"Athena, can you shrink down? You're too big," said Richard.

It wasn't that he disliked her massive form, but he preferred being able to sit atop a horse of normal size.

Athena nodded, and her body began to shrink until she reached a normal size. Her aura also became less oppressive, making her seem as if she were only around Tier 12 or 13.

Of course, her wings remained. They couldn't disappear anymore — they had become a part of her true form.

Even at Tier 11, she was supposed to have those wings.

Whoosh!

Richard led the horse out of the Dragon Hall, which naturally brought them back into his room.

It was spacious enough to fit several horses, so there was no problem. Even the window was large enough for a horse to leap through.

"Let's go!" Richard mounted Athena's back and urged her to leap toward the window and fly.

Whoosh!

The horse jumped, folding her wings before spreading them wide the moment she exited the room.

Instead of falling, Athena soared higher once she reached the open air.

Unlike his dragon wings, Athena's didn't create powerful gusts.

They were more like the wings of a bird.

Whoosh!

She ascended higher, piercing through the clouds with ease.

When they reached a certain altitude, Richard could see the entire city — and the vast ocean beyond it.

To his surprise, the sky wasn't as empty as he had imagined.

He saw many giant birds flying around, carrying people from different directions.

Of course, their tiers weren't nearly as high as Athena's — most ranged between Tier 6 and 15. But because they were large species, they could easily carry passengers on their backs.

What amazed him even more, however, were several humans flying with their own bodies.

They didn't even look like they were flying — more like walking through the air itself.

Those riding giant birds avoided such people, clearly afraid of offending them.

Naturally, Richard wasn't afraid of anyone. He could already fight against Low-Level Magi of the World Realm.

He commanded Athena to fly straight toward the sea — that was where his curiosity lay.

From above, he saw many wooden ships — some enormous — sailing at high speed.

Flying over the sea, he sensed numerous menacing auras rising from beneath the waves, seemingly belonging to massive sea beasts.

Through the water's surface, Richard could faintly see several enormous shadows moving deep below.

"Mm..."

An island not too far from the mainland caught his attention.

From a distance, it looked small — but he knew it was larger than it appeared, though still not enormous.

Interestingly, there were many visible structures on the island — almost like a village.

"What's that place?" Richard muttered with curiosity.

He instructed Athena to head toward the island.

She didn't need to fly too fast — the island was only about four kilometers from the coast.

As they drew closer, Athena descended to a lower altitude.

Everything became clearer in Richard's eyes.

He saw people of all ages there, though none appeared as young as he was.

Most were adults, with the youngest around fifteen or sixteen.

However, what caught his attention most was the overwhelming number of women — beautiful women with shimmering hair colors, most dressed in alluring tight gowns, either off-shoulder or short and revealing.

Many of these women boldly approached passing men, holding their hands or pulling them closer.

'Not a mysterious island... but a hidden paradise for the world's pleasures,' Richard thought.

He instantly realized what kind of island this was.

Since he had already come this far, he couldn't just leave.

It was hard for him to resist the temptation to look around.

His horse landed on the island, drawing many surprised stares because of his young age.

"Kid, this isn't a place for you to fool around. Go home before your mother starts looking for you!" a large bald man shouted while laughing loudly.

The others around also burst into laughter.

Richard pretended not to hear, his gaze sweeping over the men and women flirting openly around him.

Inside the street-side bars, the scenes were even more intense — almost everyone was either kissing or holding each other.

Richard kept a calm expression as he observed, though his thoughts were in disarray. At the very least, he needed to maintain the image of a well-mannered young man.

As he continued exploring the village on this small island, he realized there was more than just prostitution here.

In fact, there were many other forms of entertainment — some more relaxed, like watching women dance or play music.

The performers were far more beautiful than the prostitutes, and Richard couldn't tell whether they were truly pure entertainers or had more exclusive "side jobs."

To his surprise, he actually spotted Sophia standing before one of the grandest buildings, greeting several distinguished noblemen as they arrived at her theater.

Naturally, the woman noticed Richard. It was her first time seeing him in person without the Phantom Cloak, but she recognized him instantly.

Upon seeing him, she smiled and approached — completely ignoring her other guests and asking another woman to replace her at the entrance.

"So, what brings you to this island? Looking for some fun, or just curious about adult life?" she asked softly.

Richard rolled his eyes at her words, feeling that she was looking at him with a mischievous mind.

"I was just passing by and got curious about this island. Who would've guessed it's a place where prostitutes sell themselves," Richard replied bluntly.

His harsh words made Sophia chuckle lightly.

"Things like this exist everywhere. They exist because men's desires create the demand. You're still young — maybe one day you'll come to enjoy it too. After all, your father used to love spending his youth in places like this," she said.

Richard initially wanted to ignore her words — but that last sentence shocked him.

"What? You know my father?" he blurted out.

He had only recently learned who his father was and his background — how could this woman know so suddenly?

The only ones aware should've been himself, Olivia, the White Ancestor, and the elders of the Skylight Clan.

"Of course I know. I was very close to your parents. And you… you have the combined face of your father and mother — it's too similar. When I saw your picture, I immediately connected you to them. Though it started as speculation, I'm now very certain. Your father is Edward Skylight, and your mother… is Rebecca Moonshadow."

Richard: "..."

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