It was fear from the depths of the soul, and anger that was equally intense. When they collided together, the light that burst from the elves' eyes was like a sharp blade piercing the ice, and the face that was not very similar to Payne's had the same determination in a trance.

He didn't move, as if he was waiting for something, but Ed couldn't just watch.

A sudden wind swept towards the light mist, whirling with a strange green color. The smell of acid was too strong, but it made Fei Rui frown, and he involuntarily stepped back.

The light mist disappeared into the whirlwind, and for a moment Ed could even hear a soft sizzling sound, as if to prove his suspicion that it wasn't fog at all, but some tiny creature.

However, in the next moment, the dimmed light exploded brightly in the darkness, spreading an even greater net, breaking out of the weakened whirlwind, and rushing towards Ed with great momentum.

Instinctively, Ed protected his face with one hand and opened his defense with the other, feeling like a fool who had stabbed a hornet's nest and was triumphant.

“...... Stupid!"

Ferry's voice drifted into his ears, "Magic is their food!"

- Can't you say it sooner?!

Ed complained silently, the hair all over his body had exploded, staring straight at the mist of light that had rushed to his eyes in the blink of an eye, drenched in cold sweat, and there was nothing he could do.

It's too late to cast spells...... And you can't use magic...... Do you want to clap with your hands?!

He didn't know that he had unconsciously made a movement to drive away, until a sharp pain came from his fingertips.

The fingers that swung out seemed to have been cut by countless tiny sharp blades, and the dripping blood exuded a fishy sweet breath in the night wind, and the light mist that was about to hit his face suddenly froze and suddenly dispersed in his frightened and dazed gaze.

When they condensed again, they were no longer beasts with teeth and claws, indestructible weapons...... It was more like a supple and loyal pet, floating around him with joy, fluttering, humming almost like a song, as beautiful and harmless as a summer firefly.

Ed lifted his bloody right hand and looked at it, grinning and laughing - did he want to heal himself?

Xiaobai slowly leaned over, lowered his head and sniffed the blood dripping on the blades of grass, let out a low grunt in his throat, and rubbed his leg affectionately with his tail...... He was a little flattered.

“...... I've heard that you have the blood of a god. Fei Rui spoke softly, his expression complicated.

"So?" said Ed, angrily retorting, "what the hell is this thing?"

Fei Rui was silent for a few moments.

His gaze shifted from Ed to Xiaobai and then back to Ed, his delicate face turning back into a frozen mask, hiding all his emotions.

"The original song," he replied to Ed's first question as he spoke again, "has two meanings, the original creation of the gods...... Or the oldest hymn of the elves. ”

Ed was stunned, though he knew it was impossible, but what sounded in his head was the hymn to the dragon—in the old Elven language, praising its glorious flames.

“...... To whom is the hymn?" he had to ask, "Omer, all the gods, or ......?"

The answer was somewhat unexpected.

"To the world. "Give it to the starry sky and the earth, the forest and the sea that we see when we open our eyes." Because we didn't even know who we were, and the names of the gods were not yet engraved in our souls. ”

Ed frowned. He felt that Fei Rui had no reason to lie to him, but it sounded reasonable, but it was a little weird......

“...... My lord. ”

Murray's low voice interrupted his thoughts: "Your Majesty is trapped in the Tower of Silence, please ......"

Ed swallowed his question—at this moment, Payne's safety was of course paramount.

However, the Elven King's only uncle doesn't seem to think so. He glanced at Murray with an indifferent expression: "You want me to open the passage?"

"Yes. ”

"But you should have been commanded by him. ”

Murray's lips were tightly closed, and his face was pale.

“...... What order?" Ed couldn't help but ask.

This time, Fairy didn't sneer anymore, but answered his question frankly - though Ed felt a little unpleasantly, maybe it was for the sake of the light mist that was drifting around him...... For the sake of that trace of blood that he had to accept:

"Once he and the 'leader' of the Antlers Forest enter the Silent Tower at the same time, no matter what news comes out of it, ignore it...... Until one of them reappeared. ”

A chill rose from the bottom of my heart like a snake. Ed turned his head to look at Murray, his lips opening and closing, and his head was full of the raucous voices of the Llewellyn Colosseum, the ground-slumped Boreina and the dazed Behring...... It was the blackened blood on the altar beneath Fort Lock, and Murray's clear and desperate whisper:

"I killed him. ”

He didn't ask anything...... He didn't have to ask anything more.

"But he doesn't know ......"

He heard Murray's voice go down feebly.

"If he doesn't even know what he's going to face, if he puts himself in danger unprepared, then he's not worthy of being king. Every word that Fei Rui spat out was cold and calm, but it suppressed the anger that was about to roar in Ed's heart: "If you can't even obey his orders...... If you have so little faith in him, you think you have the power to change something...... It's no wonder he'll keep you in Ston Butch all the time. ”

Ed understood—at least half of it was said to him, but he didn't fully agree with it.

"What if there was a better option?" he cheekily shook his still bleeding hand, intentionally or unconsciously, "if there is...... What about unexpected changes?"

“...... And why do you think you're an 'unexpected change'?" the elf asked rhetorically, the subtle curvature of the corners of his lips in a mockery that Ed was impressed by and disgusted by.

"You answered my question. He looked up at Philee, "I've surprised you—yes, maybe my presence wasn't a surprise, but you don't really believe that I have any divine blood...... Even Payne probably wouldn't believe it. ”

After all, he's just a human being.

The elf lowered his head slightly, avoiding his gaze.

"I wasn't the one who made the decision. He said, "Maybe you should believe your ...... Friend. ”

"Of course I do. Ed replied without hesitation, "I believe he knows what he wants, I believe he understands the price that could be paid, and I believe he is prepared enough to face any adversity." But isn't the more chips for victory, the better? and, lo and behold, since I'm already here, ......."

- his "nothing to do with you"!

"Whatever you do or don't do at all...... I'll go into that tower. ”

.