Ed Singal was guilty of being lazy.

He felt that he had been too laid-back lately. It stands to reason that they still have a lot to do, find Scott, solve his troubles, and be careful not to be found by Baie...... Naria is full of hope to reconcile the mother and son of the Grean family, and he is also a little worried about Borena......

But everybody is here – and Ellen will arrange everything. Ed felt that any of his friends were much more capable than him, and Eren asked him and Naria to come out every day and pretend to visit the city to inquire about all kinds of news, but no matter how he looked at it, he felt that they were more like they were pretending to be inquiring about the city. Maybe that's what Eren intended, just let them play while they don't get in the way of his business.

Ed was a little frustrated, but also a little resigned. Now, as she was, she had spoken to a few girls from a nearby village, and she was sitting on a bench by the flowerbed, chattering happily and thinking that he was an eyesore, and asked him to go for a walk by herself, and then he ran to the statue in Trine Square, where he could see Nalya from afar, and take a nap with his back to the base of the statue— He didn't really want to snooze in such a place like an old man, but the sun shone on him so well that he was warm and lazy, and it didn't take long for his eyelids to close together.

He was awakened by a foul smell. When he opened his eyes, the people around him who had been basking in the sun were dodging away with disgust—a thin middle-aged man was hobbling towards them, the bandage on his right hand so dirty that he couldn't see the original color. That's where the stench came from.

Ed had to dodge as well. Seeing that the man occupied their original position as if no one was around, and a person leaned there to bask in the sun, he couldn't help but ask, "Who is this?"

"Who knows who he is?"

A young man next to him, who was driven away by the same stench as him, said angrily: "He has been hanging around the square for the past few days. Whoever sees him has to stay away. ”

"He seems to be wounded. Ed looked at the man's messy hands, "Can't you find a priest to treat him?"

The young man glared at him: "Do you pay?"

Only then did Ed realize that unless it was some special day, it would cost money to ask the priest of the temple to heal the sick or wounded...... In the pastor's words, "Although we are God's servants, we are still alive in the mortal world." This means that pastors also have to eat......

Ed felt that this was understandable. At least most of the temples he knew of were fair in their collections. Although sometimes different prices are offered to the poor and the rich – as a wealthy man, River Singer feels that this is also a form of discrimination and injustice. But he probably didn't complain to the pastor either.

"Ignore that guy. A middle-aged man probably saw the sympathy on Ed's face, "He was completely self-inflicted." He was cut on the hand when he was fighting with someone, and he left it alone until he got stinky. His wife gave him money to go to Llewellyn to find a priest. The man heard that the priest of the goddess of the earth would treat people for free during Trine's feast, so he exchanged all the money for wine, but he got drunk in the tavern, his horse was stolen, and he missed Trini's Day. This kind of person, even if he has money, the pastor is not willing to treat him. ”

"How do you know?" Ed asked curiously.

"Because that guy talks about this all day long, and he seems to be quite proud. The man glanced at the guy contemptuously, "Now his hands are getting smellier and smellier, and everyone will avoid him when they see him." No one wants to listen to him. ”

"Then why didn't he just go home?"

"Probably afraid of being scolded by his wife. In a few days, it will be the festival of the Emperor, and the priest of Anduh will be treated for free, and he should be waiting for that. ”

There are enough festivals in Anktan, Ed thought absentmindedly.

"If only he could put it off until that day. The young man next to him said casually. Wandered elsewhere.

The middle-aged man shook his head and muttered something and walked away.

Ed couldn't help but stare at the self-inflicted, wounded man. Under the sun, there was an abnormal flush on his face, revealing a faint dead ash.

Indeed, it is very likely that he will not last long.

Ed hesitated for a moment, but walked over with his breath in his breath. Squat down next to the man.

The man looked up, bloodshot eyes staring blankly at him.

"Give me something to eat,......" he said. The voice is hoarse and weak.

Ed was stunned for a moment, he didn't have anything to eat.

But he had something else to give him.

Struggling to ignore the stench that crept into his nostrils and went straight to his head, Ed put his right hand on top of the man's right hand and prayed silently—he was much more proficient at it now than he had been. He also liked more and more the feeling of the gentle water power flowing slowly through his body.

When he opened his eyes, the man was glaring at him with surprise and awe.

"Priest!" he screamed excitedly after grabbing his bandage to make sure the wound was fully healed, and pounced on him as if to get down on the ground and kiss Ed's foot, but Ed's scalp went numb and he jumped up and ran away a little.

