Chapter 197

"This might be needed somewhere along the way... Take it with you."

"This is..." Theresa looked at the small cloth bag handed to her with some surprise. It wasn't heavy, but the faint metallic clanging sounds coming from inside allowed her to guess what was inside.

She lowered her head, untied the ropes binding the cloth bag, and looked inside at the scattered metal coins.

It contains coins minted by the Demon King of Kazdel and his Royal Court, as well as crudely made ones that look like they were made by ordinary people, and even some that look like currencies from other countries.

Theresis had almost never seriously experienced the mercenary life that most Sarkaz went through. Because of his concern for Theresa, he had rarely participated in those life-threatening activities.

In order to survive, besides practicing swordsmanship, he would only take on tasks that seemed harmless. Of course, the rewards for these tasks were usually pitifully small. After deducting the amount needed to purchase essential supplies, there was very little left.

The few coins in the bag that looked like counterfeit, and the others that looked like currencies from other countries, were even from Theresis's first completed commission.

Although he could only save a few coins each time, he had always hoped to use the money in his bag to have a brand new, gleaming longsword made by the blacksmith.

A young person's expectations are sometimes that simple.

However, despite this, his younger sister is about to be alone... What? Zuo Jian?

Are you kidding me! With him not by her side, it's practically the same as being all alone!

In short, this was the first time Theresa had left her brother's side, and to go to such a far place... He knew this day would come eventually, but... he didn't expect it to come so soon.

So much so...

Theresis's eyes dimmed.

All he could offer was this rather shrunken cloth bag.

As well as...

"Theresa, take this with you too."

Theresis looked at her sister, then solemnly handed her the worn-out longsword beside her.

"Brother... it's okay if you don't need these, I..." Theresa looked at her brother, unsure of what to say.

The small cloth bag containing only a few coins and an old longsword, probably older than the siblings combined, were practically all the young Sarkaz swordsman's possessions at that moment, and all he could offer his sister as her older brother.

"Brother, you should keep these for yourself. Haven't you always wanted to have a new sword made?... And what will you do with the sword you have if you give it to me?"

Theresa tried to return all of her brother's belongings, but was met with a stern and firm refusal.

"No, there will be many unexpected events outside. How can you survive without weapons? You need to at least have the ability to defend yourself. As for money... you can save it up later. Nothing is more important than your safety, Theresa."

"But you..."

"Remember to hide your money well, hang your sword in a conspicuous place where you can easily draw it, and try to avoid dealing with those who wear black robes... or anything else that covers their entire body!"

Theresis ignored her sister's attempts to refuse and continued to give Theresa instructions on various matters.

He kept insisting that if she didn't bring these things, he probably wouldn't feel comfortable letting Theresa leave the house. Finally, after nagging about all the precautions, his gaze shifted from his sister to the Zuo Jian leaning against the doorframe.

Once again, Theresis bowed her head toward the Zuo Jian, both times for the same reason.

"Zuo Jian... my sister... I'm entrusting Theresa to you..."

"No problem, Theresis, I assure you."

Faced with the boy's earnest entrustment, Zuo Jian subconsciously responded seriously.

The weight of an elder brother's entrustment cannot be measured in material terms.

He had given his sister everything he could, including... the head he had never been willing to bow to, even before a powerful figure like Zuo Jian.

Perhaps to ordinary people

It was insignificant, but it was all he had at that moment.

For someone who has given their all to ask for help from Zuo Jian, the latter will inevitably respond with the same utmost effort.

This is also one of the many "bottom lines" for the Zuo Jian.

"Brother, let's head out!"

Theresa, with her brother's longsword tucked into her belt, stood outside the door waving goodbye to Theresis.

And so, with her brother watching, the young girl began her journey to personally witness the suffering of this land.

Just like in countless recurring memories.

However... this time, there was another figure beside her.

"But speaking of which, so you want a new longsword, Theresis. Should I bring you one later?"

Zuo Jian stood next to Theresa, who was waving, and looked at Theresis not far away with some curiosity.

"... No need! I just need you to bring Theresa back to me safely!"

In fact, Theresis's expression softened for a moment after hearing Zuo Jian's words, but she quickly returned to her previous tense state.

However, although Zuo Jian couldn't tell, how could Theresa, who spent every day with her brother, not notice?

The girl beside him leaned close to Zuo Jian's ear and said playfully.

"The expression that flashed across my brother's face just now actually meant he wanted it—"

"Hey! I can hear you!" Theresis spoke up, interrupting her younger sister's spellcasting animation as she started to dismantle her steps. She then urged the two to leave quickly, saying things like it would be unsafe to leave late and travel in the dark.

"Okay--I got it~" Theresa nodded to her brother, then followed Zuo Jian, preparing to embark on their journey away.

"Theresa!"

Just as she turned her head, his voice came from behind her again, but this time... it was much shorter than before.

Theresis hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she only uttered four simple words.

"Be safe."

"Um!"

As the town behind them gradually shrank, the two's journey began to take them from the starting point into the middle of the road.

However, compared to accompanying Theresis, Theresa is clearly a more suitable travel companion.

At least she'll take the initiative to start a conversation with me.

Just like Laurentina.

Instead of walking behind me silently with a perpetually stern face like Theresis.

Tsk... He's so young and already acting like this. Zuo Jian doesn't even dare to think about what kind of gloomy person he'll become in the future.

"By the way, Zuo Jian, you said before that it wouldn't matter if you had to stay in Kazdel for a long time. Is there a reason for that? Or do you mean you need to spend a long time in Kazdel to get what you want?"

Theresa spoke with some curiosity to the man of unknown origin who seemed out of place in Kazdel.

