walk properly.
Derrick quickly went forward to support him and instructed the soldier beside him, "Send General Bunduk back."
"Yes." the soldier rushed over and placed Bunduk's hand on his shoulder, holding half of his body.
"Remember to send the hangover soup prepared by the kitchen to General Bunduk." Looking at Bunduk's dragging figure, Derrick continued to instruct the soldier beside him.
"Yes!"
The next morning, Bunduk was woken up by the guards. Because he had not only taken a bath before going to bed last night, but he had also drunk the hangover soup and so on, the headache were not as intense as he had imagined.
"Commander Bunduk, we are about to set off." After seeing that Bunduk had woken up, the soldier retreated to the door and reported to him.
"Alright." Bunduk rubbed his temples and nodded.
As he had been out on expeditions all year round, the process of washing up in the morning was already something that Bunduk was used to. He appeared in the hall earlier than anyone else.
He met Derrick, who was about to head upstairs. Derrick looked at Bunduk in surprise and asked, "You're so early?"
"I was woken up by someone. I was faster than them, so I waited here." Bunduk answered as he chewed on his breakfast.
"I see." Derrick didn't go up the stairs. Instead, he turned around and went to the kitchen to bring out two cups of warm milk. He sat down opposite Bunduk and said, "Drink something hot."
Bunduk took a cup of milk and drank it. "Not bad. It's comparable to the fresh milk in the military camp."
"I got someone to order it from Cumberland." said Derrick as he took a sip.
"That's a good idea." praised Bunduk.
"Why don't I pack some for you to take away?" suggested Derrick.
"No." Bunduk shook his head with a smile. "If His Highness finds out about this, he'll kill me."
"Hehe." Derrick also treated this as a joke and ignored it.
The two of them chatted casually, and the number of soldiers sitting around eating breakfast increased.
"You don't have to supervise the construction site today?" Bunduk wiped the table in front of him and asked Derrick.
"I sent my men to watch it for me." answered Derrick. "I'll rush over after sending you out of the city gates."
"Okay." Bunduk nodded, stood up, and called for the soldiers to quickly gather.
"Let them eat slowly." said Derrick with a smile.
"If I eat more, I'll be too full to walk." Bunduk shook his head with a smile. "Besides, I really feel bad for keeping you here."
"Hehe," Derrick chuckled.
After a while, the soldiers of the escort team lined up in front of the lobby.
"The few of you, go and bring the camels from the backyard." Bunduk instructed the soldiers in the front row.
After everyone packed their luggage, they headed for the city gate.
When they reached the city gate, Bunduk bade farewell to Derrick. "We'll see you after the new year."
"Alright." Derrick waved at him.
Without saying anything else, Bunduk led his soldiers and set off towards the snow land outside the city.
"Your Highness!" a soldier rushed into the senate hall and shouted.
"What's wrong?" Kant put down the document in his hand and looked up.
"Commander Bunduk has returned to Drondheim with his guards. He's at the city gate now." reported the soldier.
"Oh. I understand. You may leave." Kant nodded and continued to read the text in his hand.
The soldier saw that Kant was so calm and thought that he was really angry with Commander Bunduk. He hesitated and said, "Do we need to… call Commander Bunduk over?"
"No need." Kant said. "He will come on his own."
The soldier was stunned for a moment before he replied, "Understood."
Once again, Kant was the only one left in the senate hall. When Kant heard the sound of footsteps getting further and further away, he glanced at the incense sticks at the corner of the table. He calculated the time in his heart.
After a while, Kant sat in the hall and heard Bunduk's laughter from afar.
When Bunduk entered the hall and bowed, Kant put the document in his hand aside and said, "You dare to laugh when you left the city without telling me?"
"Uh." Bunduk squatted down and said awkwardly, "It's my fault for not reporting to you, Your Highness."
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Chapter 749: Three-day Punishment
"How is it? Have you seen Derrick?" Kant didn't seem to mind. He stood up to help Bunduk up from his bow and asked.
