Chapter 81 The Army
Shortly after, the Ogres returned to the Bonecrusher Tribe.
Brian stood at the edge of the Dragon's Lair, gazing southward at the vast Dragon Ridge Mountains.
The recent increase in human activity, involving high-level Mages and mature silver dragons, unsettled him.
The humans captured by the Ogres seemed to be scouts or something similar.
Reflecting on this, Brian decided to personally investigate the situation in the south.
Under the sky of the Far North Ice Field, a massive dragon, about thirty-six feet in length, soared at an altitude of a thousand feet, blending with the clouds.
Brian carefully used his quasi-magical ability, Cloud Fog Technique, to conceal his figure within the mist, avoiding detection by human magical sensors.
With his long-distance vision, he could spot them before they noticed him if he hid well.
After leaving Ice Cliff Dragon's Lair, crossing the now-unused Ice River Territory and the bowl-shaped Ogre Basin, Brian flew further south.
Peering down from above, Brian gradually noticed that the Ogre Basin lay on an ideal path, free of steep ice valleys or towering snowy peaks.
This suggested that Tancred's encounters with humans were not merely due to luck. The Bonecrusher Tribe resided in the southern part, and they moved further south to hunt. That area bordered the Far North Ice Field and beyond lay the sprawling Dragon Ridge Mountains.
Additionally, many treacherous terrains in the Far North Ice Field were unsuitable for walking unless one could fly, limiting humans and Ogres to specific paths.
So Ogres always ran into humans.
As time passed and Brian continued southward, the Dragon Ridge Mountains became clearer, revealing a lush, green forest covering the surface of the range.
Soon, he arrived above the location mentioned by the Ogres—a low snow hill.
Cloaked in mist, Brian peered down.
Despite being a thousand feet high in the air, thanks to his long-range vision, he noticed a chaotic, battle-scarred area with frozen bloodstains—a recent skirmish site.
"This is where the Ogres encountered the human team," he thought, mentally marking the location on a map forming in his mind.
With his photographic memory, he retained a vivid mental map of places seen, gradually building a detailed three-dimensional representation of the world.
This was a method some True Dragons used to explore the entire continent.
Simultaneously, Brian detected the faint scent of humans.
He tensed and, flapping his Dragon Wings, flew higher. With nothing obstructing his view, he saw them—a mass of dark dots moving steadily about a dozen kilometers away.
Upon closer inspection, these densely packed dots clearly outlined a substantial human army, likely around two thousand strong.
Summoning a thicker cloud cover, Brian concealed himself better, becoming an indistinguishable part of the sky, then carefully flew toward the human army. This force likely included warriors, spellcasters, priests, and archers.
Flying high to avoid detection, surrounded by clouds, Brian observed the layout of the mysterious human army. The roughly two-thousand-strong force of primarily cavalry rode magical beasts with elemental auras, suitable for the Far North Ice Field's cold.
These knights, burly and clad in heavy iron armor, carried large shields and battle swords. The disciplined unit exuded a battle-hardened air, moving almost silently except for their footsteps. Brian noticed the emblem of thorns on their gear—soldiers of the Mocha Principality.
"The Mocha Principality's army..."
"Have they come for the two deceased high-level Mages?" Brian murmured.
The nobility and power of spellcasters, especially high-level Mages, were immense.
They rarely fought for nations unless bound by blood or personal ties. Summoning high-level Mages wasn't easy for a ruler without proper justification.
Yet, to honor and avenge lost high-level Mages, the Mocha Principality had dispatched this powerful force.
Ignoring the deaths would provoke contempt from spellcaster communities, leading to a sustained decline. On Noah Continent, a nation without spellcasters had no voice.
In the Far North Ice Field, normal iron armor would be useless against the cold—merely wearing it could be fatal.
What deeply moved Brian was that all the knights' equipment were magical items, with intricate Runes inscribed on their heavy plate armor, emanating faint elemental glows.
Magic items were always expensive to make. Outfitting such an elite two-thousand-strong army with magical gear required immense resources and wealth.
"More than a show of anger for the death of mages, they might have a specific target," Brian pondered, noticing the army's expensive, top-notch equipment wasn't just for formality.
There was no need to mobilize such elite forces; simply gathering some regular soldiers and having them die honorably on the far northern Ice Field would suffice.
Furthermore, there was a knight ahead whose stature was exceptionally tall, standing over six feet, with a broad and burly build, incredibly robust.
His entire face was encased in a metal helmet, with only a pair of calm brown eyes visible. Brian sensed a subtle yet undeniable threat from this knight.
The armor on him was covered in Runes, with some areas embedded with small magical crystals that emitted a bright glow.
This was likely a high-ranking warrior with a body as strong as steel.
On Noah Continent, non-spellcaster extraordinary power systems also relied on elemental energy but used it differently, lacking the versatility of spellcasters.
High-ranking warriors, while formidable, couldn't match high-ranking Mages' status or might.
If it were a high-ranking Mage, they might have already taken notice of Brian's presence. Mages had various detection methods, and it was difficult to evade the detection of a high-ranking Mage solely with the Cloud Fog Technique.
But that didn't mean the high-ranking warriors were weak.
Among the heavy-armored knight ranks, there were also many spellcasters, priests, and other beings, continuously casting supportive spells to aid the army's advance. There were no individuals among them who made Brian feel wary.
However, the sudden appearance of such a powerful army in the desolate North Ice Field made Brian slightly apprehensive.
"Whether it was the two high-ranking Mages who chased from the Southern Duchy all the way to the extreme North Ice Field, or this powerful army... This was not just for the purpose of pursuit."
Pursuit was to eradicate the enemy, to prevent retaliation from the other side.
But it was not worth deploying such a level of army if it was just to kill Morton; the cost they had already paid far exceeded the gains.
Unless... Morton possessed something they were willing to obtain at any cost.
Brian moved his tongue, touching the spatial ring under it.
Red Flame Staff... this staff was problematic.
What secrets did the staff hold, after all?
