The light in the tower was cold, soft and bright, and everywhere, as if there was no room for a little shadow, and after staying for a long time, it was easy to get half-drunk dizziness.

“...... Why do we need to be saved?"

Payne's voice drifted into his ears, but Parnasas couldn't tell whether it was a self-deceptive denial or a confident rhetorical question. It's just that every syllable swirls around in his head, humming and circling, gradually blurring and indistinct.

Indescribable irritability came up in bursts. He turned his head, and in his eyes, the smile on the lips of the Silver Leaf King carried an indescribable sneer, the drooping silver hair shone with a cold light, the inky eyes were dull and dead, and the pale cheeks were like cold and hard rock carvings...... It doesn't look like the frank and calm king with resolute eyes at all, but like an enemy whose body has been taken over by some evil force.

They were originally ...... It's also impossible to be friends.

In a trance, Parnasas subconsciously reached for the hilt of his sword, but there was a voice in his heart that issued a faint warning that could not be ignored.

He paused before he unsheathed his sword. Cold sweat seeped from the corners of the forehead and dripped onto the back of the hand. He shuddered violently, and for a moment he could uncontrollably generate a surging killing intent, and his tense muscles were even ready to attack, but he was suddenly startled when he looked up and touched Payne's calm sight.

- What the hell is he doing?

Payne's eyes are actually green. The dark green, which is not so transparent but bright, radiates a strange dark gold from the pupils, like the mature leaves stretched in the sun in the staghorn forest in the middle of summer.

The sun shined through the haze and quietly sprinkled on his heart.

“...... This tower," he asked, slowly releasing the hilt of his sword, "what's the problem?"

The Elven King was silent for a moment.

"The light in the tower," he said, "is, in the parlance of the elders, ...... 'illuminates all darkness.'" ”

"'Darkness'?" Panasses repeated with a sneer, his agitation coming back like a fire, burning his fists.

"It's just a saying...... You know, we're used to it. Payne lowered his eyes, "The light used for lighting in this tower has an extremely faint magic, which is difficult to detect, but it can affect the sanity, and staying too long may give birth to some hallucinations." We're used to it...... So I forgot to remind you too. ”

...... Just "forgot"?

Parnasses took a deep breath, pushing the increasingly blinding white light out of his mind. As his heartbeat, which was pounding heavily on his ribs, calmed down, he simply asked, "Is it necessary? Is this necessary to deal with the enemy who invades this place?"

Payne smiled faintly.

"Sort of. He said, "Although I have always felt that if the enemy has broken into the Tower of Silence...... Grivar is probably gone, too. ”

He didn't lie, but he didn't tell Parnasas that it wouldn't have much of an impact on the naturally resistant elves...... Not even Ed, who is human, has been affected in any way.

"Probably there's something here that needs to be protected even if Grivar no longer exists. Parnasas tugged at the corners of his mouth, not hiding his mockery—he had just been "illuminated" and had no intention of hiding it like Payne.

A more genuine smile crossed the Elven King's eyes.

"Do you want to go up?" he asked.

They had planned to climb to the top of the tower and look up at the stars, which was the closest to the sky in the entire forest.

"Nope. Panasses replied very dryly. Whether his choice was right or wrong tonight...... It's better to end it as soon as possible.

They returned the way they came. As he was about to reach the bottom of the tower, Parnasas slowed down again.

He heard a rustling sound that grew clearer and clearer. The sound that used to feel like a drizzle now sounded more like a swarm of insects and ants crawling quickly under their feet...... It was as if something was walking between the stone walls, hard scales rubbing against the rocks.

“...... "Is this voice," he asked, "a hallucination of mine?"

"It's not. Payne's expression was a little subtle, "I can hear that too." ”

"So...... Why do we seem to have gone the other way back?" Parnassus's tone was equally subtle, "hallucinations, or are we on the wrong path?"

The paths in the Silent Tower were irregular, and the corridors that connected to each other were more like free-growing vines, and it was easy to get lost if he wasn't familiar with them—but he couldn't be mistaken about the path he had walked, even if he was surrounded by the hellish light.

"We weren't wrong. Payne looked at the staircase stretching down in front of him, and his tone was calm, "It's the wrong way." ”

Parnasas was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Interesting. He said.

Payne glanced at him.

He didn't see suspicion or anger on the face of this elf who was more like a human except for a pair of pointed ears, and even the outfit was more human...... Or shame.

After a brief period of chaos, the ruler of the Antlers Forest quickly regained his composure and sharpness, and his golden and green eyes jumped in the face of a challenge...... and the excitement of danger.

"I thought they wouldn't dare do anything to you. "At least not with ...... Such a direct way?"

"Maybe they've found a hand that can do it for them. Payne replied.

“...... Me?" Parnasses raised an eyebrow.

Almost at the same moment, something sharp and invisible pierced the air, swept past him, and stabbed straight at Payne.

But he didn't move, and neither did Payne. They looked at each other in silence, and behind him, the best archers of the Antler Forest stretched out their arms and drew their bows, and there were no arrows on the bowstrings that were drawn, except for a clear sound that whistled upward, like substance, piercing a little dazzling red between the pure white statues above the side of the corridor.

The hard and smooth marble cracked and cracked, and the blood spread quietly, as if a blood-red flower had bloomed on a towering tree in the relief, but the wounded did not fall, nor did they hear a sound.

In front of Payne, the transparent shield suddenly rose, and the silver light tree stretched over it, rippling like water the moment it was hit.

Of the four guards who followed Payne into the Tower of Silence, only one stood half a step away, raised his arm in a light posture like a dance, and then retreated as if nothing had happened.

Panasses looked up and saw a trail of blood silently snaking down the lines carved into the wall.

“...... Tell me, it can't really be a stone's hand, right?" he pointed to the bloody hole above his head, genuinely puzzled, "Is this tower actually alive?"

Payne smiled. The smile was as warm as the wind, melting the air like freezing.

.