That being said, anyway, Violet herself planned to take a good stroll in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, get to know the local customs and scenery, and it didn’t matter to make a detour to the Moon Shadow Tribe’s residence.
It’s more like, even if Tiyelu didn’t arrange all this fancy stuff, the priestess would probably go there to have a look anyway.
With both sides settled, the carriage of Violet’s group went straight through the side door.
When led by Walter into the interior of the fortress, Violet also took the opportunity to inquire about some not-so-important but necessary information about this special kingdom controlled by the “Ten Thousand Demon Alliance”.
Firstly, due to various factors such as terrain, there are basically no cities built on plains like humans inside the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. They are mainly divided into areas where various large and small races live.
Taking the strongest three pillars as an example, the Moon Shadow Wolf Tribe currently has about forty thousand members. They are divided into more than a dozen communities of various sizes, scattered and living in a large hilly area. Each community has its own leader and territory, and the leader of the largest community, living in the center, is also the chief of the entire Moon Shadow Tribe.
So this whole area is the territory of the Moon Shadow Tribe. Except for dependents or individuals allowed by them, other creatures will not easily enter it, and intruders will be ruthlessly counterattacked by the Moon Shadow Tribe.
At the same time, in a larger area centered on the territory of the Moon Shadow Tribe, there are scattered settlements of more than a dozen kinds of wolf tribes with more members, or Moon Shadow Tribe relatives with similar bloodlines. This larger area is called the Wolf Territory.
The Moon Shadow Wolf Tribe is the leading group among them.
Of course, the Wolf Territory does not mean that there are only wolf-type creatures in it. Some smaller groups or species closely related to the wolf tribe can also settle nearby and receive protection.
By the same token, expanding the scope again, the entire southern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain is composed of various ethnic areas similar to the Wolf Territory, such as the Ghost Clan, the Tree Spirit Tribe, the Merfolk Clan, and so on.
Among these major tribes, there are also their respective leading tribes, such as the Ghost Clan where Walter is located, the Flower Spirit Tribe among the Tree Spirits, and the Bright Mermaid Tribe among the Merfolk. These races are led by the Moon Shadow Tribe, watching over and helping each other, but also maintaining their own full independence.
So, the word “alliance” in the “Ten Thousand Demon Alliance” is not just for show.
And what the poachers usually hunt are those communities that are far from the central powerful tribes, have relatively small scales, and have weaker average individual strengths, unable to protect themselves well.
There are too many and too chaotic tribal settlements in the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain. Even if the powerful tribes intend to provide protection, they cannot avoid all loopholes, which is why poachers repeatedly succeed.
Of course, that’s all in the past.
After entering the mountain range, Violet didn’t stay long at the fortress entrance of the Demon Trail Grand Canyon and continued on her way after making some preparations.
In fact, there’s nothing worth seeing here. Unlike the Demon Suppression City, this fortress itself doesn’t have many residents; the vast majority are border guards gathered from various powerful tribes in the south. Inside, there are hardly any facilities related to production and trade.
Because this is the first cooperation between the Human United Kingdom and the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, and it’s a major issue, just in case, Walter, the legendary pinnacle guardian of the south, needs to stay behind to maintain the situation. Therefore, he sent another strong individual to accompany Violet and the others as a guide within the mountains.
It’s also an old acquaintance, the Moon Shadow Tribe’s Great Demon General Esther.
Coincidentally, this young demon lady also hopes to return to the tribal land with the little princess Novia. With her as a native accompanying them, the priestess should be able to save a lot of trouble along the way.
As for Novia’s matter of being asleep and not waking up, Esther seems to know something, but she didn’t ask much. After confirming that Novia’s life was not in danger, she relaxed and hurried along the road.
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The territory of the Moon Shadow Tribe is located in the southern part of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, on the outskirts of the central core area. Although it seems far away, due to the flat area of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain being long in the east-west direction and short in the north-south direction, it’s actually only six or seven hundred kilometers in a straight line.
............................
After two uneventful days of travel, Violet’s group soon encountered a new problem.
There was no road.
To be precise, the official road laid by humans three hundred years ago abruptly ended here. Although Violet didn’t quite understand why the road was only paved to this point, giving the impression of being somewhat anticlimactic, that was the reality.
According to Esther, there were several different ways forward from here.
If it were a human caravan seeking trade with the north, they would typically choose a longer route, aiming to travel through safe and flat valleys or forests. However, for Violet’s group of only six or seven people, there was no need to do so.
“So, you mean we have to cross the mountains?”
Stepping down from the carriage, standing at the end of the already somewhat worn stone road, Violet asked the Moon Shadow Tribe’s Great Demon General, who nodded in response.
“Yes, that’s right. Lady Violet, you must have seen the fortress outside the Demon Trail Grand Canyon, right? Then you should understand that we demons also have the ability to construct roads and buildings.”
“The reason why we haven’t done so is partly because most tribes can sustain themselves and are relatively closed off, engaging little in trade. On the other hand, many of the beasts we raise, and even the demons themselves, can easily carry heavy loads through the mountains and forests. Mountainous terrain is not suitable for building wide roads, so naturally, we don’t bother with such laborious tasks.”
Watching the wolf demon lady, who looked resolute as if carrying a package, explaining earnestly with a royal cub wrapped in cloth on her back, Violet didn’t rush to refute her. Instead, she turned to look at her companions, who were each jumping down from the carriage one by one. After some thought, she raised the most crucial question.
“I understand what you’re saying, but is there a possibility that the inhabitants here are not the creatures you mentioned, but rather bipedal beings?”
“Um... that’s... it’s okay! Lady Violet, if I remember correctly, not far ahead, there is a small tribe of mountain wolves. They are a collateral branch of our tribe. Although their bloodline isn’t particularly strong, they have excellent endurance, especially in traversing mountains and ridges.”
“My idea is that everyone works hard to bypass these mountains, stay overnight with the Mountain Wolf Tribe, and then borrow a few young and strong individuals from them to serve as guides, proceeding directly along the mountain range. Ideally, this way, it should only take about one or two days for us to reach our tribe’s territory.”
After saying this, Esther quickly blinked as if she had come up with a brilliant plan and was inviting praise for it. However, the priestess simply closed her eyes and, facing the seemingly towering and desolate mountainous area ahead, dispersed some thoughts. Soon, she furrowed her brow.
“Esther, may I ask, when you mention ‘these mountains,’ how many are you referring to exactly?”
“Huh? Um... I haven’t been here much either, so I’m not too sure. Probably just seven or eight mountain peaks, definitely not more than ten!”
“..........?”
“?”
In the end, Violet accepted the suggestion of the wolf demon lady.
Although Esther seemed to have a slight misunderstanding about the concept of traversing seven or eight mountain peaks with an altitude of at least three thousand meters in one afternoon, fortunately, there were no ordinary people in Violet’s group.
She and the dragon girl were obvious, and even Rene and Edwina, despite being legendary in strength, were formidable. Even Rene, as a Sky Mage, and Edwina, as a member of the special bloodline White Feathered Tribe, had stamina far beyond ordinary people.
The only slight trouble might be Theresa.
But it’s okay. Theresa is a blessed chosen one by the Goddess of Life, and as a former village girl who is said to have often worked in the fields, her physical fitness is undoubtedly strong. She should have no problem traversing a few mountains.
Yes, that’s it!