CHAPTER 162

There was a huge canyon that seemed to rise from the ground.

At the sharp end of the canyon, it soared like an icicle, fierce enough to pierce the sky, and its steep incline seemed like it could engulf the wasteland at any moment.

"We've come this far."

A wasteland filled with dry dust.

Peter lowered the cloth covering his mouth and quietly gazed at the canyon blocking their path.

Far away, between his narrowed eyes, there was a large gate visible.

"That's the Olympus Gate that I've only heard about. Father."

"Yeah."

Peter quietly nodded his head at the words of his son who quietly approached him.

As Rutger had mentioned, the narrow canyon was blocked by the gate standing tall, one of the famous thresholds of the West, the Olympus Gate.

The natural fortress, so famous that it was known even to the north, where there was little exchange, was located inside the canyon, completely blocking the road to the west.

"Indeed, it's called the Western Wall for a reason. It doesn't seem as easily penetrable as rumored."

Rutger shielded his eyes from the sunlight and gazed at the Olympus Gate in front of them.

The narrow and winding canyon, like where a snake had passed, was said to have been a riverbed long ago.

Perhaps at that time, the place where they were standing now would not have been a dry wasteland, but one of the great rivers.

"Halt the march... We'll stop here."

As Peter commanded, the thousands of soldiers who had reached the entrance of the canyon stood still.

They were at a point where they could precisely see the soldiers lingering on the gate far ahead.

"This should suffice."

After giving the order, Peter lifted his head and looked at the entrance of the canyon where they were now positioned.

Although not as imposing as the location of the gate ahead, this place was equally narrow and rugged.

The terrain seemed sufficient to fulfill its role, even if it were to hastily construct a makeshift fortress.

"What about the Allied Forces?"

"They are descending from two days' distance behind, my lord."

"Good."

Upon hearing the report from Advisor Lagmus, Peter looked at the Olympus Gate.

Indeed, it was the Western Gate that seemed impregnable as rumored.

"······Once we put the lid on, this war will be over."

However, the narrow and deep passage would not only affect those entering but also those exiting. The disadvantages nature had provided would be equally distributed to everyone.

"We will wait here until the Allied Forces arrive."

"Understood."

At Peter's command, thousands of Bayezid soldiers began pitching tents inside the canyon's entrance.

However, the Western forces ahead merely observed the scene, without hastily advancing.

"We'll end this war here."

At Peter's subdued words, the surrounding officers nodded.

It began with Gaidar, but it would end with Bayezid.

By sealing off the Olympus Canyon, the Western Gate.

The Northern Allied forces, who were still coming down from behind, were coming to set up a fort at the entrance to the canyon under the Iron Duke's orders.

The newly constructed fortress would not only block the West but also serve as the southernmost outpost for the Northern Alliance, aiming for the Central region.

※※※※

Shoara in the afternoon sunlight.

Although the light streaming in through the window was warm, Gott, who faced it, only sweated coldly.

"...Yes. Gott, welcome back to Shoara."

Whether it was because of the sunlight or because the shadows seemed darker, Josef's face, as he looked at Gott, appeared grim.

"T-Thank you."

Peng- Peng-

However, there was something even more unbearable for Gott than Josef's dark expression or the harsh gaze from Zayar.

"Is this the end of the line?"

"... ..."

The sound of Vlad's rope came from the side.

The rope, which was thick enough to support an adult man, was gradually turning into an ominous knot at Vlad's fingertips.

It's like something you would use on a gallows...

"Yes. We'll discuss the fault later."

Gott, who had been distracted by the rope for a moment, tried to gather his mind and decided to focus on Josef's words.

Though she was infamous, Gott had insulted the Count's daughter, and it was up to Josef to decide his fate.

"I heard you came up from the Central region. I'd like to hear about your journey there."

"Yes! Understood!"

Josef's gaze began to scrutinize Gott's appearance.

His gaunt cheeks and torn, dirty clothes spoke volumes about the arduousness of his journey.

"I parted ways with Lord Vlad a few months ago in the city of Marcia..."

The beginning of the memory starts from Gott's hometown.

After the desperate battle with the Warthog Colin and the hurried escape thereafter, Gott, unable to abandon his family, eventually parted ways with Vlad.

"If it's Marcia, it should be a city with some foundation."

"Yes, that's correct."

As Josef said, the city of Marcia was a decent place.

Although it was on the brink of war, it was not a city that could be easily conquered. Therefore, Gott had planned to return to Shoara once he secured his family's safety with the money he received from Vlad.

"The Central region is in turmoil right now. Wars and bandit raids are happening everywhere as if they've been waiting for this moment..."

However, Gott ultimately couldn't find a safe haven for his family.

Just before the fall of Marcia, Gott and his family barely escaped the city, wandering through several nearby towns. However, all they encountered was the spread of war and chaos starting to engulf the land.

"Is it really that serious?"

"Don't underestimate it. The Central region is currently experiencing conflicts and raids everywhere, to the point where a city not engulfed in flames is considered rare."

Thinking about that time, Gott's expression began to pale as if shivering.

Would he have brought his elderly mother all the way to Shoara, a city in the Northern region?

Although he couldn't fully trust him, Josef knew that Gott was not one to make idle boasts, so he simply nodded quietly.

"I see."

