There were many folk accounts of the origins of Blood-Cast Fortress.
Some believed it had been built during the active years of the legendary "Silver Lake Shield," serving as a fortress guarding the kingdom's north against the savage Barbarians beyond the border;
Others believed the fortress had existed long before "Silver Lake Shield" rose to prominence, left behind by the Northern Territory Dwarves once active in this region. That Wilmot Family ancestor had merely taken over someone else's nest.
In recent years, as the Wilmot Family gradually declined, an even more absurd claim had begun circulating in the Imperial Capital: that Blood-Cast Fortress had nothing whatsoever to do with "Silver Lake Shield" and had only been reactivated because of the earlier war with the northern neighboring kingdom of Untergard.
But regardless, at least for now, this fortress was an important pass on the northeastern border of the Servia Kingdom and a crucial gateway connecting it to the northern kingdom of Untergard.
Before setting out, Xia Nan had gathered information about this border fortress in Salt Rock Port.
Out of personal interest, after learning the necessary details about recent changes, its current situation, and the surrounding dangers, he had also asked adventurers and local residents in Salt Rock Port's taverns about the origin of the name "Blood-Cast Fortress."
Few had received any systematic historical education. Most knowledge had simply been passed down by word of mouth, so everyone's answers differed considerably.
After summarizing them and considering the fortress's legendary origins, they could roughly be divided into two explanations.
First, the materials used to build the fortress had come from underground veins controlled by the Northern Territory Dwarves. They were an exceptionally sturdy stone with a color like fresh blood. From afar, the entire fortress looked as though it had been cast