The next day, the caravan woke up late. In the morning, a dense fog enveloped the forest, covering the entire Hordaland Mountains in a thick white mist. Visibility was almost zero. In such conditions, the caravan dared not set out, and everyone prepared to wait in place.
"With this kind of fog, Mr. Mats, are you really planning to enter the mountains? It's too dangerous," came the dry, emotionless voice of Bilger.
"No, no, Mr. Bilger, you only know part of it. I've run many routes through Nord. When there's a thick morning fog, it means the sun will shine later in the morning, so today's journey will be easier," said Oliver confidently, his face full of assurance.
True to the Imperial merchant's words, as time passed, the fog gradually lifted, and the sun rose from the east. The bright sunlight fell on everyone, warming their hearts. It had been days since they had seen the sun.
"Long live the God of Dawn!"
"Praise the God of Dawn!"
"Wonderful! The sun is out!"
The people of the caravan cheered loudly. Oliver, seeing this, stroked his beard with a hint of pride on his face. This was his experience from years of trading between Nord and the Empire. "Time is money, my friends. Let's get moving."
The sound of wagon wheels and horse hooves echoed on the mountain path. This once-prosperous trade route hadn't been abandoned for long. Weeds grew thick along the road, and remnants of the old path were still visible. The view on both sides of the mountain path was quite open. Ryan noticed a collapsed outpost by the roadside and spurred his horse to check it out.
"Mr. Ryan?" The half-elf also came forward. Estelle had donned a full set of light leather armor today. Elves, especially wood elves who had integrated into the forest, were not known for their strength and stamina, so light armor was practical for mountain travel.
Grey Blade Bilger also appeared, his hoarse voice adding, "We've been here before. Aside from some weapons, we didn't find anything else."
"You mean this outpost was abandoned intentionally?" Ryan stroked his chin.
"Look at this, Mr. Ryan." Bilger led them inside the tower, showing the undamaged winch and axle used to open the gate. "The original garrison left in an orderly manner. This place was abandoned intentionally."
"Why was this place abandoned? Do you have any ideas, Mr. Ryan?" The half-elf lightly vaulted over the wall and asked Ryan.
"Hmm." Ryan nodded, then shook his head. "I don't know the exact reason, but it probably has to do with that incident."
"That incident?"
"Something a mission knight stirred up," Ryan said, indicating there was nothing more to see here, and the three left the tower.
"Tch, those brainless fools again. I don't understand why their Lady keeps letting these beasts loose to bite people," Bilger's voice was filled with deep resentment.
"We cross high mountains, we ford great rivers, we delve into the deepest underground, we slay the most terrifying monsters. What must we do to earn your favor, my Lady?" —Gascogne, Bretonnia Questing Knight
Bretonnia, renowned as a knightly kingdom, was famous across the continent. However, its titles and practices differed slightly from those in the Empire and the Nord Kingdom.
In Bretonnia, a unique situation existed. Since the first knight king, Arthur, drank from the Holy Grail of the Lady of the Lake and gained unparalleled strength, Bretonnia's knights have sought the Grail as their ultimate goal. Kingdom knights could advance to questing knights, blessed by the Lady of the Lake and far stronger than ordinary knights.
Questing knights could choose to abandon all they had and embark on the Grail Quest. The Lady of the Lake would bestow a divine mission upon these knights. In the coming months or even years, questing knights would forsake all worldly possessions and titles, focusing solely on completing the Lady's trials. Their lives would be filled with hardships and tests, constantly challenging their spirit, body, and even soul.
In these endless trials, most questing knights would fail or die, forever yearning for the Grail. Only a few would succeed. Upon completing the Lady's mission, the deity would descend before them, and the knights would drink from the Holy Grail. Their bodies and lives would be permanently changed by the blessed water. They would become legendary Grail Knights, endowed with long life and immense power. These knights, embodying chivalric virtues and divine blessings, were the strongest on the continent and the core strength of Bretonnia, which still stands proud and feared.
The charge of the Grail Knights was a sight of terror for the world. Even angels and demons, or the mightiest Chaos champions, would be torn apart like rags before these knights. The story of Grail Knights breaking through Chaos armies head-on 150 years ago is still told today. Their presence made all nations wary. When other forces declared war on Bretonnia, they always considered whether their armies could withstand the knights' charge.
However, questing knights were also the most hated and rejected by mercenaries. The reason was simple: they competed with mercenaries for jobs. To attract the Lady's attention, questing knights often displayed their "compassion" and "chivalry." They charged very low fees—very, very low—and often completed tasks well. What ordinary mercenaries could handle, for a questing knight was trivial.
This practice disrupted the market. Questing knights often squeezed mercenaries' living space. Cunning villagers and lords took advantage to lower prices, forcing mercenaries to accept much lower pay and still being called greedy vampires.
