Since the troops were going to the Bering Mountains, the deep mountains and forests were a great test of logistics, so the supply camp's caravan could only stay where they were. Were they going to trade with monsters and major monsters if they followed them?
As a last resort, Locke went to the logistics merchant, Henry, for help. They still needed his help to find a place to settle down.
Henry patted his chest in front of Locke to ensure the safety of the girls. As a caravan steward, Henry also had a few outlaws working for him. Locke had seen that most of them were third-rate soldiers, so he was very assured. A few days ago, Henry had brought him a black round shield that was the diameter of an arm. He'd asked a blacksmith he knew in Bideslane to make it. Although it was only made of ordinary ore, the person who'd made it should be a skilled craftsman. He tested the shield and found that it was at least twice as strong as his half-body armour. It was also relatively light, and his left arm could completely bear it.
Locke owed Henry a lot of face now, so he used Henry for the more than a thousand silver coins he got last time. Henry didn't cheat him. The supply camp's ratio was 2: 1, and Henry gave a ratio of 3: 2. Locke got a total of 800 silver thalers. He didn't care about Yoshk's silver coins. He believed that Yoshk must have his own channels to get the money, and it might even be more favorable. Everyone had their own connections, and Locke couldn't rely on Yoshk for everything. Otherwise, it would make him seem incompetent.
Because Locke had made a one-time fortune, and Yoshk had warned him not to do this for a long time, Locke treated it as a one-time deal. He even gave Henry the information about the black market in Wallier as a way to return the favour. Henry had long known about the existence of Shalor's black market, but he lacked an opportunity. Locke's location was really timely. Because of the special nature of Wallier's location, the Faustian army wouldn't sweep this Shalorian settlement in the near future. He believed that the black market would exist for a long time, and the scale of the black market would even grow.
Unlike Locke, who could only choose to trade in currency, Henry had more supplies that the Shalorians urgently needed. As for whether this was considered to be colluding with the enemy camp, it was no joke. Wallier's location belonged to the hinterland of the Faustian army. It was only because they were in a hurry to join forces that they temporarily ignored this city. Once the battle at the frontline was over, this small city could be breached at any time. Moreover, Wallier City was just a city made up of a bunch of poor people, refugees, and refugees. It posed almost no threat.
When Henry heard the news, he was surprised that Locke dared to go to Shalor's black market alone. He was a brave and smart lad, Henry thought.
Night came. It was destined to be an unforgettable night, because there was no such thing as rest in the barracks tonight. The baron, who had just returned to the army, ordered the soldiers to march at full speed to the Bering Mountains in the west. They had to arrive before dawn.
In the eyes of the soldiers, marching at night was a common occurrence. In addition, there had not been any major battles recently, so the soldiers were in good condition. Not long ago, he bid farewell to Suzanne. With Henry's help, Suzanne and the others would head to the nearest Faustian territory. After the caravan was reorganised, they would head straight to the military headquarters in Als Mountains. However, the military headquarters would no longer be in Als Mountains by then. Bimore would be the new military headquarters.
Laffey gradually let down her guard against Locke. Maybe it was because she was the same age as Locke, or maybe it was because she didn't interact much with others all year round. Every time Locke brought up a topic, the silly girl would always answer him. If it wasn't for Glace's darkening face, Laffey would probably be talking and laughing with Locke.
Kristin was still the closest person to him. She had recently adopted a bear hug technique and would often appear out of nowhere when they were alone. She would then leap up and hug Locke's waist, interrupting their intimate moment. Not only did Suzanne not get angry, but she even developed a motherly love for Kristin and loved her even more. This allowed the two women, who were more than ten years apart, to form a friendship that transcended the age gap.
Glace still looked indifferent. At first, she might have had thoughts of escaping or finding another way out, but now she was quiet. Locke couldn't tell what she was thinking. Sometimes, Locke felt that he was very strange. He could have used force on this woman, but he never did. Instead, he had a desire to protect her. This woman, who was very calm most of the time, reminded him of Cardoj. They were probably the same kind of people, the kind of people who played with their brains. Locke comforted himself that this kind of person might be born to be a boor like Locke.