"Yes, we even drank together." When Bunduk mentioned the meeting with Derrick, his mood boosted again.
"What did he tell you? Is he planning to stay in Durandal for the rest of his life?" Kant raised the corners of his mouth and asked.
"Your Highness, if you have any orders, of course he will immediately return to Drondheim." Bunduk quickly denied. "However, doesn't he have to personally take care of the matters over at Durandal?"
"I understand." Kant said as he shook his head gently.
Bunduk saw Kant's expression and knew that Kant had guessed the meaning behind his words.
After letting out a heavy sigh in his heart, he raised his smiling face and bade Kant farewell. "Then, Your Highness, since you have already forgiven me, then I will return to the military camp to take over."
Kant frowned and said, "Who said I have forgiven you? If it were any other soldier who ran out of the city without permission, they would have long been dishonorably discharged."
Bunduk was so frightened by Kant's words that he broke out in cold sweat. He then asked, "Then my punishment is…"
"Hmph." Kant snorted and ordered, "Seeing that you didn't cause any trouble this time and that you have done meritorious deeds in escorting the goods. I won't demote you, but you will be punished to stand in front of the palace gate for three days and three nights."
"Three days? !" Bunduk widened his eyes and said, "… Your Highness, isn't that a little too harsh? Moreover, standing in front of the palace gate, the people will definitely point fingers at me."
"Yes, only then will you remember the lesson." Kant nodded and said, "Don't bargain with me. The punishment will start from tomorrow. You can go back and rest today."
"… Yes." Bunduk agreed with a sullen face. Then, he bowed and left the palace.
In the next three days, the news that the commander of the Caradia soldiers was punished to stand in front of the palace gates was spread all over the city.
Everyone was guessing the reason behind this. There were also many parents who brought their children to watch.
Bunduk stood motionlessly in front of the palace gate. After standing there for three days and three nights, the exhaustion of his physical strength was not a big deal. However, he was so tired that he could not stand it anymore. With his eyes half-open, he was close to falling asleep.
"General, you can retreat now." A subordinate soldier stuck his head out from behind the palace gate and said.
"Eh?" Bunduk opened his eyes in a daze. When he saw that the sky had turned dark, he heaved a sigh of relief. He frowned and said to the soldier, "Why are you standing there? My legs are frozen. Quickly come and help me up."
"Yes, yes." the soldier quickly jumped out of the door and approached Bunduk, supporting half of his body.
Bunduk realized that his legs were almost numb from the cold. He used a lot of strength to move away from the spot.
The soldier looked at the sweat on Bunduk's forehead and said worriedly, "It's such a cold day and you've been outdoors for so long. His Highness is not worried that your legs will get rheumatism?"
"My body is fine. Just don't jinx it." Bunduk replied and stomped on the ground a few times.
The soldier looked at him and shook his head, reporting, "Captain Adonis said that he will bring a carriage to bring us back to the barracks. He asked me to stay here and take care of you for a while."
"Adonis is coming too?" Bunduk frowned and said, "There's no need to go through so much trouble. I can walk back myself."
The soldier could not win against Bunduk, so he accepted his fate and carried him to the barrack.
However, not long after the two of them walked, they met the carriage that came to welcome them. The cloth of the military camp carriage was particularly eye-catching in the dark night.
The soldier shouted joyfully, "Captain Adonis!"
"Why are you stopping on this road? Didn't I tell you to wait at the entrance of the palace?" Adonis jumped off the carriage and said with slight anger.
"I was the one who wanted to walk back on my own, so this kid followed me here to accompany me." said Bunduk.
Adonis glanced at the frost on Bunduk's cotton-padded jacket and didn't blame him anymore. He said to Bunduk, "Hurry up and get on the carriage. There's a stove in the carriage."
Bunduk agreed, "Okay."
After getting on the carriage, the three of them sat down around the small stove.
