The three major ns of Whiteden are Frostbate, Dorhales, and Swortine.


    The major difference between these three ns was their resources and military strength.


    Frostbate n has the most number of soldiers in possession and also, the Leader of the n was himself a Five-star warrior.


    Inparison to that, the Dorhales n possessed fewer soldiers, but their wealth and the variety of fruits sold there made the northern country an attractive market for trading.


    If ranking these ns Dorhales woulde in second ce, just because of their vast wealth in treasury.


    And the n Alex targeted was the same: Dorhales.


    "Are you okay now, Princess?" Alex asked as he stood before the carriage inside which the second daughter of Patriarch remained seated.


    It was widely known how the patriarch was quite close to his family members, and fond of his daughters. Even during this small excursion, she was protected by a hundred soldiers, but first, the carriage was attacked by assants, followed by the tigers.


    Such an unfortunate situation was the perfect opportunity for Alex to exploit. Admittedly, he had provoked the tigers and directed them toward the carriage, but since he ended up saving the soldiers, perhaps the scales of sin would tilt slightly in his favor.


    "I cannot be any more thankful for you, my savior." The Princess smilingly spoke, "Can I know the name of the person who risked his life to save me?"


    "Hermes, he is my betrothed." Suddenly a person emerged beside Alex and wrapped her hand around his.


    Seeing the red eyes of the woman, Harlow was slightly startled. He had noticed this second person enshrouded in a cloak since she also saved them alongside Hermes.


    Alex wanted to roll his eyes, however, he didn''t create suspicion by denying her im and yed along, "We were heading toward Dorhales. Do you know where-"


    "Perfect! We are also going there!" The Princess chimed as she finally lost her resistance and peeked from inside the carriage.


    Her snow-white face and pearly ck eyes were in stark contrast but that''s what gave her a very innocent charm. Her dark hair matched the shade of the night sky at its peak hour.


    Reba narrowed her eyes; not another Princess…


    "Is that so," Alex raised his brows before turning toward Harlow, "Will you allow us to follow you, if that''s okay?"


    Harlow nodded without hesitation, "Undoubtedly. You have saved the Young Miss, surely I can allow you to do that much. And not only that, once we reach the Capital, I will inform the Patriarch about your deeds."


    Perfect, Alex inwardly muttered, and outwardly, he said, "You are too kind. Then, let''s go?"


    Harlow nodded before hemanded his battalion, those who could walk, to help others and once again, they resumed their journey.


    ….


    There was a reason Alex had to take Reba with him; he needed another person to participate in this contest. And second, she is the perfect person as a guide in the Northern region. And third, since he didn''t have an attachment to the girl, he wouldn''t feel burdened if something happened to her.


    "How rude," Reba pouted, "To be so nonchnt about me. At least, mourn for me if I die."


    Alex was surprised to see that she heard his inner voice. It seems he has be quite obvious these days.


    "Although you don''t matter to me as much as C (or Sarah—he couldn''t reveal their rtionship), it doesn''t mean I would let you die. I brought you here, so you are my responsibility now."


    Reba grinned, a face full of smiles Alex saw, as he heard her saying, "So you are going to take responsibility even if it wasn''t nned, eh? I will remember that."


    "..." This woman is crazy.


    Walking through a cold snowy path, Alex exchanged a few words with the Commander while Reba remained mostly silent.


    "So you used to live near the border region of Chainedvale?" Harlow asked, "I heard the ruler of that town is a cold-blooded mercenary?"


    Reba narrowed her eyes, "Is that a problem?"


    Harlow panicked, "No, no! In fact, I respect such strong warriors who have their names so widely spread across even Whiteden. It''s just that the rtionship between foreigners and Whiteden has not been good in the past few years."


    Alex frowned, but his tone remained passive, "There won''t be a problem for us toe with you, right? If you say, then we can go through formal procedure-"


    "There are no such problems, Sir Hermes! Please don''t burden yourself with such needless thoughts." The Princess immediately interjected and made it clear that Hermes and his betrothed wereing with them.


    ''Nice…'' Alex suppressed a grin, ''It''s going as nned.''


