The maze was built starting with the mother skeleton replenishing its magic.

"For so many years, the Phoenix family has been dedicated to finding a way to break the curse."

"First of all, you should understand that the formal appointment of 'Edmund' involves multiple selection processes, right?"

Glenn nodded.

Although it was just hearsay, Edmund had to go through many inhuman trials before the knight who survived could be given a name.

"You think this is competition?" Victor shook his head. "Only those with great strength and willpower can withstand the torment of this curse."

"Furthermore, one must pass the trials of the Church of Stansor and receive the blessing of the God of Justice and Order."

"Only by combining the two can we barely resist this ever-deepening curse."

"You have received the blessing, but your strength... is simply not enough."

Upon hearing this, Glenn's hope was rekindled, and he quickly asked, "If I can quickly increase my strength, will I be able to temporarily resist the power of the curse?"

"Theoretically, yes." Victor said expressionlessly. "You'd need to reach level 60 within a month, which is practically impossible."

hiss.

Glenn gasped.

Do we really have to set such a strict entry barrier?

half an hour.

Viktor slowly spoke: "Besides that... there is another way."

"What?!"

"Legend has it that it is a flower from the garden of Linovie, the goddess of beauty and love and the lord of dawn, and is said to be a 'sunflower' that can lift all curses."

"A flower nurtured by the gods...?" Glenn pondered for a moment. "Where can I find a 'sunflower'?"

"Actually, the Phoenix family had been searching for this legend all along," Victor said, "and eventually determined that the sunflower is in the 'Moonlight Labyrinth' in the West."

"However, over the years, the Phoenix family has sent many adventurers, but none of them have been able to find this legendary flower."

After Victor finished speaking, he quietly looked at Glenn.

There are two methods, but each is almost an impossible task.

The cellar was filled with a sense of oppression.

hiss--

call--

Glenn suddenly laughed, his face pale, but his laugh was radiant:

"There are still two paths we can take, Lord Victor, why are you so serious?"

"Do you really understand the importance of this?" Viktor remained expressionless.

As for Glenn, perhaps knowing that his life was nearing its end, he appeared remarkably magnanimous at this moment.

"I know," he said. "If I die, Miss Anna will not be able to inherit the family business."

"But Lord Victor, you are still young. It's not too late to have another heir."

Viktor stared at him, seemingly unhappy.

Glenn simply plopped down on the bed, propped himself up with his hands behind him, and let out a long sigh of relief:

"As you know, Miss Anna longs to be an adventurer. She yearns for freedom, yet she is proud of the Phoenix surname. These two emotions cause her unimaginable suffering."

"I should have died in some nameless alley in Byronden long ago. My life was given to me by you, Miss. As a servant of the Phoenix family and as Miss's guard, I will naturally do everything in my power to find a way to survive."

"But what if I ultimately fail to survive, preventing Miss from becoming the head of the family?"

"By then, you should try harder to have another child, and then give Miss Anna her freedom, so that my son can at least do something for her."

Looking at the boy in front of him who spoke these words so easily, Viktor let out a long sigh.

Glenn is absolutely loyal to his family and Anna.

So Anna trusted him and gave him a name.

Being able to skip the trials and directly gain Lord Stansor's approval is enough to demonstrate Glenn's extraordinary potential.

Yet this loyal and promising young man is forced to face the curse of "Edmund" prematurely.

They had no choice but to try and find a way to survive, even with slim chances.

And... this kid's words may be rough, but the reasoning is sound.

Viktor had been thinking about this for a while, ruling out the possibility of a miracle, and perhaps this was the best outcome.

"So, what's your decision?" Victor asked.

"Let's go west and look for sunflowers," Glenn said softly, adding with a joke, "Maybe we'll have a lucky encounter and level up to 60."

Victor couldn't understand Glenn's feelings at that moment.

I also can't understand how he could laugh on such a heavy topic.

