The town of Tapu in early spring was a little more alive than Norway remembered, but the narrow streets were still muddy and smelled of all kinds of rancid stench that elves could not bear. Groups of children were playing around in the streets, unconcerned about the mud splashed all over the place...... I didn't care about crashing into the elves with mud all over my body.

Norway watched almost with a smile as Linde grabbed a child's hand with a straight face, took back his money bag without a sound, and hurriedly let go of the little black dirty hand, carrying the money bag with a not-so-obvious stain and frowning.

Elves don't understand human tricks, but their natural agility makes them not easy targets for theft, and the townspeople will probably soon understand this.

Norway couldn't understand why Lance would take them to the town's inn, facing the curious stares and unstoppable whispers of the people. Obviously, they don't like humans, and they can't tolerate a dirty town like Tapu. These days, they've been choosing to sleep in the wild instead of staying in the dilapidated human inns in the small towns along the way.

He was a little curious, but no one would give him an answer. Almost no one said a word to him along the way, and that was what he expected, but that didn't mean he wouldn't be upset about it. Even if he doesn't have as many friends among his people as humans...... He's still an elf after all.

They walked south in silence, as if intent on bringing him back to Grival. Norway didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing - if he could go back, there might be a chance of life, but for Viorita, having an older brother who was taken back home as a prisoner was born. Probably not as good as not having ......

The crows followed them all the time. Even after they stepped into Tapu, they could still see the black birds on the rooftops and on the branches of the trees on the roadside.

They were protecting him, in a somewhat frightening way.

There were no mages among Norvi's friends—human mages were always quirky and eccentric. Even Norvi, who is good at dealing with humans, finds it difficult to cope. After thinking about it, the elf realized that he probably owed a favor to the old mage he had never met in the Yuanzhi Valley.

And, I owe Isi a favor.

Although Lance didn't say anything, when Norway mentioned the ice dragon, Lance didn't have a very good look on his face, which meant that they had already dealt with each other. And Isis is obviously not very polite.

If Isis had known that Norway had ignored his warnings and had thrown himself into the trap, he would probably be angry enough......

The sound of the door closing interrupted his thoughts. The two sword dancers who had been walking away had left him alone in the room - did they finally believe that he would not escape?

The elf smiled wryly at himself. Lying on a hard plank bed.

If even he had a chance to return to Grivar to stand trial, then there shouldn't be any danger to Tess......

The future is uncertain, life and death are unpredictable, but he falls asleep faster than expected. The chaotic dreams flashed and disappeared one by one. Tess's flaming red hair was the only warmth in it.

What woke him up from his dream was a rough chirping—the crow of a crow, which he had become more and more familiar with.

The moment he awoke, he felt the sharp sound of the wind from the rapidly falling weapon. Instinctively quickly rolled to the side.

A dagger grazed his neck and stabbed against the pillow, and before it could touch the rough fabric, it changed direction in mid-air and chased after his neck with perseverance.

Norway lifted his leg and kicked it out, grabbing the pillow and throwing it at the enemy's face. When the enemy has to dodge, roll over and roll out of bed, pick up the chair next to the bed and smash it on the opponent's back.

The assailant dodged deftly, and now Noway could see the clear outline of his opponent's pointed ears in the darkness.

An elf. His diminutive stature didn't belong to any of the people who were with him......

His gaze slid over the blurred black lines on the elf's cheeks, and Norway was shocked. The wooden chair in his hand fell weakly, and his mind went blank.

- Only one kind of spirit will tattoo his face...... He thought it was just a legend......

Dancer in the dark. The unknown Grim Reaper. His appearance has already pronounced his end. He will die here without a trace, without any charge or murderer......

No wonder those two sword dancers avoided it. They were probably just escorts, not executioners.

-- Such a hypocritical and absurd insistence. He would rather they have the courage to do it themselves......

In an instant, it was as if even his blood had congealed into ice, and Norvi's heart was like ashes, and he completely lost the desire to live. Even resistance is futile, the Shadow Dancer is a trained killer, and he doesn't even have a weapon on him.

He sneered and threw down his chair, staring directly at his death.

The moonlight shone into a pair of light brown eyes. The apparently young Shadow Dancer hesitated for a moment, but then swung his dagger at his neck.

A crow rushed straight at him like a black arrow, letting out a scream, and the splash of blood and black feathers scattered in the air startled Norway and took two steps back.

