Chapter 687: Act 47 – Long Roads, Fragments of the Past I
Traveling north from the capital of Golan-Elsen Province, Kurk Fortress, and entering the confluence of Lantonrand and Vieiro, the tranquil town of Shallow Water has quietly sat on the west bank of Lake Valenden since it was established by Earl Harting in the year of Revelation several centuries ago.
The coniferous forests of Golan-Elsen, stretching northward, present a completely different scene here, with large expanses of cedar trees dispersed throughout the woods. Though it is late in the season of summer, frost still falls from the treetops as the horse-mounted troops pass through the forest paths.
As one approaches Shallow Water, the signs of the so-called ‘late spring’ in the northern area of Vieiro become increasingly apparent. The scorching heat of summer finds no trace here; instead, signs of revival are long overdue in this region.
The air in the forest still carries the coldness of late winter. The sky is gloomy, causing a tightness in the chest, as if the mountain-dwelling deity, Gister, is stirring a layer of lime above the clouds; Brandel, seated on horseback, looks up to see the forest barren, with thin branches between tree trunks stretching toward the sky like a dense spider’s web. The sprouts from the new year are still covered with a thin layer of fuzz, and a few dry leaves left from the previous year’s end hang solemnly beneath these tender sprouts, appearing from a distance like a dry chrysalis swaying gently in the cold wind.
But this is not the month of revival; it is the blazing heat of August.
Such a sight astonishes everyone in the group, for while it is clearly the month of scorching heat, this place resembles the transition between winter and spring. Phillas, riding at the front of the line, exclaims, “Could such scenery be caused by that so-called Frosted Forest?”
His loud voice echoes through the forest, startling a gray deer, much to the annoyance of the guides ahead. It is said that inexplicably angering the quiet spirits in the forest could bring misfortune, and these noble children are truly ignorant and reckless.
However, the local hunters do not seem inclined to argue with the nobles over such matters, and thus the journey continues relatively peacefully.
For Phillas, the fortunate knight from the Cruz Empire, he has finally shed his identity as a captive, having been cooped up in prison for over a week. Yet he pays little mind to his previous experiences, regarding it merely as a misunderstanding. His open-minded nature wins him the goodwill of everyone, as he is treated as an honored guest after being released from captivity.
In contrast, Miss Delphine is rather obstinate. Although she ultimately did not end up imprisoned in the water dungeon—thanks to Freya’s persuasion, or perhaps out of consideration not to create enemies on all sides—Antinna secretly confined the chancellor’s daughter in the darker upper levels of the prison, keeping her separate from other prisoners.
After a week, she was taken away by Veronica’s envoy, but before leaving, the lady expressed no regrets and hurled insults at Brandel.
For such a stubborn lunatic, Brandel finds himself at a loss for words, leaving her to Veronica’s handling. If the lady of the legion is wise enough, he thinks, she should promptly send her back to her homeland.
Phillas looks around and suddenly reins in his horse, stopping to ask, “My lord, how far are we from the Frosted Forest?”
Laurena frowned and answered before Brandel could, “Still quite far; I’ve checked the map. At least another week’s journey.”
“So far!” Phillas exclaimed. “By our progress, that’s roughly the distance from Leafy Territory to Alfalfa Wilderness. Are you saying that the anomaly in Clover Forest could affect that fellow Faina?”
He made an exaggerated comparison, then sighed, “At this distance, could climate change result in the trees at the center of the Frosted Forest freezing into ice crystals?”
“Pretty much,” Brandel replied. Though he had only been to the Frosted Forest once, it left a lasting impression on him. Additionally, he had studied quite a bit of related strategies, enough to claim he was somewhat knowledgeable.
Although the Frosted Forest has ‘forest’ in its name, it is, in fact, a glacial area, or rather, an ice cave wouldn’t be an exaggeration. Those cold elemental creatures are more numerous than he encountered later in Saint Ausoor and various places of Fanzan combined.
“That’s terrifying,” Phillas shivered involuntarily. “Are we really going to plunge into that icy forest? Shouldn’t we buy some warm clothing along the way?”
“It’s already arranged, Mr. Phillas,” Medisa, riding her unicorn, said with a smile, following behind Brandel. She gestured discreetly to the only cargo horse-drawn cart in the middle of the group, piled high with supplies.
The young prince was dashing around next to that cart, working alongside the hired local teamsters to keep the cart stable on the bumpy road. Everyone could hear him using his bright voice to coax the four stout, heavy-laden horses; however, those beasts seemed uninterested, staring at him with disdain in their eight eyes.
This scene amused everyone, evoking mixed feelings of sympathy.
