Strength 99999 but the Holy Sister

Madeleine placed the berries in Timmer's palm again.

“I’ll just eat this.”

Madeleine cut off another piece of meat. Seeing this, Timmer could only say "Oh" and slowly put the berries back into his arms without eating them.

"Should we continue looking for the holy relics now?" Timmer hesitated for a moment and suddenly asked.

"This is the only way," Madeleine said, shaking her head. "With my current strength, I can't break out. They're the Eight Swordsmen... As much as I hate to admit it, I'm no match for them... Only by seeking the power of the relic can I bring you all back to the empire safely."

The "Eight Swordsmen" of the Southwestern Federation is a prestigious title. In the Demon King War forty or fifty years ago, those warriors who bore this title also fought alongside the Brave, the Saint, and the Sage.

Ironically, when she arrived at Madeleine's place, she became a "down-and-out hero" hunted by eight swordsmen - even if there was only one of them, it was still an insurmountable tower for Madeleine at the moment. Even with the holy sword in hand, Madeleine was clearly aware of the gap between herself and the other party in combat experience, offensive skills, swordsmanship and physical strength, and she increasingly realized the insufficiency of her own strength.

So she wanted more and more powerful power, enough to turn everything around.

If she had great power, many things would not have happened in the first place, whether it was her parents, the people in the village, the kind farmers, the enthusiastic mercenaries, or the warriors who dutifully protected her.

"It's just... I'm not sure why she didn't kill me."

Madeleine sighed, her expression gloomy, revealing her contemplation and confusion.

"She's very strong, she has that chance."

Timmer lowered his head and looked at the two berries in his arms without saying a word. After a while, he snorted in dissatisfaction: "What 'Eight Swordsmen'? She attacked you even though she knew you were a hero. Is she worthy of her sword?"

Madeleine did not respond.

After a while, she asked again, "It's quieter here than in the river valley, and the magic seems to be richer. We might be very close to the legendary holy relics. Are we approaching the canyon now?"

After all, the animals here have all been transformed into monsters, and the concentration of magic elements must have increased. This proves that Madeleine is moving in the right direction.

"Hmm... this is the west side of the canyon... should be..."

Timmer's familiar has been in charge of reconnaissance, and she is the one who knows this place best.

Madeleine glanced at Timmer.

"Well, let's go look in the canyon next. Maybe we'll find something."

After Madeleine finished speaking, Timmer hesitated for a long time, then said: "How about... Your Highness, the Brave One, let's not go to the ruins..."

As she spoke, her voice became lower and lower, as if she was retreating, but also as if she was begging.

"Why?"

"I just think... if I were them, I might also follow them to the ruins and ambush you there... Besides, the holy relic is just a rumor, and it's hard to say whether the ruins actually exist... What if... What if the anomaly here has another reason..."

Madeleine was silent. She stopped what she was doing and after a while, she slowly raised her eyes and looked at Timmer.

"Timmer, have you discovered anything?"

"what?"

Timmer was stunned for a moment and quickly shook his head.

"I didn't find anything...it's just...it's just...I think...there might be danger ahead...or something..."

As Timmer was speaking, she found that Madeleine's dark golden eyes were staring at her. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Madeleine glanced at Timmer, and Timmer looked at Madeleine. Their eyes were different - one was alert, and the other was panicked.

Madeleine said nothing and looked away, which made Timmer feel a little relieved. However, Madeleine only slowly sheathed the dagger and put it behind her waist. She threw down the piece of meat, grabbed the holy sword on her knees, and stood up. She looked behind the thick fog and said:

"Call everyone and go to the canyon."

Just as she was about to step forward, Timmer quickly grabbed his staff and blocked her way.

"Wait, wait! Your Highness, the Brave One!"

Two berries rolled down, broke, and soaked with wine-colored juice.

"You can't go there!" Timmer raised his staff at her, then hurriedly retracted it and stopped her, saying, "Your Highness the Brave One... You can't go there... It's really dangerous there..."

"why?"

Madeleine looked Timmer in the eyes, but Timmer looked away.

"Then... those people are lying in ambush..."

"How did you know? - No, what I should ask is, if you knew, why did you tell me now? Timmer, tell me, you still have time to explain slowly before others come over."

"B-Because..." Timmer stammered, lowering his eyes to look at the broken berries on the ground.

"Because she is one of ours."

