They were silent, groping their way along the side of the sewer. Ed always involuntarily reached for Eric's back to make sure he was still in front, and finally grabbed Eric's belt simply. The paladin, who had been frightened several times, acquiesced to his childish actions, which was at least much better than having a hand touching it in the back and sending chills down the spine.

They had walked some distance when they suddenly heard what sounded like stones being knocked and scraped, and a faint light suddenly peeked through somewhere in front of them. They walked over in amazement and caution, looking up as if it was some kind of miracle, but a few bits of snow fell on their heads, and through the beautifully carved manhole cover above a shaft, a strange face looked down at them.

"That's ...... What?" Ed asked.

The face was flattened, as white as snow, and it looked vaguely human, and the creature cooed as they stared at it.

Ed heard wings flapping, and more snow fell.

"Owls, white owls!" he cried excitedly, remembering the great bird that had landed near them when he first entered the city.

"A snowy owl!" said Eric, surprised, "the symbol of the goddess of ice! this must be the guidance of the gods, you know, the goddess of ice and snow is the daughter of the goddess of water......"

"yes, yes, I know they don't have a good relationship. Ed said impatiently, "There's a ladder here, should we go up there?"

"Ed, we can't talk about the gods......" Eric babbles as he crawls, and Ed endures not to make any more blasphemous remarks, after all, they are indeed saved by the gods and do need more help—and he has realized that any disrespect will only lead to more nagging from Eric.

When Eric was his "older brother", he didn't notice him to be so verbose!.

"How can you get him out of your sight!" Narya scolded, "he has no ability to protect himself!"

Norvi's face was more of self-blame. It was he who agreed to Ed's plan, and he was not unaware of the dangers at the time.

In the face of everyone's doubts and blame, Fili Zeri just wants to bang his head against the wall.

"I told Eric to look at Ed......" he argued feebly. But now both are missing.

"Where was the last time you saw them?" asked Norwe.

"Ed has been in his room, and the door is guarded. Eric came out at noon to tell me that Ed was awake and helped him get a ......," Fili struggled to remember.

"I went to see Ed when he woke up. "We went to his room after he disappeared and didn't find anything wrong." ”

"Can I go and see again?" asked Norvi

"Isn't Joan awake yet? Maybe he knows something. There was always a hint of uneasiness in Filly's heart, "Can I go see him?"

"We'll search all the hallways and rooms in the back, but you ...... Maybe you need to take a break. Risek politely suggested.

"I guess what he means is that we need to be locked up, and even if we can't add a few chains as decoration like those little goblins, we'd better not run around. Tess said.

Khaliat kept his face calm and didn't speak, which was probably a tacit acquiescence.

"Hey, I'm a paladin, these are my friends, they can be trusted!" Fili exclaimed.

"I don't even know if you can trust, Paladin-sama. Khaliat looked at him coldly.

What he meant was that perhaps the followers of Nesses should not have accepted the help of other gods. Risek found a more tactful reason.

"I guess I need a break too," Nigel said with a sneer.

"I promise you'll be treated like a guest. "But as you can see, the conditions here are not very good......

"But what are you going to do with the skeletons out there!" Philip Zeri struggled unwillingly.

"Our priests will come, and you will be shocked because of their strength. "Khaliat is clearly a bit of a bluff.

"Yes? When? Can we just watch while they get rid of those little skeletons? Will they set off those beautiful fireworks? If they do, I can put up with a chain for a while. Tess asked pretending to be innocent.

Khaliat and Risek were silent, glancing at each other.

"They don't know. Naria affirmed.

"They'll show up when it's time to be!" Haryat let out a low growl, turning and striding away. Soon, a group of guards silently surrounded them.

"But......" Filly didn't want to give up, and Norway reached out and grabbed him, shaking his head at him slightly.

If they are suspicious of each other, reluctant cooperation will only cause more trouble, and they should probably consider another way.

Khaliart walked into Hoan's room. The boy curled up in a ball on the hastily laid bed, looking even thinner.

