Journey to the North

After we finished discussing Alistar, I was about to leave. Tam wanted us to stay for a meal, but I didn't want to waste any more time.

"We'll skip the meal; we're heading to Freljord next. 🐯☹ 🎁♣"

"Didn't you feel anything after eating my food last time?"

"It tastes pretty good."

"You've really let me down. Your mortal bodies can't withstand endless waste. My food contains unique medicinal herbs that can help relieve your deep-seated fatigue. Eat before you go."

After Tam said that, I realized it was true. I ate at his place last time and my strength recovered quickly.

At first, I thought he was just relaxing, but now I see. Looks like I should change my attitude. "Thank you, boss."

The food was delicious again, and just as he said, I felt energetic again very quickly after eating.

I asked him what he planned to do with Alistar and A Bing, and he laughed and told me that Darius would eventually conscript those two.

When Freljord was mentioned, Tam became unusually serious, as he had just returned from there not long ago.

He told me that Freljord was different from the places we had been before. Demacia, having lost its magic-suppressing power, was just a weak city-state. There were many things we hadn't seen in Ionia, including many powerful hermits and magic.

We haven't had much contact with Noxus yet. Although they appear united against external forces, many are actually active in the shadows, their motives unknown to the public.

Compared to these unseen dangers, the dangers of Freljord are all over the place.

Besides powerful tribes and various strange and ferocious beasts, there were also many Demigods there. More importantly, he sensed a powerful surge of Dark Magic there, suggesting that someone might be plotting some kind of conspiracy.

As for the far north, it's best not to go near it; it's full of unknowns and not a place that mortals can easily set foot in.

When encountering fierce forces, try to avoid conflict, but don't show weakness either; they mostly respect heroes.

In short, keep things in moderation and be careful in everything you do!

Before we parted, Tam Kench gave Riven and me each a small box, warning us that we should only open them when we were in trouble, as they might save our lives.

Interesting, is that a brilliant plan?

I have to say, Tam was a huge help to us. Although I always felt he had some ulterior motive, objectively speaking, I'm still very grateful to him.

After chatting for quite a while, we said goodbye to Tam and officially set off!

"Where do we go next?" Riven asked me.

Darius has given us free rein and hasn't assigned us any tasks, so let's just treat it as a simple adventure.

"Great! We haven't had this much leisure time since we met."

Riven is very happy, and I'm also looking forward to this trip; at least so far, it seems very relaxing.

Of course, it would be even better if we could meet someone who shares the same dream. I think Darius felt the same way, which is why he allowed us to move freely.

Before setting off, we bought a lot of items, including a sturdy tent, ice axes, dried meat, and so on.

I also spent a lot of money to buy a map from a merchant. Maps of this world are very valuable, even if they are not very accurate.

Because we had too much stuff to carry and were going to go deep inland, we didn't ride horses. Instead, we bought an Ironhorn Bull. This guy wasn't fast, but he was very strong. He pulled me, Riven, and the whole cart of stuff steadily.

"How about we go back to Frost Fortress? You must miss the people from the Ten Thousand Flower Grove. I wonder what kind of business they're in now."

"Yeah, let's go back and take a look. We're just passing by anyway." Riven looked expectant.

When we arrived at the Frost Fortress, Darius's army hadn't arrived yet, but Kled's men were already stationed outside the city. We didn't go to greet him, otherwise he would have definitely dragged us into a contest.

The Ten Thousand Flower Grove has been renovated and the name remains the same, except that it has now become a restaurant. It seems that the owner is no longer in the fur business.

The girls were still the same as before; they were scantily clad and always unconsciously struck seductive poses while interacting with customers, which was probably why their business was so good.

The boss wasn't here, but there were quite a few new staff members at the counter and in various other areas, and things seemed quite organized.

We randomly picked a table, ordered two roasted lamb legs and a pot of fruit wine. The girl who served us the food was a new employee and didn't know us.

"Aren't you going to say hello?" I noticed Riven seemed a little restless.

"No need, I just wanted to see how they were doing. They seem to be doing alright."

"Yes, that's true. It's better to leave each other alone during this brief encounter. Let's have a proper chat with them after we return from our travels."

As we were leaving after our meal, I heard someone behind me say about us, "Look at those two, don't they look like Riven and her friend?"

"They really do look alike, haha. I wonder where she is now."

Riven didn't stop, and I followed her.

I've never been north of the Frost Fortress before. Riven said she came twice when she was a child, but never came back because of the deteriorating relationship between Noxus and Freljord.

Actually, the snowfields here aren't much colder than Doco, just much windier. With the Fire Dragon's Fang on us, it felt like late autumn.

I opened the map and roughly located our position. I found that the nearest village was several days' journey away, so it looked like we would have to stay in a tent.

"What identity should we assume when we travel through Freljord?" Riven asked me as we huddled in our tent that night.

"An adventurer or Bounty Hunter?" I don't know what other identity fits this worldview.

"Then let's go with adventurers. What kind of Bounty Hunter are we, so unreliable, without even a target to hunt?"

"Actually, we're not exactly professional adventurers, hahaha..."

The wind was howling outside, but it didn't stop us from chatting and laughing. Such moments are truly unforgettable.

When we woke up, the snow whipped up by the strong wind had almost buried the tent. It seems we should find a sheltered spot to camp next time.

Ironhorn Bull don't sleep at night and aren't afraid of the cold. They usually rest when the sun is shining brightly—that's right, when they're traveling during the day!

Because of this characteristic, never block someone's path if you see them riding Ironhorn Bull, because if it's sleeping, it will trample you without hesitation.

The only way to wake it up is to pull its tail hard, but this sometimes angers it, and it will then remain motionless until it calms down. It's quite a peculiar creature!

Fortunately, the merchant gave me a Magic Compass to help me find my way when I bought the map; otherwise, I would have had a hard time traveling without either of these.

Nothing happened for the next few days, except that it felt weird to be stuck in a tent with Riven.

I actually bought two tents, but she insisted on squeezing in with me. Occasionally, when a cold wind blows in, she leans against me, which is really annoying!