RUMBLE—!
Dark clouds gathered. Thunder rolled. After a while, the wind howled, and a torrential rain immediately followed, as if washing away all the filth from the earth.
Beneath a natural cave recessed into the foot of a mountain, four people sat on stones of various thicknesses, watching the downpour outside the cave entrance, occasionally exchanging conversations.
"The Vandimion family sincerely apologizes for the previous misunderstanding and offense, and is willing to pay any cost, including the ransom for Lady Farnese."
Azan removed his helmet, which resembled a long, dark beard, revealing the beard beneath his lion-like nose. He placed his double-headed iron rod beside him.
He was conducting serious and sincere negotiations with Nidhogg.
"As long as you name a price, or if you need anything else, Lord Federigo will gladly pay. He only hopes that Lady Farnese returns home alive. The Vandimion family is also willing to forge a deep friendship with you."
This was Federigo's original paraphrase. The Vandimion family truly possessed great wealth and could make such statements.
Serpico, who had failed in his previous sneak attack, had retrieved his longsword and sat not far behind Azan. He remained silent, ceding the initiative to Azan, like Azan's shadow, not participating in the negotiations.
Serpico was well-suited for such a role. Previously, he had been Farnese's inseparable shadow.
Serpico's failure to protect Farnese that day, as her companion and half-brother from childhood to adulthood, one could imagine the anxiety in his heart.
But no matter how anxious he was, the failure of his recent ambush was the result of his loss of proportion.
Now, he couldn't take any more risks, for fear of angering Nidhogg and bringing harm to Farnese. So all negotiations were left to Azan.
Azan had also sincerely expressed the wishes of the Vandimion family, which, it could be said, had extended goodwill to the maximum.
However, Nidhogg had only left the Spirit Tree Pavilion for a short time and didn't plan to return there soon. The location of the Spirit Tree Pavilion was too special, and directly revealing it could cause unnecessary trouble.
For this reason, Nidhogg could only say, "Farnese is safe. Although she is our prisoner, she has not been mistreated. She has been given some freedom, and no one has harmed her."
Azan and Serpico breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. If Farnese was alright, then everything could be discussed.
Unexpectedly, Nidhogg continued:
"But we cannot release her yet, and we will not ask you for a ransom. The situation is a bit special. However, I can assure you that she is safe. I will consider whether to release her the next time I return."
If Farnese still adhered to the faith of the Holy See under the influence of the Spirit Tree Pavilion, then Nidhogg truly didn't need to insist. Perhaps other opportunities would arise in the future.
It was just a pity that Farnese had magical talent.
When Azan and Serpico heard this, they couldn't help but frown and look at each other.
It was completely abnormal to ignore the influence of the Vandimion family, ignore a generous ransom, and be unwilling to release Farnese directly.
"Could it be...?" Azan thought for a long time, only imagining one possibility. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you believers with different teachings and beliefs from the Holy See?"
If money couldn't solve the problem, it could only be a matter of faith.
Azan didn't dare to directly say the words "heretic" and "cultist" often used by the Holy See during trials, for fear of provoking Nidhogg. So he could only put it vaguely.
To be honest, Azan had guessed correctly. Nidhogg and the others could indeed be considered pagans. Even in the eyes of genuine followers of the Holy See's teachings, they might be closer to cultists.
Nidhogg certainly wouldn't admit to being a cultist.
The Holy See often slandered other faiths in this way. Over the millennia, it had strengthened itself, destroying or weakening many faiths, leading to the current situation.
But if you say you are a beacon, a free and civilized land, and everything else is heresy, then what you say is normal. Such things are absurd to the naked eye.
Nidhogg didn't argue. He simply followed Azan's words:
"We are indeed people with different beliefs and ideas. But our core moral concepts should be similar. We would not attack a young woman."
"Again, this time I am embarking on a long journey. I will return here and decide whether to release Farnese based on the situation, which has nothing to do with a ransom."
Nidhogg said this. Azan truly couldn't do anything with him. He couldn't defeat him, he didn't want to give money, and he didn't know where Farnese was. So he could only follow Nidhogg's will as much as possible.
Azan couldn't help but look at the blind woman sitting under Nidhogg's cloak.
The blind woman was hungry, but she still adhered to noble etiquette, leaning slightly to the side and eating the dry food Nidhogg gave her in small pieces.
After eating her fill, she took one of Nidhogg's handkerchiefs and gently wiped the corners of her mouth. Every move she made was quite proper.
After watching this scene, both Azan and Serpico were forced to admit that she might be more like a noble lady than Farnese.
Azan also made a judgment: judging by Nidhogg's rescue of this weak blind girl, he must possess a certain sense of chivalry. Perhaps they wouldn't harm Farnese.
