Target: Eight Paths Slope

Eight Paths Slope was a place that most maps didn't mark specifically. Even the name "Eight Paths Slope" was a nickname given by the people of Rizos, based on the endless hills in the area.

In the north, eight meant not only a number but also "many."

The place name Eight Paths Slope thus indicated both that the area was full of hills and slopes and that it was a crossroads.

In Rizos, there had long been a saying: "Three days to Three Rivers, eight days to Eight Paths Slope." In other words, Three Rivers was three days' journey from Rizos, while Eight Paths Slope was eight days away.

Eight Paths Slope lay about fifty miles in a straight line from Rizos City. It was a stretch where the elevation rose noticeably, and even traveling at full speed took eight days. Three Rivers, on the other hand, referred to the confluence of the Meilan River, the Grand Canal, and the Silverstream River. Though this was still nearly thirty miles from Rizos, the roads were easy to travel, so the distance could be covered in three days.

Its complicated terrain, combined with the sparse yet unbroken coniferous forests across the hills, made the Eight Paths Slope region a place traveling merchants had always preferred to avoid. After the Grand Canal was completed and the route toward Freljord became navigable by water, the area grew even more deserted.

From a military standpoint, Eight Paths Slope was a classic example of impassable terrain—a place difficult to traverse. Anyone marching through it had to watch out for ambushes that could come from any direction, so they should pass through as quickly as possible and avoid stopping to camp.

Yet the Imperial Capital Army had used a night march to force its way into Eight