Arcane splendor begins with the throne

Chapter 169 Fortress
As night fell, the air was filled with a bone-chilling chill and a sobbing wind whisper.

The hall of the Bloodstone Double-Door Fortress was steaming, filled with the aroma of roasted meat and freshly baked bread.

Brian, who was sitting on the seat, picked up the exquisite glass wine glass and took a sip of the fine wine in the glass. The light floral aroma of the clear wine in the golden wine brought a smile to the corner of his mouth.

"Your Excellency Brian, when do you plan to leave?" the owner of the fortress asked curiously.

"Of course, the sooner the better, if there are no accidents, I will leave tomorrow." He put down the wine glass in his hand and replied.

He was speaking to a stocky, balding old man with bushy gray eyebrows, muscular arms, and battle-armor over an old dark-blue burqa embroidered with birds of prey like flying arrows: Arrow eagle.

He is the governor of the two-door fortress of Bloodstone: Earl Ormond.

When Brian was in Golden Feather City, he had a chance encounter with the other party at the competition.

He also heard Princess Corney casually mentioning to him that the earl was famous for being tough when he was young.

But from the traces left by the years on his face, it can be seen that his era has passed, and he is almost the same age as the old king.

It is said that the earl had retired behind the scenes two years ago to take care of his old age, leaving all his territories and responsibilities to his heirs.

Who would have thought that the Kingdom of Amastacia tore up the covenant and raided the Bloodstone Double-Door Fortress. When the heir to the earl died in battle, the fortress also fell.

In the Battle of the Goblin Wasteland two years ago, many people died, as well as many lords. There were also many young nobles who showed their glory due to their outstanding military exploits.

For the Griffin Kingdom, it can be described as a big reshuffle.

Even so, the bloodstone double-door fortress, the southern gate of the Kingdom of West, this arduous task, still needs the old earl to be stationed in person, so that the entire king can feel at ease.

"Why did you leave in such a hurry?" The old count frowned.

"No way, Lord Earl."

Bryan joked with a smile: "After all, I am the lord of Longshou Harbor and the Storm Islands. There are many things that I need to do. We won't be waiting for you to march south. Let's go together."

In fact, he has already learned from Earl Ormond what is happening in the current Amastacia Kingdom.

Such as the Green Chaos formed by the Dusk Forest and the Blackman elves, taking advantage of the famine in the Amastaxia Kingdom, they chanted the slogan of retaking the 'Lolastriol' Plain, trying to overthrow the Kingdom.

In order to deal with the elves in the forest, the Tasha Kingdom hired a mercenary organization headed by the Raiders Mercenary Group from Longshou Port to fight against them.

At this juncture, evil humanoid creatures began to breed in large numbers, and various evil gods emerged in an endless stream, such as the priests of the demon king, the king of gnolls, the hunters of Mara, the god of hunting, and the undead sect of the undead lord Otis.

There was even an elf ranger named 'Crazy Hunter', whose hunting list included people from almost any camp.

Facing such a lively event, Brian was already a little impatient.

Because the elite group of plundering mercenary regiments killed at noon today made him understand a truth, that is, compared to the traditional upgrade of killing monsters, the efficiency of killing upgrades is obviously higher.

Of course, he didn't mean to stay here to kill and upgrade, but he felt that the chaos in Amastacia was just the beginning, and it would definitely spread throughout the world like a plague in the end.

He must raise his level as soon as possible, strengthen the power of the territory, and deal with this chaos until he becomes the true master of the world.

In this case, he can leave here with confidence and go to the main material world to find a solution.

Therefore, at this moment, he needs to rush to the city of Abrera as soon as possible. In addition to collecting materials to enhance the arcane fire, one of his goals is to win over the Chamber of Commerce of Brotto and Gelberg.

After all, after seeing the quality of the dwarves' craftsmen's equipment, he understood that if he wanted to form a force and an army, he absolutely needed to use this group of dwarves and dwarves from Thrane.

Even for future planning, these dwarf and dwarf races who are proficient in forging and alchemy are indispensable.

When he brings them to Longshou Port and imparts his advanced knowledge of enchantment to them, he will be able to lead all armies in terms of weapons and equipment, speeding up his progress in pacifying the chaos of the world.

Moreover, when he has the ability to cast the three-ring spell, it means that he can create a constructed creature like a gargoyle to serve him.

At this time, craftsmen such as dwarves and gnomes can truly display their value.

