Volume 2, Chapter 1 – Aftermath Issues

As Yumo, Li Yu, and the others departed, the Abyssal Demons lingering near Fort Garros gradually withdrew from the area and returned to the Deepwinter Forest.

All that remained was the nearly ruined Fort Garros and tens of thousands of cold corpses.

The once lively Fort Garros was no more, leaving behind only a land of deathly silence.

Gazing at the silent and desolate Fort Garros, Marquis Xiumu couldn’t help but sigh deeply, even feeling a faint sense of relief in his heart. There was no doubt that the unknown entity surrounded by crimson butterflies that had appeared inside Fort Garros was a terrifying monster beyond the demon king tier!

If such a monster had taken action, the tens of thousands of troops led by Xiumu would have been utterly annihilated.

However, why did such a monster inexplicably leave? And why did the Abyssal Demons near Fort Garros withdraw as well?

For a moment, Xiumu felt as if he were in a dream, with everything around him becoming unreal. It wasn’t until he slapped himself a few times that the sharp pain made him realize he wasn’t dreaming—everything happening before his eyes was real.

Once he realized this, Xiumu faced another enormous problem: how to repair Fort Garros.

The destruction of the fortress meant a breach in the Northern Frontier’s defenses!

It had to be repaired as soon as possible!

Otherwise, if other Abyssal Demons were to head south from here, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, once repairs on the fortress began, a large workforce would inevitably be mobilized. At that time, the scent of gathered humans would likely attract Abyssal Demons again! After all, the Abyssal Demon horde had only just withdrawn and might still be lurking at the outskirts of the Deepwinter Forest! If the Abyssal Demons attacked again, even without the presence of that terrifying entity from before, they would be powerless to resist now…

Looking back at the tens of thousands of soldiers lying unconscious on the ground behind him, Xiumu unconsciously clenched his fists.

Hah! Forget about repairing the fortress or defending against Abyssal Demons, even his own troops were now in a state of paralysis.

Even he himself was nearly exhausted from the crimson energy impact earlier…

‘Sigh, what should we do now?’

Xiumu found himself in a dilemma.

Just then, Sikta, the leader of the Blizzard Knight Order, slowly dragged his weakened body to Xiumu’s side and pointed into the distance with a grave expression.

“Lord Marquis, is… is that someone over there?”

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“Hmm?”

Hearing this, Xiumu frowned and followed Sikta’s gaze into the distance.

The next moment, Xiumu’s brow furrowed slightly, and a trace of seriousness appeared in his azure-blue eyes.

Those knights?

That black rose emblem?

Is… is that the Blackrose Family of the Safik Empire? Why… why would they come here?

A short while later,

A formation of several dozen black-armored knights slowly approached the front of the Blizzard Knight Order.

Then, under the slightly puzzled gazes of Xiumu and Sikta, a figure draped in a black robe among the black-armored knights slowly rode forward on horseback, stopping before Xiumu and Sikta.

The next moment, This unknown mysterious figure raised a hand and removed the hood covering their face, revealing a delicate, porcelain-like visage beneath.

A captivating gradient of pink and white long hair, with a few strands of sideburns framing the face, added to its gentle charm. Eyebrows like crescent moons, a pair of clear, bright orange-yellow eyes as cool and pure as autumn water, sparkling like stars, combined with a soft, plump-looking face, made her exceptionally endearing.

The girl was incredibly adorable and charming.

However, Xiumu felt no inclination to underestimate her because of her youthful appearance.

Because from the moment the girl approached him, Xiumu sensed a dangerous aura emanating from her. At the same time, after glancing at the terrifying giant hammer strapped to her back, Xiumu’s azure-blue eyes narrowed slightly.

Clearly, this doll-like little girl before him was a saint-tier powerhouse whose strength was no less than his own!

Just as Xiumu was on guard against her,

The knight girl slowly dismounted her horse and respectfully bowed to Xiumu in greeting.

“Greetings, Lord Marquis Xiumu. I am Qiu Mingtong, leader of the Autumn Fall Corps of the Blackrose Family. Under the orders of my Duke, I have come to support Windward City.”

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??!

“Su… support?”

Hearing this, Xiumu showed a puzzled expression.

It was true that various empires and factions had formed offensive and defensive alliances against Abyssal Demon invasions. However, in recent years, these factions seemed to have abandoned this alliance, each managing their own affairs when facing Abyssal Demon invasions.

