Chapter 964: Volume 31 The Hand That Conceals the Sky - 8 Battle Clouds
Flanders had almost never had a garrison, even after the Gdansk Fortress was successfully handed over and rebuilt. This fortress functioned more as a toll station than a fortress, with a few tax officers becoming its masters. This situation persisted until the Rock Corps and the Bright Torrent Knights took up station there.
The influx of over two thousand people instantly filled Gdansk Fortress to the brim. If preparations hadn’t been made in advance by the local authorities of Flanders in terms of logistics, the sudden surge of so many people into the fortress would indeed have been troublesome.
Ilot stood on the city wall of Gdansk Fortress in a contemplative mood. The thickness and height of the fortress walls were said to be much weaker than those of the original Gdansk Fortress. However, as the key path for mortals to travel to the Barbarian Territory, the strategic importance of such a fortress was still pivotal. Ilot also believed that with an army as defensively robust as the Rock Corps stationed here, the barbarians, no matter the cost, might not be able to take back the fortress easily.
Sometimes, Ilot also felt sorrow for these barbarians. Such a vast and formidable group was firmly constrained by humans, dwarves, and harsh natural conditions on the Cordillera Wilderness, launching assaults towards the south day after day, year after year, attempting to break free from their shackles. But no matter how hard they tried, no matter how much glory they had once gained, in the end, they could only retreat in gloom back to the wilderness to quietly lick their wounds.
Komer once said that the desire of a race or nation for a better life is always right and unstoppable. The question is how much they are willing to pay for it.
In Ilot’s eyes, these barbarians were undoubtedly the most tragic group, and now their tragedy was compounded with the bleakness behind their ignorance. Striving for a better life, because of the different paths and methods each sought for a better existence, this race had to follow the path of internal strife, and he himself had to play the role of further fueling this infighting.
Seeing Ilot alone on the city wall, staring into the northern dusk, lost in thought, Dragumo’s great enthusiasm quieted somewhat. Being involved in such a war had long been a desire for Dragumo and the brothers below; even though the Rock Corps couldn’t all take part in this good fortune, it still left Dragumo quite satisfied.
However, Lord Komer was vague about his intentions for this southern campaign, and the exact purpose remained unclear; probably only Ilot, as the Commander in Chief, would know. Dragumo was eager to know what the bottom line of this war was; he truly hoped that they had not traveled thousands of miles just to serve as a deterrent or a threat. Such idle play would be utterly meaningless.
"Mr. Ilot, what are you doing here? Is the view particularly nice?"