The tall black horse galloped on the grass, its flowing mane fluttering in the wind, and Sylutia sitting on it also raised his hair, revealing his smooth forehead and soft eyebrows.
After riding for a period of time, the horse gradually slowed down and then followed a white horse. The two horses then walked side by side on the grass, and the two figures on them were also walking and talking.
"I didn't expect Lord Hedra to ride a horse." Brie held the reins, with a hint of admiration and curiosity in his voice.
"I learned a little bit before." Sylutia bent down slightly, touched the black horse's neck with his fingers, and then looked at the beautiful grassland in the distance.
Her black dress and the color of the horse's coat almost blended together, fluttering in the wind, and her waist was erect. Although the horse below was slightly undulating, her upper body basically remained stationary, showing her good skills.
The two were riding horses on the grassland, occasionally talking and occasionally galloping. A hundred meters behind them, more than a dozen attendants followed on horseback to protect the two from any accidents.
It was a sunny day today and the temperature was suitable. The two of them rode horses through the long wilderness and arrived at their destination.
"Over the hill opposite, you can see a river coming from the poplar forest in the distance, and on the other side of the river is Bellflower Plains." Brie introduced.
"We are here a little early. If we wait until April, we are told that we can see swaths of blue bell flowers."
Sylutia nodded slightly, and the two continued to move forward until they reached the top of the hill. Riding on the horse, Sylutia saw the green land in the distance. The wind blew slowly, leaving long ripples on the grass.
The hair beside the ears swayed slightly; the fresh air poured in from the collar and cuffs, making a whistling sound, and then the two of them rode horses and ran towards the bottom of the hill.
At noon, Sylutia and Brie arrived at a riverside town in Bellflower Plains to inquire and understand the local situation.
After getting off their horses, the two of them left their horses to the care of the accompanying attendants, and then walked into the town.
There are clear-colored gravel streets here, with reddish-brown, light gray, cyan, and ocher-yellow stones spliced on the ground to form beautiful and natural textures. Under the tall elm trees is the main street of the town. You can see some people coming from distant villages for the market. They ride horses. There are many things in the fixed bamboo baskets behind them, including dairy products, wild fruits, small game, and some dried herbs for sale.
Sylutia was walking and looking, occasionally stopping to ask some vendors about prices.
"How much does this rabbit cost?" Sylutia stopped in front of a game stall. There were many prey caught by hunters on the ground.
"A rabbit is 20 copper coins a piece, a jay is 15 copper coins a piece, and wild boar is 10 copper coins a pound." The other party simply reported the price of the main commodities at the stall.
These prey should have been hunted in the past few days. Because the weather was cold, there was no need for additional means to preserve them.
The price is not expensive. If you buy it from a nearby restaurant and cook it carefully, it can be sold twice as much. However, it is rare for people in such a small town to have the money to order these in restaurants.
Hearing Hedra ask about the price, Brie also came over curiously. She took a look at the game prey on the stall.
"Wild boar meat is actually not delicious because it has not been castrated and has a strange taste." She reminded Hedra.
"Well, let's buy four rabbits, three jays, and a piece of venison." Sylutia thought for a while, took out a few silver coins and put them on the table.
"Okay." The stall owner was in a good mood when he saw how generous the girl was. He quickly helped to pick it up and asked if the hair needed to be plucked.
After buying these, the two handed the things to the accompanying attendants, then went to the restaurant in the town, booked a few tables, and then waited for the chef to process and handle them.
During this period, Brie helped Sylutia find the local mayor and inquire about some situations.
"Miss Brie, why do you need to come here in person?" The mayor, about sixty years old, wearing a brown cotton-padded jacket and coat, was invited to the restaurant by Brie.
To the mayor, this eldest lady is a huge figure. You must know that the entire Perika District is equivalent to a small country, and Brie's father is one of the most powerful and powerful figures in the country. First, his fourth-level Fifth Order Mage can easily destroy cities and thousands of armies, and Brie's status is almost as high as that of a princess.
"Okay, don't say these polite words. Just reply properly later. The person who came with me is a very distinguished guest. Even my father should pay attention to it." Brie reminded the mayor and brought the frightened old man to the second floor.
Sylutia was sitting next to the window, wearing a long black satin skirt covering the chair and stool. She was elegant and elegant. When she heard the footsteps of the two of them, she turned around. Her dark, clear eyes and soft brows made the old mayor stunned for a while, and it took him a while to regain his breath.
He never expected that there would be such a beautiful person. Even without Brie reminding him, he knew that the girl in front of him was extraordinary.
With caution and caution, the mayor lowered his head, approached slowly, then bowed and asked carefully.
"Brie, don't scare the old man." Sylutia reminded softly, and then asked the mayor about some things, including the local past, major events in recent years, as well as some customs, special products, etc.
As the conversation progressed, the mayor slowly relaxed and realized that this girl was not the kind of coquettish and unreasonable person.
"Have you heard of any famous local gardeners?" Sylutia wanted to know the whereabouts of Lady Falan.
"Horticulturists----I don't know much about this, I only know there are a few at Colin City."
