The next morning, the Knights of the North Island extinguished the fire, tidied up the camp, and set off again for Silver Ring City.

After a journey of more than six hours, the outline of a city gradually came into view.

Cumberland stared blankly into the distance, his face gloomy, as if he were thinking of something.

The group followed the path for another two kilometers and arrived at an abandoned mill.

Cumberland pushed open the door of the mill warehouse.

Several burly men dressed as farmers stood up from the haystack, and after seeing clearly what the newcomers looked like, they bowed slightly in greeting.

Having stopped the North Islanders from starting a war, the old knight walked to the middle of the waiting group and asked their leader, "Is everything ready?"

The latter nodded blankly.

Brunhilde glanced quickly among Cumberland and the farmers, raised her spear, pointed it at the latter, and shouted, "Who are you?!"

The person being questioned opened his mouth, and by the light, people could see that his tongue had been pulled out by the roots, leaving only a blurry lump of flesh that was barely visible.

“They are not enemies.” Cumberland slowly lowered Brunhilde’s spear, then added, “They are not allies either.”

Ignoring the North Islanders' knives and axes, the farmers pulled out one wooden box after another from the haystacks, skillfully opened them with crowbars, and took out sets of old, musty-smelling leather armor.

Brunhilde crouched down, carefully examined the leather armor, and pointed to the stag's head emblem on the chest, asking Cumberland, "Why is there armor from the Kingdom of Connaught here?"

Cumberland smiled and said, "You don't really think we can storm the city with just this few people, do you?"

Brunhilde threw the leather armor she was holding back heavily into the wooden crate, without refuting the other person's words.

Cumberland continued, “You all wait here and rest for a while. I’m going into town tonight to see someone.”

Brunhilde took a step closer to the old knight, her eyes piercing: "Why are we left here? And how long is 'a while'?! Why do I feel this is increasingly like a trap? And you're testing my patience!"

Cumberland looked at the Valkyrie with a pained expression: "People say the North Islanders are impatient, and it seems that's absolutely true. Brunhilde, if you don't trust this old man, you can come with me and leave your men here to wait for the signal."

Seeing her nod in agreement, the old knight shook his head and sighed, "Don't forget to tell them that if they don't return within three days, they don't need to wait any longer."

——————————————

Late that night, Cumberland and Brunhilde, dressed in Northern army armor, followed their respective squires toward the gates of Silver Ring City.

As she approached the city, the Valkyrie gazed at the tall, sturdy city walls against the night sky and murmured in amazement.

Cumberland followed the other's gaze and looked ahead, then said something rather strange: "Walls are perhaps the most contradictory invention in human history. They protect against wild beasts and enemies, but they also imprison people's courage and souls."

Seeing the puzzled expressions on the faces of those around him, Cumberland simply smiled and said, "Historically, without exception, those kingdoms with high walls and deep moats have all perished; those forces that abandon their defenses and become homeless have instead slowly risen to become empires."

"guard!"

Brunhilde whispered a warning as she reached for the spear behind her back.

Cumberland waved to her, signaling her to calm down.

The guide walked toward the guard at the city gate, handed him a small packet of coins, and revealed a badge.

Soon, the city gatekeeper ordered a side gate to be opened, granting the visitors permission to pass.

"The silver ring had long since turned black."

Having said that, Cumberland slung his legs over the horse's flanks and entered the long-lost city.

The once bustling city of Silver Ring is no more. The bright lights after nightfall have been replaced by a deathly silence. Along the way, the buildings are dilapidated and debris is scattered everywhere.

Brunhilde rode her horse carefully, avoiding a rotting corpse in the stinking ditch, and frowned as she said, "The legendary horrors of Helheim are nothing more than this."

The group continued forward, slowly approaching the St. Cole Cathedral.

The enormous holy cross that once stood in the center of the church square had been toppled and replaced by a rectangular stone platform. On it, there were grooves for binding hands and feet, blackened bloodstains around the platform, and ancient divine symbols made of wood. Without needing further details, everyone could imagine what the northerners had done after entering this place.

"What is that?" Brunhilde's question made Cumberland turn his head.

A shriveled corpse, clearly preserved, rested on its hands and knees. Five enormous iron nails firmly anchored its hands, feet, and head to the ground, with the corpse's head pointing directly at the wooden statue of the ancient god.

Cumberland sighed: "Bishop Fabian chose to perish with the cathedral when the barbarians entered the city. He defended his faith with his life; may God bless his soul."

After bypassing the dilapidated church and walking through the forest of corpses pierced by wooden stakes, Cumberland finally stopped at the entrance of the cemetery, 500 meters away from the church.

He dismounted, untied his weapons and handed them to his attendants for safekeeping, then, holding a torch, slowly made his way up the muddy steps.

Seeing this, Brunhilde considered for a moment and followed in his footsteps.

The vast cemetery now looks incredibly crowded, with so many tombstones that there isn't enough space. Some tombstones are simply piled up like firewood; others, on their palm-sized stone surfaces, have dozens of names inscribed on them.

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