Chapter 430: Necessary

Ever since the huge screeching sound emerged from the direction of Huitou Forest, Priest Bataer and the others had been on guard for a long time. Everyone stood in tight formation, gripping their respective weapons, ready to engage in battle with any enemy at a moment's notice.

But they waited and waited, and waited and waited, yet nothing came. The surroundings were peaceful; a buzzing sound of insects came from the grass, some glowing flying insects wandered among the surrounding shrubs and flowers, and from the dwarf trees not far away, there was the noisy sound of long-haired lynx Beast-men eating and playing.

Except for the missing calls of birds that are active at night, everything around was exactly the same as any peaceful spring wilderness.

Priest Bataer's hand holding the Amber Metal Long Staff had become sore; he had to switch the staff from his right hand to his left, then from his left back to his right, and then hold it up with both hands because he truly couldn't lift it anymore. Finally, he had no choice but to lean the staff against the ground, his demeanor appearing slightly awkward at this moment.

But fortunately, the other Warriors around were even more awkward.

At the beginning, everyone had serious expressions, keeping their formation neat while watching for any movement in the surroundings. But gradually, as time stretched on indefinitely, they each began to grow bored and sleepy. Some people started talking in low voices to pass the time, and subsequently, more and more people joined in. Eventually, everyone simply opened up to talk and chat to boost their spirits.

The Priest also found it difficult to reprimand everyone; after all, he was truly bored as well. This state of not knowing what to guard against was very sleep-inducing.

As for the various drivers who were close to Jier and trusted by him, and thus arranged by Jier to manage the Refugee Team's horses and vehicles, they also simply put away the Short Swords and Daggers in their hands at this time. In any case, their combat power was quite average; whether they participated in the battle or not had little impact on the final outcome of the fight.

Therefore, they simply took care of the horses, feeding them, giving them water, and brushing their fur and cleaning their Horseshoes. They even wanted to go and repair everyone's carriages, which was narrowly stopped by the Priest, with the reason being that the noise from hammering nails would carry very far in the wilderness at night, so it was best not to do so.

Just as everyone's morale was further lowered due to the long-term defense, the meowing sounds of long-haired lynx Beast-men came from the distance, towards the direction of Huitou Forest.

"It's not an enemy! The calls of the Mao Maos aren't that sharp, and there's no warning tone in their cries."

A Warrior who had some contact and understanding of the Mao Maos shouted out quickly, because just a moment ago, as the long-haired lynx Beast-men's calls rang out, everyone had hurriedly, messily, frantically, distractedly, nervously, anxiously, and dizzyingly entered a state of alert and defense. (Just kidding around, haha.)

"It should be our own people! At this time, the only 'own people' could be Knight Jier, who went out earlier."

The Swordsman Weier was relatively calm; he loudly stated his judgment. When the Mao Mao's calls came just now, he and the Priest were the two most composed.

Sure enough, behind a low hill lying in the shadows of the night in the distance towards the Huitou Forest side, a bit of light appeared, and the source of the light came from a Torch on a warhorse.

As time passed, the warhorse gradually approached everyone.

Those among the group with good eyesight saw that it was Tianxuecao and breathed a sigh of relief, one by one even putting away their weapons and equipment. Because in everyone's view, the appearance of Knight Jier meant that the existence capable of protecting everyone's safety had returned. If an enemy appeared at this time, if Knight Jier could beat them, they wouldn't need to intervene; if Knight Jier couldn't beat them, then whether they intervened or not didn't seem to be of much use.

Of course, this attitude was quite passive. If a battle really occurred, everyone would still go up to help, but they had been guarding against someone all night without knowing who, and now that Knight Jier was returning from the direction of Huitou Forest, he must know something.

Even if he didn't know anything, with a backbone in their hearts, they wouldn't need to be on such strict guard.

Sleep when it's time to sleep, stand guard when it's time to stand guard; the whole night would pass quickly.

In the quiet wilderness night, the hoofbeats of a horse as large and heavily loaded with equipment as Tianxuecao were dull and clear.

Across a distance, Xueya Site from the team waved and shouted to Jier: "Jier eh~~~ You went out to train alone just now; did you hear the huge screeching sound coming from Huitou Forest on your side? Did you see the numerous birds that flew over the Yingdi?"

Jier rode his horse slowly toward the group, not quite knowing how to answer the fact that he had changed his entire set of armor after going out for a trip, but he didn't pause in his speech and answered directly: "Of course I heard it. That ghostly wailing sounded like an undead haunting; I don't know exactly what it was either. However, I do have some guesses, but they are only guesses."

Jier's words attracted everyone's attention. After all, everyone had gone on alert because they heard that huge bird call, and now that Jier said he had a guess, everyone was very curious.

Although curious, Priest Bataer had the best night vision, and he was the first to discover the fact that Jier had changed into a set of armor.

He frowned, not understanding how Jier could have changed into a set of armor after just one trip out. Where did the Metal Armor he had been wearing all along go? And what was up with this Hard Cowhide Armor of his?

