High Above

"This fruit core is still fresh, don't sell it to the pharmacy on Central Avenue."

Originally he was a guy who wanted to steal things from children, but Brin, who had a rather low bottom line, accepted the Soma core with a cheeky face, then coughed lightly, and told Ian that someone in the industry knew the news: "Sold to Jill's family. Winery, they are trying to grow wine trees... sell them as medicine and poison, where can they sell seeds to make money?"

"Of course, the saplings are the best, but the natives of the Sumo wine tree have been strictly guarding them. Even the seeds are mostly for life-saving and difficult to recycle, so one is worth seven or eight talers."

"really."

It's easy to understand, Ian nodded slightly, understanding.

"It's almost time to go."

At this time, Ian saw that Brin's physical strength had recovered a lot, so he decided to take advantage of the night and the opponent's injury had not deteriorated.

"You can see, you lead the way." Brin nodded, then picked up the native swordsman who was still in a coma, and followed behind Ian.

safe journey.

The forest along the northeast coast of Harrison Port has been completely cleared away, leaving only a piece of white land that has been deliberately covered with saline and alkali. The farmland is mainly located around the official road in the north, on both sides of the Ewok River.

Starting from this saline-alkali land, a stone road leads directly to the neighboring Boer village. The guards usually follow this road to inspect various villages and breeding factories. the earth.

Ian and Brin walked along the light of the sentry tower. Although they didn't meet the indigenous team, they were on guard all the way.

The two finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed a little when they arrived under the bright sentry tower and saw the towering city walls of Harrison Harbor.

At the same time, they saw many people coming from all directions, either alone or in groups, gathering under the city gate tower.

Most of these people looked terrified, their clothes were messy, and some were even seriously injured, covered in blood.

Ian knew at a glance that they should be lumberjacks or fishermen from surrounding villages, and all of them, like himself, were attacked by indigenous people, but unexpectedly survived.

"Don't panic, line up, and after proving your identity, enter the city in order!"

There is a city defense army squad that is maintaining order. These usually loose soldiers are rarely put on half-body armor and helmets, holding light crossbows in their hands, and are in a state of combat readiness.

The captain's dull and solemn voice came from the helmet: "Lord Viscount Grant has set up a free oatmeal distribution point. After entering the city, everyone will have oatmeal to drink, and there is also a place to put it - but don't make too much noise and cause a riot!"

"Whoever stirs up commotion will be regarded as a native spy and imprisoned. Resist and kill."

Hearing this simple but powerful kindness, the frightened crowd gradually calmed down, but Ian and Brin did not enter the crowd.

"We have taken prisoners!"

Because of Brin's lung injury, Ian spoke for him. The clear voice of the boy caught the captain's attention. He saw Brin's body twisted in his hand, but the native who still breathed a sigh of relief because of the tough physique of the Terra people appeared in front of him. Yiliang: "What?"

"Brin? You are lucky..."

He seemed to know the herbal picker, but before the captain of the city defense force stepped forward to guide Ian and Brin back to the city, another surprised voice sounded: "Ian?"

Heavy footsteps sounded like a rock falling to the ground, and the figure of Elder Pude appeared in front of the city gate.

His appearance immediately made the captain of the city guard take a step back to show respect, but the elder didn't care about the awe of the other party, but walked forward quickly, looking at Ian's situation in surprise: "Yes, no Injuried."

Elder Bai Zhimin shook his beard. He looked at Ian's current state, and also glanced at Brin, who was injured and smiled, and said with a smile: "Yes, Brin, you are doing well!"

"No, it's not me..." Brin didn't dare to take the credit, but before he finished speaking, Elder Purdue looked away and looked at Ian: "Of course I know it's not you, just your character, if you really He saved Ian's life and captured the prisoners, he has already asked me for credit."

"Ian, did you do it?"

His inquiries were short and forceful, and he fixed his eyes on the young boy with burning eyes.

"Well... yes."

He didn't deny it, because Ian was keenly aware that under Elder Pudd's loose robe, there was a layer of chain mail wrapped around him, while the opponent had a warhammer on his waist, completely in preparation mode.

At the back of the city gate, he saw several Elder Pude's usual guards also wearing leather armor, waiting in full armor.

—He is going out of town.

Ian is aware of this, and he clearly understands that apart from himself, Elder Purdue has no need to venture out of the city at all—even if the Baizhimin breeding factory is destroyed, this benefit is too much compared to the risk. Too tiny.

The other party... wanted to save him.

"So that's how it is." He said thoughtfully, "It seems that my identity as a psyker...maybe more valued than I thought?"

But in any case, the other party was prepared almost immediately, and there is a great possibility of going to search and rescue—normally people don’t think that an eight-year-old child being attacked by an aborigine will have a good end—he has already died Ian, for this alone, he is willing to accept.

"No matter what, even for the identity of a psyker, Bai Zhimin's close group relationship is quite good."

"Call the doctor, Brin needs healing."

Patting Ian on the back, Elder Pude nodded to the captain of the city guard, and then led the two into the city. He said to the guards around him: "I just received a message from Feige that the breeding factory was raided. , the two Aubrey brothers were defeated, and they sailed into the sea with their surviving compatriots to take refuge, you two called Sai Nan and David En, and went to the labyrinth Zhahai to meet them."

"Ian...Unfortunately, we ignored your premonition. Come with me and tell me what happened in the outer city."

"Not now, elder."

But beyond Elder Purdue's expectation, Ian, who seemed very well-behaved, rejected his request.

But he didn't feel annoyed, but waited for the reason with interest: "Why?"

"The captive is there. Elder, if you really have a problem, you must have a way to make him speak."

