It's a very simple game, in fact, it's almost another form of "chatting". They roll the dice in the simplest way, and the one with the lowest number tells a story according to the other person's request. It doesn't matter what you own, what you seem, or what you hear, you just can't make it up.

Someone smart enough might actually get something out of a story like this, but Ankelan wasn't stupid — he even won the more one.

And Ed's casual request could not tell the exact purpose at all.

"But," the corners of the mage's mouth curled, "I'm a little surprised...... You can tell a story, and you tell it pretty well. ”

The elves lowered their eyes, but did not hear. He doesn't like to talk, it's not that he can't speak, and when necessary, he can easily incite people's hearts, but now...... There is no longer that "need".

When the last rays of sunlight disappeared from his eyes, his heart seemed to change back to the dark and waveless sea, and all emotions sank, disappearing into a vague black shadow.

He didn't answer the female mage's question, and he wasn't really interested in what the answer was. In fact, there was no need for that young man to rack his brains like this. There were many questions he didn't mind letting him know if he could be bold enough to ask—but he didn't dare, or he didn't even know what to ask. He could feel Ed's cautious temptation, not so much to dig up some secret from him, but to show some kind of attitude. For this reason, he no longer even demanded that he return the body to his friend, as if he had acquiesced to him as the real master...... It was as if he had reluctantly accepted that the "completely independent soul" he claimed to be inhabited by a small mongoose and gradually disappeared, and regarded it as a last resort.

How ironic the title of "friend" that he insisted on.

However, only today, his faint sympathy has made his taunts not turn into a sharp blade of exit. The only mistake of this pawn, who struggled to get a better result, was to become the chosen one without any choice.

That's a little similar to him.

"Speaking of which," said the mage, and when he did not respond, she began to mutter, as she had been, "the silver coin...... I have one too. ”

The one she had was even more perfect, with a clearer pattern, wiped clean, and glowed with the original silver white of the dullness of time.

It was given to her by Nia.

When they first entered the chamber beneath the Weeping Forest, she was more excited than all her companions, but she was also well aware of the dangers. Even without Celebrian's warning, she didn't dare take anything with her, except for the daring little thief who took the few silver coins he found and secretly gave her one the night they left the chamber.

Carrying the burning bonfire on his back, his eyes were shining, like falling stars, revealing a faint, a little shy warmth.

He could always see her real interest hidden behind the mask of nonchalance, and never cared if that interest was "dark" or "light".

At that time she thought he was truly in love with her. Whether she accepted it or not, the pride that grew from it turned into even more hatred as he plunged the dagger into her lower abdomen...... However, when she was sure that he had been tortured and turned into a half-human, half-demon monster, she gradually calmed down.

He was punished, and she was satisfied—she wasn't the kind of boring woman who had to do it herself for revenge.

"'Freedom at last.'" For the first time in many years, she read out the words engraved on a silver coin, and felt deeply that something had left her...... Those nostalgia for the old days are not really nostalgia, but because she has not yet found something that can be replaced, that can really satisfy her.

"I must admit," she said, "that sentence stuck in my mind more than the runes carved on the altar...... I've imagined more than once what kind of spirit you really are, if you felt the shackles I wanted to break free thousands of years ago. The so-called gods, the so-called rules, the so-called balance, the so-called good and evil...... I'm fed up with being confined to the line that has been redrawn and can't breathe. ”

She can clearly touch the more vast and boundless universe, but she is overwhelmed by the sound of "you can't", and she is angry.

So she summoned demons...... She was indeed saddened by the loss of all her loved ones, but she never regretted it.

She had to take that step to get to where she is now—to finally do what she wants. Of course, it would be better if it didn't have to pay a price.

Ankelan finally glanced at her.

"The freedom you want," he said, "is not what I want." ”

Lydia chuckled disappreciatively, "Really...... So what do you want?"

She still didn't get an answer.

In the night, she watched the elf's back disappear behind the heavy shadows of the trees, and the faint smile on her lips cooled a little.

She knew enough - she should have left a long time ago instead of staying here with nothing to do. She also has her own tasks...... But there was always a deep uneasiness.

She spread her right hand. The jewel in the palm of his hand had long since disappeared, leaving behind a blood-red outline, like a vertical eye, and like a small flame, with soft lines and sharp colors. This is the only shackle she has now, but it is also the ladder she climbs up.

“...... Manissa. She called softly.

Of course, this can't be hidden from Ankland...... But she didn't intend to hide it from him.

.

Ed walked on the vast plain where no one was under the moon, and the autumn grass seemed to be covered with a layer of hoarfrost. The wind from the north blew through his vest, blowing a bone-chilling chill into his bones, making him shiver involuntarily.

No matter how calm he behaved, his nerves were so tense that they were about to break, and he couldn't relax until now. The dice were clenched in the palm of his hand, and they were almost embedded in the flesh.

He didn't know if Ankeland had spotted his little tricks...... Discover his covert intentions. He didn't even dare to think about it now, as if just "just thinking about it" would make the elf perceive more.

When he finally calmed down, he stopped, tucked the dice back into his pocket, and turned back and asked, "How long are you going to follow me?"

Not far away, a shadow slowly rose from the knee-high grass, trembling slightly in the night, like a ghost.

“...... Don't scare me. Ed said, "I'm very timid. ”

The black shadow let out a chuckle, and even his voice was fluttering: "...... I thought so, too. ”