Chapter 425 The dark clouds of war
The dark clouds of war are hanging over Thunder City, but the morale of the Campbell people is as high as ever.
A little dark cloud is nothing.
After all, the black clouds from the chimneys had filled their sky long before it arrived.
Just when a group of ragged people put on neat clothes, shouldered flintlocks and prepared to devote themselves to the just cause, another group of ragged people finally saw the dim light from the dim future...
It was on the dirt road leading to Twilight City, a strange team was slowly moving forward.
At the forefront of the team was Thomas' caravan, with dozens of covered wagons and carriages carrying people moving slowly. And just behind the caravan, a team composed of hundreds of ragged refugees was also slowly advancing in silence.
They neither approach nor move away, they just follow silently.
Everyone keeps an almost stubborn distance, like a silent pilgrimage, moving forward unswervingly on the dusty road.
The atmosphere of the entire team was solemn and strange, even a little mysterious.
After all, no caravan loaded with goods has ever been able to escape intact from those swarming refugees like locusts.
They were able to keep their peace and avoid fighting. At least it was unimaginable in Dusk Province, where people were starving and dying.
No one would have thought that all this was actually because of a "nun" named Karen.
"Holy Saint Sith... are we a caravan or a pilgrim army?" Looking at the mighty team behind him, the mercenary holding a spear couldn't help but clicked his tongue.
Just a week ago, he could see the end of the line at a glance, but now he couldn't even see the shadow of the end of the line.
Standing next to him, a mercenary boy named Ben suddenly said in an excited voice.
"I have a premonition."
"Oh, what's the premonition?"
Looking at his uninterested companion, Ben said with a mysterious face.
“Our ‘nun’, Miss Karen, might as well bring something with her!”
Bring something with her?
The mercenary was stunned for a moment, then laughed out loud and said in a teasing tone.
"Stop talking nonsense, she escaped from the Eagle Rock Territory. Even if she has not done anything blasphemous, is there a good person there?"
He actually has half a sentence left.
If he were Saint Sith, it would be considered merciful if he didn't kick this guy to hell to reflect. How could he place his sacred cause on her?
Although there appear to be very few priests in Dusk Province, that is relative to its vast area. Even if you ignore the farmland and woods, there are still many in castles and churches.
Even if these realistic factors are ignored, she is just a village girl with big breasts, no brains, and even a little fanaticism.
She may not even realize what she is doing.
But Ben is different. Having received help from Kallen, he is extremely optimistic about this kind-hearted girl.
"I know everything you said, but didn't we come from the same place? Who in this world dares to say that he is absolutely clean?"
The mercenary chuckled.
"I don't have time to discuss philosophical issues with you. I would rather know what is for dinner today."
"This is not a philosophical question!"
Ben looked at him seriously and expressed his excitement in an unprecedented serious tone.
"Perhaps we are witnessing a new legend! Not in the mouths of the bards, but right in front of us!"
Legend...
Haha.
The mercenary curled his lips, and the smile on his face became playful.
This word sounds really awesome, but unfortunately it can neither be turned into bread, nor is it worth a few copper coins.
At the same time, on a carriage traveling in the caravan, Thomas, the owner of the caravan, was looking back through the gap in the car window.
Looking at the longer and longer queue, he felt a headache and finally couldn't help but sigh.
"Saint Sisius is above..."
What on earth am I doing?
If it weren’t for the thick stack of account books in front of him, he almost forgot that he was a businessman.
Thomas's thoughts returned to the afternoon a few days ago.
At that time, they passed a dilapidated village. There were no cows in the empty cowshed, and there were only a few corpses covered with gray cloth.
The breath of death is coming.
Out of concern about the plague, he was about to lead everyone away, but a group of villagers gathered around him.
Like the village he passed before, the people here asked him if there were any priests in the caravan. If there were any, they implored the priests to pray for the departed souls.
The old man who seemed to be the village chief also said that just a few days ago, several dead villagers turned into undead. People in the village are panicked. Everyone suspects that they have been abandoned by the gods. Everyone is desperate.
Thomas wanted to say it’s none of my business. He was just a businessman. If he didn’t want the corpses to turn into undead, he could just burn them with fire.
Especially the dishonest looks from the villagers, it was difficult for him not to suspect that finding the priest was just an excuse, they wanted to put their dirty hands into his cargo box.
