Ed pricked up his ears to eavesdrop as he packed his bags.

That's not eavesdropping, either. The speaker did not deliberately lower his voice, and there was no barrier here, and the words themselves got into his ears.

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" asked Vince, "of course, Nethers is with you. But those barbarians don't believe in God at all...... They won't listen to what you say. ”

"But they can't hurt me, so don't worry and take care of the people here. Regardless of the outcome, I will be back as soon as possible. "Also, can you find someone to take my friend to the edge of the forest?"

"Kuz estuary?"

"No, to the north, they're going to the Giant's Axe. ”

"They...... Do you want to enter the ice field?" asked Vince in surprise.

"Yes. Scott replied simply.

Vince nodded, not saying anything more.

Scott walked over to them.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Ed nodded nonchalded.

Scott sent them to the entrance of the cave, and while waiting for the men arranged by Vince to catch up, he kept telling Ed with little reassurance.

"I was going to at least go with you to the Giant's Axe...... While it's not the most suitable season, I guess you should have enough money to find a good guide. Scott smiled at him, "You can buy horses there, too, but it's best not to let people see the dwarves' jewelry." I haven't been there, but I've heard that it's not a safe place. Don't trust those humans, find a savage, or a half-breed, who may be brutal and angry, but still have their own pride and faith - you have to make him swear in the name of his ancestors, so that he will not dare to break his oath, at least on the ice field. ”

Ed nodded.

"Spring is coming. Whether you find him or not, leave the icefield before the end of the summer, and I'll be back at Cantril. Didn't you promise Vala and Alan that they would go back in the fall? Don't keep them waiting, or ...... No one knows what Alan will do, he is more crazy than anyone else, and even Ragan will not dare to stop him. ”

Ed continued to nod. He could sense Scott's concern, even if he wouldn't call him uncle...... He's still his uncle. Iss is not actually related to Scott, but he does...... This feeling made him a little awkward and indescribable.

"If Alan asks Celebrion to follow you, he'll follow, but I'm afraid he's in trouble of his own. Scott couldn't explain what Ed said about the half-elf priest's sudden disappearance in the moonlight, and worry was written in his eyes, "You have to be careful. Your guide will try to avoid barbarian settlements, but necromancers are said to have been operating on the ice. If their power becomes stronger...... It will be more dangerous there than before. ”

"Wouldn't it be less dangerous if you went with us?" said Naria, suddenly, "We can wait for you." ”

"I think we had a game?" Scott said with a laugh, clearly trying to get around the topic.

"I've said it all, forget that stupid thing!" Narya suddenly got angry, "You know, now it looks like you're trying to drive us away!"

"Oh, maybe he knows where Is's is, and when we're gone, he'll be able to sneak up on his own and ...... Click, he'll win!" Tess began to use her imagination.

“...... I swear I really don't know. Scott smiled wryly at Naria's suspicious gaze, he really didn't want to set off with Ed and them, but definitely not for that reason.

"Or you know that as long as you stand there and shout Is's name, he'll fly over on his own - trust me, if he can hear it, he will. And then, da-da, you've won again...... Speaking of which, what are your bets? Can I place a bet?" said Tess crackling, and although the ice dragon saved them, he threw them halfway up the mountainside and blew the cold wind in his heart for a long time, and the first thing he said was "Where is Scott Christus", as if they didn't exist at all...... She also remembered this hatred firmly.

This time Scott couldn't laugh anymore.

He stood there, his face pale and unable to say a word. The indescribable sadness and guilt seemed to crush him in an instant, and his bright light blue eyes darkened, so fragile that they seemed to be shattered by a blow.

Tess closed her mouth and moved to Norvi's side, a little uneasily.

"I'm sorry......" said Norwe, "Tess didn't mean to accuse you, she just ......"

"She just wants you to know that you're important to Is...... If you want to go to him alone, then so be it. But...... Don't believe the rumors, don't give up on him easily," Naria looked Scott in the eye, "like he never gave up on finding you." ”.

A long arrow burst through the air and plunged into the snow beneath Scott's feet, most of the body of the arrow was submerged in the snow, leaving only the black tail feathers trembling slightly.

"Stop, human. A voice warned him, the not-so-fluent lingua franca sounding a little struggling, "One step further and you'll die there." ”

Scott looked down at the arrow, a little surprised at how far the barbarian's longbow could shoot.

"I'm ...... A priest. He raised his voice, "I want to speak with your chief." ”

"Barbarians do not believe in your gods, humans, and your identity is meaningless. The voice told him, "You are not qualified to speak to our leader. ”

"If you don't believe in God, why should you fear an unarmed human being?"

