September had already taken on an autumn chill in Northwest Bay. The morning mist had yet to fully disperse when a Four-wheeled Carriage rolled over the gravel road on the southern outskirts of Lakeheart Town, speeding toward Area 51, hidden deep within the forest.
Inside the carriage, Paul Greiman was studying the territorial survey map of the Stonemason Clan after its surrender. His fingertips repeatedly traced the red lines marking the secret passages, while Catherine, seated opposite him, kept one hand on the hilt of the sword at her waist and gazed through the rear window at the endless mountains stretching across the north.
"Still thinking about the battlefield?" Paul suddenly looked up, set down the map, and smiled at his wife's stern, tense expression.
"With the way you keep that sword at your side, are you worried about running into bandits halfway there?" he said, reaching out to pinch Catherine's fair cheek.
Catherine was startled by her husband's sudden gesture, then glared at him. "Stop fooling around. Aren't you afraid the Hammer Dwarves in the north will seek revenge for their kinsmen? There are already rumors of dwarves wandering through the forest. It never hurts to be careful."
Though her tone was serious, the corners of her mouth secretly curled into a faint smile.
Paul smiled. "I'd be delighted if they came. Maybe we'll soon have a second passage in and out of the grasslands."
"Imaer surrendered faster than expected. The power of the explosives exceeded everyone's expectations. The dwarves' underground fortifications were no sturdier than paper in the face of explosives. They surrendered at just the right time. Alba's movements on the grasslands are becoming more frequent, and with the mountain passage through the eastern section of Rocky Mountain, our army won't have to detour through the Northern