"VRITRA, I have a question."

Caelus' monotonous voice plundered the silence that he and Vritra shared as they stood at the back of Irad's huge draconic body. Vritra, immediately casted his attention on his master; the vertical slit of his seemingly golden eyes slowly relaxed at the sight of Caelus' back.

"Please ask, my lord," he replied with a naturally, respectful tone.

"Do you..." Caelus narrowed his eyes at Vritra's direction. "Remember the reason why I cut my hair off?"

A moment of silence descended between them after Caelus' question. Vritra seemed to be in a deep thought, unable to process the sudden question. Caelus slowly angled his head behind; the corners of his eyes seemed to sharpen at the growing seriousness within him.

"Forgive me, my lord, but we've met too late for me to know," Vritra regretfully replied.

A series of events started to appear at the back of Caelus' mind. Although they all seemed vague and incomplete, it was enough for him to infer that his hair was indeed already short when he met Vritra. Thinking about it, Caelus cannot help but associate the loss of his memories with some sort of accident that he may have caught himself back then.

Only, he does not remember such incident as well.

"Hm, indeed." He could only nod and turn his attention back in front.

The land that he erected from the sea below is already growing larger in everyone's vision. As they drew closer to Snow Drift, the gasps from behind him are getting louder and louder. He cannot blame them though as everyone he had brought in this place reacted the same way looking at the floating island.

This coast, as far as Caelus can remember, had been extremely hostile to human reach. When he first came here a year ago, the waves reached an unprecedented height of thousands of meters above, which naturally destroyed many cliffs and mountains. Even sea monsters did not dare to stay in this ocean because a series of storms constantly appear from the sky, disparaging many monster territories below the seabed.

The land where Snow Drift stronghold is built upon is a lone piece of land that surfaced from the geological activities below the ocean. The feature of the island was not something within his calculations as there was apparent prosperity of plants and herbs on its land despite the fact that it bears the blunt waves every single day.

Caelus was too lazy to find another way to give the hundreds of people he was with a home, so he erected the island; thinking he can use this piece of land to build a stronghold somewhere else — for example, at the centre of Lake Isle Orchid which they passed through. The huge lake was actually home to a few monster generals and considering that he had many people to protect, Caelus initially decided not to touch that place.

Only, the topography of the eastern frontier at Phospiest is rather full of danger and Lake Isle Orchid can be considered to be one of the easiest territories to conquer since most general-ranked monsters prefer to be solitary than have their kin follow them.

Fighting a few generals is relatively easier than breaking out of a beast riot.

It was until he erected the island that he found out an energy vein beneath the island exists. It is also the reason why there is a considerable number of life on its soil even with the harsh environment. In addition, the storms around the ocean seemed to be attracted to the vein as well. Finding that it is a bit of a waste to destroy the energy vein to draw away the sheer amount of storms, Caelus decided to take advantage of it by sealing the vein and building Snow Drift base above.

The floating island came to reality after he expended a bit of his time and resources in building the energy reserve, powering the island to stay afloat while also giving his people a good place to live.

Irad's homogonous body stopped a few hundred meters away from the steel gate where a bridge extends from. A line of armoured soldiers stood on both sides of the wide platform, emphasizing order and power which rendered the village folks speechless. They looked at Leon with dumfounded expressions, and Leon looked at Vritra helplessly; unable to process the events as well.

He had never witnessed such a feat in his life and Leon could firmly say he can brag about this for the next decades. Not everyone can ride a dragon overlord, follow an almighty figure and be able to seek refuge in a stronghold like no other. It can be said that their lives took a huge leap from the bottom of the well towards the ground above.

Before Leon could completely immerse himself with the exalted view of forged metals that tower upon them, the gate in front of them suddenly opened. A loud and disturbing creaking sound emanated all around them, making the people's hearts race uncontrollably.

A figure sped up from afar towards them. It was a youth, probably in his early twenties with light, blue hair that reached his elbows in length. He had a clean face, the type that can attract attention anywhere he goes while dragging a lousy robe that seemed to belong to that of a solitary hermit.

"My lord!" he greeted Caelus while panting heavily.

"What is the fuss, Awari?" Vritra asked the newcomer before he signalled a soldier to take Caelus' horse away.

"We heard of your coming and everyone's in panic," the youth, Awari, replied with a pale face.

