The Fortress

After leaving the village, it took another two days to walk.

The road beneath our feet gradually ascends, winding its way into a patch of gray-brown rock. In the distance, the outline of a building emerges from behind the ridgeline.

"What a huge ruin!"

Fern gazed in that direction, his pale purple eyes calmly reflecting the shadow of the building.

"However, its appearance is quite simple."

It was a castle. Or rather, the ruins of a castle. The walls, built of massive stones, were thick and solid, without elaborate carvings or towering spires. The windows were small and high, like vigilant eyes. The overall lines were rugged, exuding a pure, defensive hardness.

Frieren followed her gaze and nodded.

"Yes, Ditan Castle."

Her voice was steady, as if she were stating something she already knew.

"This place was once a fortified stronghold during the war between the Empire and the Demon King's Army. It was an impregnable fortress."

"It was prepared for war, not a normal residence for nobles. Naturally, there were no superfluous decorations."

Fern gave a soft "hmm".

"If it's a fortress, that means it used to be inhabited by nobles, right?"

"Hmm... it's that Uncle Shuralk (Arume), isn't it?"

Ruby took the lead. She was pulling a cookie out of her small bag and taking a small bite.

"I remember he even single-handedly fought a very powerful wild boar monster. It's just that he was shirtless, which is really not something I liked..."

There was a hint of disdain in her voice.

Fern turned to look at her.

"... Are they nobles?"

"Yes, they are nobles."

Frieren answered, her tone flat and even.

"They're more like a group of barbaric warriors. The nobles of the Central Lands value elegance and etiquette, but in regions where monsters pose a greater threat, these things are insignificant."

She raised her hand and pointed to the silent fortress in the distance.

"After all, there was no peace here back then. Naturally, no one cared about such things. Here, only those with military strength were respected. The dignity and elegance of nobles existed to earn respect. In such a dangerous place, playing those petty tricks is meaningless."

Lowell walked beside him, casually observing.

"Yes. I remember here, we even helped him deal with the Snow Woman and Grausam..."

He smacked his lips.

"Tsk, this brings back bad memories."

Fern's gaze darted back and forth between the two.

"Hmm, Lady Lowell is out of the question. But Lady Frieren, you're so learned!"

Ruby immediately raised her hand, her fiery red curly hair swaying with the movement.

"I told you that before..."

Frieren turned her head, her emerald eyes glancing at her, a subtle, slightly sly smile curving her lips upwards.

"Heh heh~ Anyway, this is my knowledge now."

Fern was about to say something when he suddenly stopped and looked in the direction of the fortress.

"Hmm, there seems to be signs of battle in the distance."

She sensed the subtle magical fluctuations in the air.

Go help.

Ruby sensed it too, but she just shook her head and continued munching on her cookie.

"Hmm, I guess we won't need it."

The group quickened their pace and headed towards the direction from which the fluctuations were coming.

After passing the ruins of a collapsed watchtower, the scene in the open space before us was somewhat peculiar.

A burly middle-aged man, shirtless, was pinning a massive wolf-like monster to the ground with his limbs locked together. The monster was over three meters long, covered in dark blue bluish-green fur, and had exposed fangs. At this moment, it was being pinned to the ground by the man in an almost brutal manner, unable to struggle.

"... Does anyone actually use a throw technique on a monster?" Fern muttered to himself.

The muscles in the man's back and arms bulged, their lines clearly defined as he strained. He let out a low growl and engaged his core muscles.

"Click."

A clear, dull thud, like bones dislocating.

The monster's struggle abruptly ceased, its body stiffened, and then it quickly faded, turning into countless specks of light that dissipated into the air.

The man released his grip, stood up, and dusted off his trousers. He turned around, revealing a rugged face with a short beard and bright eyes.

"I never expected to encounter adventurers in a place like this."

His voice was loud and clear, with a rugged quality characteristic of the Northern Plateau.

"I am Shuralk."

Frieren looked at him, her emerald eyes calm and still.

"Hmm, Earl Shuralk."

"Ha ha..."

Shuralk laughed, a hearty laugh.

"It's been a long time since anyone called me that. But I'm no longer Earl. My ancestors weren't good at power struggles, and things declined by my grandfather's generation. After I took office, I simply resigned after only a few years..."

He waved his hand, as if to brush away these old memories.

"Anyway, please do me a favor, adventurers."

He pointed to the silent fortress behind him.

"I entrust you with the task of finding the treasure of my Shuralk Family hidden in the underground chambers of the fortress."

He scratched his short hair, looking a little embarrassed.

"I originally intended to go alone, but I didn't expect there to be so many monsters inside the fortress. I couldn't handle them all by myself, and I even tore my clothes while trying to escape..."