"Why did you come in as well?" Adonis asked the soldier who was sitting down curiously.
The soldier rubbed his head in embarrassment and said, "I'll get so warmth for a short while. I'll go out and drive the carriage later."
Adonis glanced at him speechlessly, then walked out of the carriage and sat on the seat of the coachman. He turned his head and shouted, "You can go out after warming up."
With that, Adonis waved the horsewhip and drove the carriage back.
The soldier in the carriage wanted to stop Adonis, but he couldn't. He could only sit on the spot with an awkward expression and rub his hands in front of the stove.
"What's your name?" Bunduk watched the whole process and asked the soldier with interest.
"Florence." the soldier nervously looked up at Bunduk and answered hesitantly.
"Why does it sound like a girl's name? And it sounds a little familiar." Bunduk frowned, he looked out of the window and carefully recalled in his mind, "This name seems to be the name of the very famous singer in the West City Restaurant. I've even heard her songs before."
After saying this, Bunduk looked meaningfully at the soldier.
"That's my sister." After the soldier saw that his lie had been exposed, he immediately explained apologetically, "General, my name is Shelbert."
"That's more like it. When your sister hears that you use her name so well, she will definitely be very happy." Bunduk did not blame him but teased him in a relaxed manner.
"I'm sorry…" Shelbert apologized.
"It's nothing." Bunduk shook his head and said, "When did you enter the military camp?"
"Two years ago," Shelbert replied.
"Two years… which camp? Why haven't I seen you much?" Bunduk pondered.
"The cavalry unit. I was injured in daily training a year ago, so I temporarily became a logistics soldier." Shelbert was very happy with Bunduk's attitude, and he explained in detail at this time.
"I see. How's your work in the logistics team?" Bunduk continued asking.
"It's not bad. I'm very occupied when I'm busy, and I'm also very relaxed when I'm free. I quite like staying here." Shelbert said as he breathed hot air into his hand.
"That's good too." Bunduk looked at Shelbert in front of him and thought of Derrick, whom he had met a few days ago.
Indeed, everyone's pursuit wasn't the same.
"Is your hand frostbitten?" Bunduk asked as he drew closer to Shelbert and pointed at the wound on Shelbert's hand.
"Yes, it's been too cold recently. I didn't care it much, and it became like this." Shelbert replied.
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Chapter 750: Late Night Medical Check-up
After saying this, Shelbert put his hand to his mouth and exhaled.
"It's nothing. I usually can't feel it at all. It just looks a little ugly." Shelbert said indifferently.
"Why don't you go to the military camp's medical center to get some medicine?" Bunduk asked.
"Hehe." Shelbert covered up his smile and said, "I don't have much money."
"The salary of the logistics soldiers in the army is quite a lot. Also, I heard from you that your sister is a famous singer in the city. Why would she be worried about such a small amount of money?" Bunduk said with a frown.
"My sister was sent to the restaurant by my father. The money that my sister and I earn now is only to pay off the debt of the family. In order to let my sister get away from there as soon as possible, I have to be more frugal. She will be twenty-one next year. A girl has to get married as soon as possible." Shelbert looked at the fire in the furnace, his eyes were calm.
"I see." After hearing this surprising fact, Bunduk could not bear to look at Shelbert and said, "Come to me tomorrow and take some medicine to apply it. I will stay in the military conference hall at noon."
At this moment, Shelbert was bending over to pat the dust off his pants. After hearing Bunduk's suggestion, he smiled and replied, "I will go. Thank you, General."
As he spoke, he walked out of the carriage and took the reins of the horse from Adonis' hands.
Adonis shook off the fine snow on his shoulders outside the carriage door. He walked into the carriage that was illuminated by the flames and said to Bunduk, "I heard you making a racket outside the door. What did you and the soldier talk about?"
"Nothing much." Bunduk intended to keep this secret for Shelbert.
