Debora had a height nearly identical to Raymond.

Behind her back was a mace, and her legs were wrapped with several layers of daggers—this alone spoke volumes about how dangerous the Summer Territory truly was.

Though one might think such weapons would be heavy, Debora’s body was entirely muscular, each thigh as thick as the torso of an average adult man.

A rough, sturdy hand reached out.

Here, it was customary for the lower-ranked to greet first.

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Yerpi. I am Debora Core, humbly in charge of the Summer Territory.”

“Pleased to meet you, Lady Core.”

Hadn’t she been overseeing the Summer Territory for over twenty years?

To lead people as a lord in a place where violent hydras ran rampant meant one had to be exceptionally strong. And indeed, Debora’s eyes held the power to command others.

“I’ve never seen a petal of dragon blood before. And this young master here… poor thing, he’s melting.”

Debora clicked her tongue upon seeing Dante, limp in Yerpi’s arms, then called someone over.

“Lutina. Bring the ice jar.”

“Yes, Mother.”

A woman with brown hair tied up high on her head hurried off. Shortly after, Lutina returned with a black jar.

“Now, let’s put him inside.”

It seemed questionable whether this would help, but they decided to try anyway. Yerpi gently lifted Dante and placed him carefully into the jar.

Unfortunately, the sight of the young dragon crammed inside was rather comical. And it wasn’t just Yerpi who thought so—residents of the Summer Territory gathering around began chiming in.

“Oh my, how cute!”

“Not cute—cuteness incarnate!”

“Ah, right.”

“Poor thing. I hope he cools down quickly.”

Everyone gathered here bore weapons, and their facial features, builds, and even eye shapes resembled Debora’s. Seeing those surrounding Dante, Yerpi recalled what Erka had once mentioned.

Debora had given birth to seventeen children and adopted twelve more orphans with no family.

‘So that means….’

Debora chuckled, as if she could read Yerpi’s thoughts. She playfully placed a chokehold around her son’s neck and giggled.

“They’re all my proud children. Each one of them can hold their own anywhere.”

“Ow, Mother! That hurts!”

They seemed like a close-knit, large family. As they watched, a faint groan began to rise from the new jar.

“Dante, are you awake?”

Hurrying to check on him, the young dragon weakly responded.

“Here it is!”

The youngest-looking girl among Debora’s children rushed off and returned quickly with water.

Dabbing a little water with her fingertip, she fed him—but it wasn’t enough. Dante tried to crawl straight into the bowl. After barely stopping him, they managed to get him to drink, and he let out a deep sigh.

Reaching a hand into the jar, it truly felt cold—almost as if only inside this jar existed winter.

After drinking, Dante curled up inside the jar. His breathing soon evened out, clearly much more comfortable.

It was a relief Dante wasn’t suffering anymore. Yerpi hadn’t known such a thing existed. Looking at Debora, who seemed equally pleased, Yerpi asked curiously:

“That’s amazing. Is it enchanted with magic?”

“It’s not real ice, nor is it magically enchanted. The jar is made from clay taken from the Pauqua wetlands.”

The clay from Pauqua was said to be scorching hot like lava before extraction, but once cooled, it became remarkably cold.

Mixed with ordinary soil, this clay was used to build cool houses, or shaped into jars to store food and items that must not spoil.

It was a special wisdom unique to those living in the Summer Territory.

“Now that the young master has solidified again, let us all head to the manor. The stone buildings are coated with Pauqua clay, making them very cool inside. From the village entrance onward, large hydras cannot pass, so please switch to the Naknia prepared there.”

The journey from the desert’s border to the nearby village was short. From there, they would have to switch to a hydra called Naknia for the rest of the trip.

As they entered the village, its residents came rushing out to greet Lady Debora and the honored guests.

The way the lord interacted casually with the villagers revealed the atmosphere of this place.

One villager even approached Debora with a plea.

“Lady Core, please find my son.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Debora patted the couple’s shoulders. Apparently, someone had gone missing.

