艾米帝国的历史学家认为,艾米一世无意欺骗穆阿七世,正如后来哈密王国被迫从花原撤军时所表明的那样.尽管有机会毫不费力地收复花原,但强大的艾米帝国并没有派出任何士兵进入该地区.这一决定让欧洲大陆第二强国圣庭得以蓬勃发展.那么,是什么促使被称为大陆之王的艾米一世做出这样一个看似错误的决定呢?也许我们可以在 500 年后通过一位名叫艾米的雇佣兵来揭开大陆之王的真正动机.来自皇家学者和大陆之王专家 Feile 的笔记"谁?"艾米本能地问道,突然意识到狼和人类是共存的.他吓坏了,紧紧地抱着他的祖父,几乎要尖叫起来.在海科村,哈密人从来没有来过.即使需要征税,其他种族的人类也会被派去.因此,在这个有狼的地方,没有人类,反之亦然."嗯,这是哈珀家吗?我是莱克,哈珀的朋友,"一个男人的声音从上面飘下来."爸爸,爸爸,他是爸爸的朋友!"听到他爸爸的名字,艾米几乎忘记了一切,伸手解开了铁门上的闩锁.老人把艾米拉了回来."从你的口音来看,你不是哈密人;你一定是来自艾米帝国的,"老人严肃地问道."是的,我是.你一定是哈珀叔叔.我和莱克都在艾米帝国的边防警卫服役,"男人慢慢地回答."你和雪狼在一起怎么样?他们吞噬了除了哈密人以外的所有人,"老人犹豫地问道."哦,没关系.我可以让他们离开.呵呵,哈珀叔叔,由于一些特殊情况,我是艾米帝国为数不多的雪狼不会攻击的人之一.说完这句话,男人似乎在对屋内的雪狼说:"嘿,兄弟们,走吧.我有事要做.小白,带上你的背包,离开村子."嚎叫..."一声低沉的狼嚎之后,雪狼的声音迅速从屋内外消失了.老者犹豫着打开了铁门上的一个小缝隙,确认没有雪狼后,才完全打开了门.一个穿着传统艾米帝国服装的中年男人坐在床边.见老者出来,他立即站起来,礼貌地点头打招呼."哈珀叔叔,你好.我是 Lake,Harper's 的一位军队朋友.我叫韩凤池,但如果你叫我池寒峰更方便的话."叔叔,我爸爸呢?"艾米急切地问那个从地洞里跳出来的年轻人,而哈珀的表情也表现出同样的关心."嗯,老实说,我不确定.这就是我在这里的原因,"年轻人认真地回答."这是一般情况,"年轻人在老人的提示下开始解释他在海科村的存在.海科村的村民,和暖水河的大多数居民一样,大部分是从艾米帝国和圣庭迁徙而来的.该地区北部被绵延 1,000 公里,宽 200 公里的白雪皑皑的森林所包围,东面是冰雪大陆上唯一的非针叶林——暖水河森林,宽度和长度均约为 300 公里.南部和西部与大海接壤.艾米帝国无权在这里建造港口,由于气候的原因,哈密帝国也没有.因此,一旦大多数居民搬到这里,他们就很少离开,尤其是像哈珀爷爷这样的第一代移民.与年轻人不同的是,雷克在帝国的北方联邦度过了童年,在海科村长大后,他决心探索更远的世界.哈珀爷爷坚信年轻人应该冒险出去,因为生命短暂,他们应该抓住自己的青春去做年轻人应该做的事情.因此,十年前,在最近的艾米帝国入侵期间,20 岁的哈珀湖加入了帝国的军队担任向导.如果没有大规模的军队行动,很少有人能在白雪皑皑的森林或暖水河森林中幸存下来.红月历第七年,五年前,积累了军事成就成为艾米帝国边军营长的哈珀湖,在一次度假中带着两岁的儿子艾米回到了海科村.Lake Harper 的妻子在生下 Amy 一年后去世,无法承受冰雪大陆的寒冷.由于哈珀湖因军旅生活而无法照顾儿子,他将责任留给了父亲.这些细节对艾米来说都是心知的,比韩凤池更清楚.随后的事件是池寒凤来到这里的主要原因.同年,赤寒峰从帝国首都调到北联邦边军,担任骑兵营长.当哈珀湖探亲归来时,他发现原来的骑兵营长已经被调回了帝国边境的花原.在一次正式访问中,他会见了赤汉峰.据赤汉峰介绍,在随后的合作中,时任冰川步兵营长的哈珀湖多次救了他的命:In the first year of the Red Moon Calendar, Chi Han Feng, who had just taken office, led a team to pursue snow beasts from the snowy forest that were harassing the border. Unfamiliar with the terrain, Chi Han Feng was led into the Icy Valley, 50 kilometers deep into the snowy forest, by the snow beasts. The cavalry battalion, aiming for a decisive victory, charged down the slope, only to find that the snow beasts had escaped using the ice ladders on both sides of the valley. The cavalry, looking back at the 30-degree slope, felt abandoned by the heavens—a 20-kilometer-long slope that took half a day to descend. But going back? Could anyone make it back? The horses had no strength to climb the slope while overcoming the slippery ice.Upon learning the whereabouts of Chi Han Feng's troops, Lake Harper quickly deduced the worst outcome and led the glacier infantry battalion on sleds overnight to chase to the Icy Valley. They used quilts from the sleds to pave a non-slippery path, saving the border cavalry battalion from total annihilation.There were several such incidents, but other instances involved personal help or life-saving acts, which Chi Han Feng described briefly.Late in the year 191 of the Red Moon Calendar, both Lake Harper and Chi Han Feng, serving as border cavalry battalion commanders and glacier infantry battalion commanders, respectively, received orders from the governor of the northern federation to return to the governor's residence to escort the Imperial Master to the Ice Wishing Tower located within the northern Hami Kingdom for a trial.Only one battalion needed to escort the Master out of the Amy Empire's snowy forest, while the other had to escort the Master into the Wishing Tower.In the Empire's history, there have been 342 Masters, 134 of whom voluntarily chose to enter the Wishing Tower for trials. Records show that 35 Masters chose the Ice Wishing Tower, but only three successfully passed the trial. Of these three, one completed the trial five years after entering the Wishing Tower, while the other two took ten years. According to the magical diaries of these three Imperial