Chapter 441: The Sword Master from Bronze Pass
“It’s time to do something!”
The early morning sunlight shines through the thin morning mist onto the muddy dirt road outside Maitian Village, awakening the busy footsteps and the fragrance of the soil.
Standing on the muddy dirt road, a skeleton holding a shovel made a creaking sound from its mouth. The soul fire burning in its skull looked at the open space by the river not far away, with great ambition in its heart.
His nickname is [Rusty and Dumb]. He is a newbie who joined the game not long ago. As for what he does in real life, it is not difficult to guess. It is definitely not civil engineering, otherwise he would not have so much time to spend in the virtual world.
But that's not the point.
The point is that after coming to Wheatfield Village, all the martial arts he had learned through hard study finally came in handy!
The "Earth OL" with its abundance of talented people does not lack a civil engineer like him, but this village in front of him, which is in need of reconstruction, is obviously in need of something!
The [Cowardly and Strong] standing next to him also had an ambitious expression, an expression that only the skeleton soldiers could understand.
"I think this is the spot!" He dug a shovelful of mud with his shovel and said excitedly, "The soil here has a good clay content and low sand content. It's not suitable for growing crops, but it's perfect for making bricks!"
"And getting water is convenient! It's near the main road at the village entrance, and downwind!" [Rusty and Dumb] chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he continued, "Phase two of our 'Wheatfield Village Reconstruction Plan' will begin with this brick kiln!"
That was not the Demon King's plan, but the plan of him and his good brother!
It is said that when Beifeng City and Leiming City were engaged in large-scale infrastructure construction, many professional life players made a lot of money, and they can't wait to replicate the success of their predecessors.
Although Wheatfield Village is not as prosperous as those places, it has great potential.
The NPCs here are not like the people outside. They are very open to all kinds of new things when they see the undead. They are even more flexible and adaptable than the lizardmen in the Janna continent. Maybe this is the second important stronghold after Beifeng City!
As for the local people's tradition of building houses with wood...
I believe that after they see the benefits of bricks, they will not be opposed to living in a warmer and stronger house!
Two skeleton soldiers holding shovels were discussing with each other, and their forward-thinking posture seemed to be planning the distant future of Wheatfield Village.
They even thought about where to build the train station and where the railway would pass... although those things were several generations away from the land beneath their feet.
An elderly villager passed by happily, carrying a bundle of firewood on his back.
When he saw the two skeletons holding shovels, there was no fear on his face. Instead, he waved enthusiastically as if he had seen his old father who had passed away many years ago.
"Good morning, my Lords! I don't know who your ancestors are, but thanks to you, we can sleep peacefully again!"
"By the way, please give my regards to my father and tell him that his son is doing well. I tell him not to worry about us, let alone come back to see us..."
It’s not that he didn’t want to see his father, but he didn’t want the old man who had finally fallen asleep to get up from the fields to work again.
Although these holy spirits themselves didn't seem to feel anything, and even looked like they were enjoying it, it didn't stop him from feeling that they were working hard.
The discussion between the two skeleton soldiers came to an abrupt end.
Although they could not respond to the villagers with words and could not understand what the villagers said, they all waved their pale arms in a friendly manner.
'Any mission, mate?'
"No? Damn! Bye then."
Neither side read the words in reply. The villagers smiled contentedly and walked briskly towards the village with the blessings of their ancestors.
No one noticed that in the forest not far away, a pair of sharp eyes were taking in all of this, and the hand holding the hilt of the sword slowly loosened.
…
Unlike the blood and death on the eastern edge of the Duskwood, the peaceful Wheatfield Village is like an isolated island outside the storm.
This place is like a unique miracle, with no hunger or death to be seen.
If it weren't for those lonely ruins reminding people of what happened here, the famine that once lingered in this land would seem to have never existed.
And on the land just across the road from the ruins, newly built wooden houses are scattered in an orderly manner and are expanding in an orderly manner to further places.
What made Gunter feel even more incredible was the endless wheat fields outside the village. Crystal dewdrops hung on the green wheat seedlings, full of vigorous vitality.
The air is filled with the fragrance of moist earth, and in the distance there are faint wisps of smoke from cooking fires. Everything seems to be declaring that this land is moving away from the sadness of the past.
