Chapter 11: Confirming the Direction

Ryan's hand first traced eastward from the capital of Nords, Winter City. Following a main road, passing through numerous towns and forests, his finger landed on an area covered in white desert on the map. "The first route is to head east along Giss Avenue, ending in the vast snowy desert left by the former Wizard Empire—Tazir Desert. Then, cross the World's Spine Mountains ruled by dwarves to reach the Dark Realm, a massive wasteland ruled by Chaos-worshiping ogres. Belter could find his destination there... But he didn't take that route because it's too far, over two thousand kilometers, and Tazir is a barren land. Nearly two-thirds the size of Nord with only three cities, no towns or villages. Most of the land is severely polluted by alchemy and cannot be farmed, making resupply extremely difficult. Even if Belter crossed Tazir, he would struggle to navigate the World's Spine Mountains guarded by dwarves, with its intricate mountain paths and underground tunnels enough to drive him mad. So, we can rule out this route. Indeed, Belter chose to go west."

Everyone nodded, agreeing that no one would choose to traverse Tazir.

"The second option is to head west, northward, through the port of Lapland to the Chaos Wasteland, to join the northern barbarians stationed there." Ryan stroked his chin and shook his head again. "This could be an option, but every northern port is heavily guarded by Nord's army. Every ship heading to the Chaos Wasteland undergoes strict inspections. Given Belter's extensive experience, he would never take such a risky route. The will of the evil god would make him violent but not foolish."

"Then the remaining choice is..." Ryan's hand moved westward along the Miën Forest, and everyone's gaze followed. His finger traced the Adal River running through the forest, pointing to a port city after passing several villages.

"Karlzenhaven?" Teresa's beautiful silver eyes widened slightly, her lips parted as she whispered.

"Yes, this is Belter's third route: to sail from the western port of Nord, trying to head south. The lands of Brettonia, who worship the Lady of the Lake, and the mighty Empire are not on Belter's radar. He would aim for the chaotic southern states that openly worship chaos gods, or the continent's largest port and trade center, Marienburg."

"Mr. Ryan is right, but this doesn't prove that Belter will definitely set sail from Karlzenhaven, right?" Wirt raised his question.

"True, unless we have this." Ryan took out a blood-stained piece of paper from his pocket.

It was the death message written in blood by the deceased old demon hunter: "Belter X Aesthetic Society."

"Aesthetic Society?! Isn't that a group of scholars and socialites famous for promoting beauty in Marienburg?" Teresa exclaimed in disbelief.

The Aesthetic Society was a renowned organization on the continent, composed of many refined and fashion-conscious elites, advocating the pursuit of "beauty" and guiding people toward "love and harmony."

"Yes, it seems Belter's betrayal has revealed deeper secrets. No one expected that the Aesthetic Society, known for regularly holding salons and sponsoring art groups in dozens of cities over ten years, would be connected to chaos." Ryan frowned deeper. "We cannot be sure Belter will set sail from Karlzenhaven, but I am certain he will head to the western port to sail to Marienburg."

"Our opponent is already a day ahead of us. If he rushes to the western port and sets sail to meet with the Aesthetic Society in Marienburg, it will be hard to track him down."

Everyone frowned.

Marienburg was originally part of the Empire and still is, located at the mouth of the Empire's three major rivers, making it the top port in this world. Marienburg had a prime location, a plain with a pleasant climate suitable for living, and a strategically advantageous deep-water port enclosed by two peninsulas and protected by mountains on one side.

Every year, thousands of merchant caravans came and went in Marienburg, pouring vast amounts of gold into this wealthy port city. The city was governed by the House of Iris, and the Grand Duke of Marienburg was likely the wealthiest person in the world, as few powers could command him. After the Second Chaos Invasion ended 150 years ago, the reformed New Empire was in urgent need of wealth. At that time, the previous Grand Duke of Marienburg approached Ludwig and presented a staggering fortune, reportedly equivalent to the Empire's ten-year revenue, in exchange for autonomy written into the founding charter. Since then, the Empire could only collect an annual defense fee from Marienburg without interfering in its internal affairs.

Many criticized Ludwig's actions as dividing the nation, but he cryptically remarked, "The Empire's reconstruction requires immense wealth. Chaos in the north will return. Complacency and indulgence won't help us against chaos."

