Chapter 441 The Sword Master from Brass Pass
"It's time to do something!"
The early morning sun shines through the thin morning mist on the muddy dirt road outside Maitian Village, awakening the busy footprints and the fragrance of the soil.
Standing on the muddy dirt road, a skeleton holding a shovel made a crunching sound from its mouth. The soul fire burning in the skull looked at the open space facing the river not far away, with great ambition in its chest.
His nickname is [Russian and dull], and he is a newcomer who joined the game not long ago. As for what he does in reality, it is not difficult to guess. Anyway, it is definitely not civil engineering, otherwise he would not have a lot of time to soak in the virtual world.
But this is not the point.
The point is that after coming to Maitian Village, the eighteen martial arts skills he learned through hard study finally came into use!
The talented "Earth OL" is not inferior to him as a civil servant, but the village in front of him is obviously in need of it!
The [Stop and Strong] standing next to him also had an ambitious expression, an expression that only the skeleton soldiers could understand each other.
"I think this is it!" He dug a shovel with the shovel in his hand and said with interest as he looked at the excavated mud. "The soil in this area has good clay content but low sand content. It is not suitable for growing crops, but it is suitable for burning bricks!"
"And it's easy to get water! It's close to the main road at the entrance of the village, and downwind!" [Russian and dull] chuckled, and continued with bright eyes, "The second phase of our "Wheatfield Village Reconstruction Plan" will start from this brick kiln!"
That was not the plan of the Demon King, but the plan of him and his good brothers!
It is said that when Beifeng City and Thunder City were engaged in infrastructure construction, many professional players made a fortune, and they could not wait to copy the success of their predecessors.
Although Maitian Village is not as prosperous as those places, it is full of potential.
The NPCs here are not like people outside. Seeing the undead is like seeing a ghost. They are very receptive to all kinds of new things. They are even more flexible and changeable than the lizard people in Janna continent. Maybe this is the second important stronghold after Beifeng City!
As for the local tradition of building houses with wood...
I believe that after they see the benefits of bricks, they will not object to living in a warmer and sturdier house!
Two skeleton soldiers carrying shovels were chatting, and their prepared postures seemed to be planning the distant future of Wheatfield Village.
They even thought about where the train station would be built and where the railway would pass through... although those things were several times different from the land under their feet.
An elderly villager was passing by cheerfully carrying a bundle of firewood.
When he saw the two skeletons holding shovels, there was no fear on their faces. Instead, he waved enthusiastically as if he saw his old father who had died many years ago.
"Good morning, Holy Spirits! Although I don't know whose ancestors you are, but thanks to you, we can sleep peacefully again!"
"By the way, please say hello to my father for me, and say that his son is doing well, so that he doesn't have to worry about us, let alone come back to see us..."
It's not that he doesn't want to see his father, he just doesn't want the old man who finally fell asleep to get up from the ground to work again.
Although these Holy Spirits didn't seem to feel anything themselves, and even looked like they were enjoying themselves, it didn't stop him from feeling that they were working hard.
The discussion between the two skeleton soldiers came to an abrupt end.
Although they could not respond to the villager in words and could not understand what the villager said, they all waved their pale arms in a friendly manner.
Do you have a mission, bro? 』
『No? Gan! Goodbye to you then. 』
Both sides made unreadable replies. The villagers smiled contentedly and walked briskly toward the village with the blessings of their ancestors.
No one noticed that in the forest not far away, a pair of sharp eyes was taking in all this, and the hand holding the hilt of the big sword slowly loosened its grip.
…
Different from the bloodshed and death on the eastern border of Dusk Forest, the peaceful Wheatfield Village is like an island independent of the storm.
This place is like a unique miracle, neither hunger nor death can be seen.
If it weren't for the few lonely ruins that reminded people of what had happened here, the famine that once lingered in this land would have been as if it didn't exist.
On the land just across the road from the ruins, newly built wooden houses are scattered in an orderly manner, and they are expanding further and further in an orderly manner.
What makes Gaunt even more incredible is the endless wheat field outside the village, with crystal dew hanging on the green wheat seedlings, full of vigorous vitality.
The air is filled with the fragrance of moist earth, and a few smokes can be seen faintly in the distance. Everything seems to announce that this land is coming out of the sadness of the past.
Everything you look at is a peaceful and tranquil scene...
