The whole world suddenly fell silent, so quiet that you could hear your own heavy gasps and rapid heartbeat.

Ed blinked, and sat down on the floor with a sense of unreality.

"Hey...... Are you alright?"

Nia dragged her left leg and gestured to her face worriedly: "You have blood all over your face. ”

“...... OK. Ed raised his arm and wiped his face vigorously with his sleeve, "That's it...... A little hungry. How many meals did I miss?"

Nia sneered.

"I like you, little one. He gave him a thumbs up, "You're so much cuter than you were when you were a kid - the exact opposite of Is." ”

"Don't let him hear, he'll be jealous. Ed replied with a grin.

He knew it wasn't over - they knew it. But since he was lucky enough to escape death again, he had the right to relax for a moment.

"Wait a little longer, little one, and we'll find a way to get you out of this cage. Nia casually pointed back, "I need to go see the old ...... first."

He swallowed the last word back just in time, winked at Ed, and turned and limped towards Sean.

Sean was obviously badly wounded, but he refused his help, stubbornly standing on the ground with his sword, standing up on his own, walking to the front of the cage with a slow but steady pace, reaching out and grabbing the rune-engraved Mithril branch before Ed could stop it.

He wore a pair of gloves and looked very old, but the metal rings that were faintly peeking out between the cracked leather were still fine and tight.

“...... Where did you get this?"

Ed blurted out, not realizing that his tone was more of a question.

He recognized the gloves that countered magic...... It was originally kept in the sacristy of the Collins Temple, but was lost after the fog and everything else.

Sean glanced at him, didn't answer, just threw down his long sword and forcefully pulled the metal branch thinner than his finger to the sides.

Mithril is extremely light and tough, but not as hard as silver, and it is not impossible to pull it apart if you can restrain the magic attached to it.

Ed stared silently at the old man who was trying to save him, but anger burned faintly in his heart. He opened his mouth, his gaze swept over the blood pouring from Sean's right shoulder, swallowing back another question that had already reached the tip of his tongue.

The light on Mithril dimmed, but it never moved, and after a few moments, green smoke rose from the gloves.

Sean held on, until the leather armor covering the gloves shrank and shattered as if corroded by something, and the metal rings began to turn black, and then let go of his hands with a gloomy face.

"Perhaps...... Time to call Scott to clean up the mess?" Nia suggested tentatively.

Sean nodded silently.

Nia, visibly relieved, muttered and moved towards the exit.

Ed waited until his back was gone, then spoke again.

"Where did you get this ?......?" he asked, "you know Ikabird...... And where are the rest of the people?"

He couldn't help asking. Those guilt, insecurity, and doubts weighed down on him for too long, and every day became heavier.

"They're fine. ”

Sean looked at him calmly and answered the question.

“...... So you know everything?" Ed asked in a low voice, "Do you know everything, but you do nothing?"

That's a baseless accusation, he knows. Sean couldn't have deliberately let himself fall into Lydia's hands at such an important time as Mayday, and what happened with it was not something he could control.

But in Ed...... Sean wasn't there when everyone at the Collins Temple needed it most. And everything he concealed became the enemy's most powerful weapon.

Even so, not many people blame Sean. Icabard, along with the priests and paladins who escaped the attack, apparently still believed that Sean was better than Ed.

Again and again he entered the temple in the mist, calling every name he remembered, and no one gave him a response...... Sean, who is far away in Stonebuch, seems to know everything.

Ed felt tired and resentful...... and unconsciously a little aggrieved. Looking at Sean's expression, he knew he wouldn't tell him more, but why? He made him a saint...... He had been so proud that he had been recognized by Sean Fletcher, but in the end, to Sean, he probably never was—and never would be—a true saint.

"You'll know. "Maybe it's because of weakness, Sean's voice actually sounds a little gentle," ...... Someday. ”

“...... Why can't it be today?" Ed asked angrily, "Do you know where the Staff of Eternity is?"

"I don't know. Sean frowned slightly, "You should be able to sense its presence more than anyone else......"

"Should I?" The flames that Ed couldn't hold back burst into flames, "Even if I'm not the one I'm supposed to be, 'the only one who can wield the Staff of Eternity'?"

"You are indeed the only one!" Sean's tone hardened again, "It accepted you!"

"You can say the same thing to Bloomer Christus - or have you already said it?" said Ed.

Something flashed quickly in Sean's eyes.

Guilt—Ed recognized it quickly, as he had seen his own eyes flash in the mirror countless times.

But that's not guilt for him...... It's about Bloomer.

“...... What the hell have you done to him?" Ed asked angrily, "and Helena Christus, the woman who died in the Temple of Collins...... Eric swore he wasn't lying—did he?"

“...... No. ”

“...... You killed her?"

"It's not. ”

“...... So what the hell are you trying to do?!" Ed reached out and almost slapped uncontrollably on the cage, "Who else knows that?" does Scott know?...... Does Felicity know?!"

The last name brought out the deepest fear in his heart.

He believed in Felicity. She had helped him, had helped him without expecting anything in return two hundred years ago, and had died two hundred years because of him—but if it had all been a hoax from the start, even the fleeting memories that had been sealed by Celebrion were not real or complete......

What else can he believe? Who else can he believe?

"Hey!"

Nia screamed and jumped and ran back, "I have two pieces of news, one good and one bad, which one do you want to hear first?—I'll tell you them all." Scott has already found him, but the young man who looks like him outside has escaped at some point!".

(To be continued.) )