Chapter 7 of 10

Chapter 7

12 min read3,033 words

### Chapter 6: Freya

Sophie felt as if she had been in a long dream, in a quiet and dark environment where everything seemed bizarre. However, a black moon and a tall tower standing still in the middle of a pitch-black lake remained constant throughout the dream.

Does the moon symbolize something? What about the tower? Or is it just a nightmare?

Sophie didn't know, just as she didn't know when she would wake up. This state continued until she heard a conversation in a daze—

"Freya."

"Briden, have you made contact?"

It was a girl's voice, clear and articulate—

"No, a group of monsters is guarding the main road. We can't find Uncle Marden or this guy..."

The second voice was that of a child, and the source of the voice turned toward him. Sophie's heart skipped a beat, as if he could feel a gaze landing on him. This gaze felt like a bond to the world, making his body gradually feel heavier. The next moment, the young man realized it was gravity.

Sophie finally confirmed that he could feel his body, though it still didn't respond to his commands.

His breathing became somewhat disordered. Was he dead?

"He's a wounded soldier, take care of him," the girl's voice replied.

A wounded soldier?

Was she talking about him?

Yes, he had been severely injured. His thoughts became clear, and the events that had occurred before played in his mind like an early film, starting from the moment he was reborn through the body of a young man named Brando—Sophie had never thought he would one day risk his life for something, which didn't seem like a decision a shut-in would make.

But he had succeeded, by the grace of Martha—

"Freya, he's awake," the child suddenly said.

"What?"

"I saw his eyelids move."

"That's impossible, he's severely injured. Markmi said... Hey!"

Severely injured?

Indeed, Brando had already been severely injured, and later, when he activated his hard-core ability, he was struck by three more swords. He remembered clearly that each strike in his lower abdomen and right chest was a genuine piercing wound.

Sophie's mind became active, and with a thought, the surrounding sounds became clear. The panicked shouting, the crackling of the fire, the clashing of metal, and the footsteps all drowned out the previous conversation. The temperature around him gradually increased, and at first, he felt a warm heat licking his face, but after a while, the temperature became scorching.

Heat.

He blinked, struggling to open his eyes—what he saw first was a girl's face, surprised.

The girl, who should be called Freya, matched Sophie's first impression of the owner of the clear and articulate voice: light brown hair, bright big eyes, and long hair neatly tied into a long ponytail, accentuating her face full of spirit. She was looking down at him, and at the same time, Sophie was observing her. She wore a tight-fitting gray and white leather armor, with a thick cotton shirt underneath, and a sleeve badge on her left shoulder—painted with a beautiful black pine needle using earth pigments.

A militiaman from Buchi.

He then noticed the sword in the girl's hand, a medieval Western European longsword, with a flame emblem on the iron guard.

The mark of the Temple of Fire.

His gaze moved up, and he saw the bloodstained bandages on the other shoulder and left chest.

Had she been in battle?

Every detail escaped Sophie's eyes—

...

When he woke up, the surroundings suddenly became quiet.

"Where... is this place?"

"Where is Roman... cough, cough!" Sophie's voice felt as if a hot iron had fallen into his throat, burning and dry. The pain in his chest gradually spread throughout his body, and he couldn't help but cough lightly.

But the forest was silent, and the only response was the wind from the Yonson Mountains. The wind, passing through the thick needles of the Golan black pines, had become soft and gentle, rustling like a stream flowing by his ear.

No one answered.

"He's awake."

"I can't believe he survived such severe injuries."

"Maybe it's a last gasp..."

However, the whispers around him reached his ears. Sophie was puzzled. What was going on? These people should be the militiamen of Buchi, right? He had been saved by them?

What about the young lady merchant?

Did the plan succeed? Did Captain Marden understand his intentions?

He couldn't help but turn his head. The first thing he saw was a bright campfire, the flames dancing in his field of vision, sparks rising along the black pines and disappearing into the vast night sky.

"You're awake?" The girl finally reacted, quickly stopping him: "Wait, don't move. This is Buchi, do you remember?"

"Buchi... Buchi." Sophie repeated the name.

"Can you tell me what happened?" He took a breath, knowing that he should be dead, both in the game and in reality.

The only possibility was that Miss Roman had found the potion of life.

"Phenix and Markmi found you in the nearby forest." Freya curiously observed him. Although the young man named Brando had been in their village for almost a year, he didn't interact much with the other young people in the village.

He always stayed in his gloomy house, only occasionally accompanying Roman to the nearby town.

Even a fool in the area knew that this young man had a crush on the girl with merchant dreams, though the girl herself didn't realize it.

Thinking of this, Freya couldn't help but look at him again, with a hint of suspicion.

"You and Roman, I really doubt how you escaped." The girl couldn't help but sigh.

"What about her?"

"She's fine, don't worry, much better than you. You should be more concerned about your own condition," Freya patted her forehead and asked softly, "But she keeps insisting on going to the village. Do you know why?"

