Whispering Poems

Chapter 3870 Fire and Kiss

As he spoke, Xia De sat down by the brazier and recounted to the nun in detail how he had been attacked by a snake and forced into the mountain, only to discover a passageway inside the mountain and subsequently the sacrificial site within it.

Sister Daphne remained silent, but Shad knew she was listening intently.

After Shad finished recounting these events, he extended his right hand to the nun. As Sister Daphne placed her hand on his, the flame that had been steadily burning in Shad's heart suddenly surged along his right hand and into Sister Daphne's hand.

In an instant, the "Afterglow of the First Flame" state was fully manifested on Sister Daphne's body. The crimson flames in the cracks that appeared on the nun's skin were more dazzling than ever before. Before Shad could even react, Sister Daphne was engulfed in flames.

What should be done at this time?

She reminded him softly, and Xia De thought it made a lot of sense.

Daphne remained silent, and even her crown-like eye patch was cracked with flames. As she silently endured the pain of her burns, she was surprised when Shad pulled her forcefully into his arms.

The stranger embraced the burning nun in his arms. The nun initially pushed him away a couple of times, but then he held her in his arms.

The flames seared both of them. Sister Daphne was trembling at first, but then, biting her lip in Shad's arms, she calmed down. As for Shad, although he could also feel the burning pain, his soul was completely unafraid of the flames; only his body was being burned, so his pain was much less than Sister Daphne's.

The flames illuminated the dim underground sacrificial site, and the two, embracing each other, listened quietly to the crackling of the flames and felt each other's heartbeats.

After a long while, the uncontrolled flames were finally brought back under the nun's control, and the cracks on her body, symbolizing the "Embers of the First Flame," slowly disappeared. When the flames on the tip of the Ash Greatsword in the brazier rekindled, it meant that Sister Daphne had successfully returned the flame, which had been retrieved from Mount Fatumumster, to the "Primordial Flame."

"In this way, only the last two flames remain to be collected."

Shad sighed softly, while Sister Daphne broke free from his embrace and silently knelt back in her previous position.

However, Shad clearly felt that she was looking at him through that mithril eye mask, but Shad believed that he had done the right thing just now:
"Is it this painful when you usually fuse with flames?"

In the ensuing silence, their shadows trembled as the flames licked the greatsword in the brazier. The nun spoke after a long pause:
“Holding the flame has always been so painful, for the flame is far greater than the souls of the fire-bearing nuns. But things have gotten a little better after you took the flame.”

"Then when the last two flames merge, let's do it the same way as before, with you and me bearing the burden together."

Shad then suggested, but seeing that Sister Daphne did not respond, and simply knelt there like a statue, letting the flickering flames cast alternating light and shadow on her exquisite face, Shad prepared to take his leave:

"The torch has been passed on; there are other matters to attend to on the island. I'll address it when I have more free time."

He had just stood up when Sister Daphne reached out and pulled him back down to sit.

What happened next was something the outsider could never have imagined—

The blindfolded nun leaned closer to him and then kissed him. The kiss was completely unskilled; she simply pressed her lips onto Shad's.

Just as Shad was wondering if he was dreaming, the nun shoved him away again. She used so much force that Shad had to brace himself with his hands to avoid actually falling.

"Sister, you..."

But the nun had already turned away from her kneeling position, hiding her face where Shad couldn't see her. Shad touched his lips, then looked at the nun turned away in front of the flames, never expecting such a thing to happen.

Can't charred wood be reignited into a roaring fire?

"She" asked with a smile in Shad's ear. Shad didn't know how to answer the question, but he knew that this was definitely not the last time the two of them would be in such contact.

This is not the end, but the beginning. The nun, who has ascended to the thirteenth ring through death and has come to know her destiny, is finally about to make her own change.

Seeing that she really wasn't responding to him this time, Xia De stood up again:
“Then, Sister, I shall take my leave now. I will come back to inquire about the next flame and your current situation when I have some free time during the holidays.”

The nun remained silent, but as Shad walked toward the entrance to the sacrificial site, he clearly felt someone "watching" him from behind.

When Shad returned to the Radiant Messenger from the mountaintop, only one of the two letters sent to the city had received a reply; Major Rades' reply had already appeared on the ship.