"Is this... still the Province of Twilight?"
Following Gunter's tall back, Urien's face was filled with disbelief, and his clenched palms were filled with sweat. He couldn't help but wonder if he had arrived in heaven.
He is an orphan picked up by Gunter from Greystone Town. He travels with Gunter along the way, learning survival skills and swordsmanship, or fighting monsters, or fighting bandits and bandits... Although most of the time, Gunter takes action.
Along the way, he saw many villages destroyed by war and famine, but this was the first time he saw such a completely different scene.
Those green eyes contain both restraint and timidity, but also curiosity and yearning, like a muddy child who mistakenly entered the garden of a wealthy neighbor's house, fearing that his hands and feet would dirty the fence.
Gaunt, who was walking in front, didn't react at all and just observed the surroundings casually. There seemed to be no waves on that expressionless face, but there was already a storm in his heart.
Everything he saw was completely opposite to the hell scene he saw in the Dusk Province - people here were working, talking, and even laughing.
If he hadn't been absolutely confident in his own strength, he would have almost suspected that he had entered the realm of another demigod, or that it was an illusion magic cast by a magician of the level of a great sage.
This is incredible!
It’s not just the things here, but also the people here.
In most kingdoms outside the empire, soldiers are a privileged class independent of ordinary serfs. They also have their own "glory" or "pride". They may act for the lord's orders, but they will never eat and live with the lord's serfs like in this village, or even build houses and do farm work together.
He didn't know what the lord here had done, but the scene before his eyes was enough to be called a miracle...
"This is undoubtedly the Province of Twilight," Gunter glanced around, paused and then continued, "But maybe something happened that we don't understand." Urien swallowed, looked at Gunter excitedly and said.
"The famine...is it over?"
"I don't know, maybe."
Gunter didn't say anything more, but continued to walk forward in silence, Urien followed closely behind him, and followed him into the village.
At this time, Gunter, who was looking around, suddenly noticed an old farmer humming a tuneless tune and using a hoe to cultivate the vegetable garden enclosed by the fence.
He stepped forward and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Excuse me, what is this place? Which lord rules it?"
Hence the old farmer, he stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then looked at the man carrying the giant sword, grinning.
"Lord? Haha! You are a stranger coming to Wheatfield Village for the first time, right? Where did the lord come from here?"
Gaunt was stunned for a moment, looked at the wheat field not far away, and cast a confused look at the farmer.
At least in his impression, only lords could grow so much wheat. Even if ordinary free people had land, most of them could not get such high-quality land, let alone organize the manpower for large-scale planting.
Is this a parish?
But he didn't see the church or the priests.
"No lord is..."
"If you were talking about the coward Gad Theron, he would have escaped from the castle with his tail between his legs!" Old Hank grinned, with a sarcastic smile on his lips, but it didn't take long for the sarcasm to turn into pride, "It's different now, the Salvation Army saved this place."
"...The Salvation Army?"
"That's right! They are followers of Her Majesty the Holy Lady! They abide by the creed of loyalty and piety, and the sword in their hands is not loyal to any secular lord, but is only loyal to the "Book of Holy Words" and all peoples under the protection of the Holy Light!"
When speaking of this, Old Hank proudly puffed up his chest, and spoke to the mercenary-looking man in front of him about what happened here before in the tone of an experienced person.
When he first heard the part about the Green Forest Army, Gunter subconsciously clenched his fists, and Urien behind him also had a look of fear on his face.
However, soon, as Her Royal Highness the Saint walked from the rushing river, the desperate story turned into another version, like an incredible miracle.
…Her Highness the Holy Lady came from the rushing river, and she brought bread and holy light! The rebels were the first to be influenced by her. They took off their headscarves, changed their ways, and suddenly began to implement the sacred teachings and began to help us!"
"Honored Saint Sith... Looking back on that day, I still feel like I'm dreaming! Then the Earl of Quemu Castle, perhaps feeling that it would be a dead end if he continued to defend it, negotiated terms with the saint, gave the castle to her, and then ran away with his family in despair!"
Looking at the old farmer who kept talking about "How good the saint is," Gaunt's face was full of surprise. Especially when he heard the count's part and asked in a deep voice.
"He's gone?"
Old Hank said with a smile.
