Leaving the Tree Root Fortress, Elsie set foot on this land that had been frozen by ice and snow for many years.
She was walking in the direction of the road to the right of Shadow City, towards the east, a completely uninhabited area.
No, it can't be said that there was absolutely no one there.
I heard from Parker that the North was once inhabited by Northerners, but some monster uprisings forced them to migrate south.
As for whether anyone is still in the North, no one knows.
It's unusually cold here!
Elsie wrapped herself tightly in the clothes she had found in the fortress, and took out a soldier's notebook, which recorded what had happened that night.
The carriage was stuffed with food. She added some oriental leaves to an iron cup and brewed it with magical flames to melt water.
Opening the notebook was the best way to pass the time on this journey to the North.
Same old rules, I know. I'll go keep watch and won't bother you anymore~
To be honest, you really should see this snow scene; you won't regret it!
"It's all white, nothing special."
White can be beautiful too...
"Go on guard duty!"
Okay!
The handwriting in the notebook was a little messy, and Elsie held a cup of hot tea, sipping and reading it carefully.
Strangely enough, she came into this world without having specifically studied language and writing, yet she could understand these things!
"Is this considered a talent?" Elsie touched the words in the notebook. She could understand the meaning of those words that she had never studied.
The soldier who left the note in the notebook was Aaron Lofi, the adjutant to the fortress commander.
That night, the church's messengers brought wine; they were located on the edge of the church's territory.
There were no sanctuaries or cultists within the fortress; their submission to orders stemmed solely from the overwhelming pressure exerted on Ellen.
The commander did not refuse the wine, but dismissed the sanctuary messenger with the fortress's ironclad rule of not allowing outsiders in.
In the command room, the commander explained his concerns to the officers. After all, the Holy Church hadn't contacted them much, and the sudden delivery of alcohol was very strange!
The scouts in the military camp, skilled in detecting poison, repeatedly examined the batch of wine, but found nothing unusual.
Aaron left his thoughts of his homeland here in the notebook, and also expressed his determination to receive the royal decree soon, as the northern border was becoming increasingly chaotic.
It may fall soon...
A few days later, the officers couldn't resist the aroma of alcohol and suggested having a few drinks, vowing that they would not let everyone get drunk.
However, the commander refused, as he always felt that the wine was strange.
The matter dragged on for more than three months, and the officers' attitude gradually shifted from pleading to giving up, as if they were complaining because such a small request could not be met.
The commander also complained about this, and Aaron suggested that some soldiers be sent to test the poison, of course, they had to do so voluntarily.
If there is truly no poison or conspiracy, that would be best. If there is poison, it's just that a drunken soldier died. Send some gifts back to his hometown, tell his family that the soldier was a brave warrior, and that will be the end of it.
The commander hesitated for a long time before agreeing to Aaron's method.
"Ah, it's finished." Elsie looked at the cup; the magical leaves from the East still had a refreshing fragrance.
So I added some water to make another cup, and while I was at it... I ate some dried meat.
Holding her cup, she picked up her notebook and opened it again in the cold winter.
To be honest, this is much more interesting than some novels!
It reads very smoothly, no wonder he's a cultured official. You intellectuals are really something else...
...
The commander issued the order to test the alcohol, and soon some officers couldn't resist wanting to try it first, but the commander refused, after all, they were officers with combat experience.
If it really is toxic, the losses would be enormous.
The royal family will not ignore the death of an officer, and the commander will also be held responsible for the officer's death.
Many soldiers in the barracks had long wanted to taste this wine, which was reserved for royalty!
How could they possibly let such a good opportunity slip by?
Aaron noted in his notes that the commander's face was filled with worry as he watched the soldiers drinking happily.
It was out of fear that something might happen to the soldiers, and also to pray that the church hadn't laced the wine with anything.
Aaron also recorded his concerns for the soldiers and vowed that if anything happened, he would be the first to lead his troops to attack the Holy Temple!
but……
A few days later, the soldiers who had been drinking did not die; instead, they became exceptionally energetic, and several new recruits repeatedly outperformed the veterans in military training!
The commander did not let his guard down during those days. He spoke privately with those soldiers, and Aaron went with him.
Those soldiers seemed to have no problems on the surface, but in private... they had even fewer problems.
Aside from the rampant promotion of the wine's effects in the military camp and the lingering shadow of that heavenly kingdom, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
The commander took Aaron away and said on the way that he felt there was something in the wine that shook the soldiers' faith.
He firmly stated that no one else should drink alcohol and vowed that he would rather die than drink!
Another month passed, and Aaron couldn't resist the aroma of the wine that wafted from somewhere. Under the cover of night, he convinced himself to taste just a little bit, but he wouldn't drink any more! Just a taste!
"..."
"That's it?" Elsie's eyes widened. Her notes ended there!
"Wait, something's not right." Elsie noticed there was another page of text, but it sounded like the ramblings of a dying man!
There's no wine in the bottle!
Through the crack in the door, Aaron saw a group of soldiers carrying ropes walking toward the commander's tent!
This is truly the end...
“Hmm…” Elsie thought of the officer who had been hanged at the city gate.
It seems that the soldiers killed their commander for some reason.
As for when those goblins entered the city, and whether it was related to the deaths of those soldiers, that's impossible to say.
"Ah, it's over..." Elsie was starting to get bored.
She remembered that there were quite a few books in the fortress, and she should have brought some out.
"I really miscalculated..."
The journey to the North has just begun, yet it already feels like it's over.
She opened the window, and the wind and snow that rushed in instantly turned her into a snowman!
This is... the beautiful scenery the narrator was talking about...
Heh...liar.
【What do you mean, a scammer!】
Come on! Look this way, what a beautiful view!
"?" Elsie stared at the pop-up window.
However, the next action of the narrator completely broke her defenses.
I want to capture every awkward moment of yours! (Click—) (Sound of camera shutter)
"Go to hell, narrator!"
The snowstorms of the North have obliterated all traces of life; perhaps once you embark on this path, there is no turning back.
Perhaps no one will know how many adventurous souls have lost their way in the North...
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