Eli Croeffler disappeared more than a month ago.

The priests who guarded him did not try to hide the secret. They told Ethan Crooffler as quickly as they could...... However, Ethan did not say a word about Borenna.

When his gaze sank completely, the man who had always been easy-going also had a bit of a king's momentum. When they returned to the temple in Balach, when Borena sat opposite Laval, the temple of the gods seemed to have become a palace of kings.

"How did he escape?" he asked.

It was not to hold him responsible, but to get to the bottom of the facts—the high priest, who had lived for nearly a hundred years, could at least judge this, and replied with some embarrassment, but also very frankly: "Someone slipped into the place where he was imprisoned in the funeral procession." ”

Most of the people who were able to rest in the tombs beneath the temple were of noble status, and the priests did not expect that there would be people with bad intentions mixed with relatives and friends who were mourning...... That's never been the case.

Those were not spellcasters, but trained warriors...... or an assassin, who is not able to cast spells but has a considerable understanding of magic. Even in a heavily protected temple, they can move quickly and silently. By the time the stunned priest came to his senses and sounded the alarm, they had returned to the funeral procession and left the temple.

"The deceased was the old lady of the Casilla family. Laval said, "The family had many children, and many of the mourners did not know each other, and the temple was ...... It's not convenient to come forward to investigate. ”

The whole thing was in the hands of Ethan, and what he found out, of course, Borena knew nothing, and Laval did not get any information.

"That's his brother, after all. The high priest sighed, "If he doesn't say it, I can't ask more." ”

Borena was silent for a long time, but still politely thanked the old man - it was the temple's duty to imprison a necromancer, and it was indeed the temple's negligence to give him a chance to escape, but it was a big trouble to be a prisoner with such a special identity...... They couldn't even put a strong enough chain on him.

"If there's anything you need my help with......"

As he left the temple, Ed couldn't help but speak.

Iss glanced at him, and his eyes clearly wrote, "Are you idle?"

The corners of Borena's mouth moved, and he could still laugh because of it.

"He'll be fine. "If he had known in the morning," he said...... He would not allow himself to be put in a certain situation. What's more, as a king, if I can't even save my own consul, it's better for me to abdicate as soon as possible. ”

- Haven't you always wanted to abdicate early?

Ed swallowed the words.

In fact, he had always felt that Borena was a pretty good king, even though he threw many things at Ethan, consciously or unconsciously...... At least when it comes to governing the country, Ethan Croefler has lived up to his trust.

"Go about your own business. Borena patted him on the shoulder, "To be honest, I don't know much about the rules and gods...... But it sounds like you're a lot more responsible than I do. ”

Ed opened his mouth, but said nothing—was he going to tell him that he wasn't really sure what he was supposed to do until now?

.

"I'm going to go find something and close that hole. ”

Isis threw this sentence and ran away on his own.

Ed felt that he didn't seem to want to face Allen...... Even he didn't think much of it, but he couldn't just run away like Is.

They stayed at the Plantagenet Hotel near the library, the same one they had stayed at almost two years earlier. Ed couldn't help but think of Novi who had to wear a woman's dress and veil at that time...... He didn't know where he and Tess were, but he couldn't find them.

Worry and guilt made him listless when he saw Alan, much to the surprise of the old man who had returned to the hotel early in the morning and had not gone with them to Ethan.

“...... Is Ethan Croefler dead?" he asked, "or what did Iss do again?"

Ed shook his head repeatedly, and in a few words told him about Ethan's disappearance and Eli's escape...... As well as the "mission" of Is.

The old man rubbed his broken leg and did not speak for a moment—the clammy mist of the early morning made him feel terrible pain, and the increasingly complicated situation made him even more uneasy.

"What are your plans?" he asked.

Ed couldn't answer.

“...... Well," Alan sighed, "another question - are you still willing to trust Scott?"

Ed was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Even if you have to be the enemy of maybe all the priests and mages because of this?"

“...... They won't succeed. Ed replied in a low voice.

“...... Why?"

"Because even if the bones of the gods really are the key...... Even if they could actually find it before Scott, they wouldn't destroy it - even if that was the only way to stop the ritual. Ed smiled wryly, "They're going to try to take possession of it, and fighting for it will lead to a fight, and it's going to give people a chance...... And I'm not even sure if the so-called 'God's Bone' could be a decoy deliberately thrown by Scott. ”

Alan looked at him, a little surprised.

"The greed of those mages is too obvious. He said, "But I thought you would believe the high priest." ”

"I respect him. "I believe in him too...... I believe he genuinely does not want humanity to lose the freedom it now has and to fall into some kind of irresistible reign of terror, but if it were possible...... He also doesn't want to lose the power he has. If the gods are gone and magic is doomed, he will not let go of another possible source of power—especially if the mages are also eyeing him. ”

“...... So why do you think he threw this news out instead of hiding it in his own hands?"

"Because the Archmage Tower may have more secrets. "And if even Ethan Crooffler's men could find out the accurate news that Scott took a skull from the pit...... That proves that Scott has no intention of hiding it at all. What is the need to 'hide this kind of news in your own hands'?"

This time, Eren was silent for even longer.

“...... You've grown up. He sighed, his expression complicated.

“...... I've been an adult for a long time. Ed couldn't laugh or cry, but he also understood where Alan's emotion came from - he was too naïve, too naïve to see the shadows and the darkness.

"It's you who wants to impress Laval's frankness. "Unfortunately, it didn't seem to work out." It's fine that you have your own ideas, but both Laval and the mages seem to be pretty sure of that - it's easier for you to find the bones of the gods than they are. They won't let you go...... Nor will he let go of Is. ”

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