The Vinez River flows southward, reflecting a different landscape along the way. The mountains may still be standing as they were thousands of years ago, but human cities and villages are constantly appearing and disappearing. After the reincarnation of the four seasons, the wild grass flooded the cornerstone of the ancient temple, and the wild vine pulled the decaying beams back to the embrace of the earth, and when all the relics of civilization ceased to exist, only the rocks would remember the glory that had passed.

So the creators of Stonebuch, the city of Ten Thousand Springs, decided from the beginning to build a city that would not be forgotten - a stone city surrounded by flowing water and mountains. The king who forced all the commoners, even the peasants outside the city, to build their houses out of expensive stones, Casagrande I, eventually died at the hands of his most loyal friend in his youth because of his increasingly unreasonable stubbornness and tyranny, but many of the stone buildings he ordered were successfully resisted by time and war. The most famous of these is the three-storied tower in Lockburg.

Lockcastle, the royal palace, was surrounded by a triple stone wall, and the towers were built into a more solid circle than the square in the north, but the three-storied tower on the west side of the main fort was barely square - it looked like the three square towers had been abruptly elongated by a giant hand falling from the sky to the point of beginning to twist, and the height was staggered and clinging to each other. Legend has it that Casagrande I originally wanted to build a tower that reached to heaven, but when the architects could no longer make it taller, the king resorted to the power of an unknown mage, who mockingly caused the original three square towers to stretch upwards crookedly, laughing and disappearing as the king angrily slashed at him with a sword. Never again.

Since then, no one has been able to restore the tower to its original state, but no one has been able to destroy it. It towers high and uselessly there. Like a sign of shame, or some kind of curse, it wasn't until nearly a hundred years later, when Doren Boford, a mage himself, inherited the throne and transformed it into a ...... Three academic towers filled with books of all kinds. Countless mages, priests, and scholars came to the tower in every possible way. There are very few who succeed.

- What a waste.

Ante Bofford withdrew his gaze, thinking a little nonchalantly. He is not a lover of books, and has only entered the three-storied pagoda once so far. I still accompanied Moira, and even so, the rich collection of books in the tower was indeed amazing. But a book that no one reads is like a weapon that no one uses, and it just cheapens silverfish in there...... He should build a library in the city. Like the one in the city of Balach in Anktan. Move all the books—all the books that are not dangerous—and save the boldness of the mages who always have to sneak into Lockburg......

“...... Your Majesty. Tabor Wendell's disgruntled tone indicated that he sensed that he was wandering. The Home Secretary, who was in his early forties, had straight gray hair neatly combed back and looked a few years older than his actual age.

"I think we should repair the library. Ante said simply, "Stonebuch should have a decent library." And the three-storied pagoda can be vacated for other purposes – more suitable for its use. ”

"It's a good idea. Tabor said dryly.

But—

Ante secretly continued in his heart.

"However, there are many more important things than that, and I believe that the books in the three-storied pagoda can wait, they have been waiting for more than a hundred years anyway...... The people who love to read in Stonebugch City - I doubt there will be many - can also wait, they don't know there will be a library anyway......"

Ante smiled. It was decided that tomorrow someone would be sent to choose a place where the library could be built.

“...... But you won't listen to me anyway. Tarber ended his nagging dryly, with a look of displeasure.

"I'm listening. Ante laughed and tugged at his earlobe. Whether it's true or not. He liked it when Tabor was so forthright about his displeasure, and now that fewer and fewer people could do that in front of him, and those uniformly cautious faces were disgusting......

So even if Tabor is long-winded and old-fashioned, he is willing to put up with it.

Tabor opened his scroll again with a grimace.

"Following that 'Silent Voice', yesterday the Silver Leaf King sent another boat, sailing north along the Vinez River from White Harbor, and it is said that there was almost an entire army on board......

“...... A whole army?" Ante tapped his fingertips on the table disappreciatively, "So, how many elves are there?"

“...... About twenty or so. Tabor replied solemnly.

Ante almost burst out laughing.

"Don't you think the Silver Leaf King wants to use those twenty elven warriors to conquer all of Lutgar?" he couldn't help but joke.

"I don't know what the Silver Leaf King wants to do, I only know that since the founding of the Rutgar state, the elves have never sent so many warriors to the north, and it will definitely not be just for an insignificant adventurer. "Tarber doesn't seem to find this funny at all," they said, because the Silent Sound had disappeared when it returned to Grivar with the elf they had recovered...... But I think that's more of an excuse. ”

And his solemn look made Ante's face lose a smile.

