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Morland Village.

In the temporary Witch Hunter camp, the more than ten Witch Hunters who survived the battle to defeat Salrokdar had now completed all preparations for their long journey. At nightfall tomorrow, they would rendezvous with Major Frayzer and escort him out of the Transia region, returning to the frontier fortress in eastern Prussia.

This long journey signified that the Witch Hunters’ “fateful bond” with Transia would finally end in the near future.

However, the atmosphere in the camp was not a joyous one, but rather heavy.

Over the past ten years, the Witch Hunter group had suffered too many hardships, witnessing too many deaths and separations. But this time was extraordinary.

They had lost their White Oak Master, the last leader after the collapse of the old teachings.

For the currently gloomy White Oak Battalion, this was akin to the sky falling, and the worst part was that the heir designated by Sir Finoch in his final moments was now still mired in severe “mental torment.”

Most tragically, Captain Natalie didn’t have a miraculous uncle to help her untie her mental knots.

Scout Amber carried a dinner portion over, but outside the tightly closed door, she saw the two veteran soldiers Norman and Porter standing guard with worried expressions.

Amber scanned the area and noticed that the breakfast delivered earlier that morning still sat there untouched at the doorway.

The eye-patched woman sighed softly and asked, “The captain still hasn’t responded?”

“Yeah, it’s like she’s dead,” replied the brusque one-armed veteran Porter, his familiar Zoran accent revealing his tenseness. But this old warrior, with barely a few days of schooling, could hardly say anything comforting.

He said, “Should we barge in and drag her out? She’s just hugging that sword, not eating or sleeping. From when she woke up until now, she hasn’t said a single word, like she’s gone stupid.”

“You were the same way when your old man died, weren’t you?” The masked veteran Norman rebuked with his damaged vocal cords. “Give her some time. Little Natalie is a strong warrior. The old leader entrusted her with a duty. I believe she’ll pull herself together.”

Norman looked towards Amber, the last remaining member of his scout squad. “What about the others’ opinions?”

The scout set down the evening meal she was carrying and glanced around before softly saying, “Everyone has no objections to Natalie taking over as battalion commander, except a few who think Natalie’s strength is too lacking. But everyone respects Sir Finoch’s judgment, and after all, Natalie is the one who had a prophecy made about her by the Elder Council of Glamo.

“What I’m worried about now isn’t our side, but rather those people at the frontier fortress.

“I believe they were all very loyal to Sir Finoch, but Natalie has almost no authority among them. We only have these last 1,400 or so people left.

“If this isn’t handled properly, I’m afraid the White Oak Battalion that persevered for ten years will just… sigh.”

“No use talking about that now,” said the irritable veteran Porter as he flexed his fingers. “Natalie’s issue is the most important thing, she has to pull herself together immediately!”

“You should say less,” Norman gestured with his hand. He glanced at the tightly closed door and said, “Until tonight! If she still doesn’t come out, then we’ll take action.”

“Yeah.”

The other two nodded. Norman still carried some authority among them.

However, their conversation did not actually escape the notice of Natalie Finochia Lawson inside the room.

As a Witch Hunter at the Black Iron rank, although Natalie did not particularly excel in absolute strength, as the daughter of a Golden Knight and a Silver Saint, her potential and talents far surpassed ordinary people. Her affinity for natural spirits was naturally also stronger than others.

The reason she had not yet unlocked the Silver Trial was not because she could not, but because she understood the importance of the Black Iron strength stage very well. She would rather spend more time honing her foundations to perfection.

Years of warfare had also tempered her spirit and personality, making her quite resilient compared to her peers. Although her life goals were somewhat muddled, she was indeed an excellent warrior.

However, after the devastating blows of losing the battalion commander and her father, this strong lady had also fallen into emo state.

She had a very poor relationship with her father.

She would not even address him affectionately, but only treated him as her superior while learning from him, without any mingling of personal feelings.

She had thought her father’s fate was irrelevant to her. But when death arrived so tangibly, she realized that she did not dislike having that father-daughter bond, she had simply never been prepared for it.

And now, at some unexpected moment, she had finally lost everything as she wished, with the last person related to her by blood disappearing from her life, truly making her a “lone orphan.”

In the dim room, the sallow-faced and listless Natalie hugged the great oak sacred blade “Watcher” to her chest.

This was the last thing her father had left her.

But strictly speaking, the great oak sacred blade did not belong to old Finoch.

This thing was the property of the Avalon Church.

Even the White Knight Commander and Church Saint did not have the authority to bestow it as a gift to his own daughter. However, with the old teachings having collapsed into their current state, there were no Grey Knights responsible for maintaining Church order who would come demanding the sacred artifact from Natalie.