Just when Thomas was about to order the mercenaries to drive away the group of guys, Miss Karen took the initiative to come out and told him in a gentle tone that she could take this trouble to herself.
"...When our feet are in hell, we cannot imagine that we can only obtain salvation from the gods without saving anyone. Please let me pray for them, and this is also for ourselves."
She seems to really regard herself as a nun, and takes the so-called sacred obligations seriously.
Thomas couldn't convince her, so he could only watch her step forward and pray for the corpses lying on the ground.
Then——
An incredible scene happened, as if holy light really fell from the sky, soothing the despair on the ground.
Thomas could hardly believe his eyes, but what happened in front of him was the fact.
The corpse that had shown signs of becoming undead actually stopped transforming into a corpse and returned to eternal peace.
Everyone had expressions of disbelief on their faces, except Kallen, who stood in front of the corpses with a normal expression.
She spoke to the villagers in a calm and gentle tone, as if she knew what she had done.
… Please bury them, they will no longer struggle to wake up."
After saying that, she returned to the caravan, leaving everyone standing there who could not calm down for a long time.
Later, the villagers buried their compatriots, and the caravan also lived with the villagers peacefully for a night.
The next morning, just when the caravan was about to leave quietly, the villagers brought their only belongings, led their skinny cattle and sheep, and followed the caravan with their families.
Just when Thomas was at a loss and didn't know what these guys wanted to do, the village chief who talked to him yesterday stood up and explained the situation to him.
"The lord no longer wants us, the army will be here soon, either the king's or the rebels..."
"Anyway, there will be death on the left and right, we want to go more decently, please let us follow Ms. Kallen!"
"We are willing to act as her bodyguard, we don't want any reward, we just ask her not to abandon us, and pray for us when we die!"
Thomas looked at them dumbfounded, as if he were looking at a group of lunatics talking in their sleep.
It's okay to follow Karen.
This guy, who has been talking a lot since he was rescued, doesn’t even know where he is going!
Just when Thomas was about to refuse, Mr. Colin, who had not appeared from the beginning to the end, walked up behind him for the first time.
That handsome face had a gentle smile and he spoke in a voice so soft that only he could hear it.
ˆ "Let them follow."
ˆ "But..."
ˆ "This is interesting, isn't it?"
ˆ Mr. Colin's interesting words stopped Thomas's mouth full of reasons and complaints.
Since the Master Mage agreed, he couldn't say anything to refuse.
After all, this gentleman just abandoned them and took this group of people away, and the result would be the same.
In the final analysis, they are not an employment relationship. He did not pay the gentleman a penny, and the gentleman naturally did not need to take his feelings into consideration.
"If you insist on doing this..." Thomas squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying, and just acquiesced to the villagers to follow the caravan and move towards the direction of Twilight City.
Thomas comforted himself in his heart, the most the villagers could do was follow him there. After all, they were technically considered fugitives, and no feudal lord would let these guys off easily, let alone allow them to enter their territory.
However, things were not as simple as he thought.
Let no matter how large and small the nobles in this land have disappeared, even if they are still here, they will not be able to cope with the troublesome chaos in front of them.
On their way to Twilight City, the sight they saw could only be described as miserable.
If they could still see complete corpses in the several villages they passed through before, then only pale bones were scattered on the ground.
This time Thomas was a little bit unbearable. He was a devout believer after all, at least he felt that he was quite devout.
Facing those sallow-looking refugees, he no longer stopped Kallen from praying for their families, saving the bones that did not want to sleep, and acquiesced to the refugees to follow the caravan.
A few days passed like this. When he began to notice, the refugees following the caravan had swelled to an unimaginable size like snowballs rolling down the mountains.
Night falls.
The caravan set up camp as usual, and the refugees following the caravan also set up their own camps in the same manner.
It's just a camp, but there isn't even a decent tent here. People sleep, sit or lie on the ground, and it seems that wolves howling can be faintly heard in the distance.
However, what is surprising is that the hungry people are not desperate, but on the contrary are in good order.
Some people are responsible for collecting firewood, some are responsible for lighting the fire, some are responsible for taking care of the children, and some are responsible for cooking porridge and distributing the thin, watery porridge soup to the long queue of believers.
