"Around this mountain is the territory of the Stonehammer tribe. Oh Rollier above, I'm going to see my dear Kargath again!"
Kargath was the name of the mountain, the volcano where the Stonehammer tribe lived. It was not a woman's name. Obviously, this dwarf was still single.
"Why do we have to go around?
Can't we just go through it? "
Noda changed from his usual indecisive manner. It was as if he had suddenly become an impatient person. He was like a demon as to whether he could immediately reach the dwarven territory to find his sister.
"Go through?
That's not possible! "
Dao Gen shook his head while riding on the back of his horse. His beard swayed as he said, "No one can walk out of that mountain. Ever since I was born, the elders have been teaching me that."
"No one can walk out of it?"
Noda looked at the snowy mountain in the distance, and then looked in other directions. He was stunned for a while, and said, "Is there any difference between it and other snowy mountains?
Why do you guys who have lived in the mountains all your lives still have mountains that you can't walk out of? "
"We never go against the elders' words."
Daugen did not seem to want to say too much. Noda also knew this guy's character, so she did not pester him to ask anything. She knew that if this dwarf did not want to say something, he would not say it even if he was beaten to death.
The group changed their direction and walked towards the northwest direction. That was the northernmost territory of the Empire, Winricton.
Passing through Winricton and bypassing the mountain adjacent to the dwarven territory, Daugen estimated that it would still take more than ten days to reach the Stonehammer tribe's Kargath Mountain.
※ ※ ※
"Warning?"
Many of the scholars sat up at the table and looked at the soldier who came to inform them.
"There's a smoke signal at the edge of the sentry tower!
Kesh Village has also issued an alarm! "
"If I remember correctly, it's Ulkin's team's turn to defend Kesh Village today?"
"Yes, my lord!"
"Two hundred soldiers, get on your horses and provide immediate support."
"Yes!"
The soldiers stood at attention and left with the order.
Many walked out of the baron's mansion unhurriedly. Sylvia had gone to the shooting range near Pangbo Village to practice her archery, so he only called Salia who was meditating. The two seemingly calmly teleported to Ulkin Village, and then rushed to Kesh Village on horseback.
Because Madam Vasaki had not woken up from her sleep in the underground city, Kesh Village did not have a teleportation circle, but it was very close to Yuna's village. In less than five minutes, Many and Salia had arrived at Kesh Village where the battle had already ended along the newly repaired road.
Just as Many expected, no matter who the attackers were, because Yuna's team of trolls was on guard duty, unless the trolls came out in full force, they would not pose any threat to Kesh Village.
Kesh Village itself had more than twenty troll warriors, and these trolls were also given a set of high-quality armor and weapons for self-defense. After a period of time, they were persuaded by Elder Valenze to join Oditore's defense patrol system. These trolls joined Yuna's team and were trained. More than thirty fully armed forest trolls were not easy to deal with for bandits who did not know the situation.
Especially when the patrol leader of this small team had the strength of a rank-nine.
From afar, they saw the burning sentry tower, but the fire had already been extinguished. There was only a faint black smoke slowly drifting in the sky. The visibility was very good today. They could see all five sentry towers, but only the one in the middle was burning. This meant a warning level and the direction of the enemy to the whole of Oditore.
Only one sentry tower was burning, which meant that the enemy did not have many people.
The sentry tower did not have only one warning device, there were also sound and flashing magic circles. Many of them gave enough warning systems and detailed levels. The soldiers only needed to insert the corresponding magic crystals on the magic circles that Salia had modified, and the alarm would be activated. As the warning level increased, there would be a sharp sound alarm, a strong light alarm, and the highest level of "explosive" alarm. That was a high-level chain fireball spell that could be seen by the whole of Oditore.
At this moment, many people were not worried about the situation in Kesh Village at all. As expected, when he walked into Kesh Village, there was already a large group of people tied up like rice dumplings in the center of the village.
More than thirty two-meter tall troll warriors lined up neatly. When they saw many people walking towards them, they stood at attention. The sound of their steel armor clashing together was so uniform that it was terrifying. The people who were tied up looked at these real "warriors" and collectively shivered.
"At ease."
Many straightened their backs and looked at the trolls who were standing in a "military posture" and nodded in satisfaction.
He turned his gaze to the trembling captives and narrowed his eyes.
It was the cave trolls.
Many of them found it funny. They had just gotten rid of the Gondor tribe, and now a group of cave trolls had appeared. But it was obvious that they did not use Gondor's tunneling skills. Instead, they rushed straight into Kesh Village without scouting.
