Jude couldn't remember how they got back to the tavern.

The hasty escape of the "Flower Blade" team could not even take Lucius's body, and Jude couldn't remember how he and Cathy teamed up to pull away Alyssa, who was reluctant to leave.

The boy couldn't remember how he had awakened Rowan from his painful past and encouraged him to retreat with him.

All he remembered was that the rampaging mother of the monitor lizard was in hot pursuit after him because of the killing of his children and mate, and the team fled all the way back to Langrens before he dared to stop and catch his breath.

By the time they finally sat down in the familiar hall of the tavern, it was twilight. When they set out this morning, the "Flower Blade" team was still intact and united, and everyone was happy and energetic, but when they returned, they were like scattered petals.

The four surviving people sat at the table, Cathy looked indifferent, Rowan held her head in silence, Alyssa lay on the table and wept, and the boy looked at them tiredly, not knowing what to say.

The atmosphere was unusually oppressive, and a dark bitterness and dullness enveloped everyone.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. Rowan broke the silence with self-examination, "My former team was destroyed by a black dragon, and the whole camp and everyone burned that night. Seeing the flames spewed by the broodmother, I ...... When I saw the fire, I ...... I'll just ......"

"I'm sorry," he couldn't even organize his words properly, bowing his head and apologizing, "I'm sorry......"

Jude looked at the tall man, as if he had lost the support of his soul and was almost broken, completely different from his usual calm and reliable appearance. The boy didn't know what had happened to him, but he was shocked by the stark contrast.

"Jude. Cathy suddenly stared at him, her tone a little sad, "You know what? Lucius and Alyssa are siblings who are unrelated and homeless. ”

"Why? Isn't their home in Holet in the north......" the boy wondered as he recalled the small talk over lunch.

"You're not from Lance, Jude, you don't know. Cathy sighed, "Horlet has been destroyed by the Centaurs, and it happened in the early months of this year. That's why the siblings came to Lanlens to support themselves by working as adventurers. ”

"What ......" The boy was shocked again, he had always thought that Lucius and Alyssa had left their homeland to experience life, but he had never thought that they were refugees whose homes had been destroyed and displaced like him.

Jude didn't know what to say, and the conversation fell into a long silence, everyone looking painful and depressed.

"Jude. Cathy spoke suddenly, "With all due respect, it's mainly your fault that things have come to this point. ”

Hearing this, the young man looked at her with a stunned expression, and the girl continued with a cold face: "If it weren't for you, Alyssa wouldn't have blindly worshiped those spells, and Lucius wouldn't have taken the liberty of taking on this dangerous mission. In the past six months, although our team has not been able to complete difficult commissions, we have also had a good and happy life. It was your appearance that ruined our normal life. ”

"And if you hadn't rushed forward recklessly this time, Lucius would not have been where he is now. Cathy seemed to be telling her best friend, "In the end, nothing was found, and the captain's life was on the line, and we couldn't even collect his body." Jude, you caused all of this. Where did all your magic go?"

The boy's heart was heavy, and he seemed to be able to hear from Cathy's words that "it was you, not him, who should have died."

"I'm ......" Jude tried to explain, but was interrupted by Alyssa.

The girl suddenly raised her head, her face covered with tears, and she cried out to the boy, "Jude, why? Doesn't your magic work miracles? Why did it become like this?"

"I'm ......" Jude suddenly felt very irritated, he had done his best, even at the cost of his life, although the result was not satisfactory, why all the blame was on him, "I'm just an apprentice, I said it earlier!

"Why didn't you say it before?" Alyssa's voice was a little hoarse, and she looked agitated, "You and your brother nodded and said, 'Leave it to me,' and you killed him!"

"I ......" The young man suddenly found that he couldn't explain the matter of the pocket watch to the girl for a while, so he could only forcibly justify, "The mage is not omnipotent, and besides, I am only an apprentice! I have never seen a monitor lizard before, I said it at the beginning." I didn't know they were so resistant to spells, and I was just an apprentice...... Apprentices, do you know? Why don't you find your own reasons?"

"You killed my brother...... You've killed my brother!" Alyssa cried out uncontrollably, "I don't want to see you!

With that, the girl turned and ran out of the house, and the crying faded away in the twilight.

Having never been in a situation like this, Jude stared at Cathy and Rowan in dismay, not knowing what to say.

Whose responsibility is it for all this? The boy clutched his head in pain, he did not think it through: overconfidence, overestimating the power of spells, carelessness, forgetting that the pocket watch had not been restored, impulsive, reckless attack...... All this led to the death of Lucius.

However, this adventure was born out of Lucius's misjudgment, what perfect tactics he devisted. How could they blame themselves when they weren't the match for the monitor lizard? Rowan was the same, suddenly cowering at the critical moment, and Alyssa, the girl had too much to expect from herself......

"Alas. Jude sighed heavily. At the end of the day, he did live up to the expectations of his teammates. Whether it's Lucius's death, or the team's way it is now, or Alyssa's heartbreak...... He is responsible, at least in no small part.

Alyssa ran out like this, she was a girl at night, and the area was close to the slums...... The boy had also heard about the recent chaos in law and order, and he had a vague bad premonition. But the girl couldn't forgive him, she didn't want to see him, and running to Alyssa now would probably only make her sadder, and maybe do something more drastic.

So, what exactly to do?

-

Destiny_Choice_I-03

→ Leave Alyssa Aside (Another_End: Crime and Punishment)

→ go looking for Canon

-

-

→ go find Alyssa

-

Jude was holding her head in thought, when Cathy suddenly stood up and glanced coldly at the two men, "What are you going to do now?"

Rowan still lowered his head in self-reproach and kept apologizing: "I'm sorry...... I'm sorry......"

The boy looked up at her blankly, not knowing what to do next.

"Whatever you plan, I'm going to find Alyssa, Lanlens has been in a mess lately, and she's in danger when she's out there alone. With that, Cathy turned and walked out of the tavern hall.

"Wait a minute. Jude made up his mind, he stood up and took a deep breath, "I'll go with you." ”

"I am indeed responsible for Lucius's death, and whether or not Alyssa forgives me, at least not to let her suffer any more harm. The boy said.