Parsour crept back to his seat and put his hands on the table near the stove. The flames of Gaia warmed her whole body, and the alcohol brought heat to her lower abdomen. She almost shuddered and quickly tensed up her body to cover it up. Next to him, Hunter Brown Ear was sleeping soundly in his chair, and the potion would allow him to sleep all night. The cold wind when he opened the door didn't wake him up.
"Lord Saint?" Someone came in and walked to her side. "You fell asleep?"
"Not now." She pretended to have just woken up and looked back. "Only you?"
"He needs to be alone for a while," Uriel said. Due to the sudden rise, neither he nor Joey put on their coats, so they stayed outside for nearly half an hour. The missionary's cheeks were red from the cold, but he didn't seem to feel the cold. I didn’t expect him to be so cold-resistant. Parsur pushed the hot wine towards him. "Thanks."
"You seem to like hot water more."
"Obviously, the water doesn't taste spicy. But neither does the wine, and now I need heat. The forests of the Frost Moon are tough. How long have you been here?"
"About three months." Parsul knew that as long as he was vague, the other party would change the subject wisely. But she had a desire to talk, which was different from how she felt when facing strangers. Even if meeting an acquaintance at this time is actually not a good thing, I still have to talk to him. "I haven't met anyone I can communicate with since I left Mortus."
"I think I understand."
Can you understand? Cold, silence, endless wind, and the threat of death at any time. But he said it sincerely. Forget it, what reason did Uriel have to deceive me? He is different from the Silver Song Knight. Parsul liked this guy very much. "Maybe. After all, you are a missionary and have traveled to many more places than I have. I have been pampered for so long that I can't bear even a little suffering."
"I advise you to go north, Parsur. Cross Aurenia to the oases in the desert. It's too cold here for you."
"It's not suitable for me. Joey is very used to it." She corrected, "This is the punishment given to me by Heather, maybe from Gaia. The gods are happy to give people training."
"Don't say that." Uriel frowned, "There is no need to use the hands of the gods to punish yourself. You saved the fire of Saint Valoran, and you saved the lives of your own people."
"Times have changed. Forest races have also begun to pursue honor. Life is not as moving as the songs of praise. In a sense, this is not a bad thing. Sacrifice will earn the respect of others and consolidate the sovereignty of the forest." Maybe I think so myself. The person I used to be. I am willing to take the blame as a hostage. The Forest Saint came to distant Oregna to accept endless exile. Even if no one understands her patience, she still feels that she is worthy of her ancestors and gods.
Self-impressed idiot. Joey commented like this, and for the first time Parsur recognized his choice of words. Now she understood Heather's will, the goddess was as merciful to anyone. He never asked for her sacrifice. "But that's all in the past. What's more important, song or life? There will be new saints to worry about. To hell with it, it has nothing to do with me anyway."
Uriel was indeed different from the Silver Song Knight, and her words were agreed upon. "Seriously, Persul, I'm glad to see you free of your bonds."
"You sincerely wish me well, I can see that. It's a pity that others are not as open-minded as you."
"The nightingale has found you."
"If nothing else, it's through mystery. The forest can hide my traces, because I almost never used magic along the way. But under the night sky, few people can completely disappear."
"You're not talking about Croita...?"
"Or other organizations. First Origin. Witches. There are all kinds of enemies. We encountered assassins, not far from the castle. I'm afraid Alan Wo won't welcome us either."
"They don't even know you exist."
This is the best case scenario. Parsul knocked on the cup subconsciously, and then realized that there was no maid here. But the missionary understood her meaning and filled her glass. "The castle has long been turned into the base of a secret society, and Chu Yuan has occupied her. Even the guardians of the forest have joined them. Thank you, Uriel, you are so kind."
"I didn't do enough."
She was quite amused. "Not enough? Far more than that. Uriel. You don't have to do anything for me. You didn't come to capture us. Today's meeting will put you in danger."
"I'm very safe, madam. No one in this world can hurt me, but I can't change anything." The missionary replied gloomily, "There are too few things I can do...most of them are useless. "
"I know you helped Janus escape, and also helped Anais and Qilan. Your little effort saved other people's lives." But her comfort only made the other person more depressed. "You seem tired, Uriel? Do you have any traveling companions along the way?"
"Not this way."
"You are used to being alone. If you ask me, you are better than most people." At least better than me. Parsul looked out the window. It was completely white outside, and the wind and snow had not stopped yet. "When you're traveling alone, you count on good weather... and someone to talk to. Seriously, loneliness can be maddening, especially when you don't know when it's going to end. What's next? Where are you going? Tell me before dawn. At least I will listen more carefully than Joey."
