Even if you have strong willpower, a winter Nordic Aurora morning will make you fall in love with the warmth of the quilt and not want to leave.

The large spire tent carried by Henry was very useful for the steeple tent in the snow, but at best it only sheltered the snow that might fall overhead, and created a space where the heat would not easily dissipate. In addition, the isolation of moisture from the ground is also extremely important.

Ideally, you shouldn't lie directly on the floor, and it's much more comfortable to sleep on a bed away from the ground with a wooden shelf. In this cold weather, lying directly on the ground without separators, even if the snow is cleared, the damp breath will still keep you awake all night, and you will wake up sore the next day and the whole person will be more tired.

Therefore, in addition to tents, the most things they carry in large bags are warm equipment for winter.

The heavy wool felt cloth can not only be used as a shelter for waterproof and snowproof, but also has a wonderful warmth effect when wrapped around the body. It is separated by multiple layers of cloak and tunics, but on the innermost part near the body is a piece of wool sheepskin of about one meter. This sheepskin is inexpensive, and after being deodorized and treated in various ways, it is often used as a warm lining for cloaks or robes. It is also very common to spread it directly under or cover the body as a small blanket alone.

A robe or cloak or cotton armor is taken off and covered with a shearling sheepskin on the innermost layer, and then a thick felt cloth on the outside. After that, there is another layer of felt cloth underneath, but under the felt cloth there is also a spruce cushion known as the "Friend of the Traveler".

Spruce is a dark green, hardy tree species that has a long lifespan and is found on both the east and west coasts. It has many functions and is an important part of building materials. A quarter of the wood in human society comes from spruce and other cedar trees of the same genus, and if you pick or chop branches with thick needle-like leaves in winter, they can be used as a very comfortable and soft cushion that protects against moisture.

In addition, its leaves are plucked and boiled in a small pot, and it can also become our favorite spruce tea with a slightly sour taste.

The burning campfire reflects the heat into the tent, and the choking part of the warm smoke is exhausted through the opening at the top, in addition to heating. Wrapped in a warm blanket and holding a steaming spruce tea, and looking out at the tent door, the snow flutters gently across the sky – a winter trip with a good company to talk about.

The little unicorn and the two horses were housed in the woods, and they pulled a sloping snow roof for them with extra felt. And the three horses snuggled together like this, relying on each other's body temperature to keep warm, very peaceful.

A cozy and warm quilt is the biggest obstacle to getting up in the morning, but fortunately, the residual temperature of last night's campfire is still there, so you can quickly put on your shoes and coat in the warm tent, and then open the curtain and go out the door.

There are many things to do when you wake up, first stir up the embers to rekindle the fire, then boil water to make some breakfast and wash yourself. After that, it is necessary to check the supplies and take care of the car, which can be solved very quickly if it is arranged in an orderly manner and has a clear division of labor. But even then, it was already about 8 a.m. after all this was done.

By the time the hot breakfast was over, the three of them had basically woken up completely. As always, Galeva was writing something, and because pen and paper were not cheap, he had developed a habit of being concise and to the point, and the way of rhetoric and language was in some ways even higher than that of the local aristocracy.

According to the young man's own account, his family's inn was originally built after his ancestors gained fame by writing their works as scribes. However, in later generations, the focus was on the management of the inn, although it did not leave behind the cultural and educational aspects, but only as a family tradition.

With his ability to read and write, Galeva could actually pursue a far better job than a porter. But his dull-headed and non-verbal personality only changes when he writes, in Mira's words, "when he picks up the pen and becomes a different person", he has had several impulsive and stupid actions before, and I am afraid that no financier would be willing to hire such a person.

A short travel breakfast is usually soup and pastry, served with spruce tea, simple but satisfying.

After eating, Henry and Kaleva began to pack their things, and the girl of Loan did not stop it. After leaving the heavy lifting to the two men, she picked up the Brigundy-style plate armor that the Sage had been hit by a crossbow bolt before, pulled out her sewing kit and began to sew up the velvet overlay on it.