Colin City is the only big city in Bellflower Plains. It was also Royal Capital in the past. Now it is the fifth most populous city in Perika District, far away from the main urban area of Perika District.
"That's it, I understand." It seems that Colin City must go there.
After learning about it, Sylutia asked Brie to take the old man back. Soon after, the chef of the restaurant also finished cooking the ingredients they purchased and served them to the table.
The rabbit meat is cut into small pieces and cooked with local vegetables to make soup. The jay is roasted whole and served, which is crispy and delicious. The venison is fried and paired with spices and berries, which is also delicious.
After lunch, Sylutia and Brie left the town and continued on their way to Bellflower Plains's Colin City, stopping from time to time to visit local villages and towns along the way.
"Two distinguished ladies, I wonder if you can listen to me singing an ancient poem."
When passing through a small town, the two met a Bard in the square. Seeing that he was good at playing and singing stories, Brie rewarded them with two gold coins. Then the Bard followed them and said that he wanted to go to Colin City with them and sang for them all the way.
Although he looked a bit like brown sugar, his story-telling skills were really good, and some of them were local folk songs and legendary poems with local characteristics, so Sylutia was not driven away.
In the second half of the journey, Sylutia and Brie got tired of riding and took a carriage instead. Bard followed the carriage with a lyre in his arms and continued to play and sing. The attendants and Knight also listened with interest to pass the boring journey.
"This time, I want to tell the story of Pine-Branch Knight." He plucked the strings and his voice was intoxicating, slowly drawing everyone's attention into that ancient and distant era.
"In the seventh year of heavy snowfall, towns and villages are isolated by white mist----"
"People formed a long team, connected to each other with ropes, walked on the road, and passed through the dangerous wilderness. Along the way, they held hunting bows and held spears, and did not dare to relax——"
"The huge Winter Beast stepped out of the fog, shaking the ground and shaking the mountains. It knocked down rows of trees. Its breath froze the people and animals passing by, turning them into lifeless ice sculptures. Then they picked them up and gnawed them. The sound of chewing ice slag was creepy and made all living things fearful."
"Countless people in the kingdom are afraid of its majesty. The king has set a heavy reward for the brave to defeat this huge beast of disaster that stalks the mountains, forests and roads, but still no one dares to take on this important task."
"The distressed king saw that each town was in crisis due to the cutoff of roads, and had to issue an announcement that if anyone could deal with the terrible Winter Beast, he would marry his favorite princess to him."
"After this order was issued, four powerful Knight immediately stepped forward to take over the important task."
"The first knight came from the city of Verden in the high mountains. He was wearing red armor and was extremely brave. He once collided with a wild boar with a lance and defeated the opponent. People believe that with his bravery and fearlessness, he will be able to defeat the winter beast."
"The second Knight is Peyton Fort from the lakeside. He wears a helmet with blue feathers. He once used strategies to make a group of powerful bandits fight among themselves and easily defeated them. People believe that with his wisdom, he will be able to solve Winter Beast."
"The third Knight comes from Royal Capital Colin City. He has a gorgeous purple cloak and an extremely handsome face. He is sought after and loved by countless people. People believe that with his charm, he will be able to unite everyone to kill Winter Beast."
"The fourth Knight comes from Woshan Town in the forest. He has a shield made of green pine wood, which can withstand the attack of wild beasts. Even if he is attacked by a poisonous snake Bite, he can heal himself and detoxify. He is not afraid of danger. People believe that with his tenacity, he will be able to resist the attack of Winter Beast."
"Four Knight set out one after another to search for traces of Winter Beast. With their expedition, the residents of the kingdom regained their confidence and began to resume trade routes and trade. The crisis in some remote towns was finally alleviated."
"In this way, it was not until the 37th day that the Winter Beast's figure finally appeared. After learning the news, the four Knights announced that it was their mission to defeat this Winter Beast. They led the army to march towards the Winter Beast and met it in the mountains."
"The scorching sun shines, and the red armor moves slowly like fire. The first Knight holds a sword and rushes towards the Winter Beast like lightning. The rising momentum is like the flames of thousands of armies sweeping through the mountains and fields, igniting the fallen leaves and trees along the way, and igniting everyone's hope."
"However, the sword broke under the huge claws of the beast, and Knight, which was like red flames, was also frozen by Winter Beast, turning into a stiff ice sculpture."
"The arrows were shot, and blue fireworks bloomed in the sky. Everyone then pulled the rope, and a huge hole appeared, and Winter Beast fell into it. Then thousands of arrows were fired, pouring down like a torrential rain, and Winter Beast was submerged. This scene made everyone believe that wisdom can eventually defeat barbarism."
"It's a pity that Winter Beast climbed up from the pit again, shook off the arrows piled up on his body, and shattered the blue feather Knight who was using his strategy with just his roar."
"The singing was like thunder, the deep purple swallow-tail flag danced, and teams of powerful Knight entered the battle. They came from all over the country because of the call of the third Knight, this charming Knight moved every soldier with his moving speech. They surrounded Winter Beast at this moment, and then took up weapons and charged side by side. The turbulent array and the sound of horse hooves made people believe in the power of unity."
