The room was warm and full of laughter. In gratitude for "the most delicious pigeon pie I've ever tasted", Nia is performing his trick on Naria with exaggerated poses and expressions. Agile and dexterous thieves are usually good at this, but no one has the same enthusiasm as Nia to compose a complete story for his tricks, or even to bring his different characters to life.

He grew up in a wandering troupe, which was almost his talent. No one can fail to be happy when Nia Meyer is all about amusing people, especially when he seems to be enjoying it himself, and that kind of happiness can infect everyone.

Naria couldn't stop laughing, even the shadow in Alan's eyes seemed to be completely dispelled, Iss lay on the table, his smile pure and bright, and seemed to change back to the simple and well-behaved little boy who had never left Kriesburg more than ten years ago.

In the months since the Temple of Nesses was built, this corner of Scott has never had such simple warmth and joy.

Everything in front of me is too good to be real.

Scott had been smiling uncontrollably, but at this moment he suddenly felt an indescribable panic. He is always not good at accepting loss, and if it is regained, it will be followed by complete destruction......

He made an excuse and hurried away, and before he had gone far, Alan followed.

"You don't believe him. The white-haired old man whispered as if in the shadows of the winter night, "even if it's really Niya." ”

Scott was silent for a few moments before speaking.

"I want to believe in him. "It's the same as it used to be." Wholeheartedly and without concealment...... But I can't, that's what scares me the most. ”

He didn't know if Alan would be able to understand...... He even doubted that he could explain it clearly.

Trust between them - with the companions who once fought together. The trust between him and Is, who could trust each other's lives and everything, was the most precious thing he had ever had, something he thought would never change...... But he watched them crumble little by little, because Lydia ...... Because of himself. It feels like something has been forcibly poached from the body, but it can only be watched and irretrievable.

He angrily rejected death. He was given a second chance...... But he may have lost even more.

"I had the same fear. Alan stared at him silently in the night, "When I stood in front of you, I knew that you were no longer the Scott Christos you used to be...... I was even worried that you would turn into another Lydia. ”

Scott turned his head to look away. Avoiding his gaze.

He was a little annoyed...... More of a panic.

"But people always change, just like children always grow up. The old man continued calmly, "I don't want to lose you, Scott. So I accept this. I believe you. As before - until I found something that I couldn't accept and couldn't change. ”

It's not the same "same fear" — Scott was tempted to tell him — not exactly the same.

But he at least understood what Eren meant.

"Are you saying we should trust him until it turns out to be wrong?" he smiled wryly, "I once paid for that 'trust', and what he asked me for was Is...... Will you allow Narya to be hurt by your choice?"

"Isis is also my child. Alan looked at him reproachfully, "Do you think I won't worry about this? But he's a dragon and he's free...... And he's an adult, and you've got to learn to trust him, Scott. Or do you have to argue like me and Narya for a few years to understand?"

“...... As a dragon, he's not yet an adult. Scott said bluntly.

“...... Do you really want to bother with me?" Alan sighed unconsciously, "Even Narya won't use this excuse anymore. ”

Scott was quiet for a moment. Finally nodded.

"But you have to be with them. He said, "That's Nia, I can trust him not to hurt Is, but I definitely don't believe he won't get into trouble - he is still quicker than he is brain, you have to at least admit it." ”.

"Sit down for me!!"

Holding Nia's shoulder and yelling at him, Alan was tempted to go back to last night and tell Scott that he absolutely agreed with his last words.

Nia on the neck of the ice dragon was excited—understandably.

For human beings, flying is such an amazing experience, passing by the wind around us, the boundless sea of clouds beneath you, the clear sky above the sea of clouds and the pure golden sunlight...... No one can remain indifferent to this.

But those who had ridden dragons before knew that Iss had made it clear that as a dragon, he didn't really like people riding on it, so even Tess was careful not to control her excitement so as not to be thrown down...... Nia was not shy about showing his excitement.

He raised his hands and shouted in cheer, scratching at the clouds that passed around him, as if he really hoped to tear off a lump like cotton, and even asked Iss to fly higher and faster again and again, or roll over in mid-air...... Until Alan couldn't bear it anymore and yelled in his ear: "Can you stop for a while? I'm an old man with a broken leg!!"