Everywhere you look, you see a peaceful and tranquil scene...
"Is this... still the Twilight Province?"
Following behind Gaunt's tall back, Ullian's face was full of disbelief, his clenched palms were full of sweat, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had come to heaven.
He was an orphan picked up by Gaunt from Greystone Town. He traveled with Gaunt along the way, learning survival skills and swordsmanship, fighting against monsters, and fighting against bandits... although most of the time it was Gaunt who took action.
Along the way, he saw many villages destroyed by war and famine, but this was the first time he saw such a completely different scene.
Those young eyes showed both restraint and timidity, as well as curiosity and yearning, just like a mud-covered child who had accidentally entered the garden of a wealthy neighbor and was afraid that his clumsy hands would dirty the fence.
Gunter, walking in front, didn't react much, just casually observing his surroundings. His expressionless face seemed calm, but his heart was already turbulent.
Everything he saw was completely different from the hellish scene he had witnessed in the Twilight Province—people here were working, talking, and even laughing.
If he did not have absolute confidence in his own strength, he would almost suspect that he had entered the realm of another demigod, or the illusion magic cast by a magician of the level of a great sage.
This is incredible!
It's not just the things here, but also the people here.
In most kingdoms outside the empire, soldiers were a privileged class independent of ordinary serfs. They had their own "honor" or "pride," and they might pretend to obey their lord's orders, but they would never live and eat with the lord's serfs like in this village, even building houses and doing farm work together.
He didn't know what the lord here had done, but the scene before his eyes alone was enough to be called a miracle...
"This is undoubtedly still the Twilight Province," Gaunt glanced around, paused, and continued, "but perhaps something has happened that we don't understand."
Ullian swallowed and looked at Gaunt excitedly.
"The famine... is it over?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
Gaunt said nothing more, but continued walking forward in silence. Ullian followed closely behind him and entered the village with him.
At this time, Gunter, who was looking around, suddenly noticed an old farmer humming a tuneless song while using a hoe to cultivate the vegetable garden surrounded by a fence.
He walked forward and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Excuse me, what is this place? Which lord rules it?"
Hearing this, the old farmer stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then looked at the man carrying the giant sword and grinned.
"Lord? Haha! You're a stranger coming to Wheatfield Village for the first time, right? How can there be a lord here?"
Gaunt was slightly stunned, looked at the wheat field not far away, and cast a confused look at the farmer.
At least in his impression, only lords would grow so much wheat. Even if ordinary free people had land, most of them could not get such high-quality land, let alone organize the manpower for large-scale planting.
Is this the parish?
But he didn't see any church or priests.
"No lord is..."
"If you're talking about that coward Gard Theron, he would have run away from the castle with his tail between his legs!" Old Hank grinned, a mocking smile on his face, but it didn't take long for the mockery to turn into pride. "It's different now. The Saviors saved this place."
“…The Salvation Army?”
"That's right! They are followers of Her Majesty the Saint! They adhere to the creed of loyalty and piety. The swords in their hands do not pledge allegiance to any secular lord, but only to the Book of the Holy Word and the people under the protection of the Holy Light!"
When he said this, Old Hank puffed out his chest proudly and told the mercenary-looking man in front of him what had happened here before in the tone of an experienced person.
When he first heard the part about the Green Forest Army, Gaunt subconsciously clenched his fists, and behind him, Ullian also showed a look of fear on his face.
However, soon, as Her Highness the Saint walked over from the rushing river, the desperate story turned into another version, like an incredible miracle.
"...Her Highness the Saint came from the Rushing River, bringing bread and holy light! The rebels were the first to be moved by her. They took off their headscarves, repented of their past sins, and suddenly began to uphold the divine teachings and help us!"
"By the grace of Saint Sith... Thinking back to that day, I still feel like I'm dreaming! Then came the Earl of Quemu Castle. Perhaps feeling that holding on any longer would lead to his own demise, he negotiated terms with the Saint, ceded the castle to her, and then fled in disgrace with his family!"
Looking at the old farmer who kept talking about "the saint lady's kindness", Gaunt's face was full of surprise. Especially when he heard the earl's part, he asked in a deep voice.
"He's gone?"
Old Hank said with a smile.