Fortunately, Haruz had begun to get used to it. He lifted his head and wiped away a bead of sweat, his face flushed, clad in a brand new leather armor, with a longsword strapped to his back. He looked like a young knight serving in a great noble house, quite a contrast from the young prince who had earlier donned splendid garments.
“Oh, I remember now,” Phillas suddenly said, nodding to himself.
“Phillas,” Brandel turned at that moment and asked, “Have you ever participated in winter hunting back in your homeland? I hear the Barano region is one of the most developed areas of the empire, with Pesya and Frel being major commercial hubs, and there are hardly any forests in the region ruled by your father, right?”
“You’re quite knowledgeable, my lord,” Phillas replied, finding newfound fondness for the Earl of Toniger as he discussed his homeland—especially since Brandel’s comments were indeed accurate, clearly showing a strong understanding of geography and culture. He immediately opened up, “That’s right! However, I haven’t completely missed participating in winter hunts. A few times, I was invited by my father to the Leafy Territory to join the winter hunt hosted by Duke Leafy. After all, winter hunting is an important tradition and social event for nobles. It was there that I met Laurena—”
“I see,” Brandel noted, seeing the female knight beside him blush slightly. He recognized that what Phillas said was true. He also sighed in understanding that they were childhood friends; no wonder Phillas could defeat many challengers to win the beauty’s heart. Plus, the guy’s character was genuinely decent, so he barely managed some personal charm. Compared to other noble heirs, it’s understandable Laurena would choose him.
He nodded on horseback and casually mentioned, “In fact, Mr. Phillas could view this operation as a hunting expedition; the only difference is our opponents are somewhat more dangerous.”
“Really?” Phillas seemed energized. “Hearing you say that, my lord, I suddenly feel eager.”
“That’s good,” Brandel smiled slightly. Meanwhile, Charles could read the situation; he understood some people would likely fall into a trap. He couldn’t help but cast a sympathetic look at the young man, “I have a small request. If Mr. Phillas doesn’t mind, you’ll handle the cleanup and organization of the spoils after the battle.”
“Ah?” Phillas displayed a look of sheer delight. In noble etiquette, only the most distinguished guests had the right to first touch and distribute the spoils. He never dreamed he would be favored so much by this legendary lord—especially considering that just half a month ago, Brandel had mercilessly imprisoned him and the chancellor’s daughter. Clearly, the name of the Cruz Empire didn’t hold much weight in the eyes of this earl. But this contrast made him feel flattered and surprised as he responded, “Since you honor me, my lord, then I shall humbly accept.”
The young man, for a moment, clearly seemed a bit lost by Brandel’s flattery, to the point where he slipped up on his titles.
Laurena looked at her fiancé, shaking her head in exasperation before raising her gaze to Brandel, “Thank you for your consideration, my lord.”
“You’re welcome.”
While Brandel maintained a courteous facade, inside he was nearly bursting with laughter. Bringing along this couple was not solely to reunite with Veronica; fundamentally, he was drawn to their luck, which resembled that of Martha’s son. Compared to Phillas, who was deemed the luckiest knight in Cruz, even Flora’s red hand seemed minor—after all, even the elder sister among the Wild Elves now seemed reluctant to assist him in this matter.
He could almost envision a future overflowing with riches. Were it not for Phillas being the eldest son of the Cruz Empire’s Prince, he might even entertain the idea of keeping him around permanently.
Of course, he might not be without that very thought at this moment.
With the prior exchange between Brandel and Phillas, the atmosphere within the caravan lightened, and casual conversation started to flow more easily. However, Brandel did notice one exception; turning his head back, the caravan clinked as they traversed the main road. Shadows danced about, with the afternoon sun filtering through the branches, painting the entire forest in a dreamy hue. Yet, among them, Freya rode quietly at the very edge of the group, seemingly in a world of her own, head down as she repeatedly examined a stone slab in her hands.
It was a slab stained with wind and frost, its brown-yellow surface marked with coarse granules, somewhat resembling the weathered granite found on the Kralmasu Plain. On both sides of the slab, a mysterious symbol was painted in white, the paint appearing to be easily faded limestone, yet scrubbing proved otherwise; apart from that, Freya had noticed no other anomalies on the slab over the past few days.
She couldn’t understand why Brandel had given her this stone, telling her it was hers and that she would one day uncover its secret. Yet, for all these days, the slab remained just that—no change. Unable to restrain a frown, the girl briefly wondered if this was yet another prank by Brandel—who always seemed to enjoy his little jokes.
But after hesitating for some time, the girl from Buche couldn’t quite bring herself to dispose of the stone. What if it was real? After all, it was a gift from Brandel, who went so far as to travel to obtain it for her—just the two of them.
Thus, holding the stone awkwardly, she drifted into thought, unaware of someone approaching her side. Brandel gently tapped the elbow of this future Valkyrie, “Freya?”
