Chapter 137
"Wait, wait a minute? Didn't you say you were going to teach me something?" Denos pressed down on his shoulder and said seriously, "What do you mean by this?"
“Teaching you something? Oh, I did say that. But don’t worry, my position is just a nominal one, the former principal, just a job where I live and get paid.” His father patted his shoulder and said, “Losing a spell won’t affect your status. If you’re good enough, adding or removing a spell won’t change your position. And if you’re just coasting along, don’t worry, you won’t learn that anyway.”
Denos looked at him blankly, then smiled and said...
“I have no regrets in my life, or maybe just one,” he said softly. “I haven’t died out there. I haven’t left this city for almost thirty years. I’ve stayed here ever since I got old. Speaking of which, your mother told me about the place where she lived in seclusion, but I’ve never been there. So I thought I’d go see her one last time before I die. Of course, it doesn’t matter if I die on the road, that would be one of my wishes.”
"What kind of illogical wish is this?"
“When I was young, I grew up listening to the stories of the wandering mage Ansari,” the old man said with a smile. “I’ve always hoped to be like him, suddenly abandoning everything and just wanting to make a name for myself in the world. But now I’m old and about to die, and even if I really met Ansari, I might not be able to beat him. But what’s the use? I’m old and about to die.”
“As Ark once said, if a person repeats something repeatedly in a sentence, it is what he cares about most.” Denos looked at him and said softly, “It seems you really don’t want to die.”
"Otherwise what? I haven't reached the level of cultivation where I can take life and death lightly." Saying this, he sat down at the table and looked at Nina standing in the corner.
"Long time no see," Nina said softly, looking at him. "How are you feeling?"
"It's pretty much the same as before, except I'm about to die." The old man looked at her hesitantly and said, "Why did you come back?"
"Because I didn't see what I wanted to see outside. And suddenly I realized that I just wanted to go out. Not for any particular reason, just because I'd been here too long and wanted to see the outside world. Now that I've seen it, it's terrible and dangerous outside, so I came back."
"Really? I knew you were back. If I had known earlier, I would have helped you with the registration process here." He didn't ask any more questions, nor did he want to.
That's definitely how it is outside; it's extremely dangerous. The so-called beauty is only for those ruthless individuals who can witness the earth crumbling from a mountaintop. And you yourself are constantly in that environment, with the possibility of losing your life at any moment.
He didn't even intend to come back alive when he went out.
"Speaking of which, what kind of person was my mother?" Denos moved another chair over and sat down next to her. "I have almost no memory of her."
"He's a very good person."
Is that all?
That's all.
......
As dusk fell, the sun disappeared, and the world entered the night amidst flashes of light and darkness.
"Are you feeling sad?" Benny glanced at Ark, who was leaning against the wall, and asked casually, "You look very sad."
"Yes, another person I know is going to die."
Who is that?
"My friend."
"What's your name?"
“I’ve been calling him Father Denos for a while now, but so much time has passed that I can’t remember. And I don’t want to remember that dying man.” Ark looked out the door. Tonight was still a blizzard, very cold. Even with the protective barrier of magic, the snow was only slightly lighter.
It still accumulated above the ankle, near the calf.
The last one to see it off was Ark, even though it was night and the outside was already like this. He still questioned leaving alone.
Including the puppet made by magic that he brought with him, there were only two.
In such a raging environment outside, one human and one puppet are probably enough for half a month's supply.
It goes without saying how far he can go, and we can even roughly calculate where he will die.
But he still left, perhaps because he didn't want to die of old age, as dying of old age is too tragic for a sorcerer or even an adventurer.
It was supposed to be a farewell, but it was really just that Ark waved to him from afar, and he responded. The two of them watched each other from a distance, without saying a word.
There's nothing to say, and nothing to say at all.
He certainly didn't want Ark to see him like this. Ark didn't want to see him like this either. His image should be that of a legendary sorcerer, leaning on an oak cane, knowledgeable in the ways of heaven and earth, versed in both the human and the spirit realms, carefree and unrestrained, as at ease as if he were drunk and decaying.
It would be good if Ark could keep that impression of him in his memory, and perhaps he would encounter an opportunity after this journey. Then he could continue to live, like the wandering mage he had always admired, and travel throughout this world.
Benedict stood next to Yak, casually tossed a gold coin into the air, and stuffed it into his pocket.
“That’s good. At least as a human being, he was excellent enough,” Benny said. “Are you planning to remember this old friend?”
After a moment of silence, Yak said, "He should wait for us."
"You're going too?" Benny paused, then thought about what was in that direction: "The gathering place of elves?"
Yak nodded.
"What are you doing going to a place like that? Do you think those pretty elves are to your liking?" Benny's lips twitched. "Are you sure you want to talk about this kind of thing in front of your girlfriend? Aren't you afraid I'll beat you to death?"
“We’re in big trouble now. The Church has definitely got our eye on us. So we have to escape.” Acton paused and said, “Staying in the human settlements is a dead end. I plan to go to the Spirit Forest first, and then quickly head towards the Land of the Dead.”
"So you really want to go to his place?" Benny sighed. "I'm especially bad at dealing with that guy. I have a real headache dealing with guys who only get older and don't seem to get any younger."
Yak didn't say anything, he just sighed.
“I feel the same way, but so much time has passed, I guess he’s gotten better by now.” Ark hesitated and said, “Maybe he’s no longer… no longer so active.”
He hesitated, trying to figure out what words to use to describe the guy, but his head was throbbing.