"The journey from Byrondin to the 'Moonlight Labyrinth' will take at least half a month, and you might die on the way," Victor said.

Glenn nodded: "Then that means this is my destiny."

"In that case, you should set off immediately." Viktor hesitated for a moment after saying this. "Whether you want to say goodbye to Anna... it's up to you, but you mustn't tell her the truth."

"So, does that mean I can finally leave this damn cellar and breathe some fresh air?"

Glenn stretched, appearing calm.

But Victor noticed the boy's body.

It kept shaking.

......

Phoenix Mansion, courtyard.

New armor, new longsword, new shield—Glen's entire set of equipment has been replaced.

The bright silver armor shone brilliantly in the afternoon sun, and Glenn spotted Anna squatting by the courtyard fountain, lost in thought.

She seemed to have lost some weight compared to before, her back view was filled with worry, and she was holding her face, seemingly lost in thought.

Glenn took a deep breath, trying to look as energetic as possible.

He moved a little closer.

"Are you thinking of me, Miss?"

"Huh?"

The familiar voice reached Anna's ears, and she quickly stood up and looked at Glenn, her face showing surprise and delight.

"Did Dad finally let you out?!"

"Of course," Glenn said with a laugh. "If I stay in the cellar for a few more days, I'll start growing mushrooms."

"Honestly, I've already told you this has nothing to do with you, it was all my doing, but Dad insists on punishing you, and nothing I say will work..."

Anna kept complaining.

Glenn just smiled and looked at her, as if trying to imprint the girl's face deeply into his mind.

Anna snapped out of her reverie, glanced at Glenn's expression, gave a soft snort, and crossed her arms.

"What are you grinning about!"

"I just think Miss Anna looks beautiful even when she's not smiling."

Does that mean your smile isn't attractive?

"No," Glenn shook his head, "She looks even better when she smiles like a flower."

Anna seemed to be in a very good mood at the moment, sitting on the flower bed by the fountain, looking Glenn up and down.

After a moment, seemingly noticing his new equipment, Anna's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible resentment:

"Are you leaving again?"

"Yes, for Miss's sake, I still need to gain more experience."

"oh."

Anna rolled her eyes at him but didn't refute his words, tucking the stray hairs on her right side behind her ear.

"Where are we going this time?"

"west."

"That far?"

The girl was surprised.

"Young birds can only grow up quickly if they leave the nest." Glenn stretched and then plopped down next to Anna.

The two looked up at the white clouds in the sky.

a long time.

"How long will it take?" Anna asked.

"If we're lucky... about a month."

"oh."

The conversation ended somewhat abruptly.

The atmosphere became slightly somber after realizing that another parting was imminent.

"You are not allowed to die."

"Um?"

"I said, you're not allowed to die, do you hear me?" Anna glanced at Glenn. "You're my knight. I won't allow you to die out there, nor will I allow you to come back here unharmed, understand?"

Glenn watched Anna quietly for a long time.

Seeing that the girl was getting impatient, he glared at her:

"And the answer!"

"I've noticed that you look beautiful even when you're angry."

Glenn smiled and said that he did not answer her question.

"By the way, Miss, I've heard that the most beautiful bouquet in the Lord of Dawn's garden is said to bloom in the west. I'd like to go and see if that flower is as beautiful as you."

"But I don't think so. Once I find it, we can go see the flowers together."

"What's so interesting about flowers?" she said.

"I want the flower to see you too," he said.

......

Phoenix Mansion, in front of the gate.

Glenn knelt down to pay his respects to Victor, and seeing the towering King of the Southern Region with such a complex expression, he felt a pang of sadness.

He stood up and said, "Lord Victor, before we set off... I'd like to visit Ross Town first."

"Rosstown?" Victor frowned, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes." Glenn nodded. "There are some skeletons, uh, people over there who helped me before. I want to go say goodbye to them."

Victor put his hand on Glenn's shoulder.

I patted it.

They took pictures again and again.