Nya Meyer stood by the coffin, looked down at Alan's calm and peaceful face, as he was as confused as a child who didn't know what was going on, and as a erratic shadow that would dissipate into ashes when the wind blew.

When Is walked to him, the small thief raised his eyes, and there was no light in his gray-green round eyes.

Even when he became a demon, his eyes never had such a dead silence.

It seemed that it took him a while to recognize Is, and then he laughed suddenly.

"I almost wanted to turn him into a demon," he said.

"...He won't like that." Is responded softly, "not to become a demon, but to... a person will die."

It's just like flowers blooming and fading, which is a natural thing. And Alan Kavo, who has seen enough unnatural struggles, is willing to accept such death.

"Yes..." Nya's gaze drooped again, "People will die."

But why, leave him alone?

When they were taking risks together, they also talked about death. He felt that they would probably die heroically in a great adventure, and then continue to live in the singing of the bard; he also thought that they would be lucky enough to live together until old age, sitting by the fireplace half asleep and half awake to recall the glory of the past, revealing each other's old background and mocking each other.

At that time, he never thought that his companions would wither and leave one by one, and even the long-lived dwarfs and half-elves left him first. In the end, he was the one who was most afraid of loneliness.

"I clearly said that I would be together forever..." he murmured, "It's all liars."

"It will be together," said Is. "The gods have left, the wall of nothingness has collapsed, and all life and souls will return to heaven and earth."

They will always meet again, even if it is just a tiny dust that meets another tiny dust, and all the "before" has been forgotten.

He didn't know if such an encounter still had any meaning... but that was the only one he could use to comfort himself.

"...I've never heard of such a crappy comfort." Nya breathed out with an exaggerated toothache, "Do you mean to let me die soon?"

He had never made such a bad joke - he clearly saw the gloom in Is's eyes and the deep fear.

One day, the little boy he once held in his arms would have to send away every person he loved, including Naria and even Willie... He should comfort him, not let him comfort himself.

But his eloquent tongue seemed to have turned into a useless piece of dead flesh, froze in his mouth and could not spit out a useful word.

"I'm not..." he whispered, scratching his nose uncomfortably, "I think I should be able to live for a long time."

He didn't know what he was saying, but Is understood.

"You'd better remember this sentence," he said.

Nya laughed dryly. The sadness that had wrapped around him and made him unable to breathe was like a hole in it, and a faint cold wind blew into the hole, making him extremely awake.

"I'll check if anyone who should notify me is missing," he said, finally confirming his position - whether Allen admits it or not, he is not just a friend, but a family member.

Family members should help at this time, rather than cause trouble.

"Well, where is Nana?" He realized that Is came in alone.

"Be with Willie," said Ess.

Mengsen sat in the yard with Willie. The butler stubbornly believed that the child should not stay by the coffin all the time, even though Willie didn't look scared, she was just a little sad.

He knew very well what death meant, and he knew that his grandfather didn't want them to be too sad.

He just... missed him a little.

When Nia walked into the yard, Nana was comforting the inactive little Willy in her own way: "He was just not in his body, but he was still there. He might become all kinds of things and have all kinds of happiness... Look! The cloud in the sky! That might be Alan~ He deliberately turned into a roasted lamb leg, just to make you happy!"

Nia couldn't help but look up at the white roasted lamb legs floating on the blue sky, feeling... Nana is much better than IS in the skill of "comfort".

"But," Willie felt a little aggrieved, "You are the one who likes lamb legs, and I like to eat fish."

"That may be because Allen likes me more!" Nana raised her chest with a reserved and smug look, "Maybe if you look at it for a while, he will become a fish!"

So, the two little guys, Mengsen, looked up at the clouds in the sky together.

Nya chuckled softly and turned away.

If he doesn't work harder... he will be worse than a ten-year-old child.

.

Allen's funeral was simple and grand. Many people came in a hurry, met their old friends for the last time, said goodbye silently, and then left in a hurry.

