For a moment Tess just stood still, but Lance's hand was on the hilt of his sword again—he clearly sensed the danger.

"I don't believe it. The red-haired girl lowered her head and murmured, her trembling voice gradually becoming incoherent, "I...... Don't believe ......"

The voice, torn by grief and despair, like a wail, broke Lance's heart. He couldn't bear to take a step forward, trying to speak comfortingly, but a red shadow flashed in front of him, and Tess was already rushing towards him.

"I don't believe it!!" she roared, her eyes burning with a fury that was more terrible than all the fires in the world.

Lance had to draw his sword between her and Payne. He wasn't a sword dancer trained since childhood, but he was able to become the Silver Leaf King's bodyguard because of more than just their youthful friendship.

He didn't let Tess get any closer to the Silver Leaf King, but he couldn't bear to hurt her. Tess unafraid to use all her means, daggers, daggers, unknown mechanisms, Mochi's fangs......

The last living weapon made the elves still embarrassed. He couldn't hurt it, but he couldn't let it out and bite Payne...... It's just as tough as its owner!

When he hesitated to let Tess's dagger graze his arm, there was finally a faint anger in Payne's voice: "So how do you believe it?"

Tess stopped in an almost frantic attack.

“...... I want to see him. She replied in a low voice, "I want to see him!" whether ...... him live or dead."

"That can't be. Payne flatly refused, "I said he doesn't exist anymore...... He turned his back on his race and gods. I don't know if his soul will be forgiven, but his body can only be hidden in darkness forever. ”

After a moment of dead silence, Tess let out a terrible scream - Lance didn't know how her tiny body could make such a terrible sound. But he seized the opportunity to unload Tess and picked her up whole, bound her between his arms, and let her scream and kick and kick ...... and a mongoose firmly biting him on the shoulder.

He looked helplessly at Payne, wondering what the increasingly unpredictable king wanted.

"Let her go!" shouted someone in the darkness.

Lance, of course, couldn't let go, but the little thing that had been biting him on the shoulder relented and jumped to the ground with a clatter. Quickly rushed into the arms of another person.

Naria appeared in front of Lance and glared at him, "Let go of Tess!"

Lance was speechless - despite the presence of two guards, the imposing Naria didn't look like a prisoner being escorted. Like an escorted guest.

"Let her go, I don't think she will attack you again. Rosa's tone was calm and sad.

Tess had given up the struggle and had begun to cry loudly in Lance's arms, soaked in her tears. It was even hotter and more painful than where she had scratched with her dagger.

A girl crying like this shouldn't be a threat anymore - Lance let go in embarrassment. Hand Tess back to Rosa.

Not far behind them, Viorita Sunstrider glanced at him, and fell to her knees in silence, her long blonde hair hanging down to the grass.

Her gaze was cold over the blade, and Lance could only smile bitterly.

"Let's go home......"

Amid the crying that Tess never seemed to stop again, Payne sighed, "Go home with your friends and forget about Norvi...... You are still young, and you will find people who are more worthy of your cherishing and love. As long as you live, no matter how painful the wound is, it will heal...... That would also be what Novi wanted. ”

Tess probably didn't hear it at all. She curled up in Rosa's arms, crying as if the whole world had collapsed.

"Don't talk about him like you really care!" said Naria, indignantly, "I thought the elves were such a noble and wise race...... You have slain one of the most upright and loyal elves I have ever seen without trial, and you have not even been charged with a crime!"

“...... I don't need to explain anything to you. Payne's voice was calm as usual.

"Do you need an explanation, or do you disdain to explain?" Naria asked unceremoniously, "I know that in your eyes we are nothing more than short-lived and stupid human beings, but we can at least tell right from wrong, know whether a person is good or bad, and know what is right and wrong...... And you have done this, Your Majesty...... Wrong, without a doubt!"

Angered by this, Lance stood in front of Payne and blurted out to Naria, "You don't know anything at all!"

"Then let me know!" Naria still stared directly at Payne, and roared back without flinching.

Payne shook his head and didn't answer.

When a cold light flashed out of the corner of his eye, Lance's heart sank sharply.

He spun around and pounced on Payne, but it was too late to stop Tess from rushing out as fast as lightning when everyone didn't expect it.

