The blizzard tis relentless assault on the Men Dukedom, the swirling winds howling like restless spirits as snow bhe nd in a suffog grip of ice. The sun remained hidden behind dense, grey clouds, leaving the dukedom shrouded in a perpetual twilight. Aria Men, the only daughter of Duke Kevin Men, stood in her father’s office, her eyes filled with u had been over a day since her father had departed with his knights, i on unc the source of the unnatural storm.

  Under normal circumstahe jouro the secluded mountain pass he inteo iigate would have taken only a few hours, even in i weather. But with no word from him or his party, w Aria. She paced the room, the fur-lined edges of her gown brushing against the polished wooden floor. Her mind raced with worst-case sarios, each more dire tha.

  As her ay mounted, she resolved to seek her mother’s help tanize a search party. However, just as she turoward the door, a otioed outside the estate. She rushed to the window, her breath fogging the cold gss as she peered out. Her heart leapt at the sight of her father trudging up the snow-den path toward the manor, but relief quickly turo dread.

  Duke Kevin Men was covered in bloodstains, his movements heavy with exhaustion. Behind him trailed a diminished group of knights, their numbers armingly fewer thahey had departed. Their armor was battered, their faces pale with fatigue and fear.

  Aria hurried to the office door just as it creaked open. Kevin stepped inside, his tall frame sagging uhe weight of some unspoken burden. Aria’s voice trembled as she approached him. “Father! You’re back!”

  Kevin gave a small nod, his face grim, and shut the door behind him. His deep voice was ced with weariness as he said, “I am back... but I bring terrible news.”

  Aria’s stomach ed at his tone. “Is it the ley Empire?” she asked, her voice rising in urgency. “Have they sent an army?”

  Kevin’s lips curved into a forced smile, but there was no warmth in his expression. “Far worse,” he replied. He paused, as if choosing his words carefully, then said, “A-floor dungeon has appeared in the mountains. It’s p out magical beasts. We entered a herd of ord barely mao wipe them out. More will be ing—and soon.”

  Aria’s knees buckled as the weight of his words crashed over her. She gripped the edge of the desk for support, her face pale. “Then... the blizzard...”

  Kevin stepped forward and steadied her, his hands firm yet gentle. “It’s the dungeon,” he firmed. “Most likely, there’s a magical beast at its core altering the weather—something powerful. An ice dragon, perhaps.”

  Aria’s breath caught. An ice dragon. The thought alone was enough to send chills rag down her spine. She straightened herself, shaking off her shock as best she could. “We must tact the royal court and the cil immediately!” she said, urgency sharpenione. “Request aid and dispatch mages to the region!”

  Kevin raised a hand to stop her. “Not the royal court,” he said firmly. “Not even the cil. We must appeal directly to the imperial court. Only the imperial mages stand a ce against what is to e.”

  Aria blinked, her mind reeling. The decision was bold but fraught with sequehe Men Dukedom sat on the southernmost border of the Kingdom of Estra, dangerously close to the ley Empire’s territory. News of a dungeon and their request for imperial aid would almost certainly leak, reag the ears of ley’s upper echelons. Such a revetion could embolden their rivals to exploit the dukedom’s precarious situation.

  After a tense moment of silence, Aria nodded, her resolve hardening. “I’ll begin drafting the letter,” she said. Her voice wavered only slightly, but determination glimmered in her eyes.

  Kevin pced a bloodied hand on her shoulder, a faint smile. “Good. Make haste, Aria. Every moment ts.”

  Jo City, Jo Isnd Northern Anan Seas,

  The bzing sun hung low on the horizon, casting long shadows across the bustling of Jo City as the day finally began to cool. Hughes, fnked by a dozen knights and a handful of weathered fishermen, stood heir prepared horses. The air buzzed with st-minute preparations as they made ready to depart for the isnd's northern coastline.

  Alice stood nearby, holding her giggling daughter, Mina, in her arms. She clutched Hughes in a tight embrace, her love and evident in the way she lingered. Hughes kissed them both, first Mina’s forehead, then Alice’s. “I’ll be ba a month,” he assured her, his voice steady yet tender. “I’ll make sure her highness doesn’t do anything reckless in the meantime.”

  Alice smiled, though worry flickered behind her eyes. “Of course,” she replied softly. She kissed him o time before stepping back. Mina waved her tiny hands, babbling cheerfully, unaware of the parting. With a final nod of farewell, Hughes mounted his horse. The group, sturdy armor and armed with spears and swords, began their jourhe rhythmic ctter of hooves eg through the streets as they departed.

  High above, Ravenna, watched the se from her castle baly. Her jet bck hair caught the golden glow of the setting sun as her sharp, thoughtful gaze followed Hughes and his party until they disappeared into the distance.

  “Hopefully, they find an ideal location to set up traps for the magical fish beasts,” she murmured. With a stretd a sigh, she turned away aered her chambers. The room was bathed in warm hues, lined with t shelves of books and scattered with papers detailing the affairs of the city and the isnd.

  Ravened herself at her desk and opehe Reputation System, she skimmed through the data, her mind already juggling priorities.

  John, vice captain of her knights, had left two days ago for the western regions of the isnd. He was apanied by some knights and a group of criminals enlisted to mihe limestone. Meanwhile, Hughes was tasked with scouting the northern coastlihe dungeon, aiming to locate an ideal spot to trap and cull the fish magical beasts.

  As she sed her tasks, Ravenna muttered to herself, “Neil should be w on that experimental device I assigned him yesterday.” She g a set of blueprints she had found online while browsing the i during st night’s meeting. “The militia recruitment is progressing smoothly, but...”

  Her brow furrowed as she tapped her pen against the desk. The crime rate in Jo City remained a signifit issue. Though the knight’s patrols and newly implemented ws had curbed some of the wlessness, the six months of unbridled chaos before her arrival had left deep scars. Many residents were still too fearful to walk the streets after dark.

  “A city that doesn’t feel safe after nightfall,” she muttered, “is a city that won’t thrive.”

  As she mulled over potential solutions to stabilize the crime problem, a sharp, urgent knock resounded from her door. Ravenna rose immediately, her feet clig against the stone floor as she crossed the room.

  When she opehe door, a wide-eyed servant stood before her, breathing heavily.“Yhness!” the servant blurted, his voice edged with panic. “A ship! A ship is heading toward the isnd!”

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