A few months later, Bedryt called everyone to gather at his house once again. Once everyone was inside, Bedryt began to inform them about the state of the world outside his realm. War had broken out; the imperial forces had already entered the territory of the Ateras Kingdom and landed on its coast.

Many barbarian villages had fallen victim to the conflict, and the survivors were all being taken in by the Ateras Kingdom. Meanwhile, the Rellios Kingdom had dispatched its dragon knight forces to aid Ateras, while the Durnhill Kingdom had begun to pressure the borders of the Fredonia Kingdom, preventing Fredonia from sending any help to Ateras.

Hearing Bedryt's story, Ard, Eva, and the others fell completely silent. They felt a deep sense of dread as they heard how the war was heating up, but Bedryt reassured them that even if they returned now, they couldn't do anything yet. He shared the news simply so they would understand what was happening in the world. Then, Bedryt added that a month had already passed in the outside world, and there was news from the Elf Village Chief that Prince Abel of Fredonia had regained consciousness, though he was still in recovery.

This made Ard feel a bit relieved, but Adeline grew confused and turned to ask Ard.

"Big brother, what kind of illness does brother Abel have, anyway?" Adeline asked, as she truly didn't know what had happened to him.

Seeing his younger sister looking so anxious, Ard had no choice but to explain everything from the beginning and what had actually happened to Abel. Adeline's expression shifted from confusion to anger as she listened to the story, which Ard and Eva told together, step by step. Once Ard finished his story, Adeline spoke.

"So that's what happened... no wonder I felt like something was different about brother Abel since he returned. Usually, he's rude and always treats me like a little kid, but lately, he's been a bit kind to me. I actually thought he had finally changed," Adeline said.

"Since you're with us now, please keep this a secret from Dad and brother Alexis when we get back, okay?" Ard said.

"I will, brother. I understand," Adeline replied.

"For now, you all still need to train, and as a test, I want you to do something for me," Bedryt said.

"What is it, Dragon God?" Eva asked.

"I want you to find a Githiess egg in the territory of the Durnhill Kingdom. To get there, you can pass through this realm and exit in the mountain range over there—the home of the dark elves," Bedryt answered.

Hearing Bedryt's request, Ard, Eva, and the others were naturally stunned into silence. They were being asked to enter the territory of a kingdom currently at war with Fredonia and allied with the Orthus Empire. It was a journey fraught with danger and high stakes.

"Why are you asking us to find a Githiess egg, Dragon God?" Ard asked.

"Because the Durnhill Kingdom is hunting for it with the intention of presenting it to the Orthus Empire... or specifically, to Ophelia. Although Githiess is one of my rivals and possesses power roughly equal to my own, I cannot allow the egg to fall into Ophelia's hands. She intends to use it for something truly sinister," Bedryt answered.

"I see," Eva muttered.

"The child of Lucathan is also under assault by the Orthus Empire... but I am not worried about him. He is already nearly as strong as his mother, though not yet fully. He isn't fighting back; he's hiding deep within the ocean until the time is right," Bedryt said.

"Lucathan's child? Is that maybe the incredibly giant dragon that was peeking out from the sea at our ship when we crossed over to the northern continent?" Geoffrey asked Ard in a whisper.

"Yep, that's right. That was Lucathan Junior," Ard replied in a whisper.

"Even the junior version is that huge... terrifying," Geoffrey whispered under his breath.

After that, Bedryt explained the details, such as where they needed to search for the egg and how to bring it back to the Dragon God's realm. Naturally, everyone listened intently until he finished. Bedryt then stood up and walked further inside to prepare the supplies his students would need for their journey. Once Bedryt had gone inside, Ard turned to look at Geoffrey beside him, who looked gloomy with his head down and arms folded across his chest. Milia appeared restless, and Mirea's face looked incredibly troubled.

"Um... what's wrong with you guys?" Ard asked.

"Nothing, it's just that I didn't expect to be heading back to my home kingdom under these circumstances," Geoffrey answered.

