Despite his preoccupations, Ed quickly noticed that the atmosphere of the Limestone Fort was different from what it had been when he walked through the gates.

It was an indescribable feeling, business as usual on the surface, but there was a hint of tension that didn't look like it was in danger......

"The king is coming. ”

Rye walked past him and whispered to him, "In Serre...... In the prince's room. ”

Ed galloped away.

Rosa and another knight in full armor stood guard outside the door. The warrioress smiled at him and whispered something to the serious-looking young knight, who nodded, bowed to Ed, and knocked respectfully on the door.

Rosa raised an eyebrow at Ed as he turned his head, a hint of teasing and a hint of helplessness on her face.

Ed shrugged and stepped inside after "with His Majesty's permission."

Borena, who sat silently on the edge of the bed, did not look like a king at all. He spread his legs apart, collapsed in a chair, and waved his hand at Ed in a trance.

“...... Are you hurt?" asked Ed subconsciously.

Borena laughed, his face was ugly, but his spirit was not too bad.

"I'm tired like a dog. He bluntly said, "I just want to find a grass nest to get in and ignore everything, and I'm afraid of being dragged out and skinned by some guy surnamed Crofeller." ”

"You don't have to go out in person. Ed whispered.

"Oh, that's not the most exhausting part. Borena smiled wryly and lowered her voice, "Even a dozen knights who came to Greystone Castle with me had to be carefully selected from different families, which was really exhausting. ”

Ed nodded sympathetically.

"The King. He said.

"A king who had planned to pat his ass and leave after a maximum of ten years. Borena laughed to himself. Looking at Sercio, who was quietly curled up on the bed, "I'm a guy with no ambitions...... You know what? I've been careful to continue to 'do business' at the mouth of the Kuz River, even more so than I do to 'run' the country. Because I thought I'd go back sooner or later, but now ......."

Now, most likely, the future king will never be able to regain his senses.

"I'm sorry......" Ed looked down at his toes guiltily, "if I could have rescued him sooner......"

Borena shook her head.

"That's not your fault. Rosa has already told me what happened...... You've helped me too much, Ed, and I don't seem to be able to give you anything in return, but to get you in a lot of trouble. ”

"Trust me. Even if you don't disappear from Mayday, you will come. Ante Bofford's dissatisfaction with the Temple of Water did not begin on that day. Ed grinned, "Although I do suspect that you have passed on bad luck to me." I used to be called 'the darling of the god of luck' by Tess. ”

Borena chuckled lowly.

"I'm sorry. He said half-truthfully.

"It doesn't matter. Ed replied magnanimously.

Borena looked at him, and the smile faded. His eyes gradually became serious.

"I've always been worried that you're going to turn into a gloomy and extreme guy. "After all, you've suffered too much in too little time...... But you're much stronger than I expected. ”

"If you knew that I had tried to assassinate Ante, I probably wouldn't have said that. Ed smiled wryly.

"But you didn't really kill him. That's all that matters. Isn't it?"

Ed fell silent.

He thought of Scott. Scott didn't actually stop him at that time, but if he hadn't followed him closely, he would probably have died by the sword of the king's guards...... Or worse, he would become an impostor of the "attempted assassination of the king" and die on the guillotine, a shame that cannot be washed away with blood.

He shuddered unconsciously, and suddenly felt seriously that his luck was not too bad. He has relatives and friends who have not abandoned him under any circumstances...... He will never abandon them for any reason.

"Did Rosa already tell you that Sercio's disappearance might have something to do with the followers of Nesses?" he asked in a low voice.

There are some problems that cannot be escaped.

“...... Yes. Borena replied calmly.

"You...... Are you going to do anything?" Ed asked, apprehensively.

"At least for now. If they don't intend to stand up against me in a grand manner, I don't have the strength to deal with them. Borena scratched his head tiredly. "Honestly, as terrible as their 'Sage' is, I don't think he could do anything like that of secretly holding Sercio hostage. ”

Ed nodded vigorously.

"So...... If you have any news related to those believers, please be sure to let me know. He pleaded sincerely.

Borena gave him a thoughtful look, clearly understanding what he meant.

"I'm sure Kroeffler has a lot of things on his hands, even though he's always quiet. He said, "You saved Sercio, and for that reason he will not refuse to share it with you." ”

"In that case...... Ed rubbed his hands in anticipation, "is it possible that he also knows where an ice dragon has flown to?"

Borena was stunned for a moment.

"Did you lose that dragon?" he asked.

"Yes. Ed replied frustratedly, not correcting the claim that would make Iss furious.

-- If he would still be "furious".