Suzanne was naturally reluctant to see him leave temporarily, but this was the army, and he had to go. When they parted, Suzanne expressed her reluctance with a hug and could only melt his heart with her affectionate eyes. Locke gave most of his silver thalers to Suzanne to take care of. This woman who was good at math and used to be a boss would take good care of the wealth. Suzanne didn't slack off in the past few days with the caravan. She actively observed and learned some of Henry's trades. Henry didn't hide anything from her, so she learned a lot from him. After Locke told her that he had subdued the gangsters who bullied her in Giza, she immediately had some ideas about trading. The baron's caravan often traveled between the frontline and Bideslane, and Giza was one of the places they passed by. She wanted to do something; she didn't want to be a pretty face.
Kristin was the most reluctant about Locke's impending departure. She was afraid that he would never appear in front of her again, just like her grandfather. She couldn't make him stay, so she could only cry. Locke was very touched and felt that he hadn't doted on her for nothing.
Glace scrutinized him for a while. "You won't die, right?" Locke was so shocked that he almost fell off his horse. He hurriedly urged his horse forward. Locke had some thoughts about Glace, but he was still a little scared, even though there was no need for him to be afraid of her. Laffey, on the other hand, rolled her eyes at Locke behind her mistress's back.
There were more than 500 people in the battalion, and only about 400 of them were left. The soldiers hurried on with their journey. The baron had ordered them to rest for two hours after arriving at the periphery of the Bering Mountains.
The majestic and lifeless palace complex was located in the middle of a mountain range. The city walls were still tall and straight, and the arrow mounds were still intact. The gray and solemn marble pillars at the city gate still showed the glory this city once had. But at this time, there was not much noise in the city. Even the houses with oil lamps on were immersed in the overall silence.
That's right, this was Audis, the capital of Shalor. This city, which was located at the top of the mountains and symbolized the glory of the previous kings of Shalor, was about to enter its grave.
In the palace, soldiers, heralds, generals, attendants, maids and nobles were all hurrying about their own things, which was incompatible with the overall silence of the capital. Although Shalor could be said to have been defeated, it could be seen that the upper nobles had not given up yet.
In the central hall, it was late at night. The 50-year-old king was still dealing with the war with the ministers. The ruler of Shalor was only a few years older than the Faustian king, but he looked much older than him. His grey hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and the heavy crown on the old man's head was only draped in a bright yellow silk robe. The Shalorian king listened quietly to the narration of an official below.
"So, Faustian's Princess Angelina has already arrived in our country?" asked the king.
"Yes." This official should be engaged in an underground mission. His dark official robe stood out from the rest of the ministers and generals around him.
"I think we should seize the information provided by Viscount Mogg and capture the Faustian princess who dares to enter the hinterland of our country," said a general.
This was nonsense. Which Faustian army didn't enter the hinterland of Shalor now?
"According to the intelligence, Princess Angelina is the Faustian king's most precious daughter and the only sister of Prince Kenzir," said a middle-aged minister with a hooked nose. He was Shalor's finance minister.
Although the finance minister did not say it explicitly, everyone around knew that as long as they captured the princess, they could use the opportunity to blackmail Faustian.
This caused a common quarrel among the rest of the people in the palace. Everyone had the same idea. They had to capture Princess Angelina. She might be their last hope.
"Have you sent someone out?" The king's voice was not loud, but it was enough to suppress the noise of the people below.
Although this information had just reached the ears of the Shalorian king, some of the local ministers who were proficient in intelligence had already known about it before this.
"I have already sent the scouts of my corps," said a general. Although scouts were the eyes on the battlefield and most of them were good at archery, each of them was an elite. Assassination and capture were also within their capabilities.
"Felippe and Campbell of Entil and Eilis have also received the news. They have already sent some of their men," said a minister in the military.
"That's not enough!" said the king. "Send Blood Red too." Just like Faustian had shadow guards, Shalor also had its own secret forces. Blood Red had once been circulated among the higher-ups of Shalor. This force only served the royal family, serving as a watchdog for the nobles and punishing rebellious people. But now, when Shalor was in danger, this team had also surfaced. Many of the troops had also cooperated with Blood Red before.
"Send the first and third squads of the Blood Squad!" said the Shalorian king. The ministers were shocked after hearing this, but then they felt relieved. The Blood Squad was the most elite part of Blood Red. Up until now, there were only three squads left. This time, most of them were sent out. This time, the king was going all out.
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