"I hope you can go south with me." Earl Ormond tore off the stubborn hind legs of a whole ferocious wild boar, as casually as the sharp claws of an arrow eagle tearing apart the flesh.

Obviously, although the old count is older, he still has considerable strength.

Then, he used a sharp dagger to cut the cooked wild boar that had been stewed for at least three days into small pieces on a small plate, handed it to Brian next to him, and said with a smile:
"After all, you are not only a master of swordsmanship, but also a powerful wizard. The dozen or so elites of the riot group who died for no reason are living examples. If my army has your help, our efficiency will definitely be greater. Get twice the result with half the effort."

Brian took a plate of meat from the plate and gave him a surprised look.

Going south with him was just a joke. I didn't expect the Kingdom of West to take advantage of this opportunity to invade Amastacia.

Moreover, he could clearly feel the uncontrollable excitement in the eyes of a group of subordinates present when the old earl said these words with a smile.

He nonchalantly picked up a small piece of ferocious wild boar on the plate, dipped it in the sauce and put it into his mouth.

Although the meat of this ferocious animal has been stewed for at least three days, the meat is still very chewy after being eaten, and the aroma is mellow, wild and strong, and even has a faint smell of blood.

Brian likes this kind of meat made from wild and ferocious animals. Unfortunately, it is difficult to get such a large, grumpy animal in ordinary taverns.

Even if this kind of animal is hunted, it is difficult to find a chef who is proficient in cooking techniques, which makes him almost have no chance to taste such a delicious ferocious wild boar.

"My lord, even if I agree, I'm afraid the group of wizards in the city of wizards won't agree." He twisted another small piece of meat, dipped it in the sauce and said, "I don't want to be chased by a group of wizards all day long." run around."

In fact, he was not worried about those wizards at all. After all, he was not under the control of those people, and almost all wizard camps in this world tended to be evil and neutral.

If his strength allowed, he didn't mind correcting their camp.

"In my opinion, the agreement between the nations and the Council of the Pale Scepter is as fragile as an eggshell." A fat baron whom Brian had met at the bridgehead of the Ogre's Knee Bridge said:

"Today, or tomorrow, the flames of war will be rekindled at any time, and in war, anything can happen, who will pay attention to those details. If you want me to say, wizards should hide in the tower and stay behind closed doors, read the tome book, and stir the potion in the cauldron with a shovel, instead of running out to join the war."

Brian sipped the Golden Light wine while eating the ferocious wild boar, he could hear the insinuation in the fat baron's words.

This is a banquet tradition.

However, out of politeness and status, he would definitely not lower himself to argue with the other party.

"Hey! Look at your spitting bear." The dwarf Broto put down the half-gnawed pig's trotter, wiped his greasy beard, and said to the fat baron:
"You are so at odds with the wizard, you must be jealous of others making money. If it weren't for the wizard's magic, you might still have straw in your crotch, and the deer is scrambling around waiting for your lord earl to kick your ass."

There was a roar of laughter from the crowd.

Even Brian couldn't help but smile.

That's why he likes being friends with Broto.

This guy was very rude, but rudeness is the nature of dwarves, and in Broto, he could find the delicate thoughts that the other party used to cover up with rudeness.

"As expected, the dwarves of Thrane speak so rudely, and today I finally saw it." The fat baron blushed, and said angrily.

"When you're bargaining, you haven't seen it before at the bridgehead." Broto said: "Besides, what's wrong with my swearing? The swearing is just to help my emotions, and has nothing to do with race."

"You're really small, but you can speak freely." A sharp-eyed knight stood up and said, "Maybe we should have a contest. If you lose, you must apologize for your vulgar words just now. Do you dare to accept it?" ?”

As soon as the words fell, the laughter in the banquet gradually dissipated.

Earl Ormond had a vague smile on his old face, and casually glanced at Brian who was calmly eating wild boar.

"Hey! Why don't you dare, I'm afraid you won't succeed. If you want me to apologize, you can do it now, but you have to kneel and listen..."

Seeing Brian's silence, Broto slammed the table, jumped onto the chair, bent his elbows, and began making the most insulting gestures of the dwarven race.

"Don't be so impulsive." The dwarf Gelberg on the side stopped the irritable dwarf.

He stretched out his small hand, pointed to a whole ferocious wild boar on the table, paused on purpose, and waited for everyone to look at him curiously, before he said solemnly: "Isn't the pig here? Eat it quickly."

"Compete with pigs! Compete with pigs!" His crow was not idle either, standing on his shoulders and screaming excitedly.

