At sunset, Rhodes knelt on one knee in front of the Snow Queen Katarina and greeted her respectfully.
The fiery red sun cast its last remaining rays on Catalina, making her snow-white skin look particularly bright red. Catalina raised her head and stared at Rhodes. For a moment, Rhodes seemed to see a pair of eyes that were different from ordinary people.
The blood-red eyes are staring at herself. It feels like... like a bad wolf, staring at you in the dark, and you are her meal and prey tonight.
"Rod Lawn, Lord of Blackhammer Castle, Manticore Killer, Mercenary Nemesis. You are the hero of the people of Kislev. On behalf of the royal family, I would like to express my gratitude to you. You saved an entire legion and saved the world."
Thousands of lives. You are a hero."
Catalina sat on the makeshift frosty throne and spoke in a majestic and cold voice. Although she did not yell or shout like the barbarians, her voice was extremely clear and could be heard by thousands of people.
Got. Rhodes guessed that it was magic...
"For Kislev and for Her Majesty the Queen, this is what I should do."
Rhodes replied "humbly".
He looked at the throne under the Snow Queen. It was a huge rock, wrapped in solid ice. It was probably a temporary boulder found in the camp, and was cast with ice magic to look like an ice throne. He held a meeting as the Queen.
A temporary seat. After all, she is the Queen of Kislev, and the Tsar should look like a Tsar...
"No need to be modest, my warrior, this is not the first time we have met. Lord Rhodes, I admire you very much, your courage and wisdom, and of course your unparalleled luck. Anyway, you saved
The Northern Allied Forces have taken back Fort Grizzly Bear. Such an achievement deserves to be rewarded. A warrior who shed blood and sacrificed his life for the country and people should be rewarded." Catalina paused and continued. "I decided to put Grizzly Bear into the ground.
The castle is given to you."
After Catalina finished speaking, Rhodes thought he heard wrongly. Grizzly Bear Castle is a large castle that controls the water transportation of the Anka River. It is also a relatively wealthy place. There are about four to five thousand citizens in the territory, and they are engaged in
Various industries, and the terrain of Grizzly Bear Castle is very steep, making it difficult for conventional troops to conquer. As long as there are no enemies such as ratmen and undead, it can be said that this castle is very safe, much better than Black Hammer Castle.
But after a brief period of ecstasy, Rhodes understood Katarina's intention. This was not a reward in the true sense, but more of a test. His identity as the chosen son of God was already known to everyone, so for Katarina
It is undoubtedly a big threat. However, the people's trust in the Chosen One prevented Katarina from taking action, so she had to reward herself. Grizzly Bear Castle is a good reward.
However, this is just the surface. The deeper purpose is a test. Just like Benedick, Lord of Grizzly Bear Castle, said - the Snow Queen wants loyal lackeys, not truly capable talents. Now, it is obvious that it is
When she tests herself.
Rhodes knew that although Grizzly Bear Castle was a treasure, he couldn't take it right now. First, if he took it, it would inevitably arouse Catalina's suspicion. Once the Erengrad rebellion ends, it is estimated that she will be dealt with next.
Yes, it’s yourself.
Second, even if we take the Grizzly Bear Castle, we can't hold it. The Grizzly Bear Castle is very close to the capital Kislev. It can be said that it is the territory of the Snow Queen. It is surrounded by her people. I hurriedly took over it.
, there will definitely be no way to control the castle in a short time, and the queen's people will take advantage of it. In the future, if she turns against Catalina, the first one to be besieged will be herself. Taking a step back, Grizzly Bear Castle
Being so close to the Queen's Snow Winter Palace, it is not ruled out that the Queen will use all her strength to summon a blizzard one day. When a blizzard comes, the damage to Grizzly Bear Castle can be said to be fatal.
The northern border is different. It is too far away from the capital city of Kislev. Even if the queen wants to control it, she can't extend her tentacles that far. The northern border is basically under the independent jurisdiction of each lord, except for the negligible annual tribute.
, and has the responsibility to be loyal to the Queen during wartime. At other times, it is basically in a state of independent management.
Such a place is suitable for one's deep cultivation. Moreover, due to the inheritance left by their ancestors, the people of the castle have been loyal to the Lawn family for many years, rather than the far away Tsar of Kislev. Furthermore, retreating to the north,
You can also let the Snow Queen ignore her own existence. After all, the cold and vast northern territory is worthless in the eyes of most people. What kind of troops can be developed there? Just look at the current Northern Alliance Army.
They are just a group of bandits who fight for nothing and are usually malnourished...
"Dear Her Majesty the Queen, thank you for your love, but Fort Grizzly... I think I am not strong enough to manage that city."
In front of everyone, Rhodes answered calmly.
Catalina's frosty face was expressionless, but Rhodes could clearly feel a satisfied smile rising on her light red lips.
"But you must get the reward you deserve. Tell me, what do you want?"
Katarina asked softly. She stared at Rhodes, while everyone stared at the two of them.
"Your Majesty, in fact, I just want to go home. When this war is over, I hope to return to my castle as soon as possible. Farmers need farming and poor people need houses. These are what I care about. I
What I want is a peaceful life, Your Majesty. Of course, the North has been repeatedly invaded by beastmen and other foreign enemies. If possible, I hope Her Majesty the Queen can help me stop some enemies. And... I hope my daughter can
come back earlier……"
Rhodes returned in a low voice.
After saying that, Catalina's face became a little better. Of course, Rhode's words were partly true and partly false. The ideal is farming? That's a lie. Black Hammer Castle is located on the northern border, and the land is barren.
, resources are scarce, and you can barely maintain a noble life by farming till you grow old. But it is true that you want your daughter to go home, it is human nature. Moreover, asking for this in front of the queen is actually not a trivial matter. Everyone knows that Shuanghan
The Witch's Value to the Snow Queen.
However, the answer must be like this. It is easy to identify Catalina if she is completely hypocritical, but it is impossible to be completely true. Half hypocrisy and half truth can not make people suspicious.
"I promise, your daughter will come home safely."
Katerina smiled.
Everyone heard it clearly, but Rhodes would not really believe the Queen's lies. Rhodes knew very well what kind of person Catalina was. Only others had made promises to her, and she had not made promises to others. Dennis might one day
Come back, but it’s not certain what you will look like when you come back.
Rhodes sighed in his heart and had to pretend to be pious and humble.