Stray

As he left the witch house, Nemo couldn't help but glance back.

The courtyard full of flowers is as peaceful and lovely as it was at first, but now it is a little more lonely. The orange cat that came here has disappeared, and the witch should still be sitting in front of the workbench. After she planted the last earth orchid, her whole body seemed to be a part of the workbench. Bottle after bottle of potion was prepared, labelled, and placed with a small wooden sign with the name on it.

Except for the clinking of glassware and the screeching of fabrics, it's too quiet here.

Nadine put the bottles that belonged to Nemo into Oliver's hand, gave a few words, and then waved casually. As if they could meet again, the witch Nadine gave them a very ordinary farewell.

After withdrawing attention from the courtyard, Nemo looked at Oliver's face. It was the first time he had seen Oliver Ramon look like that—even in more absurd and desperate circumstances, Oliver never really got discouraged. Even if he is confused, even if he can't see the front at all, he usually forces himself to move forward. And now-

"Nimo." Oliver caught his sight, and he seemed to want to withdraw the heavy expression on his face, but he failed. "I...sorry, I'm a little confused right now."

"I may not be able to feel the same." Nemo subconsciously reached out and rubbed the other person's short light brown hair. Realizing that this comforting method might not be suitable for his peers, he retracted his hand awkwardly. "I'm not from the Lopez family after all, but I...can imagine."

They can kill wolves, repel worms and demons, and even stop a small war. They may have power far above ordinary people, but they can't change a stupid and stubborn idea. This was enough to make him feel frustrated, and from Oliver's point of view - this foolish executor was most likely his own blood relatives.

"Meet everyone first." Nemo tried to dispel the powerless atmosphere with a new topic.

Unfortunately, as soon as the words were spoken, his nervousness returned instantly - after discovering his identity, he had not communicated with other teammates in the team. Especially Adrian Cross, even if he's not like a typical trial knight, Nemo isn't sure if the former trial knight can handle this.

This time his mind was also confused. The two walked side by side like ghosts, their faces turned blue, as if they were sleepwalking hand in hand in broad daylight. During the period, he was almost knocked out by a fat lady who ran wild.

"I'm sorry!" the barrel-like lady shouted in her loud voice, without looking back.

The precious time in a daze always passes very quickly, even if there are more episodes, this is a small village after all. The two quickly found the only hotel, and Nemo was stunned for a few seconds at the "Di Hailan" on the sign.

"Why are both of them back?" Nemo's last companion appeared first, Adrian was holding the leash of two fuller goats, but this did not harm the knight commander at all. Imposing - he squinted Nemo from head to toe, then asked a question neither of them wanted to answer.

"It's a long story... You haven't booked a room yet?" Oliver blocked with a question.

"The room was vacant just now, and you guys just caught up." Adrian raised his eyebrows, as if he understood Oliver's subtext. "We can talk when we settle down."

Oliver nodded in spirit. Seemingly aware of the other party's depressed mood, the fake goat disguised by White II pulled the rope and rubbed over, baa baa as if comforting. Oliver patted the goat's head twice.

This pause makes Nemo the first to step into the inn.

He stared at the wood grain and dust on the floor carefully, racking his brains to think about what kind of expression would be more appropriate to face other companions. However, just after he thought about it for a few seconds, a scream belonging to a young girl penetrated directly into his ear, and something rushed straight towards him, the momentum was like a shell of a siege artillery. Nemo's body reacted first - he dodged with a speed that a normal person couldn't do, and the rushing thing slammed into the air.

Nimo looked up stiffly, and Ann Savage was standing in the hotel lobby, directly opposite him. But the scream was obviously not from her, and the faces of the sons and daughters were blank. It's normal, Nemo thought nervously. After all, he was supposed to be with the witch Nadine. He rubbed the stiff muscles on his face hard, just about to force a smile—

This time the mysterious attacker slammed into him from behind.

A pair of slender arms wrapped around his neck, holding a staff in one hand. But this is obviously not a new type of attack, because the owner of the scream spoke again, and the voice was full of joy and penetration—

"Nimo!" she yelled, "Why are you here? God, how could you be here?"

The girl let go of her arms, turned to Nemo, and gave him a tight hug that looked like she was about to break a rib.

Ann's expression became more and more complicated. Nemo now knew the source of the female warrior's confusion. Ann should have been staring at this one just now. He lowered his head numbly, and for the first time faced this strange girl who was overly enthusiastic.

Her facial features are indeed a little familiar.

"...Debbie?" Nemo asked blankly, looking over the white tin badge on the girl's chest that was identical to Flint Lopez's. A mercenary subordinate to the horizon, no doubt.

"How can you use interrogative sentences?" Debbie Wright let go of Nemo angrily, wrinkling her face, but her voice was full of laughter. "I recognized you in the first second! It's not fair, you ruthless fellow—"

Ann raised her eyebrows. She glanced at Oliver, who had just stepped in the door, and at the young female mage who was still coquettish, raising her eyebrows higher and higher. A few steps away—the first time Nemo appeared, the Grey Parrot huddled into a ball and squeezed into Jesse Dylan's pocket. The blond young man made no secret of his ambiguous smile watching the excitement.

Oliver froze visibly to the naked eye, he looked a little lackluster, like a green cabbage leaf scalded by boiling water. After seeing this scene, the vegetable leaf named Oliver Ramon changed from "boiled" to "completely overcooked".

