Ten days, the wait was anxiously long, and the end was shockingly short.

Ante Bofford did not break his promise, nor did he attack the Temple of Collins, or any other temple of the god of water, during these ten days. He even withdrew the soldiers who occupied the Temple of Stunbuch, as if trying to show his sincerity.

Ed felt that he should also show reciprocal sincerity, so he only brought Brooke, Fili, and Eric with him. Although Isis was very unhappy about this, he brought a dragon with him...... To others, it's too much of a threat.

Fili, who had just rushed back, was bearded and haggard. He was responsible for pacifying the scattered clergy, which was not an easy task. Many clergy, especially young people who joined after the war, were completely unable to accept the fact that they were no longer respected by His Majesty the King and had become enemies with "ulterior motives".

Even if Filly is already considered "respectable", and he is wide and does not like to be entangled, and when he comes back, his face is full of irritability, so that Ed can't help but want to stay away from him...... But he also needs to rely on Filly's "high morality", because the embarrassing Scott obviously can't show up, and the other two high-ranking paladins who return to Collins are even worse at dealing with such a situation than Filly.

Exhausted, Fili didn't bother to straighten his beard, didn't even wash his hair, and followed Ed out the door in a sloppy manner. Fortunately, a set of armor from hood to foot was enough to disguise his indecent appearance, so that the king, and the nobles and other priests who had specially invited as witnesses, would not feel despised or offended.

The location chosen by Quillin was a vacant lot on the east bank of the Vinez River. The nobles and wealthy merchants who lived in the eastern part of the city of Visa used it as a place for their nearest feasts, and occasionally used it as a martial arts arena.

It was a familiar place for Ed, who grew up in Visa. But he'd never seen it so lively...... Or rather, I have never seen so many flags flying here.

When Ed was a child, his mother forced him to write down the coats of arms of the various Rutgar families, and he swept them away. The six most important families are all here, and the rest are all quite prestigious. Although he had received the news before, such a scene still made Ed's scalp tingle, and the only thing he could comfort himself was in the presence of these family representatives...... Ante would never have been able to draw his sword and slash at his head.

Scott had always been skeptical. In his opinion, Ed should not have accepted this kind of "mediation" at all. ”

"With what I know of Ante, if he really wants to make peace with the Temple. It won't be so high-profile. He told Ed, "Because if there is a confrontation, there are many things that cannot be explained." It was also clear that he was at fault in the first place, and he would not want to expose this to others...... He'll meet you privately at Quillin's behalf, and then come up with a high-sounding excuse to claim that everything was just a misunderstanding. And now like this...... It's more like he has some evidence against the temple. And can't wait to get it out to the public. ”

"But did we do anything wrong?" asked Ed, a little dazed.

Scott just looked at him without saying a word. And Ed finally came to his senses.

"Me. He said, slightly frustrated, "I was the biggest mistake." ”

"You're not. Scott corrected him severely, "If you think so yourself, you might as well put down the Staff of Eternity and go back to Kriessburg now." ”

Ed had to force a wry laugh - he didn't say "go back," which was polite.

"But I can't say no either. "That's not for Ante," he said cautiously, "That's not for Ante...... Does it give His Majesty a better reason?"

Scott was silent for a moment and sighed: "...... I just hope you're prepared and know what you might face. Those who have smiled at you on the May Day. Those who cheer and bow down...... Most backhands give you a knife without the slightest hesitation. ”

This sentence made Ed feel cold from the bottom of his heart, but he still nodded firmly.

"I can handle it!" he said. But his hand unconsciously clenched the Staff of Eternity.

That chill still stays in his fingertips and heart, even if the sun is shining and the breeze carries the warmth of early summer, it can't be dispelled at all.

A large tent had been erected in the middle of the meadow, and when Ed walked in with Quilin's lead, there were already a lot of people gathered in the tent, and the buzzing conversation paused slightly when they appeared, and then many people came over to greet Quilyn, Ed, and even Brooke in a friendly way.

For now, at least, they still give Ed a respectful smile - a smile of interest. Whether it is a nobleman or a commoner, when encountering such a lively activity that has nothing to do with him, the onlookers always have more enthusiasm.