"Well, you're not wrong. I have realized that I need to spend a lot of time in Kazdel searching for something that wasn't initially expected."

Faced with the girl's question, Zuo Jian gave his answer without any intention of hiding anything.

"Well... can I ask what you're looking for? Maybe I can help you with something."

"Power, I will find power here."

"Power? Huh? Zuo Jian, do you want to become stronger? But I heard from my brother that you're already terrifyingly strong."

Theresa somewhat surprised, seemingly finding it hard to believe that what Zuo Jian was looking for was this kind of thing...

"No, not strong enough." He squinted at Theresa, then as he passed a large tree, Zuo Jian raised his hand, stretched out his palm, and placed his fingertips on the tree trunk.

Then, he suddenly exerted all his strength, and a tremendous force erupted within a palm's width of space! Theresa didn't even have time to realize what had happened before all she saw was half a tree stump and the mess behind it!

"Some people might think that this is true power, but if it's just for creating fear, the force of shattering giant trees and rocks is no different from a small dagger held to a victim's neck."

"Is it really that powerful? With that kind of power, killing enemies would be a piece of cake."

"But it cannot grow food, conjure medicine, build houses, write poetry, paint magnificent landscapes, resolve people's conflicts and hatred, or allow everyone on this land to walk with their heads held high in the sunlight."

At this point, Zuo Jian glanced at Theresa beside him and added a sentence.

"I also can't weave and sew like you, Theresa."

"Too weak, Theresa, too weak," he muttered to himself.

"But, Zuo Jian, although you can't conjure food or medicine, you really can draw! I saw your charcoal drawings on paper before! They were amazing! I've never seen anything like your drawings before!" Theresa suddenly spoke up, addressing Zuo Jian.

"Besides, if Zuo Jian wants to learn, I can also teach you the craft of tailoring!"

"I may not be able to teach you anything else, but I can try to help you find the 'powerful force' you mentioned! Just like you said, the power that allows everyone to walk with their heads held high in the sunlight!"

Theresa grabbed Zuo Jian's hand and spoke very seriously.

The latter paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile.

"Really? Then let's wait until we get back. I'll ask you for some sewing tips first. But let me be clear, I've never been a particularly gifted person. I might be so clumsy that I don't even understand it after a few tries."

"It's alright. Remember what I said? I'm not exactly a talented person, and I don't quite understand the path of tailoring either. But doesn't that mean we can learn together later?"

Theresa intertwined her fingers, pressing them against her chest, and looked at Zuo Jian beside her, seemingly awaiting his reply.

Zuo Jian stared at the girl's posture for a moment, then smiled and said.

"Then please guide me, Teacher Te~"

"Hey, hey, hey, the title 'teacher' is just too...!"

The two chatted as they began their journey.

(What is Little Te doing????? Little Te is stealing the tower!??? Can she steal it?! It's coming back! It's coming back!! It's going to be stolen!!! It can't be stolen! It's there! Perfect!! She got Civilization Survival!!!)

Chapter Thirty-Four, On the Journey

Whoosh.

In the dead of night, two lit torches illuminated the path ahead.

This method, which is primitive, inefficient, and extremely easy to expose one's position in the dark, making one vulnerable to a sudden arrow flying from behind or from an unknown direction, would obviously not be acceptable to a normal Sarkaz mercenary.

Without certain special Originium Arts or racial talents that allow them to spend the night with their skills, most Sarkaz mercenaries will choose to find a relatively secluded place to keep company with the darkness. Even if they are starving, they will not light a campfire, but will instead choose to tough rations or raw 'wild game'.

However, although this was considered an attempt among Sarkaz mercenaries, unfortunately, the two people who were scouting ahead with torches were, unfortunately, just an inexperienced tailor and the other whose understanding of the mercenary profession was limited to a brief conversation during the previous battle.

However, for Zuo Jian, knowing these so-called "common sense" practices among mercenaries is irrelevant; he will still do the same thing... after all...

He held a torch in one hand and tossed a few relatively smooth pebbles he had picked up from the roadside in the other, watching them fly through the air and then fall back into his hand.

Until...

"Theresa, could you hold this torch for me?" Zuo Jian suddenly stopped in his tracks, then turned around and handed the torch in his hand to Theresa behind him.

"Hmm." She took the torch and then stood behind the Zuo Jian, quietly watching him.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp gust of wind, like the cry of a wild beast, rushed towards them, carrying with it an arrow whose shape was almost invisible in the darkness!

Call out!!!

Finally, just as the whistling sound reached them, Zuo Jian raised his Zuo Jian and caught the incoming arrow with lightning speed.

"Another crossbow... no, this time it looks like a longbow?" Zuo Jian looked at the slightly longer arrows, and...

In the firelight, a few drops of liquid clung to the tip of the black arrow, reflecting a vibrant color in the torchlight.

"Is poisoning arrowheads a standard industry practice across all mercenaries in Kazdel? Whether it's crossbows or bows...?"

He muttered a somewhat helpless complaint, then picked up the pebble in his hand and skillfully tossed it out!

"Bang!!!"

The pebbles, thrown barehanded, tore through the air with a sound even more violent than an arrow cutting through the wind!

Then, Zuo Jian tilted his Zuo Jian slightly, and Theresa behind him immediately understood, as if they had repeated this process many times before.

... In fact, that is indeed the case.

Theresa held the torch in both hands and then threw it directly onto the open ground to the side!

The torch slipped from his hand and fell to the ground, then immediately went out.

"Sigh--" Zuo Jian sighed, and then stood in the darkness with Theresa, silently counting.

In the silent forest, it seemed as if several whispers were coming from afar.