Yang Zicang took the uniquely shaped shell casing.

Indeed, a faint pulse of blood essence still lingered within it. It was covered in fine cracks both inside and out, and the fractures continued to spread.

The two saw a small ring of light flash on the chest of the Fogfolk man then a broken line shot outward. This was a hallmark ability of the Fogfolk! Both of them took a half-step back, for legend had it that any Fogfolk who exhibited this phenomenon were about to become extremely dangerous.

He Yishu, who was an unknown distance away, linked up immediately.

｛Check this out, and help me translate it. His approximate pronunciation just now went like this…｝

After Yang Zicang repeated the old man’s words, He Yishu translated them at once.

{He said the forces of Fairholm noticed you coming down and asked if it was their gunfire that downed you. }

“Fairholm? Never heard of that country. “

｛It probably wasn’t them. Ask how far this place is from the Grand Duchy.｝

{Repeat after me: It… }

Yang Zicang stowed his giant blanket away while speaking to the old man almost in sync with the voice in his head:

“It wasn’t them. How far is this place from the Grand Duchy? (English) “

— “메모!여기… “

The voice, already speaking a language unknown to him, echoed upon the ridgeline.

Yang Zicang, who had been slightly worried, quickly dismissed the threat after a brief thought. If they really had strength, they wouldn’t be using a loudspeaker right now. And besides…

The one who fired the artillery was near the coastline, while he had already crossed several dozen kilometers inland from the shore. So he had fallen right into the country next to the Grand Duchy?

Old man Long Desi laughed bitterly and said, “It is (English). “

{It is. } He Yishu translated immediately.

“It is? ” The hand of Yang Zicang wrapping his scarf paused in shock, making him speak directly in Chinese.

Yang Zicang cleared his throat lightly and resumed in English: “It is? “

As Old Long Desi heard the Fogman before him voice astonishment in a tongue now recognizable to him, he nodded.

{_The Grand Duchy… its focus lies mostly on the standoff on the northwestern and southwestern battlefronts. The Marshal concentrated most of its troops on the northwestern border…

Mm… Here it’s left wide open, letting even a third-rate nation like Fairholm come sneaking over from across the sea to surround the mountain and cut off our path. _}

Yang Zicang felt a flock of crows flying overhead.

“Do you mean the troops currently stationed here are actually from another country? “

Long Desi sighed and shook his head, shrugging, then pointed at a distant hill as he muttered, “Yibber gabble… “

{Yes. We’re quite troubled by it. See all my belongings on the cart? The roads from several villages and the port leading to White Violet City have all been cut off by them since last week… We don’t have enough money, so we haven’t been allowed through… }

｛So the Grand Duchy is this weak?｝

Hearing the Fogfolk he spoke to judging his homeland so bluntly, the old man felt a bit embarrassed. He launched into a long stream of rebuttals.

Yang Zicang felt the “Memory Pattern ” in his mind rapidly growing solid. After two days of contemplation, he was becoming increasingly proficient in controlling it.

{Once the stalemate on the other battlefield is over… the Marshal will pull back his forces. Trash countries like Ferheim won’t need harsh words; their armies will scurry away on their own. But people like us here… might be taken by them, turned into laborers… }

{He’s changing the subject. He’s asking if you want to surrender. If you do, they’ll head off now. }

“……“

Surrender right after arriving? Yang Zicang glanced at the hill that was tooting like a horn. If it hadn’t made that noise, he might have struggled to find its location.

{President Buchen, the Major said you don’t need to bother with those idiots. Hmm, that’s exactly how he described Feirheim, but he also added that since Feirheim is still an army, for the sake of reputation and safe passage, it’s best not to provoke them actively. }

｛I heard the Marshal’s voice. So it means, as long as I don’t surrender to them, they won’t bother me, right?｝

{Pretty much. But I think you should watch out for that weapon from earlier; we all need to be careful. }

｛I understand.｝

Whoever fired that shot is definitely not an ordinary person. With friend and foe unclear, it would be extremely unwise to be deliberately sought out by that guy.

Even if we’re going to generate a “Radiance, ” we should hold the initiative ourselves.

-｛Distributor February Di’an, with rich experience, indicates that this emerging Glorious Light is now viable for sale.｝

Yang Zicang felt the slightly worn golden pendant hanging on his chest.

｛I’m investing 10N into the Golden Emerald.｝

｛My brand-new life experience is being cataloged.｝

｛-Radiance: Umbrella-less escort athlete.｝

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie intends to order this Glorious Light.｝

-｛Distributor Valkyrie raised the price of this Radiance by 0.3%.｝

“Sorry, both of you, this Radiance of mine is not for sale. “

……

Inside a mountain pass, nestled against a cliff and facing the coastline, Colonel Mu Erich set down his binoculars.