He looked down at his bare upper body.

"What a disgrace..."

Frieren's gaze fell on him, then shifted away, her tone indifferent.

"So going shirtless isn't your hobby? Then what's your reward?"

"Half of the treasure will be given to you."

Shuralk put it bluntly.

After listening, Frieren showed no expression, only her emerald eyes lowered slightly and the corners of her mouth turned down.

"... oh."

Fern stood beside her. "Lady Frieren looks unhappy..."

Ruby closer, reached out and tugged at Frieren's sleeve, her turquoise eyes curving into crescents.

"My dear Frieren, half the treasure can buy many magic books..."

Frieren turned her head and glanced at her.

"The things we buy at the market are never the same as the novel magic we encounter. And we're not exactly short of money..."

Her voice sounded listless.

Shuralk thought for a moment, stroking his chin.

"Hmm, as for magic... I'll use the spell to 'warm up the body.' If possible..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Frieren had already raised her eyes to look at him and simply nodded.

"Make a deal."

Fern blinked.

"Rare indeed, there's even practical magic here."

She glanced at Shuralk's bare upper body.

"Is that why you're not cold even though you're not wearing clothes on your upper body?"

Shuralk laughed heartily.

"I guess so! This magic is very useful in the Northern Plateau!"

Frieren didn't continue the topic. She turned towards the entrance of the fortress and started walking.

"Alright, let's set off then."

The interior of the fortress appeared even more spacious than the exterior. The stone corridors were high and wide, and footsteps echoed with long, drawn-out sounds. The windows, high up, cast a dim, yellowish light that illuminated the dust motes floating in the air.

There were indeed quite a few monsters, but for the group present, dealing with them was not difficult.

After passing through several long corridors and descending a set of stone steps, the group arrived at a massive metal door. The door was heavy, and the family crest, long since faded, was engraved on its surface.

A giant snake was coiled up in the open space in front of the gate.

The snake's body was dark red, covered with metallic scales that gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the dim light. It was over fifteen meters long, and when it raised its head, it could almost touch the top of the tall stone. Its scarlet vertical pupils stared at the intruder, and its forked tongue hissed.

Ruby looked up.

"Hmm... this one's quite big."

Fern sensed the sudden increase in magical pressure in the air, and his pale purple eyes narrowed slightly.

"A very strong magical reaction. As expected of a boss-level monster from the Northern Plateau, it's quite powerful..."

Shuralk stepped forward, blocking the crowd. His back was tense, and his voice deepened.

"Adventurers, if you're afraid, run away. Now that you're here, I'll do my best to fight it."

He clenched his fists, his arm muscles bulging.

"Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm also..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

Himmel walked past him, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

He walked steadily to the front of the giant snake, stopped, and looked up at its scarlet vertical pupils.

Then, he took a deep breath, straightened his back, gripped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, and slowly drew the longsword from its sheath. The blade flashed a cold, silver light in the dim light.

He raised his sword, the tip pointing diagonally upwards, and his face revealed that signature bright smile with a touch of deliberate handsomeness. His voice echoed clearly in the empty underground space, with an almost reciting tone and intonation.

"Witness! This will sever evil and bring the dawn—"

He paused slightly, as if gathering his strength, and then shouted it out in one breath.

"A Thousand Strikes in an Instant, Ultimate Technique: The Hero's Sword of Judgment - Modified: Serpent Slayer Special Style!"

As the last syllable faded, his figure vanished from the spot.

The next instant, a silver sword light, condensed to its extreme, swept diagonally upwards across the giant snake's massive body.

The sword flashed silently.

Himmel appeared behind the giant serpent, still in the posture after swinging his sword. He flicked his wrist, shaking off non-existent beads of blood from the blade, and then with a "click," the longsword smoothly slid back into its sheath.

The giant snake froze in motion.

A thin, shimmering line begins at its lower jaw, runs diagonally across its entire body, and ends at its tail.

Then, following the trail of light, the enormous snake's body silently split in two, sliding to either side. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, without any blood, only the rapidly gushing dust of dissipating magic.

The two halves of the snake crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that quickly faded and dissipated.

From drawing the sword to sheathing it, it only took two or three seconds.

Shuralk stood there, his mouth slightly open, watching the rapidly disappearing magical dust, then looking at Himmel, who stood with her sword sheathed and had an expression that said, "I am indeed very handsome."

He remained silent for several seconds.

Lowell raised his hand and began to clap. The applause was exceptionally clear in the silent underground space.

"Cough cough, applause! Applause!"

Ruby immediately raised her hands, her bright blue eyes sparkling, and clapped vigorously.