The arrow, which was not as hard as the armor, failed to penetrate the steel plate, but caused a large scratch on the fabric outside. Unlike the integrated breastplate, there is no connection between the armor pieces that make it easy to fold and store and flexibly fit the body. In other words, the armor is riveted to the fabric, so if the fabric is damaged, it must be repaired at any time, otherwise the whole plate armor may fall apart.

Of course, the dwarven craftsman worked on not only the nail parts, but also the fabric covering the surface was just as strong, but if there was a hole, it should be repaired with stitches. This is true of any armor and weapon, as brand new armor and weapons will be damaged and repaired after a battle, and will need to be completely replaced after a long period of time when they are no longer repairable.

This is all very common, and the only thing that seems so perverse so far that it cannot be broken is the Kramer in Henry's hand.

And because it was so sturdy, our Sage used to use it almost as a universal tool.

When facing impact, it can be used as a positioning stake, and when there is no axe, it can be used to cut down trees. Such a supreme sword that should be the dream of all swordsmen, but he used it as such. Although he is his own teacher, he is also a swordsman, and Mira still can't help but want to roll a roll of his eyes when she thinks of this.

The small sword that Henry gave her in the first place is now the standard spare weapon for the Roan Maiden. It's just that although the blade of the short sword is made in the same way as Kramer, the materials used are different, so it is only superior to ordinary swords, and has not yet reached the level of indestructibility.

But according to the sage, she would be able to acquire a weapon as powerful as Kramer's in the future—and the thought of this made the girl suddenly feel a little excited.

Time flies, and when everything is taken care of, the three of them embark on a journey again.

They walked for more than half a day, and since they were not far from their destination, lunch was quickly settled with dry food, and then they moved on. The group passed by one frozen lake after another, and by the time they noticed that the new lake was not as frozen as it had been otherwise, there was already a hint of salty smell in the oncoming wind.

The seagulls circled far away, and several merchant ships anchored in the harbor, but a little further afield, there were other ships that had stopped at a point that puzzled the Roan Maiden and Caleva.

The two habitually set their sights on the sage.

"It's a dry dock. And he answered as expected: "Suo Marrina is currently the largest dry dock in the world, and because it is close to the open sea, when the winter storm comes, there is no way for ordinary seaports to protect ships." ”

"So first drive the boat in, and then drain the water with the help of a series of mechanisms, so that the ship can be parked on land, under the protection of the dock. ”

"Then we're here—" Mira looked at Henry, her eyes sparkling.

"Well, we're looking for it. The sage looked back at the two: "The captain who can have the courage to enter the rough North Ricalo Sea." ”

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It's going to be a long journey like never before, and although I've taken a boat a few times before, there's no comparison between a trip to the Möbigas Inland Sea and a trip to a treacherous open sea like Northern Rica.

They had to be prepared to find a reliable captain and a ship, which would have cost a considerable amount of money, but before that could be done, the young soldier's commission had to be fulfilled.

The area of Suao Marina is not large, that is, the size of a small town comparable to that of Polusaro. That's because most of the inhabitants are frequent sailors who make a living by hunting fat-rich whales in the cold North Sea. There are many whaling stations scattered around the various small islands in the vicinity, and there is also a place to refine whale oil at one end of the town.

Whale oil is an important ingredient for candles and soaps, and barrels of grease extracted from many of the whales killed here are transported to the processing plants of the Southern City-State Alliance. The dirty soap workshop where Henry and Mira had visited was supplied with most of the ingredients.

The main body of the inhabitants is the sailors, and the remaining people of the Suao Marina are naturally born on them and provide various services for the sailors. Taverns and other entertainment facilities are everywhere, and the town is characterized by a small number of houses and a large number of inns. In addition to these people, the third party that exists in the town is the northernmost military command of the Suomir Kingdom, and the command post of the fortress of Peryous, which is also in charge of the northern army and navy.

The name sounds very loud, and although the word 'Poyous' is nothing more than the Suomir word for 'north', it still has a mysterious and powerful feeling to outsiders.

But despite this, the so-called navy stationed in the port of Marina in Suao is actually only two clippers and a large warship converted from an old merchant ship. Although the size of the army here is not small, with more than 30,000 people, its equipment and training are very poor, and it is also similar to Talva-Suta, and there is a phenomenon of selling armaments and forming gangs to extort passers-by.

