Ed froze there, unable to move.

He didn't stop the ice dragon as it flew away—and he couldn't stop it.

He could already vaguely guess what was going on, but even so, the last words left by the ice dragon were still too cruel...... Both to itself and to Scott.

More than once, he listened to Naria sigh and complain about how Is, who had been brought home by Allen, spent most of his time waiting for the "brother" who had left him behind, and had seen Is's devastation when he lost Scott's trace again after the reunion. It's not the first day they've learned that Scott has some shady secrets, but Iss has never been willing to delve into them, and Ed knows why.

He's alive...... That's enough.

If Vala could come back from the dead, he would just as well be able to ask for nothing, and to do without anything.

No one can deny that the relationship between Iss and Scott is more like father and son than brothers, but this time, Scott has done more than he can accept.

Once again, he stole a glance at Scott, but he couldn't bear to reproach.

Ever since Is's left with that sentence, Scott had been standing there as if frozen by the ice dragon's breath. Ed could barely hear his breathing...... But he didn't dare to reach out to touch him, or even call him, as if he was afraid that the person in front of him would instantly shatter into thousands of pieces and scatter them all over the ground.

He couldn't imagine how Scott was feeling at the moment...... If it were him, he would probably have never been resurrected. That way, at least someone...... There is a dragon that will always miss him.

“...... My lord?"

Someone above his head hesitated to speak, his tone full of panic and uneasiness, "Sage?"

It was as if the call had breathed life back into Scott's body. His body shook slightly. He quickly looked up and replied, "I'm here...... Do not worry. ”

His voice was calm and steady, as if nothing had happened. That made Ed unconsciously respectful - he would never have been able to do it himself anyway.

"Scott......" he whispered.

Scott jerked his head back. It's like I've just realized he's still here.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Ed nodded vigorously, "I'm fine." ”

"I have to go...... Look at how many people were injured. Scott said, looking calm. His eyes were empty, and there was a strange hesitation in his voice, as if his thoughts were broken into pieces, and it was difficult to connect.

"Maybe you can help?" he asked absentmindedly, then suddenly reacted, "Ah...... Sorry, I forgot ......"

"I can!" Ed snapped, "...... At least I can bandage the wound. ”

Scott squeezed out a smile at him and led him back to the next floor.

This old fortress is probably no longer useful. It was smashed into a big crater from top to bottom. The rest of the place doesn't seem to be very stable either. Fortunately, the place where the ice dragon destroyed was close to the northeast, and that location was not a place for people to rest at night, and although there were many injuries, few of them were fatal, most of them were just broken bones and abrasions.

Ed helped as much as he could—though many looked at him with suspicion in their eyes. After all, he appeared with Is.

But Ed doesn't care about that right now.

He kept looking at Scott. The man looked like he had really regained his composure, methodically handling everything - healing, searching for the missing person. Get out of the dangerous place and send someone to clean up the supplies......

The Anktann people who live in the forest of Kasdan are accustomed to camping. The people quickly settled outside the fortress, but the murmurs of unease never ceased.

As Scott walked back to the fortress alone, Ed hurried over. Silently following him.

“...... Even if I say I want to be alone for a while, you're not going to let me go, are you?" asked Scott with a wry smile.

“...... What the hell is going on?" Ed asked in a low voice, "Are you really ...... Are you going to just let it go?"

"I think you know what's going on. Scott's answer was calm and tired. "That's what you're here for, isn't it?"

Ed was speechless for a moment.

"I don't know where you got the news. But I know it's going to leak out sooner or later. Scott whispered, "I just thought ......"

He shook his head. His body shook slightly, as if he wanted to lean against the wall, but he immediately stood up straight.

“...... He kept asking, 'Where is she'...... Does that mean his mother's bones?" Ed asked.

That's not that hard to guess. There aren't many women who can make Iss care...... Together, they infiltrated the glacial lake to confirm that Anklamaras's bones had been stolen.

At the time, everyone seemed to think it was Lydia...... Except for Sean Fletcher. Ed couldn't help but wonder if Sean had guessed that it was Scott.

"What the hell are you ...... What are you trying to do......" Ed murmured. He had "cooperated" with the necromancer, but he still couldn't understand the act of stealing Is's mother's body...... And then let a necromancer manipulate her?