"Forget it if you don't want to talk about it." Adonis also asked casually, but he didn't have the intention to probe any further. "When we return to the military camp, you have to obediently go to the clinic to have your body examined to see if your body has been injured."
"Got it," Bunduk agreed.
"On the day you returned to the city, I happened to be away from the military camp. I couldn't pick you up," Adonis explained. "By the way, I didn't have the time to ask you. How was your discussion with Commander Derrick?"
Bunduk shook his head and said, "Derrick wanted to stay there all the time. He didn't have any intention of fighting for the position of commander."
"I see." Adonis, who had known Derrick for a short time, was unable to say anything. He could only silently support his decision. "Then, the position of commander will be left to Claremont?"
"Not necessarily. We can't figure out His Highness's thoughts. Perhaps Claremont is only one of the preparatory members." Bunduk analyzed.
"No matter who the new commander is, I will support him." Adonis suddenly said.
"Hehe." Bunduk laughed in a relaxed manner and did not say anything.
The carriage slowly drove back to the military camp and stopped in front of the clinic near the training ground.
"Hand the carriage back and go back to rest." Adonis instructed Shelbert.
"Okay." Shelbert nodded, then turned to Bunduk and encouraged him, "Commander Bunduk, I wish you good health."
"Yes." Bunduk answered with a smile. He waved at Shelbert.
Shelbert got on his horse and left with the carriage.
"It feels like you've known each other for a long time." Adonis complained as he walked towards the door of the clinic.
"It's interesting to have such a person in the army." Bunduk said.
Adonis did not bother to reply. He lifted the curtain and shouted into the room, "Mr. Corradi!"
"Here." an old man in his sixties walked out of the small house.
This doctor had been in the military camp for a long time. It was said that his disciples had almost contracted all the private clinics in Drondheim.
In short, he was a very powerful person. The old man was very respectable, he insisted to come to the medical clinic in the military camp even at his age. In case there were any problems that the younger generation could not solve.
Tonight, it was Adonis who invited him to wait until this time to do a physical examination for Bunduk.
"You haven't gone back to rest yet?" Bunduk walked into the medical clinic and took a sip of hot tea. He asked Corradi.
"Well, I haven't been able to sleep recently. I feel more at ease staying in this clinic." While taking out a pulse belt, Corradi said to Bunduk, who was sitting down.
"I see. You don't sleep well. Have you thought of a way to treat it?" Bunduk asked with concern.
"It can't be treated. You'll know when you're my age, your body will become like this. However, if you take care of yourself daily, you'll drag out the time." Corradi shook his head.
"You're still young." Adonis interrupted from the side. "I heard that there's a medicine from other places called melatonin. It can treat insomnia. Should I ask someone to send some over?"
"No need." Corradi waved his hand and said, "I'm really worried about the medicine made by others. I can only take the medicine that I made myself."
"How about this…" Adonis scratched his head and responded.
Corradi tied the pulse belt on Bunduk's arm and began to measure his pulse.
The physical examination did not end until late at night. Adonis, who was waiting by the side, was also extremely sleepy.
While waiting for the result, Bunduk could not bear to say to Adonis, who was drooling on the sofa, "You should go back earlier. I can wait here alone."
"What? It's over?" Adonis heard the sound of others talking. He wiped his face and stood up.
In the end, he saw Bunduk staring at him with a complicated expression.
"Hey, I thought the physical examination was over?" Adonis shook his head and sat down again. "How did you feel when you had the examination?"
"It was alright," Bunduk replied. "And, actually, you can go back."
"No, I have to send you back to the barracks," Adonis refused.
"That's fine too, but don't fall asleep again. This old man's sofa has been dirtied by your saliva," Bunduk said helplessly.
"Alright." Adonis wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and said confidently.
Not long after, the old man came out with a piece of paper, he said to Bunduk, "There isn't much problem with your body. However, you still have to pay attention to protect your knees from the cold. I feel that there is a wound on your leg bone. It should be an old wound. You have to pay attention to protect that area."
