The news reached Stonebutch thousands of miles away, and from Stonebutch back to the Northland—it was Naria that Rosa could reach, while Ed was standing on the charred grass of the Enshi Valley.

This small valley, once peaceful and beautiful, now looks even more miserable than when Isis left. The ground was burned to the left and the right, the ice melted into water, and the pit was soaked in mud, and the black smoke and pungent smell made people cry, and even the only unscathed wooden house, still hidden behind the blooming flowers, showed a bit of decay and gloom.

He also kept the tomb of Inglis...... Hopefully, the old mage's soul will forgive him for being out of his power.

At the very least, the enemy has been driven away, or remained here forever, melted into the dirt with the ashes of the grass and trees. Ed knew he should clean up the mess as soon as possible - Iss would probably be mad when he came back and saw the mess. But his heart hung in the air, and he couldn't fall, as if he had forgotten something very important...... It's like it's not over yet.

He turned his head to meet a pair of eyes as clear as jewels, pure as water, and as vast as a vast ice field covered with snow.

Sercio looked at him quietly. In less than two years, the young boy of the past has grown taller than Ed, and there is no longer the chaos and confusion in his clear eyes...... But it wasn't his soul that was looking at Ed through those eyes at the moment.

His faint soul was hidden beneath another soul, slowly recovering from its slumber - and he was lucky to have the possibility of recovery.

"Do you feel ......," Ed said hesitantly. He couldn't really tell what it felt, and he knew that "Sercio" didn't actually speak, he was...... A little unsettling.

The news that it had come full circle to him provoked a birdsong on the pendant that hung from his waist. When he figured out where it came from, his face turned pale - he really should have trusted his instincts!

"Behring!" he exclaimed.

The knight who strode was much darker and thinner than before, but his eyes were more resolute and calm than before.

"I have to leave. Ed said.

"Nighthawks will guard this place. Behring replied without hesitation, without asking a word more.

Not far behind him, the old knight who led the Grean family stared at his back with mixed emotions, but he didn't seem to be aware of it.

.

A faint pale glow shone on the horizon as Ed appeared, and the belated sun was struggling to climb above the horizon. Borena raised his hands, almost wanting to say "You always bring light", but Ed's gaze had already fallen on the frozen river...... And the black crack that didn't widen anymore and looked terrifying enough.

His face was ugly, and Borena didn't dare to say any more nonsense, but walked over and gave him a light and quick hug.

A friend's hug.

"I think he's going to be fine. He said, "Ethan should be fine, too." ”

“...... Is Ethan Crooffler frozen underneath too?!" Ed's face darkened.

That's just an ordinary person...... Where did this His Majesty's confidence come from?!

"He's not such an easy person to die. Borena's tenacity of nerves allows him to speak confidently in every sentence naturally at such times, "Apparently your ice dragon friend isn't either?"

- You're so confident that you won't be in a hurry to find me.

Ed swallowed the words back with a little uncontrollable agitation. Anger is the most pointless behavior. Let alone......

He glanced back, and the battlefield that had not yet been cleaned was not much better than Enshi Valley. This night, Borena probably had as much of a colorful night as he did.

"Actually, I'm more worried about this. Borena pointed to the river. Most of the water that overflows from the ice upstream also condenses into ice as it flows through the ice, making the river higher and higher, and the potential for disaster more and more dangerous.

"I've sent people upstream where it's not frozen to see if we can dig a deep trench to Lake Timmer as soon as possible. Fortunately, the lake is not deep now, and the river is not very large...... But it's the Vinz in the end. The king spread his hands and smiled bitterly, "Moreover, this news cannot be completely blocked, and if it spreads, it will be distorted into something, and it is not so easy to control." ”

He was the winning side tonight, but Nethers' influence should not be underestimated.

Ed crouched down and pressed his hand against the ice, the silhouette of a silver bird looming on the back of his hand - they studied the spell on the silver bird brooch and incorporated its power into their bodies so that it would never be lost again...... Whenever their hearts move, even in another world, they can connect with each other.

Iss must have been in some trouble, but he would rather freeze himself than call him for help...... They haven't been arguing lately! What the hell is he awkward?!

Ed stuffed the weed-like grievances and annoyances into the corner, ignoring the hideous crack that was about to stir again, and gathered the strength in the palm of his hand.

He can melt the ice, he can go to the bottom of the river and drag Isis out, but if his friend wants to take matters into his own...... First, he'd better determine if this was really his own decision.

.

The ice dragon cowered at the bottom of the river, completely freezing itself in the hard ice that could not melt.

He retains his human form. His curled up posture is more like a human baby...... But in fact, the unborn baby dragon is in the same position when it is curled up in an eggshell.

The thick layer of ice at the moment is his eggshell. He didn't know where the ice was running along the river, he just did what he could to protect himself.

The invisible light flowed in the ice, flickering as his heartbeat flickered on and off, and from time to time, there would be a shadow from nowhere to cut off the flow of light, and his weak heartbeat would also stop because of this, and then beat tenaciously again, like flowing water breaking through the obstacles of rocks, like seeds buried too deep under the soil, difficult but not knowing to give up.

A slightly brighter stream of light connected to the sarcophagus from him and an arm's length away. There was no longer any struggle and scratching in the frozen sarcophagus, but the people who were imprisoned in it did not die.

If he's not dead, he won't let the person he wants to save die—not even if the guy himself wants to die.

The power that tried to erode him wandered silently, patiently, even with a certain indescribable tenderness...... Like a mother. Its muffled whisper was barely audible as it was saying, like sunlight shining through the water, caressing the ice dragon's favorite slight warmth.

But his real mother didn't want him to be born. He lives from human beings...... It is also because of human beings that it has meaning.

Gently, there was another sound, knocking on his heart.