The ocean-going port has a long history, and sages have visited here in the past. However, the later stories about the garrison reselling supplies and extorting travelers are introduced by the locals, and when asked about the location of the fort, the innkeeper who took a tip warned that it was clear that similar things were not uncommon.

But having said that, it's just some people who are bad. There were still many people as upright as the young soldier who commissioned the three, otherwise the person who pursued him in the first place would have been an entire cavalry force.

In any case, they can only hope that the status of the registered mercenary will have a little weight, so that those who bully the weak and are afraid of the hard will not come over to find trouble.

After depositing their horses and main weapons at a nearby inn, the trio began to walk in the direction of the fort.

And on the way through, they saw an interesting scene.

"Execution, execution, execution of the soldier who embezzled the goods! Praise to Lord Tholey, Count of Lewinnan, who is just and wise, and will not tolerate any kind of corruption!" a soldier in a light helmet and cotton armor shouted loudly with the parchment in his hand, attracting many onlookers. And the Count of Lewinnan in his mouth was what the young soldiers called the aristocratic chief.

If he was still in Padrossi, there must have been a burst of cheers at this moment. But the Suomirs were introverted, so people just gathered around and watched quietly.

After a few months in the country, the girl of Loan could barely understand the Suomir language, but it was still difficult for her to use it to converse - but it was the soldier's face on the scribbled portrait that caught her attention, as well as Henry and Kaleva.

"It's the same crossbowman from before. I see, this adult does seem to be honest and reliable!Then maybe we don't need to report anymore?" Galeva hesitated, and Mira turned her eyes to Henry.

"Once you have received the commission, you have to finish it well. The sage shook his head slightly. "Yes. The Galeva chick nodded as if pecking rice, and Mira noticed that Henry's expression was not happy when he looked at the poster, and although it seemed as calm and cold as usual to the unfamiliar, only the familiar she noticed that he frowned slightly.

The fort is located high in the northeast corner of the town, and after another 10 minutes' walk, the sound of Suomir lily of the valley flag above it can be heard clearly in the cold winter wind.

"Stop, mercenary. The soldiers at the gate crossed their short spears in their hands, and the soldiers defending the city were equipped differently from those who went out, they were not wearing armor, but only warm clothes, with large shields and spears, quite the style of infantry in the classical era.

This is not because the equipment is being resold, as it is quite common for the fortress defenders to be in Suomir during the winter months. The disadvantage of armor is that it is "colder when it is cold, and hotter when it is hot", and the light helmet and monolithic cuirass are worn by ordinary soldiers, although they are light compared to knights, but they can be tired when worn for a long time. In order to stand guard for a longer period of time, they wore warm clothing and used large shields as armor.

The shield is a good piece of armor when guarding narrow entrances. Unlike when traveling, it is convenient to wear armor on your body, and you can put your shield on the ground at any time while guarding the castle gate, so this is a better option for standing guard for a long time.

"Something. "Peers are enemies, not to mention that mercenaries have always been regarded as outlaws, and the attitude of these soldiers is not very good.

"We were entrusted by a soldier stationed there, and this is his token, saying that it is related to corruption in the army. There is also an important message that he dictated and transcribed, to report to the Earl. Henry spoke in fluent Suomir, and the fact that the three of them had no main weapon but only a dagger made the repulsion of these men less intense. The two soldiers looked at each other for a moment, and then one of them said "wait here" and turned back and ran into the fortress.

After about five minutes, they were allowed to enter.

The Earl met them directly in the reception room, and while he was clearing the door, he gathered a number of soldiers, and the group of three who happened to bump into the door at this point in time naturally joined the meeting. When the three sages entered, the soldiers in the hall happened to end clapping, and it was obvious that this white-haired nobleman in the prime of life had just finished some kind of exciting speech.

"The man received it, and the subordinates withdrew. The soldiers saluted and withdrew, while both Henry and Mira saluted with the Lamanic courtesy of commoners to nobles. Caleva clumsily did the same, and the Count raised a hand: "Excuse me." ”

The soldiers and officers in the field watched the three of them, and so did the Count.

