"The Misty Mountains are ahead."
On a desolate land, Roderick rode on a warhorse and pointed to a gloomy mountain silhouette in front of him. They set off from the New Great Wall and headed west, passing through many towns and bypassing Blazing Flames Castle.
The castle of Sword Lord Mason was now empty, and Sword Lord had disappeared after identifying Stark, the culprit who killed Tangerio. Rumor had it that after the death of his wife, the Sword Lord left the empire and set out by sea alone to explore the wider world.
As Allen passed by Blazing Flames Castle, he remembered the duel between Tangerio and Mason that day. If he had his current strength at that time, then many tragedies would not have happened. However, it had already been so long. Even if Allen had become a Sovereign, he could not go against the power of time. Naturally, he could not change anything.
He urged his horse forward and rode alongside Roderick. The army in the rear was setting up a temporary camp. They had been marching for many days and were already far away from the border. Tomorrow, they would be able to enter the Misty Mountains. Although the empire had organized an expedition against the Shadow Duchy, the furthest they could go was out of the Misty Mountains. Several times, they were forced back by the Shadow Duchy in the deep swamp behind the mountains.
Whether it was the Misty Mountains, the Howling Swamp, or the uninhabited Lightless Canyon, they were all places with harsh environments. Whether it was the climate or the terrain, it was very difficult for the human army to pass through. That was why it had not been able to capture the Shadow Duchy for hundreds of years.
Now it was another attempt, and it was determined to succeed.
Roderick pointed at the distant silhouette of the mountains and said, "There is a plant in the Misty Mountains that emits hallucinogenic gas. Although we have a way to restrain it, it is still not easy to pass through the mountains. Especially the logistics team, the transportation of ordnance is even more troublesome. "
"We will pass eventually."
Allen said calmly.
Roderick glanced at him and said, "The Grand Duke is so confident. There are two paths through the mountain range. One is to climb over the mountains and cross the ridges. The other is to take the Great Esabean Tunnel and pass directly through the ground. However, the Great Esabean Tunnel has not been maintained for many years. I'm afraid some of the roads have already been sealed. "
"I've never heard of this tunnel?"
"Of course, because this is a top secret of the empire." Roderick said, "Essabean was an imperial marshal from two hundred years ago. Back then, in order to pass through the Misty Mountains, he planned to build a tunnel through the mountains and directly enter the Wailing Swamp. If we succeed, our army will be able to easily force their way into the Plains of Shadows. At that time, the emperor agreed to this plan and gathered the entire nation's resources to dig a tunnel. "
"And then?" Allen asked.
"The beginning was smooth. Soon after, the Shadow Duchy learned of the news and sent troops to obstruct it. Of course, the Marshal had already made preparations. Not only had he stationed a large army here, he had also invited a Saint-level expert from that era. The two sides began to fight over this large tunnel, and this battle lasted for two years. During these two years, the construction of the tunnel did not stop. On the contrary, it was a race against time to complete it. Just as the tunnel was about to be opened, the Shadow Duchy released a terrifying creature from underground. "
Allen frowned. "What creature?"
"They have many names." Roderick said in a deep voice, "Some call them the guardians of hell, while others call them the bearers of misfortune. But no matter which one it is, those things caused the tunnel to fail in the end, and even Essabean was buried underground. However, at that time, we were only a step away from opening the tunnel. If necessary, we could blow up the tunnel. However, there was no need, so we took another path. Although it was a little troublesome, it was better than facing those ugly and dangerous creatures. "
The two of them rode back to the camp. In the camp, Roderick asked, "Where's your army, Grand Duke?"
"My army has already gone ahead. They will meet us on the Plains of Shadows," said Allen.
Roderick nodded and jumped off his horse. "Then rest early. We're going into the mountains tomorrow, so we need to be alert."
The next morning, the army broke camp.
Ellen rode on his horse and walked in front with Roderick. Behind them, the army formed a long line, as if it was going to divide the earth. Allen put on his helmet. This set of armor had been made for Julian by a craftsman, and it was dignified without losing its domineering aura. Allen and Julian were similar in size, so the young emperor simply gave it to Allen. Of course, Allen didn't expect anything special from this set of armor. In fact, for him, armor had lost its original meaning and was more of a decoration. However, Allen still took a large sword that was set with the armor. Now that he was wearing a helmet and holding the hilt of the sword, a black horse and black armor, a domineering aura was faintly discernible. Even Roderick, who was walking beside him, felt a little uncomfortable.
Previously, when Roderick heard that Allen's strength far surpassed the Ten Saints, he still didn't believe it. Now that he saw that the other party had subtly suppressed him with a casual release of aura, he had no choice but to believe it. With an expert like Allen accompanying him, Roderick felt more at ease.
In the blink of an eye, the army entered the mountains, and Roderick sent scouts to explore the path. This path had been trampled by the imperial army a long time ago. Of course, there was no way out now, but it was recorded in the empire's files. Roderick looked at the sheepskin map in his hand as he walked to compare it with the surrounding terrain.
The journey was relatively smooth. At the beginning of entering the mountains, there was nothing that could be considered an obstacle except for the dense trees and towering grass. At noon, mist began to drift through the forest. Roderick ordered the troops to stop and ordered them to wear masks. The inner layer of this mask was wrapped in a special herb that could neutralize the hallucinogenic gas of the Misty Mountains.
Of course, Allen didn't need this kind of mask. As long as he was willing, he could even burn down this forest, and then no hallucinogenic gas would exist.
At this moment, a scout returned and reported to Roderick, "Marshal, the mountain path ahead is difficult to traverse, and the road is only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. One side is against the mountain, and the other is a cliff. A companion has already gone to explore the way. Marshal, please rest here first. "
Roderick nodded in agreement, and so the army rested on the spot. Sitting on the woodland, soldiers brought water and food. The empire's marching rations were a kind of fruit cake that tasted fresh and nutritious. Allen also tasted one and felt that it wasn't bad. After drinking some more water, Lola walked over and sat down beside him. "I have a feeling that something will happen."
Lola had an almost beast-like intuition, especially in a place like the forest, where her intuition was even more obvious. Moreover, at their level of combat strength, they would always feel some threat from some clues in the environment.
Allen said indifferently, "What will come will come. It doesn't matter. We'll deal with all changes with constancy. Let's see what tricks the Shadow Duchy can play."
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