The "elf" stopped at the edge of light and darkness.

He is not afraid of the sun. In fact, he couldn't feel the sunlight at all, he couldn't feel the cold, moist air rushing to his face, and he couldn't even see the gray sky outside, where a rain and snow was brewing.

He can only perceive everything with his soul. That perception is very acute...... But it's not what he likes.

He likes the colors he can see with his eyes, the tastes he can taste on the tip of his tongue, and the music he can hear in his ears...... The things he had lost for so long, he had even begun to forget what it felt like he had them.

What a body that does not belong to him can feel is not satisfactory after all, but it is what he needs, and if he loses it, his soul will be lost in nothingness, and he will never return.

Now this body has gradually lost its usefulness, but he is still a little reluctant to leave it. After all, this is the one that has most closely resembled him for countless years.

But last night he noticed that even his fingers had begun to disobey...... He had to find another body.

It had been years since he had met Lydia to do it himself, and the clever mage knew his preferences well. But now, even as a noble king, he knew that it would be rude to instruct a wounded woman to do something for him, and he didn't believe that the cautious-looking, twinkling-eyed human boy could bring back what he wanted.

He had to do it himself.

First of all...... He had to know where to find his prey.

He stood at the exit of the secret passageway, looking up at the sky through the thick stone bricks and countless collapsed buildings. Found the ghost that hovers over the city, the spirit that belongs to the city.

He was aware of it when he stepped into the city hundreds of years ago, but didn't take it seriously. The ghost was extremely weak...... But it has a certain ability that he needs right now.

He grabbed it. I was amazed at its calmness and composure - it didn't resist, it seemed to know exactly what he wanted.

In his soul, the blurred vision gradually became clear. He could see the whole city, every brick and stone, every grass and tree, and now it was all his eyes and ears.

The strange feeling made him feel a moment of excitement.

Then he found his prey.

Ed stood on tiptoe, staring at the blurred shadow outside the dusty window. Try to see something.

Oylan wouldn't let him leave the basement - several attempts to escape proved to be foolish, and he had to accept reality with his fate.

He had never been so completely free as he was. It almost drove him crazy. If it weren't for the fact that there was a glass window in the basement that was slightly higher than the ground, and the snow melted to let out the sky outside, allowing him to vaguely see something "free", he would have gone crazy.

Even Bazel looked at him with sympathy—the savage must have been well aware of the pain and despair of losing his freedom.

So now. He didn't care what the hell Oylan was looking for. I don't care if Hoan is really here, or even if there are any hell-notch secrets in the city...... All he cared about was how to get Sergio out.

The poor kid doesn't know how long he's been locked up here. He had heard of his disappearance months earlier, and at first it was rumored that his uncle had "rescued" him from the Grey Keep, but it soon became clear that the blonde prince next to him was a fake.

In the months that followed, several warring sides accused each other of taking Sergio as a bargaining chip, and Selene Grean did not join either side, but it was clear to everyone who had taken it once it was discovered...... Or hurt Behring. Her youngest son, who was always by the prince's side, would probably be over the war - the Iron Riders of House Greon would put an end to any family that dared to lay hands on their future lord.

It's just that. No one would have imagined that Sergio would be imprisoned in this remote ruined city, which seemed to have nothing to do with Anktan's power struggle, under the watchful eye of the followers of the traditionally low-key, peaceful, and indisputable Nethers......

Ed didn't dare to think deeply about what kind of interests were entangled, he just made up his mind to save Sergio no matter what.

Heavy footsteps were heard behind him. Ed quickly jumped off the foot-mounted box.

He didn't want Bazel to see him in such a pitiful stare at the little dirty window again...... The last time he went out, the half-breed brought him a bright red briar rosehip, presumably as a sign of sympathy or comfort, which moved Ed to death with embarrassment - he didn't know what the customs of the barbarians or Anktann were, but in Visa, the red fruit represented love...... It's fucking weird, too!

Bazel's steps were a little hurried, and he made a few quick gestures at the sight of him.

- Found them.

He said.

