Chapter 740: Act 97 – The Missing Food III
“Trouble?”
Veronika tightened her fur coat, below which the elegant curves of the female legionnaire contrasted with the light brown base of Cruz’s winter military uniform—matching the famous brown rock tones of Cruz. She walked towards Brendel, passed him, lifted the felt, and looked outside cautiously—cold winds howled in, sending a shiver through everyone inside the tent. The lady lowered the felt, turned back, and said seriously, “What I’m about to tell you, you can only listen with your ears; keep your mouths shut, all of you.”
“There are three hundred soldiers in this camp, but starting today, the food reserves are only enough to last until next week.”
Suddenly, Brendel understood why Veronika was being so serious; if this news got out, it would likely cause a disturbance. After all, the army brought by Veronika consisted of elite Cruz troops. If it were the nobles’ private soldiers, it wouldn’t be impossible for them to incite a riot. In Cruz’s tactical studies, any army that could maintain a week of food supply was considered to have a basic reserve. Normally, an army engaged in battle consumed two basic units of food each week, while a garrison required somewhat less. Less than four basic units of food reserves meant that an army capable of fighting had to consider whether to retreat. Less than two units indicated a situation where they would need to firmly hold out under dire straits. Less than one unit without the army rioting meant either the commander kept the news too well under wraps, or that this army was exceptionally elite, or perhaps both.
However, Veronika had participated in the last holy war; being a well-known general of the Cruz, and nicknamed the War Goddess, she would never make such a rookie mistake regarding this issue. Yet, Brendel seemed to guess immediately why the Cruz were facing this predicament, and he asked somewhat knowingly, “Has some of your food gone missing—?”
“How did you know!?” Veronika turned around abruptly, her previously furrowed brow relaxing before tightening again. “Do you know something, Brendel?” she asked suspiciously.
“Don’t you know what lives in this snowy field? Didn’t I ask Alorze to remind you?” Brendel replied, equally puzzled.
This snowy field was the lair of that damned Frost Wyrm, and this little fellow happened to be a notorious glutton, shyly stealing travelers’ food. It had been working this territory around the forest and Lake Valenden for years, experienced in the trade, and most people would easily fall victim if they weren’t careful. Of course, beyond its expertise in stealing, this Frost Wyrm was also good at ambushing and using dirty tactics; in short, it would definitely not engage you in a fair fight.
If there were any insidious and despicable adjectives, they would surely have been crafted for it.
“Alorze?” Veronika thought for a moment before recalling the doll-like girl who accompanied Mephistopheles. However, the only impression she had of the latter was that she always wore a stony expression; she didn’t quite understand how Brendel would let a little girl convey such important information: “Her?”
Seeing Veronika’s expression, Brendel realized what good deed Alorze had done, or rather, she might have long forgotten all about it. “That girl…” He suddenly realized he had made a mistake; he should have sent someone more reliable, like Antinna.
Brendel had to recount the rumors regarding the dragon by the lakeside road.
Veronika returned to her position, glanced at the sheepskin map, and tossed the rabbit pelt she had in her hand onto the table—which was actually made of stacked boxes. “So you’re saying the one stealing our food is that young dragon? But that’s nearly two months’ worth of rations for three hundred people, a whole three coaches.”
“Dragons always have some mysterious spells; if it intends to hide its traces, it wouldn’t be difficult for you not to notice.” Brendel sighed; if a dragon was intent on stealing your things, it was indeed a troublesome matter.
“It’s surprising that dragons would use their noble magic for thievery; this… is a bit different from what I’ve read in books.” A young girl in white robes suddenly spoke up from the corner. Brendel had noticed her long before; she had a cute doll-like face, wore a white scholar’s hat, her eyes as blue as the sea, draped in a robe adorned with two blood-red crosses, and sporting grey squirrel-skin gloves while holding a thick book, with a small brass cross decoration hanging from the bookmark.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to doubt your words; I was just curious…” Realizing Brendel was looking her way, the girl hurriedly explained with a smile.
“Who is this?” Brendel read something self-assured in her clear eyes; the girl apparently wasn’t good at hiding her thoughts, and despite trying hard to appear approachable, she still made the Erluin people present feel like they were treated as barbarians.