"Pastor!" the man leaned to the ground and looked up again, tears glistening in his eyes, "to which great god should I offer my gratitude?"

"Nio. Ed blurted out, adding in a serious manner like a priest, "The goddess of water watches over you." ”

"Nio, gentle and great goddess, I will always be her devout believer!" the man crawled towards Ed, who could only retreat in embarrassment.

Then the man looked up at him expectantly and asked, "Can the great goddess give his devout followers a little food?"

Somewhat speechless, Ed pulled out two gold coins and handed them to the man. The man thanked him again and ran as fast as he could—Ed looked at his back with a complicated expression, sincerely hoping that he wouldn't take all the money to buy wine again.

"The priest of the goddess N'o is rarely seen in Llewellyn. ”

A man's voice came from the side.

Ed turned his head and saw a man dressed as an aristocratic man who seemed familiar. Probably in his thirties, with beautiful blonde hair and a well-trimmed mustache, and good features. It's even handsome, but it reveals a strange ...... It's like indifference, it's like arrogance.

Most of the nobles are like this, but Ed is not surprised.

He was looking at Ed with blue eyes and asking, "Where are you from?"

Ed smiled at him and didn't answer. He instinctively wanted to stay away from the man.

Maybe it's time to go to Naria—he told himself, nodding hurriedly to the man. Turn away.

But before he could take a few steps, he heard the bell.

The bell rang from the direction of Blackcastle. The voice seemed to be black, huge but dull, and it seemed to hit people's hearts hard again and again.

Almost all of them stopped. With a look of surprise and unease, I listened to the sudden ringing of the bell.

When it stopped, there was a deathly silence all around.

After a few moments, panicked whispers poured in, and people began to run in different directions, and soon the square was almost empty.

Except for Ed, who didn't figure out what was going on, and the aristocratic man who was leisurely pacing beside him.

“...... What's going on?" Ed asked, stunned—the only man he could ask.

"Don't you know? Not from Anktan?" the man looked at him, and there was a faint smile in his eyes: "The black bell is ringing, and the king is dead." This is the third time in 10 years that the people of Llewellyn have heard this voice. Every time it means a turmoil...... I wonder if this time will be different. ”

He walked away slowly, leaving Ed alone until Narya ran for him.

"Ed!" the girl grabbed his arm. "Did you hear that?......

"The black bell rang nine times, and the king died. Ed repeated blankly, his trance-like look probably startling Nalya.

"Ed?" the girl shook him, "what's wrong with you!"

Ed finally looked at her and forced a smile.

He just suddenly felt the impermanence of life. A life continues under his hands, and his ordinary life may be inactive. Immersed in a wine glass, another life is likely to be on its way home at the same time in a place he doesn't know. The fate of a country is in turmoil.

——Life flows endlessly, as faint as mist, as grand as rivers and seas, forever in the palm of your hand.......

Recovering from his trance, Ed's first thought was, how is Borena?

He'd heard the rumors, but he was confident that Borena wouldn't be like that. Now his father died suddenly......

"I'm afraid it's not going to be good. Alan told him, "The news from Castle Black is that Borena killed Joaquin, Sercio...... And what Behring saw with his own eyes. ”

"If they saw it with their own eyes, why couldn't they stop it?" Noway frowned, "And the King's guards?

"They say he used spells...... Necromancer's spell. Allen said.

The room was quiet for a long time, and it seemed that it would take a little time for everyone to digest the news.

"That can't be!" Ed was the first to jump.

"How much do you know about Borenna?" Alan asked calmly.

- Very little.

"Either way, he can't be a necromancer!" Ed stubbornly insisted.

"Anyway, we'd better not get involved in this...... I can't get my hands on it. Alan looked at Ed, a little helpless: "I know you saved him...... I also know that he helped Iss, but we really can't intervene in this matter, and if we barely get involved, it will only lead to fire. ”

"But......" Ed was about to say something, but Naria jerked him, and Iss looked up at him and winked at him, and he shut his mouth.

Alan could only pretend that he didn't see anything.

"At least there will be a trial, right?" asked Norwe.

"Of course, but that's just a formality......" Alan touched his broken leg with a heavy heart, "In this situation, Borena will definitely die." ”

— and he'd have to find a way to keep the young men from messing around to the point of losing himself.

(To be continued)