With plenty of time in the afternoon, Shad set off again for the Drowned Ghost Tavern. Upon entering, Shad immediately spotted his friend at a table in the corner of the tavern. As he sat down, Major Rades asked curiously:

"Mr. Watson, good afternoon. Did something good happen to you? I've known you for so long, and I rarely see you smile so happily."

"Really? But someone just said that about me too."

As he spoke, Xia De adjusted his expression, then realized why the boat girl had looked at him so strangely earlier on the boat:

"Let's not discuss that for now. The weather is really nice today. I thought your reply would be a little late."

He ordered drinks and food from the tavern waiter who approached him. Despite the fine Sunday afternoon, the tavern was nearly empty; after all, dockworkers didn't distinguish between rest days and holidays.

On the night of the decisive battle, both nations' warships suffered heavy losses at sea. Beyond casualties, both Carsonrick and Dela Rion lost two ships each. While the Aurora family was tasked with repairing the remaining vessels, Sylvie relayed the information she had gathered to Shad.

The number of sailors on both warships has reached a very serious level. Therefore, although both countries are willing to withdraw their delegations, neither side has enough sailors to take their ships on long-distance voyages. As a result, Major Rades will have to stay in the local area for a while longer.

The heavy losses were not without reason. Although the ships' cannon fire could not harm the Doomsday Serpent and the powerful Ringed Beasts, their salvo of cannon fire at the edge of the ocean battlefield did indeed take down some of the weaker monsters.

While it's difficult to say whether the losses outweighed the gains, those who survived proved their bravery and honor, and the authorities of De La Rion and Carsonrick would certainly not mind rewarding those who experienced this battle with medals and rank promotions later on.

After all, for both "Fire Leaper" Larus III and "Lion" Ryan, having an elite naval force that had faced the extraordinary was a very meaningful thing.

"Everyone has had some free time since that war ended, and it's practically a holiday now, so I was able to reply so quickly. But lately I've been thinking, in this kind of era, does being an ordinary person really have any meaning?"

This was a question Major Raders asked Shad, recounting his performance on the night of the decisive battle. Although, given his achievements, the next time they met, the "major" rank would likely be "lieutenant colonel," he was genuinely confused.

"During the Midhill Fortress incident, I felt that those powerful monsters were definitely not something that bullets or artillery could deal with. We suffered huge casualties, and in the end, we only managed to harm the most basic types of monsters."

If I understand correctly, the undead of Midhill Keep, as well as the murlocs and water ghosts here, are practically infinite in number. Does killing them really make any sense in this battle?

The more honest answer would be "It has meaning, but not much meaning," and that's exactly what Shad answered.

Major Rades laughed:
“Mr. Watson, I thought you would comfort me.”

"And then what? So you think guns and cannons are so useful that you'll lose your life because of your arrogance in the next similar incident?"

Shad asked, but then immediately added:
"For the main battlefield, ordinary soldiers are indeed not very useful. Your real purpose is to conduct reconnaissance on the edge of the battlefield, or to maintain basic order in urban and rural areas, and to guard against enemies who have broken through the defenses."

"Major, while we are powerful, our numbers are finite. Everyone has meaning; civilization is not solely driven by the superhuman. Ordinary people are equally significant to this world."

"You're really good at comforting people."

The major raised his glass and clinked it against Xia De's; Xia De's expression didn't seem as worried as before.
"However, if it's just peripheral reconnaissance or maintaining order in cities and towns, I'd be happy to do that job. This time, the situation is just too bad. Just the sky changed color, and so many people on the ship went mad. After the battle, when we returned to port, many of the survivors went mad again. I know it's not that they lack willpower. To be honest, if I hadn't met you so early on, I'm probably not just thinking about whether I'm important, but using strong liquor to numb myself and forget the horror of that night."

Major Raders shook his head and downed his drink in one gulp. Shad, worried that his friend might have psychological issues he wasn't aware of, suggested:

"Would you like me to introduce you to a psychologist?"

Major Raders shook his head:
"No need, the church has arranged it for us. You don't need to worry about me. I'm doing relatively well. Many of the young people on the ship are completely terrified and can only sleep soundly with the help of medication since that night. Although they survived, they will probably retire immediately afterward."

(End of this chapter)