Even though they were hungry, they still maintained basic order, without robbing or fighting, let alone stealing.
After all, they didn't even have the energy to quarrel, and there was nothing worth stealing here.
Of course, the most important thing is that they regained their "faith".
It is precisely because of this belief that they did not become bandits and robbers, but became just like the Green Forest Army.
But it is worth mentioning that rather than saying they believe in Saint Sith, it is better to say that they believe in Ms. Kallen who gave them food.
These refugees are very realistic. Whoever can keep them alive is their god.
As for where Ms. Kallen’s food comes from?
Although no one has cared about this issue, the grains were obviously not created out of thin air...
As soon as Thomas stepped out of the carriage, the mercenary leader carrying a flintlock gun walked towards him.
"Boss, we have to talk."
Having guessed what this guy wanted to say, Thomas sighed and said.
"You speak, I listen."
The mercenary leader said immediately.
"We are a caravan, not an army to save the world! I mean, I only received money to escort the caravan, but I never told my brothers that I wanted to protect an army!"
"I know, and I don't want to do this, but isn't there nothing I can do?" Thomas responded with a frown.
"Think of a solution quickly!" The mercenary leader glanced in the direction outside the camp, with a solemn expression on his face. "With so many people following, I won't talk about the consumption of water and food. The key is that it is too conspicuous!"
Looking at the caravan boss who fell into silence, he continued in a serious tone.
"With all due respect, we are like torches in the night! Whether it is the provincial governor of Twilight City or the gangsters outside who call themselves the Green Forest Army, I bet they don't have a good look at us!"
Thomas swallowed.
"We have Mr. Colin, even if they don't like us, they won't..."
The mercenary leader whispered.
"Yes, but don't think those people don't have their own unique skills! It's impossible for a group of real mud-legged people to defeat the lord's army. When have you ever heard of a group of peasants overthrowing their lord with pitchforks? Failed uprisings aside, almost every successful uprising has a devil behind it!"
Thomas's face changed instantly, and his voice became trembling.
"You mean...there are demons from hell standing behind them?!"
The mercenary leader shook his head and said with a wry smile.
"The demons in hell are fine, I'm afraid... Chaos. You must have heard about the Brass Pass, right? Something went wrong some time ago, and even the great sage was alerted!"
When he said the word chaos, he couldn't help but shudder, as if the word itself had incredible magic power.
He forgot which senior he heard from said that the devils in hell are nothing to be afraid of. Those guys are just trying to have faith. At worst, they just scare people, and they will never do thankless things.
But Chaos is different. For example, the "Flame of Destruction" that is attacking the Brass Pass has clearly stated that it will bring the fire of doom to the world.
They want nothing and want nothing, just to turn the world west of Brass Pass into the same dimensional desert!
The same is probably true for "Crown of Arrogance" and "Mist of Deception", and his vague intuition told him that what was raging in the Dusk Province was probably the most vicious "Claw of Eternal Hunger"!
Hearing what the mercenary leader said, Thomas couldn't help but feel a sense of fear in his heart.
"Then what do you think... what should we do?"
The mercenary leader said in a cold voice.
��If it doesn't work out, parting ways is also an option. The later it is delayed, the harder it will be for us to separate from them."
Thomas couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this.
"I don't think this is a good idea. You can also see that Mr. Colin seems to support her cause...I mean, he may not choose to go with us. It is better to have the protection of the mage than not. To be honest, if I had known that the situation here was so bad, I should have brought more people."
This is also his biggest headache. For some reason, the mysterious magician is very fond of this "nun" he picked up halfway.
Obviously he was too lazy to talk to that woman at first, but things changed after a funeral.
His appreciation was not limited to words, he even began to actively fund "Karen's" charity.
· No one knew where her food came from, but Thomas knew very well——
· Those grains were all bought from him by the generous Mr. Colin at a price higher than the market price.
Not only that, he also bought the caravans used to transport food, and lent one of them to Karen to use as her mobile prayer room.
Thomas didn’t know what happened between the two of them, but since a long time ago, Karen had often gone to Mr. Magician’s carriage. This was not something that happened recently.
He actually understands.
In addition to being a little rustic, that girl's appearance and figure are not bad, otherwise she would not be regarded as a precious "commodity" by Ms. Linna.