Out of nowhere, she pulled out another strangely shaped knife, which looked almost like a broken blade, and when it cut through the air, it brought a dull and strange sound of wind.

Payne nimbly dodged the blow, the knife tearing through his robes. That certainly won't be fatal...... But it was enough to kill Tess herself.

The guards hiding in the shadows attacked. When the king is attacked, even if he does not give any orders, as a guard, he can kill the enemy without hesitation.

The long arrow that shot first was knocked away by Lance with his sword without thinking, and it was only after the shot that he realized what it meant, and he couldn't help but feel a chill on his back.

"Stop!" Payne shouted, a hint of annoyance in his voice. He drew his sword and swung away another arrow aimed at Tess, neatly retracting the weapon from her hand, and Rosa quickly pounced on her and held her firmly.

But the Elven King's command vanished into another, even louder roar.

All of them, human and elf, flinched at that roar that fell from the sky, and great fear fell on every beating heart...... It is not a force that courage or talent alone can fight against.

The more resistant elves were the first to recover, but the attack that was organized again had already diverted direction.

"Dragon!" someone involuntarily shouted in Elven language.

The white dragon swept through the forest, the lilac jacarandas fell, and under the starlight, the dragon's silver-white scales flowed brightly. It was something the elves of the South had never seen before - a dragon hadn't been seen in Grivar for hundreds of years, let alone an ice dragon that loved to live in snow and ice.

"Stop, don't attack it!" Payne shouted again as he saw the enchanted arrow shoot at the dragon.

The sound of incantations fell from the dragon's back, and an invisible wall of wind caused all the arrows to change direction. The sword dancers who leapt out of the shadows stopped their attacks at Payne's orders, but still protected their kings behind them, silently holding their swords against them.

"Is...... Ed!" Nalya patted her chest and looked up and shouted, unable to tell if she was surprised or delighted.

The ice dragon landed on the meadow in the woods, and in the midst of all the astonishment, a white-robed figure jumped from its neck.

The young man with black hair is not too tall and not aggressive, but it is also difficult to ignore. He held a slender cane, had a flattering face, a high forehead, and deep, large eyes, which were now sunken in their sockets and looked haggard.

“...... Sage. Payne waved the guard in front of him back away and walked slowly in front of Ed.

"I do remember that I had an appointment with you," his voice was still gentle and polite, "but I didn't expect such a sudden visit...... You should tell me first, Sage. No offense, but your ice dragon ......," he looked up at the white dragon, "here, I'm afraid it's not as famous as it is in the north." If the elves see it as some kind of attack, I hope you will forgive me. ”

Ed stared at him silently, not responding for a long time. His face was extremely pale, no different from the scale armor of the ice dragon behind him, only more lifeless.

“...... Kill him, Ed!" Tess's hate-soaked voice rang out suddenly, "Kill him! He killed Norwe!"

Once again, she struggled under Rosa's bondage, tears seemed to have dried up, but hatred did not.

Ed looked at her in a daze, his eyes full of pain and apology.

Then he looked at Payne, but he didn't say a word.

“...... Or, are you really going to turn this into an attack, Sage?" asked Payne in a low voice.

The ice dragon raised its huge wings silently as if in menace, and the Elven King looked at it without fear, with only a hint of admiration in his eyes, and did not take a step back.

“...... No. After a long moment, Ed finally spoke, his voice hoarse and tired, "I apologize to you, Silver Leaf King...... Please forgive my presumptuousness. I'm not here for any purpose, I just want to know ......"

The last sentence inevitably shuddered: "I just want to know, why did the Norvi Sunstrider die...... I think your guards have told you on my behalf that everything Novi has done has come at my request......"

"I do know that. Payne replied calmly, "So you came as a Sage and asked me for an explanation?"

Ed raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at him suspiciously.

"Then I can tell you what Novi's death did with you and what you made him do...... It has nothing to do with what he knows. He died because he did something that an elf shouldn't do, and I don't need to explain that to you. Payne lowered his eyes, his voice unusually cold in the night wind.

After a long silence, Ed's voice rang out again: "So...... If I had come only as a friend, I beg you to tell me why my best friend, everyone who knows him, would be amazed by his courage, magnanimity, consultation and ...... Why did the elf who was impressed by the smile have to die at the hands of his beloved people...... Can you give me an answer?".

(To be continued......)