I don't know when people believe that hell is a scorching earth full of fire and smoke, the soul of the sinful human beings is forever wailing in the flames, pain and despair are the only things in this world, and the monsters and demons walking on this land feed on the souls and lives of humans, chaos and killing are their nature, and they covet countless fresh lives in the other world outside hell all the time.

Unconsciously, even the elves and dwarves agreed with this fantasy - perhaps because the descriptions left by human scholars and poets were too vivid and true. In fact, however, in the earliest records of the elves, the so-called "hell" is nothing more than another world created by the gods to house the souls of human beings who do not believe in any gods and are called "unbelievers".

It was a world where elves and dwarves would not fall into. This allows them to be spectators, curiously watching as human beings, who have the "freedom" they do not have, who have severed their inevitable connection with the gods, and fall into the confusion and fear of their own creation in the face of the shadow of death.

No one knows exactly what hell is like. Although there have been claims that their souls have traveled to hell, been tested, and then saved by a god, no one can tell whether this is true or not. Priests and mages are able to summon demons from Hell, and the strange and terrifying forms that make it seem like the legend that the place they live in is as terrifying as the legend says, even though they have objected to it, claiming that Hell is a "fun" place and that the inhabitants of Hell are orderly. I hate that something is out of control, and I don't like to let out the monsters in Hell who don't have much intelligence, and make all the world chaotic...... And who would believe them?

But Isis believed in Nia.

Nia likes to exaggerate. The truth is always mixed with a few lies, but he will not lie unnecessarily.

"That thing is scurrying around in hell - like it's scurrying around in this world. You know that there are monsters in Hell who don't have any brains, and when they sense a path that leads to a gluttonous meal they've never seen before, they run after it like crazy, making a mess everywhere...... Manitsa kept complaining that she was starting to lose her hair because of this, but the door could only be opened and closed from this side, and no one seemed to care about it at all. She decided to take matters into her own hands, but there are rules in hell. She couldn't just send a big demon out...... So I told her, 'Hey, why don't you let me go?......"

Nia sat cross-legged on the ground. Gestures, spittle, as if breaking free from an invisible shell, quickly resumed the once able to speak alone for a whole day.

"So that's a trap. The ice dragon squatted on the ground. Sharp claws pointed to the quagmire that had calmed down. Finally understood, "You want to use it to grab that door?"

"That's how it was intended. Nia looked helplessly at the spiral lines on the quagmire, "But there's no hope now...... It's completely ruined. I forgot that you would be as attracted as it was. ”

The ice dragon blinked, feeling as if it should be angry at the contrast, but it was a little angry.

“...... You're talking about a 'door,' right?" Alan couldn't help but rub his forehead, "Naria told me that it was indeed a door...... I can understand that it's going to run around. Like all passages between the Atlases, it is difficult to stabilize...... But you're talking about it like a rat that falls into a cage because of cheese?"

"It was indeed a 'passage between otherworlds'. "I don't have the alienation I had at the beginning. Nia seemed to be unconsciously a little complacent at the moment because he knew something that even Eren didn't know, "But it was created by someone, and the runes engraved on it allow it to absorb the magic power around it and gradually turn on, and it will instinctively be attracted to powerful and pure power." Manitsa gave me a great gadget that doesn't have real power...... It's like a piece of resin with a rich cheese smell that can melt with a little magic power, and once it melts, it's slimy and no one can escape, I threw it in the swamp, it should have attracted the door, and then it stuck in it and couldn't escape......"

“...... It's a pity that I was lured like a mouse. The ice dragon said dryly.

"Oh, little one. Nia looked up and comforted it, "It's not your fault. ”

The ice dragon glared back hard - of course it wasn't to blame!...... And it's not a little guy either!

But it realized, somewhat guiltily, that if that was the case...... It was it that ruined Niah's plans. That "cheesey resin" wasn't as harmless as it sounded - it was powerful enough to destroy a dragon. And Nia apparently destroyed the trap she had set in order to save it.

