The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 47 Burden
"The ancient river once flowed before your eyes."
Even the towering mountains make you stop and look up in awe;

Regardless of when it ends on this path,
You have found peace in your golden homeland.

Under a crisp, melancholic melody.

In the low, gentle singing voice.

Before the oak tree with its swaying golden leaves, Tang Qi placed a freshly picked leaf on the newly erected tombstone.

An elderly man, over seventy years old, with graying temples but still standing ramrod straight, placed the sacred emblem on his chest and murmured:

"O intoxicated Gragas, grant the deceased an early release from the shackles of death, and entry into the heavenly realm of joy and wine, where they may enjoy eternal bliss through your mercy."

The silent dwarf poured a final cup of star plum wine before the tombstone.

It also signifies that the prayers of the deceased have come to an end.

"He is not a good person."

Father Lynn stated the truth.

"He wasn't a good father either."

After a moment of silence, he finally looked at the girl who stood silently before the tombstone.

Finally, he sighed.

"But at least he loves you deeply."

Catherine nodded slightly, but her expression revealed nothing of her inner thoughts.

In front of outsiders, she always maintains this polite and composed demeanor.

Take out a bulging money bag:

"Thank you for your help, Father Lynn. This is a donation to the church—"

Father Lynn simply waved his hand:

“My child, I am not a qualified priest. I do not have the ability to cast divine spells for him or to cleanse the darkness.”

But herbs cannot bring his soul back. Everything we are doing now is just a small act of kindness after all efforts have been futile.

Moreover, it's said to be a donation to a church...

When the monster's iron hooves finally trample this town, wealth will no longer matter.

Catherine was not stubborn; as she took back her purse, she bowed respectfully and replied:

"So please pack your bags immediately, and we'll set off together to leave this place."

"No, child, I can't go anywhere."

"why?"

The old priest simply shook his head, looked out of the courtyard at the small town shrouded in fear, and replied:
"I have spent decades in this town, dedicating my youth and passion to spreading the gospel of the Lord."

It is because I truly hope to bring joy and longevity to this land.

Therefore, I accepted the love and donations of believers, repaired that sanctuary of fine wine, and did my best to provide basic healing and faith to Xingmei Town.

Then I cannot abandon them in their time of fear, seeking my own safety.

"But even if you stay here, there's nothing you can do to change anything."

Catherine clenched her fists, her voice trembling slightly.

"Everything here will be reduced to ashes by the orcs' plunder."

"Then let me die with them and lead them to the heaven of wine."

"but--"

"Ahem, excuse me, please allow me to interrupt."

Filled with questions, Tang Qi was forced to intervene in their conversation.

"Why insist on staying here? Wouldn't it be better to leave with the whole town?

Based on my observation, those giant turtles actually moved at a relatively slow speed.

If my deduction is correct, they will arrive no earlier than noon tomorrow. Even if we need to prepare food and necessities for the journey and travel by oxcart, it will still be faster than the giant tortoise crawling.

The orcs migrated from the south of the forest. If we head north, meander for a few days, and then head towards Dragongold City, we should be able to avoid them.

There's still time. You can easily leave with the townspeople; there's no need to stay here and wait to die.

Why does he look like he's going to his death so bravely?

Catherine and Father Lynn exchanged a glance, then Catherine sighed and explained:
"But all of this is predicated on the fact that we can find our way in the forest."

Tang Qi couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

The effects of the Eye of True Sight have long since worn off, and he can no longer see through the forest mist.

It's no longer possible to record stories in a logbook and gamble on receiving another potion with the same effect—

[Diary] What is needed is a story with a beginning, middle, and end, and a clear beginning, development, climax, and conclusion.

Clearly, he would at least need to escape and get away from the orcs before he could receive a reward.

Moreover, he cannot guarantee that the reward he receives will be what he desires.

"Since venturing into the forest might lead to getting lost, and staying here is just waiting to be robbed—either way, we're going to die, so why not delay it?"

Father Lynn shook his head, mentioning the hasty decision made by Steward Huss, who had fled back to Xingmei Town before Tang Qi returned to the town:
"After the steward and the young lord returned to the town, they quickly used some means of communication to notify Lord Mel, who was far away in Dragon Gold City."

Lord Mel immediately reported the matter to the council of Dragongold City, requesting the city to send troops to support them in case the orcs discovered the location of Starplum Town and their territory was in danger.

Xingmei Town is land under the jurisdiction of Longjincheng.

While paying taxes to Longjin City, one is also protected by the city's laws.

Sending troops to provide support when land is infringed upon is an explicit legal provision.

Even if we take a step back and assume that Long Jincheng is unwilling to act...

The original intention behind the establishment of the Lords' Alliance was to jointly keep the orcs outside the Southern Wall.

The appearance of orcs in Duskwood will have a significant impact on the entire Alliance.

Knowing the news, they will surely keep a close eye on the orcs' movements and launch a cleanup operation.

Of course, all of this is based on the premise that the message is actually delivered.

The priest continued his narration:
"However, no one knows whether the orcs will discover the town, or when the army will arrive."

So Hussein, the chief steward, ordered all able-bodied men in the town to pick up their farm tools and rakes and be ready to enlist in the temporary guard to build temporary fortifications.

The remaining women and children were ordered to stay in the town and were strictly forbidden from leaving.

That's because I haven't told them yet—

Whether or not an army comes to the town's aid, the orcs will definitely come.

To ensure their safety, Wolf and Merad, master and servant, retreated to the village official's residence after returning to Starplum Town.

Tang Qi only saw a few mercenaries who had escaped and were guarding inside and outside the fence.

Afterwards, they took the black snake to the church, and after realizing that there was no way to save it, they finally buried it under the golden oak tree.

There was no time to report to the villages and towns along the way.

He was, of course, also considering whether or not to report it.

Now I am certain:
"On the chief's shoulder is a construct exactly like the one on Merad. They can distinguish the right path, and their destination is this town."

For this reason, Tang Qi didn't even believe that Long Jincheng would follow the law and send down a supporting army.

"But even if you tell the nobles, what good will it do?"

The priest, who spent his entire youth in this town, clearly understood the lords of this land better than anyone else.
"Do you expect that after hearing this news, they will have the mercy to call on the residents to pack their bags and go out to seek refuge with them?"

Of course not, they will just get rid of these burdens.

They even used these 'burdens' as a shield for escape.

(End of this chapter)