"Your expressions and faith let me know that this road is not a lonely one."

"Don't worry, we will all die, but I also believe that more people will slowly wake up and take the same path as us, because it is the right path and what people yearn for."

The man spoke slowly in the dim light, and the pairs of eyes around him looked at him with bright eyes and listened to the familiar voice.

Is Tocolin great? Perhaps not. He is just a frustrated and down-and-out nobleman, a young man who failed to pass the entrance exam to Emenas, and a retired soldier after joining the Western Expedition.

Before this, he had not had any achievements or accomplishments that would impress people or win their admiration, and his voice was a little hoarse and not moving or gentle.

If you hear him speak for the first time, you can still notice his poor accent, which cannot compare with the standard and elegant tone of the imperial capital.

Such a person, wearing a tattered military uniform, stands in front of you, in the fields, on the way to hunting in the mountains, talks to you, tells vulgar and funny jokes, makes you laugh, and then the two of you chat about the recent weather and life.

Gradually, you learned that he built a small house on the mountain and went fishing by the river every Thursday. Occasionally, he would pick some shrub fruits as seasoning to increase the flavor of the fish soup.

In his hands, he can always make ordinary ingredients into something new, and then invite you to his house to drink some fish soup, eat some fatty fish, and then drink some watered-down wine, and talk about his "glorious" past while being slightly tipsy.

You feel impressed by the man's rich and bumpy experience, and you can't help but open up and talk about the stupid things you did in your early years.

As you go back and forth, you gradually become familiar with each other, and he finally begins to talk about some of his experiences during the Western Expedition. You can feel that he is very yearning for that strange country.

"Why don't you go over there? With your skills, it's easy to get through the border blockade. There won't be people guarding every place in that long mountain area."

"Of course, it won't be difficult for me to go there."

"But, after all, I grew up in the Empire. Here are my friends, my childhood, my memories, and my past."

"I don't want to lose these, but I don't want to escape like a coward."

"Oh, so, what are you going to do?"

"I want to do something big." The man leaned back in his chair, supporting his chin with one hand, and stared at the flames with a fixed gaze, which seemed to contain a strange look.

"Haha, seriously, you're not kidding? You'll be hanged for that, but for the sake of our friendship, I won't expose you."

"Of course, you know, I won't joke around on certain crucial matters."

Listening to the steady words and breathing, you suddenly realized that this man was serious and that he was really thinking about these things.

"Hey, old buddy, then tell me about your plan, maybe I can give you some advice." You asked with ill intention, trying to expose this wishful thinking.

"Well, then I have to introduce it to you..."

Then, a plan so detailed it scares you and sends a chill down your spine slowly pours out of his mouth. These steps aren't particularly brilliant, but each one is very likely to be achievable. You know he's done thorough research and may have even personally experimented with it a few times.

Slowly, you closed your mouth and listened to him quietly until the firewood in the fireplace slowly burned out, leaving behind a little dark red charcoal and wood ash.

The room has cooled, and now it's time to make a decision.

Should I report this man to the noble lord of the fiefdom, or should I pretend nothing happened and laugh it off saying that today's joke was really unique.

The passage of time is tense to an unsettling degree, and sitting on this familiar wooden chair, you have never felt so uneasy and hesitant as you do today.

You even thought that the other person would suddenly change the subject and say that it was just a joke, or suddenly stand up and quickly leave the room.

But you didn't leave. The smell of wood smoke lingered in the gradually cold house, and the cold light shone into the room through the thick glass.

You rubbed your knees with your fingers several times, and the rough and thick fabric was pulled into various wrinkles by you.

My heart is still full of surprise, like the ocean in a storm, shaking and shaking, as if it is going to shake the sky down.

"Can I take what I just heard as your true words?" You slowly raised your head and looked at the man.

"Of course." He nodded. "That's what I really mean."

“Heh.” You turned your head away, grabbed the beer glass on the table, and poured the light yellow beer down your throat.

With a gurgling sound, a cool and stimulating liquid enters your chest and abdomen, giving you a boost of energy.

"It's really interesting that I have to encounter such a thing."

"You are so brave to tell me this."

......

You mutter vulgar words, complaining that this man shouldn't say such worrying things.

"But since you're here, you have to let me see the real thing. But don't tell me, this is the first time you've told these things to outsiders. If I knew I was the first to hear it, I would turn around and leave."

"Of course it's not the first time. I will only open my heart to people I trust." After saying that, he stood up, picked up his coat and put it on.

"Come with me."

Amidst that exciting and heart-pounding sound, you hurriedly put on your coat, kicked up the wood ashes to cover the remaining sparks in the fireplace, and then followed the man out of the room and into the vast snow.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!