In Xingyue, my sister Aozaki Aoko

[So, you embarked on the journey again, heading towards the next town. 】

[On the seventh day, nothing happened along the way, so you continue on your way. 】

[On the eighth day, you passed a small village.It's just that the harvest there doesn't seem to be very good this year, and the life of the villagers is also very difficult. You can feel a sense of melancholy from your righteous sister Artoria. 】

[On the tenth day, you arrived at a new town and replenished your supplies. 】

[In order to prevent the incident like the last town from happening again, this time when your righteous sister Artoria and righteous brother Kai entered the city, they kept a close eye on Merlin and refused to let him act alone. 】

【But Merlin didn't resist, and unexpectedly agreed, with an honest look.But you always feel that this man's personality is unlikely to be so obedient, and a trace of doubt arises in your heart. 】

[Sure enough, in the middle of the night that day, you heard the sound of the window being gently pushed open in the hotel room, and woke up in time.He happened to catch Merlin who wanted to go through the window and didn't know what he was going to do. 】

【And Merlin panicked for a few seconds after being discovered by you, and immediately covered your mouth to prevent you from waking up Kai who was sleeping in the same room, and whispered in your ear. 】

【"I'm not doing bad things, just to 'help others', um."】

【help others? 】

【You blinked incomprehensibly, not quite understanding what Merlin's words meant.After all, helping others doesn't seem to need to wait until midnight, and it doesn't need to be sneaky at all. 】

【As if sensing that you didn't believe me, Merlin seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly said softly in a sly voice. 】

【"In short, if you don't believe me, you can come with me. It's just about the time for you, it's time to learn some adult knowledge."】

【It's just that before you could react, a ghost-like voice suddenly sounded, and then Merlin seemed to be kicked flying, and let out a cry of pain. 】

【"My lord's knowledge? Then let me teach you, what is your lord's responsibility, bastard!"]

【"Stop! Kai! Don't slap your face! I was wrong, I shouldn't have taught En badly!"】

【Listening to the sound of your righteous brother Kai punching his fist angrily and Merlin begging for mercy, you still couldn't figure out what Merlin meant by "a grown-up's knowledge" for a while. 】

【Just that night, you know, Merlin was beaten up by your stepbrother Kai all night.So much so that when you were on the road the next day, you heard Merlin's voice was still a little vague and gasped occasionally, as if he was enduring pain. 】

【And you, under Merlin's repeated pleas in private, did not tell Artoria about the conversation between you and Merlin last night. 】

[No. 11, you continue on the road. 】

【No. On the 13th, you passed through a wilderness and encountered a few travelers who were looted by robbers. 】

【Your step-sister Artoria generously gave some of your dry food to these penniless people, and pointed them in the direction of the nearest town. 】

[However, that night, there was a heavy rain, and you were trapped in the wilderness. 】

......

The white rain lines were connected into one piece, falling on the ground and playing intensive drumbeats.

In the slightly humid cave, a bonfire swayed slightly with the wind, sticking the shadows of the four of them on the cave wall.

"It seems that the rain will not stop tonight. I hope the situation will be a little better tomorrow."

Looking at the continuous torrential rain outside the cave, Merlin threw a few dry branches into the bonfire, hugged his wand, and shrugged.

"After all, there is nothing you can do about this kind of weather. Speaking of which, can't you use magic to drive away the rain clouds?"

"Magic is not omnipotent, and the only thing I'm good at is illusion. Forgive me for being powerless in this regard."

"Tsk, trash."

Facing Kai's white eyes and disgust, Merlin didn't care much.Because since the last time he used Kai's name to make a fuss, the other party's attitude towards him has always been like this, and he is used to it.

Listening to the bickering conversation between Merlin and Kai, Rin Aozaki couldn't help laughing silently.In his opinion, this kind of atmosphere is what the journey in the story should have.

What made him a little strange was that after the heavy rain fell after dinner tonight, his righteous sister seemed a little silent for some reason.

"Sister, are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable?"

After all, the amount of food the girl ate at dinner tonight is obviously a little less than yesterday. For the opponent who has always regarded the theory of "you can't win a battle hungry" as a creed, it is really too weird .

Sure enough, after Aozaki Rin's words blurted out, the other two by the campfire immediately looked at Artoria.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little worried...the few people I met during the day."

Knowing that the other three probably misunderstood her, Artoria felt a little helpless.

Although she has always eaten more, she also understands the fact that after sending out part of the dry food, their own food portion will decrease.

Therefore, at dinner time, he deliberately ate a little less, but the boy mistakenly thought he was ill.

"Don't think too much, you have to know that there is only so much we can do now. As for the current situation of that group of people, it has nothing to do with us. Or do you think you are a god? You need to work hard to manage every day. one person."

Knowing that her adopted sister was probably just trying to make ends meet, Kai said angrily.

Although judging from the footsteps of the few travelers they met during the day, it is estimated that those people, like them, have not yet walked out of this wilderness and were trapped in the rainy night.

