Chapter 31 : Chapter 31
Chapter 31. The Arrival of a Saint Domain Powerhouse, Arrival at Giant Frost Fortress
At this moment in the Northern Frontier, inside the council hall of Duke Derek’s fortress, candlelight flickered, illuminating the solemn face of Kroll II.
He looked at the travel-worn Duke Lane, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness.
“Have the Barbarians withdrawn?”
Duke Lane bowed. “Your Majesty, the Barbarians have agreed to retreat beyond Despair Fortress, but they proposed…”
“No need to say more.”
Kroll II raised his hand to interrupt, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
“Foolish dreams. They want the things inside the Secret Realm—absolutely impossible.”
“You and Duke Carden will lead ten legions and three Knight Orders. Drive them completely to the west of Despair Fortress. I will dispatch three Legendary Archmages to assist you.”
“End this battle quickly. Our focus has always been the Secret Realm.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Duke Lane accepted the order and departed. The heavy wooden doors slowly closed behind him.
Only Kroll II remained in the council hall. He rubbed his temples and stood, walking toward the depths of the fortress.
After passing through several corridors, he arrived before an unremarkable stone door and knocked three times.
“Enter,” an aged voice came from inside.
Kroll II pushed the door open and walked along a dim passageway.
At the chamber’s end, eight elderly figures with white hair and beards sat together in a circle. Their auras were restrained, yet they exuded a suffocating pressure that stirred unease.
They were the guardians stationed in the Northern Frontier by the royal family. Every one of them was a legendary powerhouse who had lived for nearly a century.
“Greetings, seniors.”
Kroll II bowed respectfully.
The elderly woman seated at the head slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was cloudy with age, yet still piercing.
“Your Majesty, we already understand the situation in the Secret Realm.”
“Then how should we respond?” Kroll II asked. “The Cave Race and Derek’s remaining forces are entrenched within it.”
The old woman chuckled softly, her voice carrying the weight of countless years.
“Your Majesty need not worry. After the Ancestor finishes handling matters in the Royal Secret Realm, he will personally come here.”
Kroll II’s expression trembled with shock.
“The Ancestor is coming as well?”
The “Ancestor” he spoke of was the true pillar of the royal family—a Saint Domain powerhouse who had lived for several centuries and had long withdrawn from worldly affairs.
“Of course.”
The old woman nodded.
“This Secret Realm is a mid-level Secret Realm, a tier higher than the Royal Secret Realm. How could the Ancestor possibly miss it?”
“Moreover, when we infiltrated it earlier to investigate, we discovered traces of a Saint Domain aura within. For some reason, however, it remains hidden and has not revealed itself.”
“When the Ancestor arrives, everything will become clear.”
Kroll II let out a quiet breath of relief. With the Ancestor stepping in, no matter how dangerous the Secret Realm was, it would be manageable.
“So we simply guard the entrance to the Secret Realm and wait for the Ancestor to arrive?”
“Exactly.”
Another old man spoke.
“Lane and Carden will drive away the Barbarians, while we fortify our defenses here. When the Ancestor arrives, we will wipe out the trash inside the Secret Realm in one sweep.”
Kroll II bowed once more to the eight elders before turning and leaving the room.
The candlelight in the corridor burned dimly, casting a steady glow on his retreating figure. His heart, however, had grown much calmer.
These elders represented the accumulated foundation of the Kroll family over several centuries.
Some of them had once been ordinary boys from the streets, discovered by the royal family because of astonishing talent.
Others came from fallen noble families and joined the royal faction with their clans as their pledge.
Yet regardless of their origins, anyone who entered the Royal Secret Realm had to follow one rule—
Their entire family would relocate into the Secret Realm and live together with the royal family.
Over the centuries, they intermarried with the Kroll family and cultivated together. Their bloodlines had long intertwined so thoroughly that it was impossible to distinguish who was an “outsider” and who was “family.”
These people formed the most secret power of the royal family. Normally, they remained in seclusion, cultivating in silence. Only when the kingdom faced a life-and-death crisis would they step forward, as they did now.
Back in his study, Kroll II spread out the map of the Northern Frontier again. His finger traced a line between Despair Fortress and the Secret Realm entrance.
With seventeen Legends guarding the region, along with the Ancestor who was about to arrive, the Secret Realm of the Northern Frontier would undoubtedly belong to the Kroll family.
At this moment, ten legions and three Knight Orders had already departed their encampments under the command of Duke Lane and Duke Carden, marching toward Frozen River Valley.
There, the legions of the Northern Frontier were confronting the Barbarians.
One week later, the two dukes finally led their armies into the territory of Frozen River Valley.
