The old man closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and reopened them with a puzzled expression. He shook his head and said, "The person who delays you on the road may just be a tool to be used, and you don't necessarily know much about it." Also, your father asked you to come here, but he wasn't the first to propose it. It's just that he should know about the dangers of the Ice Peak Fortress, so it's strange that he can agree to let you come here and let you stay for a long time. ”

"What's the danger of Ice Peak Fortress?" Renault finally couldn't help but ask.

"They didn't tell you, oh, I guess I was afraid that you would be distracted from training, which is actually a good intention. The Ice Peak Fortress will be haunted in winter, and the spirits of the Sunset Mountains will gather to disturb the mind and kill people. This phenomenon has been going on for more than three hundred years and has not been solved. ”

Renault's eyes widened: "Haunted, if it's dangerous, can't you avoid it for a while?"

"The Ice Peak Fortress needs to be manned, and it can't be left unattended all winter. In winter, it always snows and the roads are closed and impassable. So, someone has to stay here, and stay all winter. However, although they can be haunted, within the fortress area, as long as the body is strong enough, or there is a determined soul, or there is divine protection, those geists are not necessarily deadly. ”

The old man went on to explain that under normal circumstances, young apprentices would descend the mountain to Collingwood, a few dozen miles away, before the heavy snow began to gather. There, in the middle of the hills below, the snow is much better. Personnel can still come and go, and supplies will not be broken. There is a warm fire and a bed, and even a soft body to relieve loneliness.

Traveling to other forts is also a wintering option, but it is also not available for Renault. Because his "place of exile" is the Ice Peak Fortress, and that's it. Not to mention other fortresses, even Collingwood can't be considered part of Icepeak Fortress, nor can it be considered Renault's exile range.

If Renault hadn't completed his training and rituals, or had not received a indulgence, he would not have been able to take refuge in the Church anywhere else but the Icepeak Fortress. If it is particularly strict, Renault can even be counted as a "deserter", and there is a reward for killing. To be executed as a deserter is not only a loss of life, but the stigma can also be traced back to the Earl's family.

"You are very close to death. If you don't finish the training, you'll either stay here and wait for the geist to die, or go down the mountain to gamble on whether you'll be able to dodge the assassination's blade, and even if you finish the training, the enhancement ritual isn't safe, and there's still a 30% chance that you won't survive. It's never a good place, except to send it to death. ”

Renault jerked to his feet and walked around the room. He's already been killed by the blade, and it's been the devil's power to resurrect it - but that doesn't mean there won't be a next time. The threat of death is real, and the conspiracy is definitely not speculation on a piece of paper. The great hand of intrigue and malice from the past is still around Renault's neck today, and the enemy hiding in the shadows raises deadly blades, ready to poke his internal organs again.

"I ...... If I had your wisdom, or if you could see my memories directly, maybe you would have been able to find out the truth directly. Renault sat down again, the clouds were still there, but he couldn't hide his perseverance: "No matter where the enemy is, it definitely doesn't like to see me alive." Then I'm going to live! not only to survive, but to become stronger, to be smarter, to outrun that enemy, and then to move on. ”

"My brilliance is the arrow that shoots at the enemy, and I always follow the arrow and find it. ”

"So, please tell me what I should do to get through this and survive. ”

"First of all, you have to realize one thing: you have no way back. Remember the three choices I gave you? Only the third one is taking life and death into his own hands, and the first two are all gambling. I'm glad you chose the third one, and that you made your own decision before this conversation took place. This shows that you are not decadent, that you are not lacking in self-motivation, but that you may lack the means. ”

Gravel stood up and let Renault follow. He walked slowly forward on his own crutches and without being helped. As for the letter from the Count on the table, Renault considered it, picked it up, folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"I ...... As for Hall's last name...... I'd better be Renault Bingfeng first. I'll take this letter first. ”

It wasn't until he finished saying that Renault noticed that he was behind Gravel, and his words were inaudible to the old man.

"Each castle in the Sunset Mountains was carefully chosen for its purpose, and the Ice Peak Fortress was certainly not built to see the snow. For most of the year, the fortress can be a wreck of barren courtyards and crumbling walls, but during the three months of heavy snowfall, the Icepeak Fortress must play its role in suppressing the erupting geistels. ”

The Shadow Lady slowly climbed up the steps, panting. Seeing this, Renault hurriedly went up, and couldn't help but help the old man and walk forward together.

Past the fourth floor where the platform is located, the steps leading to the top of the tower are skewed, mottled and worn, and the soles of the shoes leave clear marks on the dust. Obviously, very few people pass by, let alone take care of it.

Normally, the caster's tower will set up the top floor as a stargazing platform, equipped with instruments to record the changes of the stars. Ice Peak Fortress is different, with a ritual room at the top.

In the center of the square room, a circular magic circle was drawn with sky-blue lines, and the double lightning cross of the Goddess of Thunder took the center position, surrounded by dense prayers and magic runes. Three smaller diamond-shaped circles are on the outside, each occupying a corner.

In the corner of the wall lay four large locked stone chests, and three worn-out futons were stacked next to them, covered with ash. Apart from these things, the top level is empty. There are no tables, chairs, cabinets, statues, paintings, books, or ritual utensils, which are normally expected in the ceremonial room.

There are no windows on the top floor, so no light from the outside comes in, only the faint light that dips in the hallway below. The old man, however, seemed unaffected, and went straight to the stone box, picked out the correct one from the large bunch of keys on his waist, and once inserted it into the keyhole, and opened it.

"Lantern ...... The lantern is here, so the alchemy match should be next to it. Well, it's here......" the old man muttered, taking out what he needed and handing it to Renault.

It was a metal lantern, and it was green up and down except for the crystal light transmission in the middle.