Between the heavy clouds blanketing the dark sky, streaks of green and blue auroras stretched out, painting the world in a dreamlike glow.

Jagged gray cliffs pierced the heavens, serving as both a natural shield against the winds and beasts, and as a fortress gifted by nature itself.@@novelbin@@

The only path into the gorge was a solitary cloud bridge. Perfectly designed to fend off invaders, this was Lake Fortress, the home of the Northguards.

"Just looking at it makes me freeze up," I muttered.

At the narrow entrance of the gorge stood a checkpoint manned by burly sentinels. Their imposing presence was enough to make anyone hesitate to approach. Even from this distance, their vigilance was palpable.

To make matters worse, the bridge itself looked precarious—just a wooden structure that seemed ready to collapse at any moment.

Apparently, Hargran shared my concern. He glanced nervously at the abyss below the bridge and began inching backward.

"Hmm~"

Seeing this, I narrowed my eyes.

"Don’t get the wrong idea, you twig! I’m not scared. It’s just that dwarves don’t mix well with heights. We live close to the earth, so places like this don’t suit us!"

"Nobody said anything, so why are you so defensive? You’re acting as if you’ve been caught red-handed."

"Look at your own face in the mirror before saying that!"

In response, Ashies conjured a flat sheet of ice and held it up in front of me.

"Looking good," I said, admiring my reflection.

"What nonsense are you spouting? With a face like yours, not even a legendary blacksmith could fix you. Look at me: short and sturdy build, thick beard—that’s what a real man looks like!"

"Hm, is that so? The first time I saw a dwarf, I honestly thought it was dragon droppings."

"You rotten twig of a man!"

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