The meadow stretched wide, the wind blowing gently. A few birds pecked at something with their heads down. As two horses ambled slowly past, they all lifted their heads, glanced in their direction, and then lowered them again.
A middle-aged bard rode on horseback, holding a lute, playing and singing cheerfully. His voice carried quite far.
Nidhogg, riding a bit behind on Torrent, listened to the music and verses. He and Torrent both listened for a while, and neither could help but look helpless.
After wiping out the bandits and burning Gaol Castle, Nidhogg had set out again. This time, however, his destination wasn't very well-known.
He only knew that the target was on the border of the Kingdom of Midland, near a valley called "Mist Valley."
The remaining Apostles weren't so easy to find. At least he had two key pieces of information: "Midland border" and "Mist Valley."
But after some investigation, Nidhogg learned that Mist Valley wasn't easy to locate.
It wasn't a famous place in itself. Combined with the limitations of information transmission in this era, finding it was quite difficult.
For the past month, he had spent most of his time traveling along the Midland border, gathering intelligence.
Of course, during this time, he also encountered unexpected Apostles or invaders in unexpected situations.
Two low-rank Apostles plus two low-rank invaders—that was his unexpected bounty over the past month.
Though the two low-rank Apostles he killed weren't as powerful as the Snake Baron, Bulldog, and Face-Hugger Apostles he'd faced before, after melting down the "Snake Baron's Battle Axe" into Runes, the three together increased his level by one.
As for the two low-rank invaders he killed, they were no longer the same as the Grafted Soldiers. They had more origins—specifically, "Yura the Wanderer's Orc" and "Miranda the Blighted Bloom."
By killing these two invaders from another world, Nidhogg not only gained a level but also obtained two items:
「Fire Dragon Crest Talisman」 — Increases fire damage negation.
「Green Amber Medallion」 — Raises maximum stamina.
The Green Amber Medallion worked passively at all times, and the Fire Dragon Crest Talisman could work wonders against certain enemies. Nidhogg was quite pleased to have them.
Later, when he couldn't find the exact location of Mist Valley, Nidhogg happened upon this bard.
The bard was heading to a village near Mist Valley to visit a friend. Hearing that Nidhogg, an armored warrior, was interested in Mist Valley's location, he took the initiative to approach.
He asked Nidhogg to travel with him and protect his safety along the way. In return, he would lead Nidhogg to the vicinity of Mist Valley and show him the way.
Nidhogg, somewhat tired of circling blindly, thought the bard's request was a fair trade. He agreed, and they began a week-long journey together.
He had to endure the bard's relentless lute-playing and verse-reciting every day. At first, it was a bit novel, but soon his ears grew calloused. He just wished they would reach their destination sooner.
The bard played his lute again but changed his tune to a new poem.
This poem was one he had recently composed, inspired by the uprising in the royal capital a month ago.
A month ago, General Julius, the ambitious leader of the White Dragon Knights and the King's younger brother, had audaciously rebelled, attempting to usurp the throne.
At that time, the White Tiger Knights were stationed at the border, guarding against the Tudor Empire breaking the truce after signing the armistice. So, on the surface, the royal city had no soldiers or horses capable of contending with the White Dragon Knights. The situation was critical.
However, the heroic commander of the White Eagle Knights, Griffith, rose to the occasion. He calmly commanded his men to resist, not only defending Windham City but also sending his own captain to behead the rebel General Julius.
For a time, the people of the Kingdom of Midland were shocked by the news of this rebellion. They were terrified.
Fortunately, the royal family was safe. Their emotions immediately turned to elation and admiration for Griffith and his men, and to disgust for General Julius and his White Dragon Knights.
The King praised Griffith's contributions in quelling the rebellion and rewarded Griffith and the White Eagle Knights. Though he remained an earl, his military power and status were elevated.
At the same time, the White Eagle Knights were officially granted a rank equal to the White Tiger Knights and elevated to the "White Phoenix Knights," replacing the White Dragon Knights' status.
The Thousand-Man Commanders and the captain under Griffith's command were also granted noble and knightly titles. The captain who had killed Julius was especially honored.
At the commendation ceremony, Griffith—now known as "General of the White Phoenix"—and his White Phoenix Knights saw their honor and prestige reach unimaginable heights throughout the Kingdom of Midland.
Unfortunately, half a month later, the Princess suddenly died of a serious illness. This grief, spreading across the nation, slightly dampened the joy that Griffith and the White Phoenix Knights had brought.
The bard composed hymns for these heroes, but after a few lines, he would stop, chew over the words, rework them, and then continue playing and singing. And so it went.
Nidhogg listened with growing irritation. The bard kept singing and changing the words, like a tape stuck in a loop, constantly rewinding and jamming. It was quite uncomfortable.
Coupled with the fact that this Windham City rebellion was completely outside his memory, he interrupted irritably, "Bard, how much further to the village? Yesterday you said it was almost there."
"This time, it really is almost there." The bard actually stopped. He patted his round belly, pointed into the distance, and asked, "Look there—do you see that village?"
Nidhogg looked into the distance and saw a large village nestled in a hazy valley.
At the same time, Nidhogg noticed a windmill tower on a farther mountain. Behind that tower was another village.
The two villages weren't far apart. It would take about half a day to travel between them.
Finally seeing their destination, the rest of the journey was much simpler.
They climbed the mountain, followed a path along the cliff, ascended a few more hills, entered the valley, and finally reached the village the bard wanted to visit just before sunset.
The village had a dilapidated, decaying atmosphere. The inhabitants were few and seemed quite wary of the two outsiders. Most hid in their homes and didn't come out.
The bard didn't mind. He had traveled throughout the Kingdom of Midland. He had seen wealthy places and, naturally, poor mountains and barren waters.
The kingdom had been at war for a hundred years. It was normal for decaying villages to exist on its territory.
He had obviously been here before and knew the path well. He led Nidhogg through narrow streets and alleys to the entrance of a rather old monastery.
The friend the bard wanted to visit was Father Hobbes, who lived in this monastery.