It seems that his own attractiveness is not as good as that of a young and beautiful nun. The mercenary leader was silent for a while, and finally sighed.
"...You are the boss, you decide."
Looking at the mercenary leader walking away, Thomas shook his head, sighed and walked to the bonfire.
Although he is the owner of the caravan, there are some things that are beyond his control.
The fate of this caravan was no longer within his control...
Just as he was squatting by the campfire, a pair of eyes were watching his back in the darkness.
The conversation between the two humans was fully visible, and Sarah remained silent and disappeared into the darkness.
On the other side, in Colin's carriage, Karen was holding a "Book of Holy Words" devoutly, listening carefully to Mr. Colin sitting opposite as he explained the scriptures in the book, and learning the words in the book by the way.
It’s a shame to say it.
Although she considers herself a devout believer, she doesn't even know what Saint Sith is.
There is a priest in her hometown, but it is not easy to see the priest. Daily prayers are mainly performed by the deacon and the villagers.
Country girls like her have no chance to come into contact with real teachings. They have never read the original text of the Book of Holy Words.
It is precisely because of this that she did not realize at all that the "Book of Holy Words" held in her hands at this moment was not the real Book of Holy Words, but a "new chapter" adapted from the "Old Testament" by a demon king from hell.
"Incredible...The Demon God and Saint Sith are actually not enemies." After listening to Mr. Colin's lecture, Kallen sighed softly, with an expression of unfinished content on her face.
If someone else said this to her, she would probably think that person must be crazy.
However, this gentleman is different.
The sound clearly floated into her ears, but it seemed to penetrate through her skin and into her heart.
Luo Yan smiled slightly and said in a gentle tone.
"Of course they were each other's enemies a thousand years ago, but now it's a thousand years later, the demon gods in hell have changed for three generations, and they no longer hate each other."
Karen blinked in confusion.
"But if that's the case, why is the empire still fighting hell?"
"Of course it's because they all need an enemy."
Looking at Kallen who was still confused, Luo Yan continued with a patient voice.
"Farmers' desire for land is endless, just like businessmen's desire for money, herdsmen's desire for pasture... But the nobles who really hold power are different. They have neither land nor money, nor cattle and sheep."
Kallen said doubtfully.
"Then what do they need?"
"Domination, or power. But they have already obtained it. It is not so much a need as it is that they do not want to lose it."
Luo Yan paused for a while and continued.
"As for land, money, honor, even supernatural power, and even faith itself... they are just tools to achieve the goal, not the foundation of the goal."
Even gods.
Looking at the clear and stupid eyes of the village girl in front of him, Luo Yan smiled slightly and ended the topic.
"We seem to have gone too far?"
Karen shook her head gently, with a hint of admiration written on her pious face.
Or longing.
"No, Mr. Colin... I like hearing you say these things very much. It's just that every time after listening to your teachings, I will have a confusion. If things are really as you said, doesn't it mean that the "Book of Holy Words" in my hand is not so... radiant. "
"There are many shining things, such as the sun in the sky, the moon in the water, the lamp in the carriage, the bonfire outside the window, and the hope in people's eyes..."
Luo Yan looked out the window, looking at the fireflies floating among the grass, and said in a very soft voice.
"The same goes for the Book of Holy Words in your hand. It is undoubtedly radiant, but human desires are endless. This is why the priests choose to shine in the castle, while the people of Saint Sith are struggling on the ground."
Kallen lowered her head, as if she had some understanding in her heart, like a saint who truly yearned for the light.
After a moment of silence, she said softly.
"I want to save those poor people, but I don't know what to do... I beg you to show me a way."
Luo Yan smiled slightly and sent a word of encouragement.
"What you're doing now is pretty good."
Karen raised her head in confusion.
"Now? But... they are following me, and I don't even know where I'm going."
"That's not something you should worry about. You just need to walk on your own road, just like this lamp in the carriage... It only needs to emit its own light, and does not have to walk the rest of the way on behalf of the traveler."
Looking at those eyes soaked in fog, Luo Yan soothed the confusion in her heart with a gentle voice.
"Since you have decided to become a nun, just do what a nun should do. The luminous souls will eventually find their own way, you just need to light up their despair."
