The cold night wind swept through the valley, cutting at faces like knives.Louis led his team onto a small path leading to Qingyu Ridge.The mountain path was narrow, with vertical rock walls on both sides, just wide enough for people to pass in a single file.Horses could no longer pass, so everyone dismounted, tugging hard on their reins, walking forward one after another in a line.“This… how can there be a mountain path?” Yoen gasped, looking down at the deep valley below his feet, his scalp tingling. “It’s not marked on the map at all.”“It might be an old smuggling route,” Louis replied casually, his expression calm. “An old hunter told me about it.”He didn’t explain further, continuing to lead the team forward.Behind him, Bond silently observed the advancing team.He was an envoy sent by the Governor of the Northern Territory, ostensibly to provide military advice, but in reality, to supervise whether the nobles were feigning compliance or betraying the Empire.He had been observing this team throughout the journey.Every soldier carried a backup weapon; their equipment, though not ornate, was clean and efficient, designed entirely for practical combat.Moreover, their formation was neat; even the supply soldiers, responsible for bringing up the rear, showed no signs of panic.As soon as Louis issued an order, even the last soldier reacted immediately, without needing supervision.“It looks like a carefully trained army,” Bond thought to himself. “Not a hastily assembled one, and even less like those aristocratic soldiers from the south who only know how to put on airs.”Of course, what surprised him most was Louis himself.The young man was not old, yet he was genuinely respected by his subordinates.He always walked at the very front of the team; he had no attendants surrounding him, nor did he speak unnecessary words, occasionally stopping to confirm the terrain, his expression as focused as a hunter’s.“To the left, there’s a fork there.” Louis personally led the vanguard into an even narrower slope.Bond couldn’t help but look up at Louis.This noble scion didn’t look like someone new to the area; instead, he seemed to be inspecting his own backyard, with a sense of control.What was most surprising was the mountain path they were currently on, which was clearly a hidden route almost nobody had discovered.It wasn’t marked on the military maps, and judging by the state of the surrounding weeds, it looked as if no one had ever walked it.Yet, Louis walked without hesitation, as if he already knew every turn, every stone.“If I had to point out a flaw…”Bond frowned, his gaze falling on the belated supply team at the end of the mountain path.Their marching speed was noticeably slower, as if deliberately delaying.Just then, as the team at the end of the path had just stabilized, two scout riders galloped over.“Report!” They dismounted in front of Louis, kneeling in salute: “A Snowsworn outpost has been discovered three miles ahead, with approximately two hundred garrisoned troops.”Louis merely nodded slightly: “Two hundred men… We can fight them. I need the enemy’s defenses, patrol routes, and the surrounding terrain.”“Yes!” The scout knights remounted and quickly disappeared down the path.Bond stood to the side, his brows furrowing unconsciously.“He really found the Snowsworn outpost,” he murmured softly.This outpost had existed for a long time, controlled by the Snowsworn, and had always been a problem for the Governor of the Northern Territory.Because its location was extremely critical.Between Snowpeak County and Ice Sea County, mountains crisscrossed and the terrain was complex; Qingyu Ridge was one of the few shortcuts.If one could control this place, it would mean controlling the Snowsworn’s vital passage for retreat north and for reinforcements.Several armies had been dispatched here to try and eradicate this place.But their outpost was too hidden and difficult to attack, and several attempts had failed.If Louis could truly take this place, it would be at least a first-class merit!But the problem was, he hadn’t requested reinforcements, hadn’t observed, and hadn’t even hesitated in the slightest.With just a simple “We can fight,” he intended to take it on directly?He was too bold…Bond looked at the young man’s back walking ahead, his emotions churning.But soon he realized something else.How could such an important outpost as Qingyu Ridge only have two hundred men?That number didn’t seem right.It was impossible for the Snowsworn to have only two hundred men in such a strategic location.Where were the other forces?Bond suddenly had an ominous premonition.… … … …Nighttime, in Snow Eagle City’s banquet hall, the candles were still lit, and cups and dishes lay in disarray.A dispatch rider, covered in dust, burst through the main door, almost stumbling as he rushed to the main table:“Report! Frontline scouts report the discovery of a large contingent of Snowsworn cavalry approaching Snow Eagle City—it looks like… over a thousand!”Firth’s wine cup trembled in his hand, spilling half its contents.“O-one thousand?” He repeated, thinking he had misheard.“A large contingent of Snowsworn cavalry is approaching Snow Eagle City, approximately one thousand,” the dispatch rider repeated.“Impossible… How can this be!”He almost staggered to his feet: “Weren’t we supposed to send troops to eradicate the Snowsworn? How could it be them attacking us instead?”Before he finished speaking, another dispatch rider rushed in, pushing the door open: “Lord, Viscount Webster is on the city wall, he wants you to come quickly!”Night fell, and only scattered torchlight remained on Snow Eagle City’s walls.Viscount Webster had already ascended the city wall, wrapped in a thick cloak, gazing at the distant snowy plain.Amidst the undulating snow, a dark tide was rapidly approaching.Those were not ordinary cavalry; they were Snowsworn Wolf Riders.The snow wolves ran like shadows, their footsteps °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° silent, yet kicking up a sky full of snow dust;The riders, clad in beast hides and scale armor, shimmered with silver light, exuding a chilling aura.Every mount was muscular, with glowing blue eyes and exposed fangs, as if ready to pounce and tear at prey at any moment.That insane momentum was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.“Snowsworn Wolf Riders,” Viscount Webster said in a deep voice.A young knight beside him instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon, frowning: “Only a few hundred…”Viscount Webster shook his head, his eyes like iron: “This is the vanguard. There will certainly be more behind them.”He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his voice low: “They are going to besiege the city.”Footsteps sounded, and more nobles hurried over, crowding onto the city wall.Firth ascended the steps, panting, and upon seeing the dark figures in the snow, his face immediately changed: “W-what… what’s going on?”The group of nobles on the city wall immediately fell into chaos.“How did it turn into them attacking us instead?!”“Why was there no prior warning?”“Can this city be defended?”Some of the nobles spoke over each other, their faces pale, almost on the verge of collapse.Firth, especially, clutched the battlements, his voice trembling: “Oh dear! This… what should we do…”But Viscount Webster remained standing in the wind and snow, his gaze calm.“Concentrate the archer and spearmen units on the north wall, and dispatch a few hundred knights over,” he ordered. “Hold off the first wave of impact.”

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