These dwarves were not very smart. Facing the tall sentry tower, they did not know what it was used for. None of them attacked the sentries on top of the tower. Perhaps they only knew how to tunnel and not climb higher. These stupid trolls went around the sentry tower and rushed into Kesh Village, and started fighting with Yuna's troops!
Of course, to put it more accurately, they were beaten up by Yuna's troops!
The seventy or so cave trolls did not even have the time to see what was in Kesh Village. They were all shocked by a group of tall trolls that looked like a forest of steel!
Before they could use their crude wooden sticks and rusty weapons, Yuna had already led his troops to charge in batches!
The level-nine Rock Troll Berserker wore fine steel armor and wielded a three-meter-long steel spear. After entering the "Berserk" state, this warrior, who was more than 2.5 meters tall, took the lead and stomped into the disorderly ranks of the Rock Trolls!
That's right, trampled!
The group of dwarves who were less than 1.7-meter-tall stared blankly as the trolls led more than thirty two-meter-tall "tin cans" into their ranks. More than a dozen of them were pierced in an instant. Before they could react, the trolls with their scimitars had already started reaping their lives like harvesting wheat!
How the hell are we supposed to fight this?
Why are there trolls in Oditore?
This question lingered in the minds of all the cave trolls and bandits. They did not have any sense of scouting, and would usually charge forward like a swarm of bees. If they could win, they would snatch. If they couldn't, they would run. Who cared who was in front of them!
The entire group of cave trolls held out for less than a minute before their morale crumbled and they fled in all directions. However, it wasn't that easy for them to escape. The remaining ones were either nailed to the ground by the spears thrown by the warriors, or knocked down by the elbows of the warriors and tied up.
Many of the forest trolls who had been beaten into a daze didn't understand what had happened until they arrived. At this moment, they stared blankly at the 'shorty' in front of them. With a wave of his hand, the ferocious forest trolls obediently retreated!
Of course, the "shorty" was a lord who was much shorter than Yuna.
This had already toppled their worldview. However, what happened next made them feel a chill run down their spine.
They saw the elder of the Keshen tribe walk out of the tallest wooden house in the village with his walking stick. He bowed to the human as a troll, a symbol of a subordinate relationship!
Only then did the trolls realize that they were preparing to raid a troll village!
Oditore's troll village!
This can't be real, right?!
The Keshen tribe had lived in the outskirts of the Azura Forest for a long time. Almost all the trolls who lived in the outskirts knew about this tribe. Because they had the huge "Slank" beast, no one dared to provoke a tribe with an elder over 200 years old.
Among the Giant Demons, "Elder" was not a title that just anyone could use — it represented a status equal to that of the tribe leader, but also higher than the tribe leader.
Looking at the trolls in front of them, many spoke slowly, "If I'm not wrong, you're from the Garpa tribe, right?"
Of course, the trolls did not answer Many. They were still in a collective stupor.
Many did not want an answer. His question was actually directed at Valencia. The elder held onto his wooden staff and looked at the tied up cave trolls in front of him. He then looked at the troll corpses that Yuna and the others had killed. He sighed and turned back to answer Many's questions. "Seems like this will save us some trouble, my lord."
"Yes." Many looked into the distance. The place where the battle had taken place was outside the village entrance. There were blue bloodstains, weapon fragments, and broken limbs all over the ground. It was obvious that Yuna had not held back at all. Their steel spears were now covered in blue blood, which made the warriors seem even more ferocious. "I will carry out the rest of the matters as soon as possible. Lannie, please follow me to the Azura Forest tomorrow."
"Not a problem, my lord."
Valencia nodded. Lani, who was beside him, bowed slightly and pursed her lips. Although she did not say anything, Many understood what she meant.
"Tidy up the equipment. We will resume patrolling in an hour." Many ordered.
Yuna and the troll troop responded in unison in the common language of Saint-Rames, "Yes!" Immediately, the captives shivered in fear again.
At this time, the soldiers of Oditore Castle arrived late. But they had their own mission — to take these captives to various villages for 're-education'.
After the captives were taken away, Kesh Village immediately returned to peace, as if nothing had happened.
* * *
"Return to Xilias?"
Stu looked up at the 'Adjudicator' Merkel who was standing in front of him. He did not quite understand.
The figures of the undead once again appeared in the Klim Forest and other forests. Since the Luminous Church was the reinforcements, why did they decide to let their commander-in-chief go to Xilias?
"This is the Pope's decision."
Merkel did not say anything else. Her words left Stu speechless.
"Your Highness —"
"Letter?"
Stu turned around and took the letter from his servant. The wax seal of the letter was gold, symbolizing the royal family of Xilias.
He tore open the letter. There was not much written on it, but it made Stu a little confused.
"Understood."
