Strength 99999 but the Holy Sister

Charlie stole a glance in Elsa's direction.

Since Charlie met Elsa, except for sleeping, Elsa almost always appeared in a tightly wrapped nun's uniform. Although it is true that Elsa looks good in a nun's uniform, it has to be said that it is a pity that she has such a good figure.

"Of course I'm going."

Charlie answered immediately.

At this time, Elsa didn't listen to the conversation between Tricia and Charlie at all. She used the Star God's black sword to insert into the mud on the seabed with a little difficulty, and ignored the pitiful gurgling sound coming from the black sword, which she dared not protest. Elsa used this method to help herself walk underwater - Elsa was not unable to swim, but Elsa's swimming skills were actually not very proficient. Moreover, there are some differences between diving and swimming, and Elsa has no diving experience at all.

Tricia was helpless.

Although Elsa could hold her breath for a very long time, and even doubted whether she needed to breathe at all, the feeling of diving was too unfamiliar, and Elsa didn't know how to control her body.

In short, you won’t die.

After thinking about it, Elsa began to try to mobilize magic to help herself stabilize her body underwater. There was some effect, but not much. Elsa felt as if she was back to the time when she was a child learning to walk.

The three began to search near the cave, but unfortunately, they did not find any valuable clues.

Finally, after a period of searching, the three left the seabed and came to the floating iceberg. They were surrounded by a vast expanse of white. From their position, they could just see the land not far away. The land was also a mountain covered with snow, and it did not look like a place where people lived.

Tricia and Charlie never came into contact with sea water. When the cold wind blew, Tricia used magic to erect a barrier to resist the cold.

"Elsa, are you really okay?"

Tricia looked at Elsa and couldn't help asking - as soon as she left the sea, a thick layer of ice formed on Elsa's body at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But Aisha acted as if nothing had happened: "Me? What's wrong with me?"

"Aren't you cold? —Wow, I'm actually not cold!"

Charlie held up Aisha's hand, with an expression of disbelief on her face, yet as if she had guessed it long ago, and sighed.

Rather, Elsa's hands were warm, warmer than hers anyway, and soft and smooth, so they didn't look frozen at all.

Aisha curled her lips and smiled, "I only feel cold when I sleep."

"Huh? Really?"

Tricia knew what Elsa was talking about, but only Charlie actually believed it.

"Anyway, don't worry about me," Elsa said as she quickly dried her hair with magic and tied it into a simple ponytail. She glanced around, finally heading toward the coast. "Should we continue our investigation? It seems no one lives here. If there were, it would be great. Someone living here would surely have noticed the 'death' earlier and might have provided some clues."

"Yes, but it's clear she anticipated this, or rather, prepared for it. It's quite a distance from here to the coast, and the shore is surrounded by barren mountains. Even if there were footprints, they would have been covered by the snow. I'm afraid we won't be able to continue tracking down where she went."

Tricia sighed as she looked at the sea level in the distance.

"She has too many options, especially in such a deserted place. She could even continue heading towards the deep sea. If she really has someone to pick her up, she might not go directly to the coast."

……

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444. Humans Living Underground (5K)

At this time, the imperial capital of Arterilara was peaceful, whether it was the imperial palace or the residence of Duke Ryanfort, but this was only on the surface. In fact, the knights under the Queen had already been deployed, and there were Eagle Chasers everywhere in the city, monitoring the movements of Ryanfort's men.

On Duke Ryanfort's side, the Wild Wolf Regiment and the Sixth Battalion also launched counterattacks.

Both sides exercised restraint and did not engage in direct conflict. Instead, they were waiting for the next order. Perhaps the tranquility here would not be broken until the Black Nether Armor was recovered. Or, it could be said that Duke Ryanfort was now at a disadvantage because of what happened in the southern border. The diplomatic initiative with the Federation also fell into the hands of Queen Stizia.

There was no need for the Queen to provoke a fight at this time. She had the initiative and only needed to wait and see.

After Elsa Faris and the Mystic Sage went to the Southern Territory, Duke Ryanfort immediately returned to the Imperial Capital from the Northern Territory. The Queen then dispatched a large number of people to track down the whereabouts of the Black Nether Armor, while keeping a close eye on the developments in the Southern Territory. Of course, he did not think that anything unexpected would happen in the Southern Territory with Elsa Faris and the Mystic Sage on the scene at the same time, and this was indeed the case.

