Stray

    "...Did you tell her anything?" Nemo stepped back and whispered to Oliver. This development was completely different from what he had imagined. Judging from Mrs. Edwards' previous reaction, he thought she would question her, or at least vent her dissatisfaction first. He wouldn't admit the way the old woman looked at her son before - the deep kindness he had also received from old Patrick.

    "No straight words." Oliver whispered, "Spotted Cahill as a demon and nearly kicked her out. But we all agreed she wasn't under control—she reacted too quickly. , it's too natural. People controlled by illusions don't have that fast reaction time."

    Nimo turned to Mrs Edwards. She stood proudly on top of the blue and black stone bricks, and the delicate fabrics of her clothes glowed delicately in the dim sewers. She was expressionless, her chest rising and falling slightly with her breathing. Nemo had a strange feeling—life was leaving that satin-wrapped, overly aging body at an abnormal speed.

    Adrian was silent for a few seconds, or a few minutes. His soldierly ease disappeared for a moment.

    "Yes," he said.

    The old woman did not cry, her expression even seemed a little indifferent, but the tears flowed silently down the deep wrinkles. Mrs. Edwards' small body trembled slightly, and finally let out a suppressed choking sound. That simple affirmation is like a sentence.

    "My stupid, stupid son, I'm causing you trouble." She arched her back, bent down, and bowed deeply. "I'm so sorry, child."

    "It's my choice." Adrian whispered, "You don't need to apologize...I didn't have time to save him."

    "No." The old woman tried her best to suppress her sobbing, speaking slowly. "Cahill did something wrong—then the mistake must be his, not yours. I can even guess the kid's wishes."

    She unfolded the parchment scroll of the Black Seal quest, stretched out her hand, and signed her name. The scrolls burned and turned to ashes in the air.

    "Your mission is complete." She sniffed and said in Oliver's direction. "I have entrusted the rest of the remuneration to the guild. I know this is not an easy job, thank you for helping me realize this selfish wish. Trust me, the Holy See will divert attention because of other things, and you will have time to leave. of."

    Nimo did not feel the slightest joy in the completion of the task, the neglected rose bushes and thick dust of the Edwards family dangled in front of his eyes. He suddenly realized something and said it immediately.

    "You..." He took a cautious step forward, "Don't do anything stupid."

    "Of course I won't." She gave a trembling smile, "I just need a certain answer—I know it, but I just can't give up that little hope. Now I Feeling good, baby, thank you for your concern." She coughed and choked down a few times, "...hope is a torturous thing."

    But she is indeed dying step by step, Nemo doesn't know why, but he just knows it.

    "One last thing left." Mrs Edwards cast her gaze back to Adrian, "I have a request that may be a little too much. Ed, I know you as I do Know my own children. I know your plans."

    "I beg you, run away—I want you to live."

    Adrian's back was a little stiff for a moment.

    "Yes, I know. I should have respected your resolve, but if you..." She paused. "Cahill is really dead."

    "You shouldn't punish yourself for his mistakes. If you must care about what happened in the first place, then I forgive you. Although I hope you can believe it, I can only thank you. Ed, thank you You brought him back, thank you for your persistence, thank you."

    Two years ago is not a long time ago. Adrian remembers it very well, he remembers every detail—it was probably the angriest time of his life.

     "There is no sign of a superior demon near Kenyatta, I personally went to confirm."

    "I know, Ed." His teacher, Mercer, sighed. "Of course I know. But you must go."

    "We cannot harm innocent civilians. There are quite a few villages around Kenyatta, if—"

    "It's for the glory of Danny, boy."

    "No, this is for the glory of Your Majesty and that mine, and His Majesty has his own army."

    "This is a command."

    "I do not accept."

    "…I hope you are clear, Ed. A lot of people think you are not religious enough, my boy, and I am sure you are well aware that you are where you are because of your strength, and Not because of your loyalty to Zeni. We need those stones, listen, to better spread God's blessing, we need those **** dragon breath stones! If you go on like this, I can't protect you."

    "My love for Zeni has never wavered, and I will never lose to anyone. But I don't think those stones have anything to do with Zeni's glory - God is merciful, God is Almighty. He doesn't need blood in exchange for the dead. This war is an outright lie, and I don't want to be a part of it."

