Bloomer has the most common blonde hair and blue eyes of the Chrissian family, with a very white complexion and delicate eyebrows, even vaguely like Scott, but the lines of his face are much softer. Although he wore armor like a knight, his outstretched hand was extremely delicate, and it did not look like he often used a sword.

He glanced at Ed in some surprise, but did not hesitate to take the Staff of Eternity, his gaze as he caressed the staff with surprise and warmth, as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time...... He obviously knew what he was here for.

Ed didn't say anything, just stepped back silently, sat back in his place, his hands in fists flat on his knees, and suddenly felt his body ...... Or it seems like a big piece of the soul is missing.

He rarely uses the Staff of Eternity, preferring more to use the spells he has learned. Even Icabold once praised him for learning quickly, intentionally or unintentionally, but at this moment, the more and more familiar temperature and lines in his palms were missing, and he felt in a panic that he had become the ordinary person who was useless and knew nothing.

Fili, who had been sitting beside him, stood up, his right hand propped up on the back of his chair, and the cold armor touched Ed's shoulder, intentionally or unintentionally, as if patting him on the shoulder, and on the other side, Brooke, who had just stood up in excitement, sat down slowly, and a barely audible voice came out of his lips, as if he was praying.

Ed looked at Bloomer silently, his face expressionless, and there was a hint of self-defeat when he had been cornered in his calm—what could be the worst? nothing more than being beaten back to square one...... Maybe I'll be happier that way.

Bloomer hesitated for a moment, looking a little overwhelmed as he spoke: "I...... Don't know what to do. Your Majesty. ”

"You just have to 'think'. Ed spoke lightly.

Whether Bloomer really "doesn't know" or not...... He didn't have the patience to watch him drag on any longer.

Bloomer's gaze fell on him again, and a flash of annoyance flashed in his eyes.

He was half a head taller than Ed, but still needed to look up to see the top of the Staff of Eternity. Under his gaze. The head of the staff began to glow faintly, and Ed's heart sank into the dark and cold waters.

The carved waves came to life, spinning and chasing as if in his hands, and the small balls of light in the waves did not dangle lively, but only trembled slightly, steadily emitting a bright, almost dazzling light.

A low exclamation rang out. Not everyone in this room has seen the same sight.

No one asked Bloomer to summon a heavy rain as well. But the young people are clearly getting excited. He no longer tried to hide something, but boldly recited a spell, for a short time. The tent, which had been erected very well, began to shake, and the sudden wind beat against the unfixed curtain at the entrance, and the smell of grass and trees poured in violently, and the sky quickly darkened......

Ed gripped the armrest of his chair tightly. Staring at his own white knuckles. My mind went blank and I couldn't think about anything. He couldn't remember how he summoned the heavy rain, and he couldn't spell any spells...... No one had taught him at all - so who taught Bloomer anyway?

The pride in my heart at that time seemed ridiculous at this moment.

- It only responds to your blood...... You are not the only Sage.

This is perhaps the only sentence that is not a lie, but it comes from the mouth of a fallen knight.

Filly cursed something in a low voice and sat down heavily. Brooke's almost dull gaze came from the right, with surprise...... Even dazed.

The scene in front of him also seemed to have a great impact on the old pastor. No matter what Sean did. Whether or not Brooke is involved, at least "there is another person who can manipulate the Staff of Eternity". He really didn't know.

"That's enough, Bloomer. Ante said mockingly, "I don't want to get drenched again." ”

In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the wind had stopped and the sun was back in the blink of an eye, but the Staff of Eternity still radiated a dazzling light that caught the eye of almost everyone in the tent...... It's just that, in Ed's eyes, the light was so cold and merciless.

"That's what it says, 'Only the Holy One can hold the Staff of Eternity.'" Ante's tone was full of triumph, "So, Lord Xiu'an, can you tell me how to explain this?"

It took a long time for Brooke to speak, his voice calm but a little weak: "Being a Sage requires more than just strength...... We have no right to question the Goddess's choice. ”

"If that's really the goddess's choice. Ante sneered and raised his hand to Ed, "Excuse me, my lord...... What evidence do you have other than 'Sean Fletcher says this one is the new Sage?Does the Goddess tell you anything in some kind of omen?As far as I know, the paladin beside him, Lord Fili Zeri, even dared to shout at Ed...... Is that how you recognize a 'true saint'?"