At this time, a voice answered for Timmer, and the owner of the voice slowly emerged from the white mist - she was dressed in a capable white swordsman's robe, tall in stature, and her gray hair and emerald eyes gave her a sharpness not common for her age. She was holding a silver-gray, uniquely shaped heavy sword, which looked like a wide and heavy sword that was cut in half from the middle.

Madeleine knew that it was the Grey Wind Greatsword Dorgan, representing one of the sacred objects of the Eight Swordsmen.

And that gray-haired woman was none other than Heloise Serra, the second strongest of the Eight Swordsmen.

With the appearance of Heloise Serra, Timmer's expression suddenly became stiff, while Madeleine narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Brave Madeleine Fesmanard, being betrayed is not a pleasant feeling," Heloise Serra gazed at Madeleine calmly, raising the silver-gray greatsword in her hand. "Surrender, you are no match for me."

Madeleine looked at Timmer.

Timmer bit his lip and whispered, "Your Highness, the Brave One, surrender..."

Madeleine slowly shook her head. "You know I won't surrender. When you brandish weapons against my companions, there's no chance of us ever making peace."

The word "you" made Timmer's eyes freeze.

Heloise Serra didn't rush to attack. "I thought Timmer was your friend."

"We're friends, at least until now. Besides, I can't betray the dead warriors."

Madeleine clenched the holy sword in her hand and slowly shook off the cloth strips, revealing the sword blade emitting a faint glow. As she mobilized the magic power around her, the holy sword emitted a low vibration, as if responding to her will.

Heloise Serra also took a fighting stance.

At this moment, Timmer suddenly turned his head and pointed his staff at Heloise Sera, and the staff ignited a faint light of magic: "I'm sorry... Lord Sera... Please don't attack His Highness the Brave... His Highness the Brave! Please leave here quickly, they..."

But before she could finish her words, Heloise Serra stabbed her in the neck with a knife. Her legs went limp and she fell to the ground without a sound.

——Even Madeleine didn’t see clearly how Heloise Serra made her move.

"What did you do to her?" Madeleine frowned.

"Don't worry, she just fainted."

Heloise Serra said.

Madeleine glanced at the unconscious Timmer, a complex feeling emerging in her heart. She asked in a deep voice, "Have you been hiding your strength before?"

"I don't need to go all out to deal with you—you're still a million miles away from being a 'hero'."

"Hmph, you're still a million miles away from being one of the 'Eight Swordsmen'."

"Say what you will, but you have nowhere to go now."

At this moment, accompanied by a long, dull roar, the entire forest was shaken. Madeleine grasped the holy sword tightly and looked around vigilantly.

Enemy attack?

But when she turned her gaze to Heloise Serra, she found that the latter had the same surprise in her eyes as she did.

what happened?

Such questions appeared in the minds of both of them at the same time, and Heloise Serra was even more surprised - because she found that the fog seemed to be surging for some reason, as if something was stirring up huge waves in the depths of the distant forest, just like a giant beast breathing in and out in a corner of this forest.

Madeleine took advantage of Heloise Serra's daze, took a sudden step forward, and struck Serra's throat with a precise and deadly sword.

Keng——

After all, Sera was the second among the Eight Swordsmen, the Grey Wind Swordsman. She remained calm even when attacked by surprise. She took a step back and easily blocked Madeleine's holy sword. Madeleine shook her wrist with the momentum of the sword tip pressing down, and a huge force surged into the soil. With a bang, the arc range of more than ten meters in front suddenly exploded, and the trees were chopped into pieces in a golden light. Sera pressed down with her sword to block the sword wave, but the dust raised blocked Sera's sight.

When she swept her sword to block it and rushed in sideways, she found that Madeleine had grabbed the lying Timmer with one hand and rushed directly into the thick fog. At the same time, a flare exploded in the sky.

Heloise Serra narrowed her eyes slightly, judging the direction of the sound, but did not pursue it further.

Because she found that Madeleine was heading towards the canyon.

……

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417. Where is my barrier? (7K)

"Your Majesty, the fog seems to be dissipating!"

"We heard the sound of fighting just now... Your Highness, are you okay?"

The signal flares brought the soldiers in charge of reconnaissance back to Madeleine. At this moment, Madeleine had almost realized that these soldiers could not stop Heloise Serra at all. As the second of the Eight Swordsmen, Serra's strength was indeed worthy of the title of "Grey Wind Swordsman".