Nia was silent for a moment...... Then, without warning, he let go of his hand, tilted his body, slipped off the ice dragon's neck, and disappeared into the clouds in the blink of an eye.

Alan, who didn't catch him in time, widened his eyes and was so frightened that his heart stopped.

Isis slammed down, his long tail wrapped around Niah's body, and threw him back onto his back.

The old man's anger exploded as he stretched out his arms like a juggler, stood up and trotted past the stiff Allen, returning to his original position.

“...... I just wanted to see if Iss would catch me if I fell. Nia turned her head with an extremely innocent expression, "Fili said he could!"

"What if he doesn't catch it?!" Alan gritted his teeth, almost wanting to hit him on the head with a cane.

"I can grab it. Isis was surprisingly calm, and didn't look angry at all.

“...... Listen!" Nia said triumphantly.

Alan let go of him with a dark face.

"You can try again. He said coldly.

Nia shrugged and muttered quietly, but didn't dare to actually "try again".

"That's Basil Lake. ”

After a few moments, the ice dragon told them, "We're almost there." ”

"Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Alan asked Niah, "The Ardenians in the highlands over there are said to have orc blood...... They don't like outsiders coming to their turf. ”

Their target was the Arden Woodlands between Lake Basil and the Black Rock Mountains, where the Arden people lived tall, strong, with their teeth turned out and their complexions dark. Some people don't recognize them as human at all, and they never interact with any race outside of the woodlands.

"You can't be wrong. Nia nodded affirmatively, "I know that the door's trajectory is irregular, and it's irregular, too...... But it's actually jumping from one place of magic to the nearest place of magic in two worlds, connecting the dots of the two worlds to find its direction. You have to trust me, Alan. ”

“...... Is that the 'map' you made?" Alan scoffed.

“...... It's not the first day you've known that I'm terrible!" Nia said aggrievedly, "no matter how perfect a person is, there will be flaws!"

The ice dragon's body trembled slightly—and Eth laughed sullenly.

"You should meet Ed and Tate," it said, "and you're going to like them." ”

“...... It's better not to. Alan began to have a headache at the thought of the three of them together.

"Then I'll have to meet them!" said Niah, with great interest.

Ise knew how stupid a dragon could look if it was smirking in mid-air, but it couldn't control the corners of its mouth - it was probably the only one of all dragons who could laugh?

It flew low towards the calm surface of Lake Basil, watched its huge shadow reflected in it, and then began to hover nearby.

Soon, it felt that unusual fluctuation.

“...... You are right. Surprised and delighted, it said, "It's really here!"

"What am I talking about?" Nia pulled out his map and waved it triumphantly.

"Don't be so happy. Alan snorted, "You don't have any 'awesome' gadgets to destroy it, and if the Ardenians have discovered it, it's likely that we're not allowed to come near it as some kind of god-given artifact." ”

“...... Maybe worse. The ice dragon muttered.

It flew slightly lower, allowing humans to see what it was seeing.

"Uh...... It doesn't seem good. Nia said.

They saw a sparsely wooded slope, with large patches of bright red marks on the thin snow, and as they got closer, the thick smell of blood came to their faces, and the snow was a mess, as if the flesh and entrails had been torn apart by wild beasts, and some of them were even hanging on the treetops.

Everyone fell silent. The ice dragon slowly circled in circles, and finally saw something that did not belong to this world in the shadow of a rock.

A pale, human-like and non-human face flashed in the shadows, and immediately shrank back as if it were burned by the sun.

“...... They ran out. Nia's face finally darkened, "Ever since she discovered the existence of that door, Manitsa has been trying to stop this. ”

“...... I don't think it's because I care about the safety of the people on the ground?" asked Is.

"Oh, she doesn't care about that...... But that upsets some kind of balance. Nia sighed and scratched her head, "Why are there always people who want to control a force that they can't control?"

“...... Good question. Isis said.

It flapped its wings and hovered above a valley. Even if it couldn't see through the thick rocks and dirt, it knew that the door was there.

"It's underneath that drained river. "So the question now is, how do we get down...... Dig a hole?".

(To be continued......)