    “…do you know what will happen if your speech is heard by a third person?”

    Silence filled the air.

    "Ed, Willard and Alban are at war, and he won't want to spend too much energy on the battlefield here. It's summoning its army of death row prisoners. The vein won't die, but People will -- people on both sides. You can stop this, you can keep casualties to a minimum. Don't be too stubborn, God will forgive all of this. You know the way the army on death row works, it's the enemy who ignores civilian casualties first. "

    "Who started this war first?"

    “…war has happened, at least you can keep more people alive.”

    He became part of the lie after all, and failed to keep more people alive.

    It was a fine day, and he swung his sword, but there was no light. The army of death row prisoners vented their anger to the fullest. They wore collars and attacked all living things in sight like beasts. First the most vulnerable refugees, then the weary soldiers, and finally the knights of judgment in shining armor.

    God said, don't believe it.

    His long sword slid across the neck of the death row prisoner, and blood spurted out instantly. Innocent people littered the ground—both old and young, with panic and bewilderment on their faces, as dry bread and cheese for the escape slipped from broken packages, covered in blood, and eventually stomped into the dirt. He was gullible. He trusted his own strength, and the result of this mistake left him almost breathless.

    God said, don't follow blindly.

    Cathil Edwards, dressed in white robes, rushed into the **** battlefield. He used his magic like crazy, trying to rescue civilians or soldiers who were rolling in the mud and dying.

    "Go back!" Adrian yelled at him. And just as he was distracted, another death row inmate pulled him off his horse, her eyes flushed with rage and madness. The cutting magic nearly slit his throat, and Adrian clenched his teeth and kicked her away, the sword pierced through her heart, and blood splattered across his face.

    "Do you want me to wait?" Cahill yelled back, "Damn, no one can make it to camp!"

    "You don't—" Adrian's horse was hit by bombardment magic, and his internal organs flowed all over the place. The owner of the horse was pulling a dagger from a gap in the armor, struggling to resist the stun of blood loss. "This isn't where you're supposed to be—"

    Unable to hold back the deadly offensive of the army of death row prisoners, their leaders were slow to cast magic, and the tired and confused knights of judgment began to fall one after another. Cahill stepped on the golden light of healing, getting closer and closer to the center of the battlefield. Adrian gritted his teeth to avoid countless passing circles, and forcibly tore a **** hole in the formation of the death row army.

    God said you must not lie.

    "Hold on!" He ordered in vain, making one corpse after another with his own hands. "It's just a temporary situation, but we can win!"

    But this is no longer a simple war. Tomorrow, the day after, Garland's army will continue to flow, while the death row army is only a single-use weapon full of malice. Adrian knew very well that this attack was only for venting, revenge, or saving some of the face of the enemy's superiors.

    What are they doing?

    As Garland's first healer, Cahill miraculously supported the chaotic battlefield for a long time. The trial knights fought with his support, and the death row army finally collapsed, but unfortunately the exhausted healer was not lucky to the end.

    It takes knowledge, strength and skill to heal a dangerous wound, but just enough malice to kill a person.

    Adrian barely supported his body with his long sword and knelt down on one knee. The enemy was dying, and Cahill staggered towards him, trying to heal—

    Then was struck head-on by the dark curse.

    The talisman around Cahill's neck hissed, revealing the distortion characteristic of molten metal. He fell softly to the ground, and Adrian immediately stood up desperately, threw his long sword, pierced through the last enemy, and then half-walked and half-crawled to the side of his friend.

    "Cahill!" He propped up the other's head with his wounded hands - Cahill was still breathing, and he was subconsciously relieved.

    "Abyss sigh." Cahill coughed twice, joking weakly. "I'm still alive... Your amulet is really good, you don't want to get it back from me."

    "But my hands don't work. What do I do, Ed? I can't heal you."

    "It's over...they're still alive, I don't need treatment." Adrian said quickly, "Can I move you?"

    Cahill nodded vigorously and Adrian took a breath and carried him on his back - the Knights of Judgment were still alive, barely forming a team, and their horses had long since disintegrated under the frenzied attack of the enemy for meat.

    "The curse broke my spine," Cahill whispered on his back. "It should have shattered all my bones."

