To the south and north of Kaltenhaven are mountains. If not for the Adar River flowing into the sea here, creating flat land on both sides, no one would have come to settle and build a city here. Due to its geographical location, this port city has always been easy to defend but hard to attack. The terrain is very complex due to the erosion by ancient glaciers, filled with fjords and mountainous peaks, which makes it possible to secure the port with a small garrison and resist pirate raids effectively.
Of course, benefits come with downsides. The transport in Kaltenhaven is not very developed. From this port city sandwiched by mountains, there are only three roads leading to Mijordenhaven, the largest port city in the south of the Nord Kingdom. If the sea route is blocked, only two routes remain: either return the way you came, passing through the Nord Royal Capital Frost City, which is a long journey, or cross the Hodalen Mountain and Scavell Mountain to reach the mouth of the Ovrel River, the largest inland river in Nord, where Nord West Coast's biggest port, Mijordenhaven, is located.
The trouble lies in the fact that neither Hodalen Mountain nor Scavell Mountain are safe places. There are quite a number of bandits and Goblin Tribes roaming the mountains, and it's said that there's also a small number of Chaos Beastmen. These terrifying hoofed creatures are incredibly strong, and whenever there are more than thirty of them forming a War Gang, the Nord Kingdom has to dispatch the regular army to eliminate them.
"There's an abandoned fortress on the peak of Scavell Mountain, and it's rumored to be occupied by a Goblin Tribe. If I were to go alone, I could take a detour or even swim through the icy rivers, but with so many of us, we have to cross the mountain and pass through the fortress. We might even have to siege it." Laine pointed at the map, and Teresa noticed that a fortress was indeed marked on Scavell Mountain, alongside a Goblin Tribe.
"Yeah, I think you're right. The journey is full of dangers, whether we storm the fortress or not." Teresa is not one to ignore others' opinions, and as long as there is strength that she respects, she is willing to listen to others' views.
For instance, the man in front of her, he removed his gloves and exposed his hands directly to the flames of the fireplace, and then took out a roasted potato from it.
The man's palms were covered with scars, yet the flames burned on his hands for quite some time without leaving any burn marks, not even redness, as if the flames were fake.
But the roasted potato wasn't fake.
Extraordinary Physique! Not yet twenty-five, Laine already possessed an Extraordinary Physique!
Teresa began to recall her mother's teachings. As everyone knows, Warriors are the most common profession on this continent, with the largest numbers and the easiest to find a job with. Every year, about forty percent of those who awaken with the profession's talent become Warriors. Warriors are short-legged, short-handed, cumbersome, and lack Divine Art or Spell abilities. Generally, in mercenary teams and Adventurer Squads, Warriors have a very low status and are often seen as expendable.
In many missions, Rangers engage in long-range shooting, Wanderers hide in the dark seeking opportunities, Priests, Minstrels, Martial Monks can all use Divine Art or have escape skills. Only Warriors fight on the front line from beginning to end, taking the most injuries and earning the least; if things go bad, they are the ones to cover the retreat and get abandoned.
Warrior is such a distressed profession, and most Warriors die before advancing to the Elite Tier. Even if they become Elites, few advance to become Knights. Most Elite Tier Warriors in the army serve as Great Swordsmen whose core position is still that of high-level cannon fodder, still involved in close combat, still experiencing heavy casualties.
But upon reaching the Legendary Tier, Warriors become completely different.
Warriors advancing to the Legendary Tier undergo a complete transformation, acquiring a powerful talent known as "Extraordinary Physique."
Extraordinary Physique, as the name implies, is an unparalleled physical enhancement. Ordinary weapons will no longer harm them, and their bodies will become harder than the best leather armor, also starting to exhibit strong Magic Resistance. Spells below the Fourth Ring will have little effect on them, and it's common to see Legendary Tier Warriors catching fireballs with their bare hands. Under the influence of Extraordinary Physique, their strength and stamina also multiply, and the healing speed of their wounds is incredibly fast, with the help of Divine Art, they can even regenerate limbs.
So, after reaching the Legendary Tier, the Warrior profession changes from the lowest status to the second most popular, just behind Casters. However, the percentage of Warriors surviving to the Legendary Tier is very low. To live to the Legendary Tier is itself a legend.
And what about the Holy Sanctuary Tier?
To sum up, Harald Frank, the King of Nord, at the Holy Sanctuary Tier, can bathe in magma.
Legendary Tier Warriors are ideal partners for Casters. Teresa also doesn't dislike Laine; the light blue energy on him makes the female sorcerer feel comfortable, so she would consider his suggestions.
The Legendary Tier isn't invincible against ordinary and Elite Tiers. For instance, there's a famous story on the continent where a drunken Legendary Tier Sword Saint was ended by a normal Wanderer with a fine iron dagger through a backstab. However, generally speaking, Legendary powerhouses are very much in demand wherever they go, representing superior and core combat power. An army led by a Legendary Tier powerhouse fights very differently from one that's not.
"And you? Really planning to sleep in the stable? Perhaps you could ask a favor from the Lord." After some casual conversation, Teresa suddenly brought up the topic of Laine's accommodation.
Her bright eyes stared straight at Laine, who had no idea what this woman was thinking, so he teased, "Why, are you concerned about a stinking man like me who only knows how to ride and slaughter?"
"You're not that type of person. Spending a few years to finish reading all the books in the Nord Library, your knowledge is no less than mine. I'm not in the mood to argue with you. How you save money is your business. What you need to do is plan the departure." The female sorcerer sipped on her milk coffee, saying it was just a casual question; whatever he chose for lodging was none of her concern.
Now it was Laine's turn to be a bit upset. So the Kingdom Knight didn't say anything, the innkeeper soon served dinner: roasted bread, a pot of vegetable stew, a whole roasted fish, and a plate of black pepper beef, this dinner cost fifteen whole Silver Dinars. Laine gestured for the two to eat together.
Under the cheap oil lamp, the two finished their dinner without saying a single word throughout the meal.
Afterwards, Laine bade a casual farewell, and the silhouette of the Kingdom Knight walked straight into the dark and snowy outside, destination unknown.
Teresa's gaze followed Laine's figure until he disappeared from sight. She regretted it a bit, realizing she had again used the tone she usually reserved for commanding servants.
A few months ago, she had just stepped into the Legendary Tier. In her late twenties, it's considered quite fast among humans, but compared to Laine, it's nothing. Teresa didn't know when Laine advanced to the Legendary Tier, but it certainly wasn't recent, as his aura was already very stable, strong at the Legendary Initial Tier level.
At Legendary strength, who would want to be managed like a servant or an ordinary soldier? Certainly, her mother had been kind to Laine's family, but that wasn't an excuse to repeatedly display superiority in front of him.
She knew her attitude needed to change, or the companionship between them was destined to be short-lived. Compared to others the female sorcerer knew, Laine was young, handsome, strong, caring, and also tactful in preserving her dignity. The female sorcerer knew Laine had done well, and it was she who was used to her affluent, privileged lifestyle at home.
Inside was the warm inn hall, outside was the icy and snowy world, as different as two worlds apart.