“Karl Weiss, tell them to shut up. That man was definitely killed by the Steffen’s ‘Blood Shell’. “

“Yes, sir! ” A man in a dark gray mountain wool coat, an armband on his sleeve, and a steel helmet on his head immediately ran toward a bunker hidden in the woods. The loudspeaker’s blaring quickly fell silent.

“The Steffen’s Blood Lion Corps is actually nearby. ” Once the messenger had left, a soldier in camouflage, hidden not far away, stepped out and said with a hint of lingering fear, “Colonel Erich, could we become their target? Those Steffen are all madmen. “

Mu Erich pondered for a moment. “Probably not. Plunging this place into chaos wouldn’t do the Empire much good either. To my mind, this ‘Blood Lion Corps’ is here entirely for that plane. “

They had all observed the commotion in the sky. The plane had made an almost unbelievable sound; if it hadn’t been such a clear day, they would have mistaken it for a peculiar thunderclap.

“Have the able-bodied men from these villages been counted? “

“Almost all tallied up. There might be five or six thousand decent laborers, of which nearly two thousand are women. The number of wealthy and middle-class individuals available for exchange is about a thousand. In total, around eleven thousand can be taken away. “

“Alright, spend the next few days making another selection. This time, choosing around five to six thousand will do. We still need to pick people up from Sitaimo later. “

“I’ll go relay the orders immediately. “

……

Yang Zicang spent one night with the other two in the jungle.

By the time the carriage returned to Baoyu Town, it was already early morning of the second day.

“So many people! There weren’t this many when we set out. “

Qiushui pulled the old carriage, laden with all their belongings, and stopped by the crowded roadside.

The place was packed with people. Although he couldn’t quite understand the language yet, the panic and urgency in their tones were palpable.

Long Desi, who had spent the night recovering in the woods with Yang Zicang for repairs, had already removed his bandages. He was immensely surprised by the strange ability of the Fogfolk; the mere squeeze of that peculiar little fruit had his body healing rapidly.

Inside the carriage, Yang Zicang, wearing a fleece-leather cap styled like a sailor’s hat and a dark, mid-length wool coat, was hugging a dictionary, mouthing Mutao language words with a faint, repeated motion of his lips.

These were the payment for “treatment ” and “escort ” given by Long Mingjie.

Both parties involved in the deal were quite satisfied.

……

“Gentlemen, want some grilled fish? “

Two children were peddling steaming fish soup at the edge of the crowd, but few actually bought any.

Among the refugees at the village entrance, some were wrapped in worn-out blankets, others lugged leather suitcases or cloth bundles. A few, like the father and son on the carriage, traveled with horse-drawn carts or oxcarts carrying their whole families, but most had come empty-handed.

Yang Zicang, having spent a night studying through magic runes, felt his head was somewhat bloated. He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers, and after sitting quietly for a while, the young man seemed to have understood a few words and phrases.

“…You’re from… ‘Gigluryul’… too.“

“…The road’s been blocked by Feirheim’s ‘Gwaowlugru’…“

He could already partially understand.

Yang Zicang pricked up his ears to listen carefully. Truly complex words and those spoken with too thick an accent were still beyond him, but everyday phrases could now be grasped in general meaning after a slight pause for thought.

“Incredible! So this is what magic runes are!“

Long Mingjie poked his head into the carriage to ask if he wanted something to eat. Yang Zicang replied, “I’ll rest for a while. I’ll probably be awake by noon. Call me if there’s danger.“

“Sure! Hey? Are you speaking our language now?“

Yang Zicang smiled.

Deeply impressed, Long Mingjie slapped the window of the carriage and gave a thumbs up. Then the young man pulled on Qiushui’s lead to clear the way for those behind. Yang Zicang closed his eyes, barely feeling himself about to drift off, when he heard a commotion from a group of people shouting outside.

“Who’s seen the Fogfolk who fell from the sky yesterday!“

“We’re the Feirheim Navy! Who here has seen the new Fog Migrant!“

Hearing the ruckus, Yang Zicang reached his hand to the brim of his sheep-wool tricorne hat and lifted its low-hanging rim just a bit higher.

-｛Distributor May·Valkyrie indicated, ‘I am gestating a new precursor of brilliance.’｝

Yang Zicang touched the pendant.

-｛Distributor February. Di’an still gave his approval, I may be heralding a new glorious dawn.｝

“They’re here again. “

“Couldn’t get a wink of sleep last night. ” The crowd murmured their complaints quietly.

About a dozen meters away from the carriage, a five-man squad wearing military uniforms was interrogating the people nearby.