“...... I've warned you!" Another arrow shot into Scott's chest with an angry roar.

But the arrow failed to penetrate the fragile human body, and it lost its power the moment it touched Scott, like a bird with broken wings, falling feebly at Scott's feet.

“...... Who are you? What kind of witchcraft is that?" there was a hint of panic in his still loud voice.

"I've already said that I'm a priest and I just want to talk to your chief. Scott said calmly.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Let him in!" someone shouted.

The wooden fence at the entrance of the village was removed, and Scott walked slowly, not to be afraid of the arrows still aimed at him, but to calm himself down—which was getting harder and harder each time.

The leader of the barbarians sat by the campfire, which was still burning during the day, and when he stood up, Scott, who was not too short, was only up to his chest. He had the barbarian's signature high arch of eyebrows, which made his eyes appear deeper. The long black hair and beard were braided into many small braids, which were decorated with animal bones. The rough skin looked like a rock, and the blue-gray tattoos protruded from his forehead and bare arms, from which Scott recognized the image of a winter wolf.

It was the emblem of the nearest barbarian tribe, but the banner painted with the Winter Wolf didn't fly around the campfire.

"I'm Tulum. The young leader looked at Scott as well, with more curiosity in his eyes. He had heard of the spokesmen of these gods among men, who were like shamans in their tribes, able to communicate with the gods they worshipped.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked bluntly.

"You have robbed this village of humanity. Scott looked around, "...... But you didn't burn it, you didn't kill anyone. ”

"It now belongs to the barbarians. Tulum said calmly, as if it were a matter of course.

"You snatched it," Scott stressed, "just because you have the right to possess it." I have never heard of a group of barbarians abandoning the land guarded by the spirits of their ancestors and making the forest of the gods their home. ”

“...... That's none of your business. Tulum said angrily.

"Are you exiles?" Scott boldly guessed, "have you been banished by the tribe and have nowhere to go......?"

"We're not exiles!" Tulum roared as he approached Scott, the shadow of his body enveloping the human priest, but the other man just looked up at him fearlessly with light blue eyes.

"We are survivors. The barbarian's voice lowered, but his anger grew fiercer, "You ask why we're here? I have seen them, the wizards of the humans. They have polluted our land, the spirits of our ancestors will never answer the call of the shaman again, and the dead have become monsters and come back to kill their own loved ones......! I don't know if more people have fled to other tribes, but here—" Tulum looked around the small, pathetic human village, surrounded by so many trees that he could barely breathe, and filled with grief, "what is left here is already all our people I can find!"

The blood disappeared from the human priest's face, and Tulum at first thought it was out of fear or shame, but the priest never took a step back, he was silent for a moment, and then spoke again: "You can't stay here. ”

He looked directly into Tulum's black eyes amid the barbarian's roar, and said calmly, "But those mages are also our enemies. We can help you settle in this forest, I ...... We can keep darkness and evil away from your children, and we don't need you to believe in any god. But before that, you have to tell me everything you know - about the mages, about the ...... The dragon. ”

Whistling in his eyes was anger, worry, and even sadness, which bewildered the savage.

“...... I don't believe you, human. Tulum contemptuously said, "Your god can't even protect his believers' homeland, so why should he protect us?"

The priest stared at him—he had told himself to be more patient, but at this moment, his patience was easily exhausted.

He turned his gaze to the campfire.

The flames made a soft roar, and suddenly burst into flames, and the tongues of fire hugged each other as if they had life, entangled, and danced, and gradually turned into a huge fire dragon, which spread its wings and seemed to engulf the whole village with flames, and seemed to rush into the sky.

Tulum roared and stepped back, drawing his weapon, a huge two-handed sword, but he had no idea how to fight such an enemy - but in the blink of an eye, the dragon was gone.

The bonfire burned calmly, and the lazy flames showed a little weakness. Tulum looked around suspiciously, and the faces of his alike, surprised and frightened, told him that the dragon was not his hallucination.

"Now," the priest turned to him calmly, his blue eyes glowing with a golden red fire, "make your choice, Tulum—accept my advice, and you will get my promise." Or insist that you are stupid and stubborn, and take the last of your people with them to ashes. ”

He looked so powerful, yet so cold. There was no expression in his eyes that were once vivid and vibrant, as if he was no longer a flesh-and-blood human, but a phantom of a god in this world.

Tulun looked at him in disbelief, he even preferred to trust the determined and fearless young man from before, rather than some powerful force that he could not understand. The desire to fight roared in his proud soul - but that was not what they had abandoned their homeland for.

The young leader slowly lowered his weapon.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, in a stiff tone, humiliated and exhausted.