The sword slashed diagonally at Filly's head.

Blood splattered, and the paladin, who always didn't like to wear a helmet, fell like a puppet, and never moved again.

Sean was stunned for a moment, blinked a little dazedly, as if he had suddenly woken up from a dream, his body shook slightly, and he staggered backwards.

"Goddess ......above," he murmured, his eyes wide in fear as he watched the blood pour out of the shocking wound on the left side of Filly's head, slowly flowing down his cheeks and meandering across the cold, damp ground to his feet.

Scott rushed over and fell to his knees beside Filly, his face pale as a ghost.

“...... Is he dead?" Nia blurted out, standing aside in shock.

Scott didn't answer.

He didn't even waste time testing Fili's heartbeat and breathing, he just whispered the incantation, and both the sound and the hand pressed against the wound seemed to tremble.

Nia had never seen him so panicked...... His eyes widened as he watched the bone-revealing wound heal, and the long breath he held was free.

But...... It always felt a little weird to watch Scott cast such a healing spell instead of Keller Brian.

“...... Not dead. ”

Scott spoke softly when the wound was completely healed, and he fell to the ground like a loss of strength, and his forehead was already drenched in cold sweat for a brief moment.

He hugged his head and looked up at Sean silently for a moment.

There was no anger or accusation in his eyes...... There is only exhaustion and sorrow.

"I don't ......," Sean began, closing again. His expression changed dramatically, but the long sword remained tightly held in his hand.

After a long silence, a wry smile spread along the wrinkles on his lips.

"Is that why you never want to fight me?" he asked in a low voice. "Have I ever slashed a sword on your head?"

"Nope. Scott replied with a sigh, "You just almost cut off my arm...... And I still haven't figured out what exactly is irritating you. ”

"I don't remember at all......" Sean looked down at his hand, and then at Filly, who was still lying unconscious on the ground, confusion and self-blame were deeply written in his eyes.

“...... Did you do anything?" he asked, "will I forget what I just did?"

Scott shook his head: "I didn't do anything...... You faint and wake up with nothing to remember. Shuyasu-sama said...... You probably can't accept that you'd do something like that. ”

"But I'm very conscious now. Sean's voice had quickly regained its composure, and his expression was even a little stern, "I'll remember...... Even if I forget. Remind me, tell me - there is nothing 'unacceptable'...... I have to accept it. 'Probably'...... Such speculation will not solve anything. ”

That doesn't sound like a request, it's a command.

Scott, known as the "Sage", could only nod silently.

Sean stood there. He looked at the blood on the ground for a long time—Filly's blood almost spilled onto his boots.

But the paladin was lucky to be alive...... His body rose and fell slightly with his breathing.

Sean jerked around and walked out the door, trying to keep every step steady, but the speed was so fast that it looked like he was still running away from the fact that he "had to accept it".

Philip groaned and woke up. I feel extremely heavy. It was as if the entire three-storied pagoda had collapsed and pressed on him, but there was a strange warmth to it......

He opened his eyes, and as expected, he saw a growing white man lying on top of him, its light blue eyes very similar to those of the ice dragon looking at him quietly—many times, its eyes did not look like a beast at all.

It tilted its head, jumped out of bed as he moved, and walked out the door with graceful steps as if no one was around.

A moment later, Nia ran in.

"You're awake!" he cried out with joy. "Is your head okay?...... Hmm, you still know me, do you?"

“...... I don't know. Fili rubbed his head and replied sullenly. After a moment's hesitation, he asked a little apprehensively, "I'm not dead, am I?...... Have I ever died?"

He didn't want to die, but honestly, if he did, he would rather die a little more - as far as he knew, whether it was Scott or His Majesty the King of Anktan, the people who came back from the dead seemed to be in trouble, making that rare "miracle" feel almost like a curse.

"I don't think so. Nia shook her head with regret, "But your skull is cracked! I think I saw your brain......"

"Oh...... Enough!" Fili quickly interrupted him, but his right hand unconsciously touched his head.

His blood-clotted hair was stiff, and apparently no one was considerate enough to wash his hair...... But he didn't feel any cracks, and his head didn't hurt much, just groggy as if he hadn't slept enough...... Maybe there's nothing to complain about, after all, it's what he brought on himself.

