They are all characters I control.

"So the other party isn't from our team?" Eleanor was somewhat surprised, as she had assumed it was a member of her team.

"That's probably another squad. Anyway, I saw the church knight armor on them. Oh, and I also have a memory crystal magic stone here."

I couldn't recall it for a moment because my brain was processing so much information.

As long as you take out your memory crystal magic stone, everything will become clear, and you can even find out why you appeared in that village.

Somewhat flustered, she pulled a crystal magic stone from the inner layer of her underwear, and Eleanor immediately infused it with magic.

Will looked at the memory crystal magic stone in Eleanor's hand, and his heart sank.

The once crystallized, multifaceted crystal with subtle magical light flowing inside was now covered with fine, spiderweb-like cracks.

The original warm luster has completely disappeared, turning gray and turbid. There is even a small, irregular dark stain at the core, as if it has been polluted and impacted by some highly corrosive energy.

Seeing her memory crystal, the Philosopher's Stone, transformed into this state, Eleanor held it in her hand, no longer feeling the clear magical resonance and connection she once had. It was as if she were holding a cold, lifeless, ordinary stone.

“This…how could this be?!” Eleanor’s voice was distorted with shock and panic. “It…it’s broken?! When? How…”

Captain Will stood up and walked over to Eleanor.

He took the cracked, dull crystal, examined it carefully in the firelight, and then gently rubbed the cracks and stains on the surface with his fingers, his expression becoming even more solemn.

“Structural damage caused by the energy shock, as well as traces of high-concentration evil energy contamination.”

He said in a deep voice, handing the crystal back to the distraught Eleanor: "Judging from the extent of the damage, the recording function is probably permanently disabled, and the information inside may be damaged or unreadable."

Eleanor stared blankly at the shattered memory crystal, her last hope shattered along with it.

The only evidence that could possibly record the truth and prove the existence of that "mysterious companion" has been destroyed?

Captain Will patted Eleanor on the shoulder, his touch steady and firm: "Don't overthink it, Eleanor. You're alive, and you destroyed an important heretical stronghold, that's a fact."

He looked deeply at Mel, who seemed to be fast asleep, and said, "We'll find a church to house her when we get back. You must be tired, so get some rest."

After saying that, Captain Will turned around, lifted the tent flap, and his tall figure disappeared into the cold wind and night outside.

Inside the tent, the fire burned quietly in the stove.

Eleanor sat motionless for a long time before slowly tightening her fingers, clutching the broken, cold memory crystal tightly in her palm, as if trying to grasp the last elusive clue.

Chapter 128 Everyone Returns Home

At dawn, the church knights broke camp and began their journey back to the Order.

Eleanor and Mel were sitting on a spare horse. Her face was still pale, and her eyes were filled with lingering weariness and confusion.

Mel was wrapped in a thick wool blanket. She kept her head down most of the time, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly. Occasionally she would look up at Eleanor and then quickly look down again, looking timid and shaken.

At this time, the overall atmosphere of the Knights of the Church was also like this.

Although they killed many heretics and destroyed the heretics' strongholds and villages, all the comrades they tried to rescue died, and Eleanor was the only survivor.

But this is not good news for the church knights. The entire team was ambushed and killed by the heretics, and you are the only one who survived? Anyone would think of the word 'traitor'.

Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will continue to grow uncontrollably.

"Sister Eleanor, what's wrong with them? Why are they looking at me like that big dog in my village is staring at a fox?" The child spoke without restraint, and Mel's voice wasn't quiet.

Her words were loud enough for everyone around to hear, and the church knights immediately turned their heads away awkwardly, no longer looking at Eleanor and Mel.

But their reaction further confirmed Mel and Eleanor's feelings.

Everyone was indeed on guard against them. If they did anything strange or dangerous, the knights around them would not hesitate to subdue them.

As a church knight, Eleanor naturally understood everyone's thoughts.

"It's alright. Everyone is just being so vigilant to protect the safety of ordinary people like you, Mel."

Looking at Eleanor, who was speaking such understanding words in a soft voice but with a bitter smile on her face, Mel's eyes flickered a few times before she lowered her head.

As things stand, Eleanor shows no signs of anything amiss at this moment.

