The town of Kwyn, the northernmost town of the Sook Plain, is also the northern barrier of the entire Sook region.

This town is the gateway to the imperial capital of the Karen, Klan, and Twak realms, and if it weren't for the town of Hatis to the north, perhaps Kwyn would have become the largest trading town in the Locke Empire.

Two hundred years ago, the town of Kwen was a military fortress, where the Third and Fourth Legions of the Empire were located. But after the sixth emperor of the Danediv family inspected the fortress, its fate changed.

Because after this emperor returned to the imperial capital, he immediately issued an imperial decree.

A very reasonable and absurd order, he allowed the families of the officers of the Third and Fourth Legions to settle in the vicinity of the forts, and gave them a fairly fertile piece of land around them.

At that time, the imperial ministers did not know the emperor's intention to issue this imperial decree, but two years later, another imperial decree of the emperor made the ministers understand.

The emperor abolished the lifelong and hereditary system for professional soldiers and replaced it with a recruitment system, and the town of Kwen was the best place for these soldiers to go after they were discharged.

In retrospect, Danediv VI's decision 200 years ago was undoubtedly the right one.

As a result, Kwen has become what he is now semi-military, half-urban.

...

After leaving the imperial capital, Pedi and several of his retinue made a rapid journey, and after two days of travel, they arrived outside a small village south of Suke Town on the afternoon of 7 May, when it was nearly dark.

The village, named Avik, was named after its first lord, and its proximity to trade routes and fertile Suko Plain rivaled the prosperity of the small market towns on the Twak Plateau.

Peidi and the others did not enter the village, but camped and rested in a camp dedicated to caravans outside the village.

The sadness of parting was not diluted by time, but intensified, and Pei Di often looked at the direction of the imperial capital alone when he stopped to rest in the past two days.

There, there are his relatives in this world.

"Sir Pedy, still nostalgic for the luxurious life of the Imperial Capital?" Collier was accustomed to traveling, and although the conditions in the wilderness were difficult, he liked the feeling of freedom, and after taking a few sips of the beer he had brought with him, he said, "Isn't the vast Suker Plain less than the palm-sized part of the Imperial Capital?"

He has something to say!

"That's my hometown!" Pei Di hadn't spoken yet, but Hades on the side preemptively said, after two days of getting along, he had no longer had the initial vigilance, "In my heart, even the entire Ailan Continent is less than half of my hometown." ”

Collier laughed "haha" and tossed the leather bag with beer in his hand to Hades and said, "I bet you can of Twak's ale and you'll change your mind." ”

"You're underestimating me!" Hades grinned, "at least a barrel!" he said, tilting his head and pouring beer.

"Along this road... "Cowlier sat on the grass, pointed to the nearby trade road, and burped, "Go down this road all the way, and in three days at most, we will reach Twakling, and then you will be able to see a whole car of highland ale!"

"I can smell the ale now!" Hades said with a smile, looking at the dark trade routes in the distance.

"Cowlier, light the fire!" Wren interrupted a few men's jokes, pointing to a pile of firewood and pulling Eden away.

"If my mentor knew that I was using magic to do such a thing, he would be so angry that he would lie in the coffin!" a hot fireball flashed in Cowlier's hand and did not rush to the firewood, only to hear a 'pounce', and the dry firewood was ignited instantly.

The warm campfire can't help but dispel the surrounding darkness and relieve the fatigue caused by the journey.

After the fire ignited, Wren and Eden hurriedly took out the dried fish and bacon they were carrying and began to bake.

This made Collier and Hades swallow unconsciously.

However, Pedi frowned, he glanced at the magician next to him and said, "Collier, go and see if those caravans in the camp have any spices and white bread, if there is, buy a little, of course, it would be better if there is fruit!"

"You're really enjoying it, sir!" Cowlier muttered, and then pretended to be an old man and walked towards the nearby caravan. After taking a few steps, he had a smile on his face and began to fantasize about the feast that would be waiting for him.

...

"Walk, step!" Less than a minute after Cowlier left, a sudden sound of horses' hooves sounded on the trade road not far away.

Pei Di, who was resting, couldn't help but look for the sound.

With the help of the glow of a few moving torches, several riders in the low-ranking uniforms of the Empire first appeared in Pedi's eyes.

But soon Pedi looked away, as the shining armor of several riders guarding the figure in the middle was particularly striking against the reflection of fire.

"Is this man an idiot, wearing such heavy armor and hurrying!" Hades next to him expressed his opinion.

"Andy!" Pedi exclaimed, slamming to his feet.

With his exclamation, several people next to him subconsciously stopped their movements.

"Andy!" Pedi shouted again, looking a little excited, how could he not be thrilled to see his cousin again after two days away from home?

The young man in the distance heard Pedi's voice, and he looked over...

"Hey, Pedy!" Andy quickly stopped the horse moving forward, and the two attendants behind him quickly controlled their mounts to stop.

Pedi had already walked over quickly, and Hades on the side hurriedly raised his sword to follow.

...

At the same time, the Keren Fortress, which was thousands of miles away, also received a warrant conveyed by the Imperial Capital Military Department with a blood eagle. At this time, the Koren fortress had been engaged in a battle with the main force of 50,000 led by the barbarian Prince Nuliv for a whole day.

This time, the barbarians learned the lessons of the battle at the Kanya Pass, and under the personal supervision of Nulif, the barbarian warriors finally looked like soldiers, however, there was no special method of warfare in the offensive and defensive battles of the fortress, and only the most primitive war of attrition could be carried out, so the casualties of the barbarian troops were still very large, but if it continued to be consumed like this, it was only a matter of time before the empire lost the fortress of Koren.

The frowning Sir Ike was overjoyed to receive the appointment from the Military Department, much to the confusion of the crowd.

"What can a nineteen-year-old do, you know, it's a time of war!" said Bude, the captain of the First Brigade of the Fortress Corps.

"It always has been, hasn't it?" Dogselt replied, as the captain of the Fourth Brigade, he had just been removed from his frontline shift, and his cloak still had a little blood on it.

The commanders of the Locke Empire's army were almost always taken over by nobles, especially the big nobles like Peidi, who did not have to go through the lower ranks, and could be canonized as the top commander of a certain corps when they became adults.

Ordinary soldiers, on the other hand, are not the highest commanders of corps-level troops who have no possibility of promotion.

If you are lucky, like Alfred, you can be canonized as a knight before you are discharged from the army, and then you will stay in the army until you are fifty years old, and the officials of the Imperial Military Department, if you are in a good mood, may report to the cabinet and give you the title of lord.

Sir Ike looked at the noisy crowd and smiled slightly, and said, "But Sir Pedy can bring us reinforcements, and the reinforcements have always been strong!"

"I've heard of this Sir Pedy, who is not a simple young man, who not only has the blood of the Reagan family, but is also known as the 'most powerful paladin' by the fellows of the church!" said Alfred.

"I'd rather believe the melting of the glacial lake under the Hamik Mountains than the words of the priest!" Bud laughed.