539: Chapter 8: The White Poppy Flower_1 539: Chapter 8: The White Poppy Flower_1 The morning in the City of Freedom was imrsed in a bustling atmosphere, with bands of rcenaries visible everywhere.
These rcenaries, laden with heavy gear, were running neatly along the city streets.
As they ran, they continuously swung their blunt-edged swords, executing cleaving movents.
Being a rcenary, no one would be foolish enough to slack off during morning training.
There’s a saying in the rcenary industry: one extra step in training ans one step further from the Grim Reaper.
Everyone believed in this saying, as those who didn’t had already perished.
However, although the rcenaries’ steps were uniform, discipline in other aspects could be disregarded.
On their running route, nurous young won would throw provocative glances at them.
The bold and unrestrained girls in the City of Freedom often gathered in clusters along the streets, pointing fingers at the passing rcenaries, even passing comnts on their appearance and physique from ti to ti.
Mature rcenaries would certainly not show weakness, constantly blowing their whistles and making all sorts of teasing remarks.
As the girls blushed, their sparkling wide eyes didn’t miss a single ounce of the rugged n.
The citizens of the City of Freedom had long been accustod to this.
This city, which tolerates all activities not violating the law, was rather tolerant of such behavior.
The few pedestrians on the sides of the street only t this blatant young group with benign laughter, occasionally cheers of encouragent for the girls could be heard.
Accompanied by the uniform sound of footsteps, a new day in the City of Freedom began.
In this city, people were always happy.
Even if the overall conditions of the city were not as good as the City of Knowledge, and social welfare was not as good as the Falar Empire and Neville Federation, the residents were still willing to stay here.
After all, people beco picky once they have tasted the joy of freedom.
On the streets, horse carts loaded with goods constantly passed by.
Whenever this happened, training rcenaries would consciously clear the way.
After hundreds of years of mutual compromise, rcenaries and civilians have grown accustod to accommodating and compromising with each other, rarely leading to intense conflicts.
In the Second Residential Area, inside a nondescript small inn, Pannis gently pushed open the inn’s door, squinting his eyes against the morning sun: “What a nice weather.”
Next to Pannis, a group of rcenaries ran past, curiously observing this odd figure at the door.
Today, Pannis was still dressed in an ordinary black swordsman outfit covered with a thin black cloak, regular black boots for his feet, and a black wide-brimd hat on his head.
This outfit resembled formal attire yet also seed like adventuring gear, making for a strange combination.
It’s no wonder passing rcenaries cast puzzled gazes.
However, the City of Freedom was, after all, the City of Freedom.
After a few glances, the rcenaries simply disregarded Pannis’ odd attire as it wasn’t intriguing enough to hold their interest for long.
Pannis was obviously aware of this outco, so he did not pay mind to the rcenaries.
He signaled to a rental horse carriage waiting nearby for custors.
A carriage quickly stopped in front of Pannis.
Pannis got into the carriage, whispered a location to the coachman, who hesitated, reconfird the destination, then steered toward Pannis’ destination, brandishing his horsewhip.
“Rattle rattle,” the clear and monotonous rhythm of the hoofbeats echoed.
The carriage was swaying gently at a steady pace, emitting faint creaking sounds.
Sitting in the carriage, Pannis leaned against the carriage wall, slid his hat lower to shade his expression.
Today, Pannis seed rather solemn.
Occasionally, during the carriage ride, he would let out almost imperceptible sighs.
As the ti passed, the surroundings didn’t get busier but quieter instead, voices from outside the carriage were gradually diminishing, indicating the carriage was moving away from downtown towards the outskirts.
The rolling wheels beca especially noticeable in the quiet surroundings, as if this was the only carriage left in the whole world.
After a while, the carriage turned onto a small road.
After not too long, it finally slowed down and stopped.
The coachman lowered his voice and said, “Sir, we’ve arrived.”
“Thank you, you’ve had a hard ti.” Pannis stepped off the carriage, tossed the coachman a gold coin, “Stay here and wait for for a while.
It won’t be long; one or two hours at most.
This money should be enough, right?”
“Alright, sir.” The coachman drove the carriage to the side, “I’ll wait for you here then; it’s a very obvious spot.”
Pannis nodded, turned around silently and walked toward his destination.
Only when the carriage had moved could the location be seen clearly.
To everyone’s surprise, it was a graveyard.
The graveyard’s scale was not small, but only half-filled now, with five or six hundred tombstones arranged orderly within.
Neatly trimd grass swaying with the wind around the tombstones, giving the graveyard an indescribable serenity and emptiness.
The arrangent of tombstones in the graveyard was orderly.
