No one actually ate the crystal. In the end, all three pieces fell into Ed's hands.

In fact, Ed had more than just three pieces in his hands. In addition to the purple crystal that Iss threw at him, he also had the most common colorless crystal that he had picked up from the Hanging Grain Realm. A small cluster, like a flower blooming from a rock, a gray-green silk pile sinking into the transparent petals, but it does not look dirty and muddy.

Most of the crystals hanging in the air in that world are actually colorless, different sizes, but the shapes are very regular, and the near-perfect hexagonal prisms reflect brilliant light, like a dream...... It's also really dazzling.

They seemed to follow a pattern, but Ed didn't have time to study it. At that time, he did not wonder if it was a crystal or not, after all, the origin of the name "Hanging Grain Realm", and the shape and color of those crystals that were indistinguishable from those in this world, gave him a predetermined impression.

But now, when he had time to look closely at the sunlight and feel the power contained in it, he gradually realized that this thing was probably not the same as the "jewel" of this world.

The gem of this world is a precious spell material because it holds the power of magic more consistently and massively than anything else - it is a perfect vessel, but it has no power of its own.

But this small piece of green leaves in his palm, which was given to a small dragon by people from another world as food without hesitation, was like a ...... Possess life.

Its power is flowing...... It is growing, like a young shoot broken from a cactus, even if it is separated from the main body and turned into fragments, it is not cut off from life.

Its power is not infused into it by anyone, but by nature.

Even the most inconspicuous cluster of crystals he had picked up was not an inanimate stone.

"Maybe these crystals are actually plants in the Hanging Grain Realm?" he told Is, his guess, "that they grow out of the ground and absorb the power of that world, like plants that absorb sunlight and water...... Remember, the 'dirt' there is hard as stone, and the grass that grows can make a hole in my foot, but there are animals that eat it...... Maybe the food of the Saz is these crystals?"

That's why they weren't surprised at all that Nana was holding the stone and gnawing on it.

Iss picked up a crystal and played with it around his fingers. The sunlight shined through the crystal, casting a small green dot of light onto the floor, dangling with his movements.

"It is said that a long time ago, the jewels of this world also had life. It took a long time for him to speak, "As you say, it grows like a plant...... It will also collapse and die like a plant, becoming nourishment for other life. At that time, all things had spirits, and souls could be born in rocks, and ancient trees could speak...... At that time, the world was chaotic and barbaric, but it was full of life. But that's ...... Before all the memories I inherited began. ”

Ed held his breath slightly, his lips closed. There was a ...... in Is's calm tone Something extraordinarily heavy. He could almost predict what he would say next. He would tell him that it was the elves, the dwarves, and all the things created by the gods that made the world what it is...... so that the descendants of the true Creator have nowhere to go and cannot survive.

He'd heard it many times. He understands that the resentment that has lasted for thousands of years is difficult to change, and he understands the inevitable position of being a dragon, but he still gradually gives birth to a little grievance.

He didn't want to hear his friends tell him over and over again, "You shouldn't exist." That really made him uncomfortable - maybe he should have let Iss know about it.

“...... It is said that even we were able to 'absorb sunlight and water'...... Absorb the power that is everywhere in the air. At that time, we didn't just eat meat, and we didn't like to collect gold, gems, all kinds of magical items......"

Isis paused. He stared out the window in a daze, not knowing what he remembered. The sun illuminated his outline a little blurry, beautiful, but suddenly lifeless, like an unreal shadow...... It's like a distant time and space from him.

Ed suddenly forgot what he was trying to say. He couldn't help but reach out and grab him, but when Iss turned around, the little panic that made him panic disappeared into his bitter smile.

"At that time, it wasn't like we had no other way out. He said, "We may at least be able to live with you as the Azolas...... Be at peace like the centaurs and the Noua, or let our blood and faith merge so that all life and power flow into the sea like a stream, and turn around as before...... Maybe it can be better than before. ”

- Life flows like water.

Ed thought blankly.

Faint as mist, macro as rivers and seas, forever in the palm of your hand...... Where did this prayer come from?

Xingyi wasn't wrong. Isis continued, with a slight frustration, "We are stubborn, willful, proud, selfish...... We had all her flaws, but we couldn't inherit her generosity and accommodating ......"

“...... Why?" Ed asked involuntarily.

Ise frowned suspiciously. The vague question in Ed's mind became clearer.

"Why?" he straightened, his eyes burning, "she couldn't have deliberately created you like this...... That's not the case with Nana. ”

"Have you heard too many bedtime stories?" Iss reluctantly threw the crystal back to him, "Don't you think that there is some demon whispering in our ears, making the malice in our hearts spread out without limit, and gradually become a demon...... Dragons aren't so easily swayed. ”

But if someone hides in the shadows for a long time, fanning the flames, and piling up small contradictions into insoluble hatred little by little...... It's not impossible.

Ed swallowed his uncertain speculation and discussed another possibility with Is.

"I read Felicity's notes carefully. "There's a lot of unclear about her, especially after discovering that the circle might be a trap...... But many of the worlds she has been to should be like the Hanging Crystal Realm, with extremely abundant power. And the imprint she spoke of ......"

He drew the symbol on the back of Filly's neck on the table, discreetly not drawing it all.

"There's this symbol on the circle, and I don't know if it's the same as the one she said. He said, "But Filly ......"

“...... It can automatically drain the life of others when it is half dead. Isis understood, "So, that magic circle, maybe it can draw power from the worlds it can connect to—doesn't that sound good?"

Ed smiled wryly. When he thought of this, there was a moment when he couldn't control his heart...... But it's not good at all.

"It's not 'sucking'. He said, "It's stealing." It's like a person who is dying of starvation to steal someone else's bread, which may be excusable, but it is wrong. Especially...... At a time when we don't know how much we have to steal to live, and whether the stolen person will starve to death because of it. ”