Lord: I can see loyalty.

Several days later, outside the north gate of Portol.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, two extremely strong Northern ponies were already saddled, their backs laden with bulging packs.

Vio examined the girth, his fingers running back and forth across the leather. Make sure that every knot is secure.

Alec stood to the side, stuffing the last few portions of dry rations into his leather pouch, his greatsword slung across his back, the hilt gleaming with a warm, dark light in the morning glow.

"The Longkou Mountains are at the northernmost point of the northern border. Starting from here, it would take five days to reach the northernmost point on horseback at a normal pace."

Cohen unfolded the map, pointing north from Portor City, across the Black Forest, through the Northern Plains, and finally stopping at a blank area.

"You have to avoid populated areas on this road. The White Horse family and other families still have spies around."

"Five days." Vio mounted his horse, took the map, and stuffed it into his pocket. "That's long enough."

Jimmy and Gina stood at the city gate without saying much. Valentine leaned on his staff, his old eyes narrowed into slits in the morning mist, his lips moved a few times, but he ultimately did not speak.

Daphne stood a little distance away, her deep blue skirt swaying gently in the morning breeze. Her gaze was fixed on Vio, as if she were looking at something, yet also as if she wasn't looking at anything at all.

"Let's go." Vio gently nudged the horse's belly, and the ponies began to stride forward, their hooves making a crisp sound on the stone pavement.

Alec followed closely behind, the two horses one in front of the other, passing through the mist and heading north toward the Black Forest.

Behind me, the outline of Bordeaux gradually blurred and finally disappeared into the hazy horizon.

The border between the North and the South, the Blackwood region, is even more desolate than when I last visited.

In late autumn, the trees shed their last few leaves, their bare branches stretching towards the gray sky like countless withered arms.

The forest path meandered and twisted, with thick layers of fallen leaves on both sides, and the horses' hooves made a dull rustling sound as they stepped on it.

Occasionally, a few squirrels would leap from the treetops, peek out curiously, and then disappear into the depths of the dense forest. The air was cold and dry, carrying the scent of decaying leaves and earth.

"We're not far from the Griffin Clan's territory," Alec said in a low voice, his gray eyes scanning the surroundings. "Should we take a detour?"

Vio shook his head. "They won't expect that with us heading north and Daphne being taken away, the White Horse family is probably still overwhelmed with problems and won't have time to worry about anything else."

The two stopped talking and simply sped up, quickly traversing the route marked by Cohen.

The edge of the Black Forest is a low ridge, beyond which lies the Northern Plains. Standing on the ridge and looking back, nothing can be seen in the direction of the Southern Border; only endless gray clouds press down between heaven and earth.

The northern plains are much more open than the southern plains.

The endless, withered meadows stretched to the horizon, with a few lonely old trees standing in the wilderness, and a few crows perched on their branches.

The wind was much stronger than in the Black Forest, howling from the north and carrying a biting chill. The ponies lowered their heads and rode against the wind, the white mist from their nostrils quickly dissipating in the wind.

"This wind is coming from the direction of the Dragon Mouth Mountains." Alec tugged at his collar and pulled his cloak tighter. "It gets colder the further north we go."

Vio didn't speak, but squinted and looked north. On the horizon, he could vaguely see a hazy outline—was it a mountain or a cloud? He couldn't tell.

On the evening of the third day, they set up camp next to an abandoned hunter's hut.

The wooden walls of the cabin were rotten, and half of the roof had collapsed, but the stone fireplace was still intact.

Vio lit a fire, the flames leaping in the dim twilight and dispelling some of the chill. Alec unloaded his luggage from his horse and placed the dry rations and water bag by the fire.

"We'll reach the foot of the Dragon Mouth Mountains tomorrow." Alec sat by the fire, poking at the firewood with a stick. "Provided we don't encounter any interference."

Vio nodded, his gaze fixed on the fire, lost in thought.

"Don't you find it strange?" he suddenly asked.

Alec looked up. "What's strange?"

"We've hardly seen any monsters along the way," Vio said softly. "Could it be that the North is so safe that we haven't encountered a single decent monster?"

Alec paused for a moment, then slowly spoke. "The answer lies in the name."

"Dragon Mouth Mountains... Dragon?"

"Yes." Alec's gaze drifted into the distance. "Legend has it that a real dragon lives in that mountain range."

"Low-level monsters possess a certain level of intelligence and perception. They can sense the aura of dragons, so they dare not approach. Therefore, within a radius of a hundred miles around the Dragon Mouth Mountains, there are almost no monsters to be seen."

Vio's brow furrowed slightly.

"Then why are there so many ordinary animals? We've seen quite a few rabbits and deer along the way. Don't the dragon eat them?"

"Dragons are intelligent beings, and not just any kind of intelligent ones." Alec's voice carried a hint of something unfathomable. "They don't eat all their prey; it's said they also raise animals in captivity, just like humans raise cattle and sheep, to ensure that their food supply never runs out."

"Have you ever seen a dragon?" Vio asked.

Alec shook his head with a wry smile: "Of course not. Not just me, almost no one these days has ever seen one. The older generation often says they have, but those stories have been passed down for generations, so who knows if they're true or not."