"I guess you sent someone to follow them?" he asked.

"That's unwise. Tabor replied, "No one can track the elves without them detecting them...... Not even our best scouts can do it, but I've sent for all the towns along the way to have countless pairs of eyes on them. ”

Ante nodded in satisfaction. Tarber is indeed verbose and old-fashioned, but he is also quite cautious.

"Is that boat really missing?" he asked.

Tabor nodded: "With the elf named Norvi they found, and a red-haired human girl, they set out from Visa City about ten days ago, and there was no news again. ”

No news...... Ante groaned. There are so many possibilities.

When the Silent Sound set sail, the Silver Leaf King politely sent someone to inform him—but only that, even if the ship would go deep into the territory of the human kingdom of Rutgar. The Elven King didn't seem to feel that it needed the permission of the Human King. But Ante had long been accustomed to the arrogance of the elves, a small ship carrying only a few elves in search of their own kindred. There's really no need to be nervous.

Maybe he's being too careless...... Peace between humans and elves lasted for nearly a millennium, but that didn't mean there would be no more strife. Should the elves really intend to reclaim the land that once belonged to them again, the city of Stonebutch across the river from Grivar will bear the brunt.

"And......" Tabor put away the scroll, which meant that there would be no record of what he said next: "It is said that before the elves left Visa, they received a letter from the Temple of Collins and made a special trip to the temple. ”

“...... I have heard that the elves are devout in all the gods. ”

"And Sanks Browder, the deputy head of the Holy Order of Water. Shortly thereafter, he visited the Silver Leaf King. Tabor shook his hands, "Just yesterday, I heard that the Elven King was invited to the May Festival in Collins. A festival that belongs to humanity...... And that's Ruttgar's territory. ”

"It is a holy place, it does not belong to any kingdom. Ante replied casually, but he understood what Tabor was trying to say—even then, the Water God Temple had invited the Silver Leaf King without even telling him. The Sage is also good. Sean, too, apparently didn't take him seriously.

It was the result of his own sowing - every time he thought about it, it upset him.

"And I have just received a letter to you...... "Tabor placed the white letterhead in front of him, the unopened blue lacquer with the mark of the god of water, Nyo," I guess it was the same invitation. ”

Ante's face finally sank.

An invitation in God's name...... As the "most devout believer" of the god of water, it is impossible for him not to accept it. And the May Festival was just two days away, which meant that he could only take a minimum of attendants to the temple of the god of water in Stunbuch, where he was transported by the priests to Collins...... "the most honorable king is but the humblest servant before the goddess." He did say that, but he hated Sean for acting as he should. Take this statement so seriously.

"Still no one has seen Felicity...... Have you seen the Sage?" he asked.

"No, but rumor has it......" Tarber hesitated to pause.

“...... Say what?" asked Ante impatiently.

Tabor shook his head: "That's blasphemy. ”

Ante looked at him suspiciously for a moment, then suddenly reacted.

He wordlessly looked down at the unopened letter in his hand, and his heart was in a mess. There had always been a delicate balance between him and the Temple of Water, but if that center of balance no longer existed......

"What the hell is Sean Fletcher trying to do?" he blurted out.

"I've never guessed what the Lord was thinking. "Did you know that he even allowed the ice dragon that had destroyed the temple to stay within the temple's protection, and forbade anyone to harm it?" ”

- Well, now, on top of all the troubles, add one more dragon.

Ante pressed his hand to his forehead. He'd heard of the dragon—of course he had heard, and it was on that that the Sage and Shaun had left Ston Butch and returned to the Temple of Collins, where he had never returned...... And that dragon, when he knew that it did exist, even he couldn't help but want to run to the north to have a look...... After all, it's a dragon! The title of "Dragon Slayer" is a great attraction even for a king......

He wandered again, and in a trance, a familiar name stabbed into his mind like lightning.

He jerked his head up, and his voice was unusually sharp: "What did you say?"

Tabor was stunned for a moment: "...... What do you say?"

"That dragon!" Ante growled impatiently, "what do you say is that dragon?"

"'The Ice Dragon of Christus'. Tabor was a little confused as to which passage to repeat," is what the people called...... They say that it has surrendered to the power of the god of water, after all, it was raised by a paladin of the god of water, Iscontia Christus, which is its true name......"

"...... 'raised by a paladin of the god of water?'" Ante repeated in a low voice, his face pale, "Christus...... Scott...... Chrissus?"

The nightmare he thought had been forgotten came back in an instant.

(To be continued......)