Chapter 131
Gragas quickly brought in no fewer than ten barrels of fine wine—all of which he had brought himself.
He drinks at the Freljord icefield tavern mainly to sample local specialties and collect rare ingredients; when it comes to drinks, no one here can brew a better brew than him.
Chen Ce gladly accepted the gift.
But just as they were about to part, Gragas suddenly called him back:
"Oh right, you guys aren't heading north, are you?"
"Huh?" Chen Ce turned around in confusion. "No, we're going to the southwest. What's wrong?"
"That would be best... The north is very dangerous lately, I hope you don't go that way—I just came from there."
"Danger?"
"Yes, the north isn't safe lately... I saw a large group of powerful magic priests gathered together, looking like they're looking for revenge—they've already destroyed several villages along the way."
Gragas paused slightly, then added, "Oh right, besides them, there's another tribe heading south. They didn't clash with those magic priests, but they don't seem like friendly foes either."
"Magic Priest...tribe...okay, I understand." Chen Ce bowed to the other party with his hat removed in gratitude.
He had already gleaned a great deal of solid information from this vague and brief description.
Those "powerful magic priests" were, of course, the Frostguard's Frost Priests —the people of the Lissandra Lissandra.
They gathered another group of people... Clearly, they had no intention of letting the Avarosan Tribe go.
They will send out another group of even more powerful mages to catch up and completely eliminate them.
As for the other tribe that had contact with the Frostguard but no conflict...
The tribe currently under the temporary control of the Frost Priests, the Winter's Claw.
Sejuani's tribe.
Night always falls so quickly in Freljord.
Under the cover of night, the icy sea resembles a bottomless pool of black water, with broken ice floes and snapped masts floating on its surface, reflecting the carnage that has taken place there.
A ship was completely engulfed in flames, Sejuani watched expressionlessly as the Noxus jumped into the sea one by one—amidst cries of agony.
She succeeded.
She hijacked a Noxus warship.
There were ample supplies and weapons on board, and box after box of spoils were carried ashore amidst the cheers of the tribespeople. Every surviving warrior received their due reward.
These supplies are enough for the entire tribe to use for one or two months.
Winter's Claw will also remember this glory.
I will remember her even more.
She is the most suitable person to become the Warmother of Winter's Claw.
Her mother, who disappeared for over a decade and then returned to seize power, was utterly unworthy to be the Warmother of the Winter's Claw.
Cowardly, timid, a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong... she never even dared to set her sights on the Noxus!
Only the great Sejuani possessed such unparalleled courage!
The Noxus warships were as vulnerable as the Hearth-Home Tribe!
"You are too cowardly, Kalkia ... You didn't even dare to speak up when the Frostguard was encroaching on the tribe..."
Sejuani took one last look at the burning warship before turning and leaving.
Before her, her men had already organized all the supplies—including even a live animal.
She didn't want those cowardly Noxus weapons; she only wanted the living creature.
That was a Drüvask boar.
A gigantic and incredibly ferocious Drüvask boar.
Just to control it, it would take at least five battle-hardened soldiers to simultaneously tighten the iron chains.
Sejuani immediately took a liking to the powerful Drüvask boar —the largest Drüvask boar she had ever seen.
She walked forward without fear and, to everyone's astonishment, climbed directly onto the back of the enormous wild boar.
In an instant, the enraged wild boar calmed down.
It was like a ferocious giant wolf encountering its true alpha.
After a moment of silence, she waved her arm and gave a loud command to the crowd:
"First, reclaim our Winter's Claw! Then head south!"
"Freljord doesn't need Avarosa, nor does it need the Lissandra!"
"Freljord, there is only one Winter's Claw!!"
Chapter Eighteen: Miss Ashe is Icy Cold
The people of the Avarosan Tribe enjoyed fine wine for the first time in a long time.
It must be said that Gragas truly deserves the title of "Master Brewer," as his brews completely surpass all other beverages in Freljord.
It's strong but not pungent, refreshing and fragrant, and it warms your whole body after drinking it.
With the help of fine wine, the entire tribe traveled much faster.
The destination seems to be right in front of us.
Southwest of Freljord... Rumor has it that unlike the north, which is covered in snow and bitterly cold all year round, there is a distinct spring there—a place where crops can be grown, cows can graze, and it is a good place to stay away from conflict.
With this expectation, everyone in the Avarosan Tribe was working hard to keep going.
Once she reaches that place, Ashe is confident that she can unite everyone with the bow in her hand—the legacy of Avarosa.
Once we get to that place...
