Clip-clop, clip-clop...

Nila moved leisurely along the ridge.

Seated on the saddle, Ian took a swig from the bottle and looked to the side.

Beyond the twisted, unnaturally warped branches, another mountain ridge stretched out in a dull, lifeless line.

His gaze drifted over the peaks rising above it. Behind them, layer upon layer of shadowy ridgelines spread into the distance.

It was the mountain range known as Bel Skonen, stretching long across the southern frontier and the western edge of the Empire.

Snort...

A sharp exhale sounded from the opposite side.

Moro, pulling the carriage, was clearly straining harder than usual, making up for the warhorse that should have been assisting.

With no proper mountain path to follow, Nila and Moro were taking turns pulling the carriage, carving out a route on their own.

"Hmm... this could get tricky."

Nasser, seated at the driver’s bench, kept glancing around—a necessary chore since guiding the direction was the driver’s responsibility.

"This looks like the last ridge. I’m not sure we’ll make it across before sunset."

Leaning one arm against the carriage roof, he glanced up at the sky, heavy with dark clouds. He looked noticeably lighter now, having shed a layer and left his cloak behind.

The cold had completely faded.

Miguel, who had come down from the North, had even started complaining about the heat.

"What does it matter? We can just keep going after nightfall," said Thesaya from behind the carriage.

She was riding one of the exhausted Northern warhorses. Aside from Lily, she was the lightest among them, so she usually took the mount that wasn’t pulling the carriage.

"You don’t seem particularly concerned for the horses, Elder," Nasser replied lazily, glancing back.

Thesaya scoffed and ran a hand through the horse’s mane. "This is for its sake too. Even if it’s a little rough, it’d rather get out of the frontier sooner, wouldn’t it?"

The journey since leaving Glumir hadn’t changed much. They had destroyed two more crudely formed demonic realms along the way.

The real change began after entering the mountain range.

"True. The closer we get to Imperial territory, the less corruption we’re seeing."

The entire range looked like a cursed land, but contrary to expectations, madness hadn’t taken root or pooled anywhere.

"It must be thanks to Della Lu watching over us. Just not having demonic realms appear makes it easier to breathe." Nasser stretched, the tension finally easing from his face.

"Instead, they’ve gotten more cunning. I’d rather they just charged at us. Feeling their gaze lurking in the dark is far more annoying." Thesaya clicked her tongue.

Dealing with the monsters lurking in the dark had mostly fallen to her and Ian.

They were the only ones capable of swift, silent ambushes.

But Ian, riding alongside the carriage, was silent for a different reason.

So in the end, nothing on the way down, either.

He was searching for the highest peak of the range. To reach the nest left behind by the Platinum Dragon, he needed to get close to it.

Yet his left palm, the Mantra circuit that served as a key, had given no sign at all.

I should ask the count after all.

Ian clicked his tongue, recalling the old noble. Blunt and curt, yet even while grieving the loss of his child, he had put his land first. Whatever the case, the man would know the answer.

As Ian lowered his gaze and took another drink, Thesaya’s languid voice drifted over.

"I’ve been missing Kitty lately. Maybe because we’ve been fighting every day."

"Indeed. If she were here, the journey would’ve been much easier. She enjoys battle."

"And she would’ve scolded you every time you acted out of line, Half-Ear," Thesaya shot back without missing a beat.

"I’d rather pass on that. I’d like to keep the other ear intact," replied Nasser.

Thesaya scoffed, her gaze shifting up toward the carriage roof. "Just wait a little longer, Pup. You’ll be seeing talking beasts soon enough."

Lily, who had been lying flat on the roof, lifted only her head and looked at Thesaya. Except when sleeping, she spent nearly all her time up there.

Thesaya assumed it was because she had once been confined for so long that she instinctively avoided tight, enclosed spaces. Of course, it was a guess born from experience.

"She’ll be going with Mev to Drenorov. Thesa." Ian finally cut in.

Both Thesaya and even Nasser turned toward him, their eyes twitching slightly.

"That wasn’t decided yet, was it, Ian?"

"I thought you were still considering it, my lord."

They really do get along well in moments like this.

Ian let out a chuckle and replied, "Well, Mev was the one who brought it up first. If you’ve got a problem, settle it with her."

Right now, Mev and Miguel were asleep inside the carriage. They had stayed up all night and remained awake into the morning.

Which was probably why Thesaya and Nasser felt free to speak their minds so openly.

"You shouldn’t be negotiating with the Redhead—you should be negotiating with our little Pup. She has the right to choose who she wants to go with," Thesaya said, pouting.

After a brief pause, Ian nodded toward Lily. "That’s not entirely wrong."

"See? I knew you’d agree."

Grinning, Thesaya turned her gaze back to Lily.

"You want to come with me, don’t you, Pup? If you do, you’ll get to see beautiful seas, talking beasts, and plenty of charming, elegant folk like me. And the South, well, it’s nothing like this dull frontier."

Her tone sounded generous, but Lily gave no response. She simply blinked, her unreadable expression shifting between Ian and Thesaya.

Eventually, Thesaya’s eyes narrowed slightly. "What, you need to think about it? After all the times I braided your hair?"