"However, such a charge still fell into the white breath exhaled by Winter Beast. Fear spread everywhere, and finally caused the entire array to collapse. Those Knights who had placed high hopes fled one after another. The trampling horseshoe knocked the third Knight commanding from behind off his horse, letting him die in disappointment."
"The bowstring vibrated, and an invisible green arrow shot out from the forest. The arrow was smeared with the juice of the curare wood and sank into Winter Beast's eyes, causing him to roar in pain. Seeing Winter Beast stopped and struggled. At this time, huge wooden walls were pulled up to stop the crazy Winter Beast. People believed that they could win as long as they resisted Winter Beast's counterattack."
"However, the frantic Winter Beast still smashed the wooden wall, and rushed towards the fourth Knight standing on the hill. Even though the opponent had a powerful shield, he was still unable to match Winter Beast's brute force. He was slapped against the wooden wall, his bones were broken, and he fell down lifeless."
"The defeat of the four Knight made everyone lose confidence. No one dared to challenge this terrible beast of disaster. They could only stay in the house and pray silently, hoping to survive tonight."
"The kingdom is in decline. The king died of melancholy and illness on a winter night. The throne is empty. The nobles who were once extremely thirsty for power have no desire now. They are just anxious and uneasy, praying that Winter Beast and Castle will not come to their territory."
"On the branches of dead trees, crows stand side by side. Moldy corpses can be seen everywhere on the streets and at the foot of walls. The remaining residents are hiding in cellars, waiting for death."
"Such a disaster, so terrible, so desperate." The poet sang in a chanting tone, raising everyone's expectations for the second half of the story.
"On the 56th day, a downcast figure rode a skinny horse on the road. No one knew his name."
"The sound of bells on horseback passed through the white mist and entered the silent town, surprising those who were waiting for death."
"Who could this be? Does anyone dare to walk on this road?"
"The desolate figure did not stop, walking on the deserted road of the kingdom, until that day came, and he finally met Winter Beast in the white mist of the mountain forest."
"The huge body towered over the pine trees, advancing slowly like a mountain. The thin horse padded its hooves uneasily and lowered its head."
"The downcast figure did not stop. He pulled the reins, brandished the rusty sword, and charged forward."
"Unfortunately, the long sword was broken by a branch on the way. When he came to Winter Beast, only the hilt was left in his hand."
"Winter Beast's breath made the thin horse stiffen and fall into the fallen leaves. The desolate figure ran away hard and then hit a tree and fell unconscious."
"Winter Beast doesn't want to pay attention to such a weak person and leaves directly. It is going to the royal city. It is said that there is endless food there."
"One day later, the figure woke up from the woods. He stood up with support and used a pine branch as a crutch. He walked out of the forest and followed the footprints left by Winter Beast."
"On the second day, he gradually felt no pain in his body."
"On the third day, he felt that the tattered old clothes could keep him warm and he was no longer cold."
"On the fourth day he ran as fast as a horse."
"On the fifth day, he was so strong that he could crush rocks."
"On the sixth day, his roar will scare away the wild beasts in the mountains."
"On the seventh day, he can eat trees to satisfy his hunger."
"On the eighth day, the pine branch in his hand regained its vitality and sprouted."
"On the ninth day, he saw the Winter Beast in the royal city, used a pine branch as a spear, defeated it, and killed it in the palace."
"Later, he married the princess as promised, but this Knight did not want to become a king, but left with the princess. In order to commemorate him, people compiled his experience into poetry and passed it down."
After the story was told, the people accompanying him slowly separated from the artistic conception in the poem, feeling as if they were in another world.
"The first half is exciting and attractive, but why does the second half feel so strange? Shouldn't it be a profound fable or truth about the victory of Knight?" someone commented.
"Who knows, I seem to have heard this story somewhere, but there is another version. It is said that Pine-Branch Knight" actually took nine years, after a lot of training and growth, to finally defeat Winter Beast."
"This makes a lot more sense."
In the carriage, Brie also had many thoughts after listening to it, and kept sharing the words with Sylutia.
"This story is not well written. I would have to add some gimmicks. For example, Pine-Branch Knight is actually the princess in the palace, or it could take nine years of hardship to grow up. Only in this way can it be reasonable and touching."
"Master Hedra, what do you think?"
"Uh, do you want to change it like this?" Sylutia didn't say anything. She had actually heard this story, but it was told to her by Lady Falan herself.
In that version, "Pine-Branch Knight" was just passing by in the mountains, used a casually broken pine branch to penetrate Winter Beast, and then left, so no one knew his name and origin.
It's a pity that such a story is too simple and boring, and is not worthy of the powerful Knight who died in front of it. If the process is admitted to be so simple, it will deny the strength and achievements of the previous Knight and make them a laughing stock.
People look forward to heroes and brave men, and are more willing to believe that the hero has a touching story and belief. Such simple and beautiful wishes also inspire the latecomers to move closer to that legend little by little.
As for the truth, perhaps only the person involved and the growth rings of the trees in the mountains know.