The ill-tempered sacred blade would throw tantrums and curse when in old Finoch’s hands, but it remained as quiet as a lifeless object in Natalie’s embrace.

This was obviously because Natalie had not yet earned the sacred blade’s recognition nor established a spiritual connection with it. After all, she was not an old knight capable of maintaining a connection with the divine after Avalon had abandoned human followers.

Natalie’s current state was one of utter dejection and neglect.

She knew what she should do and her responsibilities, but she simply could not muster the spirit or any ideas to start taking action again.

She was well aware that her condition was not right, but she lacked the drive to extricate herself from her current situation.

“Cough cough”

Violent coughing rising from her chest caused her to shudder.

Her injuries from the Blood Vulture Halls had not fully healed, and coupled with not having any food or water for more than two days, her weakened shuddering caused the great oak sacred blade to slip from her embrace and crash to the ground, kicking up dust that separated the blade from its wooden scabbard.

This greatsword’s scabbard differed from the fully enclosed scabbards of one-handed swords.

The wooden scabbard that old Finoch had created with divine arts in his final moments was essentially more like a single-edged “box”, designed to allow the wielder to quickly draw the greatsword for battle.

And it was this impact that caused something the old knight had hidden within the scabbard to come tumbling out, rolling right up to the bent-over Natalie’s feet.

The gray-haired witch huntress instantly widened her eyes, not even concerned about the sacred blade as she scooped up the round object.

A Computation Bead!

It appeared to be the same model used by the otherworld warriors under that accursed vampire Murphy, but how had the old knight obtained it?

And why had he hidden this Computation Bead inside the wooden scabbard?

Most importantly, what was stored within this bead?

With these questions in mind, Natalie channeled her natural spirit energy into the Computation Bead.

This was not a genuine halfling artisan creation, its internal differential engine system hacked by that strange artisan Ryuk Flywheel did not require identity verification. Thus, a few seconds after Natalie’s emerald spirit energy entered it, the interface modified by Murphy appeared before her eyes.

A faint spirit projection displayed a large note: “File to Play.”

Natalie hesitated for a moment before reaching out and tapping the spirit projection.

She had seen how those otherworld warriors operated these halfling contraptions. For an extremely intelligent and gifted huntress, learning to manipulate it in a short time was not difficult.

“Shaa”

The originally small spirit projection immediately enlarged, projecting a segment of black-and-white spirit recordings onto the wall before Natalie’s eyes, like a movie playing. The light brightened the dim, enclosed room.

It even caused Natalie to reflexively cover her eyes.

It was the old knight Finoch.

He had personally recorded this, and judging by the inky black background behind him, the distant waterfall, and the campfire light, this must have been recorded during a rest break as he and Murphy traveled through the secret passage in the Blood Vulture Halls.

“Natalie, by the time you see these recordings, I will likely already be dead.”

The golden knight in the image, gripping a dwarven tobacco pipe, showed no sadness on his aged face as he spoke to Natalie watching the recording in a gentle tone:

“I asked Murphy for one of these halfling trinkets. He’s a rather generous vampire, and a decent cook too.

“Heh, of course that’s not the main point I want to make.

Child, the moment I set foot in the Blood Vulture Halls, I received an ominous warning from the Avalon deity.

“I feared I would not be able to leave that vampire’s lair alive, but I did not feel troubled by this.

“I know you’ve always resented me.

“But please listen carefully to what I have to say next. This recording will only play once, for your safety.

“Ten years ago, when the Avalon Church rebellion occurred, I was cooperating with the Explorers’ Guild in the Emerald Forest region of Antani, exploring a church ruin over five hundred years old.

“You also know that the Avalon Church originated from there.

“In the dense forest bordering the Castilia Elf Kingdom in the Antani region, our ancestors were among the first hill folk to make contact with the elves.

“What I want to tell you focuses on the fact that, at the same time as the church rebellion, I encountered certain people in those ancient ruins.

Very dangerous people who called themselves the ‘Dusk’.  Although my contact with them was not extensive, I can confirm that it was they who were secretly stirring up trouble behind the church’s rebellion and the ten-year war.

“Their power is formidable and mysterious, concealed within various organizations.

“Even the Avalon Church itself!

“I know the facts you’ve always accepted are that the Avalon deity abandoned the church and human followers first, leading to the rebellion. But the truth is the opposite!

Child, remember!

“The Avalon deity never abandoned us. We abandoned the deity first.

“The rebellion came before the loss of faith.

“You must be very curious about where I went during those six missing years. The answer is that I journeyed across the ocean to the new continent on the other side, because I learned of the Dusk’s existence and wanted to seek more information from them.

