novelraw Chapter 1171 - 351: Northern Empire
Chapter 1171 - 351: Northern Empire
Luo Yan lingered for three days in Quartz City, the commercial and artistic capital of Rhode Kingdom. After admiring how those wildly popular pianos across the Empire were crafted by rough yet steady hands, he set off once again to continue his northward journey.
The carriage headed north, departing from the clang of craftsmen's tools and the hawking merchants, entering the hereditary domain of the Northern Duke, the Blackwood family.
The landscape here was completely different; the layout of villages and towns was as orderly as a military camp, and the roads between the fields were as straight as if cut by a blade. Even the farmers working in the wind and snow stood with straight backs.
The air was filled with the scent of discipline and steel, forming a sharp contrast with the opulence of the Holy City and the craftsmanship of Quartz City.
While gazing at the forts stretching along the mountain range, Taufu couldn't help but exclaim.
"Incredible, I feel like... I've been here before."
Luo Yan flipped through his copy of "Luo De Kingdom Travelogue" and replied in his spare moment.
"How long ago?"
"About a thousand years, I can't quite remember, all in my past life," Taufu muttered as her neck shivered in the cold wind, and she burrowed her head back into the warm and soft blanket.
A thousand years.
That's quite a long time.
According to the records in "Luo De Kingdom Travelogue," this Duke Domain in the Northern Realm is a military stronghold for the Rhode Kingdom, built five hundred years ago and named after the Blackwood family.
Aside from the ubiquitous fortresses and castles, what stood before them now was a city called "Dragon Watch City," said to have significant ties to the Giant Dragons.
However, rather than calling it a city, it would be more accurate to describe it as a "giant fortress" integrated with the mountain range.
The city walls were directly hewn into the mountain rock, with many buildings and passageways carved into the mountain itself. There's a rumor that the foundation is directly built upon ancient Dwarf ruins.
The buildings here are low and sturdy, with slanted roofs to withstand the snowy winters and possible attacks at any moment. The city is filled year-round with the smell of blacksmiths' fires and leather, and the air is cold and biting.
A colossal wall named the Unyielding Wall towers a hundred meters high, stretching across the entire canyon, laden with crossbow cannons and catapult emplacements. The wall is etched with the names of generations of defenders and the years of invasions repelled, every brick and stone carrying a heavy historical legacy.
You wouldn't feel this kind of murderous aura in the Holy City.
"...If Brass Pass falls, this will be the Empire's second line of defense, and it will likely hold longer than Brass Pass."
Luo Yan silently assessed this in his mind, then flipped another page in his book as his thoughts moved along with the rolling wheels through the swirling snowstorm.
Before entering Dragon Watch City, Luo Yan wondered if Taufu's presence might attract her kind. Unfortunately, during their three-day stay, they didn't hear a single Dragon Roar; instead, there were a few distant wolf howls from the mountains.
It appears the Dragon Tooth Mountain Range is too small to accommodate real Giant Dragons.
While in Dragon Watch City, Luo Yan was idle, so he registered as an adventurer at the local adventurer guild under the name Colin. He even took on a few tasks with Sarah and Taufu, "bothering" the nearby Maze a bit.
Regrettably, the local Demon King managed poorly, and the Maze was filled with low-level creatures like slimes and skeleton soldiers, even less than Thunder County's Dragon family.
...
The local Lord keeps the Maze intact probably for sustainable Demon Crystal income and adventurers' contributions through spending and taxes.
Luo Yan could sense roughly that the Demon General here was about on par with Sarah, with power at mid-Silver Level.
As for the Demon King, it's likely just at Gold Level, not any higher.
Without delving into the deepest labyrinth, Luo Yan only lightly bombed the surface, shocking adventurers whose highest level was Bronze Level and scaring off "colleagues" hiding underground, along with a startled Taufu, then he left gracefully.
The rewards from adventurer tasks were minimal, but what surprised Luo Yan was that despite being idle for so long without grinding, he unexpectedly leveled up during the journey.
[
ID: Luo Yan
Race: Human
Soul Level: Diamond (Level Limit 130)
Level: Level 92 (+1)
Constitution: 91 (+2)
Strength: 36
Agility: 44
Intelligence: 289 (+10)
Spirit: 235 (+3)
]
Although compared to the increase in Power of Faith, the upgrade in Extraordinary Power seems negligible, it's still a pleasant surprise for Luo Yan.
Incidentally, what comforts Luo Yan is that his cat also leveled up, and compared to back on Gana Continent she's advanced a total of 6 levels.
This speed of progress is quite remarkable.
[
ID: Sarah
Race: Demon
Soul Level: Gold (Level Limit 90)
Level: Level 57 (+6)
Constitution: 40 (+1)
Strength: 67 (+8)
Agility: 100 (+15)
Intelligence: 17
Spirit: 18
]
...
Having passed through the disciplined lands of the Northern Duke, the carriage continued eastward, quickly reaching the pass at the southern foot of the Dragon Tooth Mountain Range.
Ahead was the Eagle Rock Territory, the knightly fief governed by Sir Kael Richter, who had been loyal to the Rhode Royal Family for generations.
Although the Rhode Royal Family probably doesn't remember having such a loyal vassal, for ordinary people on the Aus Continent, this place is quite famous.
The reason is simple.
```