"Karen, who's Karen, I'm not Karen!"

The deep voice revealed the natural majesty, but the tone seemed a little strange.

Scott opened his mouth in amazement, taking a moment to confirm if it was some kind of hallucination.

“...... Do you hear that?" asked Isyu, hesitantly.

- Very well, not an illusion.

"And who are you?" asked Scott tentatively.

"Shadow Dragon, Hesikran, Black Scythe, Greatest Shadow Dragon!" the voice replied proudly, "What have you done to my stone!!"

With that roar, the air in front of them began to distort, and a huge shadow loomed, like a condensation of starlight.

The ice dragon couldn't help but step back a little. Even if it's just a shadow, that guy is much bigger than it, and in front of it, it's really like a child. The Shadow Dragon was the largest of the dragons, and Hesikran Black Scythe had heard the name, it was an old Shadow Dragon that had lived for thousands of years, but should have died more than 10,000 years ago...... Oh, it's dead.

"I think we saved you, we released you from that stone...... How about a little thanks?" said the ice dragon.

The Black Scythe is a terrifying shadow dragon in legend, but it doesn't need to be afraid of a dead dragon in any case. The soul does have power, and humans are always afraid of the ghosts that linger in the darkness, thinking that they can do many terrible things, when in fact, there is very little soul can do in this world.

But the ice dragon realized that it had faintly heard the roar in its sleep before, perhaps from the black scythe. As dragons, their souls may be somewhat sensitive.

"Stone, what stone, what will I be in a stone? I'm a shadow dragon!" the black scythe's roar was imposing, but it made Iss sigh involuntarily, it didn't know if the shadow dragon was so stupid in the first place, or because the soul had gradually dissipated over a long period of time. If it had died more than 10,000 years ago, it would have been a miracle that it had survived until now and had not returned to nothingness.

"If that stone is yours...... Why did it fall into the hands of a necromancer?Do you have any other stones?" Scott could also hear that the dragon's brain was not quite normal. But he still tried to ask something useful. If there were still the same stones, Lydia could easily make another trap.

"Necromancer......" the Shadow Dragon muttered, seemingly pondering for a moment, then suddenly furious. "Liars!Liars!Humans are liars!!"

The huge shadow slammed into the ice dragon. Even though he knew that it wouldn't hurt him, Iss was startled, folded his wings, and suddenly sank for a long distance, almost falling to the surface. And this moment of timidity made it a little annoyed and angry.

"Shadow Dragons are fools!" it roared, "You're dead, okay?"

Scott couldn't hold back his laughter.

It was a long time before they heard the sound of the scythe again.

"I remembered. It sullenly said, "I'm dead." ”.

Hesikran Black Scythe was unwisely involved in the battle between the giants and the gods more than 10,000 years ago, and after the battle, no one ever saw it again. Like many other dragons involved in the battle.

And the ancestors of wise as Is, even if they originally lived in the Giant's Spine, wisely avoided the ice sea for the time being.

"How did I die?" the ice dragon circled around it as the Shadow Dragon muttered to himself in confusion, and a long stay in mid-air was more tiring than flying over the entire ice field. And Si'o had been staring at the dragon's soul in silence. I didn't even sing the song anymore.

"Does it have anything to do with that gem?" asked Scott aloud, still not giving up his efforts.

"I've got to take care of that gem. The black dragon subconsciously replied, "Those giants finally found it, I looked at it, and then I died." ”

It was sullen again.

“...... I know what they're trying to do with that gem, giants. Iss said in amazement, "They want to catch a god." ”

“...... What?!" Scott's voice involuntarily raised up.

"The dragons did that once...... They must have taught the giants. Isis is immersed in the memories of those bloodlines that belong to it. And Scott was completely dumbfounded. For the first time, he realizes that he and Iss are two different creatures - ancient and powerful magical creatures, talking about gods like "some nasty thing", and fragile and small humans, who have always been able to crouch in the dust and look up to the glory of the gods.

"It's a shame, it seems they didn't make it. Iss said regretfully, while on its neck. The priest of a god who had not yet been recognized fell silent in the confusion.

"Hey!Black Scythe!" the ice dragon cried out, "Listen, you're dead, so don't worry about any gems...... Or how did you die, you were free. No one is as free as you are, so do whatever you want, go wherever you want!—until you return to the sky. ”

“...... Sounds good. The great black sickle said, and seemed to rejoice.

Its huge shadow gradually merged with the starry sky, and finally disappeared.