"Hoan......" Risek shouted after him, but the boy did not react.

"Did something happen?" asked the woman beside the bed, uneasy.

"Nothing. Eleanor, is he awake?"

"No...... Not when I looked at it. The woman replied nervously.

"When you're watching?" said Khaliat frowned.

"I asked Gloria to watch him for a while when I went to do the laundry," replied Eleanor, unnecessarily straightening her tight blonde hair, "I know I shouldn't leave, but my husband doesn't like to let someone else do his laundry......"

"Eleanor, we just want to know if he's awake and don't want to blame you for anything. Risek gently comforted her.

The woman breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, Gloria didn't say anything, I don't think so. ”

"Where's Gloria?"

"I think it should be with other people to prepare dinner. Eleanor replied, "Do you need me to call her?"

"No need. Haryat said, then shook his head at Risek, "I said it was in vain. ”

"Do you really doubt Ed and Eric?" asked Risek as he left the room.

"Do you suspect they're necromancers? no, they don't look like them. But the Paladin's must have something else to hide from us. And the priest of Andukh......" Haryat stopped, his back to the wall, the guards had been sent to the hall by him, and someone would soon come and move Joan to a room closer to the hall. The paladin seemed rather unreliable, but it did seem safer.

Was there really any place where it was safe? He felt blankly that they were surrounded by enemies, visible and invisible.

"I'm more worried that Ed and Eric aren't 'missing' on their own......" Risec said worriedly.

"Maybe we shouldn't lock ourselves up here. Who knows how long that door will last? might as well rush out......" Haryat clenched his fists involuntarily. He's a warrior, it's his instinct to fight, and the fear of the undead is ingrained, but if even girls like Tess and Narya can fight skeletons......

"We should be prepared, but there are a lot of people here who are not trained in any combat and don't know where the real enemy is hiding. Risek reminded him, "We'd better be cautious until we have a better plan." ”

“...... You are right. Lyad folded his arms in despair, "Please tell me, you have a plan!"

"First of all, I think we have to trust Nigel and Filly, and even Filly's friends...... At least for now. ”

"Can you trust an elf?" In the minds of the people of Anktan, an elf is definitely not something to be trusted, if not as evil as a necromancer. Legend has it that they are proud and cunning, always coveting what is not their own - of course, most of those legends come from the dwarves.

"But I did hear that elves have acute senses beyond humans. Maybe he'll find something we won't notice...... Moreover, this is the city of elves. ”

"Yes. And the skeletons out there are probably his ancestors - lo and behold, that's why we can't trust him. Khaliat interrupted him.

"I would have said that he would be more familiar with the city than we are. "Would you like to watch your ancestors become puppets of necromancers? ”

"Provided that he's not one of them. Khaliat insisted.

"A necromancer with two women and a big man strong enough to catch up with the barbarians, and a paladin friend?" Risek shook his head, "I'm more convinced he's here to find this elven city, and he probably won't like what we're doing here...... It's possible that he wanted to get us out of here, and it could even be that he managed to destroy the foundations of the temple, but he wouldn't be a necromancer. ”

"Well," Kharyat was finally convinced, "do you think he can find the necromancer hiding here?"

"There's never a harm in trying. "Besides, the missing Ed seems to be his friend too, and I don't think he'll be our enemy, at least until it's all over." ”

"Hopefully you're right. Khaliart straightened up and walked towards the hall with his friends, "but we'd better keep an eye on him......"

Eleanor listened to their footsteps fade away before she truly relaxed. The two men made her nervous – but at least not as frightening her as her husband did. She overheard their conversation, and for a moment she even wished that Haryat would open the gates for the men to fight, and that her husband might die bravely......

Startled by her thoughts, she quickly knelt on the ground, lowered her head and began to pray.

The pious woman did not notice that beside her, on a simple bed made of animal skins, a weak young man who had been stiff and sluggish, silent, was slowly moving his arms.