On the sixth day, as the group traversed through a long valley, the persistent snowfall of the past few days finally ceased. The sun emerged from the clouds, casting its warm rays upon the earth. The ice and snow reflected the sunlight, creating a world bathed in radiant hues. The knights from the Ashina, including the black-clad girl, couldn't help but let out cheers. The black-clad girl, riding a magnificent black horse, galloped towards a high spot by the road. Her majestic black steed reared up, emitting joyful neighs. Half sitting up, Lucas saw the flowing black hair dancing in the sunlight, along with the slender figure of the girl on the horse. The sunlight graced her alluring face, and with the breath vapor rising from the horse, even Ariana seemed a bit entranced.
The girl exclaimed excitedly, "Look, this is the Javanshir Fortress of our Ashina! The homeland of the Turkic people in the Armenia region!"
The sled pulled by horses had already turned around the high spot. A massive castle appeared before Lucas' eyes! Having little concept of the ancient buildings, Lucas unconsciously marveled at the sight. A real, massive ancient castle! It's not just a fortress!
Across a vast land, numerous small fortresses were scattered. These fortresses were mostly constructed with rammed earth, towering with tall watchtowers and arrow towers. Strategically positioned, these fortresses blocked every major thoroughfare. Frozen rivers and streams meandered between these small fortresses, irrigating tens of thousands of acres of fertile fields. Patrolling cavalry crisscrossed the area. At the center of all these small fortresses was a massive stone-built castle surrounded by a towering stone wall. The wall stood at least four to five meters high, adorned with imposing arrow towers. Long arms of catapults rose behind the wall, and figures constantly moved atop the wall. The soldiers wielded spears reflecting dazzling glints in the sunlight. The transformed water channels encircled the castle, forming a natural moat. Several drawbridges were suspended high, and judging by the length of these bridge boards, the span of the moat was at least twenty meters.
What a grand scene!
Lying halfway down, Lucas muttered, "Damn, it's really impressive... I thought this little girl was just a troublemaker, but it turns out she's a little rich girl. Hmm, how much money can be possessed in the castle..."
The young girl from the Ashina, on horseback at a high point, joyfully stretched out her arms as if to celebrate returning to her home. It seemed like she wanted to show off in front of Lucas, "This is our Ashina stronghold! Over a thousand miles, millions of Turkic people listen to our commands. No matter which ethnic group of troops comes and goes, my dad says we Turkic people can always survive here. We will protect ourselves, and we can survive on our own. This is the place conquered by our Ashina!"
Following her, the guards cheered together. The girl turned back, gave Lucas a radiant smile, and then spurred her horse down the small hill, exclaiming, "We're home!"
The convoy of horses meandered through various small fortresses, heading straight for Javanshir Fortress. The black-clad girl led the way, and everyone along the route respectfully bowed to her. Not far away, people on the walls of Javanshir Fortress also noticed their arrival, cheering in welcome. The drawbridge creaked down, and the massive iron-clad gates rumbled open. All of this made Lucas, sitting upright on the sled, widen his eyes. The Ashina girl had mentioned something about the Javanshir Fortress to him, and Ariana had also explained what was happening in the Armenia region.
Before witnessing everything with his own eyes, Lucas always nonchalantly thought about it. Wasn't it just a small village with a dirt tower? When bandits come, everyone hides in the tower. He had seen many high-rise modern buildings with hundreds of floors. What was there to boast about to him? However, in the midst of this scene, he truly felt the grandeur that those in power in this era could possess! They held the lives of tens of thousands in their hands... it was like a small country! Watching the excited little girl in front, he even felt that her chest seemed a bit larger than before...
Ariana gently supported his body, seemingly still concerned about his injuries. Lucas was lost in thought, completely unaware that the girl beside him had no envy or surprise in her eyes. As it approached this moment, she maintained her reserved and noble attitude even more. Her eyes, however, kept wandering, pondering something. Unlike the carefree Lucas, this girl might turn into a cunning fox if she had a tail.
Far from the gate tunnel, a robust iron-gray warhorse galloped out. Atop it was a tall and sturdy young man dressed in a white robe, his brownish hair and eyes glinted faintly. His steed, impatiently waiting for the drawbridge to descend, snorted and exhaled visible puffs of white breath. However, the young man merely smiled, patting the horse's neck to calm it. It wasn't until the drawbridge thundered down that the warhorse let out a resounding neigh, charging forward like a thunderbolt, kicking up a large cloud of snow dust in its wake. The black-clad girl shouted and spurred her horse to meet him, "Brother! You've come to pick us up!"
The young man abruptly pulled the reins, and the extraordinarily spirited warhorse circled twice before settling down. It let out a loud snort towards the girl's black horse, causing her mount to shy away continuously. The girl laughed and scolded, "Brother Orhan, control your horse! It always scares my Blacky. next time, I won't hesitate to give it a good beating!"
The young man named Orhan quickly cast his gaze towards Lucas, who was curiously looking around on the sled, and also at Ariana, whose beauty was otherworldly. His eyes moved slightly, meeting the joyful gaze of the black-clad girl. "How could I not come to pick you up? Originally, buying horses was something a soldier could handle, but you insisted on going for a leisure trip. Now, trouble has arisen! Erdem and the others have returned to report. Old Erdem has lost half of his teeth. Only then did we find out what trouble you've stirred up! The day before yesterday, Berdatev Fortress already sent a message. The garrisons in Tabriz and Ardabil from the Greate Persia have been mobilized. Over twenty thousand troops are moving to surround the Berdatev Fortress. There are also thousands of elite Silver Armor Hunting Army. The news from Galarsan Fortress hasn't arrived yet, but it's estimated to be equally troublesome..."
He said indifferently, while the black-clad girl stuck out her tongue carelessly. Judging by her reaction, excitement seemed to outweigh nervousness. and Orhan's helplessness was evident as he shook his head. "You, really, either don't cause trouble, or when you do, it's a big mess! Do you know that behind you, the elite troops of the Great Persia are following closely? Cyrus personally leads them, relentlessly pursuing. They even pulled the garrisons in the Armenia area along the way. That fierce Cyrus is truly furious! Darya, Miss Darya, I beg you, can you cause a little less trouble? You really... why would you think of snatching someone under the command of Cyrus? Your Uncle Cemal is already calling for disciplinary action. It would be better to hand over this two sooner to avoid trouble. What do you think?"
The conversation between the two of them was clearly audible from here, and it was the first time that Lucas learned the name of the girl. This flat-chested girl, with her stern demeanor, was certainly not going to engage in any friendly or enthusiastic conversation with him. Asking the girl for her name was simply out of the question. He wasn't particularly concerned about their conversation, as Cyrus had been chasing after them for quite some time. If that big man didn't follow him like a dog someday, he might find it strange. However, when he heard that they was discussing handing them over, he glanced at Ariana. Since he was rescued in a daze, it wouldn't make much difference to be handed over in the same manner. More importantly, he had some self-awareness. What others cared about and fought for was none other than the girl beside him, who bore the title of Saintess and was unbelievably beautiful. Thinking that he was bundled as a buy-one-get-one-free promotional package, he couldn't help feeling a bit frustrated.
Ariana, on the other hand, remained indifferent, as if they were not discussing her at all.