He glanced at Caelus who remained silent in front, seemingly listening but not fully expressing interest.

"I have already made it clear that there is no need to alarm everyone of my arrival, haven't I?" Caelus asked with a firm tone.

Awari almost jumped on his feet hearing Caelus. He let out an awkward and busted smile while slowly sneaking behind Vritra.

"Who are you hiding from?" Caelus raised his brow.

The poor youth pressed his lips together, his eyes already pleading at Caelus. "M-My lord... Your presence i-is of outmost importance here... hehe..."

"My lord, he must have forgotten to remove the signalling runes again after your token is activated," Vritra explained.

Awari's awkward smile turns even more awkward after he was busted. He gave Vritra a complicated look but the latter simply shook his head and looked at Caelus once again.

"Hm... So that's it." Caelus slowly nodded and gave Awari a meaningful look.

Awari's knees trembled noticeably after being subjected to his monarch's gaze. He sweated profusely while his expression almost distorted the calm and innocent charm he held just earlier. The people behind Leon found the scene rather ridiculous but they did their best to hold back their laughter, lest they offend any of the parties involved.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

After all, they are still outsiders.

"A-A feast is prepared for your arrival, m-my lord," Awari nervously announced, as if he was trying to alleviate the situation by bribing Caelus.

Caelus could only let out a soft sigh. Shaking his head, he turned to the people behind him.

"Everyone will follow Awari inside Snow Drift. I hope everyone can abide by the rules here... unless you don't find this place suitable," he simply said with minimum volume but his crisp voice reverberated towards the crowd like a large megaphone.

The people who followed him heard his statement loud and clear and they immediately nodded in response, as if they are afraid he would have ideas.

"We don't dare, my lord!" they chorused.

"My lord, my people and I are indebted to you. Allow us to express our sincere gratitude! We hope that this favour from you will be paid with our efforts to assist you in the future!" Leon declared with emphasis and turned to his people.

"Please accept our bow!" he continued and bowed towards Caelus. The rest of the villagers urgently followed his lead.

The thousands of people behind bent their heads at Caelus' direction, creating an indescribable air of nobility around the platform that welcomed a moment of silence after the people expressed their thanks. Caelus looked at them, a shimmer of light swiftly passing through his orbs which no one noticed.

No one can guess what he was thinking that time.

"Y-YOUR Excellency... what is this place?" Leon couldn't help but ask Awari as soon as they passed through the gates.

His and his people's eyes have been restless ever since they reached Snow Drift. It is even acceptable to say that Leon had become dizzy from all the structures he is seeing with his old flesh. The gate of this stronghold is perhaps, the tallest and sturdiest one he had ever seen. There are more armoured soldiers as they came closer to the entrance and many of them are even riding ironclad beasts.

The villagers shivered at the sight of these beasts that are all monstrous existences in the wilds where they came from. To think that they are tamed by some people, truly they didn't live long enough!

"Ah..?" Awari glanced at Leon with a hesitant look. "This is Snow Drift," he replied, sounding rather unsure what to say.

He looked at the villagers behind him who are also looking at him with curiosity. The situation was rather farcical as both sides do not seem to know what to say in the situation. Awari could only curse under his breath, unable to muster the courage to blame anyone for being responsible with these newcomers.

The scenario is almost always the same since the prince just randomly picks people from the wilderness and brings them here. Furthermore, Caelus doesn't explain anything to the folks which also makes them the most clueless of the humans in the Snow Drift for the next months. Awari could only do his best to explain things to them but he is no Buddha to be benevolent all the time.

"Yes, we understand b-but... What is this place?" Leon asked once again, his gaze becoming more meaningful.

Awari could only gasp in realization before he did his best to give them a smile.

"Then I can only tell you the story of Snow Drift. Please follow me to the city," he invited them and took the lead.

Beyond the gate is a wide alley made of cobblestones. Blue spruce trees at the height of hundreds of meters stood by the frozen canals that are each graced by snow; making them look enchantingly white. A colossal clock tower can be seen in a distance and Leon could infer that it should at least be thousands of meters in height. A few buildings here and there could be seen and all of them are made of some materials aside from wood. The city does not seem populated and it in fact has a lot of space, with roads being wider than anything else.