As soon as this remark came out, everyone laughed even more.

The sharp-eyed knight froze his body, and stood in a mess amidst the laughter. His face turned blue and white, as ugly as if a dagger had been stuck in his chest.

"Dwarf friend of Thrane." The old earl finally recovered from his hearty laughter, "Look at how you made fun of my lovely captain of the guard. Sit down quickly."

He stretched out his hand to signal the other party to sit down, and then looked at Brian, who was eating with gusto, "So, you are planning to go to the city of Abrera, right?"

"That's right, Lord Earl." Brian nodded and replied.

"Your Excellency Brian, in fact, I also like the boldness of dwarf friends, so when I was young, I also had a dwarf friend, and I even asked him how to keep drunk." The old earl said. Then, sighed again:

"It's a pity that my friend accidentally killed three adventurers because he was drunk and causing trouble in the tavern. He was eventually sentenced to hanging. If I hadn't paid a large ransom due to my noble status, I'm afraid he would have ended up there too. The same fate. Seeing this dwarven friend from Thrane brings back memories of the past, which are too painful to look back on."

"Hey! Old Earl, what a pity. In Thrane, too many dwarves were buried in the mine due to drunkenness." Broto said indifferently:
"Although the Council of Elders in Thrane strictly forbids drinking when going down the mine, those lads not only refused to listen, they even secretly brought in alcohol. What can we do? It's okay for us not to eat, but we are not allowed to drink , even I can't bear it, life without alcohol is a kind of torment. So, if you want to blame it, blame your friend for being unable to restrain his violent temper, so don't feel so sorry."

"is it?"

The old earl raised his wine glass with a smile, "Come on, Thrane's dwarf friend, let us have a drink every day, and cheers!"

Others at the table raised their glasses in tribute.

Broto quickly picked up his extra-large beer glass and drank it down.

Brian took a sip, but he was thinking about what the old earl said just now.

He always felt that the old earl's words were more like implying himself, meaning that he had better stay away from other races, so as not to be implicated in trouble.

This made him wary of Abrera's trip.

After the banquet was over and the others left one after another, the old earl specifically stopped Brian, and the two sat by the fireplace together.

"Although the Bloodstone Double Gate Fortress belongs to the northern part of the mainland, it happens to be the junction of the north and the south." The old earl said with a worried expression, taking a sip of hot wine:
"I have spent most of my life in the fortress, and I can clearly feel the sharp drop in temperature this year. I heard from the fleeing victims that snowflakes are even falling in Amastasha. This is not a good sign."

"I grew up in the holy land of elves, and I heard the elf prophets there say that if one day people in the world can live in harmony and be kind, then the gods in the sky will make midsummer endless." Brian swung his cup With hot wine in the cup, he said without blushing.

"Do you believe the elves' lies? Ask me to believe in the gods. I'd rather believe that my fortress will be covered in heavy snow the next day." The old earl couldn't help but uttered a curse word, and quickly looked at him awkwardly and adjusted himself. Tone, said:

"In any case, Your Excellency Brian walked out of my fortress, so I still have to pay a little responsibility for your safety. After all, Amastacia is very chaotic now."

"Even refugees can trek across mountains and rivers to come here, let alone me. I appreciate the Earl's kindness, but I still want to say that you are worrying too much." Brian said indifferently.

"It's true for you alone, but adding a group of troublesome dwarves makes it different." The old earl said bluntly:
"In my opinion, this group of dwarves who are kicking their asses are like sheep who have bathed, shaved, sprinkled spices and walked into the wolves. So, for the sake of safety, I will send you here Fifteen riders will escort you all the way to the city of Abrera."

Brian was taken aback, unable to understand what the old earl, who was not very familiar with him, was doing.

As he was thinking, he brought the hot wine in his hand to his mouth, and took advantage of the moment of sipping the wine to quickly consider the meaning of the other party's words.

"Cough...cough..."

Who would have thought that as soon as the wine reached his mouth, the pungent taste choked him to tears.

The old earl on the side suddenly laughed.

Brian cleared his throat in embarrassment, "The Earl insists on this, so I am too embarrassed to refuse. In order to thank you for your concern, if there is anything that can help you, please speak up."

Although the spicy liquor was very choking, it made him regain his clarity in an instant, and he wanted to understand the other party's true intentions.

