Llewellyn sits on the largest plain in Anktan, surrounded by the Black River and the Fran River, a tributary of the River Veinz. The Heihe River leads west to the Jinghai Sea, and along the Fran River to the south of Balach and Kam. Of all the cities in Ancotann, it is probably the richest, but it has also experienced the most wars.

Naria looked up at the city walls, the black marks of the flames had not yet faded, the new stones were clearly separated from the old ones, the whole city was mottled with vicissitudes and fatigue, and it had not been built even as long as Balach.

Even the people here don't look as alive as Balach. Even though spring was approaching, the blue sky and the warm sun didn't make them feel much more energetic. The soldiers above and below the city walls looked at the pedestrians with gloomy faces, and Naria almost began to regret her decision to come here with Eren to "find out".

She might as well join Norway and Tess on an expedition to the ruins of the elven fortress near Limestone Fort, or simply wait for news of Isis at Limestone Castle!

Because Eren had left Isis alone with "that crazy old mage," she almost had another fight with her father. Thankfully, Norvi was there for them this time—the elf was always quick to soothe the irascible young men with his gentle tone, which Ed thought was a mysterious gift too.

Ed's mood didn't seem to be affected at all, and he looked around with great interest, giving a flattering smile to everyone who looked at them. It doesn't matter if people will ignore him.

But perhaps it was this kind of smirk that allowed them to enter the city gate without hindrance, without using Borena's letter at all.

Naria thought that Eren would take them to a tavern or bazaar where they could easily find out, but Eren took them straight to Castle Black.

It towered to the east of the city. The castle made of black rock is where the royal palace of Anktanen is located. Even though it was damaged in the war, it has been quickly renovated, but it looks serious and old-fashioned because it is too regular, and even faintly depressing.

"Won't the people who live in it feel uncomfortable?" asked Naria, frowning.

"Maybe there's a lot of nice little gardens in there. Ed said optimistically.

Naria glared at him—she thought that a king who would make her place such a ghost wouldn't like a pretty little garden.

They waited for a while by the side door in the southwest corner of Blackcastle, and it wasn't long before Alan had a letter brought in. A young man in full-body armor and a black cloak hurried out. Take off your helmet and hold it in your arms and look around.

When he saw Allen, he was stunned for a moment, and then he walked over hesitantly, and called out uncertainly, "Allen...... Uncle Alan?"

Allen's answer was a powerful hug.

"You've grown up. Behring. When he let go of the young man, he said with some emotion, "As you said when you were a child, you are taller than me." ”

The young man looked older than Ed and Naria, curly brown hair pressed against his head by a helmet, a resolute square chin like most Anktans, blue eyes that looked gentle and reserved, and a smile that was even a little shy.

"This is Belin Green, Selene...... Son of Lady Gray. Eren introduced the young people who were looking at each other curiously, "Naria. My daughter, her friend Ed Singel. ”

Behrin smiled and nodded in a friendly way, but Naria always felt a shadow in his smile. It's like carrying a burden that can't be put down.

She knew that Lady Grey had two sons—and that was what Tess had inquired about. The Countess didn't mention her son from time to time, as a normal mother would, and the rest of the castle seemed to be secretive about it.

Tess tells her that Lady Gray's eldest son seems to have run away from home, which is probably why everyone doesn't want to talk about him. In this way, probably all the blame fell on Behring, and it was no wonder that he seemed so unhappy - he had to live in such a dark castle instead of being with his mother.

That immediately filled her with sympathy for the silent and shy young man in front of her.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Uncle Allen. Behring looked a little cramped, "But I have to talk to Prince Sergio before I can leave." Can you wait for me?"

"Of course, of course. Alan patted him on the shoulder and replied gently, "Go ahead, kid." ”

Belen smiled apologetically at them and hurried away, he was tall and had a slight rickety on his back.

“...... He was much more cheerful as a child than he is now. Alan couldn't help but sigh.

Naria snorted, "Who let him be unlucky enough to have an irresponsible brother!"

There's probably nothing that makes Narya angry more these days than the "irresponsible brother".

Alan could only smile wryly.

One of the "abandoned brothers" was lying in a daze in the gentle breeze of Enshi Valley.

Isse felt like he was going to sleep again, this time purely because of the gentle magic of nature. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, it seems that all he can do is sleep.

He couldn't get out of the valley - he couldn't beat Mud, the "pensive golem," even if it was only made of wood.

They didn't even really fight at all. The Wood Golem has a pretty good temper - if it has any "temper" at all. It would just stop Iss in silence, as patiently as it was for a stubborn child. After he lifted Isis and carried it back to Ingris's garden like a bag, Isis finally gave up and fled in frustration.

What can he do now? bite into the wood, or vent his anger with those happily blooming flowers?

