A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

"I didn't expect you to be interested in these things."

"However, it seems that the knights were also kept by the village chief, and were only allowed to leave after the ritual," Naruko said.

"Well... this is really troublesome." If the Knights are around, Bray will have to sneak around when looking for half-bloods.

---

After lunch, Bray went into the forest alone under the pretext of exploring it.

Although both Marus and Naruko wanted to follow Bray, Bray refused them both.

Their whereabouts are truly remarkable.

Bray went into the woods alone to see the half-breed.

There are still about 5 days until the sacrificial ceremony.

During this time, Bray would sneak into the forest to find the hybrid.

However, finding the hybrid didn't take Bray much time; it seemed that the hybrid was waiting for Bray every day.

Yes, just wait for Ray to come.

This is practically a loyal dog guarding the house!

Tomorrow is the day of the sacrifice, but the mixed-race people seem to be the same as before.

It seems there's no way to get rid of the monster form before Bray leaves.

"I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow." Bray crouched down and stroked the mixed-race boy's head.

The hard outer shell has a peculiar feel to it.

"Woo...woo..." The hybrid let out a whimper like a puppy.

"You're actually a little reluctant to let me go... How lonely were you before?" Bray sighed deeply.

To be so dependent on someone you only know today, you must be either extremely lonely or incredibly naive.

Bray never defined hybrids as "monsters," but rather as "humans."

"Take me away, take me away from here."

"I don't want to be alone."

"Please, please."

Bray paused, his expression somewhat complicated, as he touched the mixed-race man's hand.

Taking a mixed-race person in this state to the capital is obviously impossible; they would likely be arrested immediately.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help you. I can’t take you away.” Bray said, then fell silent.

Countless constraints weighed on Bray, and in many cases, Bray was just an ordinary person, powerless to break free from these constraints.

"Perhaps I was never capable of saving others from the very beginning." Bray seemed to see the scene of corpses strewn all over the fortress again before his eyes.

"Woo...woo..." the hybrid cried out in anguish.

"Live carefully and bravely."

“Do you know?” Bray stared directly at the compound eyes on the hybrid’s shell, feeling no fear whatsoever.

"Never forget who you are." Bray wasn't sure who this statement was directed at.

Before they knew it, evening had arrived, and the setting sun cast a glow on the monster's dark shell. The day before the sacrifice, Skahn Village began its busy preparations.

"Wow, what a busy scene!" Naruko sat on the tree, swinging her feet.

“Yes, it’s busier than I imagined,” Bray remarked.

Almost everyone in the village was working, including the young man named Marus.

The women were busy preparing offerings for the sacrifice, while the men were rushing to move the ritual implements.

Meanwhile, the village chief was directing the setup of the sacrificial altar.

These tasks probably won't be finished until nightfall.

However, there was something even more concerning for Bray: the mixed-race individuals were nowhere to be found.

I really don't know what happened to that mixed-race person.

"Brey, shouldn't we go help out?" Naruko suddenly suggested, interrupting Bray's thoughts.

“Want some help? That’s a good option,” Bray replied.

"Heave-ho!" Naruko jumped down from the tree.

"Then let's get started! Let Cade see how charming I am when I'm working seriously!" Naruko said with great enthusiasm.

“No, I feel like there’s something wrong with what you’re saying.” Bray sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"These are no problems at all!!!" Naruko said with a wave of her hand, full of pride.

"Uncle! Is there anything I can help you with?" Naruko jumped to the side of a busy uncle.

"Young lady, our hard labor isn't for you..." the uncle waved his hand.

However, Naruko proved with her actions that she could handle manual labor.

"This sculpture! Where should we move it?" Naruko easily lifted a wooden sculpture, which was twice her size.

"Hey! Be careful! Be careful!" The uncle's heart trembled when he saw Naruko pick up the sculpture and wave it around.

After proving her strength, Naruko threw herself into the sea of ​​manual labor.

But to be honest, the weight of these items was really nothing to Naruko.

Bray looked at Naruko, who was laughing like an idiot, and felt a deep sense of helplessness.

"The venue, is there anything I can help with?" Bray asked the village chief, who was wiping his sweat.

"Oh, it's you, traveler from afar." The village chief recognized Bree.

“We would be very happy if you were willing to help us.” The village chief’s beard twitched a few times, which seemed to indicate that he was smiling.

“I’d be happy to.” Bray smiled.