Priest Bataer hadn't seen much of this Full-coverage Armor of hard cowhide that Jier had taken off when heading south; he had mostly seen Jier in that Metal Full-coverage Armor.

The Swordsman Weier naturally also saw the fact that he had changed armor as Knight Jier approached, but he didn't care about it. His eyes were fixed on Jier's Sword; Weier himself was a master of the sword, so he naturally paid more attention to long-sword weapons.

Jier usually liked to use his Glowing Treasure Sword for night lighting, but at this moment, he was acting contrary to his usual behavior, using a Torch, which he hadn't been seen using many times, for lighting.

Jier's Long Sword was also obediently inserted into the Sword Sheath at this time, slowly emitting a Cyan Fluorescence from the hilt and the shell of the Sword Sheath.

But Weier's doubt was only for a moment, and then he was attracted by Jier's explanation.

Xueya Site was most familiar with Jier; he wasn't too surprised to see Jier had changed armor, but he was a bit puzzled: where was the Metal Armor he had taken off? Tianxuecao's pack couldn't fit a full set of armor as big as a whole person, could it?

"My guess, of course, is just a guess; it might not be accurate. I actually heard that kind of huge bird call just now, but I don't believe that sound was really the call of some huge bird."

Jier approached the place where the caravan was camped. He jumped off the warhorse and patted Tianxuecao, not letting Tianxuecao enter the Yingdi surrounded by carriages, but instead letting the warhorse wait for him honestly outside the campsite.

Of course, Jier's small actions were not noticed by anyone; everyone's attention was attracted by Jier's words.

"First of all, for such a huge bird call to be transmitted from Huitou Forest to here, the raptor that made this sound wouldn't be small. It would have to have a wingspan of at least ten meters, right? Then it wouldn't be an ordinary wild animal, but a Monster, or even a bird-type Magic Beast."

Jier pushed aside a carriage that was blocking the way, and then casually lifted the hundreds-of-kilograms-heavy carriage and moved it back to its original position. This scene made the few Warriors nearby watch with eager eyes; they also dreamed of having such strength and power.

"A Magic Beast—I haven't heard the Dwarfs say there are bird-type Magic Beasts nearby. This possibility can naturally be ruled out first. After all, if there really were such a Magic Beast, the Dwarfs and the Human Farmers in the village wouldn't be living so comfortably. Regarding this point, you don't think there's a problem, right?" Jier asked everyone back.

Everyone thought this deduction had no flaws, so they all answered no.

Jier pretended to lean naturally against his carriage, spread his hands, and continued: "As for a Monster, it's impossible for there to be only one similar bird-type Monster. Just like the Harpy Monsters in the Western Province, they must form a group of similar size to reproduce normally. Of course, the Monsters in the mountains might be a bit different, but living alone also violates the survival laws of Monster populations."

Speaking of the Harpy Monsters in the Western Province, Xueya Site briefly told everyone about the situation of these Monsters that liked to gather and move together to harass the Shanglu of the Western Province.

With this explanation, everyone could barely understand what Jier meant by the survival laws of populations, so those who understood and those who didn't all nodded.

Jier chuckled and continued: "It's not a Magic Beast, and it's not a Monster. And among ordinary raptors, there are no birds of such a large size. Therefore, my judgment is that the huge sound was not, as everyone thought, emitted by a bird!"

Jier added a classic line from his previous life: "There is only one truth! That sound similar to a bird call was most likely caused by some problem with the Dwarfs' Fog-making Machine. For example, when the Dwarfs turned it off or damaged it, it emitted noise similar to a bird's cry. This is my deduction, and it is also most likely the truth of the matter."

Most of the people present didn't know much about what the Dwarfs' Fog-making Machine was, because no one had ever mentioned it before, so Jier briefly explained the news and notification he had received from the Dwarfs.

Only then did everyone understand that the thick White Mist that emerged at night in Huitou Forest was created by some strange machine of the Dwarfs.

"Lord Jier, could this machine you mentioned be buried underground in Huitou Forest?" a curious Warrior asked.

Jier also gave a speculation: "It shouldn't be. Instead, it's on the mountain next to Huitou Forest. I once saw with my own eyes that the mist rolled down from the mountain. Think about it carefully, everyone: the huge sound came from the direction of Huitou Forest, but it didn't necessarily come from inside Huitou Forest. If a loud noise came from the mountain next to it, from our position, it would also be easily thought to have come from the direction of Huitou Forest."

Jier's explanation finally won the approval of everyone. Priest Bataer then pointed to the sky and asked Jier curiously: "You explained the truth of the huge bird call to everyone, then why did those countless birds from different species, active at different times, gather there? Do you have an answer to this question, Jier the Warrior?"

Jier smiled slightly. On the way back, he had already thought of the answer. Watch how he deceives—no, convinces—everyone.

"Countless birds gathering at night and flying in one direction. Regarding this kind of thing, I actually don't have much certainty to explain it." Jier first "stacked armor" to lower everyone's expectations.

Then he said: "What can attract birds is nothing more than those few things: food, mates, water sources, and calls for help. First, food. The food of different species of birds is different. Everyone can understand this, right? Some birds like to eat insects, some like to eat nuts and seeds, some like to eat Caoshu and rabbits, and some can even hunt mountain goats and rock goats."