After a day of stupefiing surrounded by flowers, the irritability that was surging in my heart seemed to have gradually calmed down. Ingris was in his study and was flipping through a book, and all he could do was wait.

The old mage had a huge study - seen from the outside. That study couldn't have existed, and Iss suspected it wasn't even in the space of this world.

He went in and flipped around for a while, and Ingris didn't say anything other than reminding him that books in which area he couldn't touch them. But it didn't take long for him to lose his patience and continue to return to the garden in a daze.

"Come here, come here, little dragon. The old mage's slow voice came from the room.

"Don't call me that!" Ise yelled back in exasperation, and ran back into the house in three or two steps.

"Do you have a solution?" he asked, expectantly.

"It's worth a try. The old man's answer was ambiguous, and he gestured for Iss to sit in a chair with his wrists on the wooden table.

His incantations were hypnotic - but they worked. Isis watched as the faint silver symbol appeared on the surface of the jet-black hoop. The light flickered uncertainly.

It was some kind of elven language, but Iss hadn't quite recognized it yet. A sharp pain rushed down the blood and even the bones to the whole body.

He almost screamed, but after the initial stubborn forbearance, he really couldn't scream. He shrunk into a ball and shivered, and the white light flashed in front of him, after a bout of intense dizziness. He felt that it didn't seem to be so painful, and the whole person seemed to slowly float into the air in a trance, with an indescribable relief.

But he soon fell from mid-air to the ground—he suddenly came to his senses, and in a cold sweat, Ingris's wrinkled face was straight in front of him.

It was a little scary, but Iss didn't care about anything else. Raising his wrist, the hoop was still cold.

“...... It's useless!!" he roared angrily.

"Ah, actually, a little. Ingris slowly raised a finger and shook it. "In fact, it almost worked. ”

"Then why do you stop!" said Is, who was even more furious.

"Because if I don't stop, I can solve this. You're dead too. The old man calmly explained, "I don't think that's what you wanted. ”

"I'm not dying that easily!" said Iss, impatiently, "Try again!"

"Be patient, don't worry, little dragon. The old man clapped his hand, "Now." Go sleep in the garden for a while, and Mulder will wake you up for dinner. ”

"Of course I'm in a hurry! Maybe I'll wake up dead by the time I wake up!" Iss blurted out in exasperation.

The old man glanced at him.

"yes. That's right. Human beings are such a short-lived race, to you, they are like flowers that bloom and fall, insects that die in the morning and night, come and go in a hurry...... So, even I'm not in a hurry, so why are you in a hurry?"

Iss blinked, he felt that there was something wrong with this, but he couldn't think of how to refute it.

"If you don't want to sleep, help me flip through the books. The old man turned to his study and said, "I'll tell you what you're looking for." ”

Isis sulked for a moment, but followed anyway.

But once again, he quickly lost his patience, and casually tossed an ancient scroll that looked like it would rot to ashes in the next moment, into the corner, and watched it slowly spin around in mid-air and float back to its original position.

"Patience, little dragon, patience. The old man said without raising his head.

"By the time you're done with this, maybe even I'll be dead of old age!" said Iss, annoyed, "Don't you have any more effective methods?!"

"I'm just a human, little dragon. The old man seemed to like to call him that more and more, "I've heard of the dragon's method of passing on knowledge, and it's really enviable. ”

"Of course!" said Is, feeling a little pride.

The old man glanced back at him.

"You have so much to envy, little one. He said, "Dragons, the greatest creatures that this world has bred alone, have a long life, great power, accumulated from generation to generation, and as long as there is a descendant who continues the bloodline, it is impossible to lose it...... But now it's on the verge of extinction like a goblin. ”

The last sentence made Is's heart burn with rage.

"That's a conspiracy of the gods!" he roared, "That's ......"

"If that makes you feel better. The old man turned his head, leaving him with only a bare back of his head, "but it seems to me that it is because you cling to what you know, looking at the world from afar with resentment, not learning, not creating, not wanting to move forward." And human beings, even if they only have a few decades of life, never stop...... Look at these books, little dragon, look at them. Some of them belong to elves, some to dwarves, but most to humans. How much of it you know, and how much you know, even though you've inherited hundreds of thousands of years of accumulated knowledge?"

Iss stared at the back of his head and didn't speak, he couldn't figure out why the old man had suddenly become agitated and muttered so much more—though at such a slow pace that one couldn't help but want to pull a word out of his mouth.

But he couldn't deny every word he said...... And he didn't even learn what he had inherited.

The young ice dragon was stunned for a long time, and without a sound, he pulled out another hard-shell book from the bookshelf that had been marked by the old man with blue light points, and obediently flipped it up.

(To be continued)