Kiteclaw beat its massive wings, soaring over the rolling peaks and winding mountain paths. Just two hours after taking off from Loka, the group caught sight of the spectacular fortress built atop the mountain summit.
As Kiteclaw crested the ridge, Midir saw that the Azure Fortress below was a chain-like city composed of several urban districts staggered at different heights.
Halfway up the Korana Mountains, which stretched for thousands of kilometers, these elongated outer districts stood guard around the iron fortress perched at the peak, forming an insurmountable Great Wall of steel.
Unlike Loka and other cities closer to the interior, the urban clusters around the Azure Fortress were all built on the southward-facing ridges.
To guard against outlaws lurking in the southern wastes and raids from the beastkin of the South Continent, the city walls were constructed from hard granite and reinforced with massive amounts of metal. Even from high above, those towering walls looked incredibly imposing.
Giant magic arrays were engraved at regular intervals along the walls. During wartime, they could envelop the entire defensive line, which stretched for dozens of kilometers.
As for the main district, it had almost completely hollowed out the mountain behind it. All the houses and streets were encased within the mountainside, blending seamlessly with the foothills and appearing immensely solid and solemn.
“We’ll go straight to the west side of the castle. There’s a landing area there! I’ve already cleared it with my father!” Blake shouted into Midir’s ear, pointing toward a corner of the fortress below.
“Got it! Let’s go, Kiteclaw!”
Aila, positioned in front, gave him an ‘okay’ gesture and steered the griffin into a slow descent toward the west side of the castle. The Mark XXIII, following not far behind, adjusted its posture and followed suit.
Under the guidance of the ground staff below, they landed on a prominent green lawn. As they drew closer, the massive airflow released from the back of the Mark XXIII kicked up sand and grass the moment it touched the ground, creating a brief swirl of dust.
Once they landed, a group waiting nearby immediately came forward to meet them. At the head of the group was a tall middle-aged man with thick brown hair.
He bore a strong resemblance to Blake, though his skin was a light brownish-red from years of exposure to the intense high-altitude sun, giving him a very commanding presence.
Seeing the group land, a trace of a smile finally appeared on the middle-aged man’s stern face, and he spoke in a resonant voice.
“Welcome to the Azure Fortress. I am the master here, Lyken Rowena. I trust this boy Blake hasn’t been causing you all too much trouble?”
Seeing that the newcomer was Duke Rowena himself, Aila quickly led the others in a slight bow and replied with a smile.
“Duke Rowena, it’s been a long time. You’re joking! Blake has been quite helpful—at the very least, he’s much better than many of the young nobles in the Royal Capital.”
“Hahaha! The last time I saw you was many years ago. You’ve changed quite a bit, Aila! I didn’t expect this foolish boy to cross paths with you. It’ll serve as a good lesson for him.”
Upon hearing Aila’s words, Duke Rowena let out a boisterous laugh.
Being teased by his father in front of everyone made Blake’s face flush. He lowered his head, his thoughts unknown.
“And this must be the Mr. Midir whom Blake mentioned so often in his transmissions? Hmm... indeed a man of great talent. Not bad!” Duke Rowena’s gaze then drifted to Midir, who was standing beside Aila, and he gave him an appreciative nod.
“Thank you for the compliment, Your Grace,” Midir replied with a standard pleasantry, not quite sure how else to respond.
Fortunately, Duke Rowena didn’t linger on the matter. After greeting each of them in turn, he led them directly into the castle.
“Since the situation is currently quite tense, I won’t spend too much time on pleasantries. Blake has already explained the circumstances to me via transmission. Although only a small number of... Void Demons have appeared near the Azure Fortress so far, I don’t dare split off too many troops to support other regions. Therefore, I must ask for your help in resolving this issue.”
“In that case, I’ll need Your Grace to prepare a sufficiently large laboratory for me. We also want to resolve the problem here as quickly as possible. This is the list of materials I require.”
At that moment, Ronald stepped out from beside the group and handed a paper covered in writing to Duke Rowena.
