Early morning, Lothair, Fort Deep.

Heavy snow.

With the onset of winter, the sudden snowfall was not untimely for the defenders of the Deep Forest—even though they were well prepared, and even had the idea of abandoning the Deep Forest at a critical moment and leading the army and people to retreat, Leven Fried still found that he was underestimating the enemy.

The Azorean elven warriors dressed in light armor or even unarmored cloth robes, wielding sharp knives and spears, whether they were any single force, the tacit understanding of team cooperation and even the speed of maneuver were far beyond his imagination.

After communicating with Loren, Levin didn't think that the enemy would also have a group of elites similar to knights, and he didn't doubt that the combat power level of the elves was above that of humans, but if you look at the current situation, I'm afraid that every Azorean elven warrior has the level of a "knight"!

After the start of the battle, with the mentality of "home combat advantage", Lu Wen organized two sneak attacks against the enemy's rear line in the Gumu Forest, but the enemy's terrifying reaction speed turned the encounter into a positional battle each time, and even tried to maneuver quickly in the forest several times to encircle them in reverse.

After suffering heavy losses on both occasions, Levin finally gave up on the idea of contempt and instead stuck to the deep forest fort, while sending a large number of elite Lothair archers to ambush in the forest and organize small-scale sneak attacks.

Advancing from the Fog Moon Court, and being restricted by the terrain of the marching route, the Azorean elven army, which could not organize enough troops to attack the deep forest for a while, also turned to build a camp in a clearing near the forest to confront the defenders of the deep forest fort.

So, winter came.

Maybe it's because the baggage hasn't kept up, or maybe it's because they didn't expect to confront each other until winter, and the elven army outside the city of Shenlin Castle didn't even carry winter clothes!

Almost as long as they stood on the city walls, they could be seen with the naked eye, and the 20,000 Azorean elven warriors had only armor and cloth robes to protect their bodies, shivering in the cold wind.

This made the defenders of Shenlin Fort breathe a sigh of relief - winter is coming, which means that until the beginning of spring of the next year, unless the enemy intends to freeze to death en masse, it is impossible to brave the wind and snow to attack Shenlin Fort, let alone advance half a step further.

But Ruben Fried doesn't think so.

"They're definitely coming. ”

Standing on the edge of the parapet, the young Grand Duke of Lothair looked out at the ancient wooded forest obscured by the blizzard and muttered in a low voice, his reddened hands involuntarily clasping the parapet.

"What?"

Standing beside him, the war dancer, the female elf Lea raised an eyebrow, and couldn't help but glance at him.

"I mean, your peers... Azorean elven warrior. Looking at the tall figure, Lu Wen, who wanted to say "your compatriot", quickly changed his words:

"If I were them, I would organize a full-scale assault in the near future to test the strength of the defenders of Deepenburg - if they were tough enough, then retreat, and if the defenses were empty, to crush us all at once. ”

"Why?" the elf did not understand:

"It's snowing now, can you really organize an attack at such a time?"

"Can... It's just that it's difficult. Levan shook his head: "But that guy Loren told me that the most important thing in the so-called war is to understand one's own strengths and weaknesses, followed by the enemy, and only after figuring out this can one make a judgment on when to attack and when to defend." ”

"So I asked myself what our strengths and weaknesses were—and there was no doubt that it was the ease of work and the sudden snowfall that turned the Deepwood from a frontier stronghold into a fortress that would be difficult to impregn. ”

"Our disadvantage is that we have seriously underestimated the enemy's combat power, and it is difficult to confront him head-on in the forests where the cavalry cannot deploy, and the only advantage is the bow and arrow, which is difficult to replenish because of the heavy snowfall. ”

"And what about the enemy?" muttered Archduke Lothair, "there is no doubt that they have an absolute advantage in a frontal fight, and their disadvantage is only one ......"

"Time is their only disadvantage - there are still three months left before the end of winter, and their material reserves will definitely not last for three months, let alone wait until three months later to attack the long-established Shenlin Fort. ”

"So if I were an enemy, I would definitely take the risk of launching an attack before the harshest winter completely descended - even if I couldn't capture the Deep Forest Fort, I would have to thoroughly understand our details and preparedness!"

