The second year of the fifth age of the elven calendar, the second year of the silver moon, the beginning of September.

The Snow Mountains at the northernmost point of the Celtic continent.

The wind and snowflakes blew violently, and the whole world was so white that it was impossible to even see the scenery in the distance.

Even if you occasionally see a color other than white, most of them are mountain rocks. Other than that, there is nothing else.

There was a thick snow underfoot, ice as far as the eye could reach, and even the sky was gray.

Here, there is only winter, even if it is the height of summer in the rest of the continent. There are hardly any plants that survive here, let alone animals.

Under normal circumstances, no creatures other than dragons would appear here, and they would not be able to reach here. Not only because of the cold, but also because this place has entered the territory of the Golden Dragon Clan.

Dragons are a race with a strong sense of territory. They will destroy all creatures that enter their territory without permission, even the golden dragons, which are much friendlier than the black dragons.

However, at this moment, in the white expanse, a team of cavalry appeared.

"Hurry up! Don't procrastinate! Isn't it just a little snow? Are the dwarves afraid of snow?" Wearing a big padded jacket, his beard was full of snowflakes, but he looked very excited.

However, it was only him, and the rest of the dwarves fell to the back of the line, frozen to the point that they were almost ice sculptures.

"What are you doing! Dwarves are a race born in the snowy mountains!" The undead had already staggered past the mallets on horseback.

"Don't look at me, we lichs were born underground. Lucy spread her hands.

You have to admit that no matter where you are born, as long as it is life, there are limits. The race born in the snowy mountains just means that the dwarves are a little more hardy than other ordinary races, not that they can freeze forever if they are thrown into an ice cave, and it is not that they can be compared to the undead who exceed the ** limit.

However, the mallet clearly does not think so.

"What are you doing? Do you want to be laughed at by a bunch of undead? cheer me up!" roared, the mallets were exhausted and panting, and the dwarves of the second detachment were still slow. It's not that they want to be slow, it's that they're frozen.

Such a march is much more difficult for the dwarves than a bloody battle. The group of dwarves walked more and more slowly, so that the undead who walked in front had to stop and wait for them.

Walking up to Gray on his bony horse, Ekleon bared his teeth and said, "That's really not a good idea. We should just open the door of space and get to our destination, not walking. The place is not suitable for marching, very unsuitable. Especially for the dwarves. ”

"But we have to show our respect for their territory. Gray replied softly, "This trip is very important to us, and we need to eliminate their hostility towards us." Things like simple etiquette should be done as much as possible without causing unnecessary misunderstandings. ”

"Well, you're right. But to be honest, I still think it's too much trouble. Maybe we should use a simpler way, such as going to war with the whole dragon directly. It's not like we haven't done it before. Ekleon spread his hands helplessly.

"I think...... Gray, you should be paying a little attention. The black cat, still in Gray's chest armor and wrapped herself tightly in her padded jacket, whispered, "I have a sense of foreboding. ”

"What do you mean?" asked Gray.

"I can't tell, but all in all, it's a very bad feeling. It is based on the recent events, the judgment of the White Bone Holy Light Holy See. I'll tell you when I get a chance. ”

"I know what the black cat is trying to say. Vivien's voice, which had disappeared, sounded in Gray's mind: "The lichs of the White Bone Holy Light Holy See revere you as the Pope and recognize your status as the Lich King, and they have indeed fulfilled their oath and obeyed your orders. But that doesn't mean they'll listen to you when they're upset. Now this is more and more the case, and they themselves don't have as strong a belief as you. ”

"Yes, that's what I'm trying to say. The black cat muttered quietly.

"I think so too. Catherine's voice also sounded in Gray's head: "Now is not a good time to visit the Golden Dragon Clan. It took us a year to clean things up, but instead of getting better, things got worse. We still face many unexpected internal problems. ”

"But we can't wait any longer. Gray replied softly, "The whole world is watching us, and the Black Dragons have never stopped moving. If we don't have the means to act, then the people who look at us will think that we have compromised. They will think that we are nothing more than another old papacy. In that case, we will lose everything we have won so hard. I'm talking about the good side of people's hearts. ”

"The victory at Salted Fish Harbour has pushed our prestige to the top, and people are expecting us to do something. If we don't do anything, or do what we do, they don't see it, then they will be disappointed. And then let the darkness take advantage of it again. In fact, the choice between good and evil is only a matter of a moment. It depends on the moment in which the person who chooses believes in justice or evil. Only by strengthening their faith will we be able to turn the whole world in the direction of good. Instead of falling back into the quagmire of darkness. For this, we will definitely have to take some risks and pay some price. ”

The three exobrains fell silent in unison.

Turning back, Gray looked at the dwarves who were still crawling behind him, and continued, "I am an undead, a lich, and the world I can feel is far less rich than theirs, and they suffer in a way that I don't know. We need to cooperate with the world and follow its laws, not let them cooperate with us. ”

"Hmm......" After a long silence, the black cat whispered, "I think you've improved again." Now you know how to start maintaining a 'degree'. Remember when you first started out, you only had 'yes' and 'no'. Now you're starting to know how to be in control. That's what worries me though, and the other lichs haven't learned it yet. ”

Gray didn't answer, just rode Tenedas quietly in the wind and snow.

......

The snowstorm in the Snow Mountains can be said to come and go. Sometimes there is no warning.

In the blink of an eye, the raging blizzard dispersed.

What appeared before their eyes was the incomparably magnificent view of the Snow Mountains.

The extended, boundless mountains covered with snow, and the dark blue sky shrouded in aurora borealis, is as beautiful as a simple patchwork of colors, with barely a trace of impurities visible.