This was typical of the superiority complex of Cruz nobles; fortunately, that superiority hadn’t turned into arrogance; she must be a child who had never left home before.
“This is Shi Do, a descendant of Marquis Toon, currently studying at Saint Ebasun. She’s a clever child, exceptionally gifted; Brendel, you’ll surely like her. Wizards from the Mithril Academy are also interested in her talent, hoping she can enter the White Tower for further study,” Veronika didn’t reprimand the girl for interrupting but rather looked at her with affection, making no effort to hide her doting.
“Saint Ebasun Academy? Budians?” Brendel felt a pang of surprise; to be recognized by the People of Silver, she indeed had remarkable talent, and it also required a fair bit of luck. He asked, “Marquis Toon? Is he the one who crossed the sea atop a dragon-headed war vessel to conquer Severian?”
“It is indeed our ancestor.” The girl’s eyes brightened slightly, perhaps not expecting anyone from Erluin to recount her family’s origins so easily, especially since the saga of her ancestor’s conquest of the Severian region was something she admired and was proud of.
“It seems you regard Erluin as an uncivilized region.” Brendel could tell what Shi Do was thinking from her gaze. He took in her attire; the cross on her white robe was a typical emblem of the Blood Cross Society—a prestigious scholarly organization within Cruz, akin in status to Erluin’s Royal Geographical Academy, yet the Blood Cross Society likely wouldn’t have such a young member; she must be a nominal honorary apprentice.
“Then who is this?” Brendel looked towards a corner of the tent where he had noticed a quiet man who had not spoken. He was dressed in a coat made of marten fur and wore soldier’s attire beneath it, but the silvery breastplate bore no family crest, only a hawk emblem. This attire made him look somewhat like a mercenary, though the new deerskin boots and the gem on the hilt of his sword indicated he was definitely of uncommon status.
This was a man of calm demeanor. As soon as Brendel entered the tent, he saw this man standing behind Veronika alongside Shi Do, but unlike the other young scholar’s flippant curiosity, this slightly older youth had remained quiet, observing them with sharp eyes. His silence gave Brendel a sense of a soldier’s reticence.
But just before this moment—
“Rainwright Aurelius.” The youth spoke up in a cold tone before Veronika could, as if proud of his name. After answering, he fell silent again.
So it’s you! Upon hearing that name, Brendel thought that indeed Rainwright could be proud of the surname, as it had once belonged to a man as valiant as an eagle, associated with the Empire and supreme power—His Majesty the Emperor.
But at this moment, Brendel couldn’t help but think strangely of Laurena and Phillas, for the individual he referred to was actually the grandson of the unfortunate victim who had been recklessly eliminated in Phillas’ dream—Emperor Grantod.
Also, the future Emperor.
Brendel hadn’t expected a future legendary figure to appear before him at such a young age. He couldn’t help but look at the youth once more. Noticing Brendel’s gaze, Veronika wore an amused expression, “No need for me to introduce you, little one.”
Brendel wryly smiled; certainly, that wasn’t necessary. The Cruz nobility had a tradition of sending their offspring far away for experience, but most families no longer adhered to this tradition due to the risks of assassination and accidents, as too many promising successors had met untimely ends during their trials. However, it seemed the Cruz royal family was indeed bold.
“Dragons seem high above us mere mortals, yet they have many quirks, much like their obsessive greed for wealth. As far as I know, what we’re dealing with has to be a timid young dragon. It prefers to act stealthily, not out of dragon nature but due to its character,” Brendel continued.
“A timid dragon? How interesting. The teacher was indeed correct; only by stepping outside can one truly see this messy world,” Shi Do remarked in surprise.
“Do not underestimate it for being timid; dragons are fearsome opponents regardless. Even if it’s just a young dragon, the meekest can still crush an ant without a second thought,” Brendel warned.
“True enough.” Shi Do politely nodded at him.
“This guy…” Brendel felt a bit speechless.
But Veronika caught onto the implications in his words, narrowing her eyes and asking, “Brendel, does that mean you could track it down?”
“I lack the ability to trace dragons; that’s the job of the elven dragon hunters from Essotuk. But I happen to know where it hides,” Brendel smiled slightly.