"Yes, I heard he left with a few harsh words! They say he went to Twilight City, but I've heard from the citizens who came from Twilight City that the situation there is pretty dire! Even with money, you can't buy food; all the food has been taken away by the Governor... If you're curious, you can ask Anthony. He's the village carpenter, and he lives by the river. You can find him by smelling the sawdust!"
The old farmer didn't seem to want to say much about the affairs of Dusk City. After just a few words, the topic returned to Her Highness the Saint.
After all, he had never been to Twilight City, nor had he met the Governor, but he had indeed seen the saint walking among the crowd, and had seen her give blessings to many newlyweds.
Even the nuns of Quemu Castle were not as approachable as her. Although she was old enough to be his daughter, she reminded him of his deceased mother.
Old Hank unknowingly talked about a lot more, including the distribution of land and the series of reforms implemented by the Salvation Army in Quemu Territory.
He didn't understand those complicated things, but he could clearly see what was good and what was bad. He would support whoever could feed him to be the lord.
No matter whether the lord is called a lord or not.
As a devout Rhodesian, from Gaunt's perspective, this "no king, no subjects" argument is undoubtedly outrageous, and it is not an exaggeration to call it heresy.
However, after seeing the real heretics, he felt that although these people were a little ignorant, there was nothing wrong with them.
At least they were full, and the food in their bowls was not filled with their compatriots, and they still had faith in the Holy Light in their hearts.
The corruption of Chaos cannot penetrate this place. Even if they are heretics who need correction, it is not urgent and can be put aside for the time being...
Gaunt did not intend to comment on the saint and holy light mentioned by the old farmer. He just pointed to several skeleton soldiers who were "communicating" with their bone heads not far away, and asked the last confusion in his heart in a puzzled tone.
"What's up with those undead? Are they... also members of the Savior Army?"
Old Hank seemed to have expected the stranger to ask this question, and a mysterious smile suddenly appeared on his face, as if the secret he had been keeping for so long had finally been discovered.
"Look at you, you're so ignorant! That's not a ghost, it's a holy spirit!"
Am I ignorant?
Gunter was stunned for a moment, and his heart was greatly shocked.
He never thought that after traveling to so many places and leaving behind a legend as thick as an epic, one day he would be called ignorant?
But thinking about it carefully, he had never seen such a capable undead. This was an exception in his adventuring career...
"What is the Holy Spirit?" He finally let go of his pride as a sword master and humbly asked the old farmer in front of him.
"They're our ancestors!" Old Hank chuckled, looking at the mercenary in front of him and saying, "To be honest, my grandfather... that's the other Old Hank, he might be in there too! They couldn't bear to see the children suffer, so they prayed to Saint Sith to bring them back to life and help us rebuild our home! It's said that after our village is built, Saint Sith's messengers will take them away... But honestly, I really can't bear to leave them!"
As he spoke, he pointed to a skeleton moving bricks not far away.
"Look at them! They work so hard, day and night without a break. They're much better than us living people! Praise my ancestors!"
Hearing this, Gunter couldn't help but recall the several undead he saw at the entrance of the village.
The soul fire burning in their skulls is indeed more complete than that of ordinary ghosts, and there is no smell of chaos and evil.
Obviously they are not controlled by the necromancer, but act according to their own will.
As for why their souls are so complete... I think it can only be explained by the theory sent by Saint Sith.
At least it's not something that magic can do.
Combining all these clues, Gunter reluctantly came to a conclusion that he could accept - these undead were indeed different from the undead he knew.
He was also extremely glad that he did not act rashly, otherwise it would have been a good intention with bad results, and he really didn't know how to explain it to these villagers.
Julian, who was standing next to Gaunt, was also shocked, but he accepted it much more easily than Gaunt, who was standing in front of him.
He had not been to as many places as Gaunt had been to. This was even his first time leaving Greystone Town and going to the Sparrowwood Territory on the edge of Dusk City.
Perhaps, this is what the undead outside Graystone Town are like.
At least the undead in Wheatfield Village...oh no, the Holy Spirit is like that!
"You look like you're from far away, right?" Seeing that the stranger didn't respond, Old Hank continued enthusiastically, "By the way, my name is Hank, and everyone calls me Old Hank. I haven't asked your name yet, so what is it?"
Gaunt glanced at Ullian, who was looking around curiously, and answered briefly.
