The sound of running could be heard in the distance of the hallway. Turning to look, Eders recognized the comer: it was the herald who had just arrived.

"Your Excellency, Captain. He gasped and barely stood in front of Edus.

"What's wrong, soldier?" Eddes asked eagerly, "Is the eastern staircase really attacked as well?"

"Yes, sir. Speaking of this, the herald said with some pride: "We lost four of us and killed nine of the enemy." The enemy has fled. ”

"Prague are so capable?" Edus exclaimed in surprise, and suddenly felt that something was not quite right: "Wait, the enemy is retreating, right?"

"Yes, sir. The Adjutant Prague asked me to report to you...... He had already led his team in pursuit of the remaining four enemy troops. ”

"Well, that's fine. Eders frowned: "He has eleven more people in total...... If there are only four enemies, there should be no problem. ”

"Sir. A soldier who had been stunned since the beginning said in a hoarse voice: "I thought it was strange just now...... Counting the enemy forces on the eastern staircase, there were only about twenty corruptors who came to attack here. But there should have been no less than sixty people in the castle. This is only the enemy that was witnessed. The adjutant of Prague rashly pursued, I am afraid that ......"

"I understand that. Eddes sighed, "Even, it's likely that they have left the Cold Snow Castle and gone into hiding in the territory of Eternal Winter City. ”

"Yes, sir. But......" The soldier hesitated again, "Don't you think that these corruptors are only tentatively attacking, and they are not really moving at all?" and the enemy troops on the east and west stairs retreat for almost the same time......"

"So, you mean ......" Eders paused.

"It's likely that they're just stalling for time and distracting us with feints with weak forces. The soldier stumbled: "Captain, you concentrated your forces at the top, maybe it was just a plan from them." This way, the Corruptors can do something in the floors below without hindrance...... Maybe it's some kind of trap or something. Captain, don't you also intend to gradually regain the floor after crushing an enemy attack?, but Adjutant Prague pursued without hesitation, and perhaps fell into the evil trap set by the enemy at the cost of some of his troops--this is only my guess, Captain. ”

"No, you have a point. A cold sweat broke out on Edus's back: "Soldiers, rest here for a while and wait for me to come back - Quill Weston, and you-" Eddes pointed to the soldier who had just analyzed the terrible information: "Follow me to confirm if Lord Mace is safe." ”

Walking briskly through the hallway, Edus pondered what the little soldier had just said. However, the more he thought about it, the more he realized the seriousness of the situation. He couldn't help but laugh at himself in his heart: his brain may indeed degenerate along with his hair.

"What's your name, soldier?" said Edus, who suddenly remembered that he hadn't asked the name of the little soldier yet.

"Derno Nams. You can call me Denor. (In Winterfell, people usually call each other by their first names instead of their last names.) This is not the case with a lord, who must be addressed by his surname. ）

"Good formal and exemplary presentation. Edes smiled: "I'll have one too: Edus Breno." You can call me Edus. It would be better to add a captain after the salutation. ”

"Or add a man in front of the salutation: Edus," Quill snorted in displeasure.

"Why do you talk so much?" Eddes glared at him, "You're still bald!"

"Heh, this is my own hairstyle. Quill untied the wine bag from his waist and took a big sip: "It's not like someone." ”

Deerno grinned, and quickly returned to a contemplative daze.

"You seem to be thinking all the time...... "Can you tell me what you're thinking?"

"Ah......" De Nor was stunned again: then said, "nothing...... Just thinking about the Corruptor. I wonder what traps they might set. ”

"Tell me?" said Edus.

"Hmm...... It's just a guess. Deleno said in a tone of uncertainty: "Since there is nothing still going on at the moment, I don't really want to say it." ”

Pressed repeatedly, Deerno still refused to speak. Eders had no choice but to give up.

The lord's room soon arrived, and Maester Nadia sat in his bedroom to talk to Mace. After confirming that the two were safe and making a report, the three of them prepared to return to the team.

However, as he returned to the hallway, Eddes panicked: the original team of eleven people was gone, along with the corpses.

"How...... What's going on?" said Edus, looking around hurriedly.

"Didn't take the wrong stairs, Captain. You see there's blood on the ground......" Quill's tone was utterly stunned.

Looking at the ground, Edus's heart grew more and more uneasy: there were only puddles of blood left on the ground: red blood that was still fresh and black blood from the corruptor.

"It's okay for the living to say that they may have acted first. Eders approached the stairs inexplicably and looked down: "But those corpses ......"

"They definitely didn't leave on their own initiative. Derno, who seemed to have just come back to his senses, spoke: "Captain Edus, you have given the order to stay behind. ”

Quill snorted disdainfully, "I thought you were pretty smart, little man." Only then did I realize that I was wrong—just an order, how can it be called a 'must'?"

This is really unpleasant...... "Quill, you realize that I can ignore my orders?" Eddes decided to exercise the majesty of the captain: "Just don't take me seriously as a captain?"

"I didn't say that. Quill shook his head.

This bastard...... Never mind. Edus sighed and looked around worriedly: "Anyway, this is too weird......"

"Captain, come and see this. Derno, who had already run to the jogging platform of the stairs at some point, pointed to the ground and shouted.

"What's wrong?" said Edus, confused, as he descended the stairs. Seeing this, Quill followed suit.

"It's ......" Eders straightened his helmet and looked at the puddle of tiny particles: black crystals emitting black smoke.

Just as he was about to reach out to touch it, he was stopped by Quill: "Unless you want to become a corruptor...... Otherwise, don't touch it. ”

"What's wrong?" Edus asked, confused.

"Quill was right. It looks exactly like the black ice described in the book...... "Deenor stood up: "Look, black smoke, black crystals...... Isn't it black ice? Don't touch it, even if you're wearing gloves - not even cigarettes. ”

"Black ...... Black ice. Eddes broke out in a cold sweat: it was good that Quill had just pulled him, otherwise he would have picked up the black ice by now.

"Yes. Deno looked a little dazed: "Moreover, the remaining black ice here looks very weird. It's like ......"

Deenor stopped talking, but finally swallowed it.

"Deernor, will you speak this time?" Eddes was a little apprehensive: "Like what?"

"Does that have something to do with the trap you talked about?" Quill leaned on the handrail of the stairs, staring at the black ice, "In that case, it's nothing to tell us. It doesn't matter if there's a basis for it, it's just that we want to know. ”

Well done, Quill ...... Reluctantly, Eddes had to admit that his conversation skills were extremely poor.

"Okay. Seemingly reluctant, Eddes said in embarrassment: "I think this pile of black ice dust is probably the remnants of spell casting, or the material created by spells. Therefore, it is possible that there are mages among the enemies who have mastered spells related to black ice. ”