After listening to the old man's advice, Bunduk took the piece of paper and thanked him, "Thank you, old man. You have worked hard. Please rest early."
"It's fine," Corradi replied with a smile. "I still have to wash up, so I won't send you off."
"Okay." Bunduk and Adonis bent over their luggage and replied.
Corradi glanced at them, then turned around and walked into the room.
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Chapter 751: The Choice of Whether to Leave Or Not
"Let me take a look." Adonis took the manuscript from Bunduk's hands.
After carefully browsing through it, Adonis heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Your body is quite tough."
"Mm." Bunduk also took a few glances and nodded.
The two of them walked out of the clinic and headed to the military dormitory on the other side.
"How was the army when I was gone?" Bunduk asked Adonis.
"Everything was as usual." Adonis replied.
"That's good." Bunduk nodded with relief.
"His Highness also came to inspect once, but that was when you were being punished." Adonis continued.
"Hmm?" Bunduk suddenly became nervous. "Did His Highness say anything?"
"Nothing." A sly smile appeared on Adonis's face as he said, "His Highness just said, 'it seems that without Bunduk, the army is well-trained.'"
"I knew it." Bunduk sighed and said.
"His Highness's actions should be considered a warning in front of the other soldiers. What you did this time was inappropriate." Adonis said.
The two of them talked about this topic as they walked to the soldiers' dormitory.
Adonis woke up the soldier who was dozing off on the night watch. The soldier was so scared that his heart almost jumped to his throat. He immediately saluted and opened the door for the two of them.
After saying goodbye to Adonis, Bunduk returned to his single dormitory to rest.
"The moon is so round today…" Bunduk looked at the night sky and sighed softly.
The same bright moon was also shining above the island.
Devitt and the others had already arrived at the border area of the dragon clan's estate. Tomorrow, they would have the chance to face the legendary pseudo dragon army head-on.
"What does the 'pseudo dragon' look like? Is it very similar to a dragon?" After dinner, Austin sat by the fire to warm himself. It was extremely cold inside in this weather.
Gilbert took the roasted corn cobs from Austin and ate them with his teeth as he replied, "It doesn't look like one at all. Compared to dragons, they are more like the small things that can crawl in a pond."
"Are they that small? Then why should we be afraid of them?" Austin also roughly imagined the appearance of the 'pseudo dragon' and asked Gilbert in surprise.
"Yes, more or less. They have a very strong reproductive ability. If you provoke one of them, you will be surrounded by thousands of their own kind in the next moment. Moreover, their skin is as tough as that of the dragon race. No matter if you use fire or cold weapons, there's nothing you can do." Gilbert liked the taste of corn very much, he chewed on it with relish.
"Has anyone or any other race defeated the 'pseudo dragon' before?" Austin asked while covering his chest.
"Although the problem of the 'pseudo dragon' is very troublesome, they would not be a problem when they were suppressed by powerful beings." Gilbert raised his head and said, "But you people are definitely not within that range. The three of them brought you here because they are determined to send you to your deaths."
After saying that, Gilbert gave Abel, who was patrolling in the distance, a middle finger.
"Put down your hand!" Austin quickly patted Gilbert's hand and said to him.
"But it's okay. I'll take you and run away tonight anyway." Gilbert said happily as he ate the last mouthful of cooked corn.
"First of all, I absolutely won't go with you," Austin said seriously, "Second, if you run away from here, you'll starve to death in the wilderness."
"Oh." Gilbert threw the leftover corn cobs into the fire. He stood up, dusted himself off, and left.
Austin was left sitting on the spot.
In the afternoon, Devitt told all the soldiers that tomorrow would be a tough battle. If there were any cowardly soldiers, they could go to the kitchen to get their own rations and leave the army.
In the end, none of the soldiers cowered.
However, the soldiers who were prepared for the battle didn't feel at ease either. Even if they laid down on the bed early in order to conserve their energy, they were still so agitated that they didn't fall asleep.
