"The Mordrigan Peaks?" Lord Fredrick was doubtful. "I've heard of this place before. It's a mountain range in the Zino Kingdom, famed for its dangerous terrain and unpredictable weather. There were many expeditions to explore it in the past, but few returned. Merchants and convoys intentionally steer around it, even if it means making a big detour. As a result of its mystery, there are countless folk tales and rumors about these mountains. People say at night, there are ghosts, and at day, there are monsters wandering about. It's quite renown."
Elizabeth squinted. "Actually, we can see the Mordrigan Peaks from here. If you look in that direction, those are the mountains. However, they aren't that close to us. It would take a normal person half a day to walk that distance. And more importantly, there is nothing there. Why would this villager travel there and back?" She felt suspicious, because according to Lord Fredrick's information, the Nebulous Star Core came from a quarry, and there was certainly no quarry at the Mordrigan Peaks. Although she was not omniscient and did not know absolutely everything, she was more than ninety percent confident in this. Elizabeth was starting to doubt the rock's origin.
"Tell me about this villager," Lord Fredrick also voiced his suspicions.
The guard replied, "Deceased, sixty years old when he passed away four years ago. He has no relatives and no children. His family ended with his death. His house was inherited by his neighbour and friend."
"What about his occupation? Did he leave anything behind?"
"He was a shepherd. He left very little behind and nothing substantial."
"What of his personality? What did people think of him?"
"People said he was a diligent and hardworking individual, though he often butted heads with people. Overall, his impression was a good one."
"A dead end, huh? What should we do now, Your Highness?"
"…" Elizabeth felt things were not as simple as they seemed. Unease grew inside her.
"The Mordrigan Peaks? Huh. What a coincidence. I've been there before," Shirley, who was standing behind Elizabeth, blurted out.
"Oh, right. I think you mentioned this once," Benedict recalled. It was so long ago, that he almost forgot this detail.
"Was there a quarry or anything like that there?" Freon asked the key question.
Shirley frowned, sifting through her memories from a year ago. "I don't think so, but I didn't go very far. I stayed around the base of the mountains. I didn't travel up the waist or the peaks. All I know is that there are an uncountable number of strong beasts and strange things up there." As she said that, the hair on her body raised. The sudden chill made her shiver.
"What strange things?" Freon raised an eyebrow. "You don't mean… ghosts or the sort, right?" He had a mocking smile.
"No, I don't mean ghosts."
"Then what did you see?" Nassandra was very curious.
"I didn't see anything, but… whenever night fell, there would always be these strange voices… whispering things to me. So, I made sure to sleep with my back against the wall and both eyes open. I was terrified there was something out there, waiting for me to fully fall asleep."
Benedict asked slowly, "Were there any traces of wild animals or humans?" He was… a little frightened of these stories, since he was young, though he would never admit it now.
Shirley denied it. "No, I couldn't find any traces."
"You were probably tired. It must have been the wind or illusions," Freon logically pointed out.
The girl pursed her lips, because she was unsure herself.
"Pardon me for asking, but why were you on the Mordrigan Peaks?" Lord Fredrick wondered.
"Oh, I was training there for a few months by myself."
The smile on Lord Fredrick's face went stiff. The Mordrigan Peaks! It was a famous death zone, and she was actually there to train by herself? And for months too? He did not know whether she was bold or crazy! As expected of a famed war hero, one who distinguished herself in a sea of millions. She was naturally extraordinary! Lord Fredrick had to look at her in a new light, albeit a slightly insane light.
Compared to him, his guard, the tall man, thought differently. He had decades of combat experience, so he could tell that Shirley was an amateur when it came to fighting techniques. She did not have the demeanor of an expert. She was not even a Perception Realm! And here she was, getting spooked by the wind. The guard looked down on her, thinking the Mordrigan Peaks was nothing special. It was probably exaggerated to death.
"What do you think, Elizabeth? Should we head there next?" Benedict asked.
She did not answer. Her brows were knitted tightly.
"Elizabeth?"
"Sorry, I was thinking about something. What was the question?"
"Should we go to the Mordrigan Peaks next?"
Elizabeth lowered her head. "Although I didn't expect this, we have enough supplies for a week. It shouldn't be a problem to explore the mountains for a while. But I don't know. This could be dangerous. We can't bring everyone." Her eyes fell on Nassandra in particular. "In my opinion, we should return to Firecast first. We know where our goal is now. Later, we can gather more people and comb through the mountains thoroughly."
Benedict saw who she was looking at and understood. "You're right. Let's return after preparing more. We shouldn't rush this."
"That's how it is. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Lord Fredrick, Lady Kalasena."
"Hm… Nothing we can do about that," Lord Fredrick replied lightheartedly. He was not the leader of the expedition. Elizabeth was. Since she wanted to stop, then so be it. All he wanted to do was fulfill his end of the deal, to exchange for information about the Xingyuu Empire. The result of this trip did not matter to him.
Lady Kalasena had been standing nearby, not saying anything as per usual. It was like she was a tree or a wall, a part of the background, blending in seamlessly without anyone knowing. Her lack of presence was greater than Yuna, who was already extremely introverted herself. It was a tad unsettling. However, that did not mean she was daydreaming or ignoring them. She heard everything clearly. Although she wanted to gain more combat experience, she was not fixated on it. She would not raise a fuss.
Yuna exhaled a breath of turbid air. Her muscles relaxed, and she felt relieved. She was actually dreading the upcoming hunt, so this was the ideal outcome for her. She could not help but praise Elizabeth for the timely pardon. As for Sir Melvin, Lady Rainie, and Sir Pelton, the three junior knights invited by Benedict, they were not even a part of the conversation. In the first place, they were left in the dark about the true purpose of this trip. They did not have a say. And Elder Unvo was instructed not to land in the village to avoid scaring people. He was somewhere else, resting his wings. Only Nassandra was left in the back with a murky face. The girl clenched her fists tightly. Nobody noticed.
"It's already late. We should stay here for the night and return to Firecast tomorrow."
"About that, Your Highness, the village chief mentioned they have empty houses that we could use," Lord Fredrick's guard said.
"Then let's do that," Elizabeth said.
The entire time, they did not ask Nassandra for her opinion. Almost like she was a child. Nassandra gritted her teeth in frustration. At night, they were enjoying dinner, when Nassandra got up. She made up an excuse that she wanted to rest. Their sleeping quarters were in another room, so nobody found it strange that she walked out. She packed her things, while her heart was in turmoil. Tears threatened to fall from her reddened eyes. The girl snuck out the backdoor, but how could the guards not notice? It was Sir Melvin who discovered her. He looked at her thick clothes, hooded coat, and large bag of supplies. This made him frown inwardly.
"Lady Nassandra, where are you going?"
"It's none of your business," she snorted.
"…It is my business. Does Her Highness know about this?"
"Of course, she does."
Sir Melvin squinted. He could smell a lie when he heard one. But… she was a Ten Dawn, someone who outranked him considerably. He could not exactly expose her lies or detain her. Therefore, he quickly said, "Then please follow me. I need permission from Her Highness before I can let you leave."
"Permission again…" Nassandra muttered under her breath. A sad glint flashed across her face.