The fortress gates swung open with a resounding crash.
The knights surged out first, their silver armor glinting coldly under the setting sun.
Forming a tight, orderly vanguard with a forest of spears, they advanced steadily.
The mercenaries followed close behind.
These battle-hardened men swung all manner of weapons, targeting the frozen demons first.
As their blades fell, ice shards splattered alongside dark red blood.
The adventurers scattered across the battlefield, meticulously eliminating any remaining threats.
Mages chanted their spells, hurling stray flames and lightning bolts at the struggling demons.
The entire valley instantly erupted into a chaotic din.
The clashing of metal, the agonizing wails of demons, and the chanting of spells intertwined.
Most of the frozen demons had lost their ability to move.
Yet, a few powerful individuals still struggled tenaciously.
They shattered the ice clinging to their bodies, letting out defiant roars.
However, before the well-trained allied forces, their resistance was swiftly crushed.
Freya gently closed her grimoire, the pages shutting with a crisp snap.
She turned to the Guardian Knight beside her.
“Lord Rhode, my work here is done.”
Rhode respectfully offered a formal knight's salute.
“Miss Freya, the agreed payment has already been wired to your Alliance Bank account.”
He looked up toward the distant, scattered demons that were still putting up a final stand.
“Thank you once again for your assistance. I must now lead the forces to reclaim the first two walls, so I will not trouble you further.”
With that, Rhode leaped down from the top of the fortress wall.
He landed steadily on his warhorse in one fluid, seamless motion.
“Advance!”
Rhode raised his greatsword high, his voice echoing across the entire battlefield.
The surviving knights quickly gathered around him, reforming their ranks.
The mercenaries and adventurers also voluntarily parted to make way.
The regrouped army surged into the depths of the valley like a sharp sword.
Twilight Fortress was built against the mountains and featured three defensive walls.
The first wall had been breached by the demons earliest and now lay in ruins.
The second wall had held back the majority of the demons, but it had sustained severe damage as a result.
This final wall was the sturdiest, serving as their last line of defense.
Freya's Legendary spell from moments ago had nearly annihilated the main demonic force that had breached this far.
The remaining demons were mostly frozen in place, posing little to no threat.
The allied forces were systematically clearing the battlefield.
Every cluster of frozen demons was carefully inspected to ensure no survivors slipped through.
The setting sun bathed the entire valley in a golden hue, reflecting brilliantly off the pristine white snow.
This sudden crisis had finally come to an end.
The setting sun cast long, sweeping shadows of Twilight Fortress.
The cleanup below the walls continued, with the clashing of metal and occasional growls echoing continuously.
Freya slowly descended the stone steps of the wall, ice crystals shimmering faintly along the hem of her robe.
The North Wind caravan's camp was already as busy as a disturbed anthill.
The barbarian warrior Barton was checking the cargo straps one by one.
With every pull of his thick, muscular arms, the ropes creaked under the strain.
“Tie them all tight, you bastards!” he roared in a gruff voice. “If we lose even one crate, I'm docking ten days of your alcohol allowance!”
The orc brothers, Grom and Magrom, patrolled the carriages from both sides.
Their gazes were sharp as they occasionally tapped the wheel supports with the shafts of their battleaxes.
The academic Eli crouched beside the supply crates, a thick ledger spread across his lap.
He checked the inventory while rapidly scribbling notes on a piece of parchment.
The Forest Elf Laisa had already organized her quiver and was meticulously sharpening her arrowheads with a whetstone.
The scraping of metal was crisp and rhythmic.
The busiest of them all was Betty.
Clutching her spellbook, she paced back and forth in front of the train, muttering under her breath.
“The third syllable of Levitation must be soft, and the fifth syllable must be stressed...”
Fine beads of sweat had already formed on her forehead.
Freya walked straight over to Lin Gui, an apologetic look in her ice-blue eyes.
“I am very sorry. The caravan setting off early meant we stood you up.”
Her gaze swept over Theia and Eve, and she raised an eyebrow slightly.
“I recall you saying that your companions were a Transcendent Ranger and a High Rank knight?”
Lin Gui bowed calmly.
“My knight friend had some urgent matters to attend to, so this priest friend is accompanying me to Shield City in her stead.”
Freya's gaze drifted over Theia and Eve, lingering on Eve for an extra moment.
She felt the woman's face looked familiar, but she couldn't be certain who she was.
To avoid exposing Eve's identity, Lin Gui had given her a simple disguise.
Her waist-length hair now only reached her ears.
Her signature violet eyes had been changed to a deep brown.
He had used a highly expensive, specially made potion to achieve this.
Her delicate facial features had been subtly altered.
Her profile appeared much softer, carrying less of her usual divine aura and more of an ordinary look.
“May I ask what your purpose is in going to Shield City?”
“To deliver letters,” Lin Gui answered honestly. “For a dwarf friend in the Royal Capital.”
He was indeed telling the truth.
Most of the letters destined for Shield City belonged to that dwarf half-demon.
“Oh?” A slight smile touched the corner of Freya's lips. “It seems you value this friend of yours deeply.”
Lin Gui looked directly into her eyes. “A friend you can truly trust to have your back is naturally someone to be cherished.”
Freya's smile widened, but her expression quickly turned serious.
“Since we are traveling together, there are rules you must follow.”
She took a step forward, a bone-chilling cold radiating from her body.
“First, do not leave our sight.”
“Second, do not act on your own without my command.”
“If you violate these rules... the consequences will be severe.”
“In the worst-case scenario, you will be abandoned directly in the wilderness.”
Her warning carried a piercing chill.
Yet, Lin Gui merely nodded calmly.
“Understood. Aside from operating the train on a daily basis, my companions and I will not do anything unnecessary.”
He even went as far as to suggest, “You can send assassins to keep an eye on us.”
This composure, far beyond his years, caused a flicker of surprise to pass through Freya's eyes.
She studied Lin Gui for a moment before suddenly letting out a soft chuckle.
“There is no need for surveillance.”
“I can tell that you, little mage... do not seem like the type of lunatic who would drag the entire team down with you.”
Hearing this behind them, Theia's expression turned incredibly peculiar.
Mutual destruction?
The Lyon Knights had thought the exact same thing before.
Right at that moment, Betty finally finished her preparations to cast.
The Wheelless Train wobbled as it rose, hovering barely half a meter off the ground.
The joints connecting the carriages emitted a harsh, grating screech.
It stood in stark, jarring contrast to the smooth and elegant control Lin Gui had displayed earlier.
The train lurched forward like a drunken giant, swaying from side to side.
Sitting at the very front of the train, Betty's face was completely flushed as her hands tightly gripped her staff.
Freya massaged her temples in resignation.
“It seems this journey will be quite hard on you.”
She turned back to Lin Gui, her tone carrying a rare touch of gentleness.
“When we reach the more complex terrain, we will have you take over the controls.”
Under Betty's clumsy control, the train slowly rumbled out of the fortress gates.
The members of the North Wind caravan and Freya practicedly hopped into the carriages.
Lin Gui also flew into his own carriage, accompanied by Theia and Eve.
Looking out of the rear window of the carriage at the fortress fading into the distance, Lin Gui let out a soft sigh.
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