The ice dragon circled several times between the snow-capped peaks, but could not find a place to stay, so it could only fly to the nearby peaks, quietly gazing at the razor-sharp ridge not far away.

It was there that it defeated the Silver Fang...... It was there that it killed the last of its kindred, and left its corpse there.

The dragon was not in the habit of collecting corpses for its enemies, and it really didn't have the heart to care about it then. It's a place inaccessible to humans, and it's easy for even seasoned adventurers to get lost in the rolling mountains and deadly snowstorms. It thought that the ice and snow would cover Silverfang's corpse and make it cold and solid. Snow-white graves...... But now, even if it doesn't cut through the snow on the top of the mountain, it knows that Silver Fang is no longer there.

The ice dragon pondered for a moment. Spread your wings and fly to the northeast. This is the territory of the Silvertooth Dwarves - although their real territory is under the rocks, it will not be easy to get rid of a dragon, and the dwarves will know something about it.

It flew low, watching its shadow sweep over the glades and over the bare rocks of the peaks, and remembering the resentment and childish revenge that had been shot by the dwarves, and suddenly felt a little ridiculous—what was that? their undeniable abhorrence. An open-minded attack is almost respectable.

It landed on the peak of the mountain at the entrance to the pit and lay down. Quietly waiting. Its wings are heavy and tired, like its heart. There was a wound there, though it seemed to be too tired to hurt from its non-stop flight day and night, but it was still cold and hideous. It's like it can't heal anymore.

If you can. It would rather lie on the cold snow like this all the time and pay no attention to anything, but it can't.

This time, it can no longer be escaped. Whoever it is for, it has to get the whole thing through from beginning to end, or its soul will never be at peace.

As the sun slid from the center to the west, several stocky figures finally came into view. They stopped behind a rock, and one of them waded over the snow that had not yet melted at the top of the mountain with heavy and vigorous steps. stood in front of it.

For a moment they looked at each other in silence. The ice dragon was not friends with the dwarf...... They hadn't even said a few words, but both Ed and Norway were to him. Mok Brass Flame, the heir to the Silver Tooth Kingdom, has received various accolades.

The ice dragon knew that wasn't an exaggeration.

The dwarves stood there with their legs crossed, their hands resting calmly on their belts, unafraid and unintentionally close to them because they had a mutual friend.

"Is. He said, "May I call you that?"

The ice dragon nodded wistfully, knowing that there was no point in dwelling on the name.

"I would like to welcome a friend of a friend, but I beg your pardon for the nervousness of my people. "After all, we just filled the hole you hit two months ago. So, if you're willing to explain what you're here for......"

"I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Ice Dragon said.

The dwarf nodded, "I'll listen." ”

There was something real, rock-like calm and solid in his eyes...... It was the ice dragon, with its natural advantage, that a low, loud voice rolled out of its chest like thunder, looking down condescendingly at the dwarf that was no taller than its front legs, and it couldn't suppress the momentum.

"Silverfang's body is gone. Ice Dragon said.

“...... Not. Mock replied, "And then?"

"I want to know when that happened. ”

"The winter of the year before. The dwarf replied cheerfully, "Probably when I taught the barbarians who had been captured by the necromancers to knock stones." ”

The ice dragon was a little dazed for a long moment.

It remembers that time. Scott was looking for it on the ice sheet...... So, what did he come to it for?......

It tries to think calmly, but it's hard to do. It couldn't believe that everything Scott was showing was fake, but it couldn't tell which ones were real...... Those questions were locked in its heart like cold chains.

"If you were to ask me who did it, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to give you an answer, because the dwarves had so much to do at the time that no one even knew exactly when it disappeared...... To be honest, we thought it had broken in two and slid into the valley. The dwarf continued frankly—perhaps a little too frankly.

“...... Haven't you been looking for it?" asked the ice dragon.

"The terrain is very complicated, and even for the dwarves it is dangerous, sorry...... I'm not going to risk my people to make sure a dragon's corpse is still there. Mock confessed.

The ice dragon lowered its head and did not speak for a while.

It was slightly disappointed, but Mock was clearly not lying.

"I've heard that in the village near the south of the Windwhispering Forest, there were hunters who had seen some suspicious people during that time. The dwarf told it calmly, "But I suspect that the people there have never heard of your name, nor are they calm enough to answer a dragon question." ”

“...... Thank you," the ice dragon whispered, suddenly spreading its wings and rushing into the sky in the snow and sand raised by the wind.

It's not just a dragon—it doesn't need a dwarf reminder to understand it. It no longer stubbornly denies a part of its life as stubbornly as it once did, though that makes its wings heavier...... But it also gives it the strength to keep going.

(To be continued......)