From the very beginning, Xiumu had never expected foreign reinforcements…

Why would they come now when they never did before?

Strange…

Moreover, the Blackrose Family is located in the southwest of the Sadik Empire, right? That’s thousands of miles away from our Windward City! We have no connections with them, so why would they suddenly come to support us? And so eagerly? They’re the first foreign reinforcements to arrive here, aren’t they?

The more Xiumu thought about it, the more his brow furrowed.

While Xiumu was lost in thought,

Sikta beside him couldn’t help but speak up first.

“Support? The Abyssal Demons have already retreated! What’s left to support?”

Sikta’s tone was extremely hostile, as if he harbored extreme animosity toward the Sadik Empire.

However, the saint-tier being named Qiu Mingtong seemed unfazed, maintaining her expressionless demeanor.

Then Qiu Mingtong indifferently pointed toward the fortress in the distance, which was no different from ruins, and the vast number of “dead” behind Sikta.

“You need help rebuilding that fortress over there, right? Our corps has fifty thousand troops and can help you defend it. After all, it seems you currently lack the ability to resist Abyssal Demons.”

“This…” Sikta was momentarily speechless.

Just then, Xiumu stepped forward, giving Sikta a slightly displeased glare to signal him to step back.

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Once Sikta fell silent, Xiumu smiled amiably at the expressionless girl before him.

“Apologies, Miss Qiu. Please forgive my subordinate’s rudeness.”

“It’s fine.”

“Then, are you serious about helping us guard that fortress? It currently has no defensive measures at all and is completely exposed to Abyssal Demon attacks! You must know, it could even face attacks from demon king-tier beings!”

“Yes, we are aware.”

Qiu Mingtong replied indifferently as before.

“Then… then why would you still…?”

“Yes, this is the Duke’s order. Not only will we help you guard the border, repair the defenses, and prevent Abyssal Demon invasions, but we will also assist in searching for survivors in the vicinity.”

“This…”

Hearing this answer, Xiumu was stunned for a few seconds.

They know about the situation in the Northern Frontier and still want to come help defend it? Could they be trying to gain prestige?!

Hmm?

They come from the south, so perhaps they haven’t witnessed the terror of Abyssal Demons and are making such a reckless decision? What army would willingly engage Abyssal Demon hordes without basic defensive facilities?!

No, that’s unlikely…

Xiumu immediately shook his head, dismissing the thought. Although he hadn’t interacted with the Blackrose Family, he was well aware of the shrewdness of its head, Xiao. Without such shrewdness, it would be impossible to become a Duke within the Sadik Empire!

There must be some other purpose.

“Miss Qiu, we are deeply grateful for the Duke’s assistance. I wonder what we can do to repay the Duke?”

Willing to send troops here… they must have some objective in mind…

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As if guessing Xiumu’s thoughts, Qiu Mingtong nodded slightly.

“Yes, our Duke hopes that afterward, he can obtain the mining rights for the Garatmo Ice Crystal Mine in the northern part of the Snownight Empire for the next twenty years.”

“Mining rights?”

Xiumu narrowed his eyes slightly.

Come to think of it, the Blackrose Family had previously been bidding for it.

The Sadik Empire is located in the southwestern part of the continent, and due to longstanding tensions with the Snownight Empire, ice crystal mines are extremely scarce. If they could mine the northern ice crystal mines and transport them back to their country, it would undoubtedly be a huge profit…

So they sent troops here to obtain mining rights?

That seems plausible.

“Alright, I understand. Then, during the days our troops are recuperating, we’ll rely on you to guard the border.”

“Naturally.”

Qiu Mingtong rarely revealed a faint smile.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Qiu Mingtong and the group of black-armored knights rode off toward Fort Garros under the watchful eyes of Xiumu and the others.

Watching the departing figures of the black-armored knights, Sikta beside Xiumu couldn’t help but show a suspicious look.

“Lord Marquis, I… I can’t help but feel something is off.”

“What is it? Why do you say that?”

“They’re going to guard the border, where they could face Abyssal Demons at any moment. But I feel that girl shows no trace of worry? As if she isn’t afraid of encountering Abyssal Demons at all? Or perhaps she doesn’t think Abyssal Demons will attack? It feels like she’s on a leisurely outing?”

“…”

Hearing his subordinate’s words, Xiumu fell into a thoughtful silence, his gaze drifting toward the north…