“...... Who is Manissa?" Alan asked abruptly.

"My master. Nia blurted out, as if it were instinct.

Then he immediately closed his mouth, his eyes flickering, and for a moment he looked embarrassed and frightened.

“...... Master?" Alan repeated slowly.

“...... It's not as bad as it sounds. Nia shrugged, her eyes clearly not as nonchalant as her tone, "She's mine...... Guardian. Hey, she's pretty and she's still in shape. He grinned, "There are no horns or tails, and his temper is as fiery as his body, but he is not unreasonable......

Alan looked at him for a long time, and his sadness and apology seemed to crush the gray-haired old man.

"But you should be free. He said, "Nia Meyer, you said that the only thing you can't afford to lose anymore is freedom." ”

Nia fell silent, and after a long moment forced a smile: "At least I'm still alive." ”

Alan shook his head, and stopped talking.

"Don't think about things that can't be changed, Alan. Nia sat up straight, squinted and smiled, "I'm alive, I'm back...... Why don't you think about how you can help me close that door so I don't get thrown into the material for the wall?"

“...... Do you still have to go back if you're done?" asked Iss softly, involuntarily remembering Scott, who might not be able to do anything about it either...... It really hates it.

Nia's pupils constricted.

“...... Not necessarily. He said.

Perhaps after all, having not seen his friend fall into hell, or having had a very similar experience in some sense, Scott's reaction was much simpler than Allen's—when he saw Nia appear in front of him, he was stunned for only a moment, then he couldn't help grinning, strode over and hugged the little thief hard, hugged his feet off the ground, and shouted:

"Hey, I miss you too, Scott, but if you don't let me go, I'll have to poke you with a dagger for my ribs' sake. ”

Scott finally let go of him, with a bright and pure smile on his face that he hadn't seen in a long time. Iss stood aside, looking at the two young people who seemed to have been forgotten by time, and for a moment felt like they had returned to more than ten years ago, and the friends who had returned from the adventure together sat around and talked proudly about the thrills and dangers they had just experienced, over Leda's own wine...... But after all, there are still some people who will never come back.

As my mind crossed the pale, quiet, dwarven skeleton beneath Ankland, there was a faint pain in my heart somewhere.

"You've got to tell me what you've been through, it's going to be better than all the stories in this world. Scott rubbed Nia's soft curls as before, blurting out no shadow in his words, as if his friend had gone on an adventure to another world alone, rather than struggling to survive in hell.

"Oh, of course. "I've decided to write my great adventure into a long poem to sing to you, and you'll have to listen to it from beginning to end." ”

Scott laughed and twisted the little thief's still fleshy cheek.

"If you really want to sing it, I'll listen to it...... I swear. He said sincerely.

Nia's singing voice is a magic voice attack that is higher than Tess's, and it definitely takes real courage to agree to this.

"Can you lend me your dear brother for a while before that?" Nia, tilting her face at him, pointed at Is, and smiled innocently and harmlessly.

This time Scott hesitated.

"He's not going to be as obedient as you remember. He said, not caring at all and listening to Is.

"He told me you let him fly around just to find the door—and that's what I came for. I can use his wings, and he can definitely use mine...... Instinct. Nia poked her head with a finger, "Oh, don't worry, I'll protect him." ”

Instinctively, Iss opened his mouth to refute, thought about it and swallowed it back - that would be of no use, his opinion didn't matter at all here.

“...... That can be said tomorrow. Scott smiled and digressed the subject, "We're going to have to have a few drinks anyway, don't we?"

Nia shrugged casually, her voice floating in the air softly and quickly: "Of course...... Why not?"

They looked at each other, and after the joy of reunion, they clearly saw each other's eyes, the high wall of more than ten years of time and secrets that they could not exit.

Nothing really makes it so easy to go back to the way things were.

(To be continued......)