"Come on, why are you here?" The Horizon Female Mage's attention was still on Nemo. After the hurricane-like excitement, the girl looked a lot calmer. "Hey, you've become a black chapter... or a snake?"

Raised the danger level of all of you?"

Ann cast her eyes on Jesse for a moment, and the smile on the latter's face froze.

"Even if I don't mind this evaluation... I haven't joined the team yet!" he exclaimed aggrieved.

Nimo rubbed the top of the girl's hair. When he sent Debbie Wright away, she was about as tall as a pitchfork, and now her head was almost up to his chin. Nemo remembers it very well now, when he didn't know anything, this girl learned how to put his fingers into the flames - Debbie Wright might have more guts than the other children in the orphanage put together, and Unlike Nemo, who couldn't use any magic at the time, her magical talent was equally terrifying.

These two characteristics add up to form the former Wright Orphanage.

The young Debbie gave him a lot of headaches, and her signature scream could literally knock down the roof of the orphanage. Even on the day she sent Debbie away, she was busy tossing around, rolling around and asking him to carry it to the candy store for a candy buffet.

Only that time she was crying with a voice.

In the past six years, the little girl who was doing her mischief has become a regular mage of the first mercenary group.

She really grew up, and Nemo couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth. In that instant, "superior demon" and "black chapter" seemed to be words that only belonged to another world again, and he was still in Lubiao Town. This was a long-awaited reunion between ordinary people.

"No." He said softly, "I do...something happened on my side."

"Nimo, let me introduce you to this lady first." An dry coughed, took his eyes away from Oliver, and tried to hold back the smile in his voice—their leader The person froze at the door nervously, as if he had been treated with petrification.

"This is my big brother." Debbie pointed to Nemo and spoke first. Adrian was stepping in the door, and when he heard the words, he joined the stiff ranks. "I am the mage of Horizon, Debbie Wright, and I was also born in the Orphanage of Roadmark Town. Old Patrick is unreliable, and I was basically raised by my eldest brother. Ms. Savage, what did my brother do? Why is he a black badge? ?"

"Devil believer." Jesse interjected with a smile, "At least that's what it says on the wanted list."

"…Huh?" Debbie frowned, "What? Sorry, I may have misheard-"

"Devil believer." An rushed to the ceiling with a sigh, then nodded.

"Where is his familiar?"

Jesse pointed to the grey parrot in his pocket, trying to reduce his presence.

"Nimo." Debbie pouted and raised her head again. "Tell me, did you pick it up, or did it pick you up? Such a thing..." She wrinkled her nose, as if searching for a more appropriate wording. "If these are called demon believers, then I can also call myself a rabid dog believer when I go out with a puppy."

For a few seconds, the grey parrot stretched out his head and seemed to want to spray abyss magic on the girl. But its small eyes swept across Nemo in front of Debbie, and then silently shrank back.

"But I have to tell the truth. For a demon believer, the snake level is too exaggerated." Debbie's originally relaxed voice was a little more serious, and the fingers holding the staff were tight. tight. "If I'm not wrong, Alban's side should give you a messy charge to deal with you... But it won't be a big crime, even if you participate in the black seal test, the second-purpose jackal should be capped. "

She looked into the eyes of the relatives in front of her very seriously: "No kidding. I only have two questions, big brother. Did you participate in the promotion of the snake level? ... Are you really working there? Only the devil?"

Nimo smiled at the familiar and unfamiliar girl in front of him. He was aware of her concerns—six years was enough to change a lot, and she wasn't ignoring it.

"Relax, I didn't do anything that would be scolded by old Patrick." Nemo chose a compromise statement and calmly responded to the other's gaze. "As for that demon, I have no contractual relationship with it now."

"Okay, I believe in you." Debbie nodded solemnly, the smile on her face relaxed a little. "After all, the team you are looking for is really good. Ms. Savage's reputation has always been good. At the beginning, our regiment leader wanted to recruit her... regiment leader?" She casually glanced at the other two black badges at the door. He jumped up sharply.

"No, you are not the head of the regiment." She stared at Oliver, slightly raised the staff in her hand, and her expression became serious.

"That's our captain." Nemo pressed her raised arm down. "It's a bit complicated."

"But he looks like Godwin..."

"Uh...this question will be unclear for a while, maybe you can ask your Mr. Lopez." Nemo scratched his head, "Leave that aside, Debbie, how have you been lately? —"

"Wright." A low male voice interrupted Nemo's question, and the tall warrior in full armor greeted him with a blank expression.

Debbie and Nemo looked at him at the same time.

"...These black seals are your friends?"

"That's right." The girl scratched her nose. "Friends I just met."

Horizon's warriors nodded politely but aloofly at them: "I see. Hurry up, Wright. These guys look like they're going to live in the shop, and you'll have a chance to visit them."

Debbie glanced at Oliver curiously again, and then flew a kiss to Nemo. "Brother, don't run." She announced in a clear voice, "I have so many things I want to talk to you about."

As Miss Wright left with her companions, the girl with braids by the wooden platform began to tap on the guest book.

"You still can't live in the hotel?" Her voice was a little aggrieved.

"Of course." An put one arm on the counter, his tone of vicissitudes. "How big is the biggest room here? We need a spacious interrogation room."

Adrian held his forehead, Jesse nodded approvingly, and the female warrior's gaze swept between Oliver and Nemo. "We also have so many questions to ask you two."

(m..=)