"Alright, fellas. Time to head home."

Golden Dragon Sun let out a low, pleased draconic roar and rose from the ground, its colossal body casting a massive shadow.

Moonlight and Coal Ball leaped up one after the other, landing on Raylo’s shoulders.

Not far away, a hundred-man Thunder Dragon Knight Squadron, clad in silver-blue Knight Heavy Armor and mounted on powerful warhorses, had already assembled. They stood silently, awaiting their future Commander-in-Chief.

Watching Raylo’s departing figure, Aiden Duke remained where he stood, unmoving for a long time.

The sound of footsteps came from behind him. At some point, Gaius had appeared behind Aiden Duke, unnoticed.

He watched as Raylo’s party disappeared through the gates of the Royal Palace, his gaze tinged with a lingering worry.

"As for Lady Anna..."

Gaius’s voice was low. He only spoke half the sentence, but his meaning was clear enough.

Lady Anna—the Duke’s wife, Arthur’s mother.

Aiden Duke did not turn around.

He was silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.

"A storm is coming, Gaius."

"You and I both know Arthur’s temperament best. He’s a good boy—kind and gentle—but he’s a flower raised in a greenhouse. He cannot bear the heavy crown of the Thunder Dragon Duchy. The coming storm would easily uproot him."

He turned and looked directly at his closest friend, the man he had grown up with, his eyes more serious than ever before.

"Raylo is different. He has endured the poverty and savagery of the Northern Territory. I have seen that he is calm, powerful, and ruthless enough. The Thunder Dragon Duchy needs an heir like that—a Crown Prince who can ride the storm, not be consumed by it."

"I owe Anna and Arthur a great deal, but the future of the Duchy cannot be compromised."

Seeing the resolve in the Duke’s eyes, Gaius silently lowered his head.

He knew the Duke had made up his mind, and no one could sway him.

High in the heavens, the Cloud Sea churned.

A tawny Griffin King with a wingspan of nearly twenty meters soared at high speed, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky.

Its iron-like feathers clanged, and every flap of its wings stirred up a violent gust of air. It was none other than Raylo’s mount, Baofeng.

Behind Baofeng, sixteen Griffin Knights flew in a tight V-formation, following closely.

And to the side of their formation, a hundred-meter-long Golden Dragon leisurely flapped its massive Dragon Wings, keeping pace with them.

Golden Dragon Sun’s colossal body cast a huge shadow among the clouds, and each breath seemed to inhale and exhale wind and thunder.

Its brilliant golden scales glittered in the sunlight, like a moving mountain range of gold, exerting a mountain-like pressure on the Griffin Knights beside it.

Raylo sat on Baofeng’s broad back, facing the biting, high-altitude winds, a smile touching the corners of his lips.

On his shoulder, Moonlight was curled into a lazy white furball, its pale golden eyes half-closed as it enjoyed the sunlight.

And from his collar on the other side, Coal Ball poked out its small black head, curiously observing the mountains and rivers rapidly passing below.

The glory and clamor of his recent appointment as Crown Prince seemed to have been washed away by the vast expanse of the sky and the howling wind.

His heart had long since flown back to the land that was his.

As for the Thunder Dragon Knight Squadron granted to him by the Duke, which reported directly to the Crown Prince, Raylo did not have them travel with him.

The mounts of these Elite Knights were warhorses, not Flying Magical Beasts. Having them make their own way to Black Stone Territory would allow them to familiarize themselves with the geography of the Northern Duchy.

A few days later, as the setting sun painted the horizon a magnificent shade of orange-red, the rugged and sturdy silhouette of Black Stone Castle finally appeared on the horizon.

"ROAR!"

Golden Dragon Sun let out a soaring draconic roar, announcing the Lord’s return.

On the castle walls, the patrolling Knights were stunned for a moment, then burst into sky-shaking cheers.

Baofeng carried Raylo down to a smooth landing in the open space before the castle, and the Griffin Knights landed in sequence as well.

Scribe Evan was already waiting there with several Personal Guards.

"Lord, you have returned."

Raylo vaulted off his mount and clapped Evan on the shoulder.

"Has everything in the territory been well in my absence?"

"All is well, Lord." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Evan stood up, his expression returning to its usual composure, but he then added.

"It’s just... an envoy from the Eternal Giant Turtle has been waiting for you in the castle for several days."

Raylo raised an eyebrow.

"Have him meet me in the reception hall."

Raylo gave the order without a moment’s delay.

In the castle’s reception hall, Raylo met the envoy from the Black Water River.

He was a hunched Fishman with moist, smooth skin of a deep, dark green, dotted with moss-like specks.

He leaned on a Magic Staff made of intertwined Sinking Wood and Coral and was draped in a Sacrificial Robe woven from some kind of seaweed. A peculiar scent filled the air—a mixture of the briny smell of river water and the fresh aroma of aquatic plants.

Seeing Raylo enter, the elderly Fishman Priest tapped his Magic Staff lightly on the stone floor, producing a dull thud. Then, with an ancient and complex gesture, he bowed deeply to Raylo.

"GURGLE... JIBBER-JABBER... HISS..."

A series of sounds that would be incomprehensible to most, like bubbles popping in mud, issued from the Fishman Priest’s throat.

Yet, as these strange syllables reached Raylo’s ears, they clearly transformed into a meaning he could understand, as if some invisible Power were translating them.

"Greetings to our great human ally, the conqueror of Black Stone Territory, Count Raylo, from the master of the Black Water River."

Raylo gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite, while he himself took the seat of honor.

Moonlight leaped gracefully onto the table beside him, curiously sizing up the dripping wet creature.

The Fishman Priest did not sit, but continued speaking in that unique language.

"The great master of the Black Water River has gathered his people and has launched a holy war of purification against the false king of the Jade Swamp. The turbid swamp will be cleansed by clear river water, and the vile Demon Serpents will pay the price for their arrogance."

"I have come on the order of the great master of the Black Water River, the Eternal Giant Turtle. In accordance with our treaty, we hope our great human ally will fulfill his promise and attack those disgusting swamp monsters."

Raylo understood. He looked at the Fishman Priest before him.

"Go back and tell the great master of the Black Water River."

Raylo’s voice echoed in the reception hall.

"I will fulfill our agreement. The war banners of Black Stone Territory will soon appear on the borders of the Jade Swamp."

A flicker of light seemed to flash in the Fishman Priest’s bulbous eyes.

He bowed deeply once more, a series of more rapid "GURGLE" sounds coming from his throat, as if expressing thanks and respect.

Then, he turned and walked out of Black Stone Castle with a somewhat staggering gait.