"...When I set out, Rhode Island was nearly a hundred kilometers away from the ruins of Qicheng City."
"The car drove into the wilderness from the buffer. As soon as the front wheels touched the dirt base, it ran dozens of meters away. It was like a rabbit being chased by a falcon, not daring to stop for a moment."
"At that time I looked back at Rhode Island, and the fortress sign on the bridge was still clear."
“It just doesn’t feel solid at all.”
The last air of cold air lingering in the wilderness finally dissipated, and countless greens broke out of the ground, breathing in the long-lost fresh air, making this land much more alive.
This sight made Valentine feel a little more relaxed.
The world of Terra in his mind had been covered with a gray filter, as if it was a hopeless place without any beauty - it was this wilderness covered with countless buds that changed his mind.
But this return trip was still wrapped in dullness, and even Franka sat quietly in the passenger seat and looked into the distance.
It's like remembering a leisurely holiday that has passed and will never appear again.
In order to relieve this depression, Razer took the initiative to stir up the conversation and talked about what happened on the day she set off.
Although the girls were not interested, Valentine listened quite seriously.
"Hey wait, what day is today?"
Razer's words reminded him.
In fact, Rhode Island ran away as early as the end of the Battle of Longmen. They didn't stop when they set out for Qicheng that day, and they didn't know where their destination was while heading west.
Although Jiao Zhengyu said that time in the outside world passes very slowly, and Valentin has lived in another world for thousands of years and only one day has passed in Terra, there will be accidents if not guaranteed.
If a week or a month has passed, then food and accommodation are more important than returning to Rhode Island.
The car is driven by Originium, so there is no need to worry about running out of fuel...
But is there enough food for six people?
"today……"
Razer glanced at his wrist.
"April 2nd, three days have passed since the day you set off."
She raised her head slightly and looked at Valentine's face through the rearview mirror.
"Based on the estimated movement speed of Rhodes Island, it should have reached southern Syracuse by now."
"Rhode Island has absorbed many refugees in Qicheng and Longmen, so the factory will not have a shortage of manpower."
"But food and fresh water supplies are not enough."
"It will stay there for a few days to replenish its resources, and that's our chance to catch up with it."
At first, Amiya agreed to Razer's request to go to the ruins of Checheng, but she also made it clear to her the possible dangers of doing so.
In addition to the threat of Ursus soldiers, there is also the issue of return.
Rhodes Island will not stop and wait for them, Razer and others must catch up to the main base by themselves.
Of course, it doesn’t matter if you can’t catch up. They can go to a nearby Rhode Island pharmacy, send a message to headquarters there, and wait for the logistics department to pick them up.
But doing this will waste a lot of time, and it will be difficult for Valentine and others to sneak into the city.
So catching up with Rhodes while it was resting in Syracuse was the only feasible solution.
"Don't worry, Rhode Island will probably stay for about a week, which is enough."
"and……"
The Razer driving with sunglasses was like a cool cover, and Valentin couldn't see her clearly through the rearview mirror.
But even so, he could still feel that the focus of this good sister's eyes changed from him to Raphael.
"It's also quite close to Rutland. When we see the main base of Rhode Island, we have a high probability of seeing the Sakota caravan on the plains."
The halo above Raphael's head suddenly flashed.
"Do you want to go back and take a look?"
Return to hometown.
The voice was very close, yet it seemed to come from far away, hazy and illusory. The buried memory reappeared at this moment, as if it happened yesterday.
The angel stared blankly at the horizon in the distance, but in his eyes were the church spire, the cross and the bright starry sky.
There are no rules for saints in Lateran, even if the law is under their feet. But every generation of saints silently abides by secular laws, and there are rules that they have never spoken for a long time and only exist in their hearts.
Never leave Rutland, defend the ruins and keep the secrets.
"No."
After a long time, Raphael answered slowly.
The voice was very soft, and as soon as he finished speaking, he was crushed by the sound of wheels and disappeared.
Just like the goodbye she said that night when she stood in the wilderness looking at the petite figure at the exit of the city-state.
Saints have freedom that ordinary people never have, but they live in prison from birth.
Raphael did not resent the invisible restrictions everywhere, but she could not bear the secrets that had been buried for thousands of years by the Lateran Holy See.
A truth known only to saints and cardinals.
At the same time, a voice appeared in Raphael's heart, asking her to go outside to find her true destiny.
What the first Raphael failed to accomplish.
It was just a feeling, very illusory, as if the soul had something more than other people's, which could not be explained.
But there was no precedent for a saint leaving the city, and this flimsy reason alone could not dispel the heavy burden on her heart.