At that time, there will be no longer a distinction between the Hearthblood and the Iceborn in Freljord; there will only be the people of Freljord.
Everyone will unite!
The people of Freljord are united!
Ashe firmly believed this.
But before that, there was one more thing she had to deal with—the thing Chen Ce had told her when he brought the wine back.
The Frostguard have assembled a force and are pursuing them from the north.
Judging by the timeline, they have been on their journey for at least a week.
The number of pursuers behind her wasn't too large, and finding the Avarosan Tribe in the vast snowfield wouldn't be easy, so she hadn't been particularly nervous before, but now...
Chased by a large group of Frost Priests, she was forced to face the truth.
She was forced to confront them prematurely.
"We're still not traveling fast enough..."
At the very back of the group, Ashe gripped her Frost Crystal Longbow tightly with worry as she looked at the map.
"Once their numbers increase, their search speed will increase significantly, and they'll catch up with us sooner or later under the pursuit of the ice-covered behemoths..."
"Hmm." Chen Ce nodded. "Based on my experience... if nothing unexpected happens, they will arrive within the timeframe I mentioned earlier."
"Three days... is that right?"
"Hmm, three days at most."
"That's terrible news..." Ashe sighed in distress, but quickly smiled and joked, "But you just said... experience? Looks like you used to be hunted down quite often."
"Heh, Ionia wasn't peaceful before either."
"I've heard a little about it... war, is that right?"
"Yes, but it's over now."
"That's good..." A hint of envy flickered in Ashe's beautiful blue eyes.
The war in Ionia is over, but when will the chaos of Freljord's fragmentation end?
It's been over a thousand years...
"I can't just stand by and watch those cunning, treacherous, and ruthless Frost Priests catch up with us."
Ashe turned her head and looked at the snow behind her again. The long trail of footprints left by everyone had gradually disappeared in the wind and snow, but some traces could still be vaguely seen.
It will take some time for the snow to completely cover the footprints.
If the snow stops just then, it will take even longer...
Once that massive search party discovers these footprints, it will definitely take no more than half a day for the ice giants to catch up with them.
"I have to stay... I have to stop them."
As she spoke, the silver-haired, blue-eyed girl revealed a resolute expression.
To her surprise, the "little boy" standing next to her suddenly laughed.
"What... what are you laughing at..." Ashe suddenly realized that she had been being too immature.
But Chen Ce didn't see it that way. "I'm laughing at things that make me happy."
"What happy thing happened...?"
"I've finally heard you say that."
"Huh...? What do you mean...?"
"It means..." Chen Ce smiled again, then took the longsword from his waist and held it in his hand. "I've been waiting for you to say that, so I could stay with you and stop those Frost Priests."
"Eh...?" Ashe was even more confused, and at the same time felt flattered.
Until the handsome young man in front of her took the initiative to extend his hand to her—and their small, white hands touched lightly.
"I told you, I will always help you."
"..." Ashe's face instantly turned bright red. "You... you're just a little boy... this... this is my responsibility... you don't need to... fight and kill..."
"But you can't live without me, can you?" Chen Ce smiled as if teasing him. "Just like before... well, we're definitely strongest when we're together."
"What do you mean, 'together'...? I... this..."
The innocent young girl Ashe, couldn't resist being teased by a slightly aggressive bad man.
He was so forward, taking my hand and talking about being together. Wasn't that a bit too much?
Are all young men like this nowadays...? No... or is it like my mother once said...? The more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to lie...?
That's terrifying...
We must... we must be careful...
"Ahem... um..." Ashe took a half-step to the side, feigning seriousness, and coughed a few times, striking a very ladylike pose—a woman must maintain her composure; how could she lose her composure just because a handsome young man flirted with her?
"I'll consider what you've said..."
"Okay." Chen Ce smiled back and then quietly touched the other person's small hand.
"..." Ashe was completely speechless.
The unsuspecting female soldiers burst into laughter again.
The elegant and refined Ashe ultimately couldn't refuse the "request" of the handsome young man Chen Ce.
She agreed to go with Chen Ce to stop the pursuers.
On the night she made her decision, she summoned Ul, the most trusted logistics manager in the tribe, and entrusted him with managing all affairs, big and small, within the tribe, and guiding everyone to continue towards their destination.
That evening, she and Chen Ce broke away from the main group.
They carried only a little food, firewood, and clothes, and their stance on the vast snowfield suggested a desperate, all-or-nothing attitude.
As night fell, Ashe skillfully arranged the firewood, lit the campfire, and spread out the tent and sleeping bags in the firelight.