“...... It won't ...... Something bad, right?" asked Scott, a little cautiously.

"It can't do anything but scare people. "And it won't be long before it's gone completely...... Probably, if it hadn't been guarding that gem all along, it would have disappeared a long time ago. ”

After guarding it for tens of thousands of years, and then being tricked into it by a human mage - Isis thought, eighty percent of this is it, and the brains of the shadow dragons are not very easy to use.

But that's a dragon after all...... Even if it's just the soul. Iss also thought he would never have a chance to talk to another dragon again. It fell silent, a little stunned.

"I've heard dragons don't have souls......" Scott muttered.

"We have. Every living thing has a soul. It's just that when we die, our memories are passed on to future generations, and our powers return to this world, so our souls don't usually appear in this form. But the black scythe ...... Its bloodline has apparently been severed. The ice dragon's tone was calm, but his voice was still a little lower.

It can't help but be frustrated, because that's how it ends. Becomes a lonely soul, dissipates little by little, to the end. It won't remember Scott, it won't remember its name, and it won't have anything left over its long life to prove that it once existed in this world.

"Is...... Is?" Scott screamed a few times before the ice dragon came back to his senses.

"It's time for us to go back. He said.

"Where are you going?" asked the ice dragon, a little listlessly. Realized that maybe it was time for it to say goodbye to Scott.

"Near the camp of Benlu...... Try to stay as far away as possible and don't alarm the people in the camp. Scott said.

The ice dragon turned around and flew back silently, the night was still peaceful and beautiful, the night breeze was sober and free, but all its good mood had completely disappeared.

- Maybe it shouldn't have let the black sickle go.

The ice dragon lowered his head so that the old shaman could slide smoothly to the ground.

"Remember, don't tell anyone you've ever ridden a dragon!"

It snorted and menaced.

"Is......" Scott reluctantly dragged his voice. He was still sitting on the ice dragon's neck, not moving.

“...... Aren't you coming down?" the ice dragon asked, trying to pretend he didn't care.

Sio tilted his head and said a few words at Scott.

"He said that all the barbarians will thank you. You will always be the most valued guest in every camp. The ice dragon reluctantly acted as an interpreter, "He wants you to go back with him." ”

Scott shook his head: "It's not the time yet. Don't tell anyone how we got those lost souls back...... Pretend that you don't know anything, and then summon your ancestors after a while. Lydia lost the gem, but it wasn't going to leave it at that, and you fainted to the ground. Still wearing a hat...... She shouldn't know who you are. ”

"Lydia isn't stupid, she'll find out soon. The ice dragon interjected.

"There's always some time. Scott said, looking a little worried, "I hope she'll come to us first...... Moreover, let the other barbarians know about this with an ice dragon...... It's probably not a good idea to have something to do with two priests who have a bit of an old friendship with the necromancer. Not everyone will be able to accept this, and you need to come together as soon as possible. If Lydia shows up here, things will only get worse. ”

Helping the barbarians recover the souls of their ancestors, and then making them accept the existence of Is, at least no longer hostile to him, was indeed what Celebrian and he had planned before, but Scott thought about it for a long time on the way back. It's not so easy to change people's perception of an ice dragon. Moreover, it did kill people in full view...... And right now, that's not the most important thing.

Sio was silent for a long time, then finally nodded and spoke again.

All this, he said, will be known one day. Wait for him to die. When he became one of the ancestors, he would tell every shaman who summoned him that there was a good ice dragon and that he had ridden it...... No! There's no such thing as a 'good ice dragon'! And no! I told you! Don't tell anyone you've ever ridden a dragon! Not even if you're dead!" The ice dragon roared, "and! you know how to speak the lingua franca!"

The old shaman laughed, raised his hand high at them, and turned towards the brightly lit camp.

The ice dragon roared in annoyance, but wasn't really angry.

“...... Where are we going now?" it asked sullenly.

"Ed said you had a hole nearby?" said Scott, "though there wasn't a single gold coin in it...... Seriously, you're really not interested in those treasures or anything?"

His tone sounded regretful.

Maybe a dragon that doesn't even have a treasure always sounds wrong?

“...... I can get some if you really want to. The ice dragon said that the gold coins of Silver Tooth were still frozen in the ice.

"No, no. Scott laughed, "You don't need to pay for the food on this ice field anyway. We don't need any more. ”

Not really.

The ice dragon flapped its wings and flew up satisfied.