Herag learned from some of Jim's information that the jellyfish was likely preparing something.

It initially should have suddenly appeared at Thousand Lakes and prepared to make it its territory.

So later it sent out many mermaids, intending to turn the surroundings into its domain to continue its task.

Only later did the appearance of the exorcists defeat the mermaid army, and Arios' arrival made the jellyfish realize that this place was not safe, so it chose to relocate.

No one knows the method of relocation; anyway, the jellyfish and all the mermaids disappeared into thin air.

"Did you come to me just for these things?" Herag asked after understanding.

Jim stroked the back of his head and said, "Actually, there's one more thing. Lord Arios assigned me this winter to guard over at the Alster Mountain Range. It's said to be quite restless there. Recently, due to a shortage of manpower, I'm currently the only exorcist there. I'm really not confident in my own strength, so I thought you might join me. The reward is the same as mine: thirty Gold Coins for three months."

"Are there many demons there?" Herag asked only one question.

Jim said, "There should be quite a few near the mountain regions; they often come out to roam. Also, according to what Lord Arios mentioned before, there might be activity from Outer Heaven Demons there. If we can find some clues, that would certainly be a huge accomplishment."

"Clues of the Outer Heaven Demons?" Herag feigned confusion.

Jim said, "It's like when you first arrived in Amy City; we saw the person tied to the cross in the square. Lord Arios said they are people from another world, intending to take over ours. The Alster Mountain Range seems to have activity from these Outer Heaven Demons because some traces don't look left by demons, nor by exorcists."

He looked around and whispered, "Actually, my main purpose for going there is to investigate these matters. Don't mention this outside; only we know internally. If those Outer Heaven Demons find out, they'll definitely flee. I think those people are probably very powerful, that's why I came to ask for your help."

Herag hesitated for a moment, wavering, "Hmm... alright, I'll go with you."

"Really? Thank you so much, my friend!" Jim was very pleased; he hadn't held much hope, but didn't expect Herag to actually agree.

Normal people would definitely avoid danger, not knowingly walk into it.

Jim shared the truth also because he didn't want to lead Herag into a trap, hence he honestly informed that there might be activity from Outer Heaven Demons there.

Outer Heaven Demons are unknown, mysterious, and powerful to them. No one knows what will happen after encountering them, nor what their strength is.

Jim truly lacked confidence in his own strength and couldn't enlist other powerful exorcists, so he sought out Herag to try.

Herag righteously declared, "It's what I should do; being able to contribute to the defense of our world is my honor."

Jim looked at Herag, feeling that this man seemed to be bathed in Holy Light.

"I'm so grateful to you; when we get back from there, if we manage to accomplish the task, we will surely gain Lord Arios' respect. Especially someone like you, skilled, young, and with potential, will definitely be viewed favorably by Lord Arios," Jim said.

Herag replied, "Don't say useless things like that, when are we departing?"

"Probably in three days; I need to prepare some supplies. There's already a base there, so essential daily supplies aren't lacking. The roads are very clear; you'll be able to eat fresh food even in the winter. However, they're short on manpower there, so exorcists are urgently needed to guard," Jim explained.

Herag said, "Understood, then you can come straight to the inn to find me by then."

...

After leaving Jim, Herag returned to the inn where he resided.

While in his room, he recalled Jim's expressions and actions during the whole process, not finding anything wrong.

Initially, Herag also suspected that it was a trap aimed at himself.

But after thinking it through, he deemed it unlikely, because he hadn't shown any abnormalities from the start, nor had made excessive contact with Arios.

If this matter was a trap set for him, then it must be arranged by Arios, implying Arios noticed something was wrong with him.

But if this were the case, Arios could take him down directly without much effort.

Herag finally decided to go to the Alster Mountain Range to check; if there really were traces of other Wizards, some clues could be found.

Many things these exorcists would not see or pay attention to, but as a Wizard, Herag could easily spot many traces.

Three days later, Jim drove the carriage to the inn entrance to pick up Herag.

This time he brought a total of two carriages out; one followed behind, driven by a coachman named Kobe.

The carriages were piled with various supplies, being planned for a winter stay over there, so a lot was prepared.

Herag merely carried a large bag, which also contained various items.

But the main purpose of this large bag was to conceal the existence of the Space Ring, making the appearance of various things more reasonable and less noticeable.

The two carriages sped up after leaving the city, traveling the road towards the northwest direction, headed for the Alster Mountain Range.

After five days, the carriages arrived at a villa under the Alster Mountain Range.

Here guarded were over a dozen soldiers from Amy City, primarily watching the entrance to the Alster Mountain Range and tasked with monitoring the movements here.

If any demon emerged from the mountains or if there were any anomalies in the range, they had to quickly notify Amy City.

There weren't many houses in the villa; many soldiers lived in shared rooms, the conditions relatively simple.

Herag and Jim each got a small room, which though small in size, was fully equipped with everything.

There was a fireplace, and stacks of wood piled outside; even in winter, it wouldn't be cold.

The coachman who came with Herag and the soldiers stayed together, he too had to remain here for the entire winter.

After arriving here, Herag looked at the surrounding terrain.

They were actually situated halfway up the mountain, with dense forests around the villa, facing the entrance to the Alster Mountain Range that could be directly seen from the villa yard, unhindered by any obstructions.

The cold wind blew, the weather turned increasingly cold, and snow began to fall from the sky.

Judging by the current trend, it won't be long before everything here turns into a silver-covered, snowy realm.

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