Strength 99999 but the Holy Sister

Unlike the Central Province located on the south side of the mountains, the territory of Seyavis has entered the cool late autumn in just a few days. Even in the sunshine, one can still feel a slight chill in the warmth.

In the second half of each year, every time it rains, the temperature on the plains will drop a degree, and this is reflected in people wearing thicker clothes.

When the severe winter comes, nearly half of the empire's land will be covered with heavy snow. At that time, some livestock will be slaughtered and their meat will be pickled as winter food, while more food will be stored in cellars to survive the winter. If a cold wave hits, people can only stay indoors, and the food is their guarantee to survive the severe cold.

Most humans and monsters don't like winter. If we just compare them side by side, monsters in winter are probably the ones that cause the most trouble - some monsters don't hibernate, and when winter comes, they become hungry and start attacking human villages, because there is enough food here, so they are willing to take the risk and enter human territory.

The northern border of the empire, the Crossbell Autonomous Prefecture, is a cold place where winter lasts for half of the year.

Further north, we reach the territory of the northern kingdom of Belmontferrea - that is the territory of the Ute people, who are also called dwarfs. Their largest city is located underground. They use miraculous and ingenious methods to use the heat of volcanoes to bring everything they need for survival, even food, to the entire underground city.

"What about Count Leonard?"

Silverz looked eagerly behind Aisha, but there was no other figure. He had clearly left with the Earl before, but now he came back empty-handed, as if...

"The Earl has returned to the manor."

"Oh……"

"This incident was all a misunderstanding. The Earl said he would give us some leeway and compensation will naturally be provided. I'll go ask Mr. Ebusen—Oh, by the way, when will we set off again?"

Elsa lied without blushing or beating her heart.

"Since we're in Seyavis, we might as well get some supplies. I don't plan on taking old Janji any further, so this place is perfect for him."

"Hey, that won't work. This isn't what we agreed on. You said you'd go to the North, and I want to go there too. I can give you money and free medicine, but you have to take me there!"

Old Zhanji popped his head out from the side and yelled in dissatisfaction.

His wife and children were all in the North. He had finally met the powerful Silbaz and the even more unfathomable Aisha. As a shrewd man, how could he not understand what to do? He felt that there was no place safer than this caravan - otherwise, he would have to stay in this city for a while to get enough money to go to the North. After all, he did not have a medical license, and making money was not that easy. Even if he wanted to go back to his old business and do the black market drug business, he had to see if the people here would agree, right?

"It would be good to have a doctor, so let's take him with us."

Aisha said, and Silbaz didn't say anything more.

……

Leonard's two sons, perhaps having guessed something, took the initiative to pay a large sum of money to the caravan, and Elsa did not cause them any trouble.

The caravan gathered at the city gate and was taking its final rest.

Silbazluo kept looking at the street corner thoughtfully. He knew that Elsa had taken the Earl away from the city of Seya, but he didn't know where Elsa and the others had gone. When they came back, everything was resolved. It was hard not to be suspicious.

In contrast, Ebusen was much calmer.

People come and go on the streets, and the noisy crowds bring a heavy heat wave.

Silbaz lowered his head and wiped his sword over and over again, smearing mutton fat on the blade.

He wiped the dented part of his armor all over. He couldn't help it any longer, so he sheathed his sword with a click. He stood up, strode over to Ebusen and sat down.

"Mr. Ebusen, did you already know something?"

He asked very quickly.

"Even if Miss Fasha is incredibly powerful, the other party is a noble. To be able to escape unscathed from an enemy of a noble... is she not an ordinary person?"

The so-called "not ordinary guys" refers to "people with backgrounds" - most of these adventurers are ordinary people with no backgrounds. Some of them even spent all their savings to buy a set of shoddy protective gear and slightly decent weapons, hoping to make a fortune in the adventurer industry. The results are obvious. Some lost their lives in missions, and some barely made a living. The money they earned can only be used to repair weapons and buy some life-saving potions. Even a "strong" adventurer like Silbaz might die in the wilderness at any time.

So they are all "average guys".

"As you can see, she's a gold medalist," Ebusen glanced at him, "Are you worried about her?"

"She's saved me and my brother from hard times twice. She's done me a favor, both morally and logically," Silverz said seriously. "We're much more grateful than those arrogant nobles. If she gets into trouble, I'll definitely find a way to help her. Even though we're just a group of adventurers, there are some tasks only we can handle."

"Don't worry," Ebusen said earnestly, pressing down Silbaz's restless shoulder. "I don't know much about her. The people sent by the Chamber of Commerce will probably have to ask the young lady—you've heard of her. How could she ignore her own people? If you interfere, you'll only cause trouble."

"Right……"

Only then did Silbaz sit down quietly.

At this moment, he squinted his eyes mysteriously and whispered, "I heard that some old nobles often let their heirs travel abroad as a form of spiritual practice. Mr. Ebusen, do you think Miss Fasha is..."

Ebusen gave Silbaz a strange look.

Although it was not related at all, but...Ebusen had no intention of explaining anything.

