The red sun is in the west.

Under the majestic spiral peak, the procession flying the Iron Crown banner finally arrived at the foot of the Broken Mountain Fortress.

Loren, on his horse, looked at the thick snow beneath his feet—the snow had only been a thin layer in the camp before, but now it was almost calf-level, and the howling cold wind was getting more and more biting.

It's only been a few days, and it can't be described as "winter is coming too fast", it's more like falling directly into an ice cave!

"It's the first time you've seen such deep snow, are you curious?"

An unfriendly voice came, and the middle-aged knight on the side on the war horse spoke slowly, and there seemed to be a little contempt in his words.

The corners of the black-haired wizard's mouth twitched.

Brandon, who was supposed to ride alongside the middle-aged knight, always claimed to be cold and hid in the carriage after the unexpected "welcome ceremony", and almost never left his carriage except for occasional ventilation.

Of course, the real reason is well known. The middle-aged knight who was in charge of answering was also very knowledgeable, and did not forcibly ask His Royal Highness the Prince to be with him.

As a result, a wizarding advisor, as a "close confidant of His Highness", had to replace Brandon and the middle-aged knight in the front of the team on horseback in the midst of a howling blizzard......

"I've been in Fort Deepwood in Lothair, and I've experienced a rare winter. Loren, of course, understood what the other party meant, and shrugged his shoulders:

"So you don't need to tell me what the north is like, I know it exactly. ”

"That's because you haven't seen the real north," the middle-aged knight said coldly: "The real winter will have to wait for another month, and even if you hide in the castle and desperately fill the fireplace with firewood, it will only make you freeze to death." ”

"Compared to the Broken Boundary Mountain, the winter in Lothair is like playing at home!"

"I'm looking forward to it. Loren's face showed a formulaic smirk:

"If it's really the same as you say. ”

The middle-aged knight didn't seem to hear the sarcasm in his tone, or didn't care at all. He stared at the black-haired wizard calmly: "I saw how you behaved in the camp - a wizard advisor like you is really the first one I know!"

"If it weren't for you, the legionnaires, who were less than a regiment of banners, wouldn't have been able to carry nearly twice as many werewolves—and even if they could survive the dragons, they would have suffered heavy casualties. ”

"There were indeed heavy casualties - most of the hundred-man team was gone, and the captain of the guard had his head bitten off!"

"But without you, we'd only have half a hundred-man team left. ”

"So, can I think you admit it?" Turning his face sideways, Loren sneered and squinted at the middle-aged knight: "While we were fighting with that group of monsters, you and all the 'loyal' fortress soldiers were watching the play not far away?"

"Ernst Drexis, deputy commander of the Fortress of Broken Mountain, and captain of the cavalry of His Highness Conrad. The middle-aged knight took the initiative to stretch out his right hand with an iron glove.

"Wizard advisor to His Highness Brandon, just call me Loren!" the black-haired wizard shook his hand without smiling, not intending to have any deep friendship with the deputy commander.

"Your Excellency, I respect you because of your strength, and in the Broken Boundary Mountain, we will always lack someone who can hold a sword. The middle-aged knight Ernst said silently, and glanced at him meaningfully:

"But you also have to understand that no one likes the prince you serve in the Broken Mountain Fortress - on the contrary, it is the majority who wish he died quickly!"

Loren frowned slightly, and the other party seemed to have something to say.

Is this a persuasion to be cautious?

The next second, Ernst turned his head with a cold face, his stiff expression as if he had never spoken to him.

............................................................

With the drawbridge lowered from the wall, the long march passed through the towering first wall, followed by a dense array of watchtowers, wooden forts, sharpened wooden piles, trenches several feet deep, rows of horse-repellent piles, lifted from one iron cable, enough to accommodate only one carriage under the cast-iron gates into the fort.

"I'm going to leave for a moment now to report to Prince Conrad about His Highness Brandon and the fact that the werewolves have been wiped out. ”

Ernst Drexis said in a deep voice, giving the black-haired wizard a meaningful look: "Please wait a moment, Your Highness Brandon, we will see you later, Your Excellency Loren!"

With that, the cavalry escorting the team followed the middle-aged knight to the inner city of the fortress, and Loren, who remained at the gate, turned over and dismounted, silently observing the surroundings.

A barracks bigger than it looks, a huge war machine, that's Loren's first impression when he stepped through the door.

or patrolling the passages and walls, or legionnaires standing guard on the towers of the strongholds;

a logistics officer who escorted the goods and stood by a pile of wooden boxes outside the warehouse gate to count the accounts;

the rapid movement back and forth, the auxiliaries busy back and forth between weapon racks, quartermaster depots, and stables;

On their faces, Loren could not see only indifference, except for the shouts of command, there was no sound of speech at all, and everyone was meticulously busy with the work at hand.

Looking to the left from the entrance gate, there is also a fenced training ground. In such a harsh winter season, those sweaty legionnaires actually fought one-on-one with their shirts.

That's right, although they were holding training weapons, the strength of the attack and the hideous expression were completely fighting to the death!

The black-haired wizard saw a soldier who had been thrown to the ground with his shield shattered and beaten to the ground, and could only parry with his sword, and on the other side, a guy who accidentally "got out of the circle" was knocked to the ground by a veteran who served as an instructor!

And the common characteristic between them and others is still "not talking" - even if they are beaten to the point of blurred flesh and blood, and the pain is so painful that they fall to the ground and convulse and pass out, they can't hear the slightest sound.

It's like a machine made of steel gears, executing every command in an orderly manner, and it doesn't take much to say anything to execute the order.

Northern... Gates?

The murmuring black-haired wizard's gaze swept over the people and objects around him, as if trying to see something deeper in these superficial things.

Loren was quite concerned by a quote from Ernst Drexis, who had just left, saying "Prince Connault" instead of "His Highness", which of course was just a different wording of the title, but the question of reaction was equally concerning.

"Prince of Sackland" was an additional title for the Imperial Crown Prince, giving him the qualifications to rank alongside the lords of the other duchies, but the tone in which he spoke did not feel like a "false title", as if Conrad, like the other dukes and their duchies, was the true lord of the fortress.

I'm afraid that the power of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is far stronger than Brandon described......

"What are you going to do?

The little wizard's exclamation suddenly came, and the black-haired wizard turned back suddenly—not far from the gate, Brandon's guards had actually erected a shield wall and confronted the nearby soldiers of the fortress!

When he walked over, the picture in front of him made him extremely surprised.

Isaac clenched his fists and a skinny soldier who fell to the ground stared at each other, and Ain, who stood in front of him, raised his falcon bow and aimed it at another ugly-looking veteran.

Behind them were legionnaires in the same armor and with the same weapons, facing each other expressionlessly from a distance of several paces.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm Brandon de Salion, and this is Isaac Grantham and Wizard Ain Rand who came with me...... And then... Can anyone tell me what's going on?"

Brandon, who was originally hiding in the carriage to "recuperate", appeared behind Loren without knowing when, and asked with a sunny smile.

Seeing the appearance of His Royal Highness the Prince, the old soldier's face became even more ugly, and he bowed slightly very stiffly: "Your Highness Brandon, you, a wizard, just intended to snatch Xi from the soldiers under me, I didn't know that he was your person, so I was going to arrest him, and then ......"

He pointed to the little wizard: "This Lord Ain is ready to commit murder in the barracks!"

"He lied, the ring wasn't his!" Isaac's eyes widened, agitated like a hungry beast.

"This is my thing!" the soldier who fell to the ground turned blue, "I took it from that deserter, and I have bought it according to military regulations......"

"Say it again——?!!!! your grandmother"