"Of course, the legendary figure of the Starguard Legion, the most outstanding Executive Commander." Oak exclaimed excitedly, his voice echoing in the hall, drawing the attention of many.

"Lower your voice, Oak," Sable said impatiently.

"After he and the cavalry went missing, everyone was speculating what had happened." Alexander continued in an elegant tone. "On the day after his departure, some scattered cavalry corpses were found in the woods. Many now believe it was his abuse of power, disregarding the lives of the cavalry, that led to the tragedy."

Sable sighed, a hint of resignation and sadness in his eyes. "I was supposed to be in the troop that day. He said my swordsmanship was poor and sent me to patrol. I consider myself lucky to have escaped that disaster."

"So, he knew the mission was dangerous and wanted a well-trained cavalry unit." Aria asked, surprised.

"Neven must have had reasons, just didn't have the chance to explain. He'll clear his name this time when he returns." Oak pounded the table again, making the plates rattle.

"You came from outside the barrier, how did you two meet?" Alexander asked, his voice gentle with curiosity.

"We met in the town of Longhorn outside. We've only known each other for a short while." Aria said softly, a hint of shyness and unease in her tone.

"So, you decided to come in with him, to such a dangerous place, how did you manage that?"

"I think... you should ask Neven about that." Aria lowered her head, her voice trembling weakly, as if lost in chaos. Then she hesitated, "Actually, we had only one candle to ward off evil. It helped us get through the barrier, but we haven't found a way out yet."

"I know Neven, he wouldn't easily bring a woman back here." Alexander furrowed his brow, his gaze betraying a hint of wariness and contemplation. "What's the nature of your relationship?"

"Friends, good friends." Aria lifted the glass of milk, her voice feeling frail.

"Neven is our best friend." Oak exclaimed excitedly.

With a clang, Sable kicked him under the table. "Let's go, the armory is a mess. If you keep eating like this, you'll never finish cleaning up."

Oak patted his bloated belly and let out a loud burp. "I hate cleaning weapons. Patrol duty is much better."

"What about me? Didn't Alpha say I could join the Legion?" Aria asked.

"Oops, I completely forgot," Oak slapped his forehead, a hint of apology in his smile. "I'm truly sorry, I forgot to tell you that Seraphina wants to see you, and it seems like... oh no, she wants to see you right now."

"What?" Sable exclaimed. "You forgot such an important thing? We're definitely going to be late if we have to take Aria there now."

"I can personally escort her there, it would be an honor to accompany a lady," Alexander said, gentlemanly, then turned to explain to Aria, "Seraphina is the Grand Mentor of the Venom Legion, she's an extremely caring woman."

As Sable and Oak left the hall arguing, Alexander pointed to his hand hidden under the table and said, "Actually, you don't need to worry too much about your other hand. No one will overly focus on your scales, you'll understand when you meet Seraphina."

Aria extended her scaled hand, smiling sheepishly. "I thought no one noticed."

"I noticed the moment you came in," Alexander said, smiling brightly.

Alexander was a very witty and conversational gentleman. Along the way, he spoke in an elegant tone about many interesting things. For example, he mentioned how he needed to catch a transparent scorpion for making a tonic, and how he had to sprinkle a peculiar starlight powder all over a field, attracting a swarm of stinging bees. He also warned not to linger in the hall before dinner, as Grand Mentor Alpha often posted some unfriendly notices there during that time. Alexander had also developed a rejuvenating water for the Lunar King, though it couldn't truly preserve youth, it could make the skin look ten years younger. He offered a bottle to Aria, but she declined. She had lived for over two hundred years, and her appearance had never changed.

Seraphina resided in a solitary room at the highest point of the South Tower. To reach it, one had to ascend a narrow staircase at the top of the tower. At the top of the stairs was an arched wooden door, its entire surface adorned with an exquisite relief frame, depicting a jade-green serpent spitting venom, with eyes made of black obsidian.

"I can only accompany you this far, don't be afraid of Seraphina, she's the most benevolent of Serpent," Alexander instructed.

"Serpent...?" Aria asked, shocked.

"Don't worry, go on in," Alexander knocked on the door. With a creak, the door opened automatically.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Seraphina's room seemed like a secret sanctuary deep within a forest, filled with mystery and tranquility. The walls were bathed in warm and gentle light from the dim yellow lamps, seemingly radiating softly from the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

Heavy curtains hung in front of the window, allowing strands of morning light to filter through the fine seams. On the wide tabletop lay an ancient book, its yellowed pages emitting a faint scent of sunlight. At one corner of the table sat an incense burner, from which slender wisps of smoke rose slowly, filling the air with a comfortable fragrance.

After Aria entered, a sound of the door closing came from behind her. Immediately after, a very pleasant female voice came from behind the curtains.

"I've been wanting to meet you since yesterday, I know you must be tired," came the voice of a graceful woman from behind the curtains. Despite Alexander's warning, Aria was still shocked, her scalp tingling and her body covered in goosebumps. She had never seen anyone with eyes like glass marbles or skin as dark as ink.

Seraphina was dressed in a fitted purple silk dress, her eyes barely blinking. Taller than the average woman, with an air of pride, her black features carried a hint of fairy-like charm. "Don't be afraid, my child. Serpent are rare beyond the barrier, but here, you will meet many of my kind," Seraphina said slowly, blinking her snake eyes once.