In contrast, ever since the Chief Mage Springhall Xarosas was detained by the Knight Grand Master Cassius Harvey, the pursuit of the Armor of Darkness has become even more confusing.

The accident with the Black Nether Armor was already very strange, and now with the intervention of the Knights and the Eagle Chasers, it is even more full of variables.

On one side is the struggle for dominance of diplomatic affairs with the Federation, and on the other side is the Armor of Darkness. At the same time, Ryanfort is still thinking about the holy object in Elsa Faris's hand, and behind all this, Queen Stikia is eyeing him covetously - Ryanfort is also a little hesitant for a while.

At this time, news from the southern border and the Alba Mountains was delivered to Ryan Fort. He took a look and his expression suddenly became interesting.

"The Holy Sister gifted the holy relic to Lord Fismander? What's going on?" Ryan Fort's expression turned into disbelief and joy, but was immediately replaced by suspicion and caution. "--The Mystic Sage and the Holy Sister both appeared in the snowy mountains? What were they doing there? What exactly happened?"

These two pieces of news came at the same time, and before he could even be happy, he felt deeply worried.

Could it be that the Holy Sister truly didn't care about that relic? It was a relic, and she was just giving it away like that? In fact, ever since Elsa Farris had suggested "renting" the relic, Ryan Fort had been pondering Elsa Farris's motives and speculating on her purpose, but he still had no answer.

It is true that he needs a holy object so that Madeleine can grow faster, but the problem is how to get it - and as a result, he was still worried, and Elsa Faris turned around and gave the holy object to Madeleine?

Is the relic hot? Should I force it on Madeleine?

Ryan Fort couldn't understand why. No matter how he thought about it, it didn't make sense. Even if Elsa Faris really didn't need the holy relic as she said, would the Holy See really let her give it to the brave warrior?

Are you kidding? That's a sacred object.

So, since the Secret Sage knew about this matter and never made any statement from beginning to end, nor did he deliberately send any contact, does it mean that this matter might have been the Secret Sage's intention from the beginning?

This shouldn't be the case - because that's not the style of the Arcane Sage at all. Besides, the Arcane Sage is not qualified to make such a decision on behalf of Elsa Faris.

So, is it that the Holy See wants to bribe the brave man?

For example, asking Madeleine Fissmaerd to make some promise or exchange some conditions - if the target is Madeleine Fissmaerd, who knows what might really happen.

But is the Holy See really so stupid as to use holy objects as bargaining chips?

"No, I must ask Sir Fismander in person," Ryanfort took a deep breath and fell into deep thought. He couldn't tell anything from the message, so he had to ask for more details in person before making a judgment. He said, "Tell her to return to the imperial capital as soon as possible. Also, any news you receive from her must be relayed to me immediately."

Ryanfort gave orders to his lieutenant.

He didn't think that Elsa Faris would give a holy object to Madeleine for no reason. Some things had to be guarded against - since the loss of the Black Nether Armor, Madeleine Fishmand had become the most valued card of Duke Ryanfort.

He has many other cards in his hand, but none of them are as important as Madeleine, the hero.

However, no matter what, Ryan Forte finally got the holy relic that he had tried so hard to get - even if the process was a little... different from what he had expected.

And Ryan Fort was worried that everything that was happening now wasn't a coincidence—they'd just left the Southern Territory, so why were the Mystic Sage and the Head Sister going to the Snow Mountains? It didn't make sense. Could it be that they had already reached a cooperation with Her Majesty the Queen and were going to hunt down the Black Nether Armor?

Does the Queen know the truth about the Black Hell Armor? Has Springhall finally let it slip?

Or did they just have doubts?

No matter which possibility it was, Ryan Fort would not change his decision. He just was unwilling and could not accept that the Black Nether Armor was taken away by others - that was his revenge, and his revenge was far from complete.

"Call that Dino over here. I want to question him."

Ryan Forte said.

At this time, Madeleine was already on her way back to the imperial capital - she gently covered her chest, and if you looked closely, you would find that there seemed to be a faint holy light flickering under her collar.

"I don't know why the Holy Sister gave the holy relic to me... Am I really someone she can trust?"

Madeleine thinks about such things every day, and sighs as she can't help but think of her former friend, the little wizard, Timmer, but Timmer is no longer around.

Her mood was a little indescribable for a moment, and Madeleine looked at the dark sky.

