Chapter 92

From Nibo Town to the south, after about two days of travel through Lucheng, one will reach Vato Town, a human settlement located at the edge of the "Hazy Marsh." It is also the end of civilization, as the southeast and west directions from Vato Town are all wilderness, in other words, places that can be fatal to humans.

Zhao Mai had heard Green introduce the situation, but he could not form a vivid impression without seeing it with his own eyes. Now, following the paladins along the road, it did not seem dangerous, but rather felt like a leisurely outing.

Long shadows of trees stretched across the grass, leaves covered the ground, and a gentle breeze blew across his face. Zhao Mai was now walking on a stretch of grass to the left of the road, beside Hai Rou'er. They moved forward in a diagonal line, maintaining a distance and keeping watch.

The straight road extended for several miles, only making a slight turn when the forest encroached on one side. The forest beside the road was still the Healthy Forest, managed by the Rangers. Zhao Mai carefully observed and found several small paths leading deep into the forest, winding and hidden. Legend had it that some of these paths led to the legendary Beech Hall, a secret treasure trove of the vanished Wood Elves.

As they walked, Hai Rou'er occasionally glanced at Zhao Mai to see if he could still keep up. She could tell that this Druid had little experience riding horses and would suffer greatly on the journey. Sore thighs, chafed skin, and the intense pain in the pelvis from the constant jolting were all painful experiences that new riders could not avoid. She could see from Zhao Mai's expression that these were happening to him. But the Druid gritted his teeth, almost without a word, and persevered.

She remembered how she had suffered when learning to ride as a child. How did she get through it? Hai Rou'er recalled the tears, the secret complaints to the goddess, and the gentle comfort she received. She remembered the light yellow brick walls of the castle, the blue domes, and her mother who always leaned on the windowsill, looking into the distance.

Her father's appearance had become somewhat blurred. Hai Rou'er only remembered that he was a wizard, seemingly omniscient. He spent his days in the tall, enclosed wizard's tower, studying magic with a group of strangely looking friends. Apart from magic, he rarely talked about other things and spent even less time with her and her mother. Especially after learning that she would become a paladin rather than a wizard, he never smiled at her again. After her mother died of loneliness, the temple of Iomedae became her true home.

"Mike, why did you become a Druid?" Hai Rou'er suddenly asked.

"To cure my father's illness, I had to become a Druid," Zhao Mai said, drawing in a breath through his teeth. He knew without looking that the skin on the inside of his thighs must have been chafed, and the sweat flowing into the wounds caused a particularly sharp pain.

"Why didn't you seek help from a temple? Like us paladins, we know some spells to cure diseases and soothe pain, besides our missions outside." As she spoke, she moved closer to Zhao Mai. Accompanied by a low prayer, her hand, glowing with holy light, passed over Zhao Mai, and the positive energy from the goddess quickly healed his wounds.

"There were no priests in the temple near my home who knew the spells to cure diseases, so I had to travel far to learn from the Druids. Fortunately, I had good luck and obtained a potion to cure diseases, which stabilized my father's condition. So I returned to continue my studies, but the evil creatures of Lamashtu attacked the community, leading to the current situation."

"Oh, to achieve your goal, you must have been blessed," Hai Rou'er said, somewhat enviously. Her mother had prayed, but her last wish was not fulfilled, and her father did not come to see her one last time. This was the deepest pain in Hai Rou'er's heart. "Hey, Mike, we will definitely defeat the evil priests and restore peace to the Farmer's Forest."

"Of course, nature may be harmed at times, but its powerful ability to recover and balance will ultimately prevail," Zhao Mai said. "Hai Rou'er, do female paladins receive the same training as male paladins?"

"Yes, basically the same. Some martial skills or combat techniques may differ slightly, as the areas of burden are different between men and women," Hai Rou'er said, looking at Zhao Mai. "Why do you ask?"

"Can I learn from you?"

"Uh, what kind of skills?"

"Basic martial skills, the use of a one-handed spear and shield." Zhao Mai tightly gripped the saddle, almost falling off when he leaned to one side. "Oh, maybe also riding. I have so much to learn. Maybe you could teach me a few things during breaks."

"Sure, I'd be happy to help you," Hai Rou'er said. "But I will ask you more questions about deities, divine power, and faith, and you can't avoid them."

"I think discussing deities too much isn't a good thing. We should focus more on the mortal world," Zhao Mai thought for a moment and said to Hai Rou'er, "How about this, I'll tell you some interesting stories, about kind priests and evil wizards. Would you like to hear them?"

Hai Rou'er bit her lip and nodded.

Unintentionally, Zhao Mai had touched on a sensitive point in Hai Rou'er's heart and began to tell a modified version of the story of the black-robed male wizard and the white-robed female priest. They continued along the road, the damp southwest wind from the marsh rustled through the treetops, and the remaining leaves whispered softly. A black cloud covered the sky, and dusk came earlier than usual. The entire road was gradually enveloped in twilight, with only the northern horizon still retaining a glow.

A large tree had fallen across the road, its massive branches broken into two pieces. A female knight named Haidai went forward to investigate and found that the tree trunk was already hollow, which was the real reason it had fallen. Two knights used ropes to pull the tree trunk to the side, clearing the road. Meanwhile, the others were on high alert.

"You are all very kind-hearted," Zhao Mai praised.

After clearing the obstacle, the group continued until it was completely dark. At this point, the south was completely invisible, and only the northern sky still had stars twinkling. Fortunately, the wind changed direction, and the fierce and restless north wind dispersed the clouds, and the sky was once again filled with brilliant stars. For some reason, the previous sense of unease gradually disappeared, and the surrounding natural energies became peaceful and serene again. The six women, one man, and a dog dismounted and prepared to camp on the spot.

Zhao Mai's thighs were chafed again, but he declined Hai Rou'er's holy healing this time. "I can recover slowly, and this process will also help my skin adapt. The positive energy of the holy healing is strong, and while it heals the wounds, it also removes the calluses. I will still suffer in the future."

"Alright, since you can heal yourself," Hai Rou'er smiled and began to check the camp's security.

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