Alec shook his head with a wry smile: "Of course not. Not just me, almost no one these days has ever seen one. The older generation often says they have, but those stories have been passed down for generations, so who knows if they're true or not."

The two remained silent for a moment. The campfire crackled, sparks flying, flickering in the darkness.

"We'll know tomorrow." Vio stood up, walked to the door of the cabin, and looked at the faintly visible mountain shadow to the north. "If there really is a dragon living there, we'll have to think carefully about how to get around it... or rather, deal with it."

Alec did not answer, but simply placed the greatsword across his lap, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing.

On the afternoon of the fourth day, they finally saw the entire Longkou Mountain Range.

It was a huge mountain shadow stretching between heaven and earth, with peaks soaring into the clouds and ridges that resembled the back of a giant dragon, winding and undulating, with no end in sight.

The mountain is grayish-black with steep cliffs and almost no vegetation. Only the mountaintop is covered with snow, which shines brightly in the sunlight.

At the foot of the mountain is a scree slope, with sparse shrubs and moss growing among the stones. Several argali sheep leap nimbly on the steep slope, occasionally stopping to look around warily.

"We've arrived." Alec reined in his horse, gazing at the mountain silhouette, a complex light flashing in his gray eyes.

Vio dismounted and walked to the edge of the scree slope, looking up at the towering peaks that seemed to reach into the clouds.

A mountain wind howled down from above, causing his robes to flutter loudly. A strange aura permeated the air.

It wasn't the scent of flowers, nor the smell of earth, but rather an indescribable, ancient, and heavy aroma.

It's as if something has been sleeping in this mountain range for millions of years and has yet to awaken.

"The carriage can't go any further." Vio turned around and looked at the coachman behind him.

He was a taciturn middle-aged man, stocky in build, with his face etched with the marks of time.

He was wearing a thick fur coat, a fur hat common in the North, and a long whip in his hand.

He was an old coachman that Vio brought out from the Grey Hyena mercenary group stationed in the Black Forest. His loyalty was as high as 95%, making him a trustworthy person.

"You stay here." Vio unloaded the luggage from his horse, giving some to Alec and some to the coachman. "We'll be back in ten days at most."

Vio didn't continue, but spoke decisively. He was confident in his speed; even if there really was a dragon, he could run away if he couldn't beat it.

The old coachman nodded without saying a word, but drove the carriage behind a sheltered boulder and began to untie the horse's harness, preparing to camp there.

Vio and Alec picked up their luggage and headed towards the scree slope. The path was much more difficult than they had anticipated.

The gravel rolled underfoot, and every step had to be taken with utmost care, lest one slip. There was almost no path on the steep slope, and one could only climb with difficulty along the narrow trails trodden by the ibex.

Alec, who knew the way a little, walked ahead with a map and a greatsword on his back, taking each step steadily. Vio followed behind him, slowly circulating his breathing techniques to conserve his strength.

"Something's not right here." Alec suddenly stopped, his gray eyes scanning his surroundings.

Vio sensed it too.

The ancient and heavy aura grew stronger, as if some enormous being was nearby, watching them.

His knightly aura involuntarily unfolded, blocking out the oppressive feeling, but one could still feel a faint stinging sensation.

"Keep going," Vio said.

The two continued climbing upwards, the mountain becoming steeper and the loose rocks becoming fewer, replaced by rock walls.

The rock face is covered with cracks, some wide enough to fit a hand, others as thin as a hair.

Vio reached out and touched the cracks. They felt cold and smooth, not like they were formed naturally, but more like they were scratched by the claws of something.

"Come and see this," Alec's voice came from above.

Vio climbed up and saw Alec crouching in front of a huge rock.

The surface of the rock was etched with strange patterns, not words or designs, but symbols never seen before.

They are arranged neatly and in uniform shades, clearly man-made—or rather, carved by some intelligent creature.

"These are... magical runes?" Vio asked.

Alec shook his head. "It doesn't seem like it, it's more like... a mark, a territory mark."

Vio frowned. If it really was a territory marker, how big would the owner of this territory be?

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly felt a strong aura coming from the mountaintop.

The aura was so tangible that it almost suffocated him. His knightly aura automatically contracted, forming an invisible barrier around his body, which barely blocked the oppressive feeling.

Alec's expression changed as well. He placed his hand on the hilt of his greatsword, his gray eyes fixed on the direction of the mountain peak.

"What is that?" Vio asked in a low voice.

Alec shook his head, slowly stood up, and gazed at the towering mountain silhouette that seemed to pierce the clouds.

A faint, low hum could be heard in the air, like the breathing of some giant beast, or like a tremor deep within the earth.

It's not a monster.

Stronger, older, and more primitive than monsters.

"Be careful, be prepared for battle and defense at any time," Vio said. "Keep moving forward."

The two stood up and continued forward. Behind them, pebbles tumbled down, making a whooshing sound, which was quickly swallowed by the wind.

The atmosphere ahead grew stronger, and the cold wind grew colder.

The deep humming sound grew clearer and closer, and Vio could sense that something was waiting for them ahead.

It was neither human nor monster, but something much larger and more ancient!