The affairs of the southern border had been temporarily handed over to the envoys sent by the Queen, including the Grey Wind Swordsman Heloise Serra who had been taken prisoner. The 9th Infantry Division had almost no say except being questioned. She eventually concealed the matter about Timmer and reported everything else truthfully.

Therefore, she had no reason to stay in the Southern Territory - after all, she had the holy relics with her, and no matter whether it was related to the holy relics of Elsa Faris and the Mystic Sage, or the black sword that she had not yet obtained and the ruins of the Star God, Madeleine was unsure and needed the Duke's decision.

And, equally important, there is one thing that may have to be confirmed by finding the secret sage - the dream that happened in the ruins has come back again. Ever since the incident in the ruins, Madeleine would dream that she was pregnant again whenever she closed her eyes. At first, Madeleine didn't care too much, she just felt that such a dream was a bit shameful.

But until today, she vaguely felt that something was wrong with her body after she woke up, and it became more and more obvious now - it was not a feeling of fatigue, but rather, since wearing the cross pendant, Madeleine felt that her energy seemed to be endless. But this time, the strange feeling in her body did not make her feel uncomfortable, but an indescribable feeling.

It was very strange, as if it was an impulse for some unknown reason, the source of which was mainly concentrated in her lower abdomen, which felt warm and swollen, and for a moment made Madeleine feel hot and excited - the feeling was very strange, she had never experienced it before, and she couldn't find the reason. The female pastor who accompanied the army also seemed unable to explain it.

Then she thought of what the secret sage had told her before he left: if there was anything unusual, tell her as soon as possible.

This is the only thing we can do now.

Whenever Madeleine closed her eyes, she would think of that strange dream and feel uncomfortable - could she really be pregnant?

That's too unreasonable, Madeleine thought, and subconsciously, she pinched the cross pendant hanging below her collar and prayed softly.

She felt that this was not the case.

There must be some other reason.

How could someone get pregnant for no apparent reason, right?

……

Humans occupy an extremely important position on the continent of Ryankarnia - just look at the area of ​​human territory to know that more than one-third of the land on the East and West continents is under human rule. This primitive and brutal division means that humans' influence in this world has surpassed that of any other race.

Even the ancient dragons and elves, who once prospered, had never included such a vast land under their rule in their distant and glorious past, because they always lived in peace in a corner, and the tentacles of power could not reach the land far away enough. Moreover, they were not good at ruling by nature - this had nothing to do with their own ideas, but because they themselves did not need too many resources to maintain their lives and enjoy wealth, and they had almost no enemies. Their noble arrogance made them not have to live cautiously, and they did not have to be on guard against external dangers at all times. They disdained to leave their comfortable land to explore and conquer those barren and wild lands.

This gave all races, including humans, enough opportunities, and obviously, humans won in the end.

Humans are different from elves who are born with magical gifts, and dragons who are born with awe-inspiring power. Human history is full of struggle and plunder, as if it is written into their genes. It is not just a struggle with other races for survival, but also with their own kind - humans are too weak, and are not worth mentioning compared to any other race. If humans do not fight, learn, and struggle again and again, grow in peacetime and be prepared for danger, adapt to harsh environments, and open up lands considered barren.

If humans do not challenge again and again, they will not be able to survive. However, it is precisely all this that makes humans powerful. Like a sharp sword that has been tempered a thousand times, no race can stop humans from carving out their territory on this land.

In today's Eastern Continent, the Linthesius Empire occupies one-third of the land area. In addition to the empire, there are two powerful human countries in the Eastern Continent - the Southwestern Federation bordering the southern border of the empire, and the northern kingdom of Belmont Freia bordering the northern border of the empire.

In contrast, the rulers of the northern kingdom of Belmontferrea are the Utes. For humans living in other regions, the image of the Utes is enough to break the inherent impression of humans, because most of them live underground, and without exception, they are all "dwarves" with short stature but amazing strength. Therefore, they are often called "dwarves."

Dwarves are considered part of the human race, not subhumans, and the reason is simple: their lifestyle, most basic magical qualities, and soul nature are exactly the same as other humans, with only physical characteristics being the difference. This does not support the view that they should be classified as subhumans. Furthermore, the Utes have had long-standing interactions with other humans, and their forging skills are particularly outstanding. Some say this is the fundamental reason why they are not classified as subhumans.

