It's been a long time since weary travelers have rested in a real bed. Akan soon began to snore happily, and Ed fell face down on the bed and never moved, only to bounce up when the door was suddenly slammed open, blinking blankly in an attempt to dispel the chaos in his head.

Several Anktann soldiers rushed in, and the leader was staring at Norvi's pointed ears with a look of surprise: "Hell...... You're an elf?"

"Yes. Norway replied calmly, "So I guess there must have been some misunderstanding?"

He guessed that someone would report all sorts of "suspicious people" to the soldiers for some benefit, but it was unlikely that they were going to catch an elf.

The man hesitated for a moment, but still waved his hand: "Take him." ”

"Wait!" Ed woke up in shock, "Aren't you going to arrest Borena?"

“...... What do you know?" the man stared at him suspiciously.

“...... Don't know anything?" Even though his mind wasn't quite clear, Ed knew he was talking too much in his hurry.

"You're the one who asked around for news?"

"Uh......" Ed's gaze fell to the ground, realizing that this might be the trouble he'd brought back. He was tired and reluctant at the time, and he probably seemed too anxious to arouse suspicion when he inquired about the news.

"Take this too!" cried the man.

Newly awakened, Akan roared angrily, picked up his hammer, and forced back the soldiers who approached him, dragging the still dazed Ed behind him and placing him under his protection.

Norway drew his sword and swung away the weapons pointed at him, avoiding the soldiers who surrounded him with a agility that humans could not match, and before the little leader could react, the sharp sword was already around his neck.

"I'm sorry. The elf's voice was still gentle and polite, "Can you get your men to lay down their weapons?".

The trouble that I wanted to lead to others fell on me. Everyone was a little depressed, and only Tess could still laugh.

"Isn't that interesting?" she said.

In Tess Shepard's life, only "boredom" is the greatest enemy and the most terrible danger.

They've already thrown out that little boss. Hiding in the dark, slipping out of town. As long as you can enter the Kasdan Forest. will be able to get rid of the soldiers who are hunting them down more and more. But they were not familiar with the terrain of the town, and it took some time to get around to the place where they could see the east gate. There were only about ten soldiers guarding the gate, and Norway watched the position of each one, trying to minimize casualties as much as possible.

But no sooner had he opened his crossbow than another group of soldiers arrived, and the number of men guarding the gate had nearly doubled.

Noway frowned slightly, turned sharply, and aimed his crossbow in a direction in the darkness.

Tess pulled out her dagger. Turning in the other direction.

Someone crept up from behind them.

Naria drew her sword, Akan raised her hammer, and Ed consciously retreated to the least in the way. After a moment of silent confrontation, someone walked out of the darkness with his hands raised.

It wasn't a soldier in full armor, it looked like an ordinary person, not tall among the northerners, and his brown hair was tangled in strands like everyone here.

"Don't be so nervous, friends. The man lowered his voice and spoke, "I am not your enemy...... If you don't want to be my enemy. ”

"We don't want to be an enemy of anyone. Norway said, the light crossbow still firmly pointed at him. "But there's no interest in sneaking around us...... As well as making friends with guys who are pointing arrows at all of us. ”

The man looked back and asked, "Can you see the others?"

He didn't deny it.

"I can see and I can hear. Norway replied coldly. "Four people, two behind you, one on the left, and one upstairs on the right. ”

"So those legends are true, elves really have a more acute sense than humans. The man's voice was full of envy and amazement.

"What the hell are you trying to do?"

Novi was slightly agitated, and more footsteps were coming in their direction, and the soldiers had already searched the vicinity.

"Just wanted to help. The man spread his hands, "I know you want to get out of here, but it's not easy to break through the guards over there. Before you rushed out. There will be more soldiers coming. ”

"And we should believe that you are kind-hearted people who are helpful and don't ask for anything in return?" Tess sneered.

"After all, we didn't shout. Let the soldiers know you're hiding here, aren't you?" said the man. "We can get you out of here safely, without alarming anyone—"

"You want pay?" Ed guessed.

“...... So to speak. The man replied, "Look, you are not without a choice, we can leave and let you face the soldiers, or, give each other a little trust, and give yourselves a chance." ”

Norway lowered his crossbow and nodded to him.

"Wise choice. The man chuckled softly, "Follow me." ”.

The man and his companion were apparently locals, and they were well acquainted with the town, even well-connected - they knocked on the doors of three houses all the way, the front door and the back door, and the men looked as if they were accustomed to it.

They skirted half of the town, slipped in through the back door of a tailor's shop, followed the men into the basement, and through the secret door in the basement into another long passageway, and when the door at the end of the passage opened, Ed couldn't help but take a deep breath - no more rotten smell, no longer dull and moldy, suffocating, in the night, the wind swept through the dense Kasdan forest, the snow fell on the leaves, and the air carried the peculiar smell of spruce, cold and fresh to the heart, which lifted everyone's spirits.

