A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Of course, those who have impure thoughts can go stand in the corner and reflect on their actions.

Bray obediently followed behind Georgia, but he couldn't help but peek out curiously.

He quickly noticed that some people in this safe zone were different, mainly because their emotions were not quite right.

“They look really sad,” Bray said, nudging Georgia on the back.

"them?"

“Those are the people.” Bray pointed to some distraught people on the street.

They appeared to be living well, but their expressions betrayed their deep sorrow and their eyes held profound despair.

But it wasn't despair over the arrival of the Silver Seeds; it was despair over other things, as if a steadfast belief had shattered overnight.

"Them..." Georgia looked in the direction Bray pointed, her expression becoming dazed.

"It's nothing... You're only staying here for a short time, so don't worry about it." She sighed.

But this often makes it easier to arouse other people's curiosity, and Bray was no exception.

From that moment on, he felt that the entire safe zone had a strange atmosphere.

"Is it a short walk from here to the beach?" Bray asked out of the blue.

“Yes, a lot of our food here is seafood,” Georgia answered almost without thinking.

Although the question came as a surprise, Georgia didn't find it strange.

“I see.” Bray responded in a flat voice, glancing at the person who had just caught his attention.

The giant, silvery fish-shaped creatures frequently appear on the beach, yet the people in this safe zone don't seem to experience excessive fear.

In addition, it is hostile to the nearby safe zone.

There was no evidence, but Bray, who had experienced so many events, had a gut feeling that there was something worth figuring out in this safe zone.

This place has a lot to do with the Silver Seeds; investigating it might give us a chance to catch the "Alliance of the Gods".

Bray touched his unshaved beard and decided to give up being a hunter and become a detective instead.

"Good morning." An elderly-looking male elf greeted Bray politely as he got out of bed.

"Good morning," Bray replied with a yawn after getting up.

With Georgia's help, Bray easily found a place to stay.

The "rent" is actually some magic stones.

After handing over some magic stones, the elf who was staying there was extremely polite.

After all, magic stones are very useful and more precious than food.

In a sense, it is as precious as gold in peacetime.

You must understand that this is the Northern Continent, a land of ice and snow year-round, where resources are scarce.

Without heating or lighting, anyone who doesn't need monsters to live here will die.

Magic stones can be used as an energy source and can last a very long time, much longer than firewood and kerosene.

A small piece of the fragment, if used only for heating, is enough to last for more than a year.

However, daily life does consume magic stones, though not many, it is still a consumption.

For people today, this is a non-renewable resource.

What we use daily are just fragments of magic stones, but what Bray gave us was a whole magic stone, they're not even in the same league.

After straightening his clothes, Bray got up from the ground.

Yes, although it was said to be getting up, Bray didn't actually sleep in the bed; he was lying on the floor.

However, tidying up his clothes didn't take up too much of his time, because his pouch and sword were always with him.

At most, I'll put the sword next to me when I sleep, so as not to make myself uncomfortable.

Bray now lives in a wooden cabin inside a large tree.

At night, the cabin uses an old stove to keep warm during the night when the temperature drops sharply.

"Would you like breakfast?" the hospitable elf offering lodging asked.

"Ah, thank you." Bray wanted to refuse, but then he remembered that he had used a magic stone, so he nodded.

Although no matter how much you try to take advantage, you can't get back the value of a magic stone, you might as well take advantage of it.

Sitting at the table, Bray looked at the white fish soup in his bowl, and after a minute, he took a sip.

It was unpleasant because it wasn't salty, so he sprinkled some salt on it.

"By the way, why are you hostile to another safe zone?" Bray asked casually while eating breakfast.

"You ask why... of course it's because they're not the same demigods as us."

"Uh... um?" Bray froze for a moment, then a lot of question marks appeared above his head.

He understood every single word in those words, but he couldn't understand them when put together.

He seemed to have suddenly asked something very significant.

What does it mean that "the demigods are not the same"?

"Lord Troon is protecting our safe zone, while Lord Norsencarmen is protecting the other safe zone." When the elf uttered the word "protect," it was no surprise that Bray felt a chill run down his spine.

According to the elves, their safe zones are protected by silver species.

This kind of protection is similar to the old-fashioned "protection" of shops by thugs; it requires paying protection money.

After paying the protection fee, the Silver Seeds will not trample the safe zone, and will also ensure that the people inside will not be killed by monsters for no reason.

Moreover, if they are kind enough, they might even bring some fish, ensuring a bountiful harvest for mortals.

The safe zone where Bray is located is protected by the "Sea Road" of Tron.

The other safe zone is protected by Norsenkamen, the "master of the open sea".