"Yes, I heard that he said a harsh word and then left! It is said that he went to Twilight City, but I heard from the citizens who came from Twilight City that the situation there is also terrible! Even if you have money, you can't buy food, and all the food has been taken away by the governor... If you are good Qi can ask Anthony, he is a carpenter in the village, and he lives by the river now. You can find him by smelling the smell of sawdust! "
This old farmer didn't seem to want to say anything more about Twilight City. Without saying a few words, the topic returned to Her Royal Highness.
After all, he has never been to Twilight City, nor has he met the governor, but he has actually seen the saint walking among the crowd, and seen her blessing many new people.
Even the nuns in Quemu Castle are not as approachable as she is. Although she was old enough to be his daughter, she reminded him of his deceased mother.
Old Hank unknowingly talked about a lot more, including the matter of dividing the land and the series of reforms implemented by the Salvation Army in Quemu Territory.
He doesn't understand those complicated things, but Haolai sees clearly. He will support whoever can make him full as a lord.
It doesn’t matter whether the lord is called lord or not.
As a devout Rhodesian, from Gaunt's perspective, this argument of "no king, no ministers" is undoubtedly rebellious, and it is not an exaggeration to call it heresy.
However, after seeing real heretics, he felt that although these people were a little ignorant, there was nothing wrong with them.
At least they were full, and the bowls were not filled with compatriots, but they still had faith in the Holy Light in their hearts.
The corruption of such chaos cannot invade here. Even if they are heretics who need to be corrected, it is not an urgent matter and can be put aside for a while...
Gaunt did not intend to comment on the saint and the holy light mentioned by the old farmer. He just pointed at a few skeleton soldiers not far away who were "communicating" with their bone heads, and asked in a puzzled tone the last confusion in his heart.
"What's going on with those undead? Are they... also the Salvation Army?"
Old Hank seemed to have expected that the stranger would ask this question, and a mysterious smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if someone had finally discovered what he had been trying to do for a long time.
“Look at how ignorant you are! That’s not the undead, it’s the Holy Spirit!”
I’m ignorant?
Gaunt was stunned for a moment, and was greatly shocked in his heart.
He didn’t expect that he would travel to so many places and leave behind a legend as thick as an epic. One day, he would be called ignorant?
But thinking about it carefully, he has never seen such a capable undead. This is an exception in his adventurous career...
"What is the Holy Spirit...?" He finally put down the pride of the sword master and humbly asked the old farmer in front of him for advice.
"It's our ancestor!" Old Hank chuckled, looking at the mercenary in front of him and said, "To be honest, my grandfather... is another old Hank, maybe he is there too! They couldn't bear to see the children suffer, so they prayed to Saint Sith to let them live. Come and help us rebuild our home! It is said that after our village is built, the envoys of Saint Sith will take them away... But to be honest, I really can’t bear to leave them!"
As he spoke, he pointed to the skeleton carrying bricks not far away.
"Look at them, they work so hard, all day long without rest, they are much better than us living people! Praise my ancestors!"
Hearing these words, Gunter couldn't help but recall the few undead he saw at the entrance of the village.
The soul fire burning in their skulls is indeed more complete than that of ordinary lonely ghosts, and there is no smell of chaos and evil.
Obviously they are not controlled by the Necromancer, but act with their own will.
As for why their souls are so complete... I think it can only be explained by the theory sent by Saint Sith.
At least this is not something that magic can do.
Based on all these clues, Gunter reluctantly came to a conclusion that he could accept - these undead were indeed different from the undead he knew.
He was also very glad that he did not take action rashly, otherwise it would be a bad thing done with good intentions. He really didn't know how to explain it to these villagers.
Urian, who was standing next to Gunter, was also shocked, but it was much easier to accept than Gunter, who was standing in front of him.
He has not been to as many places as Gunter has been. This is even the first time he has left Greystone Town and went to the Birdwood Territory on the edge of Dusk City.
Perhaps, the undead outside Greystone Town are like this.
At least the undead in Wheatfield Village...oh no, the Holy Spirit is like this!
"You look like you're from far away, right?" Seeing that the stranger didn't answer his question, Old Hank continued enthusiastically, "By the way, my name is Hank, and everyone calls me Old Hank. I haven't asked your name yet, so I wonder what your name is?"
Gunter glanced at Urien, who was looking around curiously, and answered concisely.
