Thousands of years ago, when the world was far more magically powerful than it is today, many of the magical creatures that are now untouched still roamed the vast expanse of the land. One of them, with a body like a massive, carapace worm, always hides motionless in the water, covered in mud and sand. When passers-by stop at the water's edge and want to wash away their fatigue with cool water, a mirror-like eye will open silently at the bottom of the water, ingesting the shadow reflected in the water.

"Soul dementors?" Ed listened intently, "it feeds on souls?"

"No, it eats meat. The ice dragon replied, "That one-eyed can perform the spell of confusion, and in a sense, it can also be regarded as a soul dementor, making people ...... In fact, most of them are animals, and they get dizzy for a moment, and they are planted headlong in the water and become their food. ”

This simple and crude spell had little effect on the elves and dwarves, and this strange creature was regarded as harmless, and it existed silently for a long time, even multiplying everywhere for a time. But when the human beings who suffered from it gradually gained the strength to fight back...... At the same time, when it was discovered that the creature's carapace could be made into light and tough armor, their end would also be.

"That mirror is a human mage, after catching such a mirror worm, he had a whim, using the membrane on its one eye to fuse with other unknown messy materials. ”

No one knew what the mage had intended to make, and it was probably unexpected. At first it was strangely useless - it couldn't deter souls, and it didn't have any confusing effect, but no matter how far away, if you could see the image in the mirror, you would always see your whole body. Therefore, for a long time, it was jokingly called "a full-length mirror that can be carried around", and it became a bit ridiculous and famous. Then, it was discovered that it could reveal the true face of a person, and any disguise or transformation spells were useless before it, so it was also called the "Mirror of Truth", but it was not very remarkable...... Until someone discovers another use for it.

"It's not just 'the whole body'. "It's like...... It can be saved in the moment when it shines on it, and when you look at it again, it will save the moment, and then it will give you back what it 'saved' last time. ”

“...... How can you pay it back?"

Ed asked, blankly, not understanding what the use of this strange "magic" was.

"For example!" the ice dragon explained to him impatiently, "if you were only twenty years old when you were first photographed in it, and then you hid it, and when you were sixty years old, you would be twenty years old again!"

"I see!" Ed realized.

So this is Kogan?? The secret of Copperflame's longevity is that even Silver Fang is willing to venture into the dwarven lair for it......

Even if he is young, he can fully understand that this is indeed a great temptation, especially for human beings who have a short life.

Hoan took it. The ensuing troubles overwhelmed Ed with such annoyance that he almost forgot it existed...... Until now, it ...... And he, once again, appeared before his eyes.

"But...... It's not all, is it?" he asked, with what he knew about magic now...... It's impossible to turn back time on you without paying any price.

He still remembers the cave under the Giant's Spine, Tuscany?? Tum, what did that old necromancer do with that mirror. Maybe he just wanted to know more about the power of the mirror, because he didn't have the opportunity to leave his "past" in it when he was young, and naturally he couldn't get it back, so he used those barbarians to make all kinds of attempts...... Then he created Bazel, an undead who was physically dead, but still had a consciousness of his own.

How many "uses" of that mirror have not been discovered?

“...... I don't know. The ice dragon replied, "This mirror is a mystery, and no one will have a chance to study it properly after it falls into the hands of a flame dragon." Silver Fang may know more, though it is not known when it got it...... However, the magic attached to it, whether it is related to the 'soul' or the 'time', the 'possibility' it can create, is quite terrifying. ”

If Hoan really turned it back into an eye and put it on himself......

The terrible of the terrible!

Ed shivered a few times before he could suppress the chill that was coming from the inside out.

"Anyway, the next time you meet that guy, you'd better be careful. The ice dragon said stupidly.

It's not a wonderful feeling that such a small thing, which is so weak that it is simply not worth mentioning, needs to be guarded against now.

Ed was silent for a while before cautiously asking, "What if...... I've been seen in that mirror before...... What will happen?"

“...... When?!" The ice dragon's voice unconsciously became like a roar.

"In the Castle Forest...... Didn't he get me out of the water......" Ed replied vaguely.

"The time you were so stupid as to help him find that mirror and then get stabbed by him again?"

“...... Is, there are some things that don't have to be said. Ed said euphemistically.

The ice dragon snorted disdainfully.

"Do you see yourself in the mirror?" it asked.

Ed thought seriously and shook his head: "No." ”

"That's fine...... That kind of magic, like a contract, if you don't see your own eyes in the mirror, it means that the contract is not established. ”

Ed exhaled, but the shadow in his heart did not dissipate.

Hoan ...... What the hell has turned yourself into?

He had a hunch that maybe it wouldn't be long before he had to face him again – face him for real.

.

They avoided the shipping lanes when they went to the edge of the world, but they didn't deliberately do so on their way back. There are actually several larger islands along the way, which are also places where ships from the eastern continent dock and trade, and the ice dragons specially pass by from there, hovering high and low, as if looking for something.

- They actually found something.

When Ed jumped off the ice dragon's neck and landed on the deck of the Unicorn, he was startled by the cheers erupted from several nearby ships.

It was the Singhal family's fleet...... But he didn't know the captains and sailors very well.

Is, who had transformed into a human form and landed in mid-air, received even greater cheers.

"I hear that the captains of your family are trying to convince your father to draw a dragon on your flag. ”

Bertram crossed his arms and smiled with white teeth: "What do you think?"

Ed didn't know how to answer, so he asked him, "Why are you ......here?"

Then he thought of the answer himself - "The shipwreck of the elf is around here?"