Those Who Refuse May Step Forward!

She wasn't good at comforting people, but she knew that simply crouching in a corner and crying would gradually push someone to extremes... Even something as irrational as revenge was still something, at least it could allow the girl to temporarily forget her pain and have her own goals.

She quietly looked at the dazed girl and gently stroked her back.

After a moment of stiffness, the girl quietly relaxed her discomfort and lowered her head.

Nearby, the campfire crackled and popped.

Are you... trying to comfort me?

"I'm not good at comforting people, girl."

"... Do you think I should seek revenge?"

"That's not something I should tell you."

When will this war end?

The winner will decide when it ends.

"Are the Sarkaz truly evil?"

I don't think so...

In the darkness, by the campfire.

As if escaping reality, the girl asked Maria one question after another.

Maria also showed her rare tenderness towards this girl who had nothing.

She wasn't annoyed by the girl's questions; she simply used her own thinking to answer them one by one.

The voices, one loud and one soft, lingered quietly in the night sky until the girl could no longer hold on and, exhausted, fell asleep peacefully on Maria's lap.

She appeared very mature and didn't move around much in her sleep, but occasionally a trace of sadness, unbecoming of her age, would appear on her face.

Maria stroked the girl's hair, looked at the girl's dirty little face, lowered her eyes a few times, and then silently raised her head.

"Hmph~ Hmph~"

An old nursery rhyme sways gently by the campfire...

Chapter 257 Those who refuse may step forward!

The next day, early morning.

Audena slowly got up from the warm embrace.

She hadn't had a good night's sleep in a long time.

In that gentle embrace, she didn't have to worry about the howling of the night, nor about when enemies might attack without her noticing. She only needed to relax to gain an unimaginable sense of security.

Someone was holding me, comforting me...

"You're awake?"

Maria remained seated by the campfire... The fire still burned brightly, and she sat beside it, one arm around the girl, her face serene.

A night of sitting in meditation was nothing to her; she didn't move an inch from the beginning.

"Yes... thank you, ma'am."

When Audena woke up, her face was slightly flushed, but she still politely thanked Maria before looking up with some concern.

Do you need to take a break?

"No, girl."

Maria shook her head, declining the girl's offer, and then looked around.

At this moment, many people around them also regained consciousness.

They walked quietly among the tents, their faces filled with sorrow.

This war was far too cruel for ordinary people like them who just wanted to survive.

What are your plans next?

Maria asked a question.

After hearing Maria's words, the girl pondered for a moment, then shook her head helplessly.

"I have no idea."

"Um?"

"The Royal Court urged us before, saying that war was coming and we needed to migrate, but other than that, we know nothing else," Audena said, her eyes slightly lowered.

It's called a migration, but everyone knows that it's only a temporary solution.

No one knows how long this war will last... just as no one knows why this war has broken out again.

Various possibilities exist... but all of these are too far removed from their reality.

They don't know what they will do in the future; all they can do now is walk slowly, step by step, seeking their own peace in this world.

Just like this migration...

"Is that so."

Maria was silent for a moment, then shook her head.

The girl noticed that Maria seemed somewhat unhappy about this; she herself was putting on a stern face and smiling slightly.

"Even so, everyone is still working hard..."

"And I've heard that the Demon King will personally lead the expedition this time, so perhaps... this war will end soon."

The girl smiled, a very innocent smile.

For a child her age, there are too many things in this world she can't understand... The ever-present danger makes it take all her strength just to protect what she already has.

She simply couldn't understand what it meant for a country's leader to personally lead troops into battle.

Maria also kept her eyes down and didn't say anything.

After resting for a while, the two people, one big and one small, slowly got up, preparing to go into the tent to wake up Warfarin, pack up, and continue their journey with the main group.

"Ms. Warfarin, it's time to get up."

The little girl carefully lifted the tent flap and called to the woman; Maria followed her inside.

But once inside the tent, the girl froze.

The quiet tent was empty.

Right behind the tent, there was a huge gaping hole!

"This..."

Audena stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

But Maria only whispered.

"She's been arrested."

"Huh?"

Maria slowly stepped forward, reached out and touched the slightly messy dirt on the ground, then narrowed her eyes slightly.

The matter is definitely not over yet...

"You bunch of bastards, is that all you've got? If you're so capable, put me down and see what happens... Waaah..."

The enraged Blood Demon was bound to a pillar, roaring madly.

Although she was surrounded by Sarkaz warriors who were far more powerful than her, she showed no fear whatsoever; instead, she arrogantly cursed them.

The blood-red eyes were chilling.

Perhaps because they couldn't stand her continued shouting, the group didn't bother to waste any more words with Warfarin and simply stuffed a rag into her mouth to shut her up.

Once the surroundings had truly quieted down, they shook their heads helplessly and looked at each other.

Soon, they called over a companion with a bandage on his head.

Is that her?

The man in the lead pointed to Warfarin beside him and asked her a question.

"Yes, she was that woman's companion; I saw them appear together."

The injured man had a sinister expression and spoke with a lisp.

And that's how Warfarin noticed him... The distinctive slit on the side of his face reminded her who this guy was.

This made her gaze even more disdainful.

Yesterday, Maria chased me away like a dog, and I didn't dare say a word. Now she's calling people to take revenge, and she's doing it all in secret.

Shameful!

However, the other party clearly didn't think there was anything wrong with their actions.

He gave Warfarin a sinister look before turning to look at his boss.

"That guy is strong, but he's probably not from the Royal Court Guard... and she even stood up for that clan, so she's probably some kind of wandering knight-errant..."

"A wandering knight?" The leading man couldn't help but sneer upon hearing this.

"There are no more chivalrous knights in this era..."

"Since she's not part of the Royal Court Guard, that makes things easier. Go and gather the other teams, and have them send some people with weapons."

"Yes!"

His men quickly dispersed.

Before long, the Swarm young people who still looked quite energetic were brought over.

Each person held a simple spear as a weapon, and they trembled with fear.

Behind them, more worried team members cautiously hid to the side.

They didn't know why the soldiers were summoning their comrades, but out of fear, they mustered their courage and sneaked over to see what was going on.

The man in the lead did not stop these people.

He glanced at the young people present, then reached out and patted one of them on the shoulder.

"It looks pretty good."

"Forehead..."

The young man didn't know what to say, but the man simply turned away and continued talking.

"I imagine you're all wondering why you've been summoned here... Is it to send you to the battlefield, to die...?"

"I want to tell you, no, I invited you here as an invitation... an invitation for you to join us in dealing with the traitor!"

The man emphasized the word "traitor" at the end of his sentence, his eyes revealing a fierce look.

Those around them simply looked at each other, somewhat at a loss.

They were suddenly conscripted without being told what they would be doing, which left them somewhat confused.

Hearing that it was about dealing with traitors... made them even more bewildered.

Today, along with this group of Sarkaz soldiers, there are more than a dozen Royal Court vassals or other village groups of varying sizes that have withdrawn.

Many of these villages and their vassal states have unbreakable ties... In this time of crisis, everyone is united in their escape. Although they are not bound by life and death, they all understand that they cannot lose each other.

Only when they are united will the Allied Forces soldiers hesitate to attack due to the numerical disadvantage.

How could a traitor appear under such circumstances?

The man had anticipated this situation.

He didn't offer any explanation, he just patted them on the shoulder.

"The traitors will be here soon... You just need to do your jobs, and leave the rest to us."

His words were calm, but those present all had a somewhat ominous premonition.

Even faster, Audena led a large group of people toward them.