This vice-commander, a man of merit, could only believe this and take the next step.
He raised his hand, pointed at Irina, and asked as calmly as possible, "Is the matter you're going to deal with related to this young lady? If so, I think perhaps we can negotiate?"
When the blind girl Irina heard Azan mention "this young lady," she understood that the conversation had turned to her. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
But she still sat quietly on the side, her crutches beside her, maintaining the demeanor of a noble lady.
Nidhogg couldn't help but turn his head to look at Irina.
Recently, Nidhogg had confirmed the identity of the blind woman, Irina, daughter of Edgar, lord of Castle Morne. There was no doubt about it.
Indeed, Azan's words had struck a chord with Nidhogg.
What he was about to do was dangerous. Protecting such a weak woman was no less difficult than Guts protecting the pregnant Casca.
But he didn't feel comfortable just casually leaving Irina somewhere. His main reason was that he didn't want to see the tragedy at the Sacrificial Bridge repeated. This way, Irina would be worthy of meeting her father.
Nidhogg thought for a moment, turned his head, and asked, "What do you mean by negotiation? If you want to return to Farnese, that's still not necessary."
Azan had this idea, but Nidhogg immediately blocked him as soon as he opened his mouth.
He had to look at Serpico, who nodded, giving him permission to make the decision. So he cleared his throat and calmly said:
"Why don't we do this: we will protect the safety of this young lady until your business is concluded. After that, you will take the two of us to Lady Farnese, and we will protect her. Is that acceptable?"
This was already the choice Azan and Serpico had come to, having no way to subdue Nidhogg. They had reached the end of their options. If Nidhogg disagreed, they didn't know what else to do.
Nidhogg again silently thought for a while, not answering immediately.
Irina, sitting to the side, heard this and grew increasingly anxious.
She didn't refuse help from others. In fact, she really needed help. She was alone and blind.
Moreover, the situation in Castle Morne was so dangerous. She couldn't help but worry about her father staying in the city. She thought about how to return and persuade her father to leave. She had also hidden a pre-written handkerchief in her hands, hoping to have it delivered to her father.
Therefore, Irina, who was simply assessing the situation through the dialogue, was actually silently hoping in her heart that Nidhogg would agree.
Fortunately, Nidhogg didn't think about it for too long. After a short pause, he nodded and said, "Alright. You come and protect her safety. After the incident, I will take you to Farnese."
Azan and Serpico both smiled upon hearing this.
Nidhogg hadn't refused in the end. The negotiations hadn't broken down. At least they had a chance to meet Farnese, see the situation with their own eyes, and protect her.
As for how the three of them would regain their freedom in the future, it was better to take it step by step. That was much better than the current situation.
Irina was also a little satisfied. Her breathing became a little quicker.
"That's great." Azan laughed a few times, his laughter echoing inside the cave, nearly louder than the thunder outside. "I just don't know what you're going to do to protect this young lady?"
"I'm looking for someone." Nidhogg turned his head to look at Irina. "This person is Irina's father, the city lord Edgar. He should know him. Once he finds this person, my part of the matter can be concluded."
Looking for someone?
By the way, Azan and Serpico also looked at the blind woman together.
They had just heard Irina introduce herself, but they had never heard of the so-called "Castle Morne."
However, the noble lady's character on Irina shouldn't be fake. That meant Castle Morne really existed. They just didn't know where it was. Why had they never heard of such a castle in the Kingdom of Midland?
Nidhogg encouraged the slightly nervous Irina and said, "Irina, let's talk about your request."
Irina nodded, quietly exhaled, and finally calmed down. Then she stood up, held the edge of her slightly dirty skirt, and saluted everyone.
Azan hastily rose and returned a knight's salute.
Nidhogg and Serpico still sat motionless, simply watching them bow to each other.
"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Irina, daughter of Edgar, lord of Castle Morne." The blind woman said unhurriedly and clearly. "Recently, a misbegotten rebellion has occurred in Castle Morne. The situation in the castle is critical."
"My father sent someone to drive me out of Castle Morne. He led his troops to remain in the city, to hold out and suppress the rebellion. However, after leaving the city, I was separated from my servants. I am blind and ended up here, until I met you three great heroes."
"I am very worried about my father's safety. Therefore, I beg you three to deliver my letter to my father and to persuade and help him leave Castle Morne and reunite with me."
"He has fulfilled his duty as lord to Castle Morne. I hope he will understand my feelings as a daughter. I care about him. I love him. I don't want him to be harmed. I just want to live with him again."
Irina was already a little upset by this, but she still reached out and produced a slightly blood-stained handkerchief, which looked like it was woven from the finest silk.
At that moment, Nidhogg stood up, took Irina's handkerchief and letter. He didn't open it. He simply said:
"I will deliver this letter to Lord Edgar and persuade him to leave Castle Morne and meet you. At that time, Azan and Serpico will protect your safety."
