The Black River flows westward. This river, which runs only in the territory of Anktan, is not as wide and long as the Vinez, but it is deeper than the Vinez, and there are countless dangers hidden beneath the seemingly calm waters, and some even claim that ancient beasts sleep at the bottom of the river. After flowing through the Kaman Plain where Llewellyn was located, it burrowed into the Warhawk Forest, flanked by towering mountains that stretched to Karnak on one side and the ice sheet to the north.

The place where Norway found was a small hidden valley, tucked away at the junction of the Warhawk Forest and the Karnak Mountains. He had been looking for traces of necromancers or undead spirits, but he overheard the laughter of children, and as he followed them curiously, he saw two women frantically stopping the children's playfulness and leading them into the valley, and from time to time he looked around in a hurry, as if he was afraid of being discovered.

The war is over, and people no longer need to hide in the forests as they once did. Norway thought about it, and thought it was most likely a follower of Nessus who had escaped being chased and slaughtered.

"It's right ahead. "But I'd suggest finding a place to camp first, and then go back to them tomorrow morning." ”

It was already dark, and the last rays of sunlight were falling on his head through the foliage.

"I can see clearly. Eth blurted out, realizing that elves could see in the dark just like he did.

"But they can't. "The night brings fear, and fear leads to misunderstandings, which are likely to cause harm." They have lived a life of daily fear. There's no need to scare them anymore. ”

Isis nodded.

Tess immediately sat down on the ground.

"I hate the forest!" she declared loudly. The rotting leaves spread a thick layer on the ground, and it was impossible to see where the solid ground was and where the soft silt was. Isis obediently followed in the footsteps of the elves. But Tess couldn't help but run in either direction, leaving her boots covered in stinking black mud.

But with the help of Mo, she catches an unlucky pheasant, which turns into a delicious dinner for them in Iss's hands.

"I don't see you being so good at cooking. Tess licked the juice that dripped into her palms and praised it. Iss glared at her, a tangled expression on his face, as if he didn't know whether to be angry or happy.

"When someone compliments you, you can be frank and happy. Tess generously pointed out the young ice dragon's way of being, and Naria had said that she was also the dragon's sister. Then of course she has to look like a little sister.

Is's expression became even more tangled.

Norway watched as Tess scowled and taught Iss "how to smile sweetly and cutely", remembering the cold "apprentice mage" when they first met. The smile on his lips grew deeper.

But then came the shadow of Ankeland, whose hidden secrets became an increasingly heavy burden in his mind, and he even began to regret his decision to find Ankland. Thousands of years ago, the elves chose to forget everything about it for no reason, and on several occasions he wanted to ask Ise how much he knew about the cursed city. The words came to his lips but he swallowed them back.

He wasn't sure if he really wanted to know, or if he really ought to know.

The next morning, they found the entrance to the valley, but they all stopped.

"Oops, there's a trap. "It's not very friendly, we've had a skull friendship together!"

"There are people on both sides. Isis frowned, "Probably pointing an arrow at us." ”

Novi thought for a moment and simply took a step forward. "Don't be nervous!"

A moment later, a voice came from the bushes on the left: "So what are you doing here?"

"We're looking for a pastor named Scott Criesers. Norway replied.

There was another burst of silence. Another voice denied, "We don't know any pastors!"

"He's my brother!" exclaimed Is, before Novi could speak, "I just want to hear from him!"

"I haven't heard that the pastor has a brother!" the first voice blurted out.

Tess laughed heartwarmingly, "Who just said, 'We don't know any pastors?'"

There was a low scream from the bushes, most likely someone had been beaten.

"Wait!"

Another voice commanded in exasperation.

They didn't have to wait long before a man dressed as a hunter and armed with a longbow appeared at Taniguchi.

"Follow me. He said, "Be careful......

He watched as Tess briskly jumped over the trap and shut her mouth.

The entrance to the valley is narrow. Inside, however, it is very wide, with huge rocks sloping inward. It became a natural roof, and less than a hundred people hid there, casting suspicious and tired glances at them in silence, and a few children chattered between the tents, and at the sight of strangers they immediately quieted down and shrank into a corner.

A middle-aged man with gray hair and a tall figure greeted them.

"Sorry, our elven friends. He immediately recognized Norvi, "These people have been in danger lately, and they must be too vigilant. ”

"Pastor. Norway bowed. The elves pay homage to the priest of any deity.

