Chapter 208 - 207: Return to the Dark Territory
At the bottom of a well in a plague-stricken village, there might be a massive hole leading to the Dark Territory. A gang’s underground hideout might also have an elevator leading there, and the Green Hag’s lair may contain a teleportation array connecting to it... there truly are entrances to the Dark Territory scattered all over the world.
Of course, while there are many such entrances, most only allow a single adventurer party to traverse using climbing tools or spells. You can’t bring pack animals through, nor can large forces pass. For raiding parties or trade caravans, these entrances have little value and are hardly worth paying attention to.
Leon had thought that Cecilia’s search party would take at least three days to locate a cave leading to the Dark Territory. Perhaps one hidden deep within a forest, or maybe along some coastal cavern. To his surprise, she found one the very next day.
"You found a Dark Territory entrance so quickly?" Leon had only woken up recently and was enjoying his breakfast—or rather, it might as well have been lunch—when Cecilia showed up dressed as a maid.
Cecilia enjoyed addressing him as "master," so Leon had taken the opportunity to demand she wear a maid outfit. Unfortunately for her, despite the painstaking design of the outfit—reminiscent of tight-waisted, chest-accentuating attire popular during the Sui and Tang periods—it utterly failed to highlight any curves on her.
"There was no need to go looking," Cecilia said as she casually took the expertly prepared eggs and bacon from a Tiefling maid’s hands and placed them before Leon. "I merely called upon my subordinates and casually asked. It turns out there are three entrances to the Dark Territory nearby."
The eggs and bacon were merely snacks. A whole roasted lamb was Leon’s actual main course, and at the moment, his mouth was smeared with oil and spices from devouring it.
Leon wiped his mouth with a napkin before saying, "Well, since you found one, let’s get going... Just handle the necessary arrangements, and we’ll move out."
"I know..." Cecilia muttered, hesitating for a moment before lowering her head slightly and nervously tugging at her drooping bangs, the longest strand reaching the bridge of her nose. "Master, doesn’t staying on this Volcanic Island every day bore you?"
Leon gave Cecilia an almost amused look and replied, "Not at all."
He hadn’t detected Cecilia’s intentions; he merely said it for the sake of it.