"There is nothing much to see here since the city military supervises the defence gates all over the island. The citizens dwell at the capital where the commerce is found. The people here don't lack the resources but of course, you need to work and contribute to the city if you want to live comfortably," Awari explained as they walked.

A few military personnel greeted them as they travelled on foot. There are a few carriages that pass through them but most of them do not seem to host people since they pulled wagons and a few carts. In actuality, Snow Drift seemed ancient and mysterious as their first impression but it is hundred times better than the towns and villages they have seen.

"How do we find a living here, your excellency? My people and I do know a few about cultivating and farming. We can also hunt or perhaps..."

"Pardon me but we don't really do that here. In Snow Drift, you can pursue any profession you never did back in your towns. If you want to learn alchemy or forging, mine, sail, and operate any type of vehicles, you can register for training. We encourage anyone who is more adventurous to join the military and protect the city or head outside to do missions. In addition, you can earn merits and be promoted which will increase the benefits you receive," Awari said before he took something out of his pocket.

"This is something that any resident of the city must have as it is your pass to enter the city. You can get this at the administrative bureau in the capital which we will go to in a moment," he continued as he showed them a circular token that was similar to Caelus'.

"You have to drop your blood here to gain ownership. This is to avoid any outsiders from finding out about this place. You must remember that if ever you wander out of Snow Drift for admissible reasons, you must not reveal the city's existence to anyone. Doing so will make you a sinner of this stronghold," Awari carried on with a grave expression.

He gave Leon and his people a firm look, emphasizing the significance of this reminder. They all nodded in understanding. They do not have any problem with this rule since every stronghold has their own secret. This city already offers them a lot of opportunities which is already out of their expectation. To be honest, they are not confident with their status in a place like this; after all, they are mere townspeople who don't have background.

In Horai, the strong preys on the weak. It is the same human nature that divided all beings as residents of strongholds and people in the wilderness. In such a harsh world, resources are scant and everyone is fighting to get a piece of cake. Being able to receive a huge piece without doing much is not something that can happen to anyone, but it is something that Leon and his people enjoy right now.

Of course, it is only right for them to prove that they are worthy of this opportunity.

"My lord is not usually here in the city but it is his magnanimous presence that brings all of us, his subjects, with enormous security. In the future, you will understand how immense the liege's grace is," Awari stated, his tone cannot hide the deep fanaticism inside.

"Today is a day to celebrate the liege's visit so the capital will be in full colours tonight, lucky you." He beamed and waved his hand. "We should get down to business before the evening twilight peaks."

They did not understand what that wave was supposed to be but it did not take long before a huge shadow enveloped the ground. Everyone automatically looked up, only to gasp when a massive white crane appeared on the sky. Its wingspan was so wide it could cover a few kilometres of land which is more than enough to destroy a town. It circled the air a few times before it slowly descended on top of a giant fountain a few hundred meters away.

A very strong gust of wind warped the space in between, enough to blow away the buildings and establishments around but it did not happen, much to their surprise. They saw the youth simply raised his hand and the powerful wind that could blast them back to the wilderness suddenly turned into a gentle breeze.

"My beautiful Ether, send us all to the capital." Awari smiled before he disappeared from everyone's view. He reappeared by the crane's back with his finger pointed at Leon's direction.

Before they could even know what it meant, they felt the ground where they are standing warp, as if a powerful force suddenly suctioned them away from that space. When they opened their eyes, they are already standing at the crane's back while almost losing their balance in shock.

The giant crane simply hummed before it flapped its wings and ascended above. Everyone's amazement peaked when they saw a ridiculously different city beyond that surrounds the clock tower they saw earlier. To think that they thought Snow Drift was much simpler than what it seems, they were greatly disappointed.

The city that lay bare in front of them is a magnificent one, even more breathtaking than any metropolis. The ancient buildings arched a thousand floors, with layers of ores and metals that are carved with runes. The tallest trees had branches that spanned a mile and they could even see a few flying beasts resting on them. There were freezing mountains beyond where waters cascade, flaunting their refined aura that paralleled that of a venerable realm.

There were flying ships where a few upright cultivators stand by the deck; sharing insights on their attainments. Everyone's amazement could only become more restless at the sight of this prosperity. More so, this place is their home from now on.

Their hearts could only beat loud and clear, expressing indescribable bewilderment.