“You know where it hides?” Veronika’s azure eyes brightened; she turned back and couldn’t help but warmly praise, “You really haven’t disappointed me, little one. It seems there’s nothing that can stump you?”
“You flatter me; I’m just lucky. Don’t forget, I’m on good terms with Duke of Lantonrand, and Duke Vieiro isn’t opposed to forming an alliance with me. They are the true masters here. This young dragon has lived in this area for quite some time; the locals must not be ignorant of it.” Brendel humbly answered.
However, Veronika seemed genuinely distressed by the situation. She continued to admire Brendel, “Brendel, I regret this— I mean, at your age. Ah, how wonderful it would be if you’d join the Cruz Empire.”
“Am I not standing together with the Legion Commander now?” Brendel felt somewhat overwhelmed by the commander’s enthusiasm, but he could never choose to become a Cruz noble. He chuckled lightly, cleverly steering the conversation away.
“Hmph.” Veronika lightly huffed in discontent at Brendel’s evasive response. She picked up the map from the table, dusting it off, and asked, “Where is that dragon? It seems we need to capture it before it uses all our food for itself.”
“Commander, are you planning to set off now?” Compared to Veronika’s impulsive nature, Brendel appeared calm.
“Hmm?” Veronika looked back at him, puzzled. “Of course, we can’t delay any longer. I don’t even know how long we can keep this a secret. I’ve already ordered a reduction in the food rations, but that’s just a temporary measure; it will eventually be figured out.”
She suddenly stopped and asked, “Brendel, do you have any other ideas?”
Brendel nodded. “Actually, I have some news for you.”
“News? Good or bad? If it’s good, tell me. If it’s bad, forget it; there’s already enough bad news—let’s put it aside for now.” Veronika paused for a moment, responding with a commanding tone befitting a legion commander. She walked behind the desk and took down her longsword from the rack.
Brendel looked at the woman somewhat helplessly. “Before coming here, we discovered Anlek’s whereabouts.”
Veronika froze. Her hand suddenly paused with the sword, turning back, her emerald eyes glimmering with a strange light as she looked at Brendel and asked, “Are you here to bring me good news, little one?”
“It seems the Temple of Fire is indeed at their wit’s end regarding these shards of the teleportation gate,” Brendel looked at her but muttered to himself.
“You… they—no, we’re certainly anxious. Do you know how much face the Empire has lost this time? You share part of the blame for that; don’t get too complacent—someone will come looking for you to settle the score.” Veronika, noticing Brendel’s smile, understood what he was thinking.
Brendel glanced at the other two individuals; Rainwright remained stoic and unmoved by his and Veronika’s conversation, sitting there like a statue, while Shi Do held her book curiously, looking at him. In Cruz, Brendel was now a well-known figure.
Since the last holy war, had the Cruz suffered any losses?
“Go on, what exactly happened?” Veronika prompted.
Brendel then recounted the story of the hunter girl. Upon hearing Peiya’s experiences, Veronika showed little sympathy, merely stating coldly, “Anlek is seeking his own death.”
Finally, she turned back and inquired carefully, “So you’re saying this girl tracked her way to this vicinity, meaning her brother is still alive and left marks telling you Anlek had been through here.” She showed a look of confusion. “But what connection is there between these two events? Are you suggesting Anlek is heading towards that young dragon’s lair as well?”
“Precisely, Lady Veronika; before coming here, to avoid leaking news, there’s something I actually didn’t tell you.” Brendel replied: “You already know that Anlek came here for the Dragon Heart, but you didn’t know the Dragon Heart is guarded by that young dragon within the Icy Despair Glacier.”
Veronika was stunned for a moment.
“So what kind of scheme do you have in mind, right?” She stared at Brendel, inquiring.
What a ‘scheme’! Yet Brendel nodded, “Whether it’s an adult dragon or a young dragon, they are not to be trifled with. Anlek certainly can’t assure himself of success, hence I suspect they will first go to one location.”
“What location?”
“The Temple of Hibernation.”
Upon hearing the name, Veronika seemed pricked by a needle; the emerald hue in her narrowed eyes emitted a dangerous glow. “I have heard of this place, you can’t be telling me those ‘things’ are still alive, right?”
Of course, they were still alive.
