"It's been a day since Fetis and the others went down, and there is still no news at all. Moreover, the person in charge of the caretaker before reported that there was a noticeable tremor from the ground. Eaton's face was not good, and half of the reason was that her wounds from her previous battle with the Kraken during the Battle of Ebb Tide were still oozing outward to this day. The other half was because she was worried about the warden's action. She was against letting Fettis take only two young witches under the spire, and in her opinion the witches could raise a safer team.

It's just that those who listened to Eton's words didn't share her concerns, in fact, as the leader of the witch group, the big witch hadn't shown negative emotions for a long time, and this time was no exception. The old man held a silver knife and fork in his hand and cut a piece of meat chop unhurriedly, and the knife and fork were carved with exquisite craftsmanship to show the high price. After listening to the words of her fellow tablemates, the great witch smiled and put the small piece of flesh with blood into her mouth, her wrinkled cheeks squirming slightly, and judging by her expression, she was very satisfied with the food in her mouth. After a long time, the food was swallowed, and the old man took a sip of red wine and spoke slowly, "Have you heard the story of the Grim Reaper in Aesop?"

Eton was stunned for a moment, she didn't expect the Great Witch to ask this question. But the blue-eyed witch happened to have seen the story, so she immediately replied, "Are you telling the story of the old man who teased the Grim Reaper? I think I remember, but does it have anything to do with where we are now?"

"It's hard to say if it has anything to do with it, I just thought of the story out of nowhere. You know, I'm old and I can't remember a lot of things, Eton, can you tell me a little more about this story?" the big witch put down her dishes, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief that had been set aside, and lay back into the soft cushions.

"Well, if you wish. Eton's expression was a little confused, but she still said as the Great Witch meant, "There is an old man in Aesop City, and he is very old, so he will not be surprised when the Grim Reaper finds him one day. The old man was calm when he saw the Grim Reaper, and he recognized at a glance that the man who had walked into his house was the Grim Reaper, and he knew what he was here for. But he did not want to die, so he said to the Grim Reaper, 'Mr. Death, please do well, and fulfill the last wish of me, the man who is about to die?' Death agreed in view of his attitude, and the old man's wish was to eat a bite of the fruit from the apple tree in front of the door, so Death brought a ladder up the tree to pick it for him. But the cunning old man took advantage of the fact that the Grim Reaper was picking the fruit and took the ladder and trapped the Grim Reaper in the tree. The Grim Reaper was angry, and he asked the old man why he was doing this, and asked if the old man knew that doing so would make it impossible for many people to die on time. The old man was sorry for the Grim Reaper, but he really didn't want to die, and he offered that the Grim Reaper would give him a few days of grace, and he would pull the ladder back. The Grim Reaper had no choice but to agree, and God could not lie. So the Grim Reaper left angrily and reminded the old man that he would not be so polite next time. But when Death went to the old man a few days later, he was tricked again. ”

"Well, the following story comes to mind. The Great Witch laughed and said, "The poor Grim Reaper has been tricked by the old man several times, and he has to wait until the old man has fulfilled all his wishes before finally taking him immediately." It's an interesting story, much more comfortable than any other story I know about death. ”

"Forgive me for being stupid, but I still don't understand what you mean, Your Excellency. Eaton's brow furrowed, she didn't believe that the Great Witch had just remembered a random story, and that it was just a casual anecdote told by sailors, and that the image of the Grim Reaper in it was completely incapable of a god.

The Great Witch could hear the ups and downs in Eton's tone, shook her head slightly, and said, "This story is actually not that important. The important thing is that the god of death, this god. Or rather, existence. My dear Eton, have you never wondered if the Grim Reaper really exists, and how does He know who should die when, when, and where?"

"I—" The blue-eyed witch hesitated, she had indeed experienced many deaths, and even caused some of them herself. But Eaton really didn't think about whether there was another pair of eyes that she couldn't see watching the life-and-death transition happen while she was witnessing death.

"You're thinking, that's good, but don't rush to the answer. Because, whether the Grim Reaper exists or not, in fact, does not matter. What really matters is why we think there is death in this world. The Great Witch tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest and closed her eyes, "It is not difficult to understand that the image of the Grim Reaper seems to appear in the legends and stories of various regions and races. As one of the most mysterious things in the world, death deserves a shrine to be responsible. But why did He become what he was in the story, why did the God of Death have to come and harvest the lives of the dying himself? Oh, of course, in some myths it wasn't the Grim Reaper himself who came to the door, but something under His hands, but it all meant the same thing. ”

This is because we never feel that death is because of us. In our subconscious, we don't feel like we're going to die, and when we make plans for tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, or even beyond, we always feel like we can live until that time. And when death comes, it looks to us like a robber who suddenly breaks down from the outside, mercilessly stealing all our precious things. The Great Witch pursed her lips and her fingers stopped tapping, "That's wrong. ”

She looked at Eaton, her eyes as deep as the starless night sky, "Death is not an alien thing, it never is. Death occurs only because our bodies can no longer sustain our lives, so we cease to move. This is death. So if there really is a Grim Reaper, then He will never care about who dies according to the predetermined lifespan at all times. He must be the most leisurely of all the gods, because all He has to do is watch quietly and wait, and the creatures in this world will naturally change. ”

"Your statement reminds me of something else, Your Excellency. I don't know if the two are the same, but if you're right about death, then..."

"Then it's the same fate as the Siren's mouth, right?" the Great Witch licked her lips as Eton's words were finished. She took another sip of red wine to moisten her throat, "It's very similar indeed." Maybe it's because I've been here for so long that I see the world in a way that's similar to those fish-people. However, I believe that if there is really a god of death in this world, the destination is the most likely way to exist. That's why I agreed to let Karen lead the team underground. Because as long as she organizes the team, the kid with the power of belonging will follow. And there is no more appropriate arrangement for the attendants of the god of death to deal with those things that keep repeating life and death, and let them sleep forever and completely. Are you right?"