Magisters, who passed the trial and were awarded the title of Magister by the Magic Guild, entering the Trial Tower meant being thrown into an ice-bound realm where they honed and enhanced their magic skills within an illusory world.The escort mission required presenting the nation's credentials to the Hami Kingdom and the northern Hami Kingdom, with the most dangerous areas on the route being threefold.The three major dangers of the Ice Continent are, in order: the Trial Cave, Dragon Tooth Mountain, and the Snowy Forest.This journey would pass through all three major dangers, with the Snowy Forest being relatively the safest.The dangers of the Snowy Forest include snow wolves and snow beasts, lack of human habitation, and no supplies. Legend has it that ice dragons occasionally appear near Dragon Tooth Mountain, attacking merchants and travelers on the continent's roads. As for the Trial Cave, the most recent written record is from 56 years ago, when a team escorting a Master to the trial described having to traverse a 150-kilometer cave to reach the Ice Wishing Tower. This cave required at least ten days to traverse, with many monsters inside, most of which wielded ice magic. Of the 750 warriors in the escort battalion, 70 were lost entering and exiting the Trial Cave.The itinerary is roughly as follows:From the Ice Fortress to the Empire's northern border, along the continent's road, 500 kilometers, approximately 15 days.Through the Snowy Forest, along the continent's road, 250 kilometers, approximately 10 days.To the capital of the Hami Kingdom to present credentials, along the continent's road, 300 kilometers, approximately 10 days.From the capital of the Hami Kingdom to Dragon Tooth Mountain, along the continent's road, 450 kilometers, approximately 15 days.Across Dragon Tooth Mountain, along the continent's road, 150 kilometers, approximately 7 days.To the capital of the northern Hami Kingdom to present credentials, along the continent's road, 300 kilometers, approximately 10 days. In fact, although the Ice Wishing Tower is located in the northern Hami Kingdom, the only road to the tower is within the Hami Kingdom west of Dragon Tooth Mountain, necessitating a return to the Hami Kingdom.From the northern Hami capital to the west side of Dragon Tooth Mountain, along the continent's road, 450 kilometers, approximately 17 days.Following the Dragon Tooth Mountain range southeast to the Trial Cave, 300 kilometers, no continent road, uninhabited area, approximately 20 days.Trial Cave, 150 kilometers, no continent road, approximately 12 days.The round trip takes approximately 200 days, and including time spent in the two capitals, the total duration is about 230 days.In the past four years, Lake Harper and Chi Han Feng completed many missions together, but this was their first argument during a mission.Chi Han Feng's voice grew heavier, and Amy and his grandfather's hearts sank. Only those who lived on the Ice Continent knew its dangers.A hundred miles of desolation was commonplace on this continent, and a single devastating blizzard could wipe out all life within hundreds of miles—no one from other continents could imagine a blizzard lasting ten days, with snow piling up over three meters, burying and suffocating everyone alive.The beasts surviving in this world are immensely powerful and destructive, and naturally, the people who survive here are far more fierce and brave compared to those from other continents."As planned, we emerged from the Snowy Forest," Chi Han Feng continued, lost in the recollection of history.With years of experience near the Snowy Forest, it no longer posed a significant threat to the