Bray then threw himself into his work.

Of course, like Bray and Naruko, the members of the Knights were all helping.

Although the villagers were initially unwilling, because in their eyes the Knights had already done a great favor, there was no need to be troubled any further.

However, Nisha believed that as a knight, it was only natural to do what she could.

Finally, at Nisa's insistence, the village chief agreed to let the Knights help.

"Baphomet! Ugh! It's so heavy!" Messiah pushed the cart in front of him, looking distressed.

“Messiah, you should go help with the offerings…” Baphomet said irritably.

“Haha, Baphomet is right.” Bareka easily pulled up the Messiah’s cart and said with a smile.

“Okay…” Messiah said, sounding a little aggrieved.

“Cade, don’t slack off.” Sen Aiwen glanced at Cade.

"Well, take a rest. This is a rest. I was seriously injured before, you know," Cade chuckled.

"What an unlikable man," Sen Aiwen scoffed.

In reality, Cade was very popular with women in the capital.

Nisha immediately threw herself into her work.

"Does this wooden stake need to be moved?" Nisha asked the villager in front of her.

"Ah, slightly, move it a little to the right..."

“Okay!” Without saying a word, Nisha put the entire wooden stake back into the ground.

---

Compared to the bustling village of Skahn, the woods outside the village seemed rather deserted.

On a hillside some distance from Skahn village, two people wearing tattered hooded robes were gazing at the village.

"The Imperial Knights have arrived here." A voice, neither male nor female, rang out.

"It doesn't matter. They know nothing, and even if they did, with their abilities, they couldn't do anything." A cunning laugh rang out.

"Don't underestimate the Knights, Deacon."

"Hehehe, apart from the Lord whom we believe in, there is no one I respect, my dear deacon."

The assistant priest fell silent.

"Don't look so upset, this is just the truth." Although his rank was lower than that of the deacon, the deacon did not show much respect.

"If you keep going like this, you'll eventually fall."

"That only means that the Lord we believe in no longer protects me. As long as the Lord protects me, what reason do I have to fall?"

"Alright, I know your loyalty to the Lord."

“I have always been incredibly loyal to the Lord.”

"The Knights seem to have slain that beast," the acolyte suddenly said.

"Isn't that a good thing? That beast was a huge obstacle to our plans." The beast was too powerful, and there was no way to deal with it.

It's truly good news that they've managed to dispose of it through the Knights.

"Don't you understand yet? The Knights are very strong," the acolyte said coldly.

“My dear deacon, compared to that beast, they have an absolute weakness,” the deacon chuckled.

"That is to say, they are ultimately just mortals."

"The 'Son of Light' they worship cannot compare to the greatness of our Lord."

“From the very beginning, their fate was sealed.” The deacon extended his long robe sleeve.

It was an arm covered in red tattoos.

"Brey, do you think that ritual was the same as the worship of the 'River God'?" Naruko asked Bree quietly.

"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be," Bray replied.

Today is the day of the memorial ceremony.

This ritual did not exclude outsiders, so Bree and Naruko stood in the crowd as well.

Of course, members of the Knights were also present.

Nisha's gaze would occasionally drift towards Bray, clearly still bothered by what happened last time.

However, Bray simply ignored her; he wasn't good at dealing with this serious "Knight Princess."

The sacrificial ceremony took place by the river, which is probably related to the beliefs of the village of Skahn.

After all, the village of Skahn worships the "River God," so it is quite reasonable to hold a sacrifice by the river.

The surrounding area is filled with engraved totems, precisely placed in their proper spots.

At the center of the altar is a statue of the "River God".

Bray stared at the image of the "River God" for a moment, slightly taken aback; it looked somewhat like a sea creature.

Several other sculptures were also placed around the "River God" statue, but what they symbolized was unclear to Bray.

In front of the "River God" statue, there is a basin filled with the first river water of the morning.

Besides these, there were countless offerings, mostly food, with a small number of ornaments.

Several dancers were dancing around the river.

The villagers of Skahn around them gently closed their eyes and prayed silently in their hearts.

Bray glanced at the devout expressions of the people around him, and then closed his eyes as well.

The dance stopped, and the village chief scooped up river water and poured it onto the statue of the "River God."

After the statue was splashed with river water, its color changed from brown to light blue.

After the entire basin of river water had been poured halfway, the village chief retreated to the center of the altar, slowly knelt down, and made a strange gesture.