"Ah! Austin! You scared me to death." When Levin woke up in the middle of the night due to urination, he raised his head and saw Austin leaning against the corner of the wall with his eyes open. He shouted loudly.
He looked around and made sure that no one was woken up. Levin walked towards Austin. He asked in a low voice, "Everyone is asleep, what are you still doing?"
"Gilbert said that he would come and take me away tonight…" Austin said in a tired voice.
"D*mn, so he wants to escape…" Levin said angrily.
Austin interrupted his speculation, waved his hand and continued, "I don't want to be taken away by him, so I have to stay awake."
"I see." Levin finally understood and replied.
"Did you wake up to pee? Hurry up and go." Austin looked up at him and said.
"No, I want to stay here with you. With your skills, you will definitely be taken away easily by him." Levin sat down on the quilt that Austin leaned against the wall, he said, "If a well-trained veteran like me is here, there is still some hope of keeping you here."
Austin looked at Levin in front of him and could only hold back a few words of ridicule in his heart.
Recently, Levin had often come to chat with him. The two of them had gradually become more familiar with each other than before.
Therefore, Austin was now getting along with Levin like a friend.
"You really want to accompany me?" Austin couldn't help but ask when he saw Levin sitting in front of him for about 15 minutes.
"Of course." Levin answered confidently. However, after a while, his facial expression became distorted. "But I really can't hold my pee anymore. I'll be right back."
After saying this, Levin got off the bed and ran out of the door.
'How can there be such an unreliable senior…' Austin muttered to himself.
Then, he looked around and thought to himself, 'It's almost dawn. Is Gilbert not coming? Or has he already run away?'?
When he thought of the latter possibility, a hint of sadness welled up in Austin's heart.
He immediately put on his shoes, wrapped himself in a piece of clothing, and walked out.
The winter night wind was still bone-chilling. In the strong wind, Austin staggered toward Gilbert's tent.
"Gilbert?" Lifting the curtain of the tent, Austin called out to him in a low voice.
But no one answered.
"He really left?" Austin walked toward the bed in the back room, puzzled.
He found Gilbert was lying on the bed, sleeping soundly.
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Chapter 752: The Day of Departure
Austin squatted down beside Gilbert's bed and carefully looked at his sleeping face.
Only when there was a glimmer of light in the sky outside did he walk out on his numb legs. He returned to his own tent.
The soldiers in the tent were still lying on the bed, snoring.
Austin walked back to his seat quietly, only to find that Levin had already covered himself with the blanket and was sleeping on his own bed.
"Sigh." Austin shook his head and once again complained in his heart about how unreliable Levin was.
However, seeing that Gilbert didn't leave, he was in a good mood.
He smiled and lay down beside Levin. His nervousness before the battle had also calmed down a lot.
There was still an hour before daybreak. He could still take a nap.
"Austin, wake up." At seven o'clock in the morning, after washing up, Levin returned to the tent to tidy up the bedding. When he found Austin still lying on the bed, he quickly walked over and shook him awake.
"Huh?" Austin tightened the quilt on his body, opened his eyes unwillingly, and asked.
"We're going to set off. Hurry up and get up and tidy up." Levin said.
"Okay." Austin slowly supported his upper body and put the cotton-padded jacket on his body.
Levin looked at his sleepy face and thought of the time he woke up this morning. This kid's face was right in front of him, and he had a mesmerizing smile on his face. Levin couldn't help but shiver.
"In any case, hurry up and don't make everyone wait for you." Levin left a reminder, then he picked up his luggage and left.
"Got it." Austin shouted at Levin's back.
When he was the only one left in the room, Austin pulled himself together and quickly put on his clothes. He picked up his towel and toothbrush and rushed out. He rushed all the way to the sink in the kitchen.
But when he brushed his teeth, Austin always felt that he had forgotten something. He frowned and thought, what is missing?
