Enshi Valley is a small valley not far from the limestone fort. Not long after walking along a babbling stream, Iss felt a swelling pain in his wrist, like an iron ring getting smaller and smaller, tightly squeezing into his muscles, but when he looked up, he couldn't see any change.

Alan followed him closely, but seemed to walk slower and slower. Isis looked back and saw fine beads of sweat oozing from the old man's forehead, and couldn't help but say, "Are you tired? ”

Alan shook his head: "Don't you feel anything?"

“...... What do you feel?" asked Iss.

"Fear. Alan replied, "This valley has been enchanted to keep people from entering. ”

He pulled out a small pendant from his chest: "If I hadn't brought this, I wouldn't have been able to get here." ”

"I don't feel anything. Eth shook his hand and said wiltedly, "But it has." ”

“...... Induris will have a way. Alan comforted him, "Lydia was already famous on the continent decades before she was born, although some say that he is not from this continent at all, or even from this world. ”

"If he's willing to help. Iss was skeptical, "What if he realizes I'm a dragon?"

"Of course he knows you're a dragon. Alan paused to catch his breath, "Do you think he doesn't know anything about decades of hiding in this valley? ”

"Would he know where Scott is, then?" asked Is, with a glimmer of hope.

“...... Even God may not know everything. Alan replied helplessly. "But I'll ask. ”

The road narrowed and narrowed, and at last they had to drip through an icy stream, behind a rock crevice that closed almost above their heads. A tall figure stopped in front of them.

It's not so much tall as slender. Iss looked up at the roadblock in surprise and took a step back.

"Golem?"

There was disgust and surprise in his voice. The few times he'd dealt with the Golem so far had been unpleasant, but he had never seen or even heard of a Golem like it.

"A golem made of wood?"

"That's probably what Selene said about 'servant'. Eren looked up with the same surprise, and the golem didn't attack, just lowered its head at them, as if it were looking at them - even though it didn't have eyes at all.

It is made of basswood. The yellow-white body surface has fine and uniform lines, and the slender body and limbs show a strange elegance in the weird. The facial features were simply carved out on the long face, and a thin branch was on the top of the head, picking out a few dark green linden leaves.

The old mage was quite good at carving—that's all Is's could say. The face of the golem feels like it is pensive, even a little sad.

It almost looks like it has a soul of its own.

The two men and a golem looked at each other in silence for a moment. Unable to decide what to do with each other, the tall and melancholy golem slowly made an inviting gesture to them and turned to the depths of the valley as Is's began to get impatient.

Isis felt that nothing could surprise him more, but he couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment when the flower-filled courtyard appeared in front of him.

He had heard that the mages of the human race were a little insane, and that they were getting mader and mader as they grew older, and that was the price they paid for trying to pursue infinite knowledge and truth with their limited lives and wisdom. He had expected to see a gloomy and dilapidated stone house, covered in a clutter of thorns. There were also silent ravens on the rooftops staring at them grimly......

Now, by the stream, there are large clusters of unseasoned blue ado flowers, their slender stems swaying in the wind. The clearing surrounded by streams. The manicured barberry hedges, with their red fruits and small white flowers, guard a small house that can almost be described as cute, with a patchwork of flowers in the courtyard, such as snapdragons and bluebells. Passionflower, purple jasmine. Red Orchid ...... Some of them shouldn't have been opened in the northern lands at all, and some of them didn't even know Is.

Is this another form of madness?

But there was a great power hidden in this madness—and Iss was now somewhat convinced that the strange old mage could really solve his troubles.

The courtyard had no door, and they followed the silent guide down the smooth, white stone path to the flower-shaded house. Isis couldn't help but smile as he watched a small purple frog jump in front of them as if no one was around, and there were two bright yellow stripes on its back.

He wished Ed and Narya were here, amazed by the spectacle in front of him, they would love it.

The small house was well-organized, even a little empty, unlike many mage's rooms, which were crammed with all sorts of strange materials, smelling of herbs, ores, and even feces.