The person who walks in it is as small as a speck of dust.

Seeing the scene in front of them, the dwarves in the team couldn't help but be stunned, and some couldn't believe their eyes.

"Oh my God...... Is this the kind of place where dragons live? It feels like a dream. ”

"Not exactly. Vivien figured out. She wore a thick red cotton jacket, which wrapped her whole body, revealing only one face: "In fact, they live in a very different place than here. ”

"What does 'not exactly' mean? I don't quite understand. "The mallet's teeth are chattering, too.

"Soon you will find out that we are not far from our destination. ”

Flags were raised once more, one of them was Gray's Silver Moon Banner, and the other, the Cross Skull Banner of the White Bone Light Holy See.

The sudden blizzards here are so terrible that when the blizzard comes, they even have to put up their flags in case there are only two poles left when the storm is over.

The team continued to move slowly again, leaving footprints on the smooth snow-capped mountains.

In addition to Gray and Gray's three "external brains", there were also Lucy, Ekleon, and, of course, one hundred undead knights of the Silver Moon Knights, and two hundred dwarves of the second detachment. Due to the terrible environment here, the dwarves had to abandon their ponies and adopt the walking mode.

In addition to this, there is a special character in the team - Richie, the son of the Lich King, who wears the same armor as Gray's trumpet.

This is the mission sent by the White Bone Holy Light Sect to the Golden Dragon Clan.

In fact, Camilla and Shelley also wanted to come, but there was no way, the road along the way was really not within the reach of humans. As for Brutus and Simon, who had committed murder against the Golden Dragons, they had already been excluded when they made the list of envoys.

After walking through two more mountains, three golden dragons appeared in front of the people of the mission.

They circled in the air a few times before finally landing in front of Gray, taking on human form. Each of them was dressed in a white robe with the characteristics of the Golden Dragon Clan, and they all had long golden hair, fair skin, and pointed ears like elves. And, of course, the golden scales on the cheeks.

At the head was none other than Alex Lahan.

With his hands crossed over his chest, Alex Rahan respectfully saluted Gray, and then shouted loudly: "Alex Rahan Golden Whirlwind, on the orders of the Golden Dragon Elder, has come to greet His Royal Highness the Lich King! and all the members of the Mission!

Sitting on his horse, Gray replied in a loud voice, "Thank you for us, Grand Elder Golden Dragon!"

"Your Highness the Lich King, please come with me!" another salute as Alex Rahan and the other two golden dragons took on dragon form again, flapping their wings and soaring into the air. Hovering in the air, guiding Gray and his party.

After crossing two more mountains, a huge pit appeared in front of them.

It was a huge pit large enough for a golden dragon to spread its wings and traverse. Tilt 45 degrees into the ground. There are also a large number of bizarre stones in the doorway, which are carved with runes. On the ground, there is a huge, semi-circular magic circle.

The whole world was covered in snow, except for the magic circle and the tunnel, there was not even a single snowflake. Even if the wind blows with snowflakes, it seems to actively bypass them.

Alex Rahan once again took on a human form and landed in front of Gray. After a silent salute, he turned and pressed his five fingers against one of the stones.

Suddenly, the originally silent magic circle lit up with golden light, and the earth shook slightly.

"Your Highness the Lich King, please. ”

After stretching out his hand and making a "please" gesture, Alex Lahan led the other two dragons into the tunnel.

The mission also rode their horses and slowly followed.

The mallet whispered, "So they actually live underground?"

"You'll find out in a minute. Vivien replied quietly.

The road with a 45-degree slope is actually very difficult to walk, and as long as you don't pay attention to it, you may roll straight down. This made the entire mission have to be careful. Fortunately, they soon left the slope and came to a much smoother tunnel.

At the same time, there was a bright light ahead.

As the light grew closer, the members of the mission began to hear something different.

"I think I'm hearing birds, is this a hallucination?

"I think I hear the sound of water too...... There shouldn't be water in this place. ”

When they actually walked into the light, they couldn't help but be stunned.

Appearing in front of them, it is a fairyland-like picture.

Here, there is not a single snowflake to be seen, only dense vegetation, high mountains and flowing water.

It is a huge basin of waterfalls cascading down the mountains, pooling into pools and seeping streams, watering every inch of the land and finally converging into the lake in the middle.

There are rainbows beneath the waterfalls, countless wildflowers on the edge of the waterholes, birds and frolicking animals in the woods, and dragons flying in the sky. On the cliffs on all sides, there are dragon's nests, and from a distance, it looks like a flock of migratory birds.

Every now and then, a dragon roar can be heard.

Outside of the tunnel, it can be said that there are two worlds altogether.

Greeting Gray again, Alex Rahand said respectfully, "Your Excellency the Lich King, we have prepared a temporary lodging and a sumptuous dinner for you. Please come along. ”

"Okay. Gray rode along. The members of the mission also hurriedly followed one by one.

Not only the dwarves, but even the undead, including Ekleon and Lucy, were stunned and dazzled.

"Oh my God, how did they do that?"

"Do you ask me? I don't know. I guess it's magic. ”

"Dragon magic has always been so powerful that it is said that they even have the ability to summon the apocalypse. ”

"Well, they've piqued my interest in relearning dragon magic. ”

Both of them had participated in the war between the Lich Council and the Dragons, but this was the first time they had come to Dragon Valley, the base camp of the Golden Dragon.

At the same time, a building covered in green leaves has appeared far away. In front of the building, there were a dozen more people waiting for them. Or rather, dragons.