Lyken leaned over to take the list. After a brief glance, he handed it to an attendant behind him and signaled for him to prepare the materials immediately and take Ronald to the laboratory.
Blake finally stepped forward to his father’s side and asked with some urgency.
“Father, what’s the situation at the fortress now? Where are my brothers? And why aren't Master Azura and Master Erica with you?”
Duke Rowena glanced at him and shook his head slightly.
“You are still too impulsive. Your eldest brother led troops to support other cities early this morning. As for Mr. Azura and the others, they set out for the south several days ago to investigate. The situation inside the fortress is fine for now, though we are a bit short-handed. There’s no need to worry. For now, let us take our guests to rest. We can talk as we walk.”
With that, Duke Rowena made an elegant gesture of invitation, signaling Midir and the others to follow him into the fortress interior for further discussion.
The four of them followed Duke Rowena through a side corridor into the massive main fortress.
The moment they stepped into the Azure Fortress, the sight before them was breathtaking.
The interior of the fortress was brilliantly lit, as if they were in a place where the sun never set. Countless lamps carved from precious magic crystal ores floated in the air, emitting a soft, bright glow that illuminated the fortress within the mountain as clearly as daylight.
This solemn style was completely different from the cityscapes Midir had seen before. With guards standing at regular intervals, the place felt more like a military base than a city.
“Sister Aila, do Mr. Blake and his family live in this place every day? I thought the central district of the Azure City-State would be a commercial area, like the inner district of the Royal Capital.”
Rosal watched the passing guards with curiosity, gently tugging on Aila’s sleeve as she whispered her question.
“It is indeed different here. The central district of the Azure City-State was originally converted from a military fortress. The commercial and industrial areas you’re thinking of are spread out in the lower city. This place only serves as the Lord’s manor and the military barracks,” Aila explained patiently.
Even Midir was listening with interest. Suddenly remembering the name Blake had mentioned earlier, he also asked Aila, “Who are those two masters Blake mentioned? They seem like very important people.”
“Well... it’s normal that you wouldn't know. Sword Saint Azura is the strongest combat force in the Azure City-State. Apparently, he reached the ultimate goal of all swordsmen in his seventies. People call him the ‘Gale Sword Saint.’ Here, see for yourself!”
With that, Aila casually tossed him a small booklet filled with names and information.
“You seem to know quite a bit about this place. Did you do your homework specifically for this?” Duke Rowena, at the front of the group, turned back with a smile after hearing their conversation.
“I just stayed here for a few days on a commission once. Afterward, I went straight to the Wind-Eroded Desert to the south. I only have a superficial understanding of the area,” Aila replied with a smile of her own.
“Blake told me everything. You suspect that the Void Demons you encountered on the road were all transformed living creatures. If that’s the case, do you have any thoughts on this? Their numbers are simply too vast. Recently, we’ve been receiving reports from all over every day. While I wouldn't call the casualties heavy, it has certainly been a major blow.”
Duke Rowena let out a long sigh, remarking that the constant stream of bad news over the past few days had left him unsettled.
“Fortunately, the altitude of the Azure Fortress and its surrounding cities is quite high, so small animals are very scarce here. Consequently, very few Void Demons have appeared. At first, I thought there was some special reason why we were spared from the magic calamities, but I only realized the truth after receiving your message.”
“We don’t have any particularly good solutions for this yet. We’ll have to wait for news from Ronald’s end before making a decision. The reinforcement unit from the Royal Capital is already sweeping through the areas along the route. Your Grace, how many troops can you still deploy? We can coordinate with you to clear the surrounding areas. After all, we have this powerhouse with us.” Aila patted Midir on the shoulder as she spoke.
“All the troops in the fortress that could be deployed have already been sent out. Only about ten thousand garrison troops remain. As for the support you mentioned, let’s put that on hold for now. After all, we currently have no way of predicting where the Void Demons will appear. We can’t have you flying around in the sky indefinitely, can we?” Duke Rowena shook his head slowly, declining Aila’s suggestion.
Amidst their discussion with Duke Rowena, the group was led to a spacious suite to take a short rest.
Rate on N.U.