As for the reason why their appearance and body shape are so different from other humans, there is a theory that it all comes down to the unreliable ancient times - the ancestors of the Utes chose to live underground, which led to their changes towards a shorter body. In this sense, the difference between dwarves and other humans is similar to the difference between dark elves and forest elves.

At this time, on the north coast of Belmont Ferrea, in a small fishing village in the snow—

This is a small village with only about a hundred people. The words "Mengsk" are engraved on the stone tablet covered with snow. This is "Mengsk Village".

Although it is called a "village", there are actually not many decent buildings in Mengsk Village. Due to the continuous snowfall, everything in sight is covered with white snow, with only wooden doors standing in front of the arched brick and stone piles.

It was completely dark at this time.

At the shoreward end of the small fishing village stood a wooden pillar. It had broken once, leaving three sharp scratches, but it was held together by two wooden bars, and it remained upright. Atop the pillar hung a bright lamp, its bright yellow light, shielded by clean glass, undulating and dancing in the night, transforming the falling snow around it into the color of the morning glow, and also reflecting footprints and figures in the night—Elsa, Tricia, and Charlie passing beneath the lamp.

Walking on the thick snow, there was a rustling, teeth-grinding sound under my feet, and the rest was the whistling sound of the wind.

It has been the third day since they started to track down clues to the underground cave. Initially, they investigated the icebergs and coastline near the underwater cave. After confirming that there was nothing to find, they expanded the scope of the investigation and found the fishing village here.

Asking the locals for information was the most intuitive and simple way to investigate. However, Belmont Ferrea was vast, but the population seemed small. Even after arriving here, no signs of human activity were seen along the way. The fishing village here was the closest place to the coast with traces of human life.

Charlie looked around, finally setting her sights on the lamp.

"Although I don't see anyone, there's a lamp standing there—does that mean someone must be living here?"

"Yes. This is a custom among the fishermen living here. They illuminate the way for fishing boats that are about to return home, or those that cannot. There's a layer of meaning behind this—but it also comes in handy for travelers like us. If you can't find your way in the heavy snow, it's safe to follow the light."

Tricia explained.

Elsa looked at the lamp. It looked like just a large lantern, but the metal rim and clean glass showed its excellent craftsmanship. It seemed out of place in this lonely white village. The inside of the lantern was not something expensive or high-end like the Philosopher's Stone, but a metal structure with a wick. Smelling the smell, Elsa judged that it was probably filled with fish oil from some kind of fish.

"Those piles of stones are their houses. Of course, that's just the entrance. The Utes like to build their homes underground. Only a door is visible on the surface, but right under our feet might be a vast underground space. Their largest city is built entirely deep underground. At the end of the city, you can even see an underground volcano flowing with magma. It's quite spectacular. We should have the chance to pass by there in the future."

As Elsa listened to Tricia's introduction, her eyes were already cast on the arched stone piles. Those were almost the only things that could be called buildings in the village. Apart from that, there were only some upside-down fishing boats with a thick layer of white snow on them, which looked like they had not been uncovered for some time.

In this season, probably no one would risk going out to sea to fish.

"Anyway, let's go ask around. If we're lucky, we might be able to find some clues here."

"——Excuse me, is anyone there?"

Charlie came to a wooden door that looked a little larger and knocked gently, but no one answered.

Tricia walked to the other side and knocked, but no one responded.

In fact, Elsa could hear footsteps coming from underground. It was obvious that there was someone here, but for some reason no one was willing to open the door.

Elsa followed the footsteps and came to a low wooden door. She bent down and was about to knock on the door when a rough voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Stop knocking, you rude outsiders, and come in!"

Elsa turned around and saw a man... with a big beard, a big belly, a red face, but only as tall as her waist. The man pushed open the wooden door and shouted at them.

It was the first time for both Elsa and Charlie to see the Utes, or rather, the dwarves. Charlie, in particular, could hardly hide the curiosity on her face - after all, Elsa had read a lot of fantasy works and had a general idea of ​​what to expect.

"Hey, what are you standing there for? Come in! If the monster comes, I can't save you!"

The Ute had a loud voice and sounded particularly fierce.

……

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445. The nun won’t lie to you

"In fact, most Utes are actually very gentle, but they can also be stubborn and straightforward. It might be a little strange to get used to them at first, but if you live here for a while, you might find it easier and more comfortable. Sometimes being straightforward is also a free and easy attitude to life, isn't it?"

Tricia smiled and whispered to Aisha and Charlie.