"Wait...... Wait......"

"Rod, you can't say goodbye, you're going to the empire, and you won't tell me!"

Surrounded by water on three sides, just as Rhodes was about to board the ship for the Imperial Oster Territory, a familiar female voice came from the land path. Caroline, the Frost Witch, rode on a white horse, and came in the dust. The moment he saw the witch, Rhodes knew that trouble was coming again.

Caroline was never a fuel-efficient lamp. After more than two months of getting along, Rhodes deeply felt the helplessness of Lord Varell, and it can be said that where there are new things, where there is food and wine, there is this Heidelberg lady. She doesn't care about anything, she doesn't care about everything, she doesn't want to be curious. In the ranks of witches, Caroline is a real wonder.

Rhodes even wondered if this guy had ever been to the Kislev School of Magic, otherwise, in such a serious and dreary palace, normal people would be tortured to the point of ruthlessness, but Caroline was not like that. She can use magic ice fish, and then bring it back to the castle to barbecue, make grilled fish to eat, and can sneak to the hot spring pool to enjoy the hot spring bath, even if it loses a little magic energy. However, this is not the case with normal frost witches, they are cold and harsh, and the cold strengthens their will, freezes their emotions, and makes them so rational in everything they do. Caroline, on the other hand, is spontaneous and does whatever she likes. It's not at all like the cold undercover agent that the queen has cultivated. Of course, Heidelberg had nothing to worry about the queen, and perhaps it was for this reason that Caroline was not raised to be like that, Rhodes thought to himself......

"I was going to tell you, but then I think about it, I don't seem obligated to tell you everything, do I?"

Rod said, a small smile brushing his lips.

Caroline dismounted and walked over, the sea breeze ruffling her long hair, but she couldn't stop staring into Rod's eyes.

"You are not obligated to tell me everything, you are the great Lord of Black Hammer Castle, you are eclectic, I have no right to know everything. ”

"That's it, go back to the castle, there are still many people waiting for you, at least, your magic can help the farmers farm, by the way, your father misses you even more, go back, come back to him, Lord Varel needs a good daughter like you to manage the territory for him." ”

Rod returned with a smile.

"You really don't take me?"

Caroline asked. Her gaze remained fixed on Rod's eyes, as if questioning. However, in the face of the "menacing" Frost Witch, Rod looked calm.

"No. ”

He returned again.

"There are old acquaintances of mine where you go. ”

"I don't have that. If you want to meet your old acquaintances, you can go by yourself in a private capacity, and this time I went to the Empire as the Lord of Blackhammer Castle, and it doesn't seem good to take a witch with me. You know, the Frost Witch shouldn't be in another country in a formal setting. ”

Rod replied politely.

"Alright then, good luck to our great Lord of Blackhammer Keep. ”

In the face of the resolute Rod, Caroline had no choice but to grit her teeth and say things against her will. However, anyone with a little bit of a brain knows that at this moment, this inquisitive Frost Witch must have hated Rod in his heart. Ranger Lawrence smiled evilly, hid behind Rhodes, and began to carry the accompanying luggage.

They were on a merchant ship, and had the captain of the merchant ship take them to the port of Osterland, just as they had done when Ironpaw had left for the Empire a few months earlier. Although Blackhammer Fort is very close to the coastline, it does not have its own ships, and there is not even a decent harbor on the coastline, only this small dilapidated dock. Rhodes' ancestors had not thought of building a decent port here, so that the goods of the Empire and Bretonnia could reach the territory of Blackhammer Fort directly. But the Talon Sea and Kislev Bay have been plagued by pirates, mostly Norscans, who are strong and brave Norscans for centuries and have been a nightmare for the Empire and the people of Kislev. At the time of the Third Chaos Invasion, the Norscans in the north even acted as lackeys of Chaos and became their vanguard. For such a bloodthirsty people, even the empire could do nothing, let alone the barren kingdom of Kislev.

As soon as the sails are raised, the land becomes farther and smaller. The bay takes on a beautiful turquoise blue. The salty sea breeze was a dear touch to Rhodes, who once lived in a small coastal town with the beach on his doorstep, and now the waves and the never-ending breeze reminded him of the distant past. It's like a painting, a dream, so clear, yet so distant.

He and Lawrence rode aboard a merchant ship, staggering, to Baker City, in the territory of Oster. It was one of the few trading cities on the northern coast of the Empire. Merchant ships often risked being attacked by pirates, but it was also the closest port to the northern tundra, from which many of the northern produce flowed into the empire.

Where there is profit, there are merchants, and even at the risk of being robbed and killed, there are people who will do it. The ship that Rod and Lawrence were on was one of those adventurers. They brought large quantities of ore and furs from the night port of Noscaillon to the Empire in exchange for clothing and gold. Rhodes paid the money, and the captain took him with him. In the unattended northern seas, identity and status are not important, as long as you pay, you are their guest, if you don't have money, even if the emperor comes in person, no one will pay attention to him, and he will be driven off the boat to feed the sharks.

According to the captain, the ship was called the "Flying Giant", but in Rod's opinion, it was about the same as a large bath. Since both the Empire and the Kingdom of Bretonnia used the ship deck area method to calculate taxes, the larger the deck area, the more customs duties were charged. Therefore, most of the private merchant ships were made large and wide, with the bottom widened as much as possible and the upper part narrowed as much as possible, forming such a sea ship in the shape of a large bathtub. Its belly can be stuffed with cargo, while the upper part does not look large.

Rod guessed that such a ship would struggle in the event of stormy weather, and even had a high chance of capsizing. As a result, both the captain and the first mate were skilled weather observers.

"Sleep, brother, it's still some way from Port Baker, keep your strength, and we'll have something to do when we get to the Empire." ”

In the sea breeze, Rhodes turned to Lawrence.