Ed even felt a little regretful. There are only a limited number of tricks that can be played with a dice...... Of course, there are only a lot of ghosts that can be played.

He suddenly realized that he had never suspected Helenor of cheating—after all, the dice had always been in her hands. This little worry was just swept away by him, since none of his powerful elven friends questioned it, perhaps for a noble elf like "the elder of the elves, the descendant of the Flowing Fire Royal Clan", "cheating" is more unacceptable than sacrificing the lives of innocents without hesitation, right?

He thought, not without irony, the anger that had been forced down since he stepped into this place was silently rekindled again. He didn't dare to look at the corpse on the ground more - he already recognized Orin. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened to what had awaited Payne if they had been one step too late...... But what he cared about was not worth mentioning to Heleno.

"How do you want to bet?" he spoke again, his tone calm, not knowing that there was a fiery battle intent and cold disgust in his eyes.

Helenno would never admit the uneasiness of that moment, but her momentum had weakened unconsciously.

“...... That's not up to me. She said.

The dice had left her palm. It floated in mid-air, suspended between her and Ed, spinning slowly. Ed's gaze involuntarily followed its every turn, the shallow notches on each of its faces. He couldn't make out what was engraved on it, but it certainly wasn't a number, and it didn't look like a rune......

It suddenly went dark in front of me, as if I had fallen into another world. This repeated encounter made Ed cry and laugh, but he was unable to express his displeasure. For a moment he just stood quietly in the darkness, with no expression on his face and no waves in his heart.

It was even less innovative than the dinner Tess had prepared—he couldn't help but scorn himself.

"Let's get started. ”

He heard a low voice, out of nowhere, hollow and unrecognizable, unable to distinguish gender, as if filling the whole world. Two years ago, this was enough to make him feel awe, but now he only feels extremely tired.

“...... What to start?" he asked rhetorically.

There was no answer. But there is a faint desire and desire that rises from the depths of the soul.

Ed looked around, the world was cold and empty, and there was nothing. He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to do, but anyway—

At least, he thought...... Let's have some light first, shall we?

.

Ed's expression froze in a moment of half-surprise and half-boredom, Payne subconsciously rushed over, but stopped abruptly before Fairy could stop him, without touching Ed's body as if he had lost his soul.

He didn't dare risk aborting the gamble, and he doubted that he could do it.

“...... Can anyone explain?"

After a long silence, Corell's voice rang out.

The little elf, who seemed to be always full of energy, finally showed a trace of fatigue on his face.

Payne looked at Fairy, who closed her lips.

"I don't know, or can't you tell me?" the last smile that had been on Corell's lips was gone.

“...... All I can tell you is speculation. Payne finally spoke, "That thing ......"

"That's the Creator's dice. Oldest ...... A real artifact. ”

Sacthis's soft, reverberating voice fell above them, and only the ghostly half-dragon looked down at them like a god looking down on all beings, "At least that's what my father told me...... This is his proudest collection. ”

Correll's hand gripping the sword tightened slightly. Thousands of years later, few elves still know the name of Sacess, his cursed life and death...... But he knew.

He also knew how many bloody battles had been caused by the treasure left behind by the spotted leaf dragon. The elves split several times and killed each other, but it is said that ...... It is said that they never actually found the real treasure.

"It is said," said Sachses, who still had no emotion in his calm tone, "that the gods created the world with different ideas, quarreled and went their own way because they could not be unified, which led to terrible disasters. So they created this, with the remains of the old gods and the first speck of dust from the birth of each world. They take turns rolling the dice, and the winner is able to create a world as he wishes, with no one to interfere with. It's just that when it was their turn to come into the world, they lost the dice...... They blame each other, and in an instant ten thousand years have passed, and when they find out, the world has created itself—it is more chaotic than any other world, but it is also more perfect than any other. They were amazed, but they couldn't help but change it...... The world has finally become what it is. ”

There was no judgment in the simple narrative, and Correll still couldn't control the muscles in his face.

He was an elf, and his faith was almost instinctive, if not fanatical. Although Saxus's voice was as ethereal as a divine decree and irresistible, this "supposedly" was unbelievable, and probably only a dragon...... And humanity can accept it.

"...... 'supposedly'. He could only repeat it dryly.

"yes. Sackses chuckled, "'It is said'...... But at least, the gamble that started from it was absolutely fair, and you don't have to worry about Ed. ”

“...... Have you played?" said Correll, tentatively.

"We've played. Sackses replied lightly, "I...... and me. ”

Corell kept his mouth shut, inexplicably creepy—the topic was not easy to continue.

"Look...... Sachses smiled, "it's over." ”

The game ended faster than they expected.

The dice hanging in mid-air always turned unhurriedly, and even when they suddenly stopped spinning and fell straight down, they showed a strange calmness, and landed steadily on the ground.

The soft sound brought Ed and Helenor to their senses almost at the same moment, one in a daze as if they had just woken up, and the other with a look of disbelief on their faces.

"So...... Who won?" Even though there was already a guess, Corell couldn't help but ask.

After a moment, Eder hesitantly pointed to himself, "I...... Right?"

Correll glared at him with a complicated expression, and he could only smile wryly. He didn't mean to be stupid...... He just had absolutely no idea how he had won.

On the upward-facing side of the dice, a light blue mark looms between the faint notches, like a snowflake and a star...... It's just to disappear quickly.

“...... It's me. Ed breathed a sigh of relief, finally being able to be sure, "I won." ”

There wasn't much joy to speak of...... But it's better than losing.