"Then I'll just say it straight." The old earl suppressed his smile and sighed deeply:
"It's not a difficult thing. I'm old and tired now. Who knows how many years I can last before my eyesight goes black and I die. Two years ago, the heir I carefully cultivated died in the war, so I could only survive from the remaining ones. I picked out one of the four children who were disobedient, and I kicked them out and went to the Castle of Thorns to become rangers."

Two of them have died at the hands of the gnolls, Brian thought, thinking back to the group of gnolls he met when he went to Thorn Castle.

"It can be seen that these children are not very useful, and two of them died in the hands of jackals. The remaining two are rangers in Thorn Castle." The old earl said:
"I heard that Arthur, the son of the Duke of Swift, was able to find the true way of being a knight-errant because you taught him."

"I understand what you mean, Lord Earl." Brian nodded slightly and said with a smile: "This is indeed not a difficult matter. Don't worry, I will take this matter to heart."

After he finished speaking, he exchanged polite greetings with the old count, then turned and left.

When he suddenly walked out, he could clearly feel the biting cold air, which made him pull his cloak unconsciously.

He nodded to a guard standing stiffly outside the door, and walked directly to the fortress wall.

The Bloodstone Double Gate Fortress is protected by two solid city wall gates from Amastaxia to the Kingdom of Wisler.

At certain distances, ballista towers will be arranged on the city wall, and there will be a fort at the end of both sides of the city wall. Many adventurers will camp in the fort near the mountains as a base for hunting monsters in this land.

He stood on the city wall and looked into the distance. There was nothing in his sight except a barren landscape made up of devastated hills and jagged and dangerous rocks.

Brian glanced at the dozing guards, and continued to walk north of the fort, because Amastacia's refugee camp was established at the foot of the northernmost mountain outside the fort.

Work in a while.

There were dots of fire and a noisy camp in his sight.

There was a huge crowd there, but driven by the patrols, these refugees did not dare to run out of the camp casually.

He looked far and wide, and saw children with sunken eyes gathered around, some staring silently, some begging loudly.

At this time, a somewhat familiar figure appeared surreptitiously near the camp.

Taking a closer look, Brian recognized the dwarf. His name was Varda, Broto's nephew, and he was always thinking about becoming a paladin.

I saw him standing outside the camp, separated from the group of children by a wooden fence. He took out a large handful of copper coins from his bulging wallet and threw out a large rain of copper coins like scattered flowers.

Immediately there was a scramble, yelling and jostling, for the lucky one of them would have an extra piece of moldy hard bread the next morning.

Immediately afterwards, Broto, who was bearded and staring, appeared, and he grabbed Varda's ear, and the two disappeared into the dark night together amidst wailing and cursing.

Even though it was late at night, the refugee camp was still very crowded. Earl Ormond had brought in countless coarse grains, but he only provided a bowl of gruel every day to ensure that they would not starve to death. In the camp outside the fortress, it was still ridiculously high.

Buyers flocked, gaunt men and women surrounded every carriage and stall, while the helpless stood and watched gloomily.

Fortunately, this kind of day will not last long, because the old earl has notified the West Kingdom to let those businessmen who are looking for labor come to take away these cheap labor.

In fact, as long as the gate of the fortress is opened, these refugees who fled here will spontaneously find their own place in the Kingdom of West, even if they don't care about it.

But the risk of doing so is also great, and the consequences are incalculable, so they can only be temporarily placed outside.

And the root cause of all this sounds a bit ridiculous.

It's just because the emblem of the Amastacia Kingdom is a black rose, while the emblems of other nobles are various colorful roses.

Because of this, the king's nobles are very fond of roses.

Two years ago, a druid bred a new variety of roses, which was widely welcomed by the world.

This allowed speculators in the city of Abrera to see the business opportunities and began to hoard this new variety of rose bulbs, driving up prices.

It only took half a year for roses to be sold at sky-high prices by speculators.

The Tasha people took a fancy to roses, and the quick money they got, these commoners who lived in the once considered pure land of the elves, the "Lolastriol" plain, stopped farming and began to use the most fertile land in the entire continent to grow roses.

They believe that if they make money, they can buy a lot of food.

Three months ago, the speculators in the city of Abrera suddenly sold out their roses, and then everyone began to scramble to sell the roses in their hands.

In just a few days, the price of roses plummeted. The Tasha people could not sell the roses and had no money to buy food. The consequences can be imagined.

Bryan could even imagine that the once verdant and fertile plains of 'Rolastriol' had become wastelands full of weeds, roses and thorns.

It just confirms the sentence: the rose that blooms into a disaster is not brilliant, but desolate.

…………

(End of this chapter)