Celebrian's cane looked unremarkable, simple and rustic, the slightly polished black cane couldn't tell what kind of wood it was, the texture was blurred, the luster was dull, the tip of the claw shape was embedded with a gray gem the size of a child's fist, the unpolished surface had a few natural cracks, neither transparent nor beautiful, usually cloudy like an old man's eye, and like a faint silk wool, but when it glowed softly under the spell of the half-elf, it seemed to contain the entire starry sky.

Alan never knew where the staff came from or what kind of power it possessed, and in the hands of the half-elf priest, its most common use was to illuminate and beat people...... But from the day they met, Kellerbrion held the cane and never let go. He was familiar with what it looked like he was with his own sword...... It's like being familiar with the crutches he now holds in his hands.

"Have the half-elves been here?" asked Narya, surprised, "or ......"

She closed her mouth, glanced at her father quickly, and swallowed back the other possibility.

But Eren understood her unspoken worries—Celebrian was probably dead...... It is even possible to die here.

Nia has said that the tower does treat trespassers as "fertilizer". In fact, those who dare to break into this cursed tower in the palace are not to be underestimated, and they must have some magical items on their bodies...... When their lives and power fell victim to the Triple Tower, those items probably fell into the mountains of treasure beneath their feet.

That's a reasonable guess - but even if Celebryan had been here, Alan wouldn't have believed that the damn Blacktower would be able to trap him!

That's Calebrian......

Naria took two more steps down. Staring at the dusty jewel at the tip of the cane, it seemed as if he wanted to get it back.

Eren reached out and grabbed her, slowly shaking his head at her. There were countless doubts in my heart.

He had barely thought of Keller Brian when the priest's cane appeared in front of him...... This is too much of a coincidence.

That's mostly fake...... A trap?...... But it looks too real...... What if that's really the only thing left of Keller Brian?...... He couldn't let it be left here...... Does Nia know this?......

"Allen......" Narya urged impatiently, "if we're going to stand here and do nothing, we might as well go back and see if we can find Is!"

Alan glanced at her daughter.

The dark-haired girl stood there, calm and fearless, in such a strange situation as it was now. She was also far more curious than nervous.

Ten or twenty years ago, Alan Carvo would not have been as hesitant as he is now...... There is something. Inevitably disappears with the passage of time...... But it is also passed on to younger lives through blood.

“...... What do you want to do?" he asked.

Naria looked at him in surprise for a few moments before realizing that her father was really asking for her opinion.

Her brown eyes lit up with unexpected surprise, and a smile swept across her cheeks with a hint of redness. Then she bit her lip. As if trying to stop himself from saying something childish and ridiculous under impulse.

She looked not far away again. As if silently summoning their staffs, he pondered earnestly, then drew a small dagger from his waist and threw it at the staff with his holster.

The dagger slammed into the cane accurately, and Allen's heart jumped with it.

The cane was knocked slightly crooked, and the surrounding gold coins slid down with a crisp sound - but that was all.

“...... I guess it's true. Naria turned back to Eren and said, "If that's a half-elf thing." We can't let it stay here...... Isn't it?"

Alan was silent for a moment and nodded slowly.

Go up the steps. The eyes could see the blackened carpet on the ground and the stacked scrolls from bottom to top, but the feeling of being still under the ground was even more strange than when I walked into another world under the steps.

Naria ran up a few steps, and at a glance she saw Nya sitting on the side, grinning at her.

“...... Where's Is?" She looked around, but didn't see the other person she cared more about.

"What did you find?" Nia asked, ignoring her question, with gusto, "Romuen says that the treasures hidden here are better than the ancient dragons and the dwarven kingdoms underground...... Don't tell me you didn't take anything!, of course, if you take too much, you probably won't get out, but I know Alan was never that greedy......"

"We took it. Alan's deep voice seemed to come out of the ground.

He limped up the steps, clutching something in his left hand that made the smile disappear from Nia's face.