“Mm?” The familiar voice startled the girl, and she turned around in surprise, asking, “B-Brandel, what is it?”
Brandel frowned, observing the future Valkyrie; her flustered demeanor was all too obvious to anyone, “What are you thinking about?”
“I… I’m just trying to figure out the secret of this stone, Brandel, what is it really?” Freya’s cheeks tinted slightly as she felt embarrassed to admit her earlier confusion. Fortunately, the honest girl quickly raised the stone in her hand, asking curiously.
Brandel glanced at the stone she held. In “Amber Sword,” this slab was sometimes referred to as a key, but it was essentially just a replica of a war slab—these slabs largely circulated among the Minren or even older prehistoric civilizations, serving to record the true content of the war slabs.
Though some do contain ancient secrets, chronicling history, culture, and wars prior to the Saints War, players had previously unearthed many fragments of such slabs, interpreting a considerable part of the background records regarding Tumen, the Dark Dragon, and the Saints War through such texts.
However, the piece he handed to Freya was profoundly different—
In the game, this slab had a deep connection with Freya.
In that tumultuous history—the title Valkyrie, which represents recognition and praise for Freya’s strength, was not bestowed by the players of Erluin, nor was it a title self-proclaimed by the kingdom. From Cruz to Saint Ausoor and even in Madara—her enemies conferred that title upon her.
This was not solely due to her personal charm. A significant factor was Freya’s Valkyrie Mark.
That mark on her forehead, akin to a sacred flame, would manifest in moments of extremity or when she expended her full strength, accompanied by immense radiant wings. In such a state, the powers of the Valkyrie often exhibited exponential growth.
It was said that this omen first appeared during a duel at the Royal Knight Academy—one of the primary reasons he insisted Freya attend the academy. Afterward, the frequency of the Valkyrie Mark’s appearance surged, making it evidently impossible to conceal this secret amidst battles involving thousands, even tens of thousands of people.
In the original history, the players announced that Freya first unleashed this power during the first battle against the north. Following that, the title Valkyrie became inseparable from her; moreover, more players began to search for the secrets hidden within this phenomenon.
Ultimately, it was the players who discovered this slab who deciphered its hidden mysteries. Brandel couldn’t recall the ID of that player but clearly remembered the events surrounding it.
That was shortly after the Second Black Rose War, when increasing numbers of war slab replicas were widely discovered. Players spontaneously began to decipher the contents of those slabs, while the history surrounding the Saints War gradually became clearer to everyone.
But from this slab discovered in Toniger, the interpreting player uncovered entirely different records. It neither spoke of the history of the Saints War era nor described a specific battle or myth. Instead, it repeatedly referred to the existence of the Valkyrie Mark.
Moreover, at the end of the slab, it vaguely mentioned methods to activate the Valkyrie bloodline.
Initially, the player who discovered this slab presumed it was some task item for obtaining an advanced bloodline. But after exhausting various methods and still failing to acquire the next task’s contents, he finally thought of that Valkyrie from Erluin. Thus, he shared his experiences and the slab’s contents on the forum. Shortly after, the slab was purchased at a high price by others and then eventually made its way into Freya’s hands.
Brandel remembered that was in the Silver Year of the First Epoch, shortly after which the Valkyrie from Erluin mastered the ability to enter Valkyrie status at will.
Until she met her end—
Yet, to be fair, Brandel was unsure how this slab should be utilized himself. He merely grasped the initial location of this slab and some of its subsequent history through circulated information online.
But at least he was convinced that this was indeed that object, and it would surely have an effect on Freya. He pondered for a moment before asking, “Do you believe me, Freya?”
“I… of course I believe you, Brandel.” Freya momentarily startled and seemed to have understood Brandel’s meaning; she glanced at the stone in her hands, nodding helplessly, “I get it. I’ll keep it safe.”
“You don’t need to think too much; perhaps at some point, you will naturally uncover its secret.” Brandel held onto the reins, riding alongside the Valkyrie, but regarding Freya’s distress, he offered only that consolation.
“Brandel… you’re sounding more and more like Roman’s aunt.”
“You can just say I’m becoming quite the charlatan; I can accept that,” Brandel replied a bit helplessly.
Hearing this, Freya looked at him, smiling slightly, “But it’s nice. You haven’t changed at all. Sometimes I fear you might become a noble and no longer be the same Brandel.” The girl from Buche turned her head and spoke quietly.
“I haven’t changed; you have,” Brandel nodded. “You’ve matured.”
“W-What do you mean?” The Valkyrie blushed slightly.
“In the past, you wouldn’t have said something like this; you would have said, ‘Brandel, why have you become so strange!'”
“Brandel… you’re too much…”
…(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please consider voting for it on Qidian.com; your support is my greatest motivation.)