The first glance at the eye was his size, but the Count skipped him when he saw Calevana's restrained appearance and standing posture that did not fit his status as a swordsman. Then he looked at the girl on his right, who looked like she was wearing an orange card, and lingered on Mira's small face and hair for a moment, finally turning his attention to Henry, who was clearly the leader.

"What is it that you want to report?" said the Earl, speaking in Lamani.

"It's all written on the dossier, so please take a look. Henry took the scroll out of his pocket, and a soldier came up and took it. He didn't let the sages get closer, for they still had daggers with them despite being lightly armed, and if he was careful, he would have been a big problem if he were an Assassin.

The soldier handed the scroll to the earl.

.......The heroic Count Lewinnan untied the knot, and there was a long silence in the room. He looked at it for a long time, his brow getting tighter and tighter.

"I see, so it seems that the contemptible people are only one of them. I didn't expect this rotten part to be so ingrained. This good young man has the courage to remember the place and time of the transaction, as well as the lost materials, this is conclusive evidence, and all the people involved in the case have understood - well, well, very good, very good, the contemptible people were very headache when they were arrested before, and now they are relieved to see that there are still such upright subordinates under their command. Count Lewinnan nodded his head with his chin rubbed against his beard, and his words caused the soldiers around him to nod their heads.

"This good lad, is he recuperating now?" he asked, and Henry nodded, "yes, he was wounded by the pursuit of the wicked. Seriously injured, he was still resting in the small town of Ouinari in the north, and after trying his best to tell us the news, he fell into a coma again. The doctor said—"

"I'm afraid I can't hold on. The sage hung his head, his expression sad. But behind them, Kaleva and Mira glanced at each other, and they both saw doubts in each other's eyes.

'Where's Oinari?' Galeva looked at Mira with the words written in her eyes, but the Lady Loan only motioned for him to do anything else.

"That's so.......," the Count sighed, and then staggered a few steps, slumping into his chair as if he had lost his soul.

"What a respectable and virtuous man, but he ended up like this. He said in a sighing tone.

"My lord's day, we will not let his death go to waste. And the officers next to him also spoke at the right time.

"Alas, very good, very good, with you here, the despicable people will have the confidence to go forward. ”

"Don't mention that, trustworthy mercenary, how much will you need to reward you—" The Count began, "just mention it, this fortress of Peryous is short of military budgets. But even if you take a reward out of your own property, you will not be wronged in the slightest!"

He said this, and the sage nodded, and the number made the count's eyes widen as well.

"You're too greedy, mercenary!" the officer who had just opened his mouth to express his confidence scolded angrily, while the officer next to him persuaded him: "After all, they are mercenaries, and they won't do gratuitous things." ”

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After 20 minutes, with a money bag containing 20 gold coins, Henry, Mira, and Caleva left the fortress.

"Why are you lying? He's survived, and it's not in the right place. They headed toward the inn from the west side of the path, and the Lady of Loan asked cautiously in Avenella, and the sage shrugged, "I don't know who knows the face, and there is more than one person present, the Earl." ”

He replied in Lamani, out of consideration for the fact that Kaleva wanted him to understand it.

The young man, though clumsy, realized this, and he nodded: "I see, lest they send someone to continue the murder of that person." ”

"And money?" said Mira, who also changed to Lamani.

"The Earl has been so generous, and we deserve it, why not. Henry shrugged his shoulders again: "And, ah." ”

"Isn't a superficial and money-hungry mercenary the best to deal with? If we were really full of enthusiasm and integrity, people would not let us go so easily. ”

"—although I want to say so, but it seems. ”

"Twenty gold coins is probably a bit too much. ”

The shadows of the alley fell, and I don't know when a group of people dressed as mercenaries appeared in front of them.

"Uhh

"W-What's going on?" the young porter nervously grabbed his cheap dagger.

"It's not going on, it's just a mouthful. So I said it a long time ago. Henry's eyes turned cold.

"It's going to have a cliché and boring ending. ”