Crimson Servant

Ever since she saw Francis coming out of the wooden house, Dalia has been in a state of extreme tension. She couldn't figure out the source of this fear, whether it was because of the blood in the room or because of the purple-black skin under the blood-stained warrior's protective gear, which side had a greater impact on her mentally, or whether both sides made her feel uneasy.

Now they were staying in another relatively intact room. Lucien was sitting next to Dalia. The illusionist felt the tension in the young Dalia's heart. At this time, he didn't say anything, but silently expressed his support with his actions.

Dalia was very grateful for Lucien's existence. She asked herself if Lucien was not there and didn't mention the problem of the dark elf Francis, she didn't know how she should face the other person in front of her, the sorcerer John.

He and the dark elf Francis came together. From the sorcerer's calm expression, it can be seen that he is not completely ignorant of the dark elves' situation. He has no reaction to his repeated goodwill, which is enough to show his close relationship with the dark elves. Dalia doesn't like to treat people around her with stereotypes, but she also understands that the wisdom of the world is worth learning from. If conditions permit, she would rather take certain control measures against danger, rather than relying on the tolerance of others for her own safety as she does now.

The door was gently pushed open, and Francis came in from outside. He was stained with water stains left by the melting snow, and his dark skin was slightly reddish due to frostbite. The dark elf spent about half an hour washing the blood off his body with snow, and combat efficiency would inevitably bring other troubles. A fatal attack would cut the enemy's aorta and cause severe bleeding. In the severe situation at that time, Francis could not slow down to dodge the blood stains. As long as it did not affect the battle, Francis would be bloody in most cases.

Francis, who could live alone in the wilderness, certainly did not have a cleanliness obsession, but considering that he had to face a companion who did not know him, dressing neatly was the most basic sincerity to show.

Francis noticed the clear distinction in the room. He nodded to Inlucien implicitly, came to John, and sat down facing Dalia and the others.

John noticed the slight frostbite on Francis' body, and the temperature in the room that was a bit cooler after he came in, and John frowned slightly. The best way to clean the blood stains is certainly not to use the accumulated snow. If there is no water source at the scene, his crimson spell can do it. He is confident that he can make Francis look brand new without causing corruption.

However, dark elves hate the contact of crimson spells, and John knows this.

"Those vampires are chasing us. I hope I didn't disturb you." Francis leaned forward and bowed slightly to Dalia to show his apology.

This is a good start to the conversation.

"No, you solved all the enemies by yourself. We didn't help much." Dalia looked at Francis' beautiful eyes. The clear and pure eyes made the priest realize that this dark elf was a little different from his stereotype.

Francis took out the fake leather mask, and there was no need to wear it anymore.

"My race is notorious in the surface world. I wear this mask to hide myself to avoid unnecessary trouble."

"I am the dark elf Francis Blade, from the Underdark. I received the same education as any dark elf, but my choices are different from theirs, and my beliefs and values ​​are also different from theirs."

"I have no intention of deceiving you."

Francis' explanation made Dalia feel much better, although she was still afraid of his exaggerated battle scenes. But overall, Dalia found that her mentality was quickly adjusting from the high pressure, thanks to her father's family's rigorous training for her psychological stress resistance.

Lucian also provided his assistance at this time.

"Imagine an evil and cruel dark elf creating those corpses. Doesn't it feel much easier to accept than a handsome and fair elf prince doing the same evil?"

Lucian's words made Dalia's bloody scene reappear in her mind, blood flowing out of the gaps, and the pale faces of the dead overlapped with fear. Dalia covered her mouth and continued to retch, which was a bit too stimulating for a noble lady.

The illusionist used his own way to ease Dalia's vigilance against Francis by diverting her attention.

John and Francis left Dalia's cabin. She needed time to recover. They both realized that they had to leave enough space for this young noble lady who was not very experienced in the world.

In the middle of the night, there was only the sound of boots stepping on snow blocks. They walked one after the other. The cold did not cause any discomfort to John, and Francis had already put on an extra coat. They came to a place far away from the cabin and talked about vampires.

Francis' left hand was on one of his scimitars. He had two magic scimitars. One was called Fraz's evil blade, which was an evil cursed weapon with a cold touch. The other was called Grick's wrath, which was a burning weapon with sacred attributes. Just touching the handle would make the dark elf feel warm enough and a little burned. This magic scimitar, which was mainly used to fight the enemy, was one of the reasons why Francis was called "Dark Destroyer".

One hurt the enemy, and the other hurt the friend. Not many people have Francis using the cursed power of Frazee's Blade.

"Did you eat those vampires?" With the help of the dark vision, the dark elf could clearly see the cabin that was once full of vampire corpses. The smell of blood did not evaporate, so he made a guess.

"It was cleaned up. Except for the magic item taken away by the illusionist, there was nothing valuable on these vampires."

Francis had come into contact with many people. He knew that normal people were more fragile than his friends, both in life and in spirit. "Dalia will be shocked again when she sees those corpses suddenly disappear tomorrow."

Tolerating the weak is one of Francis' characteristics. How cruel he is to his enemies, how caring he will be to his weaker companions. It is limited to strangers who are not yet friends. When dealing with acquaintances, Francis will add some more intimate interactions, including but not limited to fighting.

"Then tell her that it has been buried."

Francis looked at John, who didn't care much. Unlike himself, John didn't mean to be humble to Dalia. I don't know if it's my illusion, but the warlock who was traveling with me was not as mature and cautious as before. When he came into contact with Lucien and Dalia, he acted a little... casual.

Is it because he relied on his foresight and thought that he would remind him of all the troubles?

Francis is not that kind of person. He prefers to let setbacks warn the young warlock.

"I don't think the vampire attack will come again. The disappearance of a team is enough to warn Smelki. He is indeed not as smart as Marianna, but he is not a fool. He will re-evaluate the value of this silver pendant." John said as he looked at the silver cross pendant that the dark elf put away.

Francis looked at him strangely.

"I know, whether it's the problem of vampire attacks or whether Marianna is smart."

For a while, the two remained silent, but the tacit understanding of many years allowed them to complete the task of finding another camp to rest without verbal communication. The two lay in their respective sleeping bags and fell asleep with their backs to each other.

The night in Northrend is really quiet and cold.

On the other side, the communication between Lucien and Dalia in the cabin is more harmonious.

The illusionist was very good at talking, and he gradually eased Dalia's uneasiness with his sense of humor.

"I can see that, Lucien, you knew it a long time ago." Dalia's eyes were slightly blaming, blaming the illusionist for not reminding her in advance, which caught her off guard and made her look a little ugly in the team.

"You have to experience something in person and find the answer from your heart."

Dalia let go of her hand. Before that, her fingers had been placed on the handle of the hammer at her waist as a simple psychological comfort.

"I thought the family's tempering had made me realize my shortcomings, but this time, well, the gap in ability is the source of uneasiness. I am too weak, Lucien, compared to you, I am just a rookie, so I am afraid."

Lucien smiled and patted Dalia on the head.

"Everyone has been through the rookie stage, and fear is a common emotion. But now, we are a team, Miss, you can regard the strength of your companions as your own strength, don't be afraid, believe me, Francis is a trustworthy warrior, and so is John. We will be invincible, what could be more exciting than commanding a legendary team?"

"Become a member of the real legend."

"Oh, then you really should work harder, and start with a good rest."

"Thank you, Lucien."

"You're welcome, Dalia."

Dalia curled up in her sleeping bag, closed her eyes, and listened to the slight sound of Lucien lying down, feeling warm and at ease.