The Shadow Dancer was visibly taken aback, but when there was a sound of heavy footsteps outside the door, he suddenly attacked again.

The wooden door that hung casually on the door frame was slammed open, and in the sound of the spell, a blinding white light made Norway turn around and close his eyes.

By the time the blurred vision began to become clear, Lance had already appeared by the door.

"What's the matter!" the elf snapped in, his eyes darting in surprise over the Novi there, and then landing on the dead crow on the floor, before turning to the trespassing stranger.

"Who are you, what are you doing here?"

He asked, reaching for the sword at his waist. The figures of two sword dancers soon appeared behind him.

"What for?" said the man who broke down the door innocently, "I just saved your companion's life, shouldn't I get a thank you or something?

Lance looked at Norway suspiciously, "He saved you?"

Norway looked at him in a daze, not knowing what to say - he didn't seem to know that the Shadow Dancer was here, so why did he deliberately stay in a hotel in this town and leave him alone in his room?

With a mind full of questions, he nodded silently.

“...... Thanks a lot. Lance stiffly choked back, "But the elves don't need human intervention in their affairs, please leave." ”

"I don't want to be nosy, but this is human territory. My goddess must have guided me here for a reason, and in the name of Nyo, I will ensure that every elf leaves the land of man in peace. The man duly ripped off his coat to reveal the insignia on his breastplate.

The blinding white light had long since vanished, and the symbol of Ni'o, the goddess of water, glittered in the light that shone in from outside the house.

"It's my mission to bring him back to Grivar!" Lance glared at the paladin who suddenly appeared, "I won't let anyone hurt him until he is judged, and I won't let anyone take him away!

The man turned his head to look at Norvi, who smiled at him and nodded slightly.

The man scratched at his messy hair, shrugged, and strode out of the room nonchalantly.

But Norway knew that he probably wouldn't go far.

“...... Your friends?" Hearing the man's heavy footsteps as he walked down the stairs, Lance asked coldly, "I do hear that you have quite a few friends. ”

Norway nodded absentmindedly, but the only thing in his eyes was the crow's corpse.

Dying to save an elf may sound great, but that certainly wasn't the bird's intention. It should have been free to fly in the sky, not to be controlled by humans and die by the sword......

He was half-on his knees, his fingers brushing over the crow's stiff corpse, muttering to himself, "It's not worth ......"

“...... What?" Lance didn't understand.

"It is also a life, a creation of the gods, and should not be forced to go against its nature and die because of me......" Norway whispered, almost dazed.

Lance was silent for a long time, and finally asked, "Who is it that wants to kill you?, do you have as many enemies as your friends?"

His tone was a little agitated, but there was nothing false in his doubts.

- He really didn't know.

Novi hesitated, countless thoughts spinning through his mind. Shadow dancers are not killers that can be hired for money - they are trained in secret, and they are used sparingly, and if they hadn't been mentioned by their teachers, even he might not have known about the existence of these killers hiding in the dark.

It must be an elf in a high position that can mobilize the Shadow Dancer. Lance, however, says that his mission is only to bring him back to Grivar......

In the realm of elves, there are people who may want to know something from him, and there are people who are bent on letting him die. Things seem to get more complicated -

Will they send killers to Tess in the same way?

It was as if the short sword that flickered with cold light just now really stabbed him in the chest, and Norvi's body trembled violently, and he couldn't help but want to rush out of the door.

The two sword dancers quickly blocked his way out, and Lance's expression was surprised and annoyed, "What the hell are you trying to do? Escape...... Still don't think we can protect you?" he looked at the crows on the ground, "If you had told us earlier that someone wanted your life, we wouldn't have left you here alone!"

Norway opened his mouth, but there was nothing to say.

He should have at least asked the paladin just now - if Fili Zeri had any news of Tess......

"You said your mission was to take me back to Grivar...... Didn't anyone ever tell you about Tess Shepard?" he could only ask Lance vaguely.

"Tess ...... The red-haired human girl who followed you?" Lance frowned slightly, "It's best to take her back with you if you can, but she doesn't matter. ”

She doesn't matter...... May the man who sent the killer think so.

Novi closed his eyes wearily, his mind full of Tess's bright red hair and pale face.

Where is she? Is she still safe? I knew it was so...... He shouldn't have left her.

(To be continued......)