Anclan had never liked such language games, since he thought he was just a normal elf, living peacefully in the forests of Grivar. He would rather be silent than waste his strength and grievances. He can dismiss this guy who is obviously like a puppy but prefers to pretend to be a fox and stick to it with ulterior motives without a word, but the cold and slightly sour cider lingers on the tip of his tongue, the increasingly rare sunlight spills into the courtyard, and the faint singing sound of the ground seems to linger in his ears.

Not to mention this young man...... Maybe it's because he's particularly unlucky, but he doesn't hate it very much.

He held the silver coin under his finger and dragged it in front of him. On the other side of the coin was the tower of Ankland City, but it was so rusted so badly that it was barely visible.

When they built that tower...... I thought it would never fall.

The innocence of that time seems so ridiculous now, but it still draws a faint pain somewhere in the bottom of my heart.

"This is the advice of the dwarves. "They say that wine is an essential thing in life, a source of inspiration for many better creations, so why can't it have a place on the coin?"

The dwarf's loud voice was noisy, but it actually gave him a headache, so he compromised...... After all, it's nothing more than trivial things.

Yet thousands of years later, only these things that he felt were meaningless remained.

“...... Dwarves?" Ed was surprised: "There are dwarves in Ankland?!...... Did they help you build the city?"

Mentioning the city with the same name as him in front of Ankland, Ed felt extremely awkward, and couldn't help but slander this guy's cheekiness - Casagrande I was such an arrogant and stubborn guy, and he was not arrogant enough to name his royal city "Casagrande"!

"They're not just builders. Ankelan replied, "Occupants and guardians, too...... It's just that, just as there is no such thing as us in the history recorded by the elves, there is probably no such thing as their existence in the history of the dwarves. ”

Elves aren't the only ones who erase history they don't want.

They are banished, forgotten, hated rebels. They don't want to be locked into the same rules as their ancestors, they want to find more possibilities, more freedom, even if it goes against the will of the gods who created them and undermines the foundation of their existence.

They're just ...... Filled with unwillingness, like the raging waters of the rainy season, their lives and wills are too vigorous, unwilling to rush along the unchanging river, but they cannot find an outlet to vent their enthusiasm, anger, and doubts...... Therefore, it can only destroy any obstacle and run across.

That may not be the right way to go, and they did fail. But he never regretted his choice at that time, and the only thing he regretted was his wrong judgment of his own strength.

He wasn't strong enough then.

"You know what?" Ed didn't ask, but instead moved on to something else, "Well, of course you do...... The three-storied pagoda was also built by dwarves. They always work wonders. ”

That's real admiration and admiration. This young human made him extremely ...... in many places He can't look down on it, but he can have a fairly simple appreciation for all the great creations in this world, no matter who they are.

He can also have a very simple respect for all life in this world. That's actually quite rare.

"Do you know of any other building that has a soul of its own like a three-storied pagoda?"

At this moment, the young man seemed to be uncontrollably trying to boast to him: "It's only two hundred years old! It's been twisted and changed again and again...... Even Mock called it a miracle......"

He glanced at him obliquely in a chatter of praise, as if to judge if he had some other intentions for the tower.

The elf laughed. He had never actually wanted to control the tower—it wasn't as important as they thought it was.

He slowly poured himself another glass of wine. The fruit wine brewed by the human girl is not as sweet as he remembers, and it does not have the charm that has precipitated over a long period of time, but it is full of fresh and rich aromas, so that a soul that has long been decayed can taste the beauty of life.

"You should send your girl away. He said abruptly, "Send her to distant Hetland." It is still under the protection of its creator, and even if the world is plunged into darkness, it may survive for decades. ”

And human life is so short, before it is over, she will probably be dead.

Ed was silent for a moment.

“...... But she's more than just 'my girl'. He said, "She's also Naria Kavo." Where she is going and what she is going to do has always been up to her...... Speaking of—"

As if he had suddenly remembered something, he pulled out a small bone dice from his pocket.

"You know this, don't you?" he said, "if you knew the existence of the Creator. ”

The elf narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Let's ......," the young man smiled softly and innocently, "let's play a game?"

The elf stared at the dice. He could see the power flowing beneath its old, bleak surface—a mixture of fragments, chaotic and pure, weak and powerful, as cold and clear as a spring of water pouring from the ground.

Of course he knew what it was, but it was really just a dice. It doesn't give any special care to those who have it – it stands for absolute fairness.

So...... Why not?

.

As the sun went down, the young man took his leave, as if satisfied enough with what he had received. Ancrane sat alone in the garden, his fingers tapping, and his iced wine glass shattered into crystals all over the floor.

He's a little bit upset with himself – he's a little bit out of control. But what made him even more dissatisfied was the reason why he was out of control: he didn't expect himself to be flawless and cold as ice, but his vulnerability shouldn't be in that song, and not in that little bottle of cider.

Even if the scent was familiar to him...... He shouldn't be vulnerable to any useless memories.

The female mage, who had disappeared for an afternoon, sat down across from him, causing the other glass to bloom into a transparent flower.

"Did I become stupid because I was pregnant?" she tilted her head and sighed, "I used to think that young man could see through it at a glance, but now I can't figure out what he is trying to do with you in this 'game' that he has been playing with you all afternoon?"