Chapter 320

Chapter 320

Early the next morning, Jacqueline, Lorant, and Lancelot arrived at the entrance to the Lopulo Mountains.

This wasn't Pokara, nor was it any entrance under human control. This was one of the entrances to the Lopulo Mountains controlled by the orc race—the 'Griffin Ridge.'

The Lopulo Mountains stretch across the entire continent, so the environment at each entrance varies significantly.

For example, Pokara lies in a plain with dramatic temperature swings, where day and night feel like two entirely different worlds. In summer, it is an endless expanse of hot grassland, while in winter, it transforms into a cold, snowy region.

Here, though, it's at the edge of the Flame Plains. As an entrance to the orc race's mountains, it shares a similar climate with other orc territories.

Maybe it's the orcs' confidence or the hassle of controlling this mountain entrance, but the Griffin Ridge only has a steel fortress, built by orcs and dwarves, at the narrowest part of the pass, sealing it off tight.

Behind the fortress stand three towering Longevity Trees, guarding the territory.

The orc warriors' fierce nature is on full display here. They live here year-round, just a wall away from beasts, constantly battling them.

Fighting, good wine, and wild parties are the norm here.

You won't see this at human mountain entrances. The orcs have arranged their lives and battles in an orderly manner.

When Lorant teleported in, he nearly thought he'd landed in a Felidae tribe.

The city at the Lopulo Mountains' entrance is packed with the orcs' unique, storybook-style buildings. Cable cars on the towering Longevity Trees link the three giant trees.

The three Longevity Trees throw shadows at the base of the majestic Lopulo Mountains.

Without anything to compare them to, Lorant just thought the Lopulo Mountains were impossibly tall, their peaks out of sight, and the Longevity Trees just as grand.

But side by side, the Longevity Trees look almost small.

Though at the mountain's base, where they get the Lopulo Mountains' shade for over half the year, the other half is just like the rest of the Flame Plains. So, the Longevity Trees are a must.

The orcs need the Longevity Trees to have land to live on.

But this is still the Lopulo Mountains' entrance. Even with their wild and free spirit, the orcs aren't bold enough to build homes right here.

Though the city's lively, there are hardly any elderly or kids around. Most of those out and about are strong, young adults, many of them practitioners.

When the orcs saw three humans on Windbreaking Horses, they were first shocked, then eyed the stunning beasts with envy.

Beast shops are popping up in many big tribes, but orcs owning beasts are still few and far between. Spotting one is enough to make a big fuss.

"What a beautiful child!" A vendor by the road, spotting the three Windbreaking Horses from a distance, grabbed a clean leaf, rolled it up, filled it with some of his drink using a bamboo scoop, and handed it to Lorant with a smile. "Here! This is for the little one!"

Lorant, surprised, leaned down to accept the gift from the vendor. "Th-thank you." He hadn't expected the roadside orc vendor to be so enthusiastic. Once he accepted it, refusing would have been inappropriate.

The vendor chuckled and turned back to attend to his other tasks.

As Lorant walked from the teleportation array to the mountain pass, he realized the locals' excitement over beasts was way beyond what he'd expected. Taya was right; the orc race indeed has a natural affinity for beasts.

This is especially evident among practitioners.

The steel fortress at the mountain pass was cordoned off, with orc practitioners strictly guarding the entrance, not allowing anyone to enter casually.

As for the sentries on duty, they were a few two-meter-tall burly men carrying swords as tall as themselves.

They bore obvious lion features—some had hair and beards like a lion's mane, others had long lion tails swaying behind them, and some even had lion claws for hands or feet.

These characteristics make it immediately clear that the guards here are from one of the most powerful tribes of the orc race, the 'Fire Lion Clan'.

The towering warriors of the Fire Lion Clan are just a street away from the bustling pedestrians. The stark contrast between the stern warriors and the smiling people makes Lorant marvel.

He and Lancelot are wearing flowers unique to the orc race, which carry a slightly faint shaman's blessing. They also bought one each for Fa Meng and the baby to pin on them, completely adopting the attitude of tourists.

The warm environment and the happy people around make Lorant feel that his mood always improves whenever he visits the orc race.

Jacqueline rides forward and hands an item to the guard at the entrance. Soon, a guard leads Lorant and his two companions into the heavily guarded mountain pass.

"Respected Master Jacqueline, please follow me. Grand Shaman Everson is already waiting for you." A tall Fire Lion Clan warrior steps forward, slapping his chest with a resounding thud that makes Lorant wince.

