Every member of the Night Owl Squad harbored immense hostility towards Reed Dreya—endlessly deeper than His Majesty Echel’s understated national disputes—reflected in their blood-thirsty gazes.

It was only after Echel’s repeated warnings that the group finally averted their eyes.

"Obey the orders, Reed is not your enemy, nor is Dreya. The past conflicts have become history. Now, as my friends, Mr. Reed is the one you need to protect, your mission,"

Your will," the Night Owl Squad bowed their heads, and when they raised them again, their gaze had returned to indifference. They hadn’t forgotten their hatred; they merely buried it deep inside.

Reed showed no reaction to all this, or perhaps he was already mentally prepared, remaining silent as if he were a statue.

"When the moonlight appears in the third canopy, we shall depart for Dreya."

Lyle watched all this, then walked to Echel’s side.

"They harbor an unusual amount of resentment towards Mr. Reed,"

"It’s not Reed’s fault, nor is it theirs," said Echel, sorrow showing in his eyes before he put on a carefree smile.

"Don’t worry, Lyle. This is just a family visit, stealthy perhaps, but not particularly dangerous."

Beyond the jungle inhabited by the Liveser, lay a barren plain, where the occasional shrub was the only cover breaking the monotony of the landscape. The moonlight cast the earth in a light blue hue, imbuing it with a cold, mournful color.

The walls of Dreya appeared on the horizon the moment they cleared the dense woods, a city-state rising abruptly from the grassless plain. Even as a small black dot in the distance, it was unmistakably prominent.

Under the moonlight, shadows of only three riders progressed forward.

The Night Owl Squad disappeared into the air, but Reed’s silence indicated that they were right beside him.

"The natural camouflage ability of the Liveser’s elite Rangers allows them to blend into the surroundings even without cover," Echel boasted proudly, "As for the Rangers’ mobility, it’s even faster than you on horseback."

Riding at the forefront of the trio, Reed was the most skilled in horsemanship, a Dreya knight accustomed to steel and horse companionship. Echel clung to the horse’s back just for fun, making use of the Ranger’s balance skills.

Even so, Lyle remained in the last place, gripping the reins, adjusting to the jolting ride, and swatting away Nia’s tentacles that reached out to the horse in curiosity.

"Little horse!"

"Don’t think about it, we need to make haste,"

"But, doesn’t Lyle have the Spine Wheel?"

"..." Lyle didn’t want to reply to Nia; of course, the Spine Wheel could make the journey faster, but he was a guest at the moment, better to receive Echel’s goodwill. Surely he wasn’t going to let Nia kill the horse and then turn to Echel and say, "This won’t do."

After calming her mood with some of Mr. Raymond’s Holy Light Cuisine, Lyle continued on the journey.

Suddenly, Lyle felt someone behind him.

"It’s me, Zhen. Mr. Lyle," Zhen patted Lyle’s back, "I happen to have some interest in this beast too, Mr. Lyle, could you let me play with the reins?"

Riding a horse was definitely not the reason Zhen approached Lyle, as he handled the reins much more adeptly than a beginner.

"Mr. Lyle, can you tell me the reason the old king is taking us to Dreya? Understanding the intelligence is helpful for our work,"

"Why don’t you just ask His Majesty Echel?"

"The old king doesn’t like our suspicions about the Dead King, he mostly won’t tell me. Death has made him a bit indifferent, but we are not."

"... We’re going to visit Queen Dreya’s granddaughter, the current Queen Dreya. But we’ll likely only watch from afar, as Reed has strong opinions about the dead intervening in the living."

"I see, but this journey may not be as easy as you think it will be."

"Why not?"

"Dreya is a sinister place. They maintain the façade of an armed nation, but there’s something else hidden within..."

"Mr. Reed never mentioned any of this."

"Who knows, maybe that suit of iron armor hides a despicable heart, or perhaps it blinded his eyes. He’s been dead long enough, and in that time, anything could change. The citizens of Dreya have always harbored animosity towards us."

Scratching his head, the Ranger added, "The Zither Bird told us the birds no longer stay in Dreya, that only realm on the desolate plains is brewing something."

"Something bad."

"Does Mr. Echel know about what you’re saying?"

"He doesn’t. I haven’t told him. These are just some things I’ve surmised based on instinct and disgust while scouting. Even if I had told him, he would probably say it’s hatred that blinds the eyes of the Night Owl." With a nonchalant hum, the Ranger continued, "Everyone in the Night Owl Squad says the old king has changed, that death must have taken something from him."

"Taken away his hatred for Dreya."

Lyle didn’t really like what the Ranger was saying; he had seen the interactions between His Majesty Echel and Mr. Reed in the ’Memories of Twilight,’ and they were friends, good friends.

"Why should His Majesty Echel hate him? Aside from the disputes arising from cultural differences, they had no conflict."

The Ranger spat contemptuously.

"No conflict? The Night Owl died in Dreya! Isn’t that enough?"

The Night Owl died in Dreya? Before Lyle could ask for details, a breeze blew by.

In the wind was a strange fragrance, as if a pair of hands were wrapping around Lyle’s neck.

"Ugh." The Ranger was "carried away" by the "breeze," and Lyle received the alert too. His body encountered interference from a blend of five plant toxins; Nia’s tendrils covered Lyle’s body, and the Plague Messenger’s power instantly devoured the toxins, incorporating them into the plague.

A soft voice appeared at Lyle’s ear, and Lyle felt an additional presence behind him; he also heard the horses’ distressed neighs, seemingly unwelcoming to the owner of the exotic fragrance.

An arm with a black feathered glove wrapped around Lyle’s shoulder, entering his line of sight.

Zhen held out a small glass vial against Lyle’s chest.

"Antidote... useless for you, so consider it a gift," she said.

Clasping the fragrant small bottle, Lyle replied, "Thank you."

"Forget what the Ranger said; he’s just a child who’s heard too many stories."

Feeling the arms about to withdraw, Lyle voiced his question.

"Who is the Night Owl?"

The exotic fragrance hesitated for a moment.

"The reason for Liveser’s decay, our former captain."

"Carnot Livesey."

"Her Highness Kayla’s father."

"His Majesty Echel’s son."