"Just say so."

"That's what I think."

Silbaz became more and more determined.

Humans are such strange creatures. Once they have a certain guess, they will patch up their guess over and over again, giving themselves the illusion that they are really getting closer to the truth.

Grace, who was sitting at the back of the carriage, silently stroked the fur of her gray deer and fed it hay, and she couldn't help but complain in her heart - if only the nun was really a noble, maybe she would be a little more reserved then.

Soon, the caravan set off again.

This time, the caravan was escorted by knights from the Leonard family. They traveled until night. There was wind, howling at night. The night sky was without moonlight and stars, and looked gloomy and dim. The caravan came all the way to the Grand Canyon connecting the North and the Territory of Seyavis. The night made the depths of the canyon even darker and deeper. Gusts of cold wind whistled out of the canyon, which was frightening.

Elsa looked up at the huge canyon in front of her. The canyon was winding and hundreds of meters high. The entrance was as wide as a basketball court, but not far away there was an extremely narrow lowland that stretched as far as the eye could see. It continued through a mountain range, and the undulations of the mountains were also reflected in the terrain of the canyon. It seemed that there was an open mountain area in the front.

"Through here, you can go directly to the North."

Sok said, looking at Aisha with some fear.

As soon as he finished speaking, a light rain came slowly with the night wind.

It's raining again.

"The deeper you go into the canyon, the higher the terrain becomes. We're not worried about it forming a river and making it difficult to cross, but we've already had several rains this season, and the canyon might be home to monsters. If we want to cross, we'll have to hurry, or we'll have to take a detour."

What Soke said was the same as what the hunter said in Lindao Town before.

……

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338. News of the Holy Relic (4K)

The canyon is like a painting drawn by layers of gray-yellow lines. The dense rock layers have piled up steep mountains. The mountains on both sides are undulating. There are no decent roads, but there are many winding forks. Generally speaking, few people would choose to cross mountains and ridges instead of passing through the canyon as long as they don't get lost in it.

The ground underfoot gradually became a little muddy. Elsa put on hooded cloaks for Charlie and Tricia, then mounted her horse and slowly moved forward with the caravan.

The night was no obstacle for Elsa, but it was a little troublesome for the caravan - it happened to be drizzling, and rainy nights are always exceptionally dark, so the caravan had to use lighting magic devices to explore the way and slow down their progress.

"Is it okay to continue like this tonight...should we find a suitable place to set up camp?"

Aisha asked.

"You've rested enough during the day. If you slack off any further, Mr. Ebusen won't make back what you've lost," Silvers explained with a grin. "Most of those strange birds have returned to their nests at night. They can't see at night—so as long as you watch your path carefully, it's actually safer at night than during the day."

In that case, Aisha didn't say much. Silbaz was experienced and trustworthy.

Silvers shouted to the adventurers, "Keep heading north. If we keep pushing hard before daybreak, we'll be out of here by tomorrow morning!"

Because of the delay in Lindao Town and Seya City, the caravan was in a hurry. In addition, it was drizzling. Although Soke guaranteed that there would be no mountain torrents and mudslides here, the canyon was narrow after all, and it was raining, even if it was just a drizzle, they should not stay here for long.

In other words, before the rain gets heavier, we should at least walk to the high slope in the middle of the canyon, where even if we encounter danger, at least we can guarantee a way to advance or retreat.

"Ooh!"

The adventurers were also very motivated - after all, if they could deliver the goods on time, their rewards would not only include the compensation paid by Earl Leonard, but also a reward from Ebusen, which was in addition to the deposit.

Money is indeed the best stimulant for adventurers.

In the early morning, the caravan successfully left the canyon and set foot on the northern border. There was a smooth road under their feet, leading directly to the towns and villages in the distance. Beyond that were snow-capped peaks and rolling mountain ranges. There was a striking dividing line between the snow and the pine forest belt, as if two completely different landscape paintings were cut in half and spliced ​​together. Elsa knew that it must be a wonder caused by the influence of the earth veins.

“It’s snowing!”

Charlie looked at the beautiful scenery in front of her and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement - she held a tiny snowflake in her hand.

Winter always comes earlier in the north.

"Our destination is at the foot of the Snow Peak, but you have to be careful. It's close to the blood clan's territory, and blood clans occasionally appear there. Although it's not a big deal, it would be bad if you get into trouble."

No vampire dared to cause trouble there, or rather, as a special ethnic group, the relationship between vampires and human countries was very special.

Some vampires often choose to live in human settlements and provide shelter to the locals, and the local residents provide them with blood as a "reward" - this strange relationship is unexpectedly stable, because some people think that having a little blood sucked is no big deal, but being able to use blood to pay taxes makes them happier.

Therefore, the territory of the vampires is often inhabited by many people. As long as the vampires here do not cause trouble and do not use coercive means to control the people, everything follows a voluntary "transaction" between the two parties - it is more like a tacit "contract".

Then human rulers often ignore this.

