When Rhodes and Vinos caught up with the queen's army, the Kislev coalition and the Griffin Legion completely surrounded the entire city of Erengrad. The Ice Queen herself was in Valenmir.
The fort was undergoing renovations in preparation for the upcoming siege.
When Rhodes entered Fort Wallenmere on his tall horse, he was warmly welcomed by the soldiers. Especially the northern soldiers. In their eyes, Rhodes had won glory for the north and proved that northerners were no better than southerners.
Well, they have the ability to do everything. Even difficult tasks like hunting vampires.
However, Rhodes did not expect that he would receive such a warm welcome, because the big tree attracts the wind. It seems that Catalina temporarily trusts him. However, if he is too popular, he will still attract the queen's attention and alert. Rhodes knows
, if he wants to develop under the eyes of the Snow Queen, he must keep a low profile. If possible, he even hopes to change his face so that no one will recognize him.
Also in Fort Valenmere was Alves. The little dwarf was not in a good mental state. At least Rhodes remembered that Alves was still in high spirits when they parted ways in Wintermark Castle. But now, what he saw in front of him was
Alves looked like a dead fish, with a tired face, unshaved beard, dark circles under his eyes and bags under his eyes, looking listless. However, the moment he saw Rod, Alves still showed a rare joy.
"I thought you were going to die in the South."
After entering the living room of Fort Valenmire, Alves took Rhodes to his room. Generally speaking, except for his own room, Alves no longer dared to trust the place arranged by anyone. Rhodes found that he
This friend has new scars on his face and hands.
"But no, the Chosen Bear God will not die so easily."
Rhodes joked.
The light in the room is very dark, and there is only a small window that brings in the outdoor sunlight. From this window, you can just see the sea and the old port. It is a small port, but this naval battle has become a
The Snow Queen's most important naval base. Alves still remembers how the Northern Allied Forces captured this castle two months ago. In order to attack the city, they killed at least four hundred soldiers... In the end, they relied on the Ice Queen's spell.
Only then did they freeze the sea water and drive the large army over. But throughout the whole battle, the young master Dean did not even dare to take a step forward.
"Tell me, what happened to your scar?"
Rhodes noticed Alves' abnormal expression and asked. Like Alves, although Rhodes had returned as a war hero at this moment, there were too many things that made him worried and uneasy.
"The Battle of Erengrad. Yes, no doubt, I participated in that battle. Damn it, Dean is a beast and a traitor. My brother Aubrey entrusted him to me before he died and asked me to help him
I want to manage the Iron Ring City well, but he wants to kill me. And he uses such terrible means."
"You mean Dean forced you to board the ship and let you lead the team in the naval battle?"
Rhodes asked while lying on the seat. The pale sunlight shone on his face through the window, reflecting the knife-like face.
"Yes, in the end I had no choice but to temporarily let an old captain command the battle. You know, I know nothing about naval warfare, and I can't even be considered a layman. You are right, Dean may have been corrupted by Chaos.
, His mind has become very scary and abnormal. He is no longer the Dean I am familiar with." Alves said, his words full of bitterness.
"But I watched him grow up..."
He said sadly.
"The corruption of Chaos is everywhere. Kislev is located in the north of the continent. It is normal for it to be corrupted by Chaos. Look at the entire Norska, almost all of it has become the land of Chaos. However, when you look at your closest relatives,
The degradation step by step is really chilling."
Rod returned with relief. Alves sat in front of the window sill and didn't speak. For a few minutes, he just looked out the window quietly, his eyes dull. First, his most beloved brother died, and then he met a nephew who failed to live up to expectations.
I want to put myself to death. This kind of blow is indeed not something ordinary people can bear.
"I just don't understand why he would do this? What good would it do him to kill his uncle?"
Alves complained. Rod rarely saw him complain, and this was the first time.
"The advantage? Maybe you won't be able to control him anymore. When you are gone, he can let go of his nature. Maybe the Iron Ring Castle can be transformed into a copulation garden, where hundreds of beautiful boys and girls can have fun every day."
"Don't be kidding. I'm serious."
"I am also serious. There is nothing a Slaanesh disciple can do, and he is a lord. He holds the power in his hands. Once you die, no one will be able to ruin his good deeds."
Rhodes laughed.
"Okay, okay, that's it."
Alves shook his hand helplessly, indicating that he did not want to continue discussing this matter.
"By the way, have you heard about your return this time?"
Alves changed the subject elsewhere.
"What did you hear?"
Rhodes asked with a sideways look. He had indeed heard something. During the time when he was separated from the main army, Catalina won many battles.
"Our Czarina is preparing to knight you. You killed the vampire and ensured the safety of Kislev's rear area."
"But she is a vampire herself."
"It's just different factions. Just like the human world, don't they fight every day?"
Alvis joked that power, strength, and wealth are always the focus of competition among people in the world. This is true whether they are humans, elves, dwarves, or greenskins, or vampires. So, what about the same race? When there are no foreign enemies in the empire, they are all different.
The provinces are like independent kingdoms, with constant friction with each other. The elves even split directly into three camps: high elves, dark elves and wood elves.
"What kind of knighthood?"
Rhodes asked with a smile.
"I heard that she is planning to make you an earl, and the territory has doubled in size. It probably includes a series of barren hills and woods around Blackhammer Castle. If the news is true, your territory will directly border Iron Ring Castle and Heidelberg, with the middle
A large area of land will become your territory."
Alves replied.
"That means nothing. You know, there is no shortage of land in the north. What is lacking is population and food. A large area of fertile land around Blackhammer Castle is uncultivated, let alone those barren mountains and forests. If I hadn't collected those North
Karen, no one dares to enter the dark forest in the north until now."
Rhodes said with a wry smile.
"Indeed, maybe our queen just wants to appease people. After all, you have achieved such a brilliant record, and it is difficult to convince the public without rewarding her with something. She is stingy if she needs to dig into her pocket to reward something real. Then, perhaps the best
The best way is to ennoble yourself and reward you with a large piece of useless land. It can be considered as a reward for military merit."
Alves said expressionlessly that these management methods are all commonly used. Not to mention the Queen, even Alves himself knows how to minimize expenditures and deceive the people. After all, if it is not for the body,
It's Blackhammer Keep, who knows what kind of place it is.