"My name is Gunter, I'm a mercenary, currently... wandering around with my adopted son. I'd like to find a place here to replenish some dry food and water, and perhaps visit Dusk City next."
"Mercenaries..." Old Hank scratched his head and said a little embarrassedly, "That's hard to buy things. We just settled down here, so there aren't many merchants. But we do have food..."
As he spoke, he pointed enthusiastically to the other side of the village, where the smoke was rising.
"It's right over there, that's the Salvation Army's soup kitchen! The Saint said that anyone who's hungry can go there and get a bowl of hot porridge! You guys should hurry up, everyone's almost finished eating by now, and it'll be cold if you're late!"
Gant nodded, thanked the old farmer named Old Hank again, and then took Ullian to the soup kitchen.
Just as Old Hank had said, there were very few people there, only a short line of people waiting, and the firewood for cooking porridge had been removed.
However, this does not affect anything.
When he and Ullion received their food, the oatmeal in their bowls was still warm, even a little hot to the touch.
The Savior Army soldiers were kind and didn't treat them harshly just because they were strangers. They even smiled and added an extra spoonful to Yulien's bowl.
"You're still pretty strong, young man. Eat more."
"Thanks!"
"No need to thank me, just thank Her Highness the Saint and Lord Son of God! By the way, is that your father next to you? That big guy with the sword on his back, I don't think you two look alike."
Ullian said with a blush.
"He is my adoptive father and also my master!"
"Haha," the soldier in charge of the cooking laughed, glanced at the sword behind the big man, and said jokingly, "Then you have a lot to learn."
The sword might be much heavier than this young man himself.
Gaunt didn't say anything, just nodded in thanks, then took Ullen to a place nearby where they would not be in the way.
Yulien was already very hungry and gobbled the food from the bowl.
Lately, he has been eating wild fruits and beasts from the forest. Although they are nutritious, oatmeal is indeed more suitable for his stomach.
Gunter drank slowly and quietly observed his surroundings to confirm whether the situation here was as old Hank said.
The peacefulness on the villagers' faces and the soldiers' astonishing discipline didn't seem fake. While I didn't know where their food came from, there was definitely no smell of evil in the porridge.
Although he did not understand the truth about the "Holy Spirit", he could distinguish between good and evil.
No matter who that "Saint" is, or whether she was sent by Saint Sith, what she is doing is definitely not a bad thing...
There is no need for me to uphold justice for the Holy See.
That is a matter for the tribunal.
Just as Gunter was thinking, a Salvation Army soldier in charge of registration came over. Seeing that Gunter and Ullion had finished their porridge, he smiled and spoke.
"Hey buddy, sorry to bother you. The guy who was distributing the porridge just now forgot the procedure."
"Want to pay?" Gaunt wiped his mouth and took out his purse, but the soldier hurriedly waved his hand to signal him to stop.
"No, man, that's not what I mean. We don't want money... I mean registration! You know? We need your name and the name of your hometown."
"I don't quite understand. Can you explain it to me?" Gaunt took back the purse and asked the soldier.
The soldier said with a smile.
"This is mainly for easier management. After all, there are so many people here, and we have to be careful about rebels or the lord's people sneaking in and causing trouble. Also...registering wouldn't be a bad idea for you. Many people have found their relatives or fellow townspeople here."
Gaunt glanced at him and thought it made sense, so he said casually, "My name is Gaunt, and this is my adopted son, Ullion. We are from Greystone."
In the eastern part of the Oss continent, from the northern part of the Kingdom of Rhodes to the Duskwood area of the Kingdom of Ryan, Gaunt is a common name, just like Hank, Anthony, etc.
He did not mention his last name, firstly because he did not want others to know his identity, and secondly because it would be difficult to explain.
"Graystone Town?" The soldier's face lit up with surprise. "Isn't that at the easternmost part of the province? I heard it's almost in dwarven territory! Saint, you actually came all the way here! What's the situation over there...?"
Most of the refugees before came from near Quemu Territory, and this guy was probably the one who came the farthest from his hometown!
Gaunt replied calmly.
"It's been destroyed."
By Malachi, the "butcher" of the Green Army - a devil who sold his soul to Chaos and exchanged the blood of his own people for power.