A thin old man was standing in front of the window busy with something, and did not look back when they entered. The Wood Golem bent over its knees, reaching out slowly but gracefully to "invite" them to sit down at a wooden table. The rustic wooden chairs were hard but comfortable, and the tea that the Wood Golem poured for them was delicious, but Iss was losing patience.

Before Alan could stop him, he got up and walked over to the old man, tilting his head to see him trimming the shears on an unknown plant, and although it did not bloom, the small round leaves with a layer of wax were very cute.

"What do you think?" said the old man suddenly, his voice dragging on slowly.

Isis was stunned for a moment, and replied not very politely: "How do I know what you want to cut it into?"

He completely did not understand this human hobby of pruning plants.

"That's right. The old man sighed for a long time, "but people can't help but want everything to go the way they want it to be." ”

Iss pursed his lips and did not comment. He remembered that they had come to ask for help, and there was no need to annoy the old man.

The old man finally turned his head to him. His hair and beard were probably gone, his whole face was like a wrinkled apple, and his golden-green eyes were wrinkled, but still as vibrant as the plants he had raised.

"You've broken your wings, young ice dragon. He said.

Eth couldn't help but glance back at Allen - he really got it right, this old mage knew a lot of things.

"Can you help him, then?" asked Alan bluntly.

"It's been changed. The old man caressed the black, cold surface of the iron ring, and his tone was undisguised with appreciation.

"Do you know where it came from?" asked Allen.

"Of course. Induris replied, "That's what I did." ”

Isis almost jumped out of his chair.

"What did you do?!"

He couldn't contain his anger. He's been tortured twice by this thing!

Alan had to hold his shoulder.

"Oh, was that a few decades ago, or a hundred years ago?" the old man squinted as he recalled, his tone still calm and slow, "I met a young girl, her parents were ordinary people, but for some reason there was a powerful magic flowing in her body, and I wanted her to be my apprentice, but she just begged for her power to disappear completely, and to live a normal life without being rejected or feared...... I built this for her, and it stops the flow of magical power. I didn't think it would work for a dragon - of course, dragons are magical creatures, and that's not surprising. ”

"Then you can remove it too?" asked Allen, hopefully.

"I said it, it was changed. The old man's calmness became more and more hateful in Is's eyes, "Originally, it only needed a little magic power from the outside to be opened. But now, it doesn't just seem to stop the flow of power, it's connected to your power and life, and you won't want me to risk it easily until you figure out how it works. ”

"Can't I just cut off my wrist?" asked Is, indignantly. It wasn't the first time he had the idea.

"Of course you can't!" Alan growled unsurprisingly.

"Alas...... Dragon. The old man said.

Iss thought it was some kind of irony, and couldn't help but be even more annoyed.

He jerked his hand back and tried to get up and leave. Allen's hand on his shoulder, half-helplessly, half-warned, increased in force, leaving him in place with an angry face.

"I wouldn't advise you to do that, young ice dragon, you obviously don't understand the horrors of magic—the horrors of magic created by humans. The old man's voice was calm without a hint of undulation, "I owe Alan a favor, so I'll take it off for you, but it will take time." ”

Isis broke free of Alan's hand and tried to stand up again.

"I don't have much time!" he said exasperatedly.

Scott doesn't know where yet...... He didn't have time to accompany an old man to watch flowers and drink tea in the valley!

"A dragon can live for thousands of years. The old man slowly and methodically tapped a small silver hammer on the iron ring, "What is there to hurry? The time you have to sleep is already a person's life......

His voice suddenly drifted strangely away, and his face became blurred.

Iss tried to keep his eyes open and awake, but the heavy sleepiness enveloped him almost gently, making it impossible for him to resist.

“...... What did you do to him?"

As he fell into Alan's arms, he heard Eren ask in alarm.

"Let him sleep for a while, a little sleep. The old man replied softly, "Don't worry, it's good for him......"

- Definitely break his neck!

Before he fell asleep completely, Iss swore to himself angrily.

(To be continued)