Alien Knights

As the sun set, Todd walked into the "Sister Hotel" full of anxiety, picked a table in the back, looked at Karin Foreman walking towards him, forced a smile and said, "A glass of pomegranate juice, and a seafood bibimbap."

The girl gave him a worried look, then turned and walked towards the bar.

Five minutes later, Karin walked awkwardly to Todd's desk under Rachel's push.

The latter looked at the girl who was hesitant to speak, and asked strangely, "What's wrong?"

"Sister Rachel asked me to put down what I was doing and chat with you..."

Todd was taken aback, and looked sideways at the nun at the bar, who winked at him.

He stood up, walked to the opposite side of the table, and gently opened the chair. When Todd finished these actions unconsciously, he and Karin were both stunned. The two of them coincidentally recalled the meal in Shouwang Town.

Seeing the girl sit down, Todd sighed softly and returned to his seat, not knowing how to speak for a moment.

There was an awkward silence.

After a while, Todd coughed lightly and said, "Is it the living habits in the town?"

Karin nodded slightly.

Todd glanced at the girl with her chin resting on her chest, and said, "You were a well-known star in the circus back then. Now you're staying in a hotel, don't you feel sad?"

Karin raised her head and said in a puzzled tone: "Why are you sad? Everything here is good, and you can see new things every day. As long as you work hard, there will always be gains. In the circus, although there is no need to worry about food and clothing, people will applaud my performance, but I feel like a bird in a cage, without freedom."

Todd was a little surprised. He looked into the other person's eyes and said, "You mean, Muxi Town is better than there?"

"Of course." Karin rested her index finger on her chin, looked upwards, and said while recalling: "Uncle Huggins once told me that he found the meaning of living here, and he was willing to protect some things with his life; Grandpa Aiden also told me that he was just a craftsman who was discriminated against in the past, but now his work is respected, and his works appear everywhere in the town; and Sassoon, who brought us vegetables, told everyone that there is no whip and no heavy taxes here. His life is getting better and better every day..."

The girl's words came to his ears, and Todd's heart slowly calmed down for some reason.

Karin talked about what she had seen and heard, and the more she talked, the happier she was. From the sister hotel to the big market that was about to open, from the bustling market at night to the arrival of a group of bards in the town, from the lighthouse by the sea to the fishing boats returning with full load the day before yesterday.

Todd didn't interrupt her, just smiled and listened to the girl.

"...people say it's like a warm home..."

Hearing this, Todd's eyes lost focus, and he murmured, "Home...is it..."

"Snowing!"

Someone came in from outside the hotel, pointed at the door and shouted happily.

Karin stopped talking, and happily ran towards the door.

Todd stood up too, and followed the girl out the door.

Large flakes of snowflakes fluttered and fluttered in the wind, falling on the land of Muxi Town, dressing up this lively night. Children from every household rushed out of the house, running in the snow, listening to the sound of shoes stepping on the snow, watching the snow particles falling on the tip of their tongues, laughing and playing together.

Karin joined the children's team. She stretched out her hands, and small crystal snowflakes fell on the palms of her palms, which looked like pieces of transparent icing sugar, slowly melting.

Todd looked at the snow that was falling more and more, but his thoughts drifted to the night of life and death when he first came to another world a year ago.

Heavy snow fell on his shoulders and top of his head for a long time, until someone patted the snow off his body for him.

When he turned his head, Rachel rubbed her hands and asked him with a smile, "What are you thinking about? You were motionless just now, like a sculpture."

Todd looked a little lonely, didn't speak, and shook his head.

Karin stood beside Rachel, with sad eyes, carefully grabbed his sleeve: "Todd, I don't know why, I always feel that you are getting farther and farther..."

"Far?"

Karin lowered her head, and the corners of her eyes were moist: "When we first met, you would be sad and laugh with us. This year, you were clearly by our side, but you felt farther and farther away from us... You often stayed in the room alone for a long time without going out, and there was no past smile on your face. No matter what happened, you always endured it in silence..."

The girl kicked the snowballs on the ground: "Uncle Huggins, Mr. Alfonso, Sister Rachel, Grandpa Aiden, Edgar, Little Jerry... There are many, many people, and you are the most talked about when they get together. Everyone wants to help you, but they don't know how to help..."

Rachel looked at Todd, and lightly brushed the snowflakes off his shoulders: "When the burden on a person's shoulders is too heavy, even the hardest spine will break one day. Why don't you try to find another person to shoulder the burden with yourself?"

The latter stood in the heavy snow, although the cold wind was piercing, but the heart was warm.

"Rachel, I would like an immediate meeting tonight..."

Snow is everywhere in this world, and my heart is already gentle and lonely.

—————————————

That night, the worship hall of the Muxi Town Church.