The head wolf Echis was merely temporarily sealed, trapped in a semi-divine slumber, let alone its descendants. Back in the Daybreak pack hunting down the Father of Giants, the Weaver of Frost Milos, a great battle was fought here, after which the Frost Giant’s god fell upon this ground; Echis’s blood flowed across the snowy fields, giving birth to vile creatures, those dark offspring were later sealed away but continued to slumber within the Temple of Hibernation.
Anlek certainly wouldn’t be able to handle a young dragon; his only chance would be to unleash those Echis descendants, and Brendel almost immediately guessed the duke’s intentions.
However, the other party undoubtedly didn’t know what he intended to unleash. Those weren’t just the collateral branches of the wolf calamity but rather the true pureblood hellhounds born of Echis’s blood, the real chaotic creatures.
Opening the Temple of Hibernation would also open the path to the most central team dungeon in the Frosted Forest maze.
But fortunately, Brendel knew that it was a seal based on time; unless it was opened from within, Anlek was destined to be disappointed. However, he did have an idea, one that would ensure Anlek not only returned empty-handed but would also suffer a severe loss.
To describe this idea as a scheme might not be entirely unreasonable.
Seeing his expression, Veronika knew this young man had already made a plan, yet this wasn’t the time to discuss action plans; she chose to trust him but added, “It seems you already know what to do, but I still have one question—”
“Mmh?”
“What exactly is this Dragon Heart you’re speaking of? I once thought it was the heart of a dragon?”
“Well…” Brendel shrugged innocently, “I don’t know either.”
“What!?” Veronika immediately displayed a murderous glare.
“Lady Veronika, you also know,” Brendel glanced at the thick book in Shi Do’s hands, “Much of a wizard’s knowledge comes from books, and it’s rare to truly know what something is before seeing it firsthand. You wouldn’t assume my experiences are so rich that I’ve seen everything, right?”
“Hmph, a cunning response.” Veronika shot him a glower, “Don’t think I don’t know you’re hiding something from me. Go and rest for now; I’ll get everyone else gathered.”
Brendel was drenched in cold sweat under Veronika’s scrutiny; he hadn’t expected her to truly catch onto his lies. However, he wasn’t lying about the nature of the Dragon Heart; he simply hadn’t informed the lady commander that his knowledge of it came not from books but from a game bearing the same name as this world.
This was something inherently difficult to explain, was it not?
Brendel decided not to dwell on the matter; he quickly performed a courteous bow to the lady commander, turned, and prepared to leave with the others.
But unexpectedly, at that moment, Shi Do followed closely behind, calling out before Brendel lifted the tent’s felt, “Mister Brendel.”
Brendel turned back.
“What? Just a bit curious. Mister Brendel, you’re the most learned Erluin I’ve ever met; do you really understand the living habits of dragons?” Shi Do asked softly, her curiosity evident.
Yet Brendel felt a hint of doubt in her innocent eyes.
“No, I don’t understand.” He shook his head straightforwardly. Some things you could never explain to this naive girl, especially since she was a stubborn scholar, a female scholar: “I also heard that dragons particularly favor human maidens, abducting beautiful girls back to their lairs—you know?”
Shi Do’s eyes widened, her sapphire blue eyes glinting like precious gems, looking at Brendel with sparkling fascination, “Mister Brendel, you’re so funny; I’ve never heard of such things…”
“Very clever,” Brendel thought.
The girl hesitated for a moment before asking again, “Mister Brendel, I’ve heard you’re a descendant of the Highland Knights? I heard the Cardiff people still maintain their traditions, marrying stepmothers and daughters-in-law, and I’ve been told that after death, your souls are not purified in flames but instead, the bones are collected and placed in jars, buried by the roadsides? Is all this true?”
Brendel looked at her oddly, momentarily stunned before straightening his face to respond, “Yes, and furthermore, we still maintain the practice of eating raw meat, drawing swords at the slightest disagreement. In our land, women may have many men, and men may have many women—so, what do you think? Are you scared?”
Shi Do was left speechless, her face filled with disbelief, her mouth agape as she stared at Brendel.
“Sorry,” Brendel looked at her and added, “What I said earlier was all a joke—”
……
(PS: That’s it for this chapter, 6K words. I have to head out for a bit. I’ll check the comment section later and respond to yesterday’s questions.) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
