Donks Province covered more than 500,000 square kilometers, with forests accounting for 80 percent of its land. Most of the local nobility relied on valuable timber and rare plants as the pillars of their economy.
Long ago, Donks Province had been much smaller, covering less than 200,000 square kilometers.
Until more than sixty years ago, the Kingdom of Isia had gone to war with the Isle Half-elf Kingdom and emerged victorious, tearing off a piece of Half-elf territory to form what was now Donks Province.
That war had given rise to a Countess—the Blood Moon Count, Miyali Ex. With her wisdom and iron-blooded methods, she had destroyed a Half-elf ranger corps and turned the tide of the war in one stroke.
As he traveled toward the Blood Moon Territory, Velin recalled some information about this elder of his family.
In terms of seniority, she was a generation above his father: his grandfather's cousin, a branch-family member whose lineage could be traced back to the third son of the second Earl Eagle.
"How should I address her when we meet?"
"Great-aunt? Why does that sound so strange?"
"Master, there's an outpost ahead." Kyle looked forward, interrupting Velin's thoughts.
Velin shook his head and cast those strange thoughts from his mind. He looked up at the outpost several hundred meters away, then at the Noble Banner raised above it. A blood moon sat in the center of the dark red banner, with a broken ranger's curved blade at its heart.
"We're here. This should be the border of the Blood Moon Territory."
"Please present your travel permit or Family Crest." A knight in dark red armor approached Velin and spoke to him politely.
Seeing this, Velin took out the Ex Family crest and handed it to him.
The knight accepted the crest