The rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast; the clouds were thin and the wind was gentle. On both sides of the mountain path, the branches of the trees stretched out, their new green leaves vibrant and beautiful. In the distance, the mountains rose and fell, their peaks shrouded in a hazy mist.

A carriage slowly made its way along the gravelly mountain path. It wasn't large, a typical single-horse carriage. The driver, however, was striking: long, pale blond hair, icy blue eyes, remarkably fair skin, and exquisitely proportioned features. Especially eye-catching were the silver star and moon ornaments adorning his hair, shimmering as if vying with their owner for brilliance. If it weren't for his slightly weathered leather armor and the rather conspicuous longbow and sword beside him, many young men would surely have stepped forward to strike up a conversation.

As the carriage passed by, a young boy could be seen sitting inside. He wore a somewhat shabby, coarse gray-white linen robe, but a black hood covered his face completely. He was of medium build and probably hadn't fully grown yet. He sat on a soft cushion, leaning against the side of the carriage, sometimes looking outside, sometimes flipping through a book. Occasionally, a pair of eyes could be seen peeking out from behind the hood, filled with curiosity.

This pair also attracted the curious glances of many pedestrians on the street.

This is Ellie and Yunzhe, and this is their third day traveling together. Although they've been traveling for three days, thanks to a heavy rain, they've only covered half a day's distance. That night, a heavy rainstorm trapped them in the forest for a day and a night, forced to huddle in their car waiting for the rain to subside. But even after the rain stopped, the sky didn't clear, and the roads remained muddy. They decided to stay for another half day until the roads improved slightly before continuing their journey.

The two huddled in the carriage for a day and a half, passing the time with aimless chatter, which delighted Yun Zhe, allowing him to learn about many things in this world. As for Ellie, after confirming that Yun Zhe had indeed been lying there for nearly a hundred years, she didn't say it aloud, but felt quite sympathetic and answered all his questions without reservation. Furthermore, Yun Zhe's frankness and his refusal to use his bloodline advantage further endeared him to Ellie. The two exchanged questions and answers, time flying by, without feeling tired.

“The village ahead is called Jialai. It’s a large town. The village is on the edge of the Pass territory. Once you pass that village, it’s no longer the Pass territory,” Ellie said, turning her head as she drove.

"Then, after that village, whose territory is it?"

Ellie sighed softly upon hearing this; it seemed she hadn't gained much common sense after all...

"It's unclaimed land, a place that none of the nearby lords want."

The Western Continent is vast, but not every piece of land attracts the princes and nobles. Some places are either too barren or too dangerous, and are gradually ignored, intentionally or unintentionally. So, although the three kingdoms seem to have a large territory, dividing the entire Western Continent, within their kingdoms, only the better areas are fought over, while most places are unclaimed lands, ignored by everyone.

Just as Ellie was about to explain, she heard Yun Zhe shout, "Move aside, move aside! A big carriage is coming from behind, and it's driving very fast!"

Ellie also heard the sound of horseshoes hitting the gravel. She cracked her whip to speed up the horse, then pulled on the reins to steer it to the side.

Yun Zhe, sitting in the back of the carriage, saw a two-horse carriage rushing towards them. The driver was a middle-aged man in silver armor, with messy hair and a thick beard. Beside him was a young man wearing simple slingshot armor, holding a heavy crossbow, looking worried and constantly glancing back.

But what surprised Yunzhe most was that as the carriage passed, he saw a knight-errant sitting at the back, wearing chainmail and holding a long sword.

Rogues, mercenaries, and swordsmen are all the same kind of people. They all have some martial arts skills, but they are like outlaws who grovel before those adults. Before Ellie was recruited as the Duchess's personal knight, she was a well-known rogue.

To distinguish themselves, they often wear eye-catching accessories; for example, a wandering knight might wear a wide-brimmed, pointed hat. Mercenaries would have prominent tattoos, and swordsmen would usually have a servant attending to their every need.

Although the carriage flashed by, Yun Zhe still sensed the grandeur of the nobility, and the chaotic, anxious, and fearful emotions of many people who were afraid of being overtaken.

Yun Zhe's carriage picked up speed slightly, and Ellie sensed those emotions. She didn't want to cause trouble, but continuing on the official road was clearly unwise; she needed to get to the village quickly.

Yun Zhe poked his head out from the front of the carriage. "They're not going to Jialai, are they? If they are, Jialai will feel very dangerous."

Ellie didn't quite understand what Yun Zhe meant, and tilted her head to look at him, her face full of confusion.

Yun Zhe pointed to the carriage, which was now covered in dust, and said, "That carriage has a story. It belonged to soldiers, knights-errant, and was a nobleman's vehicle. Could it be that something like what happened to the Pas family has occurred?"

Ellie thought for a moment, then suddenly shook her head. "Although I don't know if it's true or not, judging from what Stone said that night, the only family in the vicinity that supports the Donic family might be the Pass family."

Yun Zhe was taken aback. Things seemed to be completely different from what he had thought. He pulled his head back. "Those are people from the Donic family? That shouldn't be the case. The Paz family supports them. They shouldn't be running around like this on their turf."

Yun Zhe poked his head out again, "No matter what's going on, let's get into the village quickly. I don't feel safe staying on the road."

"Hmph," Ellie snorted, as if to say, "Do you need me to tell you?" She cracked the whip, urging the horse to run faster.

After crossing a high slope, they could see Jialai in the distance, and the carriage was indeed heading straight for Jialai.

"Is Jialai Stone's territory?" Yun Zhe suddenly asked.

Ellie thought for a moment, "No, it's managed by the lord's younger brother. Jialai is an important trading place in the vicinity and also the main source of tax revenue for the entire Pas family, so the lord won't separate it out."

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