By the time the guards knocked on the door, Alan had prepared for the worst, only to get the most unexpected reason.

“...... What?"

Ed asked dumbfounded. He didn't understand what the old man in front of him was saying.

"Borena Dejuri asked for a joust before the gods, and he chose Nyo, the god of water, as the god to judge him, and you ...... Ed Singall, priest of the water god Nyo, the only priest of the water god in the city of Llewellyn, will be a witness to all this on behalf of the goddess you serve. Gilbert patiently explained.

“...... I refuse!!"

Ed, who finally reacted, jumped up and shouted, "I'm not ...... at all"

Norway pulled him back with all his might, his eyes stopping his unspoken denial.

“...... What time?" Alan asked calmly.

"Tomorrow. I know it's a bit sudden, and if the pastor has any need, we'll do our best to accommodate it. Someone will come here early tomorrow morning to pick him up. Gilbert replied.

"He'll be ready. Allen said.

Gilbert looked curiously at Ed, who seemed to want to say something but was firmly grasped by Norway and kept giving him a warning look, and politely took his leave.

"Why can't I say no to !!"

After the old man left, Ed was finally allowed to scream.

"If you deny that you are the priest of Nior, you will be suspected of which god's priest you are—the order to hunt down the priests and believers of Nesses has not been withdrawn. Norway sighed, "I don't think you can just make it up right now that you're serving another god. After all, it was Ni'o who gave you strength. ”

“...... Even if I admit that I'm Nior's priest, can't I refuse to be this 'witness?!'" Ed yelled in frustration.

"If you refuse, it means that Ni'o thinks Borena is guilty. Alan sat down wearily. "That would be tantamount to a direct death sentence for Borena. ”

Ed stayed for a long time, squatting weakly on the ground.

"Why would anyone know you're ...... Will you ...... Anyway, how could anyone know that you had something to do with Ni'o!" Naria said in confusion, "We haven't mentioned this to anyone, not even Borena!"

Ed can only think of one reason.

"I ......," he said, expectantly, "I healed a man in Place Trinine, and told him that he should be grateful to Ni'o......"

This is called self-inflicted. Find your own death. Tess said, covering herself before Noway could call her name.

“...... Think about the good. At the very least, if Borena is injured, you can help him. Naria had no choice but to comfort Ed like this.

"Compete in front of the gods until death. Allen's words shattered Ed's newly-ignited hope.

"Meaning...... Do I have to watch Borena die in front of me?" his desperate tone made everyone sympathize, but there was nothing they could do.

"Who's the opponent?" asked Is. "He's not going to necessarily lose. ”

“...... In front of everyone, in front of the gods, will Borena win?" Norway immediately guessed what he wanted to do, shaking his head constantly, "This won't work. ”

"What if his opponent wasn't a good guy in the first place?" Iss asked angrily, "This is just killing people in the name of God!

"Maybe we should trust Ni'o......"

"I'm sure the god of water doesn't care about this. ”

Isse and Norway glared at each other for a moment, then each took a step back, looking away almost simultaneously.

Ed crouched on the ground with his head in his hands, silent, regretting that he wanted to burrow into the ground.

It didn't take long for Allen to get the name of Borenna's opponent, and that made everyone's faces even more ugly.

"Behring, Grean. Eren glanced at Iss with a gloomy face. "You can't hurt him. ”

“...... But there is always someone who is going to die. Iss said helplessly.

Then you have to leave everything to God. Norway said.

And this time, Iss couldn't refute it either.

"Why don't we just make Borena disappear?" Tess asked, "so that no one has to die." ”.

Borena refused to disappear.

"I can't disappear with such a charge. ”

His answer was actually expected by Ed. No one wants to kill a king behind their backs. The crime of killing his own father, spending his life in hiding forever.

He was just more reluctant to watch Borena die in front of him...... Or Behring Gray. The Countess always reminded him of his mother, and could not imagine what a blow the loss of her son would have been.

"Why did you choose Ni'o?" asked Is, dissatisfied, "a great deal of gods to choose from!"

"I guess it's God's will. Borena said calmly.

Iss had nothing to say.

Human beings have always been able to move God out when they need it, and act as if God doesn't exist when they don't need it, and so on. It's no wonder that the gods are getting too lazy to pay attention to everything in this world.

