The man behind the tree walked out with his hands held high, without the slightest hesitation.

"Kormit?" exclaimed Scott, surprised.

The priest who worked part-time as a blacksmith lowered his hands, pulled out his dagger from the tree, and walked over to them.

"I didn't intend to hide, but you seem to have something to talk about, and I don't think I should bother. Comit Ansel explained to them. The man who is nearly half a hundred years old still has strong muscles, but his hair is already a little gray.

"He's your brother?" the man looked at Iss with some curiosity, "you look alike. ”

Scott nodded, "He's not a believer, but there's nothing to hide from him." ”

Kormit smiled kindly at Is, and didn't ask any more questions.

"I thought you had left the estuary. Scott said.

"Just a change of accommodation. Kormit gave him back the dagger.

"Still in sight?" Scott asked, guessing that someone in the tavern had sent a message to the man in front of him.

"Well, but only in the estuary, and the people here don't know what's going on. Kurmit said frankly, "You probably know everything I know." The king ordered the arrest of all the priests of Nesses, and as for the believers......" he sighed: "If you do not admit that you have been deceived and renounce your faith, you will be put to death." ”

Scott shook his head, feeling the anger in his heart again: "This makes no sense!"

"Definitely. "I informed the others as soon as I could, but some of the people in the village didn't get away in time." ”

"Valander. Scott whispered. He could never forget the charred corpses again.

"And the village of Silver Springs to the west. Kormit spoke in a heavy tone.

"What about the others?" asked Scott.

"They were taken by the priests to Stormy Fortress and Selindia. ”

Those two places are the ruins left by the orcs and elves, and they are both hidden in the deep mountains, which can be attacked and defended. The way into it is also extremely secretive, but it is difficult to get supplies.

"They can't stay there forever. Scott said.

Commie nodded in agreement, "So we need to find out as soon as possible what madness His Majesty is up to." You have to go to Llewellyn, we don't have anyone there, but in Balach there is, Travis is not exposed, you can go to him first and see if there is any more news. He might even be able to get you a certificate of nobility. That's the one you need in Llewellyn. ”

"How did you come up with an expose?" asked Scott, somewhat confused, whose identity was known only to the priests.

Kormit gave him a wry smile: "I didn't. A guy in the Chamber of Commerce who has a grudge against me took the opportunity to frame me. He probably didn't expect that I would be really the priest of Nesses, and if I fell into his hands, he wouldn't let me live, so I had to flee first. But now I have enough evidence to bring him down. Prove my ......' 'innocence'. ”

The strong man gestured and laughed heartily: "Don't worry about me. But you'd better stay here for a while, I'll have to get you some clothes, it's fine to dress like this at the mouth of the river, but it's a bit noticeable in Balach. ”

Both Scott and Iss were dressed as hunters, and Is's was a little oversized - it was Scott's clothes, and he couldn't wear the black robes he wore when he transformed.

Scott scratched his head, he had planned to buy Iss a few suitable ones at the bayou, but ended up completely forgetting about this.

"He's going with you?" Kormit looked at Is.

"Of course. "Before Scott spoke. Isis replied as a matter of course.

Scott nodded.

That night, the brothers stayed in a wooden hut near the mouth of the river, one of Kormit's hideouts. Although it is rudimentary, it is much better than a cold cave or an open snow.

Isis soon fell asleep. But Scott suddenly fell into a dream almost at dawn.

He felt like he was falling down. Fall...... There is never an end. There is an endless emptiness all around, there is no light, there is no darkness, there is no life, there is no death, it is pure. The emptiness that makes people feel powerless to even despair. Little by little, life and soul are devoured, and all resistance is in vain.

In the midst of that never-ending fall. Gradually, an indescribable rage rose wildly, reflecting a red void.

Standing at the edge of the forest, the group looked out over the hillside in the distance, the majestic silhouette of ancient Balach, discreetly hidden in the shadows of the trees.

"Are you sure there won't be any danger in this?" Ed asked Borena uneasily, "just swaggering in?"

He had more than usual concern for the man he had dragged back from the brink of death, and even had a strange desire to protect, even though he was far more mature than him, and could be his father at any age.

"No place in the world is completely safe. Borena laughed and said, "Even if you eat barbecue by the fire, you can choke to death, don't you?" but since I'm alive, and it looks like I'm going to live, I have to figure out who wants my life so much, and really put an end to it...... Don't worry, I still have a few old friends in town, and they probably won't turn me down as a poor cripple. ”

The man shaved his beard and cut his hair short, and looked much more energetic, but he still had to use crutches. Ed tried to heal his wounds completely, but Borena refused on the grounds that "people can't be too greedy".

They had planned to go to Gabriel, a nearby village where Gunna and Falbo's uncle's family lived, but after thinking about it for a moment, Borena decided to go directly to Balach.