"...And speaking of which," Tricia explained to Elsa, laughing, "many vampires, in order to protect their stable lives from the reckless behavior of their own kind, will occasionally take the initiative to attack those of their own kind who break the 'rules.'"

Elsa was a little surprised to hear this - it seems that the blood clan's scab gene is innate, but in fact, their lifestyle is understandable. In the eyes of humans, those law-abiding blood clans are just thugs who can be hired with a little blood, a good lord who can use blood to deduct taxes, but perhaps in the eyes of the blood clan, this is just the necessary "postpartum care" for their livestock to maintain a stable blood supply, or simply to protect their territory. This can be understood as a predator's instinct.

Elsa looked at Becky and Alman beside her. Becky looked a little nervous, while Alman was thinking about something.

"That's actually... my territory..." Becky whispered carefully in Elsa's ear, "I, I swear, I absolutely did not do anything to force my subjects! You see, I went to the forest alone at that time..."

Becky looked a little pitiful.

"I see. Looks like I'll have to pay you a visit—you're not going to be unwelcome, are you?"

Elsa smiled widely.

……

Imperial capital, 9th Infantry Division military camp.

The early morning rain was particularly cold. Grand Duke Joruge wi-Rienfort put on a sable cloak and stood on the high platform in the camp, watching the battle on the camp training ground. The current hero, Madeleine Fismand, faced the siege of more than twenty soldiers alone and fought hard.

The adjutant stood straight beside Grand Duke Ryanfort, looking straight ahead as he watched the battle on the training ground. The soldiers were well-trained, and they surrounded Madeleine in layers, attacking her from all sides, front and back, with spears and sticks constantly coming up. Madeleine was alone after all. After she dealt with the attack from the front, the spears from behind would pierce her mercilessly. Even if she wanted to break through, without the holy sword, she could not compete with the soldiers in front of her. She struggled to dodge and fight back from time to time, but was easily blocked by their combined strength.

The battle on the training ground was very fierce, and bruises gradually appeared on Madeleine's body. Although the weapons used in training were just rough weapons without blades, they were still hard iron after all, and it would still hurt if they hit her body.

Not long after, Madeleine was hit hard on the shoulder with a stick. Her legs went limp and she fell to the ground, but it was difficult for her to get up again.

Madeleine didn't say a word from beginning to end. She just gasped for breath and gritted her teeth to stand up. The soldiers looked at Madeleine with scars all over her arms with pity and stopped.

"Sir Fesmanard, stand up!"

Ryanfort shouted in a deep voice, and the sound like a bell echoed in the empty training ground.

Madeleine supported herself with her arms, but could not get up.

"Pastor, go and give her treatment."

Ryanfort said that the pastor outside the training ground hurried forward to treat her, and after helping her up, he retreated.

"Give it your all!" Ryanfort yelled at the soldiers. "If it takes you longer to knock her down this time, as punishment, everyone, stay where you are! I'll personally supervise."

As he spoke, Ryan Forte turned his gaze towards Madeleine with a sharp look.

"This is your seventh defeat. You've been training under me for a whole year! The battle for the Southern Territory is imminent, and this is your answer to me?"

Madeleine endured her unhealed injuries and fought with the soldiers again, but was still beaten unilaterally.

The adjutant beside Ryan Fort couldn't stand it any longer. He carefully considered his tone and said, "Sir, isn't this kind of training too cruel for the brave warrior? The soldiers of the First Battalion are all the most elite warriors. Their strength is beyond the reach of the current brave warriors..."

Here, Ryanfort does not consider himself a duke, he is the superior of everyone here.

Ryanfort had a cold expression.

"So what? On the battlefield, will the enemy show you mercy? You're a hero, but without the holy sword, you're nothing. How long do you think she can survive on the battlefield like this?"

"But... growth also takes time..."

"Time? I'm just giving her time."

Ryanfort's voice was hushed.

"You may not know that the Holy City's Saint is about to take office. It is said that this generation of Saints is different from previous generations. Some even claim that the Saint can challenge a Paladin alone without losing, claiming that she no longer needs protection.

And yesterday I went to the Imperial City and met the Holy Sister of this generation. I am sure that the rumors about her are probably true.

The Holy City's power is far greater than our Empire's, and our Empire is unstable internally and in disarray externally. I've tried to probe, and the Mystic Sage no longer sides with us. Our only voice lies with the Brave. But in your opinion, can the current Brave stand shoulder to shoulder with these people?"

These words left the adjutant speechless.

Ryanfort snorted coldly, turned around and walked down the platform, quickly came to the front of the training ground, and the adjutant followed helplessly.

At this time, Madeleine was defeated again and lay on the ground gasping for breath.

Everyone made way for Ryanfort, who stood in front of Madeleine, looking down at her condescendingly.

"stand up!"

Ryan Forte ordered coldly, staring at Madeleine.

Madeleine's white military uniform had become dirty, and the exposed skin on her arms was covered with scars.

"The previous generation of heroes trained much harder than you! They faced far more hardships than you are facing now! They came close to death countless times before regaining enough strength to fight the Demon King, but even then, they still died.