Carrying experimental equipment and samples of supernatural abilities, Todd rode Henry the griffin for two days and one night before finally arriving above the Froststone tribe.
Looking down from the air, the ruins that were once broken walls and rubble have now been largely cleared away. All sorts of people are busy in the camp, clearing snow and building wooden huts.
The sound of the griffin flapping its wings attracted people's attention. Those with sharp eyes looked towards the northern sky and shouted, "The leader is back!"
Todd, now in Boyle's form, directed Henry to slowly descend to the ground, and the wooden crate under the griffin's claws was gently lowered down.
He flipped off Henry's back and looked around at the tribesmen who had gathered around him, nodding and smiling at them. Among them were gladiators who had fought alongside him, tribesmen he had rescued from prison, and many strangers he didn't recognize. But out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance at the newly built, quaint building in the camp.
"Boss!"
Ackerman, who was taking stock of the food supplies in the camp, was the first to run over because he was closer.
Todd looked at the young man, who was in his early twenties and whose hands were covered in chilblains but whose face was beaming with a happy smile, and nodded, asking, "How's the camp?"
Looking around at the crowd, Ackerman approached Todd and said, "Boss, we need to find a quiet place."
Todd glanced at the building not far away again, suppressing his longing, and nodded to Ackerman, saying, "Gather all the people in charge; I want to understand the current situation. Oh, and this wooden box contains extremely important equipment. Make sure it's in a safe place and have someone guard it."
Ten minutes later, in the main hall of the tribal chief's house.
Ackerman, Kasper, and Minnie sat by the fire, quietly waiting for the leader to speak.
Todd had just learned two pieces of news from them: the first was that the old barbarian warrior Fried had led his people to the south to transport weapons and armor. As for the second, it was probably bad news for the camp.
Sitting cross-legged at the top of the longhouse, Todd stroked his chin and said, "Sixty-nine people have left?"
Ackerman and Kasper exchanged a glance, and the former said, "While you were away, quite a few people... left this place. Some of them missed their gladiators, and some were civilians who heard that the army was coming."
Seeing Todd remain silent in thought, Casper slapped his thigh hard and said in a deep voice, "These people have no idea what's going on. The heavy snow has blocked all the roads, and the army is still searching everywhere for those who have escaped. Leaving the camp at this time will only lead to death."
Old shaman Minnie seemed to be talking to herself: "We need to restore people's confidence."
Todd closed his eyes, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Besides people leaving, what else has happened in the camp?"
Ackerman said with a serious expression, "According to the knight's reconnaissance, the scouts in Ulster are becoming more and more active. They may not be able to wait until spring and will launch an attack here."
Kasper continued, "There is only one arrow tower built in the camp, and the surrounding wooden wall is only two hundred meters long. The defenses are too weak."
Todd asked, "How many troops can we mobilize?"
Kasper thought for a moment and gave a vague number: "About four hundred people."
Todd was somewhat surprised: "Only four hundred people?"
"Including the twenty-eight knights, over two hundred gladiators, and about one hundred tribal warriors," Ackerman finished recounting the numbers, paused, and then added, "The harsh outdoor cold, the poor living conditions, and the arduous labor have caused many to fall ill. Furthermore, our weapons and armor for arming the warriors are severely lacking..."
Upon hearing this, Todd frowned and asked, "Why hasn't the equipment transported from Watchtower arrived at the camp yet?"
"From the camp, it's more than 400 kilometers south, and most of the journey is a winding mountain road. Even if we organize dozens of sleds, it will take at least a month to make a round trip, and that's under good weather conditions."
Todd calculated the time; by the time the weapons and armor reached the camp, it was very likely that they would not be able to make it in time for the war with Alster.
He reassessed the forces at his disposal. Most of Boyle's people had not received systematic military training and were probably not up to the task. Although gladiators had outstanding individual combat abilities, they were unable to organize an effective attack when facing an army in formation, so they could not be the main force of the army.
After careful consideration, the only force capable of forming a fighting force is Alfonso and his twenty-seven royal guards.
Just as Todd was still thinking about Alfonso and his troops, the original body, returning from patrol, walked into the tribal hall.
Alfonso's eyes lit up as he looked at Todd in his seat. He took off his helmet, strode to the fire pit, and said, "Your Majesty... Chief, you're back."
Todd looked at the snowflakes that hadn't been brushed off the other person's armor and smiled, saying, "Sit down first."
Alfonso gave Todd a knightly salute, then unsheathed his sword and sat down by the fire.
Before the two could even exchange a word, the latter was surprised to find that the former was actually using a torch burning in the fire pit to heat up the metal armor.
Todd's eyes widened as he asked, "Alfonso, what are you doing?!"
Alfonso, holding a torch in one hand and brushing aside the parasitic limbs on his face with the other, replied, “Chief, I’ve noticed something strange. Since arriving in the North, my dragon bones have become incredibly stiff, and sometimes it’s very difficult to even move my joints. But as long as I heat them with fire, they return to normal.”
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