"There is no need to involve more innocent people. He said that neither Gunnor Farbo would have any objections to his decision.

"Well, maybe we'll have to say goodbye here. Norway said.

"You're not going into the city?" asked Gunner, a little surprised.

"The people who are chasing us are not easy to get rid of, and if you go into town...... "Elf looks at his friends, "I have to say, we are a little too conspicuous." ”

An elf. A big man about the height of a barbarian, two pretty girls, and a cute mongoose. Coupled with Ed, who is the least obtrusive but always unconsciously does amazing things, it is indeed impossible to ignore wherever he goes.

"But I want to go in!" said Tess, a little grieved. After so much time of wandering around the deserted mountains, forests and ice fields, she really missed the bustling city, the smooth streets and the warm, cozy, real beds - she had not even slept under the covers that night at the mouth of the Kuz!

Novi actually felt a little regretful. Balach had what was said to be the oldest and largest library in Anktan, and he had always wanted to go inside.

Borena touched his chin.

"Actually, it's not impossible. He said.

Borena's approach is actually quite simple, he breaks everyone to zero. Separate into town. He was a businessman who had the bad fortune to be robbed and break his leg on the road, and went into the city to find a doctor. Falbo was his retinue, Akan was his bodyguard, and of course, the hammer had to be hidden, Ed and Nalya were a sweet little couple, Gunner was an honest hunter who had come to buy gifts for his fiancée, and Tess and Norway were sisters who had come from Emmo to worship the gods at the temple of Andukh - the women of that place were exceptionally conservative. They are always tightly wrapped from head to toe, revealing only one pair of eyes. And Mochi had to hide in Norvi's arms, pretending to be something that the elves didn't have.

Tess couldn't help but laugh out loud when she heard what Norway had to play, and almost had to raise her feet in favor of the plan, but Norway could only smile wryly in agreement with her. Falbo slipped into Balach's new town to get a pile of clothes, and the muscles on his face twitched involuntarily as he lifted the low-key pale gray that had been stuffed into his arms, but with a silver lily-shaped turban on the edges.

Tess draped her turban over his head.

"It's perfect for you!" she exclaimed. The smile on his face was so bright that he couldn't take his eyes off it.

Norway sighed in resignation - he hadn't pretended to be a woman anyway.

Borena smiled and looked very happy. It was a very simple joy, like a child seeing his beloved toy.

"He loves this. Falbo whispered to Ed the not-so-secret secret. "Acting or something. There's even a stage where we meet at the mouth of the Kuz! Borena writes his own script and lets everyone act it, and you can't imagine how funny that is! Gunner played a fierce fat woman, and I fell to the ground laughing!"

He grinned, a nostalgic smile on his face.

"Will Borena play it herself?" asked Ed, a little curious.

"Yes. He likes to play the kind of weird guy who doesn't appear much, but can make everyone laugh as soon as he opens his mouth or even appears. Falbo neatly dressed Ed as a small merchant that Anktann usually likes.

"You've got to get your hair down. He said. "Anktann people don't like to tie their hair so neatly. Also, when we speak, we have to curl our tongue a little bit to resemble our accent. ”

Ed looked at him a little speechless, "I think you like this too......?

Falbor nodded happily: "That's it!

Naria burst out laughing.

People with different roles entered the Old Town of Balach through different gates. The gates were not heavily guarded. All were free to enter without any interrogation, but the unrelenting gaze of the guards made Ed realize that this high-walled place was not an undefended city, if not without the tension of the Kuz estuary.

In any case, the people who came and went on the street seemed calm and content, and the long-lost serenity gradually relaxed the tired travelers who had been away from home for a long time.

They stayed in the same hotel, the Plantagenet Hotel, run by a friend of Borenna, in an alley near the Trumpeter's Square, close to the library that Norway wanted to visit, much to the elf's surprise. But the thought of going out in a woman's clothes made him just want to stay in the hotel room and hide.

Tess wouldn't agree to this, and she soon dragged Norway out with her. She was so devoted to her role that she walked much slower, spoke softly, and didn't even blink her eyes when she passed Ed and Nalya at the door of the hotel, but there was often a strange look in her eyes - especially when she looked at the elves who had helplessly let go of their eyes.

Ed, however, felt uncomfortable. As a "sweet little couple", he didn't even dare to touch Naria's hand! They might as well pretend to be brother and sister - so it didn't take long for Ed to automatically change his relationship with Naria to "a little couple who grew up together like a brother and sister", and felt much more comfortable.

Completely oblivious to Ed's struggle, Naria laughed and "hired" Akan, who had just been fired from his former employer and looked a little dazed, so that the big man who was completely confused could go back to his room and sleep peacefully.

The adventurers unanimously agreed to spend two days in this laid-back city that didn't look like it looked like it looked like it did anything to get a good rest. But for Borena, coming to Balach meant dealing with problems that he had just wanted to get away with.

(To be continued)