Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

"Headmaster, what was that bear-like symbol?" Nina asked as soon as they got back in the carriage. The symbol Daniel had shown the pub keeper was a fierce-looking bear's head.

"It's the reason we're heading into the snowy mountains this time. Alright, no more questions; we still have a way to go," Daniel replied, giving an evasive answer.

He didn't plan to tell Nina too much, so he brushed her question aside.

Nina didn't dwell on it and happily settled into the carriage, pulling out the miniature snow eagle from her hood.

"Snowy, why didn't you tell me you could shrink like this?" she asked with an eager glint in her eye, like she had just found a new toy.

The snow eagle, feeling a little uneasy under her intense gaze, muttered,

"You… never asked, did you?"

…

Winterrealm. To many who lived among the snowy mountains and frozen plains, this place was nothing more than a legend.

On the western edge of Winterrealm stood a massive gateway—a door made of pure light, designed to keep out anyone unworthy of entry.

But Daniel didn't bother with any formalities; he simply drove the carriage directly into Westwind Pass, the main entry to the city.

Once inside, they immediately felt warmth radiating from all directions.

Though it was called Winterrealm, it didn't feel like winter here.

This was the domain of a powerful force, and the streets were filled with people. Nina marveled at the crowds lining the roads.

"So many people…" she murmured, noticing that some looked like spell beasts in human form.

They had thick fur covering their bodies, sometimes even obscuring their faces, and some had other beastly features as well.

Nina watched, fascinated, while Sif gazed out the window, her eyes bright with excitement and curiosity.

The townspeople, in turn, looked curiously at the carriage. Horses weren't rare in Winterrealm, but they were usually majestic and otherworldly creatures, chosen specifically for such a land. To see an ordinary horse here was quite unusual, and many wondered what kind of people could have brought such a plain horse through the snow-covered wilderness into Winterrealm.

As the novelty wore off, the townsfolk's attention shifted back to their daily lives.

After all, powerful individuals weren't uncommon here, and many people in the streets bore animalistic traits themselves.

A mere horse wasn't that interesting.

"Headmaster! I see it! I see it!" Nina called from the carriage window, pulling back the curtain and leaning toward Daniel, pointing to a flag along the roadside.

"Look, Headmaster! Isn't that the bear symbol you were talking about?"

As she spoke, she realized the awkward truth. She had only noticed the single flag to the side, but now that the curtain was open, she could see ahead as well—every shop in sight displayed the bear-head symbol!

This emblem was clearly woven into Winterrealm's identity.

While driving the carriage, Daniel extended his mind power, probing for information about Westwind Pass.

Soon, he learned that people here held the bear-head symbol in high reverence, calling it the "Bear Venerable."

According to legend, the Bear Venerable had used its mighty form to shield the people from the harsh elements and create the Winterrealm.

Of course, Daniel didn't put much stock in these tales.

The light barrier that protected Winterrealm from the cold was created by a magic array.

He could even tamper with certain components to deactivate the array if he wanted to, but such petty acts weren't his style.

He realized he wouldn't find meaningful information about Winterrealm or the Bear Venerable from ordinary people.

He'd need to speak to someone more knowledgeable.

Then, he noticed a familiar name—Dragonscale Bank! He immediately steered the carriage toward it.

Dragonscale Bank was, as always, located in a prime area.

Only bustling locations attracted the volume of trade Dragonscale Bank required, with its need for mana stones.

Daniel hadn't expected to find a branch even here in Winterrealm.

Upon entering, he found this branch was twice as large as the one in Riverside City and far more spacious, yet it was still crowded with customers. Scanning the inventory, Daniel noticed something interesting.

Compared to other branches, this one had fewer potions and more materials like spell beast mana cores and blood.

This shift in stock indicated that such items were particularly valuable in Winterrealm.

This brought to mind the beastly people he'd seen earlier.

They resembled animals but were essentially human, although their mana waves were odd—closer to spell beasts than to humans.

Perhaps this was a unique class of extraordinary individuals found only in Winterrealm. He made a mental note to look into it later.

"Alright, you two stay here and look around for a bit. I have something to take care of and will be back within half a day. Here, take these mana stones," Daniel said, handing Sif a storage crystal filled with mana stones before leaving.

As soon as Daniel left, Nina let out a sigh of relief and grabbed Sif by the arm.

"Sif, hurry! I saw a ton of interesting things!"

The two quickly disappeared into the crowd.

On the top floor of Dragonscale Bank, a well-dressed man was reviewing the accounts. Suddenly, he looked up, realizing a figure was now standing before his desk, silently watching him.

The man's gaze flicked to his ledger—these were Dragonscale Bank's secrets, never to be seen by outsiders!

Mana surged through his body, and the ten rings on his fingers began to glow in various colors.

Instantly, he unleashed a barrage of powerful spells and curses at Daniel. Yet, in the next moment, every spell vanished into thin air.

The man stared in disbelief, checking the rings on his fingers.

Each ring stored a powerful, instantaneous spell, ready to cast at the slightest input of mana.

The only limitation was that they could each be used only once every twelve hours.

He confirmed that the spells had indeed been cast, yet the man before him was unharmed.

"Relax. I mean no harm. I'm just here to inquire about something," Daniel said calmly, trying to ease his fear.

The man remained skeptical but realized he had no choice.

With a simple gesture from Daniel, he found himself paralyzed, unable to move.

"Now, let's have a chat," Daniel said. "You're the manager of the Dragonscale Bank branch in Westwind Pass, correct?"