The night was ink-black, with stars scattered across the sky. A silver moon hung high, casting a pale glow over the forest at the foot of Proadas Mountain.
A soft breeze whispered through the trees, their branches swaying in harmony, producing a melodious, almost sorrowful sound. The deep darkness enveloped the inner reaches of the forest, while a shaft of moonlight traveled with the wind, flowing over mountain valleys and illuminating the rocky bottom of a deep pool.
It was a night without dreams.
The next morning, the sky grew heavy with dark clouds, and rain began to fall.
Fiona left in a hurry, using the overcast weather to quietly return to the palace on the mountain. As the Empress, she naturally had a room within the palace. Though Amigul, the Goblin Emperor, had little interest in human women, he would not allow his Empress to wander freely.
At the heart of the forest, Jano stood silently, watching as the rain soaked the green fields. He sighed, then turned back toward the Winged Embassy in Proadas city.
As soon as he entered the embassy, a small turtle dashed toward him like a streak of purple lightning and jumped onto his shoulder in a few quick steps.
"Boss, why weren't you back last night?" the turtle asked.
"Naturally, I had important matters to discuss with those humans," Jano replied calmly.
"No, something's off. You smell... like jasmine," the little turtle said, suddenly sniffing the air.
Jano's mouth twitched, and he quickly reached up to pull the turtle down. "Little Eight, you're a turtle, not a dog. What do you think you're sniffing?"
"Oh."
At that moment, Inona, a female Winged officer, approached with several other officers and asked, "Your Majesty, what did the humans say this time?"
As Jano's winged administrative structure began to take shape, Inona had become the de facto leader of his government staff.
So Jano relayed his conversation with Fiona—leaving out the part about the child—to her.
Inona sighed after hearing this. "The humans are really out of luck, ending up as caretakers for Goblins' griffins."
"You've misunderstood. The humans' plan is much more long-term and complicated than that. However, their actions are indeed very beneficial for us," Jano replied with a smile.
"By the way, have your people prepare and select those who will remain at the embassy. I'll visit the Emperor one last time today, say my goodbyes, and then we can return to Mount Celestia!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Inona replied.
Amigul had summoned Jano to help mobilize a portion of the Winged army to eliminate some of the die-hard Titan loyalists. Since the enemy's ranks included griffins and other flying units, the Winged army was needed.
As Amigul's loyal ally (whom the Emperor considered a trusted servant), Jano, upon receiving the order, led 3,000 Winged troops to Proadas and handed them over to the Goblin generals. This time, he would not lead the army personally but sent a master rank Winged officer to follow the Goblins on their mission. Once the Winged army was dispatched, Jano could leave.
However, due to Fiona's invitation, he stayed an extra day.
Upon arriving at the Emperor's palace, Jano found Fiona standing behind Amigul like an official, seemingly reporting something to him.
Amigul smiled when he saw Jano. "Uriel, thank you for your prompt response. Those Titan remnants will be wiped out completely! And the Winged Ones will always be the Goblins' greatest allies!"
"It is always a pleasure for my people to assist Your Majesty," Jano replied.
"Good! Excellent!" Amigul said.
After a brief conversation, Jano bid farewell to Amigul.
Before leaving, he gave Fiona a lingering look.
One Month Later
Jano and his entourage returned to Mount Celestia.