"They?" Ed asked, "Hoan?"

Bazel nodded, but there was something strange in his eyes.

Ed wasn't so surprised by this. Oylan is extremely obsessed with finding Joan, and he doesn't know if it's to punish him for his betrayal or something else...... But now, for him, any progress that would get him out of this damn place is welcome.

"Shall we go to him?" he asked, a little excitedly, and very consciously put himself in the line of "going in search of a rebellious boy who had run away from home".

"Let's get out of here. Oylan's voice came.

The old man went into the small basement, grabbed the backpack on the ground, and threw one to Ed.

"Let's go now. He said.

"Where?" said Ed, flicking the heavy package over his shoulders, almost cheering.

"'Leave. Oylan looked at him, obviously in a bad mood, "Is there anything you don't understand about this word?"

“...... Aren't you going to find Hawn?" Ed confirmed in surprise.

Oylan didn't come back, just quickly packed up his things, turned and walked out of the basement.

Ed could only trot to keep up, his mind full of questions.

He couldn't just leave...... He hasn't rescued Sercio yet!

His footsteps slowed involuntarily, and as he walked out of the door, Ed looked around, and the joy of seeing the sun again was diluted by doubt and unease.

It's not dark yet...... Of course, Oylan never cared about that, and Bazel wasn't like the average undead who couldn't walk in the sun.

But this hurried "departure" is almost like a flight......

"Have we been discovered?" Ed asked involuntarily, his mind racing. If he had been discovered by the followers of Netherth, he might have found a chance to escape, provided that the believers had not indiscriminately hacked him to death as a necromancer...... And, can the believers who kept Sergio in the dungeon really be trusted? How many people know about it?......

“...... If you don't get me in any trouble, I don't mind giving you a chance that you can notify the right people to free that little prisoner you've been obsessed with. But if you try to escape...... I must warn you that I'm quite impatient right now. ”

Oylan's calm and cold voice made Ed shudder, pull his backpack, and obediently followed.

They walked fast, leaving clear footprints on the ground of the melting snow, but Oylan didn't seem to care, just hurried forward. That's almost not like him anymore...... In Ed's impression, the old man was always too calm, and even if he fled, he would not leave such a conspicuous trace to the enemy.

But he wisely did not speak again, and followed Oylan silently, while carefully looking around, not giving up on escaping completely.

Oylan stopped suddenly, and the absent-minded Ed slammed his head on the old man's back, surprised at the solid muscles he felt.

The old man is taller than him. His eyes could barely look over the shoulders of O'Ichikan to see the man standing quietly in the middle of the road, blocking their way.

The sunlight before the wind and snow was faint, but it was still enough for Ed to see the tall and thin ...... Genie?

He saw his dull blonde hair tucked neatly behind his pale pointed ears, and he saw the eyes that seemed to be covered with a gray membrane, and he could not distinguish the color...... and a face that is upright and delicate, but seems to have begun to rot.

But he wasn't sure if it was an undead or a sick elf...... Even Bazel didn't have such a vivid and natural expression—a vivid and natural expression, like looking down at an ant in the dust, high above him, with no one in his eyes.

Bazel roared low behind him, his hoarse voice filled with deep hatred and fear.

It dawned on Ed that this was what Bazel had mentioned to him, the guy with a different face, but always with the same cold and haughty expression, slicing his body again and again...... So, is Lydia also nearby?

His heart pounded. The only memory of the mysterious female mage was that beautiful and charming woman in a long green dress in Tess in Stamp Butch City many years ago, poked the silver coin hanging on his chest with her white fingers, and teased in a laughing voice, "Your friends must like you......

"That's really...... Unexpected gains. ”

The Elf's voice was dry and unpleasant, but the tone was very elegant, and the ancient elven language had a mysterious power like a spell, making Ed stare at his terrifying face in a daze, unable to take his eyes off it.

The moment their eyes met, he took a step back suddenly, and his scalp was numb.

It was an indescribable fear...... Like a prey targeted by a beast, desperate to know that there is no way to escape.

(To be continued......)