The middle-aged man was the other priest who appeared with Scott at the time, but he didn't know his name.

"Copas Fenton. The priest smiled slightly, and the stern lines on his face softened a lot, "I'm afraid I'm so used to people calling me that I don't remember having another name, so I forgot to introduce it to you last time." ”

“...... Scott mentioned you. Isis remembered the name, "He said you...... Experienced and knowledgeable. ”

"I'm just a little older than him. The pastor replied humbly, looking at him without any emotion: "So, you are his brother? ”

"He has ...... Did you mention me?" asked Is, hesitantly.

"Once or twice, but nothing more. The pastor replied. Raise your hand and signal to them, "Please come with me." ”

"We have God-given responsibilities, so sometimes we have to leave our families behind. He explained tactfully to Isis as he walked. "I can understand your feelings, but if you're coming to him, I'm sorry, I can't tell you where he is......"

"He's in Llewellyn. "I know, I'll find him." ”

The priest looked at him in surprise: "Then you are here ?......"

"You say you have your own responsibilities...... I want to know more. Iss replied, "Scott is my only brother. Whatever he wants to do, I'm willing to help him. But he wouldn't tell me. ”

"I believe he has his own reasons. The pastor was clearly cautious.

"Please, pastor. Norway smiled, "You always have something to tell him." Like what kind of god you worship, or any news that would at least reassure a young man who is worried about his family. ”

The priest hesitated for a moment. Nodding.

Ed had already told Ise everything that Copas had said, but he still listened very carefully.

Dragons are no strangers to the gods, and can even be said to know more than any other race. After all, gods existed when they would walk the world in a variety of different forms.

Is's memory is of a giant white elephant, the embodiment of Oemer, the god of creation. For a while he was fond of roaming the ice fields, serious but also a good listener, and the first reindeer began to run to the sound of his high call......

They weren't enemies then. Together, the gods and dragons watched the world, watching countless lives be born and die.

Even the gods are not immortal.

"We were born out of nothingness. and will return to nothingness. Everything will one day go back to the beginning. ”

Omer once said so.

Nothing lasts forever.

"Nesses is eternal. The pastor told him, "All life is accidental, and he is inevitable, he is existence itself." ”

Such a seemingly subtle exposition may confuse many people, even the elves, but a dragon will only throw aside the words that are pretentious. Grasp the most important thing in it, even though that made his heart sink more and more.

After a long missionary journey. The three people who walked out of the valley were all in a bit of a trance. The elves were thoughtful, Iss was preoccupied, and Tess simply wanted to sleep.

"What do you think?" Norway couldn't help but ask, "What he said, it sounded ......"

"It sounds sleepy. Tess yawned lazily.

The elf frowned in displeasure.

"I don't want to make irresponsible comments about your faith. "But most of that is a lie, or something you weave to comfort yourself." According to the priest, Nesses is everything, so what are the other gods? Is Nesses a doppelganger? As far as I know, the only eternal thing is the Sea of Nothingness, in which the gods were born...... Everything is born in it, and it will eventually be swallowed up. No god can be so arrogant unless ......"

He glanced at Norvi.

"You wouldn't want to hear that. ”

"I really don't want to. The elf smiled wryly, he shouldn't have talked to a dragon about the gods.

“...... Can I think about it?" Tess asked curiously, shrugging at the elf's helpless gaze, "Well, I don't want to. ”

Iss felt a little frustrated, he couldn't talk to anyone about it...... He almost missed the black scythe a little, and he didn't know if the soul of that silly shadow dragon had completely disappeared now......

"So, what do we get out of these two days in the forest?" Tess looked at the unpolished mud on her boots with displeasure.

"Nothing more, nothing less. Isis replied, "What do you think...... Does Scott know these people are here?"

“...... What do you want to do?" Norway had a bad premonition.

"Do you think we can use these people to lure Scott out?" asked Iss.

"I'm afraid Scott won't be happy. That's all Norvi can say.

Is's anger surged from the bottom of his heart.

"He didn't care if I was happy or not, why should I care if he was happy or not?!"

He asked a menacing rhetorical question and strode forward.

Tess patted the dazed Norvi arm sympathetically, "Don't worry about a dragon - but I don't think he's wrong." ”

The elf didn't know what else he could do but sigh.

(To be continued)