Time passed quietly, and before we knew it, it had entered June.
The short spring of the North is coming to an end, and the breath of summer is approaching.
But before the arrival of summer, Winter City first ushered in an army of dwarves.
The Menam family and the Dawson family joined forces, with a total of 150,000 troops, and they had already arrived at the city of Winter.
The army came meandering, with flags clearly displayed, swords and guns lined up everywhere, orderly front and back, and high morale. At first glance, it was indeed a strong army.
The elite of the dwarves have basically gathered here.
As soon as the army arrived, they surrounded the city of Winter, and then began to set up camp, as if they were ready for a long-term attack.
In the temporary command post of the dwarf army, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn, and the Marquis of Menam was praying devoutly.
This dwarf marquis is a devout follower of the Lord of Radiance, at least on the surface, he is indeed very devout.
As a vassal race of the human race, the dwarves have long abandoned their beliefs and chose to serve the Lord of Radiance.
But unfortunately, it is not known whether it is because they are not sincere enough, or because the racial gap cannot be bridged, the dwarves have never been baptized to become knights.
From this point of view, there is always an indelible gap between them and the human race.
Even in the dark, it is said that the gods that the dwarves once served - the believers of Mother Earth are quietly spreading beliefs.
Of course, as dwarven nobles, they must convert to the Lord of Radiance, otherwise, the Empire of Radiance would not have a place for them.
It wasn't until the prayer was finished that the Marquis of Menam raised his head, and his eyes slowly swept across the command post.
Although the last princess of the former dwarf royal family, the Solingch family, married into the Dawson family, in fact, the Menam family is the well-deserved leader of the dwarves in terms of military strength and prestige among the dwarves.
However, not all dwarven nobles recognized the leadership of the Menam family, at least the Dawson family certainly did not.
They always thought that they were the inheritors of the Solingch family, and the blood of the dwarf king flowed in their bodies.
Therefore, the Marquis of Dawson always thought that the Marquis of Menham was wrong, and always felt that the appearance of the other party praying was too artificial.
"Winter City is right in front of you. What's your opinion on how to conquer this central city in the north?" Marquis Menam spoke in a thick voice with the majesty of a superior.
At this time, he also seemed to be the commander-in-chief of this dwarven coalition.
Although the Marquis of Dawson was very dissatisfied, he had just lost a big battle at the River Run, and his reputation was severely frustrated, and the force in his hands was far less powerful than that of the Marquis of Maynham. Therefore, he could not compete with the other party for the command of the coalition. .
A dwarven general with well-developed limbs and thick hands and feet said: "Lord Marquis Menam, I don't think there is any strong city in the world that our dwarven army can't take! Even Winter City is the same!
Therefore, when the engineering team has built the siege equipment, we can launch an offensive to see how long this so-called strongest city in the north can last! "
The dwarf general had a rough voice, and his tone seemed to have a strong smell of blood, and he was a little disapproving of Winter City between his words.
In fact, the dwarves did have a lot of experience in siege warfare.
Their craftsmen are very good at making siege equipment, and their short stature is an advantage in siege battles, because they are not easy to be shot by the arrow rain from the top of the city.
Therefore, compared to positional warfare in the wild, the dwarves are actually better at fighting siege warfare.
Of course, not all the dwarf generals present were so frivolous. Another dwarf general stood up and expressed his opinion cautiously:
"I don't think we can take it lightly. I have been in Winter City before, and I know how strong its walls are and how ingenious the design is.
If you attack by force, I am afraid you will have to pay a very heavy price. "
"I think so too." Marquis Dawson, who had been silent before, suddenly said.
The Marquis of Menham frowned slightly, and fixed his eyes on the Marquis of Dawson, as if waiting for further explanation from the other party.
The Marquis of Dawson looked indifferent, and continued: "As a northern nobleman, of course I have a special understanding of the city defense system of Winter City.
First of all, this is a city built on top of a high mountain. If we want to attack the city, we must attack upwards. The enemy is condescending and occupies the best position.
Secondly, the city wall of Winter City is made of the hardest qinggang rock that has been carefully cut and piled up. It is five meters thick, and it may be difficult for our siege hammer alone to shake it.
