Crimson Servant

John opened his eyes, and the pain from his broken bones had disappeared. He saw a druid sitting next to him. To his disappointment, this druid was a bearded man.

"It seems you had a good dream." Jurgen's face was still stained with blood, his hair was messy, as if covered with a layer of soot, the original color of the animal skin suit could no longer be seen, and a few of them were burnt. The holes made him look like a homeless man. Only those eyes that emitted a determined luster could barely recognize the druid's appearance.

He seemed to be in a good mood.

The splint on his arm had been removed. John used his other arm to prop up his upper body and paid attention to his surroundings with a feeling of emptiness.

He was still in the makeshift camp, with the campfire burning quietly and some new firewood added to it.

Lightning slept next to the fire with his head on his arms, his feathers stretched lazily, and he could be ignited by the bonfire as long as he turned over. The paladin sat resting in the corner, with his sword leaning on his knees and his shield in his hand. He occupied the only entrance and exit of the camp, and his sleeping face faced that direction.

"Lightning told me what happened after I fell into a coma before taking a break. Your body... you are very strong, John. The fractures have been healed by me."

"Thank you."

"This is what I should do. I have to restore your body to its original state. Only in this way can it match your indomitable will. But I am a little curious, John, what belief supports you to take risks with such a weak physique."

"Friends, friends like family." John saw Jurgen's satisfied expression. When he heard this answer, he looked like he had finished enjoying an enchanting opera. John's answer just spoke to his heart.

"They'll be proud of you."

John didn't answer. Jurgen's kind attitude of considering himself an elder made him feel weird and familiar, and he didn't want to continue this topic.

"You are really lucky, Jurgen. You are the first Druid I have ever seen who uses his body to block attacks for others, especially when the person you protect is wearing heavy armor."

The dwarf simply sat down next to John, an apologetic smile appeared on his rough face, and he lowered his voice and said: "I was impatient for a while. After getting along with you young people for a long time, even my mentality became impulsive, sacrificing myself for others. Such troubles almost broke this old bone."

"You'd better change your opinion of Carl in particular. No matter who you think of him as, the Paladins are tougher than you think."

Jurgen felt embarrassed that his thoughts were revealed, and his tense body quickly relaxed.

"Humans are such an incredible race."

"As a human being, I don't feel it at all."

The dwarf took out a dark green round bottle from his arms, bit open the lid, and drank heavily.

"It's medicine, it protects the body's health, and it has a slight anesthetic effect." Jurgen added.

John pretended that he couldn't tell what the smell of alcohol was, and there was a mild odor in it. The dwarf druid might have applied his professional skills to racial hobbies.

"Your adoptive mother, that immortal seed, John, how is she doing?"

"Nora is a person who can discover the joy of life..."

"Does she still treat you as a child who needs care and thinks you haven't grown up yet?"

John thought of the way that woman approached her without shyness. Her cunning but sincere personality was like a master key to unlocking her heart. She often caused trouble, but occasionally made John feel at ease.

“This is true for anyone who considers themselves a mother.”

Jurgen took another sip and said softly: "We have a dull sense of the passage of time. This feeling will become more obvious when we come into contact with you. She should be the same, and she has not gotten used to your growth. , your changes are too fast, so fast that I want him to slow down."

"I was originally an abandoned baby, and the elders of the Druid Society adopted me. There are many druids like this. My teacher is a wood elf, and the education I received makes me different from ordinary dwarves. But I don't care about that. I love my association and the family that raised me."

"Hundreds of years later, my teacher handed me a human child."

"At first I didn't want to accept him. I asked the elders to change me to a healthier and longer-lived one. There has long been a gap in the association about life span, and I was unwilling to devote my efforts to cultivating a seedling that would die prematurely. But this is what Big Drew is. Yi's special arrangement, life is a gift. He bound me with the righteousness of maintaining the harmony of the association."

"Yes, tied up. I was still reluctant when I first raised him."

"But he is so smart! He grows up so fast! It's like composing an elf poem in the blink of an eye. I already feel the sense of accomplishment before I feel the pain of hard work. He is one of those children. The smartest one, well-behaved and sensible. When others were still crying, he would run; when others were still babbling, he would learn to release the first whip of thorns."

"It was the happiest time I had, and every day was a surprise."

"Until later, I'm not sure when it was, maybe ten years? Twelve years? Fifteen years? I began to worry about his growth. His advantage of diligence became a flaw. He learned too fast and had no ability at all. Time lays the groundwork. My kids eventually hit a plateau that I couldn't solve with my ability."

"I watched him become increasingly impetuous, watched him suffer from stagnation, and felt the same depression in his heart. Only then did I truly realize that he is my child and I love him. I have thought of many ways to solve him. Regarding the problem, visiting those Druid elders and reading ancient books have achieved some results, but it seems to him that it is not enough. He is really outstanding, and he has stood at the extreme of what he can achieve at that age, but his eyes are looking towards Those elder druids, even the great druids, have the wisdom accumulated over hundreds of years."

"I guide him with my thoughts, chat with him, and meditate together. Let his mind slow down and focus on other things, the beautiful scenery or the buttocks of a beautiful girl. I learn to drink with him and try it together Brewed with various medicines. We traveled, went on adventures, went to various places, and saw many civilizations.”

"It was on this journey that we realized the vast world beyond the association. We came into contact with many people, many of them humans, and he and the others quickly came together and developed a sense of belonging."

"I'm not disgusted with this, but I'm very annoyed by those humans who keep boasting about their talents, just like me in the beginning, encouraging them to continue to forge ahead. Human beings are growing in a hurry and withering in a hurry. My child and I have differences again, But the difference is, this time he has race to back him up, and he thinks he’s not wrong.”

"We got into a cold war, and I locked myself in the grotto and tried to calm down with each other for a while."

"Three years later, I got the news that he secretly learned the taboo and escaped."

"I have to find him, I have to find him."

"His withering period is coming, and I want to take him back."

John listened quietly to Jurgen's story, remembering what he had already understood.

When someone begins to love you, they have already realized the end.