"Sorry, this is my first time seeing..." Aria apologized, feeling embarrassed.

Seraphina walked to the table and sat down elegantly. "Neven came to see me last night, he wants you to stay at the Moon Tower."

Aria looked up.

"Your sincere gesture for Neven, entering the barrier, has deeply moved me."Seraphina said.

Aria softly countered, "Oh, no, we don't have that kind of relationship..."

"Don't be shy, I can feel the presence of love," Seraphina continued. "Neven also told me not to express your feelings too openly, fearing you might be embarrassed."

Aria closed her mouth, no longer speaking. She guessed that Neven had lied to Seraphina to make her stay. But these false words indeed touched the noble snake woman. Especially the pity in Seraphina's eyes, as if her and Neven's love was so poignant that it moved the heavens and earth.

"Neven's position at the Moon Tower is not what it used to be," Seraphina said.

"Is it because of the three thousand cavalry?" Aria asked.

"Yes, it's a very serious mistake. He explained to us after he came back, saying it was an order from his Grand Mentor. But back then, the Grand Mentor of the Starguard Legion never mentioned it," Seraphina said, her serpent eyes sharp as knives. "In the Moon Tower, verbal commands are absolutely unacceptable. This is the first time such a situation has occurred, and he is the first commander to violate the regulations."

"Will Neven be punished?"

"Not for the time being, but he won't hold the position of Executive Commander anymore," Seraphina said sternly.

Aria breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to Neven after their ordeal last night.

"What is Neven's inner world like? I mean his emotional state, he seems quite negative," Seraphina asked with concern.

"When we first met, his situation was dire," Aria reminisced. "If it weren't for the blacksmith in Longhorn Town taking him in, he might not have survived."

"Do you know why?" Seraphina inquired.

Aria shook her head. "He never told me, but I suspect it might have something to do with the Three Thousand Riders."

"I'm concerned he'll continue to spiral downward. I hope you can help him rediscover himself," Seraphina said.

Aria's lips dried up, almost blurting out, even though they had only known each other for a few days. But she agreed, whether Seraphina had asked her to or not, she would do her best to help Neven regain his confidence.

A knock sounded at the door, which magically swung open once again.

As a striking young woman entered the room, Aria couldn't help but squint. She was dressed in the blue uniform of the Starguard Legion, a color that perfectly complemented her eyes, like the meeting of sky and ocean. Her neatly trimmed chestnut-red hair had a slight curl at the ends, exuding a sense of nonconformity.

"This is Lyra, the Executive Commander of the Starguard Legion," Seraphina introduced briefly to Lyra, knowing Aria was a mere mortal, so she enlisted Lyra to mentor her, helping Aria adapt to life at the Moon Tower.

After leaving Seraphina's room, Lyra decided to have Aria organize the armory. She agreed with Seraphina's perspective, believing that Grand Mentor Alpha shouldn't have allowed a fragile mortal to enter the Legion. However, from Lyra's mouth, it was revealed that Seraphina couldn't stop Alpha from doing so.

Lyra led Aria to the massive armory not far from the training grounds, where Oak and Sable were sorting through iron swords. Pointing to the towering pile of swords, Sable complained, "Lyra, this place hasn't been organized in a hundred years. We'll never finish tidying up."

“We've got a helper for you,” Lyra pointed at Aria. “But before that, I need to find her a suitable lightweight sword,” Lyra scanned the surroundings.

Sable quickly handed over a sword. “This one's the lightest, perfect for a woman.”

Lyra weighed it, then handed it to Aria. But as Aria tried to pick up the sword, there was a clatter as her hand dropped it to the ground. Sable and Oak chuckled from the sidelines.

Aria tried several more, all too heavy to wield. She felt a struggle within, longing to find her place in this unfamiliar environment, yet feeling inadequate, unable to meet the expectations of Lyra and Seraphina. She feared becoming a burden to the team.

“None of these will do. You need one custom-made,” Lyra said, dejected. She wrote down an address for Aria, the renowned swordsmith in Shadowvale. To Lyra, danger could be anywhere, and even without missions, Aria needed a means of self-defense.

After bidding Lyra farewell, Aria eagerly made her way to the town with the provided address. She had missed Shadowvale dearly since returning. Unexpectedly, she had the chance today to visit the town, and Aria made her way along the slope towards it. She decided to first fulfill Lyra's task at the swordsmith’s and then return to the Echo Tower. From the slope, she could see the tower still standing intact in the center of town, the calamity having spared it.

Although the town had suffered much damage years ago, the ancient alleys remained. Aria quickened her pace, feeling quite familiar with the place. She easily found the swordsmith's house. She explained that Lyra had sent her to craft a lightweight weapon, and the smith readily agreed. Then, taking out a tape measure, the smith meticulously measured Aria's dimensions, even measuring her ten fingers.

Finally, he, with his large hands, held out a curled notebook, and mechanically asked a few questions. “What weapons are you proficient in?” he asked.

Aria thought for a moment, replying, “None.”

“None?” He raised an eyebrow, jotting it down. “What weapons have you used?”

“None.”

“None?” The smith looked shocked.

“Oh, I have a dagger, about this long, and I've used it to kill a night ghoul,” Aria gestured with her hand.

The smith was stunned for a moment, but eventually, as per Lyra's instructions, crafted a lightweight sword for her. He said she could pick it up before sundown.