"You believe the words of a Devil?" Gaven turned around to reassure, "He only says things that are beneficial to him. Why didn’t he ntion that there are many spells in this world that manipulate souls, causing people to act against their inner desires? As I said before, we shouldn’t rush to any conclusions before thoroughly investigating everything to avoid misunderstanding good people or letting bad ones go."
"The Duke’s fair and calm approach to matters is truly sothing I should learn from," Janira said apologetically. "Besides, this is not entirely bad news. At least the grain wasn’t completely destroyed; so are still in the hands of those grain thieves. If we can catch them, perhaps we could recover so of it."
"I’m afraid it’s very difficult," the Dog Demon spoke again, "I can sll the scent of Hobgoblin, Orc, and Jackalwere here, but no Humans. And not far from here is Thunder Peak."
The Golden Wheat Sheaf Monastery is located west of Mist Valley, fairly close to Thunder Peak. The hillside where they are now is not facing Comanso Forest, but Thunder Peak, known as Beastville. That snow-capped giant peak stands not far away like a mighty Giant.
This monastery, along with the Paeltown Helm, a small fortress several kiloters away, forms a horn-shaped defense guarding the western gate of Mist Valley.
"Do you an to say that those grain thieves co from the monsters of Thunder Peak?" Janira pondered aloud, "Could this be the work of that King of Storms from Thunder Peak?"
"King of Storms?"
"In recent years, the monsters of Thunder Peak have been showing signs of unification. Occasionally, small groups of Goblin Troops would pour out from there, waving the banner of the King of Storms, demanding tribute from us, which our Mist Valley Cavalry has successfully repelled.
Not only our Mist Valley but similar small groups of Monster Troops have also appeared in Deep Forest Valley and High Valley.
It is rumored that the King of Storms is a powerful and evil Cloud Giant Magician. He has built a black fortress on Thunder Peak and is forming a Monster Troop of his own.
We have previously sent scouting Rangers, but the monsters of Thunder Peak are too nurous and too powerful, preventing them from penetrating deeper. However, one thing is certain; the monsters there have indeed ceased their mutual wars and show signs of unification. A shadow of a black fortress was seen on the mountainside of Thunder Peak.
If one intends to form an army, grain is absolutely necessary." Janira’s intelligence was sowhat evasive.
Even for ordinary people, and even for those Transcendent Professionals, the Thunder Peak Mountain Range is an extrely dangerous place.
In terms of area, Thunder Peak Mountain Range cannot compare to the neighboring Stormhorn Mountains. Still, in terms of rugged terrain and complex topography, the Stormhorn Mountains pale in comparison. Thunder Peak is the first peak over thousands of kiloters, with snow that does not lt throughout the year.
There is also a more ancient and terrifying legend here. It is said that the reason this place is perpetually covered in ice and snow is because it seals a terrible Ancient Evil Being. If released, it would freeze the entire Felen Continent.
Moreover, it is surrounded by the Comanso Great Forest, Koer’s Hurek Forest, and the Broad Marsh. Launching a large-scale military campaign here to completely clean out the Monster Tribe is quite difficult.
Monsters can only be allowed to breed here, and once their numbers far exceed what this area can support, they flood out in groups to be eliminated in places where Humans have the upper hand, a process that inevitably exacts a bloody toll.
By comparison, Mist Valley suffers the least from these Monster invasions because Thunder Peak’s main peak is on their side. Even for those monsters, Thunder Peak is a formidable obstacle that is difficult to cross, and they do not favor trekking through the Comanso Great Forest.
Compared to the relatively open and flat south, High Valley, Bow Valley, and Deep Forest Valley are better targets for invasion. Sotis, they even set their sights on Koer, though such fools usually et a quick demise.
"Whether it is or not, we’ll soon find out," Gaven inquired of the Dog Demon, "Have you locked onto their scent? Can you track them?"
The Dog Demon possesses a skill known as Fearless Tracking. Once locked onto a person’s scent, as long as they are on the sa plane, it clings relentlessly, making it perfect for executing such tasks.
"Locked," the Dog Demon’s orange-red eyes flickered involuntarily, appearing to hold back words.
"If you have sothing to say, hurry up and say it, don’t hold back." Gaven had long since figured out his earliest evil subordinate completely.
"Well..." the Dog Demon hesitated, "I have so private matters to discuss with you, my Lord, concerning a bottleneck I’ve reached in my personal abilities."
"You Devils have bottlenecks in personal ability?" Gaven asked in surprise, "Don’t you just get stronger by constantly gnawing on souls?"
The Dog Demon put on a look that suggested he would not answer this question with outsiders present.
Janira sensibly offered, "I’ll look elsewhere and see if I can find other clues."
"Alright," Gaven did not force a command on the Dog Demon, who, despite its monstrous appearance, possessed intelligence superior to many Legendary Mages, sharper than a lotus root. The personal concern ntioned was an excuse, masking so other discovery that might not be appropriate for Janira to know.
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