"My name is Gunter. I am a mercenary. Currently... I am wandering around with my adopted son. I want to find a place here to replenish some dry food and water. Maybe I will go to Twilight City to have a look next."
"Mercenary..." Old Hank scratched his head. He said with some embarrassment, "It's difficult to buy things. We have just settled here, and there are no merchants. But there is food..."
As he spoke, he pointed enthusiastically to the other side of the village, in the direction of the rising smoke.
"That's right over there, that's the Salvation Army's soup kitchen! The Holy Lady said that no matter who is hungry, you can go there and get a bowl of hot porridge! You should go there quickly, everyone is almost finished eating at this point, and it will be cold if you go late!"
Gunt nodded, thanked the old farmer named Old Hank again, and then took Urien and walked towards the soup kitchen.
As Old Hank said, there are only a few people there, only a short queue is left, and the firewood for cooking porridge has been removed.
However, this does not affect anything.
When he and Urien shared the food, the porridge in the bowl was still warm, even a little hot to the touch.
The Salvation Army soldiers had a kind attitude and did not treat them harshly just because they were strangers. They even smiled and added an extra spoonful to Urien's bowl.
"Young man is still quite strong, please eat more."
"Thank you!"
"There is no need to thank me, just thank Her Majesty the Saint and the Son of God! By the way, is that your father next to you? That big man with the sword on his back, I don't think you look like him."
Urien said with a blushing face.
"He is my adoptive father and my master!"
"Haha," the soldier holding the spoon smiled, glanced at the sword behind the big man, and said jokingly, "Then you must have learned a lot."
That sword might be much heavier than this young man.
Gaunt didn’t say anything, just nodded and thanked him, and then took Urien to a nearby place out of the way.
Urien was already starving and wolfed down the bowl.
Lately, he has been eating wild fruits and wild beasts in the forest. Although there is no shortage of nutrients, wheat porridge is more suitable for his stomach.
While Gunter drank slowly, he quietly observed his surroundings to confirm whether the situation here was as what the old Hank said.
The peacefulness on the faces of the villagers and the surprising discipline of the soldiers, none of this seems fake. Although I don’t know where their food comes from, there is definitely no evil smell in this porridge.
Although he does not understand the truth about the "Holy Spirit", he can distinguish between good and evil.
No matter who the "saint" is, whether she was sent by Saint Sith or not, what she is doing is definitely not a bad thing...
There is no need to uphold justice for the Holy See.
That is a matter for the tribunal.
While Gunter was thinking, a Salvation Army soldier in charge of registration came over. When he saw Gunter and Urien finishing their porridge, he smiled and said.
"Man, I'm sorry to disturb you, the guy who just gave the porridge forgot the procedure."
"Do you want to pay?" Gunter wiped his mouth and took out the money bag, but the soldier hurriedly waved his hand to signal him to stop.
"No, man, that's not what I meant, we don't want money... I mean registration! Do you understand? We need your name and the name of your hometown."
"I don't quite understand, can you explain it to me?" Gunter took back the money bag and looked at the soldier and asked.
The soldier said with a smile.
"This is mainly for the convenience of management. After all, there are so many people here, and we have to be careful of rebels or lords sneaking in to cause damage. And... it is not a bad thing for you to register. Many people have found their relatives or fellow villagers here."
Gaunt glanced at him. , thought it made sense, so he said casually: "My name is Gunter, and this is my adopted son, Urien. We come from Greystone Town."
In the eastern region of Osland, from the north of the Kingdom of Rhodes to the Dusk Forest area of the Kingdom of Lane, Gunter is a common name, just like Hank, Anthony, etc.
He did not mention his last name. Firstly, he did not want people to know his identity. Secondly, it was very troublesome to explain.
"Greystone Town?" When the soldier heard this, a surprised expression appeared on his face, "Isn't that in the easternmost part of the province? I heard that it is almost to the dwarf territory! Holy lady, you have come from such a far away place! Over there... what is the situation now?"
Most of the previous refugees came from the vicinity of Quemu Territory, and this dear friend is probably the farthest one from his hometown!
Gaunt replied calmly.
"That place has been destroyed."
Malachi, the "butcher" of the Green Forest Army - a devil who sold his soul to Chaos and exchanged the blood of his own kind for power.
Of course, that guy has been killed by him.
