Chapter 69: The Black Moon Kingdom (Part 2)

Ravensburg Fortress in the Black Moon Kingdom was an immense military stronghold, usually sparsely populated. Recently, however, it had grown lively with the influx of people—refugees, merchants, and minor nobles alike—fleeing from the Kingdom of Light, all eager to pass through the fortress.

To enter the Black Moon Kingdom, Ravensburg was the only gateway. Otherwise, one would have to cross the barren mountain range stretching thousands of miles. The mountains were fraught with dangers, making it a natural barrier that nearly no one dared to cross.

Yet, passing through Ravensburg wasn't easy. Every person had to pay a hefty sum in gold to gain entry. Refugees, clothed in rags and unable to afford the toll, were turned away, left with three choices: return to the Kingdom of Light, linger outside in hopes that the fortress might one day open its gates for free, or perish in front of the fortress walls.

"Hey, look! A convoy with knights escorting several carriages, and even heavy knights… Looks like a wealthy noble—time to collect a handsome toll!"

The guards at Ravensburg had already noticed a large convoy in the distance, with shining armor and multiple carriages. From their experience, it was clear that this convoy was a "fat sheep" to be heavily taxed as they passed through.

As the convoy approached, a tall, middle-aged man at the front frowned at the sight of Ravensburg, then signaled the convoy to halt.

"Father, why did we stop?" Merlin asked, stepping down from the carriage to join Old Wilson.

This convoy, led by Old Wilson, had nearly two thousand people. After three to four days of travel, they had finally reached the border of the Black Moon Kingdom.

The bandits who had escorted them had already left, informing them that the only way to enter the Black Moon Kingdom was through Ravensburg. Merlin glanced at the fortress not far ahead; this must be the stronghold the bandits had mentioned. Once they passed through Ravensburg, they would be safe and free from the threat of the Holy Light Church's pursuit.

Old Wilson pointed toward the fortress and said in a low voice, "To enter Ravensburg, we'll have to remove our armor and surrender our weapons. With so many people, losing our armor and weapons would leave us defenseless should anything happen."

Merlin followed his father's gaze, observing several scattered knights who, before entering the fortress, were required to remove their armor and weapons.

It was understandable; the Black Moon Kingdom wouldn't allow heavily armed groups through Ravensburg without security precautions. If any of these groups were sent by the Church, it would invite disaster.

"Father, with a group as large as ours, it's impossible to bring our armor and weapons in. We'll have to comply for now and find a solution once we're inside," Merlin said after a moment of thought, realizing there was no alternative.

"Very well. Merlin, Baron Barman, let's check things out first."

Old Wilson instructed Captain Pula to oversee the convoy and then set off with Baron Barman and Merlin toward Ravensburg to assess the situation.

The fortress guards, having already taken note of Merlin and his companions, stepped forward to block them. "Leave your horses, remove your armor and weapons, and pay ten gold coins each to pass."

Both Old Wilson and Baron Barman's faces darkened. Surrendering their armor and weapons was one thing, and ten gold coins per person was affordable, even with a convoy of nearly two thousand. But giving up their horses was unacceptable. Without horses, how would the convoy's carriages move forward? Surely they wouldn't expect the women and children to walk?

Additionally, a convoy of this size would move incredibly slowly without horses, making them vulnerable to numerous risks and complications.

Merlin frowned as he considered the situation.

"Leave our horses? Why didn't the knight just now have to leave his?" Baron Barman asked, struggling to contain his anger.

The guards shot Baron Barman an indifferent glance, sneering, "That knight was alone, and he was an elemental swordsman. Elemental swordsmen are allowed to keep their horses."

"So, elemental swordsmen can keep their horses?" Merlin inquired.

The guard looked at Merlin and nodded. "Yes, elemental swordsmen can retain their horses, armor, and weapons and pass freely through Ravensburg."

Merlin and Old Wilson exchanged glances and nodded. The Black Moon Kingdom seemed to be incentivizing elemental swordsmen from the Kingdom of Light to defect. With the two kingdoms at odds, any additional elemental swordsmen would bolster the Black Moon Kingdom's military strength and weaken the Kingdom of Light.

But even if they could enter, not everyone in their convoy was an elemental swordsman.

"We're willing to leave our armor and weapons, and we can pay the gold. But is there any way we could keep our horses? With such a large group, it would be impossible for us to proceed without them," Merlin asked in a calm tone.

The guards glanced at the sizable convoy in the distance, a sly smile appearing on their lips. Lowering their voices, one guard replied, "Keeping your horses isn't impossible—fifty gold coins per horse should cover it. Sixty coins per person will allow you to keep your horses."

"What? Sixty gold coins per person?" Old Wilson's face darkened, and a fiery aura flickered around him as he released his energy.

Sixty gold coins per person meant a total of 120,000 for their convoy. Though the Barman and Wilson families were well off, they possessed only around 100,000 gold coins between them. Paying 120,000 was an astronomical demand.

"What do you think you're doing? Planning to attack the fortress?" one guard challenged, alarmed by the imposing presence of Old Wilson, who now looked even more formidable as wisps of fire crackled around him.

Immediately, squads of guards emerged from within the fortress, filling the ramparts and aiming heavy crossbows at Old Wilson, Merlin, and their group. The atmosphere grew tense.

Merlin looked up at the guards on the fortress walls, a helpless expression crossing his face. Ravensburg was a formidable military fortress, a frightening war machine. Although Old Wilson had mentioned that powerful spellcasters could single-handedly destroy such fortresses, Merlin wasn't yet capable of that. Faced with a volley of arrows, even he would be hard-pressed to withstand it.