But was it that they couldn't stop it, or that they didn't intend to? Madeleine actually doubted the warriors who had fought alongside her through thick and thin.

"Are the enemies chasing us again? Damn, these cunning bastards... But... how did they find us here..."

Madeleine glanced at Timmer beside her. Timmer bit her lip and lowered her head. Timmer woke up not long after she fell into a coma. When she found out that she was not killed but rescued by Madeleine, she felt very complicated.

"Let's get to the canyon as quickly as possible—be prepared for a fight. Those guys in white might be waiting for us there."

Madeleine said, ignoring Timmer.

The soldiers didn't seem to know what was going on, but they wouldn't object to Madeleine's orders.

"Let's go, we don't have much time."

Madeleine didn't explain much—she didn't have time to do so now.

"Also, keep quiet."

Timmer knew that Madeleine was talking to him, but she remained silent.

Madeleine glanced at Timmer, then at the rolling thick fog, and strode towards the canyon.

At this time, the white fog rolled slowly, and there seemed to be some sound coming from the distance, but it was not clear - the sound could not be transmitted very far in this strange white fog. Madeleine even suspected that her message might have disappeared in the depths of the white fog before leaving the forest, so she had not received any contact until now. Madeleine didn't know if something had happened somewhere in this forest, and when those soldiers who broke through and the reinforcements would arrive, but in short, what she had to do now was very clear: to find the holy relic, so that she would have the strength to fight when facing Sera. With the blessing of the power of the holy relic, she might be able to find a way to break the current predicament and leave here.

As to whether the holy relic is in the depths of the canyon and whether there are really ruins in the depths of the canyon, Madeleine was not sure before. But now, because of Timmer's resolute obstruction, Madeleine is even more certain that the ruins or holy relic must be somewhere in the canyon - at this time, Sera, the most powerful "Grey Wind Swordsman" among the enemies is not in the canyon, so this is just the best opportunity for her to force her way in.

Without any hesitation, Madeleine led the soldiers to the canyon immediately.

They continued to descend along the rugged mountain road. The already dim fog became even darker. The scenery before them was not so much a canyon as a huge rock pit with an outward opening. Towering peaks were on both sides of the pit, and steep rock walls guarded this narrow "passage", blocking most of the already thin light.

The soldiers began to become cautious because the air here was getting colder and quieter, as if they were going deep into a cave. Instead, the faint sound of the wind seemed particularly creepy at this moment.

As soon as she arrived here, Madeleine spotted the light ahead.

Very faint, but there it was, vaguely, and Madeleine seemed to hear footsteps and coughs.

"Tread lightly—Timmer, follow me."

Madeleine said, Timmer pursed his lips, hesitated for a moment, and then followed Madeleine to sneak forward.

"Your Highness, why did you save me?"

Timmer asked with a complicated expression beside Madeleine.

Madeleine took off the holy sword, walked ahead, and observed the direction of the light.

In fact, Madeleine herself was a little hesitant about whether she should bring Timmer with her. She didn't know if it was right or not. The situation was urgent at the time, and she reacted completely subconsciously. Her body had already moved before she thought.

What would have happened if Timmer had been left there?

Maybe she'd get into trouble? Because Timmer had pointed his weapon at Sera, her actions had already disqualified her as a spy—most unqualified spies would be dealt with.

But isn't that a matter of course? Is there any need for pity?

"I need you to tell me the location of the ruins and the whereabouts of those men in white—find the relics, and I will release you."

Madeleine said, Timmer looked at Madeleine's profile, hesitated for a moment, and asked.

"Aren't you worried that I might betray you again?"

"You can't go back. Joining me is your only option. Of course, I won't accept your surrender, but if you know the situation, I'll let you leave the empire. With your abilities, staying alive shouldn't be a problem."

Madeleine didn't look at Timmer. Timmer took a deep breath, and after a brief silence, he said:

"I don't know if the holy relic is here, but... deep in the canyon, there's a 'place you're not allowed to approach'... My mission is to lead you here... But my familiar told me that the magic here is very abnormal. The closer I get, the more chaotic my magic becomes. I'm afraid there's something extraordinary here..."

"Really? That's a truly incredible thing..." Madeleine remained noncommittal. "Heloise Serra had the chance to kill me, but she didn't. Her goal wasn't to hunt us down, was it?"

"Perhaps... it's just to prevent you from escaping... I don't know anything else..."

"It seems that no matter whether I choose to escape or not, I will end up here, hehe."