Thus, Marienburg became a "no man's land," with exorbitant taxes flowing into the pockets of Marienburg's upper-class nobles. Each year, countless refugees and mercenaries flocked to the city, seeking opportunities to rise. Beneath the city lay vast, complex underground tunnels used for smuggling and hiding goods. If Belter escaped to Marienburg, it would be almost impossible to fish him out.

"We can hardly catch up to Belter now. What we need to do is head to Karlzenhaven. It's the closest port. Once there, the Justice Church will help us check recent sailing records, and we can continue to pursue Belter." Ryan made the plan, and everyone agreed. Rushing now would be futile and might alert Belter, so Ryan's plan was to proceed to Karlzenhaven at a normal pace, staying concealed and waiting for Belter to resurface.

With the clue of the Aesthetic Society, finding Belter wouldn't be like searching for a needle in a haystack. There were several ports along the western coast of Nord, but with Belter's capabilities, he couldn't have dispatched enough men to monitor each one closely. Given the long distance, this was their best choice.

"Alright, we'll head to Karlzenhaven tomorrow. At our pace, we can leave at seven in the morning and reach Karlzenhaven by noon. At that time, Ryan and I will go to the Justice Church to inquire about their information," Teresa agreed, and both Boris and Wirt nodded. The sorceress was already exhausted from the day's events. After setting the specific action plan, they all bid each other goodnight.

The night was deep, and their camp was by a rocky hill. Seeing Teresa struggling to walk with her staff, Ryan offered his arm to support her. "Let me help you, dear Lady Trovik."

The sorceress glanced at him, feeling the solid support on her arm. She didn't refuse and sighed softly, "Did you propose not to rush because you were concerned about my condition? There's no need to worry. I'm in better shape than you think; I'll recover by tomorrow."

"Oh? Really? Don't lie to me. You won't recover in three days, let alone tomorrow," Ryan bluntly exposed her lie.

"Tch, my safety will be your responsibility during this time." Blushing like a ripe peach, Teresa felt embarrassed. Any proud female spellcaster would feel uncomfortable in such a vulnerable situation.

Ryan knew spellcasters too well.

Spellcasters generally fell into three categories: wizards, shamans, and sorcerers.

Wizards used their extensive knowledge and precise magical control to cast spells. They could theoretically learn all known spells, constructing and casting them using their own magical energy. Hence, wizards needed to understand spell structure and incantations. Training a wizard from apprentice to a great wizard capable of handling tasks independently required significant resources, making it an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, often beyond the reach of peasant families with magically gifted children.

Shamans, in contrast, channeled rather than cast spells. They drew their power from magical elements in nature, using totems and meditation to communicate with these elements. Shamans cast spells quickly with minimal magical energy consumption but were heavily influenced by their environment. For instance, in Nord's icy landscapes, shamans couldn't cast fire spells. In areas with chaotic magical elements, a shaman's water cannon might turn into a healing spell for their enemy. Some regions lacked magical elements, rendering shamans as powerless as ordinary people.

Lastly, sorcerers were the "high-born" of spellcasters, naturally gifted with spellcasting abilities often inherited through bloodlines. They might gain their powers through unique experiences, but most inherited them from spellcasting ancestors. Sorcerers didn't need to understand spell construction; their abilities were ingrained in their blood. However, this also meant their magic was limited by their bloodline. A sorcerer with a lightning-based lineage might never learn healing spells, and a fire-based sorcerer might take years to master a simple water spell.

Sorcerers relied on their bloodline for casting, so Teresa, having exhausted her magical energy, forced her bloodline to cast spells, leading to severe physical exhaustion. She wouldn't recover her magic or physical strength for days.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you, for Lady Aurora's sake." Ryan smiled and then narrowed his eyes. "But I'm not your servant. I hope you understand."

"I know, no one would treat a kingdom knight as a servant." Teresa nodded, realizing her tone had been too commanding.

Aurora Trovik, an elder of the Garland Council, had saved Ryan's adoptive father, Norman, during a battle against the barbarians before Ryan was adopted. Aurora's spell saved the young knight Norman from death. Norman never forgot this

, and out of respect, Ryan was willing to accommodate Teresa and take care of her.

But this didn't mean he was her servant or bodyguard. They were companions, not master and subordinate.

Holding the tent flap open for the sorceress, Ryan smiled. "Goodnight, Teresa. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Ryan."

Dwarves sure are strong.