Helenno gave him a deep look. Her face was ashen, and the warmth of life, which she could not hide even with a mask painted with a false smile, seemed to have been completely withdrawn.

She didn't say a word—she accepted her defeat in silence, and the dead calm made Ed feel unspeakably uncomfortable.

He leaned over to pick up the dice, feeling its weight and coldness. He didn't want it that much, even if it reminded him of the bony pendant in Is's hand...... There were some similarities that disturbed him.

He thought for a moment and reached out his right hand to Payne, smiling a little tiredly, but still sincerely.

"Swap. He said. The strange stone in his hand looks like a heart at this moment.

Payne was stunned before he realized

"But ......," he said, "you win." ”

Ed shrugged: "I didn't say you can't exchange if you win." ”

Payne smiled wryly. Yes, he didn't say that...... In fact, no one knows what kind of dangerous gamble they will face, whether they win or lose, and it will not benefit Ed in the first place.

He was silent for a few moments, but finally accepted the undeniable offer—he needed it, but he couldn't even tell Ed why...... And Ed wouldn't ask more.

He didn't deserve such wholehearted trust and help.

The guilt he had never felt before weighed heavily on his heart, so that it took him a moment to react when the faint and almost imperceptible warmth that slowly flowed through his body suddenly became stronger.

Ed healed his wounds, even if anyone could tell he was recovering very quickly. The magic ring that protected him had a gentle, slow power, subtle and difficult to break—he was adventurous, but not unprepared.

For a moment no one spoke, as if no one knew what to say...... And it seems that everyone is too tired to say more.

“...... Let's go. Finally, Fairy said, "Get out of here first." ”

After a brief pause, the Elven Elder regained his coldness: "Maybe you don't need me to remind you, this is just the beginning. ”

.

As he walked out of the decaying and gloomy tower, the oncoming wind carried with him the scorching breath of the fire that was about to be extinguished in the distance. Ed unconsciously glanced back, and the otherwise holy and immaculate white tower was covered with cracks, just like he had seen with another pair of eyes before entering...... It's just that the glimmer of dawn has come out from behind the thin clouds, and those ominous black fogs that he can't see now, even if they still exist, will always be dispelled, right?

Corell stopped suddenly.

“...... Your friend seems to have been. He told Ed.

Ed was shocked - he had forgotten that he had summoned Is!

In the chaos of the tower, he had completely lost his sense of time. But Grivar is only a river away from Stonebuch, and Iss will be able to come over soon, and it will not be easy to get into the tower......

But at this moment, he was greeted not by the angry roar of the ice dragon, but by a messy meadow.

The grass in front of the Silent Tower, probably the flattest piece of the whole Grivar, was now like a great battle, falling down in patches, even the dirt was lifted, and a few deep claw marks were shockingly clear under the rapidly brightening skylight.

“...... Eth!!" Ed subconsciously shouted, his voice unusually high-pitched.

He looked up in the sky searching for his friend's figure, his heart pounding.

Has it been attacked? or is it ......

"No other elves will be near this place tonight. ”

Ferry's low voice shattered his luck: "If it came here when the 'door' opened...... The unprepared soul is very dangerous. ”

Ed was chilled, his internal organs curled up. Iss may not be unprepared...... But his soul is quite unstable.

He opened his mouth, but he was suffocated.

"It flew south. ”

A slender and tall figure stepped out of the woods not far away, and its low voice trembled uncontrollably.

“...... Franty?" Correll recognized the elven chanter who had entered the Tower of Silence with Payne, but had quietly disappeared at some point.

Facing Payne's concerned eyes, Faranti nodded slightly.

"When I saw it, it was circling around the Tower of Silence. "It was already a bit ...... then," she said.

Something is wrong.

The white dragon flew around the tower. She had never known that such a gigantic creature could fly so fast, so fast that it was almost end-to-end, connecting in a circle of arcs of lightning.

The whirlwind that rose from the flat ground became stronger and stronger, and suddenly weakened again. The ice dragon fell straight from the sky and smashed right in front of her.

That made the whole ground tremble, and her heart sank involuntarily.

She knew who it was, but she wouldn't be so stupid as to believe that a dragon would have a good nature, as those humans do. She was instinctively fearful and vigilant, but she ...... This may be the only dragon in the world that is still alive.

Even if they are greedy and cruel by nature, such magnificent creatures will never exist again...... It seems that there will be some regrets.

She cautiously approached, wondering if she should risk saving it. Falling from such a height, it was clearly not lightly injured, and its body, which occupied almost the entire grass, twitched like death, and its wings stretched and fell weakly.

It was extremely fragile at this moment, but it inexplicably made her feel pity.

She felt something strange when she cast the spell—the power came from the gems given to her by the Silver Leaf King, not from the stars. She didn't dare to think about it, but her mind was already messed up...... Until the dragon suddenly opened its eyes.

When the eyes met, an indescribable fear captured her heart.

The huge, golden eyes were as bright as they were burning, and they were as cold as eternal ice. In the night, the dilated pupils were dark and dull, like a bottomless black hole, which could easily swallow her completely.

She subconsciously wanted to attack, but she didn't have enough strength...... She was trembling and stiff, barely even on her feet.

She could only watch as it stood up, lifted its sharp front paws, and pressed its head down, but for some reason froze in the air, and then forcibly retracted it, dragging only a few deep marks on the grass.

It looked down at her. There was confusion and struggle in those eyes, but more indifference and disgust.

She stubbornly met it, even if it was almost crushed by the overzealous fear...... But strangely enough, he only felt anger and unwillingness, but not much hatred.

It was her own choice that saved it. If she had to prove her mistake with her life, she would be to blame.

But it didn't hurt her after all.

The dragon raised its wings as she watched, circled the Silent Tower twice, and flew south.

.