"Oh! Oh! It's a victory for our great hero!"

Shuralk finally came to his senses. He raised his hand to wipe his face, looked at Himmel with a complicated expression, then at the others, and finally shook his head and let out a long sigh.

"Uh, anyway..."

He turned to the massive metal door, placed his hand on the door panel, and pushed it hard.

"Let's go in and take a look, everyone."

The door hinges turned, making a heavy, long creak, and opened inward.

Gold.

In the dim light filtering in from outside, various gold artifacts reflected a heavy, clear luster. Wine glasses, candlesticks, plates, decorative armor pieces, jewel-encrusted jewelry boxes...

More often, the gold ingots were directly melted down and cast into brick-shaped blocks, randomly piled together to form several low mounds. Tapestries embroidered with gold thread hung on the walls, and although covered in dust, their former splendor was still evident. Some wooden boxes were scattered in the corners, their lids open, revealing colorful gems and pearls inside.

Shuralk stood at the doorway, gazing at the scene before him, and remained silent for a moment.

"Although I lost my title, at least I got these things back."

He turned around, facing the crowd, his expression solemn.

"I will never forget this great kindness. Gentlemen, I truly can share half of my treasure with you, please..."

Frieren's gaze swept over the mountains of gold, her emerald eyes remaining unmoved. She shook her head.

"Need not..."

"Yes, yes!"

Ruby interrupted her. She skipped forward like a little girl, her fiery red curls swaying. Her eyes shone as she looked at the jewels, then turned to Shuralk, her turquoise eyes crinkling into crescents, her voice clear and bright.

"We don't want the treasure! But we want the jewelry!"

After she finished speaking, she ran to the nearest pile of jewelry, squatted down, and began to carefully select it. Soon, she picked up a necklace. The chain was made of thin gold wire, and the pendant was a teardrop-shaped ruby that shimmered with a deep and rich luster in the dim light.

She stood up, held the necklace to her chest, tilted her head, and compared it to the air, a satisfied and vain expression on her face.

"Hehe... this is good!"

Shuralk was taken aback for a moment, then burst into loud, cheerful laughter.

"That's more like it! With so much treasure, even a tenth of it would be enough..."

He waved his hand, pointing to the golden light filling the room.

"Take whatever you can find useful! Don't be shy!"

Hearing this, Methode stepped forward and elegantly selected a pair of earrings set with pale purple crystals. Fern looked around for a while and chose a simple silver ring set with tiny sapphires.

Ruby also picked out a blue headband for Himmel, saying he looked very handsome in it.

Frieren stood to the side, watching Ruby happily hand the ring to Himmel, then glance at the things in Methode and Fern's hands. She thought for a moment, then walked to a pile of jewelry and looked down at it for a while.

Then, she reached out and picked up a brooch. The background was dark platinum, and the design was of a bird resting with its wings folded. The bird's eyes were two tiny, yet exceptionally clear green pupils. The craftsmanship wasn't top-notch; it was even somewhat rustic, but the lines were smooth and natural.

She took the brooch, walked back to Lowell, and handed it to him.

"For you."

Lowell, who was watching the commotion with his arms crossed, paused for a moment when he saw this, then took the brooch. He looked down at it, his fingers tracing the cool metal surface and the two small emeralds.

"Oh?" He looked up, a hint of a smile appearing in his dark eyes. "Thanks."

He pinned the brooch to the collar of his coat. The dark platinum and the dark green coat didn't clash; the resting bird had its head drooping, its small green eyes reflecting the golden light in the room.

Frieren glanced at it, said nothing, and turned her face away.

Finally, the group bid farewell to Shuralk, who insisted on taking more but was ultimately refused, and left the Ditan Fortress.

On the way back, it was still early. The wind on the Northern Plateau was still chilly, but the sun was shining brightly, making me feel warm and comfortable.

Frieren raised her right hand, her fingertips shimmering with a faint, almost invisible light. She gently placed her hand on the back of Fern's hand beside her.

"How about it?"

She asked, her emerald green eyes fixed on Fern.

Is it warm?

Fern felt a warmth emanating from the back of his hand, slightly warmer than his body temperature. The warmth was gentle, not hot, and steadily seeped through his skin.

"Well, if I had to describe it, it's warm, but it doesn't feel... cold even when I'm shirtless."

She looked up at Lowell's broad back as he walked ahead, then looked away, giving a calm assessment.

"It doesn't feel as practical as the 'won't make you fat' magic, which naturally generates heat in the body when it's in use."

Frieren withdrew her hand, the light at her fingertips dissipating. She blinked, her expression unchanged.

"Yeah."