The small, light blue crystal ball.

Ed couldn't see it, but he could now be sure that it had incredible power.

He didn't know if it would work...... He is likely to lose it and never again have its protection and help. He could have been stronger, not like he is now, useless......

-- But if he gave up an opportunity to save his "brother" who almost died because of him for the sake of that possibility, then he would really be useless.

"Eric, I'm going to have to let you go, you're going to have to hold on to yourself, you can't be dragged in! Believe me, your goddess has absolutely no intention of that!Even if she did, don't you think she should pick Philip Zeri?!...... Anyway, you swear to me, just hold on!"

There was no answer.

"Eric Vaughn! swear!" he had never spoken in such a stern tone in his life.

The young man nodded as if frightened by him: "I swear!"

Ed closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let go of his hand, and sat down on the ground, his stiff and trembling fingers completely unresponsive, but he managed to tear off the chain on his chest, pour out the crystal ball that still looked dull, and crawl to the side of the corpse, holding his breath, and threw it exactly between Eric's face and the corpse, which had been completely engulfed in corpses.

The moment he waited, his mind was completely blank.

The light blue light suddenly bloomed silently in the darkness, and the crystal ball hung there, illuminating Eric's sweaty face, which was a little distorted by exertion, and the sight was by no means pretty, but it made Ed burst into heartfelt cheers.

"Come on, come on, good job!" he shouted as he watched as Eric slowly spit out as if he had been disgusted by the corpse, and finally fell to his knees with a dazed expression, staring blankly at the crystal ball.

The light softened, and just when Ed thought it was all over, it suddenly flickered brightly again, shooting straight at him like a meteor and slamming down on his forehead.

Ed screamed in pain and sat back, the crystal ball dimming and falling to his hand.

He picked it up, looked at the light that had not completely disappeared in it with some doubt, rubbed his forehead, and asked hesitantly, "...... You...... Why? I saved your knight, shouldn't you thank me?......"

The glimmer of light darkened as if deflated.

The cold wind blew through the uninhabited cemetery, and Ed, who was covered in sweat, shivered several times in a row.

- Very well, he's going to have a fever again.

The raised scimitar fell to the ground with a crisp thud, and the fallen skeleton was scattered to the ground.

Fili Zeri remained on the defensive, dumbfounded at all of this.

The sound of weapons falling clanged, and when the last skeleton fell to the ground, the broken skull rolled to Tess's feet, most of them began to react, and a mixture of surprise and dazed expressions appeared on each face.

"We ...... Win?" Khaliat was a little incredulous. They tried their best, but they were already starting to burn out, and the skeletons didn't have that bother. More and more people were injured and fell, and falling down basically meant death - he was already thinking about letting everyone retreat, but he didn't know where to retreat, and in hesitation, the skeletons in front of him suddenly stopped all movements at the same time, and then fell one after another.

“...... We've won!" Tess, stepping on the skull, raised her weapons in both hands, and shouted in glee.

Cheers rang out throughout the hall, and people hugged each other in celebration or fell to their knees and wept. Most of them were just ordinary hunters and farmers, and they never imagined that they would survive such a terrible and fierce battle.

"But here's ...... How did you win?" Risek wiped the sweat from the corners of his eyes, but stained half of his face with blood on his hands, and his right hand was cut with a long wound.

Haryat slung his sword to his shoulder and staggered to the door, where there was only silence in the deepest darkness before dawn, and no new enemies were swarming up, but his blood was still boiling, and it kept his ears buzzing.

Norway walked over to him and quietly looked out the door.

"What do you see?" asked Haryat involuntarily, knowing that elves could see far better than humans in the dark.

“...... Someone's coming. The elf whispered.

Khaliat immediately tensed.

"Human, not a skeleton, a necromancer?" he asked, holding his sword in his hand again.

"No, it's just...... Two people. ”

The wide road leads from the main gate to the square, and at a glance, two figures are slowly walking between the stones stacked at random by the Anktan, and when they pass a skeleton lying in the snow, one of them bends down, and the other's hand begins to emit a soft light, illuminating a middle-aged man with gray hair and a tall figure.

“...... Priest ......" Haryat whispered the salutation in a tone of awe, then jerked back and shouted, "It's the priest! The priests are coming!!".

Bonfires lit up again in the square, huge fires lighting up the sky, dispelling the cold, darkness, and fear, but not the strong smell of blood.

They did win, but more than thirty people lay in pools of blood, and even the arrival of the priest could not bring back their lives. People are willing to believe the words of the pastor - the dead are just as lucky, and because of their courage and sacrifice, they will live happier lives in another world, under the protection of Nethers.