They buried him in the cemetery in Clethersburg, which was Allen's own choice—the old dwarf who once lay under the ground of Ankland had also slept here.

This ancient castle witnessed their so much joy and sorrow. There is no place that is better for them to reunite.

That night, many people stayed in Clithersburg.

Is slept in his room. This place he hadn't been back for more than ten years was still so familiar that it was reassuring, but he woke up in the middle of the night and could no longer sleep.

He pushed the door open and met Naria, who was also unable to sleep in the corridor, and looked at each other silently and smiled.

They walked along the corridor. Nariya told Ice about the night before, how she and Ed secretly followed Alan and found the statues and sarcophagus in the secret room, and Ice pointed it out to her as she passed the west tower, saying that he had been locked up here by Scott when he was five years old.

He almost remembered what happened when he was a child, but for some reason he couldn't remember it very clearly. Just as he could never remember that he had lying with Ed on the day he was born, spitting blisters face to face, and who could cry louder than anyone else.

But it is said that when Allen found him that day, his eyes had turned golden.

"They fought for my stay," said Ice, "but I stayed there in the end because Scott..."

Because Scott gave up the adventure life he loved and chose him.

His peaceful childhood was extended for five years.

Nariya glanced at him, but she stopped talking.

Is couldn't help laughing: "Do you still hate him so much?"

"He doesn't have any children at all!" Naria said angrily, "Alan should have brought you home then!"

At that time, her mother was still there... and there was her! She would give him a lot of love, enough to make him forget Scott... In this way, he might be able to suffer less harm.

Is smiled without saying a word.

But Allen won't take him home.

By then Calebrian had already told Allen that some of the future he had seen—he saw Ice become the destroyer of this world, and he saw Scott die in the ice and flames.

The decision made by Allen was not to resolve the biggest danger of Ice as soon as possible, but to try to exclude him and Scott from many things and try to make them have a deeper connection.

He tried to solve the problem himself.

He once wanted to throw away the old dwarf and Nia, but failed. But in the end, did all the efforts he made and all the costs he paid slightly change the future?

Even when telling Is these past events, the old man himself was unable to confirm.

...But he at least had the courage to change. He did not hesitate because "this is destined to happen" because this is fate.

Is suddenly felt depressed.

"I probably did something stupid," he told Nariya in frustration. "I saved someone who maybe shouldn't have saved... because I think that's actually something that has happened, and I can't be sure if I should change it."

He saved Armister at the last moment, even though he knew he might be his most dangerous enemy.

“…I think these two things are different.”

After hearing the whole thing, Naria tilted her head.

They were sitting in the old place again, on the tall tower. In the early autumn in the north, the scent of the extreme north snow was already faintly seen in the night wind, while the starry sky was bright and the moonlight was as clear as water.

"After all, one is the past, the other is the future..." she said, "Or, you can change your mind and ignore whether it is 'destined', but... If you don't know who he is and have never made a promise to him, will you save him then?"

Is almost blurted out "No".

But if you think about it seriously, he might...will do it anyway.

Even if I don’t know who it is, even if I never promised him, I would just give a small effort to a face that was exactly the same as Xin Jia… to a boy who had saved him and even thanked him in a stern manner, throwing him onto a spaceship that was about to leave.

To be more practical... At that time, the young man was obviously influenced by the power of the source stone. Letting him live may allow them to have a better understanding of the source stone.

"Look." Nariya smiled and spread her hands, "Don't worry about the arrangement of fate, thinking about whether you have been plotted against anything. At every moment you face, it's enough to do what you want and think it's the right thing. Even if you're wrong, just try to make up for it. Even if... you make up for it like Ed, as long as you are willing to bear the price, there's nothing wrong with it."

Many people probably object to this sentence - it is too dangerous.

But Is understands it.

He understood Nariya's absolute trust in him.

Then, perhaps, he can trust himself a little more.
Chapter completed!