“...... What about Sean?" he asked.

He shut him up in his room and didn't say anything for most of the day. Nia replied, looking apprehensive, "Honestly, it's scary enough that he's not going crazy, and it's better to go crazy than the ...... in hell."

He slammed his mouth shut.

Scott's shadow was cast through the open door.

“...... Would you like some wine?" Nia patted Fili on the shoulder without saying anything, "Oh, you must want some wine!"

He slipped past Scott without squinting and slipped away quickly.

Scott stood by the door for a few more moments before entering, and quietly dragged a chair and sat down—his face was no better than Filly's.

“...... Is he alright?" Fili asked uneasily.

Scott shook his head: "I don't know. ”

"I thought he was fine...... "Fili lowered his voice with some guilt, "he looked ...... It's normal. ”

“...... When I found him in Lydia's hideout, I almost didn't recognize him. Scott smiled wryly, "That's just what I can see." After experiencing ...... After that, even he has the right to be abnormal. ”

Filly didn't wonder what "those" was at all...... Just looking at Scott's expression, he shuddered.

"He was ...... before. Have you ever had a seizure?"

That's certainly not a disease...... But he didn't know what else to use.

"Once or twice. Scott said.

“...... And didn't you think you should at least tell me?!" The paladin became annoyed, "You shouldn't have told Lord Xiu'an?!" He's not just your uncle, he's still the head of the Holy Knights of the Water God Nio!"

Scott looked at him in a daze and was silent for a long time.

"Nope. He began, "Although I told Shu'an-sama, I don't want anyone to know about it until he is fully recovered, if I can...... As you said, he's Sean Fletcher, and there are so many enemies waiting for him...... He is still alive, so he cannot have weaknesses. ”

Filly glared at him, speechless for a moment.

“...... But sometimes, I think that's probably the problem. Scott's voice lowered, "For so many years, whether it's because of his own stubbornness or the expectations of others, he doesn't allow himself to make mistakes, he doesn't allow himself to be a little fragile and confused, and he is just a human after all...... No one can withstand this pressure all the time. If he starts to feel like everything he's doing is right...... That may not be entirely his fault. ”

He smiled at Fili very reluctantly, "I know you didn't forgive him. ”

Fili hung his head and did not deny it.

In fact, he agreed to spar with Sean so unthinkingly that he didn't even think about why Scott had avoided doing it all the time...... I want to take the opportunity to vent.

"So you think it's our fault?" he asked rhetorically, a little frustrated, and had to admit that it sounded reasonable.

"I don't know...... Everyone believes in him and relies on him, and of course there is a reason for that kind of trust, but when trust becomes a habit, even their own judgment is lost...... If we had not carried out all his commands with such absolute faithfulness, without asking, without thinking, without thinking about whether it was right or wrong, if we felt that something was wrong, we would never dare to say it...... Maybe it won't turn out the way it is. Scott replied in a low voice.

Filly was a little dazed. In retrospect, it seems so, but ......

"But the Sage didn't stop him!" he blurted out.

It's not that I want to shirk responsibility...... Okay, maybe it's a shirk of responsibility, but one might question the head of the Paladins who has begun to act arbitrarily, but not the unquestioned Sage who has lived for more than two hundred years.

Scott's eyes flickered, and he quickly lowered to the ground—and Filly knew exactly what that meant.

“...... If you know anything I don't know, you'd better tell me now!" he said angrily, "my head was almost cut in half, and at least for today, I have the right to be less reasonable!"

“...... But it's not so easy to accept. Scott hesitated.

"How do you know if you don't say it?!" Filly growled angrily, "what makes me even more unacceptable is that you judge what I can and can't accept...... I wasn't raised by you—even Iss can't stand this, can I?!"

Scott's face changed.

Filly regretted it slightly—he didn't know what was wrong with the brothers, but it was clearly not a minor problem...... He didn't mean to mention the ice dragon that had been gone for a long time......

"So...... Can you accept that Felicity is not a true Sage?"

Scott's low voice thundered in his ears. (To be continued......)