Nori was a little surprised. He didn't expect the men to take them out of town so simply, without even asking for half the money or anything like that, and there didn't seem to be any ambush around.

"How much money do you want?" said Ed happily as he pulled out his wallet.

"In fact," said the man, "we don't want money. ”

“...... And what do you want?" asked Novi warily.

"You. The man grinned, "Elf, we want to ask you to do us a favor." ”

"Oh. No, he's not going to do anything for you. Tess stood in front of Norvi and glared at the man menacingly. "I suggest you'd better just take the money and leave. ”

"Tess, at least hear what is going on. Norway said softly to the top of Tess's head. The attitudes and ways of these men are not obnoxious.

"That's right. If you don't want to help, you can leave on your own - I don't think we can stop you now. "The man frankly said that he had only two companions with him, and the other two did not come out with them.

Tess raised an eyebrow in confusion, she didn't mind hearing it since they didn't ask the elves to make any promises first.

"Say it. She folded her arms, but the dagger was still hidden in her sleeve.

Not far from the mouth of the Kuz River, in the forest to the west. There is an unknown race, and I don't know when the remains of a stone building remained. It is known locally as the Tomb of the Headless Oni, and there is a stone statue left behind without a head. Legend has it that anyone who dares to enter that place loses their heads.

Thornon, the man who brought Ed out of the mouth of the Kuz River, told them that many of the people who had been captured by the Anktann soldiers were indeed imprisoned in the town's prison, but there were also others who had been secretly escorted out of the town and locked up in the ruins.

Thornon and his companions watched as the men vanished into the ruins, but no one ever came out. Whether it's a prisoner. Or the soldiers in charge of the escort.

They ventured inside, but found no one, no secret passages or anything like that. It was as if the people had been swallowed up by the ruins themselves, leaving no trace.

That's where Sonorn wants Norvie's help - he wants the elves to find clues beyond human perception. Among the people sent into the ruins were their friends, and they just wanted to figure out what was going on.

"Oh, I'm sure one person must have known what was going on. "Didn't you think to go and ask the guy who sent those people into the ruins? Who has the authority to send soldiers to escort prisoners to that place?"

"Deb, centurion who led those soldiers here. "Yes, we want to ask him as well...... But alas, we've already looked for him once before - obviously. He didn't think we were very friendly. So now, he's very well protected. It's not easy to catch him again, but if we can find something in that ruin. If we can prove anything, we can get all the people in town to stand up and drive them away—"

"That's what you really want to do, isn't it?" Norway asked, "get rid of the Anktann soldiers and put the Kuz estuary back under your control...... I think you're supposed to be from Borena, or is one of you going to be Borena?"

Thornon and his companions exchanged glances, then nodded: "We are indeed people of Borena, and we do want to restore the town to normal - His Majesty the King of Anktann has never cared about this place for more than a hundred years, even when the barbarians invaded and almost razed the entire town to the ground, they did not care, why did they suddenly appear and arrest people indiscriminately? ”

"You're not denying that Borena is still alive. Tess squinted at their expressions, "Where is he?"

“...... Seriously injured. Thornoen was silent for a moment before replying, "We don't know if he'll survive." ”

"You're pretty honest. Tess, who had planned to hold on to the other party's lies so that Norway didn't have to go to the hellish ruins, was a little annoyed by their surprising honesty.

Thornon smiled, "I've heard that no one can fool elves, and obviously, you don't seem to be a fool either." ”

The flattered Tess was a little pleased, and she looked up and told Norway in an unquestioning tone, "You can go—but you have to take me." ”

Norway couldn't help but look at Ed and Naria.

"Don't worry about your friends. Sonoen immediately said, "I'll get them to safety." ”

"So...... I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you. "A couple of mercenaries were following us. A female warrior, a dark-haired elf, two mages, and a ......"

"A guy who used to be a paladin, with black hair, looks like the whole world owes him. Tess added.

"Enemies?"

"Almost......," Normi sighed, not knowing how to explain, "but don't hurt them." ”

Sonoen didn't ask, just nodded: "No problem, we'll lead them in the other direction." ”

“...... You're not going to hook up with that dark-haired elf and sell us again, are you?" asked Tess suspiciously.

"We've seen a lot of adventurers. Thornon looked at them calmly, "Most people only get together because of interests, and there are not many people like you who take care of each other and trust each other." We are able to recognize what kind of people are worth trusting, and we never let down those who believe in us. ”

“...... Deal. Tess said, "Where's that ruin?".

(To be continued)