border army. After repelling three snow beast attacks, the two battalions safely reached Hami Kingdom territory.But when it came to deciding which team would return to the Empire and which would continue the escort mission, Lake Harper and Chi Han Feng argued.Everyone acknowledged the high risk of the mission, and both wanted to go.Lake Harper tried to persuade Chi Han Feng with two points:No offspringMarching in the snow, cavalry would be a burdenBut in Chi Han Feng's view, these were precisely the reasons Lake Harper couldn't continue:If Lake died, his son would be orphanedMarching in the snow, horses could move faster, and if things went wrong, they could be killed for food—dismounted cavalry effectively became infantry, no worse than glacier infantryFinally, the two friends resorted to a contest—since it was so, the stronger should go, as the stronger had a better chance of survival.Chi Han Feng was confident. He had joined the Empire's knight school at eight years old and excelled in martial arts, becoming an xx knight at 20 after passing the xx trial.At this point, Chi Han Feng's voice became indistinct, and the grandfather and grandson, focused on Lake Harper's fate, didn't pay much attention to the details.The duel was conducted in private.The outcome was unimaginable for Chi Han Feng, losing with one strike.In previous joint missions, the cavalry battalion usually performed assault tasks, while the glacier infantry battalion handled rear or withdrawal tasks. Chi had never seen Lake Harper in action, and out of fear of undermining his hill-born friend's confidence, he never inquired about his martial skills.But in this contest, as Chi Han Feng charged with his mount and long spear at Lake Harper, without any fancy maneuvers, Lake Harper met him head-on in the snow, wielding a double-handed sword, directly striking the long spear. Chi Han Feng felt his hand heat up, and the spear was knocked out of the shield's defensive area. Lake Harper immediately retreated—if a gap appeared between the spear and shield for a lance-wielding knight, it spelled death.Chi Han Feng regretted not using a double-handed spear; otherwise, this would not have happened."Forget it, brother, let's not argue anymore. This is our fate," Lake Harper said, patting Chi Han Feng's shoulder."My son is seven years old this year. I was planning to bring him to the Ice Fortress for training soon, but now that task falls to you. Take good care of him for me. If I don't make it back...""That was 11 months ago," Chi Han Feng's eyes were already wet."Is my dad dead?" Seven-year-old Amy anxiously asked, his words jumbled."I don't know. A month ago, soldiers returning from the Wishing Tower reported that when the Master entered the tower, a boundary storm occurred. Not only was the Master swept into the boundary, but three out of ten accompanying mages near the boundary were also sucked into the Wishing Tower. Your dad, for everyone's safety, charged to the Wishing Tower entrance, trying to close the door to keep the boundary storm inside. As he used his double-handed sword as a door latch, he was sucked in," Chi Han Feng seemed to regain his composure."Can he come back? What's a boundary storm?" Little Amy asked, worried."He should be able to, but it's uncertain how many years it will take. You're still young; as you grow older, you'll naturally understand," said the man who Amy later referred to as 'uncle,' answering simply.In the year 192 of the Red Moon Calendar, a stranger named Chi Han Feng became a member of Haike Village, claiming to be Amy's distant uncle.From the day he arrived in Haike Village, snow wolves never came to collect taxes again.