Shana stepped into the room. Her witch’s makeup was delicate yet natural; her eyeliner sleek and expressive; her lipstick a soft, vivid hue; her smile playful yet polite.

Orek stared at her smile, and the gloom in his heart lifted instantly, replaced by an indescribable flutter of joy. Her smile is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

“Orek, do you have a moment now?” Shana walked straight up to him, leaning against the long table, her bright eyes fixed on his.

Her warm gaze made Orek’s face heat up, and he felt a rare twinge of shyness. “Uh, what can I do for you, Lady Witch?”

Though Shana was barely twenty, she’d been highly recommended by the Palace of Mandalas, so Orek knew he must show her and her order the utmost respect.

“Last night at the banquet, you promised to take me on a tour of the Great Wall today.” Shana smiled. “Do you remember?”

I don’t remember at all… Orek had been drunk last night; he couldn’t even remember how he’d gotten back to his quarters. He only vaguely recalled feeling elated at the welcome feast for the witches, drinking heavily and talking a lot… but the specifics were a blur.

Last night’s high spirits had turned to annoyance this morning. He’d been woken by his subordinates with news of the hunter’s death, and he’d spent the entire morning grappling with the crisis, completely forgetting the feast. Damn Hanbatu! Why did he have to die now?

“Of course I remember.” After muttering to himself, Orek quickly slipped back into his Commander-in-Chief persona. “I was just about to find you. I didn’t expect you to come first.”

“Is that so?” Shana looked at him with a smile, as if she could see right through his facade.

“Uh… did you rest well last night?” Orek avoided her gaze and waved for Ahei the fat fool to leave. Even if the idiot couldn’t sense his awkwardness, Orek felt freer without him around.

“I always sleep well.” Shana grinned. “And can you stop being so formal? You keep calling me ‘Lady Witch,’ but I don’t call you ‘Lord Seer.’”

Southerners aren’t as strict with etiquette as northerners. Orek remembered the Palace of Mandalas was on an island in the south; its members had the warm, unrestrained, casual nature of southerners—just like the Golden Knights.

“What should I call you then?”

“Some of my sisters in the palace call me ‘Xia Xia,’ others ‘Sister Na.’ I prefer Sister Na.”

“Alright, I’ll call you Sister Na.” Orek felt a rare sense of ease with Shana, who was nearly ten years younger than him. Wearing the dual masks of Commander-in-Chief and Seer every day was exhausting.

“Great! I heard Feto calls you Brother Ray, so I’ll do that too!”

“Sure, no problem.” Orek forced a smile, thinking to himself: Feto is my brother-in-arms, someone I’ve fought alongside through life and death. We’re not that close… But whatever, let her have her way.

“Oh, Brother Ray, I heard a hunter was killed by a werewolf last night?”

“That’s true. It’s a shame it happened during the feast welcoming you.”

“Those damn werewolves, picking the perfect timing!” Shana’s smile faded. “Brother Ray, is there anything I can do to help?”

Orek shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’ve asked the scholars to handle the funeral arrangements, and I’ll track down the werewolf myself!”

“Wow, you’re truly a Seer!” Shana’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Your Holy Light Power makes werewolves impossible to hide. Today I’ll finally get to see it in action!”

Oh no! Orek wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, his mind racing.

“Uh… that’s not… not right now… it has to be at night…”

“At night?” Shana looked confused.

“Uh, yes.” Orek coughed a few times. “A Seer’s scrying ability can only be used at night. Uh… didn’t you know that, Sister Na?”

“I’ve studied the skills of all mages, but I really know nothing about Seers’ abilities.” Shana looked blank for a moment, then grinned again. “But as long as you’re here, the werewolf can’t escape!”

Seeing her innocent, carefree expression, Orek’s heart skipped a beat. She’s so much more interesting than Raye.

“What about that promise you made me?” Shana tilted her head at him.

“Let’s go. I’ll show you around the Great Wall.”

“Yay!” Shana looped her arm through Orek’s.

Orek knew southerners were open, but he hadn’t expected her to be so bold. He felt a little awkward. Are we really that close…?

Narrow Square in Shield Fort was a gravel area paved with uneven bluestones, surrounded tightly by fortresses and towers. Within its limited space stood stables, a training yard, granaries, and patches of iceleaf herbs. Three corners of the square had spiral stone stairs leading up to towers, while the fourth had a thick iron gate leading to the underground bunker.

Orek and Shana stood at the top of the Oracle Tower, 300 feet high, overlooking the square.

“The Frost Great Wall is also called the Divine-built Wall,” Orek explained to Shana. “It stretches a thousand miles from the Cliff of a Thousand Blades in the west to the Peak of the Holy Sword in the east. There were once ten fortresses along it, but all except Shield Fort have been abandoned. Shield Fort is at the center of the Wall, and it’s now the headquarters of the Great Wall Legion.”

“Strictly speaking, Shield Fort isn’t a true castle. It only has one wall—the northern wall of the Frost Great Wall. Its east, west, and south sides have no walls; towers and fortresses take their place.”

“We’re standing in Shield Fort’s tallest tower, the Oracle Tower. From left to right, the others are the Scholar’s Tower, Watchtower of Vigil, Tower of Light, and Queen’s Tower.”

“But the square below is so narrow.” Shana wasn’t paying attention to the towers; her eyes were fixed on the soldiers practicing swordplay below. “Why don’t you expand it? They can’t even move freely down there.”

Orek glanced down and saw Guard Feto dueling a Golden Knight. The clash of swords and shields and cheers filled the square. Why are they fighting again? Doesn’t Feto know what’s happening right now?

Feto had saved Orek’s life before; Orek saw him not just as a trusted subordinate, but as a brother. He knew the Golden Knights didn’t take orders from him, but Feto shouldn’t be associating with them—it only brought more trouble. Forget it, I don’t want to deal with this right now. With Shana by his side, Orek didn’t want to stir up trouble, so he chose to turn a blind eye to Feto’s actions.

“Expanding Shield Fort isn’t easy, Sister Na.”

“Harder than learning a new spell?” Shana asked, confused.

“It’s just as hard.” Orek explained patiently. “There are countless underground passages beneath Shield Fort, connecting all the towers and even leading outside the Wall. Expanding would require disturbing these passages, which would be a massive project.”

“Then rebuild the passages too! The Frost Great Wall is so famous, the Great Wall Legion is so famous, but Shield Fort is old and shabby—it doesn’t make sense! If I were Commander-in-Chief, I’d order it expanded into a grand, magnificent castle.” Shana planted her hands on her hips, speaking with grandeur.

Is this boldness or ignorance? Orek realized he really couldn’t keep up with this “genius magic girl” recommended by the Palace of Mandalas.