"I don't know the specifics," Ryan shook his head. "I heard a questing knight from the south entered the deep mountains and did something. After that, with monsters rampaging, the trade route was abandoned, and the knight disappeared."
"Hmph! Those beasts must have caused it," Bilger muttered, walking away alone.
Ryan and Estelle exchanged looks. The half-elf shrugged helplessly. Mercenaries' hatred for questing knights was certain. With this place explored, it was time to leave.
Mounting his horse, Ryan initiated conversation, "Mr. Estelle, you're from the Loren Forest. How much do you know about these questing knights?"
"Not much," Estelle also mounted his horse, easily settling into the saddle with elven grace. "The forest doesn't welcome questing knights. Sometimes, to prove themselves to their Lady, they plan to release sealed evil creatures to defeat them."
"Perhaps that's a required lesson from the Lady of the Lake," Ryan laughed.
It's normal for questing knights to charge little. To start the Grail Quest, one must first become a kingdom knight, meaning they face no financial pressure. Ryan had seen a legendary questing knight carrying fifty kilograms of food and wearing full armor, wandering casually in the wild. They did everything to attract the Lady's attention and complete the Grail Quest. Their charges were symbolic, just covering armor maintenance and food costs. Such low costs were impossible for mercenaries.
Carrying fifty kilograms of food wasn't much. Legendary warriors had huge appetites, two or three times that of normal people. When crossing uninhabited areas and mountains, Ryan had carried up to a hundred kilograms of food until he spent a lot of money and used connections to get a spatial ring from the Garon Council.
Speaking of which, Ryan turned his attention back to the caravan.
"Lady Trovik, your handgun is?" Oliver was talking to the sorceress, eyeing the firearm in her hand with envy. Teresa was in a good mood today, riding a horse instead of sitting in the carriage.
"This was purchased by Garon from the dwarves of the World's Edge Mountains," Teresa replied. She wore a brown leather coat with a thick fur collar, a white shirt, and a scarf. A sapphire necklace hung from her swan-like neck. Her long legs in tight black leather pants and high-heeled boots drew many men's gazes in the caravan.
"Oh, that's wonderful~ I've always wanted a handgun like this but couldn't find a way to get one~" Oliver scratched his head, very humble. "Having firearms makes the road much safer, doesn't it?"
"Maybe." Rost still wore the same clothes, his barbarian armor emitting a strong animal smell. "I still think these firearms might be useful in sieges, but in field battles, our weapons are better, right?"
"..." The sorceress, in a good mood, didn't argue with Rost. They had encountered many troubles in their adventure, and despite little progress in over ten days, the journey had been rewarding in many ways.
Seeing the sorceress didn't respond, Oliver swallowed his next question. He had planned to ask if she could sell him a few firearms at a high price.
Dwarven handguns were a standard accessory in high society, especially popular in the Empire. Oliver had longed for one but knew better than to anger a legendary spellcaster.
The caravan moved slowly through the forest. Ryan, riding leisurely, recited words that only half made sense: "So, the mountain's height doesn't matter if it has Lin Zexu, and the water's depth doesn't matter if it has Jiang..."
"I've never heard that proverb," Teresa said, guiding her horse beside Ryan's and turning to look at him.
"Never mind, it's not important. Look, we're about to leave the forest," Ryan said, spreading his hands.
Yes, after a whole morning's journey, they finally exited the forest. Despite it being midwinter, the warm sunlight from the mountain peaks bathed the land. After leaving the forest, the hillside was covered
in meadows. The landscape was a mix of yellow grass and white snow, with layers of mist in the valleys resembling a vast ocean.
It was a sea of clouds.
"Beautiful," Ryan said, stroking his horse, Pinecone. "Do you like it?"
"I see this kind of view every day at Sky Castle," the sorceress replied indifferently. Ryan could only give a wry smile. The headquarters of the Garon Council, Sky Castle, was located on a thousand-meter-high mountain at the edge of the World's Spine Mountains, where the sea of clouds was a daily sight.
"Sky Castle is indeed a beautiful place," the half-elf interjected, brushing his long hair. "I once dreamed of reaching Sky Castle alone..."
"Impossible! To reach Sky Castle alone, you'd need a full set of cold-resistant gear, twenty pounds of food per person, fire-starting materials, and a tent," Ryan interrupted. "Two years ago, I went to Sky Castle alone, carrying over a hundred pounds of supplies. It took me seven days to travel fifty miles a day, fighting countless battles along the way, killing three ice giants, countless spiders, fire lizards, ice lizards, bears, and wolves."
Yes, the road to Sky Castle was that dangerous. Located at the world's edge, the path offered no supplies except snow water and wild grass, with countless fierce beasts. Adventurers called this path the "Path of Glory."
It wasn't that walking this path was glorious, but rather the chances of "becoming glorious" were high.
"You've been to Sky Castle?" The sorceress's interest was piqued, her eyes sparkling. "I didn't know that."