May Festival is an ancient festival, so old that no one can tell exactly when it originated. Originally, on the first full moon night of May, when the magic power of the whole world was at its fullest, people would light candles mixed with rosemary to remember their deceased loved ones, and if your thoughts were strong enough, the souls of the deceased could return to this night to spend time with their families, whether they were under the protection of a god, crying out in the flames of hell, or wandering in darkness and mist...... Only this night can the soul move freely, and the line between life and death becomes blurred. The night may be full of warmth and nostalgia, or it may be full of fear and pain, depending on what kind of soul your thoughts call......

In the chaotic times of nearly a thousand years ago, Mayday was more like a night of revelry for necromancers, as people began to rebuild the world from ashes and bones, and it gradually evolved into a festival of prayer for the dead and a "safe" wish to the gods - a festival for the living, not the dead.

But there are always things that don't change.

Candles are still lit on this night to fill the air with the scent of rosemary. It is believed that their thoughts can still be conveyed to their departed loved ones with the rising smoke, even though the deceased have a place to live, and the living cannot be forced......

In the south, the festival is reduced to the candle that burns until it burns out in front of the window, while in the north, people who live on the banks of the Vinez River have the habit of placing the burning candle in a small paper boat and letting it go with the water. More than a hundred years ago. When the Temple of Collins allowed worshippers to place paper boats on the surface of the sacred lake closest to the goddess Nyo, they could reach the goddess more quickly. The "May Festival of the Collins Plains" has gradually become the biggest festival in northern Rutger.

As a young man, Alan Carvo happened to attend Collins' May Festival once, and the pomp and circumstance were enough to impress him, and this time, he ......

On the afternoon of the day before the May Festival, he disembarked from the port of the Copper in Visa, and was surprised to find that the city, which usually runs into the night during the season, had become almost empty.

"Mayday. The old sailor, who was sitting on the dock and puffing smoke rings, squinted at him and told him. "Almost all of them ran to Collins to get a place closer to the temple...... It is said that the Sage will appear, but that has not happened in decades. ”

The corners of Alan's eyes twitched uncontrollably—the Sage would indeed appear. But unfortunately, it is probably not the one people expect.

"Aren't you going?" he asked casually.

The old sailor chuckled, "My only goddess is named Liv, and her embrace is the only blessing I need, and of course my soul will float forever on this river, passing the long, boring time by playing tricks on the younger bastards—what a good life!

He held up the empty bottle to Alan.

Alan could only shake his head and smile—the unbeliever...... Sometimes it's just enviable.

As you rode north to the plains of Collins. Night has fallen. The lights displayed in front of him were as brilliant as the stars in the sky, and the closer you got to the temple, the denser it became. As far as the eye could see, bright bonfires lit between tents large and small, and the sound of singing and laughter drifted in the wind, but it could not dispel the little uneasiness in Alan's heart.

There are too many people...... A little chaos can lead to a catastrophe. And for various reasons, there are far more people who intend to create a little chaos tomorrow night than he imagined...... Let's hope both Sean and Ed are ready.

When he sought Sean's help to help Norvi, he didn't expect all of this. Although sooner or later, after Lydia showed such great strength. He had to tell Sean and Pan all his secrets, but ...... Who would have thought Felicity was gone. And Ed will become the new Sage?

In the blink of an eye, the whole thing was completely out of his control - he was just an old guy with a broken leg, and all he saw in his eyes and thought in his heart was the peace and joy of those around him, and the choice of the gods, the safety of the world...... To be honest, he has always been a practical person, and even when he was young, he didn't have the ambition to that point.

But now...... Now he can't help himself.

The white stone bridge leading to the temple had been blocked, and Collins Square was intended for more distinguished guests. As he walked past the statue of Ni'o, Alan glanced hurriedly at the two tall figures beside the fountain - they were two elves.

The elves came earlier than they expected, which didn't quite look like that race...... He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. It was the first time that the Temple of Collins had invited elves and dwarves to a festival that didn't belong to them, and thankfully, the Black Rock Dwarves had a calm personality and shouldn't have any conflicts with the elves on the Holy Land.

Before leaving Collins, he had discussed with Sean the biggest problem...... It's still a human problem.