"This is the most useful ...... I learned from that kid Loren" Before he finished speaking, Levin suddenly remembered something, turned his head and explained a little embarrassedly: "Sorry, I didn't mean to mention ......"

"It's okay, don't worry about that!"

The female elf said coldly: "Why should I care about him, what's more... He's married, and he won't come to the Deep Forest and the Ancient Wood Forest anymore, will he?"

Isn't that still a big concern?

Twitching his throat, Levin didn't say anything.

Although it was far away, the news that Byrne was going to hold a ceremony reached Deepwoodburg, and of course, the ceremony was not the key, the wedding was the key.

The wedding organized by the Countess of Crimson Castle and "crucial" to Duke Byrne, can there be a second possibility besides the two of them?

Calculate the time, it's probably been a few days since the wedding, that guy... Lu Wen couldn't help but sigh.

The corners of the elf's mouth twitched, and she turned her head in a trance, turning her gaze to the forest outside the city walls that was obscured by wind and snow.

Grand Duke Lothair lowered his head, and his gaze naturally fell on the "Folding Shadow Sword" hanging from his waist - this was the trophy that Loren gave him after ending the battle in the Misty Moon Court.

The edge is like tracing the light, the body is like a silver mirror, the light is like a feather, and the iron is like clay.

It's like the Azorean elves in front of you.

"Leah, something... I think you should think again. Couldn't help but raise his gaze, Lu Wen frowned slightly: "This war is a battle between the Empire and the Kingdom of the Azores, and it has nothing to do with the elves of your Morning Star Forest, why ......"

"There is no why!"

The female elf turned her head sharply and stared at Lu Wen deadly: "I told Loren, and now I will tell you - we are the children of the ancient wood forest, we are proud elves, we stand to die, never kneel to live!"

"As for the blood relatives of the Azores, from the moment they took the Morning Star Forest, they are no longer our blood relatives, we are not fighting for your empire, for you humans, but for our homeland. ”

"So don't be there to be sentimental, for our sake, Reuven Fried!"

When the words fell, the iron-faced female elf turned her head, pursed her lips and stared at the vast wind and snow more "seriously", as if she could tell her the answer she wanted.

What's more, she didn't dare to look back, she didn't dare to look at Lu Wen who was herself and the Morning Star Forest Elf, she was afraid that she would be under the other party's gaze, so she couldn't help but bow her head and apologize, admitting that she was wrong, and admitting that she really needed Loren's help.

So, that guy......

has already let go of cruel words with him, and he actually married his female relative quietly, and at this time, let himself take the initiative to come to the door and beg him to take him in, this is really ......

It can't be done, it can't be done!

I'd rather die than see his "you really came to me" sneer!

Clenched her fists, the elf gritted her teeth.

Lu Wen didn't pay much attention to her words, and shrugged his shoulders as if he didn't care: "Since you're not going to leave, how about staying and helping me hold on to the Deep Forest Castle together—just like when I was the Earl of the Deep Forest Castle, fighting side by side!"

"Of course, if you don't want to, I can take you with me when the next convoy returns to Eagle Hunt Castle, and if you really don't want to go to Byrne, then at least in the forest of Lothair should be able to ......."

"Assign the task, Lord Duke!" the elf said, clasping her shoulders and hastily "Say, which fortress, wall, or tower do you want us to hold onto?" or... You want us to leave the Deep Grove and attack the enemy?"

"No need!" Lu Wen laughed: "Your most important task now is to train soldiers!"

"Training?"

"That's right, I want you to train my soldiers according to the standards of your war dancers!"

Levin nodded vigorously: "We still have half a winter to go - half a winter, I want to make the warriors of Lothair thoroughly understand how to fight the elves, understand where their advantages are and where the enemy's weaknesses are, even if it doesn't lead to anything, at least they can prepare them psychologically." ”

"In the past, they fought with humans, beasts, and monsters, and all they learned was how to fight humans, beasts, and monsters, and now they want to fight with elves, of course, they have to learn how to fight elves!"

The female elf was slightly stunned, and it took a while to understand what Lu Wen meant.