In an instant, the eyes covered by the fog were like rekindled torches, dispelling all confusion.
"That's it..."
Kalian muttered softly, and a smile that had passed through the rain and the weather gradually bloomed on her simple face, and the smile seemed to be shining.
She bowed deeply, then scratched her cheek shyly, and said embarrassedly.
"Thank you...Although I still have a lot of confusion in my heart, I feel much better after talking to you."
"You're welcome," looking at this simple girl who blushed easily, Luo Yan nodded with a smile, closed the "Book of Holy Words" in his hand and said, "It's getting late, go back to sleep."
At the same time that Karen left, Sarah's figure quietly appeared in the carriage.
Since the carriage was not very spacious, and she was worried about affecting the Demon King's unfathomable plan, she quietly left here when Kallen came over.
Of course, during the time when she was not with the Demon King, she was not just passing the time.
In addition to standing sentry to avoid stray people approaching, she also walked around the camp to collect intelligence.
Luo Yan smiled gently.
"No need to be polite, just sit down."
"Yes."
Sara sat opposite him obediently, then coughed slightly and told her previous findings.
"The people in the caravan seemed to be dissatisfied with the growing number of refugees, and they were worried about attracting the attention of local lords or rebels. In addition, the mercenary leader escorting the caravan also mentioned something..."
She hesitated for a moment and said truthfully.
"He guessed that the rebels running around in the Twilight Province were supported by the forces of Chaos."
"Hum, Chaos?! Where?!" Tuff, who was dozing, suddenly got excited, and the whole dragon's spine stood up in fear.
Of course, this little pig who is very good at eating and sleeping did not really wake up. After mumbling a few words in his sleep, he fell back to sleep.
It can be seen that she was really cast into the shadow by the outer gods in the void. The fear has been engraved in the depths of her soul, and it has not faded to this day...
Luo Yan did not have any panic. He had already studied the void in depth, and he just asked calmly.
"Does he have evidence?"
Sarah shook her head.
"No...but famine is indeed very easy to associate with the claws of eternal hunger, and some people have already made such an association. I'm worried..."
"The more people are afraid of something, the less they can hide from it," Luo Yan was silent for a while and whispered, "Whether it is chaos or not, the situation here is that we We all have to deal with it carefully. If there is a problem with the Brass Pass, it will be difficult for us in the territory of the Principality of Campbell to be alone."
"What do you need me to do?"
Looking at the loyal cat who wanted to offer it immediately, Luo Yan couldn't help but smile, and stretched out his hand to rub the furry head with a smile.
Obviously, she did not expect that the Demon King would suddenly make such a move. Sarah was caught off guard when her ear was touched, and a short "Meow?!" escaped from her mouth.
That snow-white face suddenly turned a bright red that seemed to bleed.
She subconsciously looked at the sleeping Tuff, confirming that the guy was indeed asleep, and then restrained her murderous intent, leaving Tuff behind who was trembling inexplicably, and looked at the Demon King in confusion and anxiety, waiting for him to continue his next action.
However, there is nothing next.
Luo Yan just said with a smile.
"Don't keep thinking about what to do. When I don't tell you what to do, just stay by my side. I will naturally give you instructions when necessary."
"Yes..." Sarah lowered her head and responded.
That voice was unusually gloomy, as if he was still brooding over the embarrassing sound he had inadvertently made just now.
Just when Luo Yan was thinking about how to comfort his cat, his dog suddenly jumped out.
Yuyou: "Lord Demon King! Something bad has happened! The Principality of Campbell has decided to send reinforcements to the Twilight Province! Your players have also signed up to participate, and judging from their discussion on the official website, there seems to be a battalion of troops!"
Luo Yan thought he was going to say something outrageous, but in the end, the dog's mouth still couldn't spit out the ivory, and he muttered for a long time that it was such a big deal.
Why don’t you run away to become a soldier?
Some smart little players have even gone to Thunder City to become capitalists! Is this a thing?
"This is no big deal... Just let them make trouble if they want to."
Come to me when they become Dukes!
Just when Luo Yan thought this, Yuyou's next words made him stunned on the spot.
"But, but! The leader is Erin Campbell! Is this really no problem? Youyou remember that you said goodbye at the port!"
..."
Fuck you! ?
(End of this chapter)