"We've reached the River Valley Basin."
When the mounted scout relayed the news from afar, Louis was standing on a jutting rock ledge, telescope in hand, looking through a snowbound mountain hollow toward the low valley still shrouded in frost.
The land remained pale, and the wind carried the scent of frozen earth and dead grass.
Even so, the basin looked remarkably broad and fertile.
A great river flowed slowly through its center, with broken wooden fences and lingering wisps of cooking smoke scattered along both banks.
Those were the Frost Giants' settlements, densely clustered here and there, numbering more than thirty in all.
"According to the scouts, there are ninety-eight giants in total. Their occupied territory spreads in a semicircle, concentrated mainly in the center of the basin and the southeastern hills." Holding an intelligence report, Lambert dismounted and approached Louis, speaking quietly.
Louis nodded, his gaze turning to the signs of the giants' presence. It seemed they had occupied this place for quite some time.
He swung down from his horse, his cloak brushing the ground, and spread a battle map across the makeshift command table.
This was a typical giant tribe that had settled in for the winter. After the insect plague, they had taken advantage of the chaos in the Northern Frontier, crossed Cracked Rock Pass, and occupied this basin before it could be sown.
They had made their home here, which meant these enormous monsters would never withdraw easily.
This would be the first hard battle before spring planting in the Northern Frontier.
"...Unless we clear the valley passage, all spring planting will be delayed. We don't just need to defeat the Frost Giants. We need to wipe them out cleanly and decisively."
Fortunately, he had already confirmed the intelligence through the Daily Intelligence System