"This... Yes, yes, but the training of the war dancers is very strict, and not even every elf can fully accept it. Leah said helplessly, "If your fighters can't hold on, or refuse to be trained......

If Levin just needed to understand how elves fought, Ria didn't care, but if he had to train to the standards of a war dancer, it would be a different story - based on what he had learned about the physical qualities and characteristics of humans, the probability of being able to train would be infinitely close to zero.

Except, of course, a wizard!

"Whoever dares to refuse, will be punished as treason!" Regarding the female elf's concern, Lu Wen was very decisive: "I will be the first to be trained, see who dares to say that they can't stand it?!"

"Of course, you're not the only one, all the elves of the Morning Star Forest, I also want you to convince them to train with my warriors to the strictest standards, after all, the purpose is to thoroughly understand the strengths and weaknesses of elves and humans in battle, and it doesn't make much sense if you don't take it seriously. ”

"Is such a request acceptable?"

Facing Lu Wen's burning gaze, the somewhat helpless female elf could only nod: "I can only do my best - the war dancers of the Ancient Wood Forest are completely different from the warriors of the Azorean elves, and it is difficult to say whether what we teach you is useless or not." ”

"Whether it works or not, you can only try it. Lu Wen sighed and looked at the white snow: "This heavy snow is the deadline, and when it ends, we will have to ......"

What's all it takes?

Raising her eyebrows suspiciously, the female elf who turned around found that Lu Wen, who was gritting her teeth, was staring at the heavy snow outside the wall, and there was a trace of horror reflected in her pupils.

In the white snow outside the wall......

Very suddenly, many huge figures appeared, no less than dozens.

And it's getting closer, it's getting clearer.

"It's an ogre?!" Gritted his teeth, Lu Wen had already roared angrily: "These crazy people, where did they find the ogre to send them to death?!"

The female elf on the side was shocked and felt a surge of pain in her heart.

So many ogres suddenly appeared outside the deep forest castle, which means that there are no more elven war dancers still stationed on the big tree wall, and the elves who have recovered their homeland to the south are probably already very lucky!

What exactly is this......

"Woo woo woo ————————————"

The rapid sound of the horn interrupted the female elf's thoughts, and almost in the blink of an eye, the sound of alarm had already resounded throughout the deep forest castle, and the fortress, which had just been dead silent, was immediately on full alert.

"Enemy Attack ——!"

The roaring Lu Wen turned around suddenly, and with a "Cang Lang" sound, he pulled out a long knife as bright as a mirror from his sheath, and looked at the knights and war bow archers who were rapidly gathering under the city wall:

"Preparing for ——!"

"Lothair————!!!!

Hundreds of Lothair knights responded to their lord with the most traditional and neat shouts, summoning warriors who were like a swarm of headless flies at their side.

"Lu Wen......" The female elf's voice trembled slightly, but she regained her composure in less than a second: "Let me go!"

"What are you kidding?!" Lu Wen, who heard this, turned his head suddenly, and he couldn't care about his soldiers: "I didn't see such a big snow outside, and you are still ready to rush out and fight that monster?!"

"It's flat land outside, there's no place to rely on, and there's no place to stay, so why don't you think this is a forest?!"

"I'm a war dancer, and I've been trained to fight ogres from birth - with or without trees, it's the same for me!"

"What's more, you want me to be an instructor for your group of arrogant soldiers, how can they be convinced of me as an instructor without seeing my ability?!"

Without waiting for him to reply, the elf had already jumped down the stairs and stood in front of the castle gate.

"Duke, this ......" The knight in charge of guarding the city gate on the side turned his head and looked at Lu Wen very embarrassed: "The elves of the Morning Star Forest are our allies, and Lord Leah is their leader, if you ......"

"Open the gates!"

Turning his head suddenly, Lu Wen roared angrily: "Give her the gun and let her go!"

"Then you'll all show me how the elven war dancers fight, and learn a little from me - and, cover her, and all the cavalry will mount me and wait under the gates!"

"Yes!"

With the snapping of the gates and the sound of chains, the gates slowly opened.

The elf took a deep breath, took her spear upside down, and stepped through the gates in a state of anticipation.

Walk towards the white expanse.

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