Yerpi Deilang quietly closed the door and stood facing Groff Lowens.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing urgent, but I was drawn here by the sound of laughter, without even realizing it.”

The butler, who had been passing by the corridor, had stopped for quite some time at the door, distracted by the cheerful atmosphere. Groff smiled bitterly.

“I’ve never seen the young master like this before.”

Groff Lowens was the oldest retainer in the household, having served the family from the previous Duke all the way to the present.

He had also watched over Dante for a long time, yet remained a bystander who could do nothing to help.

“The late Duchess always ignored the young master. I was supposed to serve him, yet at some point, I gave up approaching him.”

The late Duchess’s infidelity and the Duke’s death had been a great shock even to him, a loyal retainer.

He had thought he should protect Dante, but at the same time, he was busy helping the new Duke, Raymond Growen, manage the crisis and stabilize the surroundings, leaving no time to attend to the child’s heart.

Thus, he entrusted everything to the nursemaid, the only person Dante had ever opened up to.

“I believed it was right to leave the young master as undisturbed as possible. It was all my mistake.”

Convenience for adults had brought false peace, and ultimately led to the wrong outcome.

It was rare for an adult to admit their mistakes and apologize—whether or not forgiveness followed.

But it wasn’t Yerpi’s place to decide the outcome of that apology. Still, she managed to ease the butler’s burden somewhat.

“Actually, you’ve arrived just in time. Could you please get permission from His Grace on my behalf?”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems Dante wants to come along to the party being held in the Summer Territory this time. Surprising, isn’t it?”

The boy, who was thought to prefer being alone, was now getting along well with maids and eagerly wanted to visit unfamiliar places.

At this, the butler’s gloomy expression brightened slightly.

“That’s wonderful news. I’ll go ask him right away.”

“I’ll stay here with Dante. I hope you return with good news.”

“I’ll bring back permission, I swear by my name.”

“That’s reassuring. Dante will be so happy.”

Groff hurried off to find Raymond, and shortly after, truly returned with his approval.

Seeing Dante’s radiant smile as they prepared to depart together for the Summer Territory, Groff smiled gently from a distance.

***

Yerpi Deilang was now standing in the middle of a vast red desert.

“Goodness. So this is the place.”

She had heard descriptions from Erca about the Summer Territory beforehand, but experiencing it firsthand was entirely different.

The scorching heat of the blazing sun and the endless expanse of red desert were truly spectacular.

A flock of illusion beasts shaped like pterosaurs soared through the deep blue sky.

“So this is why it’s considered dangerous.”

The threatening aura of these creatures was completely unlike the ones native to the Spring Territory, heightening her tension. Fortunately, they couldn’t see the group.

The entire party was under an illusion spell. It was quite an extensive enchantment, and Raymond had assured Yerpi it would last until they reached the estate, which brought her relief.

“I need to keep my wits about me.”

This place, though still part of Growen land, was vastly different from what she had seen before.

While she could rely on her memories, there was always a gap between knowledge and reality.

Here, they couldn’t ride the horse-like illusion beasts they had used in the Spring Territory.

In the Summer Territory, they had to switch to Eltiards—illusion beasts adapted to the local climate.

These creatures were even larger than black warhorses, more akin to elephants in size.

The massive camel-colored beasts moved steadily forward, easily carrying six fully grown adults across the rough sandy desert.

The Eltiard Yerpi rode was carrying Raymond Growen, Yerpi Deilang, Erca, Dante, several knights, plus all necessary supplies and a canopy tent.

Even so, it advanced powerfully, showing no sign of strain.

“These illusion beasts are incredibly strong.”

“Of course! They’re my favorite. Merchants love them because you can pile on even more cargo and they won’t mind. They actually enjoy showing off their strength. For them, exerting power while feeling the desert wind is a source of energy. So please, relax and enjoy the ride.”

Erca happily shared her knowledge without reservation.

‘Just as Yerpi studied.’