‘So that’s why the village felt a bit uneasy.’

The village was well-organized and seemed commercially active, yet there was an odd sense of unease—now it made sense.

Crossing the village, they saw a pure white stone building. Its roof was pointed at the top and rounded at the base, and the arched structure loomed with a massive, overwhelming presence.

‘How fascinating.’

It felt as if they’d been invited into a desert kingdom. And just as Debora had said, the palace interior was refreshingly cool.

Shielded from the harsh sun, the workers’ attire was noticeably lighter and more relaxed.

While Yerpi and the others caught their breath, Debora called for attendants.

“There will be a banquet tonight in honor of our guests. Please rest well. Woody, please show them around.”

“Hello. I’m Woody Core, honored to serve you during your stay.”

With a small bow, a young man of slight build greeted them politely. Recognizing Erka, the maidservant smiled brightly and called out.

“Oh, Woody!”

“Long time no see, Sister Erka.”

Woody Core was an orphan boy adopted by Debora.

Normally, men were deployed as knights to fend off hydras, but Woody was too frail to leave the fortress. Instead, he took on the role of managing the fortress and guiding guests.

The most distinctive trait of the Summer Territory was that no occupation was considered inferior.

As long as one fulfilled their duty and devoted themselves to their family, even if they stopped working, they would still be protected as a member of society.

“I’ll escort you to the guest wing, where your family can stay together.”

Servants who came with Woody helped carry their luggage.

The scenery leading to the guest wing was beautiful as well.

White stone pillars reflected sunlight, and the oasis-connected fortress garden was filled with tropical plants, large exotic flowers, and towering cacti.

“It feels just like a vacation.”

Yerpi murmured without thinking, and Raymond responded.

“When a trouble-free estate is selected for inspection, we often conduct site visits combined with rest instead of detailed investigations. This time, though, it’s different.”

The Spring Territory, the most peaceful of all, was typically used that way. It was added that such anomalies in the Forest of Discovery were truly rare.

But there was a flaw in his statement.

“Is there some issue in the Summer Territory?”

At first, Yerpi had assumed it was simply dangerous, but now it seemed otherwise.

“People have been going missing in a certain area.”

The Passionate Desert.

Originally a place where edible flowers and cacti were harvested, people were now vanishing there.

All the missing individuals had seen their reflections in the glare of light and were pulled beyond it.

The one who discovered this rushed to save their companion, but by then, the person had already vanished completely.

“And what’s the current situation?”

“Debora’s knights are surrounding the area, so nothing major will happen immediately. The problem is that the zone of disappearances is gradually expanding.”

At this, Yerpi’s expression stiffened.

‘It’s similar to the Forest of Discovery incident.’

Only this time, instead of vanishing from memory, people were disappearing physically.

The real reason this investigation targeted the Summer Territory was precisely because of these disappearances.

“This is your residence. Rest comfortably, and call us anytime if you need anything.”

They arrived at the guest wing during their conversation.

Connected to a large garden, the guest wing was decorated with vibrant tropical flowers and trees.

“I’ll take care of you, Lady Yerpi. If you have any questions, ask me.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

While Erka and Woody conversed, Raymond, considerate of the weary Yerpi, pointed toward the resting area.

“We’re not leaving for the investigation immediately, so take some rest.”

Inside was a large bed, and in the center, a spacious couch designed for comfortable lounging.

Even if they had traveled through spatial gaps, crossing the desert was still a physical reality. The sudden seasonal shift indeed seemed to take a toll on one’s condition.

“Yes. You rest too, Raymond.”

Cautiously lying down on the couch, soft cushions enveloped Yerpi’s entire body. Was it her imagination? Her eyes closed naturally as Raymond smiled.

She must have fallen asleep then.

‘Where… am I?’

At the scorching heart of the desert, where flesh would cook under the heat.

A massive phoenix-shaped figure flew straight toward Yerpi.