Pannis directly walked toward a semi-isolated area, slowly scanning each tombstone.
This semi-isolated area contained fewer than ten tombstones.
Pannis looked at each one, easily finding the tombstone he was seeking.
This was a solitary marble tomb, aning that only the master of the tomb was buried here, without the company of a spouse.
On the cyan-white tombstone, there should have been words engraved about the achievents and life of the tomb’s owner.
However, on this tombstone, the only engraving is a sentence––waiting forever.
Above this line of text, as per custom, was the portrait of the tomb’s owner.
The portrait had apparently undergone special magic treatnt, making it as crisp and clear as new, even after a very long ti.
In the portrait, a middle-aged woman in formal attire was sitting dignifiedly on a chair, staring in the painter’s direction.
The woman in the painting had fair skin and beautiful, dignified features.
Her golden hair laid on her shoulders, and her charming eyes held a touch of sadness that seed unreachable.
Even though her expression was smiling, the lancholy within her smile was evident.
“So, after that, did you finally grow your hair out?” Pannis gazed deeply at the picture on the tombstone, his gentle voice as if afraid to disturb the eternal rest of the deceased.
“Adelaida, my…friend.”
As he looked at the portrait on the tombstone, Pannis seed to have traveled back in ti.
One more ti he saw the young, pretty, vibrant girl with short hair; one more ti he seed to hear the girl’s cheerful voice beside him in the onomatopoeic sentences of the common language peculiar to Neville: “Brother Kyle, it has been so long since you visited.
Have you forgotten about ?”
“Sorry, little sister Adelaida.” Pannis lifted his gaze from the portrait, looking up at the clear blue sky.
Yet, once his gaze moved away, the mories deep down in his heart irresistibly surged up, one after another.
“Brother Kyle, I really regret it.
Why didn’t I pursue a professional career when we were young?
If I were an Upper Rank professional, I could go on adventures with you and Sister Nellie.”
“Brother Kyle, tell stories about your adventures.
I really want to know the interesting things you encountered.”
“How great it is to hear these stories.
Brother Kyle, having these stories will enable to accompany you guys on your adventures in my dreams, so all of us could be together forever.”
“Brother Kyle, you ca to see only twice this year.
Why?
Did I do anything to upset you?
Or was it because of Sister Nellie?
I like Sister Nellie a lot too.
Why can’t you visit more often?
When I can’t see you guys, I always feel like I am missing sothing.”
“Haha, Sister Nellie, I like you so much.
Your long hair is so beautiful.
I wish I could have such beautiful long hair too.
Um, when I grow out my hair, you can help braid it, okay?
Deal, no take backs.”
“Sister Nellie, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.
I think, I think, I think I have a crush on Brother Kyle.
No, don’t laugh, Sister!
I’m not planning to compete with you, and don’t tell Brother Kyle either.
I am happy just like this, being able to see you guys often is enough.
Really, I don’t want anything else, just noticing you guys more.
We agreed not to laugh, I’m not joking.
I really need nothing else, as long as you guys are happy.
Just please don’t tell Brother Kyle.”
“Silly girl.” Pannis took off his hat again to cover his face, whispering, “Even your Sister Nellie didn’t know.
I heard everything you two were talking about.
Why do you think I haven’t seen you for three years?
It was to make you forget about .”
“Brother Kyle, you haven’t visited in so long.
Have you forgotten ?
But you are here, which is great.
I guess you heard my words last ti.
But don’t worry, I won’t cause trouble for you and Sister Nellie.
Look, I am strong.
I haven’t cried once in three years.
Aren’t you proud of ?”
“Brother Kyle, Sister Nellie told that next spring, you guys will take to the Spring Festival.
Are you guys fooling ?
Is it true?
Ha, that’s great.
I wish I could wake up, and it would be next spring.”
“Brother Kyle, why are you back so soon?
Uh?
You’re going to fight the Undead?
What should I do?
There must be huge risks.
Otherwise, you wouldn’t have co to tell in such a serious manner.
No, I don’t want any Spring Festival anymore.
I just hope you’ll co back safe.
Please promise , both of you, you will co and see once you are back.
Let know that you are okay.
You have to co back to see ; otherwise, I won’t rest in peace.”
“Huff.” Pannis took off his hat, clenched it tight to his chest, and whispered almost inaudibly, “Little sister Adelaida, I…
I’ve co to see you.”
Barely able to speak aloud to the deceased, Pannis kneeled down on one knee, pulled a pure white poppy from his black coat, and gently placed it before the blue gravestone.
As he gently caressed the tombstone, he let out a sigh after a long while, “My sins are even deeper than I imagined.
Wouldn’t you agree, lady behind ?” (To be continued.
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