Sophie was taken aback.

That meant she hadn't used the potion of life. What about his injuries? Instinctively, he opened his attribute interface, and the dark green data flowed over his retina. In the character status section, he was stunned to see a line of small text:

Life (Critical, Weak): 10% (Bandaged, recovering 1 point per day)

Impossible! Sophie's first reaction was that he was dreaming. No one knew his condition better than he did. Four fatal injuries, with massive bleeding—any of these should have been fatal.

How could he still have 10% life?

Sophie shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, but saw the girl looking at him with concern: "Don't move, you're severely injured..."

"Don't worry." He waved his hand instinctively.

Sophie knew his own condition. Although he was puzzled, he wasn't in a state of bleeding or other abnormalities, and he was still in a critical and weak state. He understood that this couldn't be rushed and could only be gradually treated.

Since his injuries were stable, there was no immediate danger to his life.

But this was what puzzled him the most. How did his injuries stabilize automatically? The Resilience talent couldn't do that!

"You—!" Freya couldn't help but widen her eyes; she had never seen someone so reckless.

At first, everyone thought this guy was dead, but he managed to wake up. Just that alone should be a sign of the grace of Martha, shouldn't it?

The problem was that this annoying guy still had a carefree attitude. One should cherish one's own life.

"Go back to bed!" The girl took a deep breath and ordered him, gritting her teeth.

Sophie was taken aback and couldn't help but look at her. What was wrong with this woman?

"Have you received militia training? I'm Freya, the captain of the third squad of the Buchi militia. I'm asking you to follow my orders for now," Freya blushed, realizing her outburst: "Is that okay?"

"Are you Freya?" Sophie was surprised and blurted out, "Freya Alicia, born in the year of the Frost Flower, your father is the great knight Everton?"

"Eh, what?" The girl was taken aback by the series of questions: "No, that's not right, my father is just a carpenter in the town..."

Suddenly, a burst of laughter erupted around them.

"Freya, this guy's flirting skills are pretty good."

"You have to be careful, Captain."

"Shut up, no one will think you're mute, Markmi, Ike!" Freya turned around, glaring at the young men.

Sophie took the opportunity to look around. The militia squad had about seven or eight people, fitting the Erunean standard, but the captain was a woman, and there was a young boy...

He looked at the tall and short 'women and children' beside him, feeling a bit melancholic. It seemed like an exception, but it actually reflected the long-term war that had weakened Erune.

The apparent revival would drain the last bit of vitality from the country.

Sophie couldn't help but sigh.

He had witnessed this history from beginning to end, never expecting to relive it in this life. But perhaps he could change something. He looked at the girl beside him, lost in thought—

Yes, Freya Alicia. The last general of Erune, later known as the Valkyrie of the Kingdom. She was the daughter of 'Fire's Scepter' Everton, lost in the countryside in her early years, and later recognized by the regent princess, becoming one of the few new stars at the top of the country.

He never expected she had also experienced this war—

Unfortunately, it wasn't the right time to let her take the initiative. Sophie knew he had to be responsible for his own safety, and for the lives of these young people.

"What are you looking at?" Freya turned around, startled by the young man's gaze.

That gaze wasn't admiration or infatuation; it was as if she were a strange animal, like an exhibit.

But who exhibits people, not animals.

"Have you never seen a dead person?" Sophie suddenly asked.

"Eh?"

"I mean, are you afraid to see someone die?"

"No, I just..." The girl was taken aback, at a loss for words.

"Then my injuries have nothing to do with you. Can I sit up?" Sophie asked seriously.

"No, you can't."

"Why?"

Freya was speechless. She was indeed afraid. She was afraid to see someone die in front of her, whether it was anyone—compared to the future high and mighty, haloed Valkyrie, the current Freya was just a simple country girl.

She hadn't experienced the cruelty of war and still naively believed in the goodness of the world.

Sophie smiled. He had never seen a dead person either, but if you counted his experiences in 'Amber Sword,' he had seen more than twice as much as the current Freya.

He had at least experienced the pain of loss.

The longing for the past and the pain of loss in his memory made him mature and appreciate life.

But it also planted the seeds of hatred.

"So, you're just a little girl. What makes you think I should follow your orders, Miss Freya?"

"You, you—"

Sophie knew it was no good to dwell on this topic. He glanced at the bandages on his chest and changed the subject: "Did you bandage me?"

"The Captain did it; she's the only one here who knows first aid," the young boy quickly answered, curious about the young man, who seemed experienced.

The militiamen of Braggs were different from those in small towns.

"It's just enough to stop the bleeding. Don't move around, I don't want to bandage you again," Freya immediately reminded him.

Sophie knew that the bandages could only help once, but he politely replied, "Thanks, though your skills are a bit rough—"

"..."

By the grace of Martha, Freya took a deep breath. At that moment, she felt like strangling this smiling guy. What was he trying to do!

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