Raphael loves this city and understands that his identity cannot be arbitrary. The conflict between the two emotions became more and more intense, but was finally resolved by others.
Gabriel made her choice by pushing Raphael cleanly into the wilderness.
[You will come back one day with the answers to your problems. ]
[Until then, forget the word 'Rutland'. ]
Without blessing or retention, he turned around and left after saying that. Raphael didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.
She could only look at the figure that was gradually receding and said 'goodbye' that only she could hear.
Tell it to Gabriel, but also tell it to yourself.
…
Today, it has been seven years.
The once immature girl has entered the adult world, and is only one red book away from becoming a real wife.
Raphael was sure he had found the answer, but it wasn't time to reveal it yet.
The opportunity to return to Rutland is still hidden in the darkness.
Until that moment comes, she will never return to her hometown.
"Actually, I really want to go back."
Raphael sighed, turned to look at Razer, smiled, and held the hand of the person next to him.
"But what's the use of going back? Xiaowa only has Qicheng's identity certificate."
"That city is gone."
Although the fingers intertwined with the angel sister felt very comfortable, these words still made Valentin feel that something was wrong.
What does Rutland have to do with my identification this time?
Why don't you go back to your hometown to visit relatives and I'll wait at the Rhode Island base?
Can those angels let you come out?
Do they dare to do this to the saint they worship?
"Actually, I still have Longmen's identity certificate."
The more I thought about Valentine, the more something felt wrong. In order to prove that he was not a "stateless person" and explain quickly, he quickly took out Longmen's ID card.
"oh."
Raphael widened his eyes and made a surprised expression, which seemed a bit exaggerated.
"Does Yihuang also have a Longmen ID card?"
Hearing that he was mentioned, Xing Yihuang turned his head to meet Raphael's gaze and shook his head slightly.
"Longmen officials just issued me an ID card. They were very stingy."
Valentin became furious when he thought of what he had experienced in Longmen.
Helped them get rid of a large gang, and the only useful reward in the end was a piece of identification. Even a stupid boy would get more than this.
Although there is a house, it is right next to the Xiacheng District Guards Bureau, and any normal person can tell what the house is used for.
Aren’t they just spying on us?
My job is to go to the Guards Bureau, which is equivalent to selling myself to Longmen...
Fortunately, he and Yihuang were just undercover agents in Rhode Island, otherwise they would really have no choice but to stay and let Old Wei manipulate them.
"Is that so? Then I'll be relieved."
Raphael breathed a sigh of relief.
"I thought you and Yihuang had already gotten married in Longmen."
…
"Um...get married?"
Franka, who had been silent all the way, suddenly became active at this moment. She turned around and stared at the three people behind her, her eyes flickering on their faces. It looked like they had just woken up and only heard those two words.
In her sight, in addition to curiosity, Valentine also noticed the resentment of the older single fox.
This sister...
Like as big as Raphael?
"How old are you this year?"
Valentin squeezed Raphael's palm.
Xing Yihuang had no reaction when she heard the words about marriage just now, but Valentine's words made her twitch her eyelids.
It's as if the gentle and considerate man by Walden Pond has disappeared and has turned back into the silly little dragon he once was.
"..."
For a moment, Raphael didn't know what to say.
"I'm three years older than you."
But seeing Valentine's shining eyes, she still didn't have an attack and gave the answer tactfully.
"That's good."
Valentine smiled, his joy was beyond words, and he didn't realize how dangerous he was just now.
There is an old saying in Yan State: a female college student holds a gold brick.
Raphael will definitely be a good wife and mother in the future and will not run away.
But Franka...
It’s unclear who will take away this fox gold brick in the future.
"Come on, sister."
Valentin stopped smiling and looked at Franka solemnly.
"I believe you will definitely meet the right partner."
After saying that, he even gave a thumbs up to her who looked confused.
Xing Yihuang leaned towards the edge, closed his eyes silently, and stretched out his hands to cover his face.
Didn't see it.
"you……"
Franca finally restarted successfully, staring at Valentin as if she wanted to eat him, and almost burst out with a classic Colombian swear word.
But in the end, he suppressed it and maintained the good qualities of an excellent operator.
"Thanks."
She nodded, smiled, expressed her gratitude to Valentine, and turned away without speaking.
Not even the sound of the engine could cover up the sound of her teeth grinding.
The atmosphere in the car was a bit awkward, but at least it was alive and no longer dull.
Razer turned on the car stereo, and the corners of his mouth showed a rare arc.
Valentine twisted into a more comfortable position and closed his eyes.
The journey is still long, but that doesn’t mean it will always be easy.
It's time to start planning.
