Hill flew slowly toward Aglaia City along the main road.
As he passed Long Saddle Town, he could not help glancing over. In the present circumstances, Twilight Tower, home to Khelben's friend Marco Habel, had no choice but to remain visible at the edge of Neverwinter Forest.
Purvi's slow flight beneath the clouds stirred the tower's guardian. A Griffin circled the tower several times before settling on its tip and craning its neck to look up. It did not seem inclined to fly up for a closer look.
The Griffin apparently knew what the appearance of an Otherworld Whale meant. Otherwise, such a bad-tempered creature would never have been so polite to something flying past. With a Mage Tower controlled by a level-twenty Archmage behind it, it certainly had no reason to fear a dragon.
The Griffin had a poor reputation. Its cockfighting temper was known far and wide. For it to behave so well, Archmage Habel had probably warned it again and again who Purvi was.
Hill cast a brief glance at the famous Mage Tower, then turned away without comment. He had no intention of doing anything more, and the strange cluster of castles on the western hillside had already lost its appeal.
The illustrations in games and novels had given Habel Castle a certain medieval mystery. The real Habel Family castle held little interest for him. It was a peculiar jumble of countless towers surrounding a five-story stone castle, and the whole place looked shabby. Both castle and towers bore obvious signs of repeated repairs.
Some blue-and-white buildings below the slope looked more ordinary, but they were merely three-story garden mansions. They were not packed together, either; at least two hundred meters separated each building.
Then there was the little town at the foot of the hill.