"Ah." Austin choked on his mouthwash. "Gilbert!"
Why wasn't he waiting for him outside the tent today?
Austin quickly held the water in his hands and washed his face. He hurriedly picked up his things and ran back.
When he reached the entrance of the camp, he still didn't see Gilbert.
The surrounding soldiers had already begun to dismantle the tent's supports. Austin hurriedly stopped them. "Wait, my things are still inside! Please wait!"
"Why are you so slow!" Levin walked over and kicked Austin. "Hurry up and take out your things."
Austin saw that the soldiers had stopped in their tracks in order to wait for him. He immediately put his towel and mouthwash cup in Levin's arms and ran into the tent.
In less than five minutes, Austin rushed out of the tent with his luggage on his back. He thanked the soldiers. "Thank you, thank you."
Then, he walked to Levin's side, panting.
"Gilbert is missing. I have to go find him." Austin said.
"Are you still dreaming. Your 'son' is currently staying with Captain Devitt to discuss tactics. There's no need for you to worry." Levin handed the towel and mouthwash cup back to Austin and explained.
"Really?" Austin was pleasantly surprised.
"They have already left the camp for half an hour. They haven't returned yet." Levin glanced at the mountains in the distance and said, "It seems that the problem this time is really troublesome."
"Why did Gilbert get up so early? " Austin carried his luggage to the kitchen to get breakfast. When he came back, he asked Levin.
"I don't know. I heard that he found Captain Devitt's tent at dawn." Levin took a piece of smoked meat and chewed it.
"Oh." Austin was stunned for a moment before he replied.
"Everyone! Gather!"
Abel had already returned to the military camp.
The camp quickly quieted down, and the soldiers lined up neatly.
"I hope that all of us can safely walk this path today." Abel said to everyone after giving a few simple instructions as usual.
The soldiers were not afraid because of the difficulty of the road ahead. They replied in unison, "Yes!"
"Good! Let's go!" Abel stood at the front of the group and commanded.
The elven soldiers were also fully focused today. They lined up and followed Abel in a neat formation.
The moment they stepped into the dragon clan's estate, Abel told all the elven soldiers to stop flying and put on water-filled sponge insoles together with Caradia soldiers.
According to Gilbert, when the insoles rubbed against the ground, they could imitate the sound of a certain creature crawling in the territory.
After advancing two hundred meters, Abel found that there were no strange creatures around, so he believed in the function of the insoles. He reported to Devitt, "We're safe for now."
Devitt looked back at the soldiers walking in the grass and said worriedly, "It's just that we'll move very slow with this on."
"You'll get used to it. This is the only way at the moment." Gilbert interrupted from the side. "Unless you have a more reliable method."
Devitt looked at the sky and pondered for a while, then asked, "Why don't we let the elven soldiers fly with the Caradia soldiers? I mean, fly at a high altitude."
Hearing this suggestion, Abel frowned, he replied, "Each Caradia soldier, together with the weight of their luggage, weighs nearly 300 pounds. If the elven soldiers under them want to carry this weight, it will be a little difficult for them to fly at a high altitude."
"Also," after Abel finished speaking, Gilbert added, "The dragon clan's estate has a high-altitude barrier. It is impossible for the elves to fly out of the audio-visual range of the 'pseudo dragons'."
After listening to these two people, Devitt fell into deep thought.
The soldiers could only carefully move forward in the grass until the sun set.
They found a place that could shelter them from the wind and rain, and then they settled down.
Claremont held the binoculars and looked at the road they came from. He shook his head and said, "Today, we've only traveled less than one-fifth of the way."
"There's no other way. It's safest to proceed according to Gilbert's method. Today has proven that what he said is right." Devitt replied.
"Is there really no other way? If we continue like this, it will be almost the same as choosing a detour." Claremont said anxiously.
Just as the two of them were distracted, a soldier ran over with a face full of joy and reported, "Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, we have found the hot spring!"
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