Despite their large size, Eltiards were gentle and fond of people. They were among the most docile species across the entire Summer Territory.

Their feeding mechanism was also quite unique—energy was generated through pulling heavy loads across the desert.

Thump. Thump-thump.

The herd of Eltiards advanced with great momentum. At least until they reached their destination, they were safe.

Yerpi was resting on a carpet when, nearby, small spherical fire illusion beasts giggled and circled around her.

‘Those are Pionis.’

These illusion beasts, formed from flames, felt only pleasantly warm when touching humans.

However, since they fed by landing on living beings and slowly absorbing their vitality, one had to be careful not to let them get too close.

“Ugh, get away!”

As the Pionis multiplied, Erca began fanning them off.

But as their numbers grew, it became difficult for her to manage alone. When Yerpi also raised a fan, golden flames instantly burned the creatures.

Kkaekkaekyaek-!

Born of fire, they weren’t killed by flames, but clearly felt a sharp sting.

The Pionis evaporated like ghosts into the air. Soon after, Raymond warned them.

“Low-level illusion beasts are harmless, but from mid-level onward, even contact can cause severe burns. Be careful.”

“Yes, I understand. Dante, did you hear that too?”

Unfortunately, Dante was in no state to pay attention.

A black mass was melting onto the Eltiard’s hide.

Yerpi gently patted Dante in concern, but the boy squirmed away as if even that touch annoyed him, crawling toward the shadiest spot.

“…Are you alright?”

Dante was limp, almost dissolving. It was understandable—he had always sought cool spots within the castle, so struggling in the Summer Territory wasn’t surprising.

‘But I didn’t expect him to be this sensitive to heat.’

Thanks to the canopy, no direct sunlight reached them, which alone made survival possible. But apparently, it wasn’t enough for Dante.

A wet white cloth dropped onto Dante’s head. Feeling the coolness, he lifted his face and saw Raymond Growen.

“Cover yourself with this damp cloth. It’ll help. We’ll reach the estate soon—just endure a little longer.”

Seeming to have regained a bit of life, Dante exhaled deeply and wrapped the wet cloth tightly around his entire body. Yerpi stayed beside him, replacing the cloth with a fresh one each time it heated up.

The illusion beasts carrying the group had now left the edge of the desert and entered a dry, elevated mountain range.

“This is the main route used by merchants. That makes it the safest path.”

Erca warned them that other routes were teeming with extremely dangerous illusion beasts.

As they followed the well-trodden path upward, a massive village appeared below the cliffs.

Beyond the large and small roofs covered in white fabric, they saw round-shaped plaster decorations with pointed tips. Supporting those structures was the lord’s castle—the heart of the Summer Territory, Quaite Core.

“Hmm, the scent of home! Groven Castle was nice, but it was a bit cold.”

Erca hummed a tune as she breathed in the hot wind. Beyond the highlands, on flat ground ahead, another group of Eltiards stood waiting, carrying people.

Spotting them, Erca pointed excitedly.

“Oh, they’ve come to greet us!”

The figures, dressed in white turbans and long robes, had deeply tanned skin and tall, sturdy builds. They were the welcoming party, assembled to greet the Duke.

Exotic flower petals fluttered into the blue sky, carried by the hot breeze.

The welcoming party scattered large flower petals toward Raymond’s knightly escort. Leading them was Debora Core, the ruler of the Summer Territory.

“Welcome sincerely to Quaite Core.”

“Lord Core. It’s been a while.”

“Only half a year. I’m truly grateful you’ve been guarding the outer edges of the Summer Territory in our stead.”

The Summer Territory was home to many ferocious illusion beasts, and protecting villages was the top priority, so they couldn’t spare knights to patrol the far borders. Raymond had taken on that responsibility in their place.

Yerpi’s gaze settled on Debora. The same vivid red hair as Erca’s confirmed they were mother and daughter.

For generations, women had protected the villages from illusion beasts and served as spiritual pillars. The Lord of Core was a powerful woman with many children.