…
Parsur held his hand, the female palm soft and smooth. Uriel felt his heartbeat suddenly speed up. This was a strange feeling, as if he had returned to the church in Yotsuba City. He couldn't help but think of Cecilia, and even Delphine... However, the saint in his dream only brought him pity, not passion.
He was not alone on the way to Honey Territory, but the unspeakable secret made all his companions separated from him by a vast distance. At the end of the day, there's no way I could share the Nameless Man with Dalton or York. The only one who knows the truth is Joey, but the messenger is completely different in his dream and reality.
"Okay." It was just a dream anyway. "My destination is coming soon. You know, madam, I am a missionary and this trip is nothing else. I want to go to an ancient country blinded by evil beliefs and wash away sins with the teachings of Gaia. Don't worry, it's not Alan Wo .”
"Of course I won't worry, if you just confess to the locals like this." Parsul smiled, "Is the evil place you are referring to the Cangzhi Forest? I definitely wouldn't welcome you in the past. No one will abandon Heather Those who converted to Gaia. Faith in evil gods is still faith, and faith cannot be blasphemed. Uriel, there is more than one god in the world."
"But not every god is worthy of worship," Uriel replied. "I must go."
Her fingers curled around his knuckles. "There are always things that cannot be escaped. But no matter how great the mission is, it is not as precious as life. You have a family, right?"
"In fact, I fight for them."
"When I became the Saint of Cang, my mother would not have been happy on the day of my coming-of-age ceremony. Maybe they would have preferred you to go home instead of taking risks. Of course, I am not qualified to say this, so just take it as a blessing. Blessing. It costs nothing, and so does listening.”
"I'm listening."
"I have never preached in a strange place. This is absolutely true. The forest races are all Heather believers. They have been like this before I was born. There will be no big changes in the future. The Aurenia Empire can defeat us. But we cannot be forced to believe in the three gods. I have never seen Heather or Uriel, but I firmly believe in his existence. The gods will pass on revelations to mortals. Whoever chooses to believe and whoever responds with ridicule, the goddess is the same. It's clear. His punishment comes from people's guilty hearts."
Her voice made him feel peaceful. Uriel was motionless, and time seemed to stand still at this moment.
"So, Uriel, you can save those who long to be saved, but don't expect most people to change their ways. Everyone wants to choose their own destiny, but in the end it is the gods who guide their will. The gods themselves come, Understand? No one else needs to intervene. You don’t know what the gods do or how they choose. You just make the decision for yourself."
Parsur paused and closed his eyes. The apprentice noticed that her palms were sweating. "Don't be afraid of fate. The revelation given to you by your god is unique, Uriel. The teachings of Gaia and Heather have something in common..."
"...Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Uriel answered. It was just an ordinary prayer, but these ordinary words conveyed power to him. The day's travels made him tired, and the night's explorations made him even worse. It was only today that he seemed to get real relaxation and relief from his dreams.
…
She opened her eyes and found the young missionary staring thoughtfully at the stove. Regardless, he seemed to cheer up. Parsour thought of the cold nights he spent relying on Heather for guidance. In a way, Joy solidified her faith. Walking alone through the snowy mountains, she might have abandoned Heather long ago when she left. It seems that although the knight is not the best companion, I would be worse off without him.
"This is not so much faith as it is courage." Parsul let go of his hand, and Uriel did not move his arm. "If it were anyone else, I would advise them not to go too far. But you have your own ideas, a clear plan, and a strong will. You don't need me to worry about it." I'd better think more about my destination. "The most important thing is that you have absolute power, unlike me."
"Not like you?"
"I really want to change the route to the desert, but unfortunately most of our knights are not willing to do it."
"He...uh." The missionary hesitated, as if he had something to say.
"how?"
"Perhaps I shouldn't say it, madam, but when you walk with him, the past will probably be with you. I don't doubt... well, I doubt how much the snowy mountains can block the influence of the past. The cold brings you too close. , there is no distance. This is not always a good thing." He became vague. "I roughly know him, before he became the Knight of Silver Song..."
The wooden door suddenly opened. Joey lifted the hide, and cold wind blew into the house. "It's daybreak," he reminded.
"I think so." The apprentice coughed to cover up the change in his voice. Parsur almost couldn't help smiling. This kid is a little impressionable. If the other party hadn't been busy, she would have almost invited him to accompany her. I'm afraid we will never meet again.
When parting, Parsul stood on tiptoes and gave him a hug. "Goodbye, Uriel. May your God be with you."
cloud train
