As another hundred years drew to a close, the ancient pact was awakened—the covenant it was about to forget, reminding it of who the true master was.

It can't be resisted. Its foundation is based on this contract, and even if it is distorted and changed, it cannot go against the meaning of its birth.

Deeper blood seeped into the rocks, and the flow of power was forcibly broken. It can't refuse...... But it is the three-storied pagoda of the city of ten thousand springs.

It guides the steps of warriors and elves, it lets go of another king who should be laid to rest here, it obediently guides a dragon in hidden golden armor for the battle it will eventually face, and it reveals its deepest secrets to those who have special respect. It's watching, it's asking for help. Someone heard it...... Someone will hear it.

It received a new nucleus of life. Colder, gentler...... Like the murmuring of the flowing water that has accompanied it for hundreds of years, like the endless blue that can be seen from afar.

However, it could not stop those with the power of the contract from breaking into it—the blood in the rock had not yet been washed away.

They wanted to take its heart, but it wouldn't allow it.

It can't fall...... Those who return home will no longer be able to see the towering towers in the distance.

.

A little cold on his forehead like the light of the night, Ed was strangely awake in the river of memories that flowed through him. He was a permitted spectator, looking at a tower that had had a hazy consciousness since its birth, revealing everything about himself before his eyes.

There is no legend that the dwarves were involved in the construction of the three-storied pagoda...... That's supposed to be the Bolt dwarf of the Southwest Mountains. And the mad mage had clearly not made the tower what it was to mock the king's delusions—he was clearly trying to mock the gods.

He saw anger coming out of nowhere in those seemingly irrational frenzy, and he saw infinite ** and fiery passion...... He couldn't tell if it was good or bad, but his soul would stir with it.

He saw...... He felt the memory of this tower deeply. It is in the mouths, eyes, memories and lives of many...... They remember it, so it remembers them. If they don't want it to fall, it will stubbornly stand here, even if it's full of cracks.

- Like Is.

He couldn't help but smile when he realized the strange resemblance.

He opened his eyes, and the deep blue gem was right in front of his eyes. The people who tried to take it probably didn't expect the tower to have a consciousness of its own...... No, they are more likely to suspect that he has put some kind of prohibition here.

If only he had.

Now he realized that he was really just a "Guardian" - the contract between them was not fulfilled. He had never been the owner of the tower, and he probably preferred it to...... No free will would want to be controlled by others.

That's good.

He thought happily, once again of the lonely castle in the far north, of the ghost who had guided him through the mist in the form of Isis in his long dreams...... That was the first time he knew that the old castle had a soul of its own.

If the soul of the three-storied pagoda could appear in front of his eyes...... Or in a dream, what it would look like?—— he couldn't help but be a little curious.

He should be a proud and silent warrior, who likes to wear black, cold and awkward, but has a soft and sensitive heart.

- Again, a bit like Is.

"You won't fall. ”

He lowered his head to its shattering heart, whispering in promise.

.

When the ground began to shake again, Balk felt that this time the three-storied tower was probably going to fall.

He waved for everyone to leave quickly. The excuse for those who refused to leave their homes in the west of the city to flee temporarily had already been thought of, and someone would carry it out...... God knows which way the tower will fall, but Lockburg and the west side of the city are the two most dangerous places, and the remaining two directions are cliffs on one side and uninhabited gentle slopes, so there is not much to worry about, but the people of the city will definitely have to walk away more than half of it this time...... Should he drive the rest of the people away before "the waters are dry" or "the night is coming......"?

In a short moment, many thoughts turned through his mind, many possibilities came to mind, and the only thing he didn't expect was that the three-storied pagoda did not fall...... It starts to grow.

It's really growing. He watched as rocks rose from the ground and enveloped the tower...... He watched as the deep cracks vanished like wounds healed by priests, and watched as the stone bricks, which had been twisted and deformed, became neat and tidy as if they had been twisted back by an invisible hand, broken down layer by layer and stacked upwards tightly, like a huge building block, building on its own.

He pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming—he rarely doubted himself that way.

The guards, who hadn't had time to leave, involuntarily gathered around him...... In the face of such a strange situation, it seems to give them a little more courage.

Of course they can escape...... Maybe you should flee quickly, but the sight stuck to the tower can't be peeled off.

"Divided, separated!"

Someone exclaimed uncontrollably, fearful and excited.

The three towers, which had been clinging together for two hundred years, began to shake apart.

“...... They were originally separated. "The three-storied pagoda is three towers that are connected, not 'three towers that stick together.'" ”

He said it lightly, and his heart was turbulent—to be honest, he didn't think that young man with eyes as clean as a puppy could have such a great ability...... But if it weren't him, who else could it be?

The shape of the tower, which had long been indistinguishable, began to revert to a simple but heavy square...... Reverting to their original shape, one is thicker and the other two are more slender. The bases of the three towers are connected, each stretching upwards, and between the tapering towers, one after another stone bridges poke out of each other, meeting in mid-air, and adding a little decoration to the tower's overly monotonous shape.

The three towers are not the same height. When the two auxiliary towers ceased to grow one after the other as far as they could see, they erected a flat roof with carved balustrades that closely resembled the towers of Lockburg, but the main tower continued to rise and ...... Dip into the clouds and stay as high as before, so that they can't look up clearly.

The tower pierced the thick clouds. The sun fell straight down from the clouds, like a golden spear, piercing between heaven and earth.

The three-storied pagoda is unchanged and dark black, only a little dim silver light shines in the sun, like three warriors in black armor, standing proudly in the sky, holding spears.

As the cheers rang out, Balk quietly wiped the corners of his eyes.

It's good, there's no need to move—he thought.

Older people really don't like to move.