Hearing this, Irina smiled happily. "Thank you for your kindness. I truly have nothing to repay..."
Azan only then punched his fist into his palm, nodded, and said:
"Forget about money or anything like that. That's out of the question. Miss Irina, in this sense, your father is quite principled. Such a heroic city lord, even if there were no deal today, after hearing about it, I would still help."
"I just don't know where Castle Morne is? What do you mean by 'misbegotten rebellion'?"
Irina was stunned by Azan's question. She hadn't expected that there would be people in the world who didn't know what "misbegotten" meant. But she was blind and couldn't imagine that the world she lived in had changed greatly.
She had no choice but to explain: "The misbegotten, that is, the accursed. They are said to have been punished for touching the 'Furnace,' so they are ugly and deformed. Some even have wings. They are born as slaves."
"My father, Edgar, did not object to their misbegotten status and curse. He took them into the city to live."
"I didn't expect that a lion misbegotten, leading a group, would start a rebellion, killing soldiers and civilians, and also attacking the castle. This led to this disaster."
Azan and Serpico understood most of the content. It was nothing more than a city lord accepting slaves into the city. He hadn't expected the slaves to rebel and start an uprising.
Such things were not uncommon on this continent. They weren't surprised.
But what did the so-called "Furnace phase," "wings," and "lion misbegotten" mean? Both became a little puzzled the more they listened.
Nidhogg knew that seeing was believing. He didn't let Irina explain further. He calmly asked, "Where is Castle Morne located? After leaving the city, did you notice any special features around you?"
Logically, a blind woman separated from her servants couldn't have gotten very far after two days of walking alone. So Castle Morne should be nearby.
However, Nidhogg had long been inquiring at the tavern and had heard nothing about Castle Morne. So he had to consider another possibility.
The area where Castle Morne was located probably belonged to the intersection of the Weeping Peninsula and the overlapping cracks of the modern world, like the Spirit Tree Pavilion and the Island of Fairies, where ordinary people couldn't easily enter.
At the same time, the bad thing was that Irina was a blind girl. It was practically impossible to ask her to lead the way back. He could only get more information about the location of Castle Morne from her to make a decision.
This was indeed a bit awkward for Irina, who couldn't see anything. But she only frowned and thought, then came up with something and said:
"After leaving the city, I heard the sound of a river. The servants also said there were spirit jellyfish nearby, so be careful not to anger them."
Serpico also thought that Irina, a blind girl, definitely couldn't have gotten far alone. It was actually a miracle that she could walk all the way to the town. When he heard this, he said:
"If it's a river nearby, there is indeed a tributary of a great river to the southeast, flowing through the forest. It's just the 'spirit jellyfish' Miss Irina mentioned. I don't understand what that is."
Serpico had followed Farnese, a noble's daughter, and was well-informed. So he didn't know what a spirit jellyfish was. Such creatures were usually common in the depths of the sea. How could they appear in a river?
In fact, there are indeed freshwater jellyfish in the world. But the spirit jellyfish Irina spoke of were naturally not ordinary jellyfish. They were neutral creatures at the Junction.
Nidhogg understood what was happening as soon as he heard this. He ignored Serpico's question about spirit jellyfish and said, "Let's go to the edge of the forest river to search. There should be clues there."
Since Nidhogg, the temporary speaker, said so, Serpico had no choice but to shrug and stop asking.
After that, Azan asked Nidhogg his name. Nidhogg had concluded a deal with them and knew their character, so this time he didn't hide it and gave his real name.
Everyone waited for the rain to stop, the dark clouds to disperse, and sunlight to penetrate the forest before standing up and leaving the cave. They walked together along the somewhat muddy path in the direction Serpico led.
Azan was truly a knight who knew and did what he did. He had promised to protect Irina and was grateful for Edgar's loyalty and bravery. So he volunteered to help Irina move forward, which sped things up a bit.
After a long time, the four crossed mountains and hills, and finally saw a winding river cutting through the dense forest in the distance. They immediately followed the riverbank to search.
Neither Azan nor Serpico knew what Nidhogg was looking for. But seeing his confident demeanor, they supported Irina and followed with doubt.
After searching for a while, Nidhogg suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
Irina couldn't see it, but that didn't matter. Azan and Serpico looked in the direction of his finger, and their eyes widened.
At a bend in the river stood a steep stone wall. At the same time, almost pure white, jellyfish-like creatures were floating in the air. It was truly magical and beautiful.
Azan and Serpico looked at each other again. Both saw the astonishment in each other's eyes and confirmed they weren't mistaken.
And then they suddenly understood: the so-called "spirit jellyfish" referred to these creatures!