Dawn had yet to fully break, but the gates of Silver Ridge Hill were already bustling.
Hooves crunched through snow without pause, cold glints of metal mingling with white clouds of steam.
Riding along the flank, Joern brought his horse up beside Louis's carriage and lifted the curtain to greet him. "Boss, I bet this trip north would have been boring for you. Luckily, I got an invitation from Astade too, so we can travel together."
Louis glanced at him with a faint smile. "Are you sure you're not the one bored in your fief?"
"A little, actually." Joern fell into step beside the carriage, half joking and half sincere. "Everything in Silver Ridge Hill is sorted out. I might as well take this chance to see some other fiefs. Besides, I don't get many opportunities to travel with you."
Louis nodded lightly. "Then watch closely and learn well."
In truth, Joern knew he had little to do even if he stayed in Silver Ridge Hill.
Life was now so peaceful it bordered on boring. The Red Tide Councilors handled everything in his fief.
Rather than bore himself hunting, he might as well follow Louis north and broaden his horizons.
Besides, he was now one of the Northern Frontier's twenty most prominent nobles. He was perfectly qualified to attend the Northern Frontier Reconstruction Conference.
At Louis's command, the entire procession slowly set off.
The vanguard knights formed ranks, and the standard-bearers raised the Red Tide and Harvey banners high, their flags snapping side by side in the wind and snow.
Joern rode along the flank, looking both proud and excited. He turned and shouted to the knights beside him, "Now this is a proper procession! Look at us! Who else in the Northern Frontier could possibly look more impressive?"
Nearly