Since she changed like this yesterday, she has maintained her kind nature all night, which has put Mel at ease.

"Oh, I see. That's good." Mel looked up at the narrow path through the valley ahead, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Meanwhile, on the tall black warhorse at the forefront of the church knights, Knight Commander Will stood with his back straight, his eyes warily scanning the steep cliffs around him as he pondered.

The voice of the church knight Karl beside him interrupted Knight Commander Will's thoughts.

"Captain, everyone's a bit uneasy. Why don't you make an announcement to everyone?"

Will didn't even look up, his gaze still fixed on the cliff face above him: "What's there to be uneasy about?"

“Of course it’s Lieutenant Eleanor,” Karl said bluntly. “And that child too.”

"It's not that people doubt Lieutenant Eleanor's loyalty, it's just that things are too strange. There was so much residual magic at the scene, yet Lieutenant Eleanor was standing in that village completely unharmed."

“That’s a stronghold of heretics. How was Lieutenant Eleanor able to appear there unharmed, and the so-called witness is just a child.”

“We all suspect that the child was either born to Lieutenant Eleanor or that she kidnapped him from the heretic stronghold specifically to use him for collusion.”

Will, holding the horse's reins, looked up calmly at Carl: "Carl, is that what you think too?"

Karl hesitated for a moment, then said frankly, "I'm just worried. The 'Church of Life' uses unpredictable methods that are hard to guard against."

"If Lieutenant Eleanor was indeed tampered with without her knowledge, would it be dangerous for us to bring them along?"

Will paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Eleanor, who was silently munching on a hard bread not far away, and the seemingly harmless little girl beside her.

He said slowly, "Karl, we are the Holy Lance Knights. Our swords are pointed at evil, and we protect the innocent."

"Until there is conclusive evidence that Eleanor has betrayed her faith, she remains our comrade."

"The code of chivalry forbids us from drawing our swords on our companions and the weak, and it forbids us from abandoning our responsibilities out of suspicion. Doubt is permissible, but judgment must be entrusted to the Holy Light and the law of the Church, not to our own private speculation and fear, understand?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "We'll discuss everything once we return to the Knights. For now, all we need to do is take them back."

Karl stood solemnly, placing his right hand on his chest: "Yes, Captain, I understand."

With his gaze returning to the road ahead, Sir Will's brow remained tightly furrowed.

The rest of the journey went smoothly without any major surprises.

Compared to the arduous journey, battles, and clue-hunting we had undertaken to get here, the return trip now seemed too peaceful, making one feel somewhat uneasy.

Finally, just as the church knights were about to round a massive, snow-covered rock face and enter a relatively narrow canyon passage—

An unexpected event occurred.

"Captain!" A knight on the flank of the team suddenly reined in his horse, pointed towards the entrance of the canyon ahead, and said with a hint of tension in his voice, "There seem to be people ahead!"

All the church knights instantly reined in their horses, placed their hands on their sword hilts, and turned their gazes toward the entrance to the canyon.

In the thick snow and mist, several staggering, swaying figures could be vaguely seen emerging from the canyon and slowly moving toward their group.

Judging from their clothing, they appeared to be ordinary hunters or villagers from the North. There were about seven or eight men and women, all dressed in rags, covered in blood and frostbite, their faces filled with exhaustion and fear.

"A survivor?" Carl frowned and looked at Will.

Will squinted, staring intently at the figures. He didn't immediately order them to advance, but instead raised his hand in a gesture that said, "Halt and remain alert."

The troops immediately stopped and spread out in a defensive formation, while the archers quietly cocked their crossbows.

The figures seemed to have also spotted the fully armed knights. One of them, as if seeing a savior, waved his arms excitedly and shouted in a hoarse voice:

"Help...help! Sir Knight! Save us!"

The sound drifted away in the cold wind, carrying a desperate sob.

Eleanor, standing in the middle of the group, felt her heart leap into her throat.

Are they villagers in distress again? Could they be victims of the "Church of Life" like Mel and his group?

Mel also peeked out from under the blanket, looking at the figures, a subtle and elusive glint in the depths of her eyes.

Captain Will observed in silence, his gaze sweeping over the surviving villagers.

His hand slowly loosened its grip on the sword hilt.

"Attention everyone, lay down your weapons. Do not use force against civilians."