The noise sounds painful, and only his bulging muscles could produce such a sound.

Lorant gazes at the Fire Lion Clan warrior's bulging muscles, which seem ready to burst, and can't help but marvel.

This is the place Jacqueline specifically found for Lorant to test Fa Meng's strength.

After learning yesterday that they were coming to the Lopulo Mountains, Lorant decisively recruited Lancelot into the task.

In his mind, since they were already here, they might as well take the opportunity to harvest the rockwood from the northern side of the Lopulo Mountains.

Rockwood is indeed rare, so Lorant can't afford to miss any opportunity.

At the same time, it's also extremely difficult to harvest. Even with Fa Meng's magical abilities, it can only loosen the rockwood's deeply embedded roots in the mountain wall, not enough to cut it down.

The only way to obtain rockwood is to have a strong laborer chop it down with an axe, one strike at a time. Naturally, Lorant turned to Lancelot for this laborious task.

After agreeing to some unfavorable terms and offering a few kisses, Lancelot finally agreed to do this hard work for Lorant.

Below the steel fortress are several military tents. After weaving through them, Lorant and his companions finally reach the main gate of the steel fortress.

Everson stands smiling at the gate of the steel fortress: "Lady Jacqueline, I was utterly surprised to receive your message. I never expected this matter to attract your attention!" He is deeply respectful and shows great deference to Jacqueline.

Clearly, he knows Jacqueline's status.

Lorant carefully observes the grand shaman, who is in his prime.

Unlike the elderly shaman of the Felidae, who appears somewhat hunched with age, this Fire Lion Clan shaman is tall and robust, equally imposing as the surrounding warriors.

He has a fiery red lion's mane, and when he opens his mouth, sharp teeth are visible, a classic Fire Lion Clan orc.

However, unlike the surrounding warriors, Everson wears a shaman's robe made of various animal skins and feathers. Despite the robe's heavy appearance, under the scorching sun of the Flame Plains, not a single drop of sweat appears on the shaman's forehead.

Noticing Lorant's curious gaze, Everson's eyes light up as he looks at him.

He strides forward and enthusiastically grabs Lorant's hand: "Ah! You must be Mr. Lorant! I've heard so much about you! Our Fire Lion Clan has always been extremely curious about your pet shop!"

"Grand Shaman Everson, hello." Lorant smiles with some surprise, not expecting such enthusiasm from a shaman he's meeting for the first time.

Just now, the baby whispered in Lorant's mind that this Everson has the strength of at least a level twelve mage, definitely not a simple figure.

"Quickly! Please come in and sit!" Everson is overjoyed to see Lorant and immediately invites them into the fortress built against the mountain wall, connected to the massive steel walls.

"We can have a good chat about the Fire Lion Clan's pet shop! You know, the Fire Lion Clan's territory is vast, one pet shop is nowhere near enough!"

"And unlike the Felidae, the Fire Lion Clan has enough territory. I think it's suitable to open a ranch, and the environment is also perfect for those candy rabbits! It's just that the pet shop's cooperation quota..."

"We are discussing this, Grand Shaman Everson. You haven't been around recently, but the clan leader has been pushing for these matters." Lorant smiles helplessly. This shaman of the Fire Lion Clan has been stationed at the mountains, so he hasn't met him before, but he has met the clan leader several times.

That clan leader is quite the persistent one.

While handling the enthusiastic Grand Shaman, Lorant shot a smug little glance at Lancelot, who was completely ignored.

Seeing the esteemed Earl Cavendish in a tight spot, Lorant found it quite amusing.

"That's awesome! Perfect!" Everson, towering yet considerate, leaned slightly to not overwhelm Lorant. "And about that Floating Giant Duck dock! Our cities, Raging Lion and Blood Lion, also lie along the Holy Shield River! Mr. Lorant, ever considered extending the route our way?"

"We'll cover all dock costs and pay Blue Star an annual fee for navigation! What do you think?"

We've been gradually discussing previous matters, and it looks like we're close to agreements without any hitches. But this Floating Giant Duck route idea from the Fire Lion Clan? That's new to Lorant.

Surprised, he glanced at the shaman, who looked rough but was surprisingly thoughtful, and his opinion of the Fire Lion Clan went up another notch.

Strong, wealthy, full of life, and, crucially, honest—not out to exploit others. Definitely a great partner.

Jacqueline, noticing the two gearing up for business talk, cut in. "Everson! Lorant! Save the business talk for later; let's wrap up the main task first."