Standing on the pulpit, Todd first glanced at the people walking in the door, and then refocused on the young deacon beside him.

Tristan looked a little tired: "Chief, are you sure you want to do this?"

With firm eyes, Todd nodded and said, "Yes."

The man sighed deeply: "Then it's useless for me to say anything, I think I will stay."

Todd was a little surprised: "Aren't you going?"

Tristan glanced at him: "If you don't go, it means that my task is not completed, how can I go first?"

Todd nodded with some gratitude, and asked worriedly: "The knight in the skirt, are you sure he is reliable?"

Tristan seemed to remember something, his face turned pale, and his blood faded: "I... confirm that he is a reliable person, and my master trusts him very much."

There were more and more people in the chapel. Rachel, Karin, and Tristan were the first to arrive because they lived near the church; Cumberland, Huggins, Alfonso, and Mary came in next; then came Edgar and Jerry; and lastly, Knight Dion.

Looking around at the people who were gradually taking their seats in the hall, Todd's voice was low but firm: "Everyone, the reason you have been summoned here in a hurry is because Muxi Town has reached a critical moment of life and death."

Looking at the different expressions of the people in the audience, Todd continued: "At the beginning of spring next year, there will be three invading troops marching here at the same time."

Listening to the discussions in his ears, Todd re-explained the latest news brought by Tristan to everyone.

Unlike those who did not have any psychological preparations, the old knight Cumberland guessed the offensive in the spring of next year, but he did not expect that there would be three forces attacking Muxi Town, and the troops would be divided into land and sea.

The old man stood up and asked one of the things he was most concerned about: "So, when will the church's reinforcements arrive?"

Todd and Tristan looked at each other, shook their heads and said, "The Church will not send any reinforcements. In this battle, Muxi Town will be alone and helpless."

Karin asked: "Maybe we can organize everyone in Muxi Town and let them leave here as soon as possible?"

Before Todd could speak, Huggins, who was sitting next to her, first explained: "It's winter now, and even if we want to organize the evacuation of the residents, we have to wait until the beginning of spring when the ice and snow melt. Moreover, these unarmed old, weak, women and children in the town move at a slow speed, and they are easy to be spotted and chased by the enemy's cavalry."

Todd said at this time: "Now there is a biggest problem. The enemy is in the dark, and we are in the light. It is not difficult for the enemy to know the troop deployment and military strength of Muxi Town. But we don't know the enemy's troop strength, commander, and marching route."

Rachel thought for a while, then laughed: "If you want to know the military information of the barbarians and pirates, I can help."

Seeing everyone focus their attention on herself, the woman said slowly: "I know quite a few people among the barbarians, and they can provide us with a lot of useful information."

Cumberland stroked his beard and said, "Speaking of which, I also have many acquaintances in Silver Ring City, who may be able to help us understand something."

The knight Dion, who had been keeping silent all this time, glanced at Tristan, and said suddenly: "Lord Todd, regarding the war next spring, if there is a large disparity in strength between the enemy and us, or if the odds of winning are low, would you consider leaving the townspeople behind and evacuating with the Muxi Knights first?"

When everyone in the hall heard this speech, their expressions froze, with different expressions.

Huggins glanced at Todd, his face full of worry; Alfonso blushed, looking like he wanted to reprimand Dion for his remarks; Cumberland looked solemn, waiting for a reply from the pulpit; Rachel and Karin focused on the front without making any sound.

"If the strength of the enemy and us is very different, and the chances of winning are not great, Muxi Town really needs someone to stay..."

Hearing Todd's answer, indescribable disappointment and contempt flashed in Dion's eyes.

To the surprise of the latter, Todd pointed to his forehead and said word by word: "I will let the people in the town evacuate first, and the one who stays will be me."

"What?!"

Everyone present, except Tristan, all exclaimed loudly.

Todd stretched out his hands, suppressed the voices of the people, and continued: "When I came here, it was still a deserted beach with only stones and gravel. When I wrote the first recruitment order, those people who have been oppressed and tortured for a long time, pursued freedom, brought all their belongings, and dreamed, and began to build this "land of miracles."

Todd looked at the faces of everyone in the audience, and recalled every bit of this year: "Among these people, there are ethnic groups that have been excluded, some good people who have been framed by others, and innocent people who have been defined as heretics. Muxi Town is their only hope to live with freedom and dignity, and it is also the last paradise where they can realize their ideals and aspirations. If I run away, it will be the most ruthless betrayal of them!"

Todd looked at the small town outside the window, clenched his fist, remembered a paragraph in his mind, and said loudly: "I, Todd Ferchelle, as the head of the Muxi Knights, chose to fight, and may die like this; chose to run away, maybe he can steal it. , A only opportunity to tell me the enemy that you may be able to take away my life, but you can never trample on my freedom! "