    "Don't talk, Cahill."

    "I can cure this." Cahill ignored Adrian's request and continued to mumble. "It's hard, but I can—but I can't cure anyone now, Ed."

    Hot liquid dripped down his neck. Adrian didn't answer.

    “…put me down.”

    "No."

    "I should die here."

    "Joanna is waiting for you."

    "I'll be a burden to her for life, don't you understand? Ed, please. While my courage is still—"

    "You need rest."

    "Why did we become like this? Right or wrong, I hope there is at least an answer... But it doesn't make any sense. I don't want this, I don't want to go back, it's not I want."

    "...You need to rest. Get some sleep and at least see Joanna. If you still want to die, I won't stop you."

    "You really... haven't changed at all. Can't you tell a nice lie?"

    "I will respect your will." Adrian shook his head, which became dizzy again. "But I… definitely want you to live."

    "Cahill, everything will be fine," he continued, thinking for a moment, then repeating it in a less firm voice. "everything will get better."

    This sentence does not seem to be a lie at first, and their return is called a triumph. The king of Garland happily included the dragon's breathstone vein called Kandal into his territory. Compared to Adrian, who suddenly had a problem in the war and still did not regain his strength, Cahill was pushed to the top for a time. Flowers, applause, cheers and glory overwhelm him.

    He became a hero, the embodiment of hope and virtue. Every child in Garland knows his name.

      He was lying on the bed in his room, day after day, when meeting the nobles, he had to be carefully pushed in a wheelchair.

    "Ed, I envy you." Cahill commented calmly after Adrian lost his knight commander position.

    Adrian stopped his hand to clean up the corner.

    "...you should have left me there." Cahill stared at the ceiling, a sigh escaped his lips.

    At that time he should have noticed. Why didn't he notice, Adrian thought?

    Now what he had said came back to him as a request.

    "Okay." He replied solemnly, "I promise you."

    Mrs. Edwards' wrinkled face pulled out a slightly trembling smile.

    "But what are you going to do?"

    "I can probably guess the child's wish," she said calmly. "It's still with me and hasn't touched me. I can guess. Cahill's wish should still be Not fully realized, as long as the wish is not realized, the devil can't really come... Is that so?"

    "Yes, but..."

    "If I'm not mistaken, that desire should be my sin, and it needs to be ended by my own hands.' The followers of Zeni will not do such cowardly things as suicide, we will die of faith, To die in battle, to a fate we cannot foresee'...I will not betray my faith."

    "I see."

    The old woman picked up the skirt and walked to Adrian. She didn't care about the grime left by the battle, she stood on tiptoe, and Adrian bowed his head in cooperation - she kissed the top of his hair.

    "I'm really happy to see you again." She stopped crying, her eyes still slightly red. "Goodbye, child."

    She gave them a salute, ignited the transport paper, and her figure disappeared into the sultry, smelly air like a sigh.

    At the same time, Della Lenien dropped the fresh rose in her hand and sighed at the communication crystal.

    "Vance."

    “…”

    "Looks like I still have to lose one eye." He said regretfully, "I have a hunch that this body may not be used for a long time - oh, what a pity, Edwards' knowledge can not be learned from books go to school."

    "It's rare that you give in so bluntly."

    "Of course I'm going to struggle again! But my hunch has never been wrong. Witherspoon's body fell asleep in the abyss, and we all know what that means. This identity may give I bring danger."

    "I see."

    "Why do they always do this useless thing, don't you just enjoy it?"

    “…don’t ask me.”

    "Okay, then this may be the last report in Hiram."

    The sound of the door opening came from the hallway. The demon packed everything up and put on an impeccable smile. He controlled the wheelchair to the living room. Mrs Edwards smelled more roses than ever before.

    "You're back."

    The old woman nodded at him, her eyes soft as always.

    "Yes," she said softly, opening her arms and giving her son a rare hug. "Can you make me a cup of tea, boy?"

    "Of course." He replied cheerfully, "Sir Bishop just left not long ago, and he wants to find you. I heard that your mission has been completed."

    "Yes, they did rescue him." She picked up the teacup and took a sip.

    "You got the answer?"

    "Yes."

    "I'm happy for you from the bottom of my heart, Mom."

    (m..=)