Count Perlen remained seated in silence.
The office had grown quiet once again.
Only the steady ticking of the grandfather clock echoed softly through the room.
His gaze lingered on the report resting before him.
Then—
his thoughts drifted back to the conversation from the previous day.
To Xiomara.
*"Don't get involved with anything concerning that child."*
He leaned back slowly in his chair.
"...Though Mara warned me..."
A quiet sigh escaped his lips.
"...I can't exactly pretend none of this is happening."
His eyes shifted toward the tall window overlooking Greywater.
More airships continued to arrive.
With every passing hour, more unfamiliar faces filled the city's streets.
Greywater had become the center of attention almost overnight.
"If his intention is simply to pass through..."
"...then neither I nor Greywater has any reason to interfere."
He tapped a finger lightly against the polished surface of his desk.
"There are already more than enough people eager to chase him."
His eyes lowered to the bounty notice lying beneath the stack of reports.
**300,000 gold.**
Even for a Count—
it was a staggering amount of money.
Enough to tempt entire kingdoms.
Enough to make lifelong allies betray one another.
"...It isn't a small sum."
For many—
the reward alone would outweigh reason.
Count Perlen was under no illusions.
By now—
the roads surrounding Greywater would already be crawling with bounty hunters, mercenaries, adventurers, and fortune seekers.
All pursuing the same prey.
He exhaled quietly.
Then reached toward the corner of his desk.
Resting there—
upon an ornate silver stand—
was a smooth crystal orb.
A communication artifact.
His fingertips brushed gently across its polished surface.
Mana flowed into the intricate formation engraved within.
The crystal orb glowed with a soft blue radiance.
A translucent holographic display unfolded into the air.
Rows of names appeared one after another.
Officials.
Trusted allies.
Military commanders.
Family.
His hand moved calmly through the floating list.
Then stopped.
**Mara.**
He tapped the name once.
The hologram pulsed.
A clear ringing tone echoed quietly throughout the office.
*Ring...*
*Ring...*
*Ring...*
Count Perlen waited patiently.
Curious whether his older sister would answer—
or simply ignore him, as she so often did.
---
The sun slowly descended toward the western horizon.
Its golden light filtered through the dense forest canopy.
Long shadows stretched between the towering trees.
The wilderness had grown strangely quiet.
Only two figures disturbed the evening silence.
They moved like ghosts.
One across the forest floor.
One through the air above.
Crimson mana wrapped around both of them as they traversed the forest at frightening speed.
Tree after tree vanished behind them.
Above—
Aldric let out a long, exhausted sigh.
"...The damn sun's finally going down."
He stretched one wing before folding it neatly against his back.
"I swear..."
"...flying beneath that thing for days straight was one of the stupidest ideas I've ever had."
He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"I barely recovered any mana during the day."
"The only time I actually got any proper rest was at night."
His gaze drifted toward the sinking sun.
"...Never doing that again."
Below—
Draven never slowed.
His cloak fluttered behind him as he ran.
The black cat remained comfortably curled inside the hood.
The blue slime wobbled gently atop his head beneath the fabric.
Neither companion seemed the least bit bothered by the relentless pace.
After a moment—
Aldric looked down.
"So."
"You said the next country is Eirundor, right?"
Draven stepped effortlessly over another fallen tree trunk.
"Yeah."
A brief silence followed.
"We'll cross the border tonight."
Aldric grinned.
"Good."
"I'm really not interested in running across another kingdom like this."
He folded his arms behind his head while continuing to fly.
"I've had enough forests to last me for a while."
Draven offered no reply.
Instead—
he accelerated once more.
The last traces of sunlight disappeared behind the distant mountains.
Night steadily settled over the land.
And with it—
their destination drew ever closer.
---
Far ahead—
at the eastern frontier—
stood **Felhaven**.
A massive fortified border city marking the edge of the kingdom and the beginning of the Kingdom of Eirundor.
Under normal circumstances—
its gates welcomed merchants, caravans, wandering adventurers, and the occasional traveler.
Today—
it was overflowing.
Above the city—
airships descended one after another toward the bustling skyport.
Their enchanted engines hummed through the evening air as docking crews hurried to receive each arriving vessel.
At the heart of the city—
the Spatial Port glowed without interruption.
Teleportation circles flashed continuously.
Every few moments—
another group emerged.
Mercenaries.
Bounty hunters.
Adventurers.
Independent mages.
Knightly escorts.
Even the personal retainers of noble families.
The streets had become packed beyond capacity.
Outside the city walls—
the eastern road leading toward the frontier had transformed into a sea of people.
Thousands moved in the same direction.
No one wanted to be left behind.
Some sprinted on foot—
pushing through the crowded roads with desperate urgency.
Others rode massive horn horses, their thunderous hooves shaking the earth as they galloped toward the border.
Several beast tamers guided enormous wolf-like magical beasts through the swelling crowd.
Above them—
mages and aerial warriors streaked across the darkening sky, leaving shimmering trails of mana in their wake.
Flying mounts circled overhead.
Winged horses.
Giant hawks.
Even wyverns.
The sky itself had become another highway.
Dust billowed endlessly from the roads below.
The entire eastern frontier had transformed into a vast river of humanity.
---
Upon the towering border walls—
soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder.
Their expressions were anything but relaxed.
Captain after captain watched the endless procession of newcomers.
One veteran officer slowly lowered his spyglass.
"...This is insane."
Beside him—
another officer nodded grimly.
"I've never seen the border this crowded."
"Not even during festival season."
Below—
the military checkpoint struggled to maintain order.
Guards shouted commands.
Travel permits were inspected as quickly as possible.
Long lines stretched far beyond the city gates.
Every few moments—
another argument broke out.
Someone always tried to skip ahead.
Someone always claimed to be on urgent business.
Yet the soldiers refused to yield.
Beyond the walls—
a sprawling military encampment had been established across the frontier plains.
Rows upon rows of tents stretched toward the horizon.
Signal towers stood ready.
Supply wagons arrived without pause.
Mounted patrols rode back and forth tirelessly.
Reinforcements from nearby forts continued arriving throughout the evening.
The commanders weren't preparing for an invasion.
They were preparing for chaos.
Because no one knew exactly what would happen—
if the one known as the Dark One truly appeared.
Inside the command tent—
large maps covered an enormous wooden table.
Colored markers indicated patrol routes.
Known gathering points.
Major roads leading into Eirundor.
One commander studied the map in silence before speaking quietly.
"...If even half the rumors are true..."
He lifted his eyes toward the crowded frontier beyond the tent.
"...then this border is about to become the most dangerous place in the entire kingdom."
No one disagreed.
Outside—
the sun had fully disappeared beyond the horizon.
Darkness settled across the frontier.
Yet the endless stream of people never slowed.
If anything—
it only grew larger.
From every corner of the continent—
more were still coming.
All chasing the same shadow.
All hoping to find the Dark One before anyone else did.