When they met Tylina Bofford, they smiled and raised their glass to Ed.

Ed didn't expect even him to be here. That made him even more uneasy...... But he couldn't back down.

Ante Bofrd belatedly arrived—that was the prerogative of the king.

With a loud announcement, the king strode in.

He put on his armor with great solemnity, and under the crown of pure gold, his face was as pale as paper, his jaw was more square because of the rapid emaciation, the corners of his sunken mouth were carved with stern lines, his face was expressionless, his eyes did not squint, and he was like the king who always smiled and liked to show people with a kind and easy-going face...... But Ed seemed to have only now been able to see the real Ante Beauford under the mask.

After taking his seat in the center, the king waved his hand to stop all courtesy, and said bluntly: "I think your lordships know why you have come—it is always rumored that you can reach more places than my pardon...... It's also faster. You've probably heard that I've had some ...... with the Water Temple lately Feud. Unfortunately, I have to admit, that's true. ”

There was silence in the tent, and no one spoke.

"I have to apologize to Lord Brooke Xiuan. Ante hurriedly bowed to Brooke, and the old priest could only smile back.

"I had a lot of rudeness to him. The king's apology was hasty and vague, but no one would blame him for it, "I should not have allowed my guards to occupy the Temple of Spoonbuch, even though it was too abrupt to protect it...... I lost my mind a little in anger, and for this I have prayed to the Goddess countless times that she would forgive me for my mistakes. ”

Ed saw more excitement on people's faces - Ante Bowell would never openly admit his mistakes...... But, of course, it won't be his fault.

"May I ask what makes you so angry, Your Majesty?"

There are always people who know how to ask questions at the right time - like Aaron Mancini.

"Where to start?" Ante sneered and raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps I should be thankful for the man who suddenly appeared under the three-storied pagoda and claimed to be Borena Dejuri, the King of Anktan, if it weren't for him, I probably wouldn't know anything about it...... While ignorance is sometimes happier, a king is not blessed to enjoy. ”

Ed exchanged glances with Brooke and remained silent.

Listen before you speak, that's what they agreed on.

The king had probably been preparing for this for a long time. His account is concise and clear, not even insisting that he had not seen Borena at all, claiming that it was dimly lit at the time, and that he was in a hurry to get "the man" to be treated and saved from death, so his face was not seen at all. And then, because of the flight of those people, he also lost the opportunity to confirm the identity of the man.

Aside from repeatedly emphasizing that he had always only wanted to get people back and find out the truth, and had never wanted to kill, and that he had completely omitted Rowell's death, and that Brooke had specifically asked him to meet with Borena, what he said was actually not much different from Borenna. It's just that under his account, his guards seem to be somewhat incompetent, and his actions are simply impeccable.

"I still don't know who the man is, but according to what I've just learned, Borena Dejuri is still well in the Black Castle, although it seems to be facing another upheaval. There was a hint of disdain in Ante's voice, "As much as I'd love to invite him here, I'm afraid he won't have time to come." ”

Ed is well aware of this. Borena had already written him a letter in a hurry, repeatedly apologizing to him. But in fact, Ed never intended for Borena to prove something - it might have been his cause, but now it had apparently become a conflict between Ante and the Temple, and dragging another country in would only make everything even more confusing.

He hoped that Ante would not have the same intentions. After all, if, as Borena suggests, Ante may have been the victim of some conspiracy in the first place, he doesn't seem to want a war anyway.

...... So why on earth did he mention Borena?

"With all due respect, Your Majesty. Quillin said softly, "There seems to be some kind of conspiracy in this...... But I don't know what this has to do with the temple, and where does your anger come from?"

"You're right...... My anger has nothing to do with any 'Borena'. What made me unbearable was a lie I discovered while trying to find out the truth...... A scam. Ant crossed his hands coldly, and looked at Ed for the first time after entering the tent, "It's not a great fault for ordinary people, but in front of the gods...... Even arrogantly borrowing in the name of God is an unforgivable sin. ”

Ed took a breath and felt a tiny ice needle pierce his heart, a paralyzing chill spreading from that spot, seeping into every drop of blood.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the endless panic that was surging up, and straightened his back—he couldn't escape.

(To be continued......)