“...... Don't be like him. ”

Isis was silent for a few moments before he whispered, "Humans call him a 'time traveler,' and it sounds mysterious and powerful...... But time is a more inviolable force than the gods. ”

He paused for a moment, remembering the scrolls that came from Ed's hand but came from hundreds of years ago, remembering Ed's brief disappearance and amnesia more than a year ago, and couldn't help but sigh: "I don't know if I'm telling you this now...... Is it too early or too late. ”

"I know, I know. Ed nodded repeatedly, "Time is beyond the gods, it cannot be created or destroyed, its rules can only be followed even by the gods, and anyone who tries to make any changes in it will pay a completely unpredictable price......"

In that valley that resembles the Valley of Enshi, but lacks popularity, he remembers every word that Celebrion told him. Those memories that had been erased were now so deep that they seemed to be imprinted in the depths of his soul.

“...... Who told you that?" asked Is.

"Keller Brian. Ed replied, feeling that there was no need to hide it.

"When?"

Ed was stunned and stammered. He knew that Iss had always had a keen instinct...... But lately it's been so sharp that people's hairs stand on end.

“...... Never mind. Issian looked away, "When I didn't ask." ”

Ed nodded wryly, knowing that his friend really didn't want to continue on this somewhat dangerous topic.

"We ...... Do you really care about Goodyer's death?" he asked softly, "I think the Archmage Tower...... They probably have a lot more information than we do. ”

The vanishing ancient star charts, the obsession with Beranti's ambitions, the greed that disdains to hide absolute power...... The mages who seemed to live deep in the tower and did not care about the world may have joined the chess game before them.

"At least for now, maybe it's better not to confront them head-on. "We don't know much about the Archmage Tower...... And Neo is their turf. If it is true as the White Crow said, the infighting in the Archmage Tower is quite serious...... That mage, disciple of the Stone Shaper, is he still in Stonebuge?"

"Stobel. Ed smiled wryly, "It should still be there." ”

He understood what Is's meant - Storbel was a pawn to be exploited. He also knew it was the best option...... But that mage, even if not a friend, is an honest and straightforward man who deserves respect......"

"You just have to tell him something...... What to do is his own choice. Iss glanced at him and was unceremonious, "You don't want to be embarrassed by anyone, and in the end you will only embarrass yourself." ”

Ed scratched his head in embarrassment, not daring to say that he could solve all the problems if he was embarrassed...... He will probably still choose to embarrass himself.

"If you don't have any other plans...... "let's go find the bones of the gods." ”

Ed's eyes widened.

"Since Scott needs it," Is's eyes were cold with a knife-sharp smile, "since everyone thinks we can find ...... Then we'll look for it. ”

“...... Do you have a clue?" Ed asked softly.

Iss tapped his finger on his forehead, "I can always find something useful from here." ”

But he didn't seem to be happy about it at all.

Ed was silent for a moment, his heart aching. He didn't dare to say it...... He should have had more faith in Is, too, but he was afraid that his friends would find something in that long memory that none of them wanted to think about.

"Actually......," he said, "there is a place...... Maybe we can check it out. ”

.

They arrived at Christesburg at the height of the night.

The ice dragon looked down from above, and at night, the brightest was the water of the Vinz River, which reflected the moonlight...... The castle that towers over the cliff by the river is a shadow of high and low and deep black, and there is no light.

Torches on the city walls and in the courtyards, candlelight from the windows...... The light that had not been extinguished in the most declining years of the Chrissian family was now unkindled.

The castle, which had been completely abandoned, stood there silently like a lone warrior. However, Ed was right...... Its soul did not wither as he thought it would.

It's scarred and exhausted, but it's still there.

"I could hear it calling to me. On its neck, Ed's voice was blown away by the night wind as soon as it came out, "As I passed...... I passed through some very special places when I flew like a gust of wind towards White Rock Island...... They sparkle in my eyes like the stars in the night sky, and their power varies, just like the stars have different colors. Chryses and Beranti are not the same, but they have something in common...... All have their own souls. ”

Beranti was more agile and lively, like an overly curious child. Criesburg ...... It was tired, weak, but still gentle.

"It used to be in my dreams. "It opened my eyes to a lot of fragments of the past...... It's a memory of its own. You tell me...... Oh, that's not you, that's probably what Rabea became like you in my dreams...... You tell me that in a sense, the castle is alive ......"

Later, Ed saw in Icabard's library that inanimate rocks can indeed give birth to souls, and dwarves in ancient times could indeed talk to rocks...... After all, they were born from rocks.

But it takes ten, a long time for a rock to give birth to a soul - an ancient castle, a city to give birth to a soul...... or extremely powerful force.

The time between the founding of Christesburg and the present day is about 500 years, and the Blante Library was built even earlier.

"I don't know...... Maybe I'm thinking too much, but I always feel that maybe there's more to it than the Sword of Acton hidden in the labyrinth. ”

And it wasn't just the crystal ball that might have melted into his soul.

Eder paused. He felt as if he had forgotten something...... But the shadow of the doubt passed through his mind, and he couldn't grasp anything.

The ice dragon folded its wings and landed almost silently in the courtyard.

Ed jumped down and stared blankly at the closed gate, as if frozen in place for a moment, unable to move—they had landed in the same place the day they returned from the north on the ice dragon...... But no one will be hurrying to greet them with laughing tears and warm hugs.

He had already accepted this ...... However, at this moment, in the endless night, an indescribable pain suddenly appeared, silently reminding him of what he had lost.

“...... Ed. ”

A hand tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on. ”

Ed nodded in a panic, following in Is's footsteps.

.