“The great oak sacred blade is something I found during this process.

“Or rather, it was casually awarded to me.”

The old teachings were corrupted in past days far beyond my imagination. Even on the night before the rebellion, three sacred blades had already been stolen from the sacred grounds, indicating there must have been infiltrators among the high ranks of the church.

I obtained the three sacred blades from the followers of Dusk, but I only kept Watcher. Through divine arts, I sent Chastiser and Arbiter into the hands of comrades who still believed in the Avalon deity.

You must obtain them!

This is very important!

After the loss of the Seed of Life, the three sacred blades became the last connection between human followers and the Avalon deity.

What I need to tell you is that the Avalon deity has been watching over us all along. When I committed unforgivable wrongs against those pure Aztec tribespeople on the new continent, it was the deity who awakened me, making me realize that my so-called pursuit of truth was actually a means by which those evil ones had lured me into depravity!

Take this as a warning!

Child, you must have faith that our deity has not abandoned us.

I am determined to entrust the sacred blade to you, and you can use it to re-establish your connection with the nature deity.

This will grant you true power.

Afterwards, whether to lead, rebuild, or abandon it all, it is up to you.

After all, you owe the Avalon Church nothing, my poor child.

At this point, the old knight exhaled a smoke ring.

He was silent for a few seconds, then in the final moments of the recording, he said to Natalie, who would definitely only see this recording after his death:

“My daughter, you have always blamed me for abandoning you and your mother, devoting my entire life to faith.

I cannot refute this, for it is indeed true.

But at the end of my life, I must explain as a father.

Your birth itself was a miracle bestowed by the deity. Over a hundred years ago, when I drank from the holy grail’s waters, I made a vow to the deity.

I hoped the deity would protect my family, your mother, and bless us to live a life without regrets. In return, I would devote everything to faith.

That was the Grail Vow!

The highest honor a saint of the Avalon Church could receive.

I never expected the Avalon deity to be so generous to your mother and me. On the harvest festival thirty years after the Grail Vow, your mother became pregnant.

You know what that means.

It was the deity’s blessing!

Natalie, you are a child the Avalon deity personally sent into this world, and your mother and I were greatly honored to become your family. But it was also at that time that I realized the Avalon deity had heard my vow!

They had bestowed their blessing.

So I had to fulfill the covenant I made with the deity.

I devoted everything to the deity not because I did not care for you, and even less because you meant nothing to me.

Quite the opposite, child.

I had to do so to ensure you grew up healthy.

Your mother knew this well, for she witnessed the miracle of your birth just as I did.

My daughter, when you were born, the forests of the entire Glamo Island whispered your name. Countless nature fairies gathered by your mother’s side, singing in unison to celebrate your arrival, while pure white deer came to your mother.

And when you cried out your first cry in this world, the year’s first storm swept across the entire North Sea that year.

From Greenleaf Island to Ice Bay, from Misty Coast to Port Joseph, all the sea winds howled in celebration of your coming.

My daughter, your destiny did not need the Elder Council of Glamo’s prophecy, all that was just for us to conceal the truth of your birth from others.

My daughter, you were born destined to do great deeds, to leave your name and legend in this world’s history.

My daughter, you cannot imagine how precious you are to your mother and I, how much we love and care for you. Besides faith in the deity, you were what sustained me through those dark, lightless six years of wandering in depravity without falling into the abyss.

I knew I had to persevere!

I had to create a more perfect world for you as a father. Regrettably, as a Mortal, I could not fulfill my promise.

My daughter, my Natalie, the rest of the journey you must walk yourself.

I’m sorry, child.

Murphy is urging me to depart.

Perhaps this too is the deity’s guidance that we must bid farewell now.

Please believe that being your father was the greatest honor of my life. I have walked the path I was meant to, I have kept to the way I was meant to, I have received the blessings my entire life was meant for.

I wish for you, my child.

I bless you to also find your life’s meaning.

You must beware the darkness!

But beware even more those who actively pursue the darkness.”

“Bang”

The projected recording faded from view.

Leaving only Natalie alone, silently weeping in the dark room.

Tears streamed down her face marked with scars, making her realize how much she had missed and wronged. But as Natalie had once roared in rebuke, time was neither merciful nor kind to her.

The past was like smoke, impossible to recapture.

Soon, she wiped her tears and bent down, taking the dinner Amber had brought into her hands. She stared intently at the silent great oak sacred blade on the ground and ate the food.

She needed to overcome her weakness and re-establish her connection with Avalon.

She was a warrior!

And now she had an enemy called the ‘Dusk’.

How wonderful.

She could finally convince herself to live again in this world.