"What happens if you lose your memories for ten years?" asked Hahn, who seemed to the warrior to lose his memories for ten years as if he were better off than to lose ten years of life.

"I've said before that we're the way we are because we've lived through what we've been through in the past. In other words, those memories of the past make our lives different. But what do you think would happen to the tower if you took out some of it, especially if it was the size of a full decade?" asked Cheese rhetorically.

“...... It will ...... It's not the same as before?" the monkey said uncertainly, after pondering for a long time.

"Isn't that for sure, it's missing a part, of course it's not the same as before. "Wild boar" said.

"No, I don't mean that, I mean that if that tower loses a large part of it, like its outer walls, then, to others, it looks like ...... It's like ......"

Jack struggled to organize the language, but the question was too esoteric for his knowledge to articulate accurately and clearly. In fact, not only Jack, Elsa, and Mona, but even those who experienced it firsthand, including Mayor Bender and the residents of Sweetwater, couldn't quite articulate what had happened to them. But they instinctively knew that the cost was far more serious than a simple 10-year lifespan.

While everyone, including Mayor Bender, thought that Cheese could give them an answer, the mage was vague about it, as if he didn't quite know what that meant. But after this discussion, Cheese finally cleared up the misunderstanding with the residents of Sweetwater, and the Hongmen banquet set up by Mayor Bender became a real welcome party. It's just that because the mayor's knowledge of the plague comes from the devil, the clues he can provide to the five people are really limited.

..................

"In order to ensure that they do not get infected, they have taken the initiative to reduce communication with other parts of the county early on. They had already moved into this camp half a year ago, and it seems that unless they find that devil, they won't know much more about the plague than we do. The female warrior said. After the banquet, the five cheeses summarized the information they had obtained this time in the room arranged by the mayor.

"Although these people in Sweetwater escaped the plague, they fell into the devil's trap, and I don't know if they were lucky or unlucky. Elsa sighed.

"Is there really no way I can help them?" Mona asked, looking at the mage. Although the mayor had asked Cheese several times about this issue, Cheese claimed that he could not do anything about it. But the female warrior felt that the mage should know something.

"It's useless, the devil's deal can't be broken, because breaking the contract itself will cost far more than they want it back. Cheese shook his head and sighed helplessly.

"What if we kill that devil?" The question of "wild boar" is always as simple and straightforward, but what he says is not without reason, if the devil who executed the transaction dies, then the transaction will naturally not be valid.

"Not to mention that if the devil does not want to show up, we will not find him at all, and even if he is standing in front of you, I am afraid you will not be able to kill him. Believe me, even the best weapons in all kingdoms can't cut the devil's body. Cheese said, with an impatient look on his face.

"Okay, we've been through a lot today, let's take a break now, it's not every day that we have the opportunity to sleep in the house. Mona saw that there was something wrong with the mage's tone, and quickly said. Today, after a fierce battle and a painstaking effort to clarify their position, the group is indeed very tired. So they said hello, agreed on a time to get up tomorrow morning, and went back to their assigned rooms to rest.

There was no sun in the cave, and the time could only be judged by the light shining through the cracks in the roots of the trees at the top of the cave, but Cheese knew that it should be night. The rooms in the camp were not rich, so the mayor could only arrange three rooms for five people to rest. So, of course, there was a room for "Monkey" and "Boar", a room for Mona and Elsa, and a separate room for Cheese as a mage. Cheese didn't rest when he returned to his room, and although he was exhausted by the overwhelm of the past few days, the mage wasn't as fragile as the others thought. Moreover, the appearance of the devil made him feel even more confused about the future of this mission, and the direction of things seemed to gradually develop in a direction that a mage could not see. Irritability lingered in Cheese's mind. He thought of Ann Lina, if the senior sister was here, she must be able to give him a lot of good advice, then, should he ask her for help? Although this task should theoretically be completed by Cheese alone, the teacher did not forbid him to get some advice and hints from others.