“...... How could this thing be here?!" The thief lost his poise and jumped up from the ground screaming, "Has Keller Brian been here?!"

"I thought you'd know. Alan replied coldly.

"But I don't know!" cried Niah, "even gods don't know everything, let alone demons in hell!"

"And what did the demons of hell tell you?" Alan looked directly at him, "why the hell did you bring us here...... Where the hell did you take Is?!"

Nia closed her mouth tightly and stared straight at the priest's cane, her face turning blue.

“...... That half-elf wouldn't die in such a hellish place. It was a while before he spoke, "Sometimes I suspect that he won't die at all...... Or have been dead for thousands of years...... He's not going to die in a place like this, is he?"

"Yes, he won't—so answer my question, Niah Meyer. Allen's tone was unprecedentedly stern, "Where's Is?"

"'Wisdom, wealth and strength. Nia replied softly, "He is the source of power, where this tower really stands." ”

"You're the one who brought us to different places?"

"No...... It's this tower. ”

"But you knew it from the beginning?"

“...... Sort of. ”

"Why didn't you tell me?"

“...... I wouldn't have told you everything before. Nia looked up at Eren with a complicated expression, "You never cared before, and you wouldn't question me like this, as if I had committed some unforgivable mistake...... Do you really think I'm going to hurt Is, or put you in danger?"

Alan was stunned.

Before...... Nia, who used to be in charge of news and pathfinding, always liked to pretend to be secretive, he never told his companions all the news, and in his words, he had to keep some surprises for them...... Ellen really didn't care before, because Nia would never let those "surprises" affect Allen's judgment, let alone let them encounter dangers that could have been avoided.

He is playful and mischievous...... But he cherished them as family.

“...... What the hell are you trying to prove, Nia?" Alan said with difficulty, "I watched you fall underground...... You've been living in hell for more than ten years, and I can't act like nothing hasn't happened, nothing has changed. ”

Nia was silent for a few moments, her eyes becoming dazed.

"I don't know," he said, "I don'......t know what I'm trying to prove." You're right, but I don't like that. Sometimes you look at me like you're looking at another person, a stranger...... Even a guy who isn't human at all, I hate that...... Maybe I'll stay in hell so that at least you'll miss me like a true friend......"

His voice faded into the air, like dust.

The spontaneous guilt left Alan speechless. It was the first time since Nia had returned that he had been so frank...... Their inadvertent vigilance and suspicion undoubtedly hurt him, but it wasn't anyone's fault.

He staggered over to Nia, handed him Celebrien's staff, and rubbed the fine strands of hair on top of his head as he had done before.

"You will always be my friend, Nia. "Even if I can't believe you as much as I used to...... I'm still willing to die for you, and I'm sure so is Scott. ”

Nia raised her head and smiled reluctantly: "I don't doubt this...... But I was more worried that he would burn me to ashes in a fit of rage. Before I finish explaining, Alan ...... You've got to stop him. ”

“...... What the hell have you done?" asked Alan helplessly.

“...... I turned Isis into a trap. Nia answered honestly.

The white dragon lay in the golden mist, its eyes half-open and half-closed, lazily clumping itself in a ball, only its tail still flicking around in boredom.

The fiery red gem was just below its chest, so close that it seemed to feel it beating with its heart, and it was a little dizzy with so much force that it couldn't sleep at all.

It gradually felt a little hot, as if it was lying on a volcano, and under the thin crust was hot lava, and it was like there was a flame flowing in its blood...... Ice dragons don't like fire, and they don't like heat, but right now, that strange feeling isn't that nasty.

It was a little skeptical that Niya's plan would succeed...... Maybe more than a little bit.

But it promised him that he would do it. It is a dragon, and the dragon never breaks its promises.

When the ground began to get hot, it crawled up with some uneasiness and circled around the gem. There didn't seem anything unusual around it, and the claws it stepped on the ground weren't sizzling—though it felt like it was about to be roasted.

This place can't hurt it—it told itself.

Nia won't hurt it either...... It is so believed.

(To be continued......)