Chapter 466: Frostsoil Guard
The Northlands were sparsely populated, and in recent years, wars had beco rare. Most towns had no defensive structures at all—just a single cavalry unit could sweep through them unhindered.
But that only applied to most towns. So key areas still had fortresses built.
Sleddinburg was one such place. It was the northernmost fortress under Earl Bazel’s domain, and it served a single purpose: to prevent the White Raven Principality from marching south and invading the Empire.
Though judging by the current situation, that sounded more like a joke—one should feel lucky if the Empire didn’t invade you, let alone needing to worry about being invaded.
However, several decades ago, the balance of power wasn’t as one-sided as it was now.
The people of White Raven hadn’t always been so easily trampled. The territory of the Silent Sanctum wasn’t gifted to them—it was carved out with flails by the priests themselves, strike by strike.
The Canary Mountains acted as a natural wall, yet they were never enough to completely halt the invading forces—whether it was the Empire a few years back, or White Raven several decades ago.
And at that ti, Sleddinburg had been the front line holding off the tide of war.
Because of this, fortresses like these were constructed to be incredibly sturdy. Since its founding, it had never been breached.
But even the sturdiest fortress needed people to defend it.
The Resistance Army held high esteem in Grizzly Town. Gwen had always strictly commanded her subordinates not to disturb the townsfolk, even going as far as helping them with small matters.
As a result, the Resistance often gathered more intelligence than even the Winter Wolves.
Although most of the intel was scattered and seemingly useless, if analyzed carefully, valuable insights could still be found.
This ti, for instance, Isaac had discovered an interesting detail from among countless fragnts of information: the defenses at Sleddinburg were incredibly lax.
The fortress hadn’t been mobilized in years. War had never reached it, and its garrison had grown complacent.
It was even said that the chains used to raise the drawbridge had rusted from disuse.
For the Resistance Army, this was undoubtedly good news.
“This fortress isn’t far from us. We can get there by midday—faster if we march hard,” Isaac said after studying the map for a while.
“How many guards are stationed inside?”
“Around a hundred and fifty, but most are militian. There are fewer than fifty full-ti soldiers, and their combat effectiveness is quite low.”
“Because they’ve gone too long without battle?”
“That’s part of it. The other reason is that they’re also responsible for internal security—so of them are even civil officials.”
Since Sleddinburg no longer held much military value, there was no need to maintain a robust force there.
Maintaining full-ti soldiers burned through funds, especially in an era of such limited productivity.
Even in the White Raven up north, there were almost no professional soldiers. They followed a system of universal conscription. The Silent Sanctum didn’t refrain from organizing an army due to lack of will—but rather because in the bitter cold lands north of the Canary Mountains, they simply couldn’t afford to support one.
Most of the White Raven people had received so basic military training. That was why their refugees had been able to spontaneously form the Resistance and hold on until Nora returned from Castel.
Thus, whenever a local lord didn’t need to wage war, he would imdiately begin resenting the money-burning army. Even a small garrison like the one in Sleddinburg had to double as city guards just to avoid being disbanded.
“But it’s still a fortress. We don’t have siege capabilities. If they shut the gates, that’ll be a problem.”
Gwen sounded concerned.
If they marched from Grizzly Town to Sleddinburg and failed to take it, they’d have to turn back—wasting an entire day. If the Winter Wolves happened to block their return path…
The Resistance had almost never engaged the Winter Wolves in open plains combat. The only ti they had, they’d barely managed to escape thanks to Nora’s desperate stand.
Many had died in that battle—even Lady Nora had almost not made it back.
Yes, almost.
The lesson had been too bitter. Gwen didn’t want to even consider fighting on the open plains again, and once they left the town, there might be no way back.
“Don’t worry. I’ll handle it,” Isaac said grimly. “If they shut the gates, I’ll open them for you.”
“Has your body recovered?”
Gwen was still concerned. Ever since she’d rescued Isaac, he had seed drained and weakened. She suspected he might be wounded.
“There’s no problem. Don’t worry. As a supernatural, I’m actually quite strong. Apart from Lina last ti, there aren’t many who pose a threat to . Besides…”
He pointed at a spot within Sleddinburg’s walls on the map. “I’ve left so contingencies. Even if I—cough—even if I do fail, the Ashen Alliance mbers hiding among the crowd will still find a way to open the gates.”
Rembering Lina’s eerie and powerful abilities, Isaac’s expression darkened again.
If he encountered Lina once more—would he be able to escape, or even fight?
Fighting seed unlikely. That woman was a monster. Isaac didn’t think any supernatural could take Lina on in a direct fight—perhaps a completely deranged Skin-Shedder could, but by that point, they’d already beco monsters.
As for escaping, Isaac still had so confidence.
As long as he was prepared, he would be hard to catch. With a decoy to stall, 【Chrysalis】 had excellent escape capabilities.
But his margin for error was zero. If Lina caught him, he wouldn’t even be able to die—she could drag him back even from across the Sea of Unawareness.
So, though Isaac was proud of his dual-path power and considered himself top-tier among supernaturals, he had grown far more cautious.
He had to be responsible for the Resistance fighters.
If he did encounter Lina again, Isaac would lead her away imdiately. Then, his subordinates would open the gate. At the very least, taking Sleddinburg wouldn’t be a problem for the Resistance.
These young n had been trained by him personally. He had full confidence in them.
The two talked late into the night. Early the next morning, before sunrise, the Resistance received their orders. Lightly equipped and carrying only two days’ worth of supplies, they began their march toward Sleddinburg.
▶ On the other side.
Sleddinburg was peaceful as ever today—except it had received so new guests.
Earl Bazel had personally arrived at this small fortress, bringing several dozen of his personal guards—and even a maid. That girl had striking red hair, a rare sight in the Northlands.
As the soldiers passed through the gates, they drew the attention of many townsfolk, who watched and whispered in amazent.
“Look, what’s that?”
“A shield?”
“That’s insane. My front door isn’t even that thick!”
“They can lift that?? How heavy is it—ten pounds?”
“Ten pounds? Are you joking? Those are Lord Bazel’s Frostsoil Guard. Their tower shields, ‘Permafrost’, weigh a full thirty pounds and can withstand a full volley of musket fire. Lord Bazel conquered the Northlands with this very army.”
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