Filly got up suddenly, but was pulled by Ed and sat down again.

Fili did curse him, but never in public, and in the temple...... And how did Ante know?

A cold sweat broke out unconsciously. He didn't want to, and he didn't dare to doubt it...... The people in the temple were equally unbelievable.

"And, I've always wanted to ask, where the hell has Sean gone?—it seems that he has been missing since the night of Mayday. I wonder if he can deign to explain it to everyone?"

Brooke did not answer the king's question.

Nearly twenty days of disappearance, and it did not appear when the temple was in crisis...... It is no longer possible to prevaricate the past with "Lord Fletcher has other important matters".

"I didn't know that Sean Fletcher was also the one who would run. Ante deliberately said this sentence slowly, but the malice in it instantly ignited Ed's anger.

"I don't know how a king could accuse a priest on the basis of mere speculation!" he blurted out.

Ante's momentary silence was mostly out of surprise—he probably didn't expect Ed to resist. He didn't take Ed seriously from start to finish...... Not even a word was said to Ed.

"But as a believer, I have at least the right to ask for an explanation?" he asked coldly, "since Master Fratsche is not here to ...... the 'Sage', would you be willing to explain all this? You should know everything, don't you?"

Ed closed his mouth pale. He didn't know what he could say...... Saying, "I don't know," as they did to Quillin, is not going to accept that kind of "explanation."

He could have insisted that he was the true Sage, but he could not produce stronger evidence...... Especially when the Staff of Eternity is shining in someone else's hands. Even if he mentioned Felicity, the apparition of the little girl with white hair and blue eyes, who had made a covenant with him, I am afraid that it would only be regarded as a lie. After all, at this moment, even he began to suspect that it was just an illusion.

Believe in yourself...... Felicity's voice was still in his ears, but it seemed to grow weaker and weaker.

He didn't have enough self-confidence to keep him going.

He unconsciously looked at Quillin, who was also looking at him, but quickly looked away when he made contact with his gaze.

But Ed didn't miss the sympathy and guilt in his eyes—he wouldn't argue for him as he had done when he had comforted and encouraged him at the Collins Temple...... Or maybe even the opposite.

And that's nothing to blame.

"Lord Xiu'an. Ante turned to Brooke, "I know you've never lied...... If you have any evidence other than Sean Fletcher's confession, now is not the time to keep it a secret. ”

After a long silence, Brooke shook his head slowly and said wearily, "I was in Dumb at the time, and I didn't see it all with my own eyes...... But I believe in Mistress Fletcher. Guys, you've known Sean Fletcher for years...... Isn't that a paladin you can trust?"

It almost felt like a plea...... But useless at the moment.

"Sean, Fletcher is not a god!" Ante sneered, "I think we need better evidence than 'trust', especially when the Sage can't even be sure of his identity...... Do I need any proof of this, my lord? I can show a lot, but I really don't want to continue to embarrass this young man of the Singhal family, because apparently he is only being used and deceived. ”

Ed, who was "used and deceived", looked at him in a daze, and couldn't help but be a little dazed by this blunt turn. His Majesty seemed to have suddenly decided to let him go with generosity and generosity, but left him at a loss.

"What the hell did Sean promise you, Ed?" the king leaned slightly over him from his seat, his tone unexpectedly soft, "and obviously you don't trust him either...... Otherwise, you won't meet with Byee Young privately. I have known you since you were eleven or twelve years old, and I know that you are simple by nature, and Moira has always praised you for being an honest and kind young man...... If you know this is deception, you really shouldn't go on. ”

- He wanted to deal with Sean.

Ed suddenly realized, even if people weren't here...... Even if he doesn't know whether he is alive or dead, for Ante, the real opponent is still Sean instead of him. He is trying to destroy Sean Fletcher's reputation, and questioning Ed is just one of the means.

That would really shake the whole temple - the temple exists on the basis of faith in Nior, but its stability and strength depend on the trust in Felicity and Sean. Now that Felicity is gone, if Ante can prove that Sean is nothing more than a deceitful person, the temple will be destroyed.

Ed stared blankly at his toes, chills running through his body - he couldn't allow that to happen. Even if Sean did lie to him...... Even if it was just for Felicity, he couldn't allow it.

...... But what the hell is he going to do?.

(To be continued......)