"Same here. The kingdom is in a state of war. As children of the nobility, if we're caught back home, Geoffrey and I would definitely be ordered to join the front lines," Milia added.

"Relax, we won't be found out if we use the path through this realm," Ard said.

"I hope what you say is true," Milia said to Ard.

Then Ard looked at Mirea, who also seemed restless sitting next to Milia. He leaned forward and looked at her firmly.

"Are you worried about Nikolai's condition?" Ard asked.

"Was it that obvious? But that's not the main thing. I'm more worried about my mother's condition over there. If I'm being honest, I'm anxious to know how she is, because she was sick when I last saw her," Mirea answered.

"Hmm... does your mother live in the capital?" Ard asked.

"No... Mama lives in the city of Whitdale, right at the foot of the snowy mountains we're heading toward," Mirea replied.

"Ah... the city where dark elves live alongside humans, the one always covered in a blanket of snow?" Ard asked.

"Oh... you know that city?" Mirea asked, staring at Ard beside her.

"Of course I know it. In my third life, I lived in the Durnhill Kingdom," Ard answered.

"I know that city too. I've been there a few times accompanying my older brother, who's engaged to the noble who rules that city," Geoffrey chimed in.

"Wait... your older brother is engaged to the daughter of Marquis Hermanz? Lady Candice?" Milia asked in shock.

"Yep, that's right. They're around the same age, even though there's a big gap between him and me. The last time I went there was when I was still twelve, three years ago," Geoffrey answered.

"Oh, I see," Milia muttered.

"Do you actually know Lady Candice?" Geoffrey asked.

"Yes, I do. We met a few times in the ballroom. She's beautiful and kind; your older brother is truly lucky," Milia replied.

"Hey... why are you guys getting so caught up in your own world? Mirea is still worried about her mother," Alicia scolded.

"Oh... right, sorry Mirea," Milia said.

"It's okay, don't worry about it. It's just that, since the city is so close to the mountains we're heading to, I was hoping to visit my mother and check on her," Mirea muttered, glancing over at Ard and Eva.

"Hmm... we could take a little detour there. Right, Ard?" Eva asked, her arms folded across her chest and her expression making it very clear she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Agreed. I've never gone sightseeing in the Durnhill Kingdom, so I want to take a detour too," Adeline said, raising her hand cheerfully.

"Yep, same here. I've never gone traveling in the Durnhill Kingdom either," Beatrice added, also raising her hand with a bright smile.

"Give me a break. We're not going there to sightsee and have fun, Princess. We have a mission; please don't get carried away and stay focused on the goal... plus, don't complain... (whispering) honestly, what a pathetic princess," Rosalind replied.

"I haven't been to the Durnhill Kingdom either, so I think it'll be pretty fun to go there," Pyria added.

"Yep, it's a first for me too. I've always just heard stories about Durnhill from Nikolai," Claudia chimed in.

"It's not exactly wrong if we sightsee and have a bit of fun, right? Aside from the Ateras Kingdom, the Orthus Empire, the Fredonia Kingdom, and now the Rellios Kingdom, I've never set foot in the Durnhill Kingdom," Ainsley added while pushing up his glasses.

"I've been to Durnhill before, but back then I was a slave... so as a free man, I've never been," Irwin added, folding his arms and nodding his head.

"So, what do you say, my prince? They all seem pretty excited," Alicia said to Ard.

Ard scanned the faces of his friends, including Eva. They all looked cheerful, clearly having forgotten the weight of the task given to them by the Dragon God—except for Rosalind, who still seemed intent on carrying out the mission, though even she looked like she had other motives hidden behind her expression.

"Haaah... alright, fine. But don't forget, the Durnhill Kingdom is at war with Fredonia. Our job is to find and secure the Githiess egg so Ophelia can't use it, and it's entirely possible we'll have to fight Durnhill soldiers or spies. You understand, right?" Ard asked.

Everyone immediately nodded with enthusiasm, their eyes sparkling and wearing wide grins—including Eva. It certainly made Ard doubt whether they actually understood a single word he had just said.

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