Ed flickered past Sersio's door with straight eyes, took a few steps and then stepped back, listening in confusion.

Through the wooden door, he heard someone singing softly, the lyrics indistinct, but the simple melody seemed to him to have heard somewhere before—in the howling snowstorm, by the warm campfire, with the lively beat and hearty laughter, it sounded something else entirely......

It was an old, barbarian song.

He'd heard it in the camp of the Benlu tribe, and he'd heard it on Howl's sleigh. The friendly half-breed had told him that it was probably the most joyful and tender of all the barbarian songs, and it used the rare humor of a savage to describe how a young warrior tried in every possible way to please his beloved, but was always unable to make all sorts of jokes.

But now, he heard a faint and long sadness from the originally brisk tone.

The sorrow that belonged to others quietly wrapped around his heart like a vine, entangled with a faint pain. He seems to ...... I didn't even have the opportunity to do anything to please my lover.

Suddenly, he remembered that he had forgotten a promise.

He ran down the stairs like the wind, crashed headlong into the small greenhouse of Limestone Castle to the astonishment of everyone, and stammered to the frightened old gardener for an early-blooming rose.

"If the girl who receives the flowers smiles at you—believe me, young man, she will—remember to invite me to a few good glasses of wine. ”

Wither, the white-haired gardener, said half-jokingly as he cut off a red and white rose and handed it to him.

Ed struggled to make himself smile more naturally. I think of it with mixed feelings, a year ago at Trine's Day. Between Naria's thick black hair, which danced with him, was such a rose.

At that time, the fragrance seemed to be still on the end of the nose. If only he had mustered up the courage at that time...... I will only understand my hopelessness sooner.

When he ran back to Sersio with a rose in his hand. The singing had stopped, and Ed suddenly hesitated again - was that too abrupt for Rey? what if she suddenly cried because she remembered the past? He wasn't at all good at comforting crying women, no matter how old they were......

He lingered outside the door, hesitating, until it suddenly opened, and Rye frowned at him quizzically.

"What the hell are you hanging around here?" she asked, "come in if you want, and don't sneak around like a thief." ”

The moment the door opened, Ed subconsciously hid the rose behind him. Panicked: "I'm just...... Want to see Sercio, is he sleeping, or is he awake?"

"Honestly, it's no different when he falls asleep than when he wakes up. Ryan replied bluntly, leaning sideways to let him in, and saw the rose in his hand with sharp eyes.

"Are you going to wake him up with a thorn?" she scoffed, "he's a prince, not a princess, and even if you wake him up, you can't marry him and become a king." ”

Ed wondered if there was a princess in Anktan's legend who was awakened by a thorn. He blushed in embarrassment. Confused, it took a while for him to hand the flower to Rya.

"It's ...... For you. He said, "I promised Sio to send you a bouquet of flowers on his behalf......

A mocking smile faded from Rya's eyes. She looked at Ed in a daze. Seeing Ed's stiff face almost begin to twitch, he slowly took the rose.

She lowered her head and was silent for a long time.

In silence. The faint scent of flowers seemed to send her back to another plane—a time where a young, strong savage would sing a lilting ballad and try to make her laugh.

Ed quietly stepped back. Disappear outside the door. He knew he didn't need to say anything more, and at this moment. The old man's world doesn't need his presence either.

He looked up and let out a long breath, realizing that he didn't even care to look at Sercio - the boy lying on the bed, whether asleep or awake, was probably fully aware of his appearance and disappearance.

How many true stories in this world have happy endings?

He unconsciously twisted his fingers, and there was a small wound on his finger that had been poked by the thorns, and in the subtle stinging pain, he suddenly remembered Rey's words - "Come in if you want, don't sneak around like a thief." ”

Oh, yes...... Why do they have to sneak like thieves? .

The ice dragon lowered its neck and swooped down like an attack. Guarded, who had been on guard, firmly grasped the thorn in front of him, and could do nothing about the bad mood that his friend expected.

The scenery on the ground came to my face. The original simple wooden house has been burned to a blackened skeleton, and only one or two remnants of the wall stand there crookedly......

With a flash in front of him, the ice dragon suddenly rushed up again, so fast that Ed almost bit his tongue.