The interior of the temple was as quiet as before, but there were obviously several times more guards. Sean had probably mustered all the men he could, but Alan could still feel the tension in every shiny armor that steel couldn't hide. After the war more than ten years ago, most of the knights of the water god were young people who had not experienced many tests, and many of them had probably seen such a scene for the first time. Alan had no doubts about their loyalty and bravery—but there were troubles that could not be solved by these alone.

"Your Excellency. The paladin, who had led the way, knocked on the wooden door in front of him and spoke respectfully. Sean's voice came out immediately.

"Come in. He said.

Turning his head to see Alan outside the door, Sean Fletcher beckoned almost cordially, "Please come in, my friend." ”

- For the first time, he called Alan "my friend". But, whatever the ultimate goal, they are now indeed in the same boat.

To Allen's surprise, he didn't see the expected tension and busyness here. There was no dreary and hot air, no orders issued one after another, no rattling iron shells that filled the room...... There was only Sean in the room, and an old man in a white robe.

It wasn't Ni'or's priest - the sigil of Anduch on the white robe glowed with a dark golden glow. The old man had short silver-white hair that was quite abundant for his age, gray and blue eyes were restrained, and the handsomeness of his youth was vaguely visible between his eyebrows.

"This is Hoyt Laval, the High Priest of Anduhe. Sean reached out to introduce each other, "This is Alan Kavo...... A warrior worthy of respect. ”

"And, the human adoptive father of the ice dragon......" the High Priest looked at Eren with interest, "it's a miracle, isn't it?"

"It does...... It's special. Alan bowed and replied cautiously.

The old man smiled and got up to say goodbye to Sean.

"Don't let me disturb you. "I will pray to Anduhe...... Hope all the best tomorrow. ”.

“...... A friend?"

After the old man left, Alan opened his mouth to confirm with Sean.

"An ally who is sober enough. Sean closed the door and poured Alan an an amber drink, "Of course he wants to keep the Anduhe Temple's place in Anktan, but he also knows who the real enemy is. ”

"Lydia?" Alan poured down the glass of wine, which was obviously worth a lot of money, but the expression on his face seemed to be bitter, "Any news of her?"

Sean shook his head: "It's not just her, all the necromancers have disappeared...... There is speculation that they may have retreated from their recent failures and returned to hiding in the dark. ”

“...... Lydia is not one to give up easily, and failure usually only makes her more excited. Alan sighed helplessly, "When we were adventurous companions, that was the merit I appreciated the most. ”

That's exactly what Hoyt feared - an even bigger storm brewing in the calm of the moment. The priests and paladins he sent out to find out the news either returned in vain or disappeared. Although the king who had just succeeded to the throne of Anktann was very willing to help because he had seen the horror of the undead, the current political situation was not stable, and he could not spare more manpower...... Eli Crofeller, the necromancer who was imprisoned in the temple of Andukh, though he had a lot to say about Lydia, was convinced that she would get everything she wanted......" Sean paused.

"She will gain everything, or destroy everything, and the world will eventually belong to the dead. -- That was Eli's exact words, and Hoyt seemed impressed by it.

The High Priest had known Eli since he was a child, and it was not easy to get the respect or recognition of the son of the lord whose eyes were above him. Although not a saint like Felicity, as the highest priest of Anduhe, Hoyt possessed the ability to communicate with the gods he believed in, and what the god of the mountains showed him in his meditations was a great whirlpool in a black sky without stars and moons......

Anxiety and insecurity made Hoyt unusually honest.

"Worldly disputes can be put aside. He told Sean, "If the world falls into the abyss of darkness and death, all power is in vain." ”

It's a pity that there are very few people like him who can see the situation clearly, and many more people are still addicted to "secular disputes".

"How have you been getting these days?" he asked.

Alan glanced at him and didn't ask anything, just shrugged his shoulders and dragged a chair and sat down, "I did find some old friends, and they were willing to help—or at least promise not to cause trouble." But I'm afraid that's not enough to cope...... If you can give me more time......"

"We don't have any more time. Sean said calmly, "The new Sage needs to be recognized as soon as possible. ”

Faith and hope are the most powerful forces...... Although people have gradually forgotten.

Alan smiled bitterly and rubbed his broken leg: "I don't understand, since there is such a hurry, why can't you tell Ed Sage that he is dead earlier, and he is the one who was chosen?"

“...... Because that's not a choice I can make. Sean replied indifferently.

(To be continued......)