What kind of nonsense is this, that you'd be chosen by the gods and favored by all the gods?

After two divinations, which left him feeling dizzy and disoriented once again, Lyle finally emerged from the forest.

Outside the forest, on the very road they were supposed to be on.

Soldiers' corpses littered the ground, while the prison wagon remained safely parked in front, the strong brown horse struggling in front of it, its reins intact.

The coachman also died; an arrow pierced his chest, and he died in the carriage.

"Where are the others?"

Lyle looked around and saw that many people were still in the prison van.

Perhaps fear and weakness made them give up and simply stay where they were, relying on the huge prison wagon for protection.

As a result, these people actually lived longer, while those who tried to escape along the way all died.

As Lyle and his companion approached, someone poked their head out of the prison van, watching fearfully what was happening outside.

"Come out! It's all over!"

After Lyle shouted, those who had been peering out seemed to have mustered their courage and slowly stepped off the prison van.

However, Lyle could still see the fear in their eyes.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. For these guys, it's a bit unreasonable for someone like me to stand calmly in the middle of a pile of corpses.

"My lord... what are your orders?"

Whether it was due to the influence of that deceased man or not, these people still treated Lyle with respect.

"The soldiers who escorted you and that priest are now dead. You are free."

Those who heard Lyle's words looked at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment, they were all stunned.

"Are we... really free?!"

Immediately afterwards, their eyes blazed with excitement, the thrill of surviving a disaster!

After spreading the message, Lyle watched as these people ran off to the surrounding area, occasionally seeing groups of people walking together.

He did not stop them.

However, what was somewhat surprising was that about twenty people did not leave.

"We want to go with you."

The man in the lead was a steady young man, but he looked hunched over, as if it were due to some kind of illness.

"Who are you?"

He raised his head and said:

"My name is Arthur, and these people have all reached an agreement with me to pledge allegiance to you..."

"In this dangerous land, we weak refugees alone cannot accomplish anything; we must have a leader."

"But I do not have that ability, so I am willing to rely on you."

Lyle's expression shifted slightly as he rubbed the button in his hand.

"...Alright, clean up the ground and take everything you can."

"Go and dismantle the prison van, leaving only the floorboards, and throw the stuff onto them."

Arthur did not doubt Lyle's instructions, but instead quickly made arrangements among the men behind him as Lyle requested.

Then they quickly mobilized, and he himself was ready to get involved in dismantling the prison van.

"Wait a moment."

"What are your orders?"

Lyle looked the man in front of him up and down. He had a stubble beard, but it was neatly groomed.

Although this man was down on his luck, he had an extraordinary air about him.

"You don't look like an ordinary slave."

Arthur nodded.

"Yes, I used to be a traveling merchant in the southern part of Bourne, traversing mountains and rivers to do some simple trade with people in distant towns and villages."

"A few years ago, I was arrested and imprisoned for some reason, my property was confiscated, and I was forcibly conscripted into the army."

"In order to survive, I tried to escape many times, but in the end, I still ended up as a war slave..."

Thinking about it that way, this guy is actually a pitiful person.

Lyle looked at him, pondered for a moment, and then asked:

"You sought refuge with me for your safety, but what will you do once you're out of danger?"

Arthur smiled confidently and answered quite frankly:

"I must admit that I do want to go back to my old life."

"But in times of war, no one can say for sure how many uncertainties there will be along the way. I might not even be able to save my life if I go."

"So, let me work for you instead."

That's certainly honest.

However, in this situation, there's no point in engaging in hypocrisy.

Lyle nodded and pointed to the two brown horses.

"You can drive later."

"it is good."

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally gained Lyle's trust.

Lyle himself was quite pleased to have gained the help of a coachman.

He himself can't drive a horse.

He then turned to the mute girl following behind him and tossed her a spear he had picked up.

"You...keep an eye on them."

In addition, they also placed the soldiers' rations on the pallets of the wagons.

After removing the armor from the dead soldiers' bodies, they mainly took the chainmail, the close-fitting clothing, and the fabric.

The outer plate armor mostly had special patterns, which might cause them to be mistaken for soldiers. Besides, these weak slaves simply didn't have the strength to wear it.

So Lyle abandoned it here.

As for swords and shields (without faction insignia), take them if you can.

After finishing their business, Lyle and his group set off again, heading towards the end of the field.

......

"I wish I were as strong as my older sister."

Outside Reed City, in a golden forest.

The girl named Elsa Lou lifted her bright red hood, looked up at the dried, purplish-red fruit hanging on the treetop, and seemed rather dejected.

With her slender figure, she wouldn't have the ability to climb to such a high place.

This always reminded her of the city's outstanding warriors—Reed City, also known as the land of warriors, had in ancient times revered the god who represented conflict and eternal hunting, and took pride in the bloodline of warriors.

Unfortunately, for various reasons, Elsa did not become a warrior.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be gathering in the wild at this time.

Looking at the full bamboo basket hanging on his arm, he decided to turn back.

Hmm~ I guess I've already collected enough Dea Fruits, so I can consider it as completing the task assigned to me by the city lord.

The fruit of the Dea fruit is dry and bitter when ripe, but it can boost spirits and restore concentration in a short period of time.

In Reed City, inexperienced warriors use this method to quickly regain their strength and continuously unleash combat skills to maintain contact.

Alright! Time to go!

However, just as she was about to turn around and leave, she heard a rustling sound coming from the dense forest beside her.

This made Elsa's expression stiffen.

"Who?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard voices coming from the other side of the bushes and golden leaves.

"Is anyone there?"

"Finally, we've run into someone... Shall we go check it out?"

Immediately afterwards, a group of strangely dressed people emerged from the woods.

The man at the head of the group was dressed in ill-fitting clothes, yet he looked quite neat and noble. The woman beside him was wearing a shirt and chainmail, and was carrying a sword.

Behind him were two or three people wearing chainmail and carrying spears.

Were they Byrne's soldiers?

No...it doesn't look like it...how could a Bourne soldier dress like that?

"Who are you?"

Elsa, filled with suspicion and uncertainty, seemed to sense some kind of danger.

"Madam, could you please tell me how to get to Reed City?"

Lyle, holding the map, asked the woman a question from a safe distance.

"Huh? Reed City?"

Elsa stared at the other person blankly for a moment, her thoughts racing through her mind.

What are these people doing in the town?

Such attire is unlikely to belong to bandits attacking the town; the older sister and her companions could easily handle it.

Could he really just be a traveler?

It's better to be cautious.

"Ah... Reed City, I know it!"

Elsa pointed to a road that was completely opposite to the one leading to the town.

"I see—"

Lyle was about to take out a gold coin for a brief divination.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, Elsa seemed to slip, and the bamboo basket in her hand flipped over, scattering the strange fruits outwards.

"Ouch! My fruit!"

Seemingly to collect the fallen fruit, she turned and flipped over, disappearing into the bushes in an instant.