Moreover, the city wall of Cold Winter City is a double-layer structure, and there is an inner wall behind the outer wall. The distance between the two walls is more than 20 meters, and there are a total of 96 towers in between.
Even if we do break through these two city walls, don't forget that there is still a Lion's Roar Castle on the top of the mountain!
If you want to attack by force, hehe, I'm afraid it will be enough to fill in all the elite fighters of the dwarves. "
As soon as the Marquis Dawson finished speaking, a general from the Menam family shouted loudly: "Master Marquis Dawson, the war has not yet started, and you are bragging for the enemy like this. Is it because you are guilty of fear?"
"Hmph! I just don't want some people to die in vain."
"Okay. Stop arguing." Marquis Menam waved his hand to dissuade him.
After everyone quieted down, Marquis Menham said to Marquis Dawson, "Marquis Dawson, since you don't agree to the attack, what better suggestion do you have?"
Marquis Dawson touched his beard and said calmly: "I think the best way is to encircle rather than attack."
"Oh? Why?" Marquis Menam asked again.
"The famine that broke out in the northern border is so fierce that even the St. Hilde family has no time to hoard enough food. Moreover, I have already found out that there has been a food shortage in Winter City.
Therefore, as long as we surround the city and cut off internal and external connections, it won't be long before there will be turmoil in the city due to lack of food.
At that time, is our best chance! "
The Marquis of Menam's eyes flickered, and he seemed to be a little moved.
But just as he was thinking carefully about Marquis Dawson's suggestion, he saw a tall and thin figure walk into the command post.
The Marquis of Menam's eyes were fixed, as if he recognized the person coming.
"Sir, is that you?"
The person who came was covered in a large mage robe, and his entire face was hidden in the hood. It is unknown how he walked into the temporary command post of the dwarf army without anyone else present.
"it's me."
Mr. Ji replied concisely.
His voice was gloomy and hoarse, like a dying old man with half a foot in the grave.
Moreover, the Marquis of Menam also smelled a strong rancid smell, like the smell of a corpse that had been placed for a long time.
"Are you... all right?" the Marquis of Menham asked carefully.
Mr. Ji did not answer this question, but said lightly:
"Two things.
First, the Black Cavalry Army and the Silver Moon Guard from Ice Rock City have set off and are heading towards Winter City, so you have to be careful behind your back.
Second, the army of the Uman family is also in Winter City at this time. Earl Uman and Viscount Angelet have a grudge against each other. You can use this to sow discord between them and weaken the power in Winter City... "
Having said this, Mr. Yu suddenly stopped talking.
The dwarves looked at each other, not knowing what had happened.
In the end, it was the Marquis of Menam who asked aloud: "Mr. Gui? Mr. Gu?"
However, Mr. Ji still did not speak, as if suddenly stuck, the whole person was like a wooden sculpture, stuck in place in a daze, motionless.
The Marquis of Menam was full of doubts, so he took a few steps forward, trying to check the other party's situation.
But just a few steps away, the Marquis of Menam also stopped immediately, his eyes full of horror.
When the Marquis Dawson saw this, he didn't know why, and suddenly felt a holy and magnificent force covering the world, as if he had become an insect in the amber, completely locked by this irresistible force, unable to resist. Move an inch.
"Why-"
After an unknown amount of time, Mr. Ji suddenly sighed and regained his ability to move.
Then, he turned around slowly and walked out of the temporary command post step by step.
The dwarf soldiers outside also stood still, as if their time had been completely frozen.
And in front of Mr. Xi, stood a lonely figure.
It's just a back view, but it seems to exude the dazzling light of the sun panel, which can eclipse everything in the world.
Mr. Ji slowly took off his hood, revealing a terrifying face.
The left half of the face has been completely rotted, and even the black skull inside can be seen.
The right half of the face also seemed to be infected, and the veins swelled up like wriggling maggots, as if they were about to burst in the next moment.
But Mr. Ji seemed to be unaware of the terrifying mutation in his body, and greeted that person with his usual expression:
"His Royal Highness, I didn't expect to see you here."
(end of this chapter)