Of course, he had killed that guy.
Sooner or later he would find all these villains and kill them one by one!
The surprise on the soldier's face turned to sympathy.
He didn't ask any more questions, but just silently recorded it in the register, then took two small wooden signs, carved the names and numbers on them with a knife, and handed them to them.
Looking at the wooden sign in his hand, Ullian had a look of surprise on his face, while Gaunt's expression was somewhat intriguing.
He remembered that only the Adventurer's Guild would do such troublesome things, but that was a memory from a long, long time ago.
"Please keep these. These are your ID cards. You'll need them to get your porridge tomorrow." The soldier paused, then asked, "By the way, what can you do? I mean, do you have any skills? If not, that's fine. I see you're quite strong, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding work."
Gaunt shook his head.
"I don't know. I haven't decided whether to stay or not."
"I suggest you make a decision quickly," the soldier said sincerely. "This concerns the division of land, and even more so, your ability to live a better life as soon as possible! The Saint said that anyone willing to contribute to the village will receive a share of land. I see you've been a mercenary before, so you must have traveled a lot. How about... uh, opening an inn? The village is in dire need of that right now."
He had come up with this idea on the spur of the moment. It was said that some dwarves would come to investigate the timber business soon, and the centurion had been worrying about where to find a place for them to stay.
Gaunt was slightly stunned. He didn't expect that a foreigner like him could get a share of the land, and he didn't expect that the other party would actually suggest that he, a sword master, open an inn.
Of course, the young man obviously didn't know that he was a sword master, and Gunter Steingrabe's reputation was not as well-known as the "Rock Sword Master".
He glanced at Ullion, whose eyes were filled with anticipation, and couldn't help but think of the old man who had died in Greystone Town. It was because of the piece of bread he had left behind that Ullion had lost his only relative... Even though it had not been his intention, the guilt weighed heavily on his heart.
He wanted to find a home for the child.
If this place is really as good as the old farmer said, it would be fine to stay.
Moreover, the hotel is a good place to collect intelligence, which is better than wandering around in the forest like a headless fly.
Everyone he met said they had seen the "Green Turban" and promised to show him the way, but when he went to find him, he found that it was all outdated information.
Thinking of this, Gant nodded.
“…I can try.”
Upon hearing these words, Yulien's eyes lit up instantly, and his face glowed with anticipation.
After the soldier who registered them left, he clenched his fists excitedly and couldn't help but think about the future.
"Master, how about we open an inn at the entrance of the village? We can build a stable and get a guard dog! I'll be in charge of the cleaning and cooking, and you'll be the manager!"
Finally, no more wandering around!
Although he didn't hate wandering around with his master, he really wanted to have a home and return to his previous comfortable life.
After all, Yulien was only a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy, and he came from a remote border town. He only knew that the Sword Saint was very powerful, but he had no idea what this title meant.
He not only carries the legend of the Sword Saint, but also the responsibilities and hopes that go with the name of a hero.
He was destined not to stay in one place.
Looking at the incessant Ullian, a rare gentle smile appeared on Gaunt's rock-like face.
"As long as you like it."
Ullian's excitement suddenly stopped. He looked at Gaunt cautiously and asked in a low voice, "Master... don't you like it?"
He felt that there seemed to be a hint of parting in these words.
Gaunt was silent for a moment, looked at the towering mountains in the distance, and spoke slowly.
"I can't say I like or dislike it, but I rarely stay in one place for long. Whenever I have some free time, there's always someone who needs my help. Besides, the Brass Pass still needs me right now. I came to Dusk Province only to deal with the corruption of Chaos."
Yulien said without hesitation, "I can go there with you! After the chaos here is over!"
"But I want you to stay somewhere safe," Gaunt said seriously, looking back at his only disciple and nominal heir. "At least, until you become a swordsman capable of standing on your own."
He did not speak of his dream of "proving the truth with the sword", nor did he say that he was fighting for the fate of all mankind, or for Saint Sis or other high-sounding words.
He simply stretched out his rough big hand like a father and patted the back of Ullian's head, a rare gentle smile appearing on his resolute face.
"Don't act like I'm about to abandon you. I plan to stay here for a while and find a solution to the Chaos Corruption."
"As for the future, we'll talk about it later."
(End of this chapter)
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