Firefly Journey

Chapter 134 Battlefield Chrysanthemums (1)

Selyol, in the eastern part of the tundra.

The tundra is boundless, with half the year spent in harsh winter. Due to the harsh climate, tribes need to migrate frequently to ensure they have enough space to survive.

Towns shouldn't exist in the North.

But it did happen anyway.

Originally, Seror was a military fortress built by the Empire to fight against the northern tribes. As the Empire's battle lines were pushed further and further, the fortress lost its original function and gradually evolved into a town.

Today, the city of Seror is comparable in size to a second-tier city within the empire, and has become the empire's northern gateway.

In a dimly lit room in the city lord's mansion, the renowned reporter Victor was dressed in rags, his hair disheveled, and he looked to be in very poor mental condition.

After being controlled by a secret technique, he wandered aimlessly across the vast snowfield. At that moment, a group of imperial rangers suddenly appeared, abducted him, and eventually brought him to the city of Seror.

The moment he regained consciousness, Victor knew what had happened; he had anticipated this day would come.

Spending years traveling to the front lines of the battlefield, recording real scenes of war, and then revealing them to the people on the mainland, naturally offended people, especially the invaders.

He was mentally prepared when he chose this profession. Although he was instinctively afraid, he remained calm.

bang-

The heavy iron gate was opened from the outside in, and two people entered.

One of them was dressed in casual clothes, the kind of warm clothing commonly seen on tundra people, while the other was full of energy, with a full beard, and a casual coat draped over his body, exuding an imposing aura.

Viktor sat on the wooden bed, neither getting up nor even glancing up.

"Big reporter, we've finally met."

The bearded man didn't seem to mind, continuing to speak in a calm tone, as if the two were old friends who had known each other for years and were greeting each other upon meeting.

As for the plainclothes man who came in with him, he was always half a step behind the bearded man, so it seemed that they were in a superior-subordinate relationship.

"Who are you?" Victor asked.

The man before him was most likely the culprit who had brought him here. Victor had already made up his mind; he just wanted to confirm his thoughts.

The bearded man smiled and said, "You may have heard of me. I am Mond Tobinen, the administrator of this city of Seror."

Viktor's eyes flickered upon hearing the name.

Mondtorby was so famous in the North that almost everyone knew him, and the reason, of course, was that he was the supreme commander of the Imperial Northern Expeditionary Army.

It could be said that he had the final say in everything in the North.

As expected, the Empire has made its move.

Viktor raised his head and said, “Commander, I have always heard that Debasa is a country that is established by force and governed by law. This way of inviting people is rather unusual.”

Mond said, "Please forgive me, sir. If we sent you an invitation, I'm sure you wouldn't have bothered with it. But I really want to see you, so I had no choice but to resort to this."

“I am a citizen of the principality, you need a reason to arrest me.”

"You can also be an imperial citizen; the choice is yours. Of course, if you insist on clinging to the prosperity of Yicheng, then you may disappear forever. Why bother?"

Mond's tone remained gentle, but his words were like swords, each syllable calm yet carrying a sharp edge.

Viktor is a man who has seen the world and has his own bottom line. How could a few words shake his long-held beliefs?

"Of course you can make me disappear silently from the tundra, but that's just wishful thinking. You can touch me, but can you touch everyone else?"

Viktor was neither humble nor arrogant, and his meaning was clear: there are many people like me, and killing one will not serve as a warning to others.

Mond Toby was about to speak again when he suddenly lost interest. He glanced one last time at the renowned reporter, then pushed open the door and left, followed closely by the man in plainclothes.

Viktor continued to bow his head, placing his right hand on his heart, and murmured to himself:

"Great Julius, save your good believers, send down hope and drive away evil."

May the light be with me.

The two remained silent all the way back to the council hall of the city lord's mansion.

At this moment, a guard came to report that someone was looking for the commander.

After the guard described the man's appearance, Mond invited him in.

That person was none other than Boros Fell, who had returned to the snow camp intending to eliminate Lin Yuanran and his companion.

"Greetings, Commander."

Boros bowed respectfully.

Mond Torbinan, the Imperial Commander-in-Chief in the North, waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for further formalities.

"You deserve much credit for bringing in such a prominent journalist without firing a shot. Your reward will be deposited into your account at the Imperial Bank on time."

“Thank you, Commander. I have a small request,” Boros said.

"Oh? What request?"

Boros Fell sighed: "I failed to kill any of the mercenaries who came with me. If they return to the Duchy, I will be listed as a first-class wanted criminal."

"I can't return to the Duchy, so... I humbly request that Your Excellency, Commander, take me in."

"Is that all?" Mond's expression was a mix of sadness and joy. "No problem. The Empire is willing to accept all compatriots who want to integrate. Let me think. You are a Second Awakener, so you have some abilities."

Here's what we'll do: you'll start as a squad leader in the army, with the same benefits as Benjamin.

Boros was overjoyed: "I am willing to serve the empire like a dog or a horse."

"Okay, you can step back now, Benjamin. Take him to register."

"As ordered."

Benjamin, the man in plainclothes, smiled slightly and led the way.

As Boros stepped out of the council hall, he said, "Friend, we'll be colleagues from now on. I'm new here, so please take good care of me."

"No problem, no problem," Benjamin said with a smile, his tone gentle.

Upon hearing him speak, Boros was slightly taken aback. As an inside man, he had relayed Victor's group's whereabouts to the Empire, after which the Empire sent people to intercept them. In the snowstorm, he did not meet the Empire's messengers, but only exchanged brief conversations through voice.

The person in front of me is the one who used that mental oracle in the early hours of this morning.

"Soulstealer" is a Death Path profession. The Deathwhisper Grove has been missing for a long time. Extraordinary beings related to Death are very mysterious. How could he be an officer here?

Judging from this, Mondl values ​​him highly.

"We crossed paths, just this morning," Boros said.

Benjamin wasn't surprised: "Really? That's my pleasure."

The tone was calm but perfunctory, and Boros dared not have any further thoughts, so he followed behind without saying a word.

……

……

The two freshmen from St. Louis College, after a day of trekking through the snow, finally arrived at their destination at dusk.

Ahead lay towering snow-capped mountains, which, according to Claudia, now inhabited by the Black Mountain tribe.

"Are we just going to walk in like this?" Lin Yuanran asked.

“Of course not.” Claudia waved her hand casually, and two baskets filled with cloth appeared on the ground.

"The Black Mountain tribe is warlike and lacks productivity, so they rely on purchasing some of their supplies. If we disguise ourselves as poor merchants and go in, the guards won't stop us."

"It seems you are well prepared."

"Of course, this is how I contact my subordinates. After entering the tribe, I go to a general store to sell, and the accomplice will naturally recognize me."

"Well, let's go then."

Lin Yuanran already looked disheveled, and even without faking it, he appeared poor and shabby. Claudia, on the other hand, needed to put on some makeup.

Claudia walked into the nearby woods and came out looking completely different. Her luxurious dress had been replaced with coarse linen clothes, and she wore a white headscarf, making her look like a refugee seeking a living amidst the chaos of war.

The two men carried baskets on their backs and headed towards the Black Mountain tribe.