This is the highest priority rule for church knights.

As knights of the Church of Goddess, they should only be the salvation of the common people, not perpetrators of violence.

At least, that's how it is with Knight Commander Will.

Chapter 129 Heading to the Town

Initially, the survivors were terrified when they saw someone appear.

However, after seeing clearly the church knight armor worn by Knight Commander Will and his men, their emotions gradually calmed down.

Immediately, they rushed over as if they had seen a savior.

"Knights... Knights! Please, save us!" The leader was an old farmer with gray hair and frostbite and bloodstains on his face.

He lunged to a spot not far from Captain Will's horse, almost kneeling down, his voice hoarse and mournful.

"Our village was attacked by a group of madmen! They killed people indiscriminately, stole grain and livestock, and kidnapped many people!"

"If we hadn't escaped by hiding in the old cellar, we would have been caught by those guys by now!"

"Thank goodness, thank goodness we've finally met you! You are the church knights of the Goddess Church, right?"

Behind the old farmer, two women were weeping softly.

Several teenagers huddled together beside them, trembling, their faces covered in mud and fear. There was also a younger man, his arm hastily bandaged with tattered rags, blood seeping through, his face deathly pale.

Judging from their appearance, they did indeed seem to be ordinary villagers who had been attacked and had narrowly escaped.

"Where are you from? What's the name of your village?" Will asked in a deep voice, his tone devoid of emotion.

“We…we came from ‘Cedar Village’ in the north, sir,” the old farmer hurriedly replied. “It’s about a day and a half’s journey from here. We had nowhere else to go, and we heard that there were church knights patrolling this area, so we…we risked our lives to come this way.”

"We never expected to actually encounter an adult! Please, sir, take us in and take us to a safe place!"

At this point, the survivors all wore expressions of relief, as if they had escaped a disaster.

All eyes were now on Knight Commander Will, who was leading the church knights. At that moment, Eleanor and Mel also walked over from behind.

Cedar Village? Will quickly recalled the map in his mind.

That is indeed a relatively large village in the northern part of this area, but it is located in a more remote area than Lingu Village. It wouldn't be surprising if the "Church of Life" also had activities there.

“Captain,” Karl rode closer and whispered, “I remember Cedar Village being marked on the map, but it seems quite remote. Should we take them to the nearest town, ‘Gray Rock Town’?”

"That would be a long detour, and it might pass through some unsafe areas."

The rest doesn't need to be said too explicitly; it's clear that Carl was reminding Commander Will that the most important thing now is to send Eleanor back.

To find out what happened to Eleanor, and what exactly happened at the 'Church of Life' stronghold.

If we were to do this now, it would take up a lot of time for these few refugees.

Eleanor heard Karl's words too. Looking at the shivering women and children, she felt a pang of pity and said, "Captain, they look so pitiful, and they're injured. In this freezing weather, without help, I'm afraid..."

"Yes, that's right." Knight Commander Will nodded.

Clearly, he shared Eleanor's view.

Karl wasn't too surprised by Knight Commander Will's statement.

"Why don't we send a few people to escort them to Grayrock Town? The main force can then return to the Knights' Order via the same route. This way, we can help the civilians without delaying our return to the fortress to report back..."

No sooner had he spoken than Karl's proposal was met with opposition.

“No.” This time it was Eleanor who spoke. Her voice was soft but firm: “Captain, we can’t split up again. Our squad was ambushed and suffered heavy losses. The enemy is likely still active nearby.”

"If we disperse our forces, the escort team will have no chance of winning if they encounter the enemy."

“Even if church knights are willing to sacrifice themselves for their faith, there is no need for them to die. I do not agree with separating some knights to escort them. Why don’t we all go together to escort these refugees?”

Splitting up the escort could put both the escorts and the escorted in danger.

Having already learned her lesson from this trick, Eleanor would never fall for it again.

Captain Will listened silently to his subordinates' discussion, his gaze sweeping over the "survivors" again, then over Eleanor's undisguised worry, before finally settling on Karl's face.

Karl's words made sense; splitting up the forces seemed to be the most efficient option.

But Eleanor's concerns were equally real, especially after the bizarre events in Ryukyu Village, he no longer harbored any illusions about the "safety" of the area.