In mid-October, the Yuexi Plain is no longer hot. The gentle breeze and golden wheat fields make it the best time and scenery for travelers.

The Golden Lark Troupe was traveling along the main road of Moon Creek Plain. Today was the sixteenth day since they left Twilight City.

"Speaking of fine wines! The top spot should go to Branta from Lone Rock! It's fragrant and smooth on the palate, with a long and unforgettable aftertaste!"

A short, stout knight in his forties with a large, bulbous nose sat on his horse, talking animatedly to the people around him.

"Lone Rock City is situated in a mountainous area with steep terrain and excellent sunlight, making it particularly suitable for building vineyards and wineries..."

Listening to the knight's loud analysis, Barbara, sitting in the carriage, pursed her lips, drew back the curtain, and whispered to Randall, who was driving the carriage, "Is that Knight Commander Horn really the commander of this escort operation?"

Without turning his head, Randall said, "That's right. He is a senior officer in the Twilight Knights. This time, he is under the command of the Twilight Cabinet, leading twenty-two knights and two hundred soldiers to escort us to Lone Rock City."

Barbara stared at the knight commander who was talking loudly and incessantly on horseback, frowned and asked, "Is there some mistake? I don't think he's a knight at all."

Randall swung the reins and laughed, “Don’t make wild guesses. During the Silver Ring incident, Knight Commander Horn followed Lord Cumberland and left the Silver Ring Guard. He was among the first immigrants to join Duskwood. He was highly skilled in martial arts and extremely loyal. If it weren’t for some of his words and actions, he might already be a chapter master by now.”

Barbara asked curiously, "Words and actions?"

Just as Randall was about to explain, Horn's loud voice came from afar, interrupting their conversation.

"Having talked about fine wine, let's now talk about women!"

Horn winked mysteriously and asked the people around him, "Do you know where the woman with the most delicate skin in the world comes from?"

The onlookers, hearing him speak in riddles, urged him to quickly reveal the answer.

Having whetted everyone's appetite, Horn sniffed his bulbous nose, raised his head proudly, and said, "Of course, it's the woman from our Twilight City!"

"Why?!"

Horn blinked and raised an eyebrow: "Because only women in Muxi City take baths every day."

Amidst a burst of laughter, Barbara snorted angrily and slammed the carriage curtain shut.

Randall scratched his head, looked at the Twilight Knight who was talking about spring in the distance, and shook his head with a wry smile.

As the sun set, the exhausted Golden Lark Troupe stopped and set up camp on a high ground near a mountain stream, less than seventy kilometers from Lonely Rock City.

The members of the theater troupe, who traveled between kingdoms for performances, had long since made such outdoor camping a regular occurrence. As for the soldiers of the Twilight Knights, they found it even less inconvenient.

As Barbara stepped down from the carriage in an autumn hunting outfit from the Liliel brand, she attracted the attention of countless men. The most outrageous of them all was the head of the guards—Knight Commander Horn, who not only cheered loudly but also whistled.

Ignoring the unpleasant stares and noises, Barbara found a member of the theater troupe and asked about Randall's whereabouts.

After asking around, someone finally told her that Randall seemed to be heading towards the mountaintop.

Back in the carriage, after changing into comfortable shoes, Barbara slowly walked up the path behind the camp to the top of the mountain, where she saw Randall sitting on top of a large rock, staring blankly at the distant peaks.

“It’s rare to see you slacking off here.” Barbara picked up a handkerchief, placed it on the rock, sat down next to Randall, and said with a smile, “I remember your hometown is Lone Rock. How does it feel to be back home?”

Randall's gaze didn't move as he softly said, "Like an old wound on a rainy day."

"A strange metaphor."

As Barbara watched the last rays of sunlight disappear on the eastern horizon, she said to Randall, "Hey, after this Lone Rock City performance, why don't you ask for a vacation?"

"take a vacation?"

"Well, we've been running around for His Majesty's Protestant cause for the past few months. Shouldn't we enjoy a short vacation?"

Randall lowered his head, thought about it carefully, and nodded in agreement, "Alright."

Barbara became interested: "I've heard that there are many famous attractions in Lone Rock! For example, the statue of the Father, the Firestone, and the Mochira Hotel that only caters to nobles!"

Randall said helplessly, "I've heard of Mochira, but we're not nobles."

Barbara puffed out her chest: "Have you forgotten what I do? I'm a theater actress; I can portray any nobleman more like a nobleman!"

Randall smiled slightly.

Less than a hundred meters away in a grove of trees, two uninvited guests were quietly lurking.

"I never expected to run into the Golden Lark Theatre Company here."

Looking at the backs of the man and woman on the mountaintop, the werewolf Aldnan said incredulously, "Perhaps this is the destiny the gods spoke of."

Finding the orc beside him motionless, Aldnan turned around and asked, "Carol, don't you think so?"

Carol did not answer the question, but instead kept her gaze fixed on the woman for a long time.

Aldenan followed Carroll's gaze, his eyes darting around, and said, "Isn't this a perfect opportunity? These two are right under our noses. If we sneak over, knock them out, and take them away, we can report back to Mr. Dunlop, and I can get revenge for what happened in the woods last time!"

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