"They eat differently, so it's unlikely they would collectively go to compete because of the appearance of one type of food. Besides, it's night now. Some birds that are only active during the day won't leave their nests at night, because there are also some birds that prey on other birds."

Jier's words were clear, and even the young people from Farmer families who had never learned much knowledge could understand them.

"As for mates, although it is spring now, which is the time for some birds to court and breed, but for the same reason as above, it's impossible for different species of birds to collectively run out in the middle of the night to crazily court at night because of mates. Even if there are some birds that court and breed at night, it's impossible for all of them to be like that; it's too abnormal."

Everyone agreed with this explanation of Jier's.

"As for the appearance of a new water source, thus attracting all the birds that need to drink water to go there overnight. Hmm, this possibility exists, but it doesn't work in Huitou Forest; it doesn't hold up."

Hearing these words from Jier, everyone didn't understand yet, but Priest Bataer added: "Because the water in the small river in Huitou Forest cannot be used as a water source for drinking. Let alone drinking, if you pay attention to the small river flowing out of Huitou Forest, you will find that even wild grass doesn't grow on both banks of the river, so you know why it cannot be drunk."

Jier nodded: "That's right. Although I don't know the reason, the small river in Huitou Forest is indeed polluted by something. It can't be drunk, and even grass can't grow, so it's even more impossible for birds to drink it."

"Finally." Jier held up a finger: "Finally, only the last of the main possibilities I mentioned remains: a call for help!"

"A cry for help?"

"What kind of cry for help?"

"Who is calling for help from whom?"

"It couldn't be birds calling for help from other birds, could it?"

"That's too bizarre!"

Everyone started to complain, feeling that the explanation given by Knight Jier was too bizarre and unbelievable.

But Jier nodded, saying words he himself did not believe: "That's right, it is exactly the reason for birds calling for help from other birds."

Seeing that everyone did not believe him, he 'explained': "Actually, don't look at those winged birds as usually small in size; they are actually very smart, have their own social organizations, and have their own set of languages. If you don't believe it, hasn't everyone heard similar stories and news in their hometowns? Someone bullied a red-eyed crow near their home, and as a result, every day after that, as long as they went out, they would be watched by different red-eyed crows, taking turns defecating on their heads, or sneaking into their homes to snatch away small items and hide them."

"Besides that, what about something similar? Someone helped an injured bird, and after the bird's injuries healed, different birds would bring some shiny little items to their home every day, such as some shiny coins."

Xueya Site laughed: "Jier, your story connects from top to bottom; the things lost from the first person's home were sent to the second person's home, right?"

"Hahahaha." Everyone laughed.

Jier also smiled: "I'm not joking, that's roughly what I mean. My point is, don't think that those birds can't talk; perhaps it's just because we don't understand the language they speak."

"By the same token, I have reached a guess here. Is it possible that the sound accidentally emitted by the Fog-making Machine hidden by the Dwarf on the mountain, that is, the huge sound resembling a bird's call, makes various birds feel that it is a cry for help from a companion who is injured and trapped? Therefore, those different types of birds—actually, if you say they are smart, they aren't that smart—they rush toward the place where the sound is emitted, regardless of day or night, in a hurry, without caring about anything else."

Although Jier's reasoning was absurd, it at least provided a seemingly possible explanation, and without any other better explanation appearing, everyone could only accept this one.

Thus the topic ended there, and Jier dismissed everyone, telling those on watch to go on watch and those resting to hurry up and rest, otherwise it was already midnight, and it wouldn't be long before dawn.

Lack of sleep at night will affect everyone's speed of advance during the day.

Especially the various drivers who needed to drive the carriages were named by Jier and required to sleep immediately, while the night watch rotation would be completed by the Warriors who had sat in the carriages for a day.

"Priest Bataer, you should also hurry up and sleep; we still have to ride horses to travel during the day." Jier signaled for the Priest to sleep earlier too, because by now, Priest Bataer had ridden a horse all day to travel, and then after night fell, had been on high alert for half the night, and was already very sleepy.

"It's fine, this bit of fatigue, ah, it can't compare at all to treating injured civilians after a war. I will pray one more time before sleeping, and then I will rest." The Priest held on, put away the things on his body, and went to pray.

No one in the team really came to ask Jier why he had changed his Armor, which made Jier somewhat surprised; he had even prepared a corresponding excuse, saying that while he was doing martial arts training just now, his Armor got some mud and sweat on it, so he changed it, and was just wearing his old Hard Cowhide Armor to make do.

But since no one came to ask him, Jier could only shrug, changed into a set of ordinary clothes in his own carriage, and then cleaned the Horse Armor for the Tianxuecao left outside the Yingdi, fed them water and food, and put away the weapons and equipment on the horses.

After finishing everything, he crawled into the sleeping bag near the campfire, not really falling asleep, but instead playing with the Little Shadow Bird jumping back and forth on his finger under the cover.

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? (End of this chapter)