The path to Dragon’s Fang Castle was much wider than a typical trail and wasn’t hard to find.

They followed the grassy path for what felt like hours.

It wasn’t until afternoon that Dragon’s Fang Castle gradually came into view.

Colin stopped and looked toward Dragon’s Fang Castle in the distance.

It was a fortress built entirely of massive stones. Its walls were thick and steep, and the arrow slits peppered across them were like countless eyes staring down at travelers on the road. The flags flying above the ramparts were also somewhat similar to those in Flint Village.

Before they even reached the castle gate.

Several soldiers in Cotton Armor, holding Long Spears, approached from a distance.

The soldiers all looked to be on the older side. ’Perhaps "experienced" is a better way to put it,’ Colin thought.

"Why are you approaching Dragon’s Fang Castle? This isn’t a place for you to lodge for the night!" the lead soldier shouted.

"I’m a field agent for the City Watchers, here to deliver a message." Colin raised his hand, displaying the ring he wore.

The soldier then asked, "Who sent you?"

"Edwin Helder."

The Guards exchanged a look.

"The Paladin?"

"He’s back from the south, too? Looks like those rumors about the Fallen Druids are true..."

"They’re even having to use field agents to deliver messages now. We really are short-staffed."

One of them glanced at Kase, then turned back and asked, "Old John’s on patrol today, isn’t he?"

"Left first thing this morning."

After exchanging a few more words, the lead Guard said to Colin, "Alright, follow me."

The pair didn’t think much of it and followed him toward Dragon’s Fang Castle.

Dragon’s Fang Castle itself wasn’t very large. Built on a small hillock, it consisted of only a small bailey and two arrow towers. The main keep wasn’t particularly tall, which made the whole structure seem a bit cramped.

The soldier led the two to the main keep.

"Wait here. I’ll go make a report." With that, he headed upstairs.

Standing in the bailey, Colin looked around.

He noticed that the soldiers in the castle were all quite old. He saw almost no young men; even those in their prime were few and far between.

On closer inspection, the entire fortress gave off a similar impression.

The stone walls were covered in the marks of time, like a weary old man in his twilight years. The gaps between the stones were so wide you could probably get a handhold and climb them.

After a moment, a man in a Plate Armor Chest Guard who looked like an officer took over for the soldier. He led the pair up into the main keep and to the command room on the second floor.

The command room’s furnishings were ordinary.

A regional map with curled corners was tacked to the rough stone wall, covered in various markings. A few sheets of paper, an inkwell, and several empty wine cups were scattered across the heavy wooden table in the center of the room.

An old veteran in a Plate Armor Chest Guard stood with his back to the room, silhouetted against the window. His graying hair was tinged crimson by the setting sun, making him look like a tired old wolf.

"The messenger is here, Commander," the officer who had led them in said.

The commander at the window turned to look at them.

He stared at Kase, not saying a word for a long moment.

’What’s with these people? Why are they all so fixated on Kase?’ Colin felt a little uneasy. Kase, standing beside him, remained perfectly composed. The guy couldn’t read human expressions at all; he had no idea what was going on.

"What’s your name?" the commander asked.

"Colin. This is my teammate, Kase."

The commander held out his hand.

Colin quickly handed him the message.

Walking over to the table, the commander pulled out a letter opener, broke the wax seal, and carefully examined the contents of the message.

Seizing the opportunity, Colin cautiously glanced at the map on the wall.

It marked the surrounding villages and terrain, including Flint Village and Silverpine Village, which they had visited a few days prior. The words "Wolf Pack" and "Blight" were written over the respective villages.

The other villages, large and small, were also labeled with the names of various monsters. The density of the markings was staggering, a testament to just how terrible the recent troubles had become.

Crude lines connected all the monster names, ultimately converging on a single term—

"Frostland Druids."

Colin swallowed hard.

’So the Frostland Druids are behind the recent disasters? The situation looks grim. Could the message Edwin sent me with be about them?’ For a moment, thoughts raced through Colin’s mind.

After a moment, the commander put down the letter. He glanced at the two of them, who were still in the room, and asked, "Is there something else?"

"I was wondering if there have been any Earthworms around lately," Colin said. "I think we could take care of that problem for you."

The officer standing nearby walked over to a pile of documents in the corner, rummaged through them, and handed a slip of paper to Colin. "Here you go. Thank you for your contribution to the security of the area around Thousand Masts City."

Colin glanced at the slip and asked, "There’s no bounty listed?"

"It’s a security task for the City Watchers, so it’s technically our job. Naturally, there’s no bounty," the officer said with a slight cough.

’Well, at least I know where to find the Earthworms now.’

Colin didn’t argue. He asked for a quill and sketched a simple map, marking the Earthworm’s location.

With everything done, he had no desire to linger.

He and Kase turned and left the main keep.

The commander withdrew his gaze, turning back to stare out the window.

The officer by the door asked, "Was that about what happened in the forest?"

"They still haven’t caught the culprit. It’s a mess."

"And no one’s taking the bounties we’ve posted. I have no idea what those High-tier Adventurers are even doing," the officer complained. "The Adventurers who do show up looking for work are just like those two—dressed like beggars. You can tell at a glance they’re not dependable!"

"Adventurers and Mercenaries are only in it for the money, and the family can no longer make ends meet." The commander stared out at the distant forest. "If you don’t have fresh meat, you can’t expect to attract any hawks."

"If only some Adventurer would show up and fix everything, like what happened with the Winter Wolves in Flint Village."

The commander didn’t answer, and a long silence fell over the command room.

---

Just as Colin and Kase were exiting the main keep.

A group of soldiers appeared in the bailey, heading toward the main keep.

Colin glanced at the mud on their boots. They looked like a patrol that had just returned from outside.

Just as he was about to lead Kase aside to let them pass, an old veteran in the patrol suddenly stopped. His sallow, yellowed eyes were fixed on Kase.

Colin suddenly had a bad feeling.

"An Orc! To arms! What are you all doing?"

The old veteran shouted as he advanced, brandishing his Long Spear and pointing its tip at Kase.

Colin immediately stepped forward, blocking the man and flashing his ring.

"Wait, we were hired by the City Watchers—"

"Then you’re a traitor who sold out Thousand Masts City! Seize them!" the old veteran roared, ignoring him completely.

"What is wrong with you?" Colin reached out and batted the Long Spear aside.

"Old John, calm down!" The soldiers beside the old veteran finally reacted, quickly grabbing their companion while waving at Colin and shouting, "Go, get out of here!"