Just as the mage was about to call Ann Lina, there was a knock on his door.

"Hey, you didn't eat much at the banquet before, I mean, a lot less than when you were at the top of the Dragon's Back. So I got some ingredients from the kitchen...... You know, made a snack on your hand. Opening the door, Elsa was carrying a large wooden tray containing several steaming sausages and cheese bread. The proprietress stood at the door and said a little crampedly.

I don't know why, seeing Elsa's face, Cheese felt that his inner irritability was much less at once, and he smelled the sausage, and his stomach also made a slight noise.

"Come in, I'm hungry. The mage let Elsa into the room, not even noticing the smile on his face.

The room arranged by the mayor was not large, except for a small table and two wooden chairs. The proprietress put the food on the table and sat down, as if to eat with the cheese.

"Your hands are inconvenient, I'll cut it for you. Elsa said after the mage had also sat down. Indeed, Cheese's left shoulder was still bandaged, and it seemed a little difficult for him to handle the whole sausage with one hand.

"You don't have to worry about me, I was a little irritable just now, but now I'm fine. The mage looked at the proprietress who was cutting the sausages and said.

Hearing Cheese's words, Elsa's movements stiffened slightly, but there was nothing to be shy about being told that the fierce proprietress had no need to be shy, and she had already admitted that she had a good opinion of him.

"Your expression at the banquet was very serious, and Hahn told me just now that he was afraid of accidentally offending you. ”

"I'm just, a little irritable. To be honest, I didn't expect to run into the devil this time. Cheese turned his head to the door and said.

"In fact, after two days of operation, everyone is somewhat uncomfortable, after all, they were all fighters before, and they are inexperienced in things other than combat. The proprietress said.

"I know, I didn't blame them, I was just a little disappointed in myself. The mage sighed lightly and said.

"I'm worried about you, especially today after learning how terrible the devil is. Elsa looked up at Cheese and said. For ordinary people, the world of magic is both mysterious and dangerous, and Elsa only saw the magical side before, but today's experience made the proprietress feel afraid of the other side of magic. After all, the word magic comes from demonic powers, and while this is a misconception of spells, mages are more likely to deal with things in the shadows than ordinary people.

"In this world, there is a price to pay for wanting to achieve anything, achieving anything. The inhabitants of Sweetwater paid a price to escape the plague, and the warriors paid a price to acquire a strong body and exquisite skill. The same is true of the world of magic. Nothing can be obtained at no cost. I can do what others can't, and I have to pay a price that others don't have to pay. This is a very normal thing. Cheese said suddenly.

"There are mages who want to get results but are afraid of paying the price, they are either opportunistic or they turn the debtor from themselves into someone else. But I don't agree with such an idea. I think that since I have enjoyed the results, I should pay the price calmly, so I will not run away. The mage turned his head to look into Elsa's eyes and continued.

"Not many mages end up with a good death, and even those who are immortal have paid a high price, but we don't know it. That's fair, so you don't have to worry about me, becoming a mage is my life's pursuit, and I'm willing to pay for it. But you don't have to worry about me, you haven't been exposed to these things, and I shouldn't be paid by you. ”

"Maybe worrying about you is the price I pay, and if you can pay calmly, then why can't I?" said Elsa without backing down. Then he left the room without giving the cheese a chance, leaving only a plate of sausages cut just right.

Cheese looked at the door that had been slammed shut, and then at the sausages on the plate, and he didn't know why he was saying these things to the proprietress in a daze, but he just said it. Elsa's reaction made the mage a little confused, Cheese didn't have many opportunities to communicate with people before, and even fewer people with deep feelings, so he didn't know how to deal with the relationship with the boss's wife.

And just when the mage was still struggling for Elsa, a pair of eyes were already on him.

"How interesting this world is, that I met your apprentice here. So, let me see what kind of fun you can bring to me the disciples you teach. It's really worth looking forward to. A voice muttered to itself.