Turning sideways, the boy smiled and looked at the aboriginal knifeman who was surrounded by three doctors and restrained on a stretcher: "And my younger brother hasn't eaten yet - I wanted to bring something to eat when I went out this time, but now It's all gone."

"not to mention."

Turning around, Ian and Elder Pude looked at each other, and said with a light smile: "Elder, you really want to ask me a question, haven't I already answered it?"

In his cyan pupils, a warm, crystal clear, watery halo lit up, flickering like a firefly.

Although the glimmer of light that sprouted from within lasted only a few seconds and then disappeared, like an illusion, the color that suddenly lit up at that moment was absolutely true.

"This is……"

Squinting his eyes, Elder Purdue stared at Ian's eyes, and he clearly saw the halo.

"Really, very good answer."

He said softly, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, with a rare hint of nostalgia in his tone, but more relief: "That's it, Ian. Be careful, you should know by now how dangerous it is outside the city."

After a pause, the old man stretched out his hand, rubbed the boy's head vigorously, and aggravated his tone of reproach: "Besides, you promised me that you would not go out alone. Huh?"

"It's not a good boy to promise but not to do it."

"Hey."

Ian is trying to pass the test by being cute. With his appearance, if he is an ordinary person, his heart will soften for a moment, and he will even have a desire to protect... But it is clear that Elder Purdue does not accept this.

He lightly patted the boy on the shoulder: "Go back, this time you captured the captive and made a great contribution, Viscount Grant will not ignore it."

"Go home and wait for the good news."

Soon, Elder Purdue left with Brin and the native captives.

In addition to looking for Ian, they originally wanted to lead a team out of the city to patrol, try to catch a few tongues, and figure out what went wrong with the natives. They actually broke the tacit agreement of more than ten years and took the initiative to attack the other side's civilians on a large scale.

Because of Ian, they already have ready-made prisoners, but it is also necessary to inspect a few key entrances and guard towers.

Ian stared at the direction they were leaving, his relaxed expression gradually becoming serious.

"The natives suddenly went crazy, why..."

He turned his head and looked at the gate of the city, which was slowly reviewing the release.

Under the dim light of the algae oil lamp, the villagers with terrified expressions and bloodstained bodies either cried or trembled and entered the city. Several guards silently raised a large bucket of water and poured them on them, turning them into drowned chickens. At the same time, it also washes off the sludge on their bodies, the blood stains and the plague and bugs that the natives may have tried to send into the city through them.

After the cleaning, some families were reunited. Although they were at a loss, they had a minimum of composure and were guided into the temporary tent area that had been cleared out.

And some fled all the way, and now they reached a safe place, only to realize that they may have lost several most important family members, so they knelt down on the ground, wailing in despair, beating the ground and crying.

"No, don't wash it off, it's Dad's blood..."

He heard a little boy crying loudly, which would have attracted reprimands, but in the end it was just an acquaintance forcing a smile and leaving with a smile covering the child's mouth.

The guards just watched in silence.

After more than ten years of peace, everyone recalled the bloody and terrifying wars with the natives in the past.

Watching this scene, Ian muttered to himself: "Is all this related to what the teacher said?"

"If not, why?"

"And Mr. Hilliard, what are you doing now?"

Silently watching the various situations behind the city gate, Ian shook his head slightly and walked on the way home.

At the same moment, outside Viscount Grant's mansion.

A gray tit fell silently from the wind and landed in front of the guards who had been waiting for a long time in front of the mansion.

Finally, the guard who waited until the target let out a long breath, and hurriedly took off the note on the bird's leg

He returned to the mansion as quickly as possible, and handed the roll of paper from the depths of the redwood forest to the butler, a slightly hunchbacked old man with white hair who had served the Grant family for forty-five years.

"My lord, there's a letter from over there."

Knocking on the door, after a rather boring response, the old butler slowly walked into the study, and handed the letter to Viscount Grant, who was looking sad and almost gnashing his teeth.

Lord Viscount is signing letters of authorization at this moment, preparing to mobilize the resources of various chambers of commerce in Port Harrison to help resettle the refugees caused by the aboriginal attack, and to prepare a report for war—whether the imperial capital reads it or not, it doesn’t matter whether it is in the name of In the royal territory above, the governor of Harrison Port needs to write a report for backup, not to mention mobilizing military reserve resources to prepare for war.

Hearing the old steward's words, the angry viscount raised his head, and with a click, he crushed the pen in his hand: "Trash! The natives hit us on the head and smashed all of our teeth, so did you pass the news to me? Then what is the use of these latent spies? Waste of my money!"

"Warning, warning, warning, I just believed their nonsense - Pude came over a few days ago and told me to be careful of the sudden actions of the natives. I smiled and told him that I must have known it before him, and told him not to worry. The result Woolen cloth?!"

After swearing angrily, he took a deep breath, and Viscount Grant still controlled his emotions and unfolded the note expressionlessly.

Then, he frowned and his expression became uncertain.

"The pure sacrifice is not to increase the number of sublimated people in the tribe, nor is it to let the sea of ​​trees shelter them in the big storm?"

He said in astonishment, "This pure sacrifice is the purest blood sacrifice."

Thinking of a possibility, Viscount Grant raised his head. Sure enough, the old butler's expression became extremely solemn. This old man who had witnessed the history of Harrison Port from its establishment to the present, obviously thought of the same possibility as him.

The Viscount stood up and said to himself in disbelief: "Their attack on the village this time is not a precursor to the siege, but to capture enough blood sacrifices?"

"They...are going to wake up the mountain master with a blood sacrifice?!"