Chapter 83: Leaving the Enclave

CH83 Leaving the Enclave

***

A soft, refreshing breeze brushed past Alex’s face as they rode down the paved road leading out of the DragonHold Enclave in the DragonSpine Mountain range.

This path would soon feed into one of the Empire’s great arterial highways—a massive, four-carriage-wide roads that stretched the length and breadth of the Empire. On a map, they looked less like roads and more like blood vessels coursing through a living body.

Their route would take them north along this ’Silk Road’-like highway, through numerous trade routes and territories, until they reached the Fury Family domain—specifically, Earl Drake Fury’s dominion.

Just before they merged onto the imperial main road, Alex gave Fen a soft pat, prompting the wolf to halt.

He turned in his seat to gaze back at the distant silhouette of the DragonSpine mountains. The towering spire of the DragonHold Enclave Mage Tower, along with its sprawling city, had mostly disappeared beyond the horizon. Only the very tip of the tower remained visible—defiantly piercing the sky like a spear.

A wave of emotion swept over him.

This was the only place he had truly called home since arriving in this new world. It had been his sanctuary, his forge, and his launching ground. Nostalgia and melancholy flickered across his youthful face as he remembered everything he was leaving behind—his memories, his purpose, his promises... and the responsibilities still awaiting his return.

"We don’t have the time to wait around, Master Alex," Jared’s gruff voice interrupted from ahead. "We’ve a lot of ground to cover if we’re to reach Ashen Castle on schedule."

Sighing inwardly, Alex pushed his thoughts aside. He didn’t need to give Fen any command. The wolf began trotting forward on its own, steadily catching up with Jared’s monstrous black steed.

That simple act did not escape Jared’s notice.

His curiosity about the direwolf deepened.

Terror, Jared’s steed, was far from ordinary—its towering size and vicious demeanour made that painfully clear.

It was a peak Class 3 carnivorous warhorse. In countless battles, Terror had drawn first blood, often maiming or outright killing enemy mounts before their riders could react, more often than not, making the kill easier for Jared.

The beast had earned its name, and then some.

Even among other peak Class 3 beast mounts, few dared travel beside Terror. The creature’s presence alone was enough to make most trained mounts nervous.

And yet... this young direwolf, no more than a Class 1, rode shoulder to shoulder with it—calm and composed.

Jared narrowed his eyes slightly.

Was the wolf just unusually brave? Or was it a trait of its entire species?

If it was just a one-off, then fine. Mages did often select beast mounts that could double as battle companions, and they chose carefully—temperament, power, and loyalty all played a role.

Courage in the face of fear was practically a requirement.

But if this was a species-wide trait... if a whole race of wolves existed with the audacity to ride beside Terror...

If the Earl’s army could tame and train them—

Jared’s thoughts wandered toward military applications.

The possibilities were... interesting.

-

As Jared studied the direwolf, his eyes inevitably shifted to its rider.

Alex sat confidently on Fen’s back, completely unbothered by the oppressive, bloodthirsty aura radiating from the Nightmare horse. In fact, he looked so calm, it was as if he didn’t even notice the aura at all.

That... was curious.

It was one thing for a beast mount to resist Terror’s presence. Beasts could be trained or naturally fearless. But a young, relatively inexperienced noble scion? For him to sit so casually in the face of such pressure?

More and more, Jared’s eyes narrowed as he observed the pair.

There was a distinct resonance between the mage and his mount. A subtle aura synchrony that Jared recognised as man-and-beast synergy—a rare connection seen only between tightly bonded pairs.

’Is that how they’re withstanding Terror’s aura?’ Jared mused.

But the truth was far more obscure than Jared realised.

It wasn’t a resonance in the traditional sense. Rather, it was the passive effect of Alex’s Solmir True Name—Wolf King’s Dominance.

As long as Alex was accompanied by a wolf that he acknowledged as part of his ’pack’, this passive aura would activate.

It repelled fear, instilled calm, and nullified threatening aura effects directed at the pack.

It wasn’t resistance.

It was suppression.

And while Jared was trying to rationalise it with known military bonds and mage-beast contracts, Alex wasn’t even consciously doing anything.

In fact, he hadn’t even noticed the Nightmare horse’s bloodlust.

The difference lay in intent. Terror’s aura was intimidating, yes—but it bore no genuine killing intent. Alex, on the other hand, had previously faced the raw, murderous bloodlust of early-stage Class 3 overlords in the Subspace Sanctuary.

Compared to that, this felt like an empty roar.

Add to that the natural effect of his True Name, and it was no surprise Alex remained unfazed.

Jared’s gaze lingered on the young mage’s features. They had grown sharper since their last meeting, and now bore a striking resemblance to Earl Drake—cold, composed, and carved with potential.

The knight felt a small flicker of further recognition in his heart.

This youth was no longer a child.

But while Jared was sizing up Alex, the young scion was doing the same in return.

The last two times Jared had interacted with him—first at the lodge on Ashen Castle’s back mountain, then again when escorting him to the DragonHold—he had brought along a squad of light cavalry. Swift, efficient, minimal.

Now?

Heavy cavalry.

Armoured knights, trained for siege-level threats, rode beside them. Their warhorses were clad in thick plating, their weapons sharpened and resting in reach. This was no ceremonial escort. This was a military operation.

’They’re expecting trouble,’ Alex noted internally.

He didn’t say anything aloud, but he subtly shifted his posture atop Fen. His Spirit Sights expanded slightly. Combat awareness, raised.

Whatever this escort was, it wasn’t going to be a peaceful ride through imperial lands.

The group—eight humans, six armoured warhorses, and two powerful beast mounts—moved steadily into the vast, wild heartlands that stretched between the mountains and rivers of the Virellian Empire.

It didn’t take long for Alex to understand why Jared had come prepared.

This journey back home... would not be without danger.

***