Chapter 166: The Arrival of Chaos (Part Two)
Ryan sighed and said, “I just… I’m not particularly talented, and I’m pretty lazy. Honestly, the thing I hate the most is trying hard… Life is supposed to be easy and carefree, no need to risk it all to become what others want you to be. Just do what you want, have fun, and be happy, isn’t that great?”
Barry didn’t say anything else, just stared at him.
Next to them, Lilith seemed to gradually return to reality, her eyes blinking as she focused on Ryan too.
“In the past… I always thought this way. Who cares what people in the village think? As long as I’m happy… until later, when Little Shay came to our village.”
Ryan paused for a moment.
He sighed, a bit emotional as he recalled his earliest interaction with that girl. He really wanted to catch Little Shay’s attention, so he gathered a bunch of kids and followed her around, teasing and annoying her until she got so mad she threw rocks at them.
Ryan still remembered how furious she looked back then, her round almond eyes wide open, cheeks puffed up, trying to look fierce and intimidating, but she was so cute that you just wanted to rush up and give her a big kiss.
But that fragile, awkward girl later became the great hero of the Western Continent.
Ryan rubbed his face and chuckled. “Some things, looking back, feel like a dream…”
The great hero of the Western Continent, the Pope Knight, became acquainted with him in such a strange way, even friends!
“I admit, back in the village, I really liked her. Who wouldn’t like a girl like that? Back then, I thought it would be such a wonderful thing to be lucky enough to marry her, I’d wake up smiling even in my dreams…”
At this point, the boy felt a bit bashful and scratched his face.
He was simple back then, just like everyone in the village. Little Shay, although beautiful, seemed simple too… Every morning, she would climb the tree at the village entrance after breakfast. Before long, you’d see her carrying a bucket to fetch water or walking hand in hand with Aili, chattering away on their way to the forest to gather herbs…
Ah, those days were so good.
The plain and peaceful life made Ryan feel that Little Shay was just like him, like Barry, like everyone else in the village—they were all part of the same world, living together in that laid-back little village, seeing each other every day as if this time could last a lifetime, until they grew up, grew old, and saw each other change. Sure, some things would change, but life would carry on just the same.
What Ryan treasured most, what he wanted to return to, was that time.
“Wow, what a beautiful daydream, hahaha!” Barry couldn’t help but burst into laughter, utterly unsympathetic.
Ryan’s face flushed again, wanting to retort with “You were thinking the same thing back then!”, but when he glanced at Lilith, who was sitting quietly with her head down, he swallowed his words.
“Go ahead, laugh! I stopped dreaming like that ages ago,” Ryan said, a bit helplessly, his tone somewhat melancholy. “But regardless, Little Shay is still one of us from the village. We both see her as a little sister, she trusts us, and has helped us a lot, I…”
He seemed at a loss for words.
After a moment, he shook his head with a smile, as if he intended to halt that topic.
“Your little sister is out on the front lines, and here you are as ‘big brother,’ hiding under her umbrella, it must feel pretty bad inside, huh? It’s a pride thing, so you tagged along, I get it, even though she’s never called you ‘brother’ and probably never will.”
Barry teased, perfectly understanding what Ryan was thinking.
Because he had similar thoughts himself.
“Get lost, get lost!”
Ryan was finally annoyed by Barry’s words and waved him off, fuming. “As if she ever called you bro…”
The two began bickering, sitting by the campfire and exchanging playful jabs, gradually more soldiers joined in.
That night, the atmosphere in the campsite at the southwestern border was noisy yet tense, filled with countless young faces like Barry’s and Ryan’s, pretending to be fearless and confident, chatting with those comrades they might not fully know but would one day fight side by side with, sharing their hidden feelings stored in their hearts for so long.
“Hey, where do you think Little Shay is right now…”
As night deepened, Barry, along with Lilith, was preparing to head back to the camp for some rest when he heard Ryan muttering.
Barry thought for a moment.
“I don’t know, but Brother Rect told me something: he said Little Shay would definitely be one of the first to stand at the front.”
“So, I think when we finally see the enemy, we’ll probably catch a glimpse of Little Shay too.”
Then again, maybe they wouldn’t see her again…
Barry didn’t voice that last thought.
…
Late May, Holy City.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, blurring the line between day and night.
In Ethanbel, Queen Elizabeth and the Empire’s first in line for the throne, Count Lafael, along with Saint Margaret from the Holy Church, had previously met outside the city twice.
Now, at the ruins of the abandoned castle named “Holy Angel Fortress,” which served as a bridge to the Holy City, the Sentinel Falcon Army, Royal Guards, and City Guards had set up tight defenses. Having retreated from the valleys and having witnessed the terrifying chaos, knights like Safiros were now stationed here.
Inside the Holy City, the dead smoke that once obscured the skies a month ago had mysteriously vanished.
In its place, a colossal tree sprang up from the city center, radiating pure white light. That tree’s glow chased away darkness for several kilometers around the Holy City; compared to the eternal night in the southern part of the Western Continent, this place was like a never-ending daytime. Standing in the watchtower within the fortress, you could see everything around, every blade of grass moving in the wind.
Even so, the scouts of both armies never let their guard down for a second. They moved in and out of the fortress daily, promptly reporting the situation in the south to Count Lafael and Queen Elizabeth. Details were always messy; some reported seeing black mist in the southwest while others witnessed bizarre, large, shadowy figures aimlessly wandering in the distance.
Those monsters were not human, the scouts saw them but never knew their intentions.
One thing, however, was clear to everyone.
No matter what those creatures wanted, they were coming.
The last sighting of the monsters was fewer than twenty kilometers from the southwestern defense line, not far from the Holy City.
The tense atmosphere began to spread within the armies at Holy Angel Fortress and in Margaret’s heart.
Sofia, who had come with the queen and her father to manage the Royal City’s military logistics, shared in the tension.
“Our supplies are running thin. Many merchant associations in the kingdom refuse to come here anymore, no matter how much we offer. A large amount of provisions are stuck midway. Father, what should we do…”
On May 27th, as Sofia discussed these troubling matters with her father, before they could reach a conclusion, a sudden uproar erupted outside the fortress.
She and her father hurriedly went out to check the situation. Not too far from the camp, they heard agonizing screams; soldiers rushed past them, looking grim as they headed toward the source of the noise. Sofia quickly grabbed one of them, anxiously asking, “What happened? What’s going on…?”
The soldier glanced at her, recognizing who she was. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a low voice, “They’re here.”
“They’re coming.”
Just those words made Sofia’s face go pale.
…
On the same day, atop the walls of the southwestern border defense, a tall and slender girl named Aili stood with a few other young men and women, all former ‘Choir of Saints Candidates.’ They gazed beyond the wall at the towering mountains, seeing the beacon fires lighting up from the distant night.
