Ed stared at the goblin who was still twitching, his expression complicated.

The elven's crossbow bolt was so deep in its chest that it would soon die if left unattended.

He crouched down and tried to pull out the bolt, and the goblin screamed as more green liquid flowed from the corners of its mouth. Frightened, Ed withdrew his hand and looked at Norway pleadingly.

The elf shook his head resolutely, "I warned it. If it just wants to escape, I'm not going to stop it. But it clearly wants to kill you, and I'm not going to give it a second chance. ”

Ed bowed his head silently, realizing for the first time that standing beside him was an elven warrior who had walked many places alone, and that there was not only a gentle expression on his face that he was familiar with.

When necessary, his eyes are as cold as the edge of a sword.

The goblin jerked in Ed's gaze and swallowed his last breath, his round eyes out of focus, still staring straight at the sky with resentment and fear.

Ed stood up and staggered.

He knew its name, it understood him, he had thought ......

"I don't understand. He said dumbfoundedly, "I saved it, but it tried to kill me?"

"Maybe it's just trying to get your credits in an easier way. ”

"So it doesn't know where Isis is?"

"Even if it knew, it wouldn't really take you, it wouldn't want to get close to anything as powerful as the Ice Dragon that it couldn't hurt. ”

"You've always known that...... Will it turn out like this?" Ed asked softly.

Novi didn't know how to answer.

"And you didn't stop me. Ed wasn't sure if it was a reproach, he just felt ...... It's very uncomfortable. Many dark emotions were stuck in his chest that he had never had, and he couldn't pretend he was okay as he usually would.

The elf was silent for a moment before speaking, "Because you want to believe that even a goblin is not necessarily completely evil, and I hope ...... I don't want to destroy that belief, even if it's too naïve. ”

Ed kept his head down and didn't speak.

"Ed......" Norway couldn't think of anything to comfort him. If he is no longer naïve, maybe it will be a good thing, but there is still a faint sadness and regret lingering in his heart.

The young human took a deep breath and looked up.

"I still believe it!" he exclaimed, "I just ...... Luck is not good!" he clenched his fist firmly, "I'll be careful in the future! Even if I don't make it, at least I can't lose it!"

The elf looked at him in surprise, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise. The smile grew bigger and bigger, and finally it was as bright as the warm sun.

Simply burying the goblin's body, they began to walk back, looking for the two girls who hadn't caught up yet.

The trails they left behind were obvious, and the girls should not get lost, but they were still nowhere to be found halfway through. The two looked at each other and started running in unison.

As he ran back to the previous hillside, Ed's mind was buzzing with the sight of a struck - it was empty, all the horses were missing, the snow was a mess, and the scattered blood stains were shockingly red.

“...... Naria!!Tess!!" Ed shouted, his mind in turmoil, and he spun in circles in panic, countless horrific images flashing through his mind.

"It's my fault. He muttered to himself, almost subconsciously reproaching himself, "It's my ......"

"Ed ...... Ed!" The elf twisted his face and made him look him in the eye, "I don't have time to wonder whose fault it is right now, we need to find them as soon as possible!"

He's also blaming himself for losing Tess ...... He was the most experienced one, he had lived for almost four hundred years, but he could not protect three young humans, he underestimated the dangers of this strange forest, he trusted Allen's plan too much...... But that didn't help.

Ed bit his lip vigorously and nodded, trying to keep his eyes fixed on the messy footprints and even the red bloodstains.

- Please protect them.

A small prayer in my heart, but I don't know where to give.

Tess stared at the snow dangling in front of her and her own red hair, and she was in a terrible mood.

He actually put her headfirst on the horse's back like luggage...... She's not a goblin!

But she couldn't open her mouth to scold, she was still dizzy.

When Naria, who was walking behind her, suddenly fell headlong into the snow for no apparent reason, she knew something was wrong. As soon as she turned around, she saw the silver light coming at her.

...... Shameless!

She cursed in her heart, turned slightly sideways, the thin little arrow pierced her thick clothes, failed to penetrate, she pulled it off, pretended to shake it a few times, and fell down on her back.

She knew what it was that would sneak up on the girl - a couple of rude, smelly men who hadn't taken a shower in days. She heard them talk about the Ice Dragon, and as she expected, these scumbags didn't even think about confronting the Ice Dragon, they just came to join in the fun and see if they could get anything good.

But that doesn't seem to be their only purpose.

They also brought up the pit of the Silver Tooth Dwarves, as if they had managed to slip into it, but kept it secret from the man who helped them.

She heard the familiar Stonebuge accent. It was a southerner who brought down Narya with a drugged arrow. Tess genuinely loves Stonebutch - and despite some bad memories, it's not Stonebucci's fault. For this kind of guy who discredits her beautiful City of Ten Thousand Springs, she won't let it go easily.

The men are debating how to deal with their "accomplices". They were not fools, four horses, two people, and the obvious footprints in the snow indicated that the girls had companions, and they did not intend to chase them, but decided to return to their familiar territory, find a suitable place, and wait for the other two to sneak up again.

Elves aren't that stupid, and Tess still has faith in that. She wasn't going to wait for someone to come to her rescue, but she had to make sure Narya was safe first. After all, there were five men here, and Naria was still unconscious.

She let Mochi out when she fell, and the alert little thing should be able to take care of itself. She had hoped that it would go to the elf, but judging by the slight noise in the nearby bushes, the mongoose had been trying to follow her in the cold weather and thick snow to which it was unaccustomed. The men thought it was a squirrel or a pine marten, and tried to shoot it with an arrow, but although it didn't hit, it succeeded in making Tess even more angry.

She'd definitely skewer them together, roast them on the fire, and throw them half-baked to the goblins!

If the men had stopped and started preparing for the ambush, they should have left her and Narya aside. The hands tied behind her back would only be a minor problem, if Naria hadn't woken up by then......

She had just come up with a good idea to wake up Naria without alerting the idiots, and they stopped.