Sooner or later he will find all these villains and kill them all!
The surprise on the soldier's face turned into sympathy.
He didn't ask any more questions, just silently recorded it in the register, then took two small wooden plaques, carved the names and numbers with a knife, and handed them to them.
Looking at the wooden sign in his hand, Urien had a surprised expression on his face, while Gunter's expression was a bit intriguing.
He remembered that only the Adventurer's Guild would do such troublesome things, and that was a memory of a long, long time ago for him.
"Please keep it, this is your identity card. You can use it to get porridge tomorrow." The soldier paused, and then asked, "By the way, what can you do? I mean, do you have any skills? If not, it doesn't matter. I think you are quite strong, so you should not worry about finding a job."
Gunter shook his head.
"I don't know, I haven't decided whether to stay or not."
"I suggest you decide as soon as possible," the soldier said sincerely. "This is related to the distribution of land, and it is also related to you being able to live a better life as soon as possible! The Holy Lady said that anyone who is willing to contribute to the village will be allocated a piece of land of his own. I think you have been a mercenary, and you must have traveled to many places. How about... uh, how about opening a hotel? The village is lacking this right now."
He also came up with it on the spur of the moment. It is said that dwarves will come to inspect the timber business soon, and the captain has been worrying about where to find a place for them to stay.
Gaunt was slightly startled. He did not expect that a stranger like him could actually be allocated land, and he did not expect that the other party actually suggested that he, a sword master, should open some kind of hotel.
Of course, this young man obviously doesn’t know that he is a sword master. Gunter Steingrabe’s reputation is not as popular as the “Rock Sword Master”.
He glanced at Urien, who was beside him with eyes full of expectation, and couldn't help but think of the old man who died in Greystone Town. It was precisely because of the piece of bread that he left that Urien lost his only relative... Even though that was not his original intention, this guilt always weighed on his heart.
He wanted to find a home for the child.
If this place is really as good as the old farmer said, there is no harm in staying here.
Furthermore, the hotel is a good place to collect information, which is better than wandering around in the forest like a headless fly.
Every person he met said that they had seen the "Green Turban" and vowed to give him directions. However, when he went to find it, he found that all the information was out of date.
Thinking of this, Gunter nodded.
"...I can try."
Hearing these words, Urien's eyes lit up instantly, and a look of anticipation shone on his face.
After the soldiers who registered them left, he clenched his fists excitedly and couldn't help but think about the future.
"Master, how about we open the hotel at the entrance of the village? We can build a stable! And raise a guard dog! Then I will be responsible for cleaning and cooking, and you will be the shopkeeper!"
Finally no more wandering around!
Although he didn't hate wandering around with his master, he still wanted to have a home and return to his previous comfortable life.
Urion is only a fourteen or fifteen-year-old kid after all, and he comes from a remote border town. He only knows that the Sword Master is very powerful, but he doesn’t know what this title means.
Him not only carries the legend of the Sword Master, he also shoulders the responsibility and hope that befits the name of a hero.
He is destined not to stay in just one place.
Looking at Urien who was talking endlessly, Gunter's rock-like resolute face showed a rare soft smile.
"As long as you like it."
Urien's excitement suddenly stopped. He looked at Gunter cautiously and asked in a low voice: "Master... don't you like it?"
He felt that there seemed to be a hint of parting in this sentence.
Gaunt was silent for a moment, looked at the rolling Wanren Mountains in the distance, and said slowly.
"I can't say whether I like it or not, but I rarely stay in one place for a long time. Whenever I am free, there will always be someone who needs my help. Moreover, Brass Pass still needs me right now. I came to Dusk Province just to deal with the corruption of Chaos."
Urien said without hesitation: "I can go there with you! After the chaos here is over!"
"But I hope you stay in a safe place," Gaunt withdrew his gaze, looked at his only disciple and nominal heir, and said seriously, "At least, until you become a swordsman who can stand alone."
He did not say anything about his dream of "proving the truth with the sword", nor did he say that he was doing it for the fate of the entire human race, or for Saint Sith or other high-sounding words.
He just stretched out his rough big hand like a father and patted the back of Urien's head. A rare soft smile appeared on his resolute face.
"Don't act like I'm going to abandon you right away. I plan to stay here for a while to find a solution to Chaos Corruption."
"As for the future, we'll talk about it later."