The two exchanged a smile, then turned to leave.
Yak walked ahead, stroking his chin as he pondered something, while Benny followed behind, the hem of her white dress fluttering in the breeze.
Despite the heavy snow, the two were dressed quite lightly. After all, for them, this was a temperature they didn't need to worry about at all.
"It's been so long since I've walked like this." Benny looked at the doors closing one by one around her. "You really don't plan to come back with me?"
“Perhaps after spending some time in the land of the dead, I’ll change my mind and follow you to that city.” Acton paused. “I’ve been to almost every corner of the world, but that’s the only place I’ve never been. It’s a strange city, and I’m a little scared of it.”
“At least I’m with you.” Benny took his arm. “I can only sleep peacefully when you’re here, Ark. There are just too many people who want to kill me right now. The only reason no one attacks me on the streets is because they can’t defeat me. So I’m afraid to sleep, even with Little White and the guards. I feel like I’m always on a battlefield. That room is a high-pressure environment for me; I can’t relax at all there.”
"I'm sorry," Ark said softly, ruffling her hair. "You've really had a tough time these past few days."
“It wasn’t hard work, just loneliness.” Benny paused and said, “After all, I don’t consider anyone a friend in a place like that.”
After a moment of silence, Ark said, "Don't you care that Lori is a demon?"
“The demons care because the appearance of the Demon God species gives them hope of having a leader again. The church cares because it threatens the current peace. Yasiri cares because she is a saint, a saint representing God. She has the responsibility and obligation of a defender of honor.” Benny smiled and said, “But I am Benny, a village girl, an unwanted child. I only care about being able to eat my fill. I don’t want to care about anything too grand.”
“That’s covering up,” Yak said with a laugh, then his expression slowly turned serious. “It’s really not peaceful right now. The whole world is in chaos. And I haven’t found anything that makes me uneasy. I’ve been having nightmares for a while now, and even my own carriage isn’t peaceful. This group is a mess, with all sorts of people, and I can’t manage it. In short, everything is terrible.”
“You should have realized long ago that everything is in chaos right now. There’s no safe place at all,” Benny said nonchalantly. “Even we saints have been incredibly busy lately, spending every day questioning the meaning of life. Want to expect peace? Once God and the devil go to war, it’s no longer possible.”
After a moment of silence, Ark said, "Were the losses from this Blood Sun event significant?"
“It seems very big to me, but it’s no big deal for the church.” Benny paused. “And the arrival of a junior is enough to make them temporarily forget everything else.”
After a moment of silence, Ark said, "To be honest, when I learned that you had other Saint abilities, I couldn't imagine how exaggerated that battle must have been when the Twelve Saints gathered together and several Demon Gods were still alive."
“You should probably think back to when God fought against the demons with the twelve angels,” Benny said. “Back then, even if the safe zone hadn’t turned into a chaotic wasteland, we were still curious about what it would take for the world to become so devastated.”
"Because it has risen to the level of rules."
"Yes, the rules of the world are loose, and we saints are only privileged because of them."
“Discussing this kind of nonsense is making me a little annoyed.” Ark frowned, looking at the guy resting by the house not far away: “Why would he be resting in a place like that?”
That was the high priest, the guy who had been checking on Ark and the others at the door. Now he was sitting next to the house, his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.
"The knifesmith told me that this guy seems to have committed some crime."
"From what you've said, I don't think you care."
“Indeed, I don’t care. I’m not responsible for this.” Benny hesitated for a moment and said, “I guess it’s the same old thing, like being greedy for money or women. But it has nothing to do with me. First of all, this is the territory of the Benevolent Ones. Secondly, even if it were my territory, I don’t think such things are unforgivable.”
Hearing the conversation between the two, the guy sitting there slowly opened his eyes and looked at Benny with a slightly sleepy expression.
"Are you here to punish me?" he asked casually. "Doesn't seem like it."
“No, that’s not it. You should be staying at the church right now.” Ark asked, “Why?”
“I have made a mistake, and now I am waiting for my judge to come and condemn me,” the high priest said, seemingly unconcerned. “But he has not come yet, so I am taking a break.”
"Have you eaten?" Benny asked. "You don't seem like the type to crave food."
It certainly doesn't look like him. He looks very thin, or rather, too thin. He's so thin that it seems like he hasn't eaten much at all.
“No need, holy magic is enough to keep me alive.” He closed his eyes again: “I’m just a little weak.”
"If you don't mind, you can have a meal with us." Yak extended an invitation: "Although it's just some meat from who-knows-where, probably not very good meat. It'll be barely edible with rice."
“Hehe, it is an unparalleled honor to dine with saints.” He said with a smile, his eyes closed. “How can I, a sinner, enjoy such an honor?”
“Then let’s just pretend we’re having dinner with a country girl named Benny,” Benny said, looking at him. “Is that alright?”
The high priest opened his eyes with some confusion and examined the two people in front of him again, feeling puzzled by the situation.
"Do you really know what you're saying?" he carefully chose his words.
“Although there was a time when I didn’t know human language, I can now use communication skills proficiently.” Benny crossed her arms. “I can even recite tongue twisters now.”
After looking at it for a long time, the high priest shook his head helplessly.
"Really? Then I'm really sorry to trouble you."
He slowly stood up, then reached for his cane to support himself.
Yak glanced at him and pointed to his arm.
The high priest, understanding the unspoken message, pulled open the sleeve of his arm, revealing only clean white bones at shoulder level.
"Don't mind it," he said with a smile. "It's just because a stray dog was starving."
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