"Don’t tell me you’ve already finished preparing to cross the inner sea." Ian cut in again. He had caught a subtle shift in her tone.

Seeing her hesitate, he clicked his tongue. "So that’s how it is."

"N-No, we’re still preparing. We’ll have to gather war supplies in Drenorov before heading to Radcliffe," Thesaya said quickly, turning toward him. "There was no other way if we wanted to stay on schedule. It’s not just my family—the kitties have to mobilize too. That alone isn’t exactly a small task."

As Ian’s gaze sharpened, she averted her eyes slightly and added, "We also have to arrange the smuggling ship they’ll ride. Time was tight. You hate waiting, don’t you, Ian?"

"It would’ve been better if you told me before issuing orders," Ian said quietly. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Thesaya shrugged. "That was my responsibility. I made the call and acted. You don’t like being bothered with these things anyway."

For someone who knows exactly what I dislike...

Ian clicked his tongue inwardly.

After all, he had never properly told them about the Platinum Dragon’s villa, preferring to avoid the endless questions that would follow.

However, because of that, not just Thesaya, but everyone in the group, still had no idea they might end up staying in Drenorov far longer than expected.

"So you’re saying the preparations will be finished soon enough," Ian added.

He still had no intention of telling them anything more.

Thesaya nodded. "Yeah. The kitties have already gathered, but the pointy-ears from my house are still on their way to Rune Catis. Still, they should arrive within a few days, so it won’t be a problem."

"The real problem is fairies and beastfolk trying to coexist in that kind of mess," said Ian.

And probably for longer than expected.

Thesaya scratched her cheek, murmuring, "Is it?"

"Rune Catis... Is it truly a lawless city full of criminals, like the rumors say?" Nasser asked.

"From what I’ve seen, it’s not completely overrun. Though I wouldn’t exactly call it safe either," Thesaya replied, clicking her tongue.

Nasser let out a low chuckle. "If a bunch of beastfolk and fairies gather in a place like that, it’ll be chaos. The city might turn into a sea of blood."

"And not just the criminals’ blood," Ian said flatly, lowering the bottle.

Thesaya flinched and turned toward him as he continued, "Even if they’ve formed an alliance, that doesn’t mean the grudges between races have disappeared."

"I—I don’t think it’ll get that bad. I made sure to warn Diana. And well, we’ve got Kitty on the other side," Thesaya stammered, her tone lacking any real confidence.

Meeting Ian’s gaze, she added, "If it still worries you, I’ll have the fairies cross the inner sea right away. They’re heading to Racliffe anyway."

"So you’re planning to smuggle only the beastfolk," Ian said indifferently, lifting the bottle again.

Thesaya nodded without hesitation. "If we try to smuggle everyone, it’ll be too much. We’ll definitely get caught. Sending the fairies ahead will split attention, and we can get reports on any variables ahead of time."

"You really put a lot of thought into this, Thesa," said Ian.

Thesaya smiled back in relief and shrugged. "I told you. Your reaction was unexpected, but honestly, I think I handled it really well, especially since the situation in the South has changed."

Ian paused and asked, "The South? What about it?"

Instead of answering right away, Thesaya cleared her throat and casually held out her hand.

Ian sent the bottle over with his Willful Grasp.

She caught it quickly and smiled. "This is recent news. There’s a rumor that Duke Jihandar will soon support the royal family."

Her tone was light, but it was enough to make Ian’s eyes narrow.

Nasser, glancing over the carriage roof, asked, "The Southern Duke?"

"Yeah. I didn’t think he’d involve himself in central affairs, but it looks like he changed his mind. Or it could just be a rumor." Thesaya added carelessly before taking a drink. Her attitude suggested she didn’t take it too seriously.

"If he’s heard the news from the capital and decided the civil war will drag on, then it might be true," Ian finally muttered.

Thesaya turned toward him mid-sip, while Nasser tilted his head slightly.

"So he can extract a proper price for helping the royal family?"

"Exactly. I heard he’s been quietly aiming for independence. Though instead of breaking away like the North, he might be trying to secure full autonomy under the Empire." Ian nodded.

Thesaya smiled, lowering the bottle. "That would be much easier and safer than outright independence. He wouldn’t even need to step onto the battlefield or cross the sea."

"So the rumors about him being a desert fox are true," said Nasser.

Thesaya scoffed. "A fox? More like a snake."

"Either way, if that rumor is true, they’ll start pulling troops and nobles into the war," Ian added in a low voice, extending a hand toward her.

Thesaya quickly took another sip, then sent the bottle back.

"Probably. Whatever he’s planning to gain, it won’t be small. He’ll send forces to match."

A triumphant smile spread across her face.

"Which means, we made the right call pulling our people out early. Most of my house’s fighting force is already gone, so what can they even do? Sure, I’ll have to use your name a bit, Ian, but everyone already knows the relationship between you and—"

"If things go wrong, it could become a problem for the entire South," Ian said as he took the bottle.

After a beat, she asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"I don’t know exactly when, but soon, there’ll be a solar eclipse."

Ian shrugged slightly as he lowered the bottle.

"And on that day, somewhere in the desert’s rocky mountain range, an ancient ruin will reveal itself, carrying countless ominous things within it."