The Northern Territory was sparsely populated, and there had been few wars in recent years. Most towns had no defensive works whatsoever; a single cavalry force could ride freely through them.
But that was only true of most towns. Quite a few important areas still had fortresses built there.
Slading Fortress was one such place. It was the northernmost fortress in Count Bazel's territory, and it served only one purpose: preventing the White Crow Duchy from moving south and invading the Empire.
Though from the perspective of later events, it seemed like a joke—if the Empire did not invade them, they were already fortunate enough. Why would they need to guard against being invaded?
But several decades earlier, the balance of power between the two sides had not been what it was now.
The White Crow people had not always been so easily bullied, nor had the Silent Temple's territory been granted by anyone's charity. The priests had carved it out blow by blow with their chains.
The Canary Mountains were a natural wall, but they could not completely stop an invading army's advance—whether it was the Empire a few years ago or the White Crow Duchy decades ago.
And back then, Slading Fortress had been the frontline against that advance.
That was why this castle had been built so sturdily. Since its construction, it had never fallen.
But no matter how sturdy a fortress was, it still needed people to defend it.
The Resistance Army held great prestige in Grey Bear Town, and Gwen had always kept her subordinates under strict control, forbidding them from harassing the residents. They even helped the locals with small tasks.
As a result, the Resistance Army often obtained more intelligence than the Wolves of Winter.
Most of it was scattered and useless, but