The two Silver Seeds were fiercely fighting over territory, which led to conflict in the safe zones they protected.

This contradiction arises naturally, and those involved don't find anything to be curious about.

Since their demigod had conflicts with others, they believed they should stand on the same side as their demigod.

Unfortunately, in the end, the elves still didn't mention what the protection fee was; they only said that with the protection of the demigods, they didn't have to wander from place to place.

Compared to their initial fear and anxiety, they gradually accepted this way of life.

However, Bray listened with a heavy heart.

The calmer the elf was as he spoke these words, the more furrowed his brow became.

This is not about providing shelter, but about managing the people; this is what the "Alliance of the Gods" truly wants to do.

The "Unity of the Gods" that is underway on the Eastern Continent has been nearly completed on the Northern Continent.

Management... it's not far off from being called captive breeding; these elves have gotten used to this life of being managed by silver-level creatures in just a few years.

It's just like how chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs feel that life is good when they are being raised.

As expected of the location of the "United Gods," the progress is incredibly fast, so fast that Bray is powerless to stop it.

"Hmm..." After drinking a few sips of fish soup, Bray lost his appetite.

Even with salt added, he still didn't want to drink it.

The title "Overlord of the Far Seas" sounded familiar to Bray, but he couldn't quite place it.

Tron had absolutely no recollection of the "Road to the Sea".

Troon probably saw that silverfish that looked like a giant eel when Bray first came ashore.

"Thank you for breakfast. I have to go now," Bray said to the elf before leaving the cabin.

To get down from this wooden house, you need to climb up and down.

This still bothered Bray quite a bit; he wasn't some kind of wandering assassin, and he was incredibly slow when climbing up and down.

The other sprites are obviously much more agile than Bray, and their movements don't affect their daily routines at all.

After landing, Bray began to look around, searching for people who looked desperate.

Bray never expected that he would receive such explosive information so early in the morning, even before he had become a detective.

The Northern Continent, including Dorothea, should not have fallen to this state.

Did something happen to her while she was fighting the Silver Race? That's unlikely.

After all, Dorothea's combat power is simply too much; she could even go head-to-head with a Silver Saint without any problem.

But no matter how much speculation there is, Bray can only hope that Dorothea is safe and sound, after all, she is one of the few people who can get along with Bray.

"Bray?" Georgia also happened to be going out, and as soon as she stepped out, she saw Bray coming down from the tree.

Seeing Bray's movements, Georgia almost wanted to laugh.

Because Bray's movements were so clumsy, compared to others, he looked somewhat awkward.

"Good morning, where are you going?" Georgia asked, looking at Bray with interest.

"Let's see," Bray replied simply, without saying much more.

"Really? I hope you'll like this place." Georgia smiled gently; her smile was beautiful.

That gentle smile was so beautiful that no one could imagine that she and all the other elves were being kept in captivity at this very moment. An elf, whose face looked exceptionally pale, walked listlessly down the street.

Her once fair skin now looks more like rough white paper.

She carried some food in her hands and walked towards her home.

The people coming and going around her seemed to have nothing to do with her; her eyes were etched with the deep meaning of "death."

However, the fact that she did not immediately attempt suicide indicates that her suicidal desires were not yet that strong.

But if things continue like this, one day she might end her own life.

Bray had this premonition.

Bray stepped forward and patted the elf on the shoulder.

After the elf was patted on the shoulder, its reaction was strangely slow, as if it had slowed down by several beats.

"Hello."

"Hello..." Her lifeless eyes revealed some doubt.

She was first puzzled by Bray's human identity before she became concerned about being patted on the shoulder.

“I have something I want to ask you,” Bray said after thinking for a few seconds.

He wasn't good at gently persuading people, and he didn't know how to start a conversation.

Therefore, he decided to be direct and simply ask himself what he wanted to know.

"Ask me something?" The elf was even more puzzled.

"What exactly happened in your safe zone? I see a lot of people with strange expressions," Bray asked bluntly.

This method of asking questions will likely not yield an answer.

And indeed, when the elf heard Bray's question, his expression twisted instantly, and his whole body seemed to freeze in an instant.

This is a natural physical reaction that occurs when a person is extremely fearful.

And this elf not only reacted, but reacted with unusually strong intensity.

Bray could even sense the elf's expression change from pale to ashen.

Before Bray could hear a reply, the elf grabbed his food and ran home.

Because her home was nearby, she didn't have to walk long to get home.

Bray's words struck a nerve, causing her to run away almost instinctively, as if it were a conditioned reflex.

"Who is that person...?"

But as she closed the door and prepared to catch her breath, she suddenly realized that Bray was right next to her.

“A normal person,” Bray said expressionlessly.