Ed lost his soul and didn't say a word. Instead, Borena had to comfort him: "Maybe there will be some miracle, you are a priest, your friend is a dragon...... You should believe in miracles more than I do, don't you?"

Ed didn't argue that he wasn't a pastor, nor did he tell Borena about the famous phrase of River Singer about miracles, "Miracles don't happen for no reason." ”

But it's not without reason.

He clutched the small crystal ball on his chest blankly.

It's about two innocent lives...... And a miracle had happened to him, so why couldn't it happen again?

"You won't die!" he said firmly, "Behring won't die either...... I'm not going to let that happen!".

After a few young men left the secret passage, Borena had a new visitor.

Ethan Croeffler lost his old momentum and sat cross-legged in front of Borena in silence.

"When did you know Eli was in Llewellyn?"

Borena asked. He'll have to fight tomorrow with the descendants of Grim the Longhammer. He had to rest, and Ethan looked like he was going to sit here all night.

"The day you were in a daze on the porch?"

In Ethan's silence, Borena had no choice but to continue talking.

Ethan glanced up at him.

"Actually, it's nothing. Borena smiled wryly. I don't know why, but it's him, the dying man, who wants to comfort the others, "He's your brother after all." ”

- He was also his friend.

Borena was Eli Crooffler's squire, growing up with two Croiffler brothers, and his mother was Mrs. Crooffler's lady-in-waiting. At first, he was even closer to Eli, after all, they had more time to spend together, and Eli at that time, although a little conceited, was not to the point of being annoying.

He even helped Eli to climb the ledge of Kezia Longfu to keep an eye on him...... Later, he had always suspected that Kazia's dislike of him was partly due to Eli.

When Borena was knighted. Began to fight alongside Eli, and for a while was almost more of Eli's brother than Ethan...... Until Eli was wounded in a battle. I can no longer swing my sword.

It was only after the battle that Borena found Eli, and the young knight survived by chance, but blamed him for everything.

He should be by Eli's side, he should protect him. He shouldn't have let him fall into the encirclement...... Borena admits that he distanced himself from Eli in the scuffle and is also guilty about it. He apologized to Eli, to the Croifflers, to Ethan......

But when Eli began to suspect that it was the sword he had slashed at him, Borena had nothing more to say.

Maybe the friendship between them was never what he thought it was.

Borena is not a saint. Instead of begging for forgiveness, he avoided Eli as much as he could...... That's right, he's good at escaping. Even when Eli became more and more paranoid and tyrannical, and even began to want his life. He was just going to sneak away at night.

But before he could leave, Fish Croefler knew everything.

He did not expect Fish to rush his son away in a thunderous rage because he had insulted the honor of the knights.

Borena knew that Fish was a gritty. A lord who is resolute and upholds justice and honor...... But it was his own son, after all. He had no idea of such an ending.

In embarrassment and another kind of guilt, Borena once again decides to sneak away, only to be caught by Ethan.

"You're only going to make my father's decision ridiculous and make the Croifflers laughing stock for everyone. Younger and thinner than him, Ethan, who had given up being a knight, told him coldly. "If you feel sorry for my father, it's better to stay here. ”

Borena stayed. It wasn't until a few years later that Fish brought him to Joaquin.

Eli Croeffler was lost two years after his departure. Borena thought of him occasionally—more often of the time they fought side by side, with unspeakable regret.

He didn't expect to see his former friend again under such circumstances...... Eli still seems to want his life.

Perhaps there is Borena's own responsibility - if he had been more patient and forgiving, he might have been able to reconcile with Eli one day.

But he doubted that even if everything could be done all over again, he would still make the same choice. Being good at escaping doesn't mean being good at patience, and if you can endure it, you won't run away...... Nor will it come to Llewellyn.

Human nature is hard to change.

So now, he can face all this calmly - since it was an unchangeable choice that led to this outcome, he can only accept it.

"If you survive tomorrow, I'll find out the truth. If you die...... The truth doesn't mean much to you. ”

Ethan finally gave him a word when he left, which was probably an Ethan Crooffler-style encouragement.

But that's the descendant of Grean Longhammer - and Borena hasn't really touched anyone in years.

As for miracles...... It was only used to comfort Ed. Borena felt that he was not important enough to be favored by the gods.

In the dark, he sat for a long time and decided to sleep instead of praying or practicing.

(To be continued)