The armor of the ten legions glimmered coldly across the snow, merging with the cavalry formations of the three Knight Orders into a surging tide as they slowly advanced along the frozen valley.
Duke Lane and Duke Carden rode side by side. Their horses’ hooves shattered the thin ice beneath them, producing crisp cracking sounds.
“Lane,”
Duke Carden suddenly chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“I heard that not long ago, the royal family and Prince William took three hundred million gold coins from your family.”
“Tsk tsk, that’s enough to make anyone cry.”
Duke Lane glanced at him and smiled faintly.
“Carden, if you do not know how to converse, then keep your mouth shut. Three hundred million for the Lane Family’s stability? Worth it.”
He pulled on the reins and looked toward the faintly visible Barbarian camp on the opposite side of the valley.
“Now is not the time for jokes.”
“Among the four great dukes, Derek has already become a traitor. Our two families, together with the remaining Duke Yorick, are barely holding on. If we do not stand together now, we will eventually be crushed one by one.”
The smile on Carden’s face faded, replaced by a solemn expression.
He knew Lane was telling the truth.
After the Derek family’s betrayal, the royal family had grown more suspicious of the remaining dukes. Meanwhile, the chaos in the Northern Frontier had thrown everyone into turmoil. If they continued harboring their own schemes as before, they might not survive this storm.
“What do you intend to do?” Carden asked.
“Drive the Barbarians out completely.”
Lane’s gaze sharpened.
“This is His Majesty’s order, and it is also our chance to prove our loyalty to the royal family.”
“As for everything else… we will discuss it after the matters in the Northern Frontier are settled.”
Carden nodded and said nothing more. The two rode side by side toward Giant Frost Fortress.
The cold wind swept snow against their armor, producing a rustling sound.
Across the valley, the roars of the Barbarians could be faintly heard, intertwining with the horns of the kingdom’s legions.
The gates of Giant Frost Fortress slowly opened amid the blizzard. The thick oak doors were scarred with countless cuts from blades and axes, silent testimony to the fierce battles fought in recent days.
Duke Lane and Duke Carden entered the fortress with their personal guards and soon encountered an old knight wearing a faded red robe.
He was the commander Kroll II had dispatched to hold this fortress.
“My Lords, the two dukes.”
The old knight bowed. Years of guarding the Northern Frontier had left his voice hoarse.
“By His Majesty’s order, the defense of Giant Frost Fortress will be transferred to the two of you from today onward.”
He handed over a token engraved with a lion emblem.
“There is currently one Legendary combatant within the fortress, fifty thousand stationed troops, and two Knight Orders. Our provisions can last for another three months.”
Lane accepted the token. His fingers brushed the cold metal as he spoke in a low voice.
“You have worked hard, old knight.”
“It is simply my duty to serve His Majesty.”
The old knight smiled, wrinkles crowding across his face.
“This old body of mine should return to report as well.”
With that, he led several dozen personal guards away from Giant Frost Fortress. Their figures quickly disappeared into the endless white of the snowstorm.
Lane and Carden stood atop the fortress wall, watching the direction the old knight had gone. Only when the blizzard completely swallowed the group did they slowly withdraw their gazes.
“One hundred fifty thousand troops, four Legends, five Knight Orders…”
Duke Carden rubbed the icy battlements thoughtfully.
“His Majesty has prepared quite thoroughly.”
Lane nodded, his eyes sweeping across the soldiers within the fortress as they readied themselves.
“The Barbarians may be fierce, but they lack discipline and possess no proper Legendary combat power.”
“With this kind of force, if we still cannot drive them out of the Northern Frontier, then we might as well cut off our own heads and present them to His Majesty instead of hoping to receive any Secret Realm resources.”
The freezing wind whipped snow against their armor with sharp cracking sounds.
Inside the fortress, soldiers busied themselves reinforcing the defenses. Knights inspected their warhorses in the plaza. The air was thick with the smell of leather and horse dung, mixed with a faint scent of blood—the lingering trace of the battles fought days earlier.
“Pass down the order.”
Lane turned around, his voice firm and decisive.
“At dawn tomorrow, the entire army will launch an attack. The Knight Orders will flank from the sides, the Legendary combatants will restrain the enemy leaders, and the main legions will break through the front.”
“We must crush the Barbarians in a single battle and drive them west of Despair Fortress!”
“Yes, sir!”
The messenger hurried away. Soon, the sound of war horns echoed throughout the fortress, filled with unwavering determination.
Carden looked at Lane’s profile and suddenly felt that the outline of this old rival appeared especially sharp in the storm.
Perhaps Lane was right.
Now was not the time to settle old grudges.
They had to win. With the resources of the Secret Realm, their families could produce at least two more Legends.