Bear Pass had once been one of the major strategic passes of the Malori People's imperial court, as well as one of the main routes from southern Maliro to the north. Since Maliro was a mountainous and forested land, there were many terrains like this.
Often, three to five mountains were "piled" on top of one another, with only the road at their feet allowing passage.
To defend these vital routes, the ancient royal families would choose one mountain path to preserve, then block the other passages by various means. They would build around the surviving path, expanding it and constructing fortifications.
The Malori People lived in the central imperial court beyond these passes, while the Maliro People lived in all directions around it.
An ancient local legend claimed that "the gods live at the center of the world, while the lowly people are scattered in all directions." The Malori People had planned their entire nation according to this saying.
This arrangement had been extremely effective for a long time. Even if people could cross the mountains and enter Maliro's heartland, only a small number could do so, making it unsuitable for large-scale marches.
With patrols added when necessary, no large army could cross the layers of mountains and attack the imperial court.
This ensured that the Malori People's rule had encountered almost no resistance. If ordinary lowly people wanted to enter the heartland, they had to apply in advance, state their reasons, and then have something resembling a necklace hung around their necks.
It was not a collar. It was longer and larger than one, and described when these people had entered the nation's heartland, for what reason, and with whose approval.
The Malori People and the Maliro People were far too easy to distinguish. If a Maliro person