But giving some of the dry food to those people is already considered their utmost benevolence.

Now if he bothered to consider the situation of those people, Kai felt that he would have to pay for his hard work.

"I don't have such arrogant thoughts, I just worry about it by the way..."

Artoria refuted something like a muttering, somewhat dissatisfied with Kai's statement.

"Then I'm just reminding you. After all, you guys like to hide things and deal with them alone. This is your bad habit."

"I don't have... right, huh?"

Facing her brother-in-law's preaching, Artoria looked at the boy beside her as if she was looking for approval.

But unexpectedly, Rin Aozaki shook his head and said seriously.

"No, I think Brother Kai is right. My sister really likes to take everything on herself sometimes. If you keep doing this, you will be easily exhausted."

"...Damn it. Are you two joining forces to bully me? Merlin, which side do you want to stand on?"

"Um, well... this is an internal issue of your family, I can't get involved, so I choose to abstain."

Seeing the girl's staring eyes, Merlin had no choice but to raise his hands in a gesture of surrender in order to avoid getting burned.

Seeing Merlin's nonchalant appearance, and Kay's "victory" expression, Artoria was a little unconvinced, so she had no choice but to spread the little resentment in her heart on the boy.

"Why don't you stand by my side, eh? Didn't you obviously say before that you will always support me?"

Stretching out her hands to gently rub the boy's elastic white face, Arturia wanted to complain a little, but she didn't expect to be attracted by this wonderful feeling all of a sudden, and she couldn't stop the movement of her hands for a while.

"Because...correcting my sister's...mistakes is also necessary..."

Rin Aozaki said vaguely, and the slurred words made the girl chuckle, and let go of the hands pinching his cheeks.

And at this moment, Arturia also realized that she seemed to be playing a child's temper, a little embarrassed, and stretched out her hand to gently massage the boy's cheek, apologizing.

"Sorry, I was too impulsive just now. It shouldn't hurt you, huh?"

"......No."

Rin Aozaki shook his head, but he didn't care much about such trivial matters.

But before he could continue speaking, his ears moved slightly, and he subconsciously turned his head to face the hole.

The strange behavior of the boy naturally attracted the attention of the other three.

"What's wrong, huh?"

Artoria asked puzzledly, but Rin Aozaki didn't answer immediately, after listening carefully for a while, he said in a little confusion.

"Did you hear a very strange sound. It's like..."

——At this time, under the rainy night.

The sound of more than 40 hounds roaring at the same time resounded faintly from a distance.

n Yiliu 17 6 Qiyi [-]

Volume 14: Chapter 014 [-]: Seeking Water Beasts

"what is that?"

Thunder flashed and rumbled.

Under the white rain, a strong monster with a snake's head, a leopard's belly, and a lion's buttocks ran across the dark wilderness, gradually stopped, and then lowered its head, as if it was gnawing on something.

Kai looked at the monster in the distance, his face was a little heavy, and he subconsciously held the hilt of the saber.

"Should I call it luck, or simply bad luck? First the giant, and then this one... I always feel that our journey is really easy to get into trouble."

Watching the situation on the wilderness outside the cave, Merlin no longer had his usual laughing appearance, and his expression became a little serious.

However, he seemed to see that everyone was a little nervous, so he smiled and comforted him.

"Don't worry, that thing is quite far away from us. And it's raining now, and it can't smell us. We just need to ignore it and wait for it to leave on its own."

However, Merlin's words did not serve as consolation, at least not to someone.

"Merlin... what is that thing eating right now?"

Arturia asked blankly, her holy blue eyes seemed to pass through the heavy rain, staring at the monster that was eating in the distance, and the hand holding the sword in the stone trembled a little.

"Probably the few travelers we met during the day. It seems that they encountered this monster unfortunately, and then became each other's food."

Merlin said lightly, the expression on his face didn't change much.There was neither anger nor pity, just stating the facts.

It seems that the appearance at this moment is part of his true inner portrayal.

It's just that his frivolous words this time are like adding fuel to the fire for the girl who is suppressing her inner emotions.

Artoria took a step forward without hesitation, but immediately, Merlin stretched out his wand with a serious expression to block her way forward.

"I know you're angry, Lily. But do you know what that is? It's a monster called Phantasm, a water-seeker.

"As long as ordinary human beings are hit by its attack, they will die. Do you think you have the strength to deal with that kind of monster?"

"How do you know that kind of thing if you don't try it? Do you want me to just turn a blind eye to it! You know, those people talked to us during the day..."

Artoria obviously disagreed with Merlin's words, her pretty face turned angry.

But before she finished speaking, Merlin interrupted.

"But they are dead now, aren't they? You have to understand, Artoria, you are not the only one who owns your life. Since you have decided to inherit the throne, you should understand that as a king, sometimes you can Persist, but sometimes you have to choose to give up.

"Reality can't be changed with a passion. If I've said this and you're still unwilling to change your mind, then I can only remind you.

"Have you really made up your mind and can bear all the consequences of your decision?"