"Do what I have to do. Scott replied.

-- This is a disgusting answer.

"Is that so important, so important that it's worth losing Is?" said Ed's voice with a hint of anger, "You didn't even give him an explanation!"

"What's the point of 'explaining'?" Scott avoided the previous question, "what I have done is unforgivable to him for whatever reason. ”

Ed closed his lips and said nothing more—that was unforgivable. Even if Ankramarad is just a dragon to them, it is natural for them to use the dragon's corpse for all kinds of experiments and magical items...... But that was Is's mother.

If someone desecrated Vala's corpse like this, he would do everything he could to leave the other party dead.

“...... So, are you really going to do this?" he asked, reluctantly, "even if it becomes your enemy from now on?"

"It won't. Scott replied with a sigh, "I wouldn't consider it an enemy, so it wouldn't be my enemy either—I was only afraid that he would be taken advantage of." Tonight's news will spread quickly, and you know as well as I know how many people covet his power. ”

Ed remained silent.

He does know...... At least Lydia would never let go of this opportunity.

"So, Ed...... I need you to do me a favor. Scott looked at Ed, "I need you to find him, look at him...... He won't listen to me anymore, but he might still listen to you. ”

“...... I will. Ed replied, "But not for you." ”.

Once again, the ice dragon landed on the grass of Enshi Valley covered with small blue spike flowers.

It didn't shout at the slow old mage as usual, and it didn't break into the hut directly, but stood by the stream, staring at the reflection in the water for a long time.

“...... You show up again and again so often that I would be fooled into thinking that you can't wait to fulfill your promises. ”

Inglis staggered to its side, staring like it at the shaking, shattered shadows in the water.

"I need your help. The ice dragon said, his voice low.

The old mage glanced up at it.

“...... You're a little different. He said.

"Is it better, or worse?" replied indifferently to the ice dragon.

"It depends on how you look at it. The old mage said.

But the ice dragon was clearly not interested in any angle from him.

"I need your help. It calmly repeated, "Of course, I will give you a reciprocal return." ”

The old mage was silent for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course...... I'm always happy to make deals with powerful and committed creatures like you. Do you need my knowledge, or power?"

"There's some kind of magic on me. The ice dragon replied, "I'm not sure when, and I don't know what form it takes." That makes me ...... Wherever I fly, the caster will be able to know my whereabouts, and I need you to disarm it. ”

It wasn't too much of a request, and it wasn't a difficult thing for Inglis, but it unexpectedly took him quite a long time.

“...... I'm sure you haven't had any spells cast. Finally he said.

The ice dragon looked at him quietly for a few moments.

“...... I'm sure I'm Inglis-Neff. The old man narrowed his eyes and laughed, "You can ask Mulder to confirm this, I created him, and it doesn't need to be easily changed for my recognition." ”

"If you're not sure who you are, I'm not going to let you poke around me. For a moment, the ice dragon said, it seemed like he had changed back to the easily irritated but more energetic creature he had been, "but he knew where I was, anytime, anywhere...... He could even speak to me anywhere, and his voice was as clear as in my ear. ”

“...... I'm guessing the caster you're talking about is Scott, your ...... 'brother'. Inglis said.

The ice dragon did not deny it.

"That would explain ......," the old mage nodded slowly, "he didn't cast a spell on you. If Alan Carvo is telling me the truth -- oh, of course it's the truth. Your birth depended on his life force, which is like another kind of blood...... If Scott finds a way to exploit this connection, this 'spell' will be impossible to undo as long as you are alive. ”

“...... But you have another way. The ice dragon calmly pointed out.

"Oh, of course there is. "I can interfere with this connection with a spell...... But honestly, I'm not sure if that would have had other effects on you. ”

"I accept. The ice dragon replied without hesitation.

Instead, Inglis hesitated for a long time.

"It's a rare connection, little dragon. He whispered, "There are some things that once you throw them away, you can never get them back." ”

"I'm not the one to abandon it first. The ice dragon lowered his head and looked him in the eye, "Do what you have to do, mage...... And, stop calling me 'Little Dragon'. ”.

(To be continued......)