    "Look at you, ensnaring Princesses here and there," Rebamented, a tinge of frustration in her tone.


    She really doesn''t want thepetition to rise even more!


    Alex heaved a weary sigh, "This is all but a y, so stopmenting over every single thing."


    ….


    Their journey continued for three long hours before the grand entrance of the Capital came into view.


    As they stepped inside, Alex looked around the Capital with his brows raised.


    Tall stone walls carved with old patterns surround the city. Soft glowing runes on the walls keep the endless snow at bay, leaving the streets clear but still icy underfoot.


    Inside, the city feels timeless. Houses with steep, nted roofs line the cobbled streets, their dark wooden beams decorated with carvings that tell stories of the past. Smoke rises from chimneys, carrying the scent of burning wood and herbs. The air is crisp, every breath forming a puff of mist.


    In the center of the city stands a massive tower, its frosty surface glinting faintly in the gray light. Around it, markets bustle with activity. Merchants wrapped in thick cloaks sell enchanted fabrics, glowing charms, and other magical tools to keep the cold at bay.


    ''It''s not as extravagant and shiny as Grind…'' This ce seemed more of a Nordic vige where people lived in much more harmony and had a simple life.


    There are no exaggerated advertisements, no fancy products, orvish motels in view.


    People were selling simple household products, chatting and joking around in a lively atmosphere around the market.


    "That''s the pce?" Reba asked no one in particr, but Harlow heard her and replied,@@novelbin@@


    "Indeed, that''s the ce where the Patriarch resides."


    The reason for Reba and Alex''s surprise was because, instead of a pce, it was rather a traditional house situated in the heart of the Capital.


    There were a lot of people standing before the entrance of the house, looking worried and impatient.


    As soon as the carriage came to a pause, the Princess leaped out and hugged the woman who seemed to be her elder sister.


    Alex and Reba were standing on one side, beside Harlow, waiting for the family to ensure their beloved''s safety first.


    The Princess continued to hug and weep the woman for another minute, whispering some inaudible things, before she turned her attention towards Alex and Reba, and said,


    "They saved me, mama."


    Alex was surprised, as he asked, "She…is your mother?" He looked back at the ck-haired beauty again, feeling surprised to find her slightly older than the Princess. Find exclusive stories on empire


    Although she looked mature, not anywhere near being a mother.


    "Oh my, that makes me happy. But first," The woman stepped forward before she lowered her head, followed by all the servants behind, as thedy said,


    "Thank you for saving my daughter. I couldn''t be more thankful."


    Alex sighed, "It was a coincidence that we were passing by when we spotted them. And as wandering warriors, it was our duty to protect those in need."


    Thedy smiled warmly, as she said, "Pleasee inside; although the magic runes are working fine, the weather is still quite harsh out here."


    Alex nced at Reba and found her ring at the woman before he held her hand and escorted her inside.


    The inside of the house was quite traditional; long galleries, sliding doors, bronze antiques, beautiful paintings.


    In hisst life, Ceaser visited various nations, and right now, he feels like he is visiting a Japanese yakuza-type person.


    "You can rest here; I will send someone to provide you with nkets." The maid, who was escorting them, said after opening a door at the end of the lobby.


    Alex nodded before he pulled Reba inside.


    "Why are you swaying?" He asked; he noticed that the girl seemed quite disoriented and gave the impression that if he hadn''t held his hand, she might have fallen.


    Reba removed the cloak and sat down. Her face seemed excessively pale, her lips were turning blue.


    "Hey, hey! What happened to you?" Alex didn''t know what suddenly happened. She was not injured during the battle, he recalls, so did the cold overwhelm her?


    ''But no…Vampires have cold blood…then what?''


    Reba finally revealed, "I…haven''t eaten…since then…"


    Alex''s eyes widened; there was no doubt that the ''eat''  here didn''t mean that she hadn''t consumed food.


    "You didn''t drink anyone else''s bl-ah!'' Then he remembered the things he heard about Blood Bond.


    Heaving a sigh, he knelt down before her and revealed his neck, "You are hopeless."


    —-----**------


    A/N:- Thanks for reading.