“...... Hey, that's a plan you agreed to!" he cried out in displeasure.

The ice dragon snorted muffled after a long pause.

"Anyway, there's obviously nothing to see here, right?" it said angrily.

"Hmm...... Probably it was the Haryat them, or the nearby villagers who burned it. Ed said, looking down and looking twice.

It was the place where he had been imprisoned, the cabin in the woods where Oylan and Hoan lived. He should have been disgusted with the place, but he couldn't be happy at all when he looked at its burned remains.

"Where are you going?" the ice dragon asked impatiently.

"Uh...... Heading west, fly to the vicinity of the Red Bud River first......" Ed struggled to recall, "Don't worry, you see, we're getting closer to Stormy Fortress anyway, aren't we?"

"yes, but whatever the hell is there, by the time we can finally fly there, it'll probably be gone!" the ice dragon growled.

"If there's a dragon there...... It's not easy to get it away. Ed comforted it, and comforted himself, "I guess they won't transfer it easily." Remember, as you said, even Celebrian can't teleport a dragon. ”

The ice dragon flapped its wings and turned west, but did not make a sound for a long time.

"And, if you can really find Oylan...... Maybe he knew why Sergio was like that, maybe he had a way to get him back. Ed continued softly, but his voice grew lower.

He knew it was hopeless—they had searched from east to west for the past few days, and both Oylan and Lydia had disappeared without a trace, only to catch a young necromancer. If the unlucky guy hadn't been stunned by the ice dragon as it swept over his head, he might have escaped with his undead guards, after all, the Castle Forest at night was not as unobstructed as the ice field, and the ice dragon's eyesight was limited.

They brought the creature back to Greystone Castle, believing that Selene Grion knew what to do with him, and that word would soon spread that the Ice Dragon and its human friends were searching for and hunting down necromancers in the northern forests.

At the very least, Rosa would make sure that the news reached the ears of the followers of Nessah.

"Then, when we show up at the Stormy Fortress, it seems logical, they may be wary, but they are not too nervous - anyway, since we can't sneak in as silently as the elves, we have to sneak in so openly. Ed said confidently.

Iss glared at him suspiciously for a long time, but finally did not object to this plan, which would test his patience.

But now, the ice dragon's patience was clearly running out, and Ed was able to fly up and down from it...... and his fart, which is about to grind out,

It was getting dark, and night was falling into the woods in the blink of an eye. Realizing that the ice dragon had circled around a place two or three times, Ed lowered his head and recognized the fortress with a few lights and a bare mountain range nearby.

“...... Is that there?" he asked softly.

The ice dragon was silent and did not answer.

“...... Well, I guess they've already found you, too. Ed sighed.

In the clear night sky, the ice dragon that does not fly high is quite eye-catching.

Without him saying anything more, the ice dragon rushed headlong down.

"Be calm!" Ed had to whisper a reminder, grinning at a tingling pain from the tail as the ice dragon slammed to the ground.

The ice dragon lifted its hind legs and shook it violently - it landed on the burned woodland, and the black sludge mixed with ash spread over its paws, adding fuel to the fire.

Ed patted its neck soothingly, sliding to the ground. The calf-down mud made it difficult for him to walk, and after only a few steps, he was curled up by the ice dragon's tail and lifted into the air.

"Hey...... Good evening!" Ed had to wave in mid-air to the little wings walking over the fortress, and smiled in a friendly and enthusiastic way: "I'm Ed Singall, this is Eth Christus, and we have no ill ......intentions."

"We know who you are, my lord. One of the near-middle-aged men said respectfully, "I know this ...... My lord...... Who is it. ”

His tone was so awkward that even Ed couldn't help but feel deep sympathy. It is strange to call a dragon "Adult...... But what can they call it? "Is" is not a name that everyone can call.

"We're looking for a couple of escaped necromancers...... Ed earnestly carried out his plan, "I wonder if you've noticed anything unusual lately?"

"No, sir. The man shook his head, "It's getting late, if you don't mind, can you stay for dinner?" ”

Ed's eyes widened in surprise - of course they were going to stay, but all ...... It's too smooth, isn't it? .

(To be continued......)