"My master! Are you really going alone?"

Sofia looked worriedly at the headstrong Herbert, unable to stop herself from persuading him again.

"Please wait! I won't be a burden, let me go with you!"

The Centaur girl was a bit at a loss.

Just now, Herbert suddenly announced without any warning that he was going out alone.

With that relaxed demeanor, he looked as though he was simply taking a leisurely stroll like an old man with his hands behind his back.

But it's dangerous out there!

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"But... ah."

Sofia hummed softly, staring resentfully at Herbert's retracting hand.

Herbert shrugged easily and patted her rear again under Sofia's gaze, completely disregarding her warnings.

"Alright, stop trying to talk me out of it."

In Herbert's eyes, such obstruction really was pointless.

Before Sofia arrived, he had always roamed the Misty Mountains without hindrance.

Well, that might be a bit exaggerated; he mostly relied on the Legendary intimidation of the Hungry Dragon and the Mermaid.

But even without their help, Herbert was confident he could navigate the outskirts of the Misty Mountains.

Finally, although Sofia made way, she still couldn't help but ask, "My master, surely Lady Fremay is trying to stop you?"

"I've already spoken with her, so you don't need to think about secretly tattling."

Herbert patted the shoulder of the Centaur as he passed, then gestured for her to lower her head.

"Hmm?"

Sofia blinked, obediently lowered her head, and was promptly pinched on the nose by Herbert.

"Uh—"

She instinctively wanted to lift her head, but immediately realized she shouldn't, so she remained bent, allowing Herbert to sway her nose back and forth.

Herbert watched her awkward demeanor with amusement, chuckled, and released his grip: "Remember your place. Ask what you should ask, don't ask what you shouldn't. Got it?"

"Uh! Uhm—understood." The Centaur girl covered her nose, rubbed it, and obediently lowered her head.

Looking back, she somewhat regrettably didn't see the Mermaid's figure.

Fremay hadn't come to see him off, currently exploring in the Underwater Divine Hall, hoping to find some resources.

Luckily, with Nenasha's assurance, Herbert was certain the Underwater Divine Hall posed no danger, and let her find something to do.

As for Steven... he had been greatly shaken yesterday.

After a night of contemplation, barely accepting the current situation, he calmed down considerably, now quietly sitting dazed before a post marked with Blood Wings.

In this vast territory, only Sofia, the loyal minister, was willing to see me off!

Loyal minister indeed.

Pillar of the state indeed.

Feeling emotional, Herbert waved to Sofia once more.

"You, come here."

This time, Sofia's reaction was much more intense than before, trembling violently.

Hmm!?

She hesitated visibly, sniffed, then bent over with some hesitation and approached Herbert.

Then she proactively extended her high nose in front of him.

Here—

Nervously squinting her eyes, adopting a posture that seemed to say "do as you please with me."

"Hehe."

Herbert was amused by her demeanor, shook his head, didn't pinch her nose, but gently pinched her cheek instead.

"Alright, I'm leaving. Go on and prepare for the guests' arrival."

"...Okay."

Sofia dumbly touched her cheek where she had just been pinched, a bit confused and with a tingling heart.

She watched as Herbert's figure vanished into the mist, slowly lowering her head, then resolutely raising it.

Her determination inexplicably increased several folds, striding out confidently towards the outside of the mountains.

This time, Herbert wasn't being impulsive as Sofia imagined.

Quite the contrary, he had been planning to do this for a long time.

Herbert didn't want to keep hiding under others' shelter, always hoping for an opportunity to thoroughly train himself.

And now, the greatest danger in this area had been eliminated. Although the remaining Demons could pose some challenges to Herbert, they couldn't threaten his life.

A perfectly suitable trial difficulty.

Herbert didn't draw his Longsword, walking leisurely through the mist as if strolling through the forest, humming a melody he heard from the Mermaid.

"Hum~"

For others, the mist which could easily devour life posed no obstacle to him; instead, it served as a shield hiding his figure.

He headed towards the last marked Mist Ghost Wolf, intending to try his luck again and find the Ghost Wolves' main camp through old methods.

Thus, faint traces flitted through the quiet mist, accompanied by subtle humming.

"Hum~ Hum~"

If it were a different setting, such a silhouette and tune might invoke admiration and appreciation.

However, in these deserted, mist-enshrouded mountains, such sounds suddenly emerging... hehe.

This scene and setting inevitably made one's hair stand on end.

But Herbert didn't care about others' opinions.

As his mood improved, he walked more happily and hummed louder.

"Hum~ Hum~ Hum~"

"Hum hum hum! Ha! Hmm! Hum hum hum~"

…

And just as Herbert was leisurely wandering through the mist, ready to find the Mist Ghost Wolves' main camp...

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