Although they had received reports from the crows, they were still under the authority of the head of the Bayezid family, and Josef could only gather fragmented information.

However, hearing the vivid testimony of an experienced individual, Josef realized that the situation in the Central region was much more severe than he had anticipated.

"Rest for a while and come back here later in the evening. We need to mark the route you've traveled on the map in detail."

"Understood, Lord Josef!"

If Gott's words were true, the central authority, which had been creaking even before the Emperor's death, was ultimately collapsing.

If that's the case, it will start to shake even more now that the Emperor is dead.

They had been promoting an Emperor whose legitimacy was already weak, so it's no wonder that the nobles, who had been holding their breath, would see this as their only opportunity.

"Of course, before coming to me, you should first apologize to Miss Charles. Vlad?"

"....Understood."

Vlad stood up at Josef's command, clicked his tongue, and began to untie the knot.

Seeing this, Gott felt relieved that he had survived, but he didn't see Vlad tying the knot into a different shape.

At first glance, the knot with the blunt end looked like a whip.

※※※※

"Ugh..."

"Quit whining."

Vlad frowned as he watched Gott, who was writhing despite not being touched.

"You should have some scars to show."

"Well, but..."

A few fierce scratches were etched over Gott's clothes.

Josef had lightly instructed him to apologize to Charles, but it was only natural that the process wouldn't be smooth.

"No wonder, she was an excellent stable keeper."

"Should I change the knot?"

"....Why were you acting like that, anyway?"

Even the quick-witted Gott couldn't tell from Charles' appearance that he was a girl, let alone a noble.

That's probably because the girl's eyes were filled with venom.

"Her nanny was making a fuss about it. So, if you go there, you better lie down as if you're dead."

"....Got it. Captain."

Hearing Gott's limp response, Vlad scratched his head, thinking of Marta, Charles's nanny.

Even when she was pierced by an arrow, she shielded Charles instead of herself.

Although Gott's actions were done out of ignorance, it was undoubtedly an act of disrespect towards the nobility, so perhaps her anger wouldn't easily subside.

"How many more hits should I give?"

".....Would that help?"

As Vlad looked at Gott's back, pondering if these wounds would be enough to calm her anger, the sounds of soldiers clamoring from outside began to be heard.

"What's going on? What's happening?"

"Don't worry about it."

"No, everyone seems to be rushing in."

Shrugging at Gott's gesture to look outside, Vlad leaned his head out the window.

Indeed, as Gott said, guards were rushing into the city hall.

People riding horses, running hastily.

However, one thing they all had in common was that they looked bewildered.

"What's going on?"

At this time, all the guards would be patrolling the city.

So, for them to gather at the city hall meant that something urgent had happened.

"Hey."

"Yes? Yes, Sir Vlad!"

A guard who had been running down the corridor recognized Vlad and quickly saluted.

"What's the matter?"

"Well, it's, it's!"

Despite being visibly out of breath, his expression seemed somewhat relieved.

Vlad was the only knight who could move around the city right now.

"There's a suspicious ship approaching against the current of the river!"

"A suspicious ship?"

Although he said "suspicious ship" verbally, the guard's hands were spread wide open, indicating a great disturbance.

"It's huge?"

"Yes!"

A massively large suspicious ship sailing against the current of the river.

The knight and the squire stood facing each other in front of the panting guard.

※※※※

"What's that!"

"I've never seen a ship like that in my life!"

The guards of Shoara began to push back the crowd that was gathering along the waterfront.

However, it was inevitable that the crowd already inside the alley would remain.

"Boss!"

"....What is that thing?"

Captain Hoover, the boss of the back alley, was watching a ship coming up the river from the highest point of his building.

Even for someone like Hoover, who had spent decades at sea, the sight was jaw-dropping.

"How did it come up here?"

The experienced Hoover knew.

A ship of that size could never sail up the river.

Though the river in Shoara was wide, its depth was shallow, so a ship of that size would surely touch the riverbed.

Considering that the two ships seized during the Nassau expedition were still anchored at sea, the sight before him seemed utterly impossible.

"A paddleboat?"

However, as Hoover beheld the increasingly majestic ship, he couldn't help but be astonished.

Even the old captain, who had navigated the seas for so long, had never seen a ship of such a shape before.

"We are not suspicious individuals! Lower your weapons!"

Despite the man shouting loudly from the deck, the ship that had appeared before the people was undoubtedly suspicious.

The sails were furled, yet the unidentified ship was still moving.

On either side of the mysterious ship, paddle wheels were tirelessly churning against the current.

"Summon the lord of humans, Josef Bayezid! We have come to Shoara to respond to his letter!"

Although small in stature, the man's robust voice echoed loudly along the Shoara docks.

It sounded as if he had a horn attached to his throat, resonating boldly across the docks.

"If Josef Bayezid is not here, then summon the human knight, Vlad!"

Vlad, who had just arrived at the dock, widened his eyes when a man he had never seen before called him.

"What's going on? Do you know him, captain?"

"That... doesn't seem like a human, does it?"

At Gott's question, Vlad squinted and looked into the distance, where a flag fluttered on the ship's mast.

The emblem on the flag was entirely different from any they had seen before.

"We come from the Dwarven Liberation Front!"

A symbol resembling a hammer striking an anvil adorned the flag.

It was the flag of the Dwarven Liberation Front, representing Nidavellir .

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