Only then will death be more acceptable.

One by one, the bodies were carried out of the hall and placed neatly on one side of the square, with scattered skeletons on the other. The elf had no way of knowing if there were his ancestors among them, and it was impossible for them to sleep in their tombs again, and the only thing he could do was to purify the innocent bones with flames so that they would never be disturbed and used again. Akan and Tess cowered against the wall a few moments after the battle, leaning together and falling into a deep sleep, and Mochi curled up in Akan's palm, their strength exhausted.

No one woke them up. The "suspicious strangers" have earned the respect of the Anktans with their brave and powerful battles.

Narya, too, was tired, but she insisted on helping Norway clean up the remains of the ancient elven warriors. But worry hung over her brow—Ed and Eric were still nowhere to be seen.

When the two young men, who also escaped death, dragged their stiff and sore bodies to the edge of the square, they saw such a brightly lit, busy, but extraordinarily quiet scene.

“...... What's going on?" Ed asked Eric in a low voice, even though he knew he was as ignorant as he was. He had never seen so many corpses, and it made him feel very uneasy.

"I don't know. Eric replied honestly, "But it looks like whatever happened is over now." ”

“...... You say, what we do, are there any ...... A little bit of a favor?"

"I hope so. Eric said uncertainly.

The paladin, who had regained his strength, still lacked self-confidence, he always felt that he had not done anything great at all, and in the end he was pulled back from the gates of hell by an ordinary person.

Norway was the first to spot them. He patted Naria on the shoulder, smiled and pointed her in the direction of the two men.

“...... Ed!" Naria cried out, rushing at the black-haired young man, giving him a tight hug, and a familiar and powerful slap on the head as Ed giggled at the rare enjoyment.

"Where the hell have you gone! Don't go away without a sound!"

"She's been worried about you. Norway, who had followed her, smiled and touched Ed's shoulder, "But I know you're all right." ”

"Oh, I'm just worried I won't be able to explain it to Mrs. Singall. Naria raised her eyebrows and denied it, but for some reason she suddenly got a little angry, and couldn't help but give Ed another strong palm, turned around and walked away.

Ed touched his head blankly: "...... I didn't say anything! Why is she angry again!"

"You'll know. But where the hell have you been?" Norway smiled at the paladin, who had been standing a little awkwardly to the side, "Filly is worried about you too. ”

"Oh, I have something to tell him! and Haryat and Risek...... They...... Still alive, right?" Ed glanced uneasily at the rows of corpses on the ground.

"They're fine. "Norway led them down the hall," their priest ...... The priest of Nesses came. ”

"Really?" Ed had always been curious about the priests, "Oh, Norway, I have to tell you, Hoan Shaw......"

"We got him. ”

In a hurry, they chained Joan and locked him in a room with the goblins, and the elves took a look at him at the end of the battle. The boy had already woken up and sat quietly in a pile of crying goblins, and even though he was gagged to prevent him from casting spells, none of the goblins around dared to approach him. Those noisy creatures seem to have a sharper intuition about danger than humans. Risek moved him to another room, where someone was guarding him.

“...... Is it......" Ed should have felt happy, satisfied, or at least relieved, but he only felt like a hole in his heart, a little uncomfortable.

"There's also a woman, a necromancer, and I'...... We killed her. Eric added to the side.

"Woman......" Norway remembered the name Risek had mentioned, "Gloria, when did you kill her?"

"I don't know her name, she stabbed Eric before, like Joan stabbed me......" Ed looked down at his chest.

Norway had stopped and pulled him in surprise, wanting to examine the wound on his chest.

But there was only a thin slit on the garment that had been pierced by a knife and a little blood on the edges.

"I'm fine. Ed smiled weakly.

The elf still frowned: "Your luck is really good, Ed, this knife hits the heart, if it really stabs in, you will die." He seemed to think that the stab was not very deep.

Ed and Eric looked at each other, acquiescing to his "good luck". Even because of miracles, "resurrection from the dead" is not a good topic to talk about at this time.

They walked into the hall. People were digging up the snow from outside and scrubbing it vigorously, but the blood on the ground was still shocking. They probably won't like to live here again.

Filly stood against the wall, staring blankly at the corner of the hall with a strange expression on his face. There, several people, including Khaliat and Risek, stood in a circle, and Ed couldn't see the people who were surrounded by them, except for the faint sound of chanting incantations.

"The priest of Nesses is treating the wounded. Norway explained to him softly, and then called out, "Philip Zeri!"