Stu frowned, then said to Merkel who was still standing in the same spot without saying a word, "Let's set off tomorrow. I will go back to Xilias with you. Father has something to discuss with me."
"As you wish."
Merkel nodded and left. Her steady steps did not seem sloppy at all.
* * *
Overall, the momentum of the spring construction in Oditore Castle had gradually slowed down. The trolls had also begun to integrate into the life of this territory.
Every time the sun rose, the Trolls in the village would carry their goods to Pombo Village — no, to be exact, Pombo Town. They wanted to sell their goods for a good price to exchange for some decent daily necessities. The young Trolls wore clean and decent clothes and walked together to Fortress Odietore. These children walked in the wilderness of Odietore under the protection of the patrol team. Every Troll carried a bag made of animal hide. Their destination was the 'school' that Sir Lord Odietore built in Fortress Odietore.
Trolls going to school?
It sounded a little speechless, but this was different from many people in this world. In terms of education alone, many of them were already at the forefront of the empire.
The territory's army, territory's funds, territory's commercial effect, these were all secondary. Only the issue of education was of the utmost importance. It was the foundation of whether this territory could truly stand in the empire.
The education level of the commoners in the empire was not high. Only those with good family backgrounds would send their children to expensive schools to learn knowledge and writing.
Take Sibor as an example. The commoners' standard of living in Sibor Castle was above average, but only about half of them could afford the school fees. Not to mention the peasants outside the castle who did not have a high standard of living. Many of them were illiterate their entire lives, and their children did not have the opportunity to receive education at all.
So who did the opportunity to receive education go to?
The nobles.
Even Silias City, which had the highest degree of academic openness, only opened free large schools in three of the seven districts. Every week, there would be a fixed lecturer teaching there. Charnak allowed the commoners and nobles to sit together and listen to the lectures. This was one of the reasons why he was loved by the commoners.
However, many commoners did not have a certain foundation. The lectures taught by the lecturer were like heaven's books to them. In the end, this seemingly good welfare system did not have a good effect.
But many of them had completely revolutionized this backward education in Oditore.
In Oditore's "school," there were many lecturers that Elena invited from Sibor or Silias to give public lectures. These lecturers taught an astonishing range of subjects, including literature, mathematics, philosophy, geography, astronomy, oil painting, basic music theory, and so on. They were not only aimed at the children of Oditore's subjects, but also included all the trolls!
The troll race's traditional custom was to have these young trolls learn hunting techniques from the older hunters after they reached a certain age. This would continue until they became experienced hunters. However, this method was a limiting factor in the growth of the troll race. This was because many young trolls would forever fall on the path of hunting.
But many told the two tribal leaders, Yuna and Walenz, that not all male trolls had to become warriors, and not all female trolls had to learn leather and sewing.
Education was more important than anything else. Many understood that they could not only care about the immediate vested interests, but also the overall moral quality of the people in the long run.
Apart from these lecturers, many arranged for a few outstanding former Royal Guards sergeants and a few old trolls who could no longer continue to hunt and fight to be the instructors. They opened courses such as hand-to-hand combat, tracking, investigation, and machine combat.
Fighting was a skill that every troll must master. It was also the foundation of whether the younger generation of Oditore could continue to be the backbone of the country.
The "school" also included the "Doctrine of the Light" taught by Susan. This course was a "compulsory course" for the children of Oditore, but it was an "optional course" for the trolls who were born to believe in "Babalak".
Many repeatedly emphasized the importance of faith. Now, Becky's efforts had produced many obvious results.
These courses were open for everyone, including the trolls of Urgin and Kesh villages. The trolls' education fees, food, and housing expenses were all free. As for the children of the commoners in the territory, the fees were only nominal, which was within the range that everyone could afford.
Although there were all kinds of problems and problems in the beginning, after a period of getting used to it, these things were gradually on the right track.
Unexpectedly, many trolls showed great talent in many subjects. Although the trolls were generally not interested in human language, their performance in astronomy, painting, and music surprised the lecturers.
These results also allowed the leaders of the two tribes to finally understand many of the reasons for their persistence. After all, when the environment changed, the children of the Troll tribe would no longer have to face the dangerous magical beasts in the forest every day and worry about the livelihood of the tribe. They would be able to better use their talents on the things that truly interested them.
Elder Valenze also expressed his support for his decision, but many people felt that the old troll was not telling them something. Of course, many people were not interested in finding out the reason. After all, they were now partners, not subordinates. If the elder was not willing to tell them, then there was no need for them to ask.
At the same time, the roads leading to Oditore from Pombo, Urgin, and Kesh villages were all repaired. This also reduced the speed of the reinforcement soldiers by almost a third.