The first glimmer of dawn on the horizon was wrapped in a veil of mist, and the Great Wall still seemed lost in a dream. At dawn, Shieldhold's air was crisp and damp.

One hundred and seven knights of the Golden Knights stood in formation at the center of the Narrow Square. They checked their gear, the clink of swords and armor echoing through the square. Their horses either nuzzled the ground or gazed toward the gate, their breath curling into white puffs in the cold air.

At the southern gate of Shieldhold, Layla spoke with Feto. Layla shook her head repeatedly, clearly refusing the guard's request with firm resolve.

Shana stood on the third-floor spiral staircase of the Queen's Tower. She watched Feto spread his hands in resignation, then turn and walk toward her.

"Clatter-clatter-clatter…" Feto climbed the stairs and stood beside her.

"They've made up their minds to leave." Feto said.

"Does… Ray know about this?" Shana asked.

"Of course. The boss told me to ask Sir Layla to take the Snow Dragon Steed with her, but she refused." Feto sighed.

"The Snow Dragon Steed? Is that the legendary horse that can travel a thousand miles in a day?"

"Exactly. It's the finest of snowfield steeds, said to have once been the Wolf King's mount. We captured it from Wolf Fort half a year ago. When the Golden Knights came to reinforce the wall, the boss gave the steed to Sir Layla, and she's loved it ever since. I don't understand why she's refusing to take it with her now." Feto shook his head, perplexed.

Shana's brows furrowed. Last night, she'd heard from Xiao Li about Orekl and Layla's argument. At first, she'd thought Xiao Li was exaggerating—after all, Orekl and Layla were leaders of two legions. They might disagree, but they'd surely keep things private to maintain unity. She never expected to wake up to news that the Golden Knights were leaving.

How could this happen? Even though Shana had never liked many of Layla's actions, she knew that compared to the eight-witch coven, the Golden Knights were an indispensable force defending the wall. Their departure would drastically weaken the good camp's strength. The witch didn't want that to happen.

"What exactly happened between her and Ray?"

Feto hesitated, then sighed: "Well, some things can only be understood by those involved."

Shana sensed there was more to his words, but before she could ponder it, she spotted Wilder in the Narrow Square. Him?

Wilder walked side by side with the Rat Knight across the square. When he passed the Queen's Tower, he looked up and waved at Shana.

Sneaky black market merchant! Two days ago, when Shana learned Wilder was also the Count of Awakening City, she'd been shocked for hours. But she still couldn't respect him—she saw him as nothing more than a profit-driven businessman. He did save my life, but that was just a transaction. I taught him the Soul-Breaking Curse reversal, so we're even now.

Shana nodded at him perfunctorily, then watched him walk to the gate and speak with Layla.

Shana curled her lip. "I still don't understand how someone like him can become a count!"

"I heard he bought the title for two million Golden Glow Coins." Feto said.

"What! Nobility can be bought?!" Shana's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ugh, the Scholar told me that since the new Prime Minister took office, his three plans—Great Navigation, Rebuilding the Royal City, and Expedition to the Dream Islands—have drained the treasury. The kingdom's deficit is staggering now. To make up for it, the Queen and the Prime Minister came up with a foolish idea: selling land and titles to raise money."

"Has the Queen gone mad? Only a tyrant would do something like that!" Shana gasped. "If this goes on, those black merchants in Golden Harbor could buy the entire kingdom!"

"Hush!" Feto pressed a finger to his lips. "Watch your words! Be careful, be careful!"

Shana sighed. She knew speaking ill of the Queen was a serious crime, so she fell silent. Even if I know a hundred spells, my voice counts for nothing in matters of the kingdom. I'll be doing well enough if I can manage things here at the wall!

Shana watched Wilder mount his horse and ride out of the gate, feeling helpless. Black market merchants have some strength, but they're all driven by profit. They'll never risk their lives to defend the kingdom. Putting Awakening City in the hands of someone like him is far too dangerous…

The witch saw Layla follow Wilder through the gate. Just as Layla was about to exit, she turned and glanced toward the Queen's Tower, her eyes meeting Shana's.

Shana's feelings toward the female knight were complicated. She didn't know whether to see Layla as a rival or a companion—she just didn't want her to leave at this moment.

"No! I have to find Ray! The knights have to stay!" Shana thought, then ran down the tower's spiral staircase. The Red Moon has returned, the wolf army is gathering in Bear Woods—we can't let the knights leave now!

"Wait! Hold on!" Feto called after her. "They act on their own; the boss can't stop them!"

"He has to try! He's the Commander of the Great Wall!" The witch ran across the bridge connecting the towers.

"Bang!"

The moment Shana stepped onto the Oracle Spire's spiral staircase, her vision blurred. She collided head-on with someone coming down. For a moment, she felt like every bone in her body had been struck, and she lost her balance, thudding against the bridge's railing.

"Clatter!"

Ouch! That hurts like hell! Who was that?

Shana gritted her teeth and stood up. Feto caught up behind her, holding her shoulders and asking anxiously: "Are you okay?"

Shana shook her head, steadied herself, and looked across. Idiot A Hei was lying awkwardly on the stairs, rubbing his butt and groaning: "Oww… oww…" A wooden tray lay beside him.

"What's the rush?!" Shana rubbed her sore shoulder, annoyed yet surprised. He looks so silly most of the time, but he's surprisingly strong.

"Oww… who's rushing? I was… I was walking down slowly…" A Hei whined.

He's not wrong—I was the one running. Shana sweatdropped. "Uh… sorry, sorry. I have an urgent matter to see Ray."

"Lord Orekl just got up, heh heh." The fat man grabbed the railing and wobbled to his feet.

Feto picked up the fallen tray and handed it to A Hei: "You're bringing the boss breakfast?"

"Yep! Ever since Lord Orekl moved from the bunker back to the tower, delivering meals is way easier, heh heh heh…"

"Ray's got a lot of nerve! The knights are leaving, and he's sitting around eating breakfast!" Shana brushed the dust off her clothes and continued up the stairs. She patted A Hei's shoulder as she passed: "Fatty, you need to lose some weight."

"Lose weight, lose weight, heh heh heh…" A Hei broke into his signature goofy grin.

Shana rushed to the fifth floor of the Oracle Spire. Looking up, she saw a burly knight in silver armor standing outside the Commander's chambers. Big Guy Basru! He's like a gatekeeper!

Facing the towering knight, Shana felt a mix of awe and unfamiliarity. She unconsciously set aside her usual stubbornness and spoke politely: "Hello, I need to see Ray."

"Lord Orekl is eating." Basru's voice was deep and gravelly.

Shana saw he wasn't moving aside, and wondered to herself: What's his deal? Is he going to let me in or not?

Just then, Feto arrived behind her. He called out to Basru: "Big Guy, move aside! The witch has urgent business with the boss."

"It's Lord Orekl's mealtime—no business is discussed now." Basru said firmly.

"Dimwit, stop using the boss's orders as an excuse! The boss already said witches have the same privileges as the Golden Knights—they can see him anytime, no restrictions!" Feto shouted.

Basru glared at him: "Shield Bastard, don't talk to me like that! We still haven't finished that fight from last time!"

Feto cracked his neck left and right: "What's that, Dimwit? You wanna fight now? My fists are itching!"

"Shield Bastard! I've had enough of you! You dare barge into the Commander's chambers? I'll beat you to a pulp right now!" Basru clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking loudly.