Ornn, the Chosen One, a treasure from ancient times!

Chapter 105 Digging for Fertile Ground Standoff

Direwall Fortress, this makeshift fortress, was the Noxian outpost for their entry into Freljord. Darius saw it as a beginning, but he never received any further orders from the Emperor.

The war in Ionia was going too smoothly, and His Majesty Darkwell had devoted himself entirely to that land of magic and holiness—therefore, the advance of the northern army was entirely up to Darius.

So Darius stopped.

He was unsure whether the Empire could provide sufficient supplies in this frigid land before the end of the Ionian War, and for the sake of his soldiers, he dared not advance rashly.

In particular, the Freljord people at the foot of the mountain have already built defensive fortifications in response.

Darius had never seen Freljordians build proper defensive fortifications before. The layout of the camp was very standard, with low walls and barricades built around it. It was somewhat formulaic, but it had a certain appeal.

Darius even suspected that traps might be hidden in those seemingly unguarded dense forests.

More importantly, these barbarians were well-trained. Darius had considered seizing the opportunity, but these guys didn't have the same lax attitude as other Freljordians.

Darius had seen their commander from afar, a burly man wearing a horned helmet, with an ordinary appearance but a fierce look in his eyes that sent chills down one's spine.

He's a remarkable person.

Darius thought to himself.

So the situation was completely beyond his expectations. He originally intended to use Fort Worth as a safe transit point to lead his troops deeper into the territory. He thought that as long as the Noxian army appeared, the tribes would retreat.

But these guys, who called themselves "Claws of Winter," were not afraid at all, which completely disrupted Darius's plans. Digwerk became the front line, forcing him to spend more time reinforcing the fortress.

Just as Zhao Xin had said, resources were scarce in the mountain valley, making the construction of fortifications slow, not to mention having to guard against these barbarians whose thoughts were unknown.

The stalemate lasted for a month, until Darius received a message from the Black Raven Merchant Guild—secret intelligence from the War Stonemasons.

Meanwhile, the Winter's Claws' Digwort defense line also saw its first rotation in a month.

Two hundred well-trained soldiers, who had undergone a month of intensive, fearless vanguard training, arrived here, bringing with them new orders from the war mothership.

Noxus could launch an attack at any time. In an emergency, Tryndamere, as the commander, can take the initiative to strike and do everything possible to block the enemy and ensure the safety of the Horde's heartland.

The group of soldiers, their faces glowing with health, also delivered the good news to the tribe and the promise of the War Mother.

Under the protection of the spirits of nature, the tribe's barren land has yielded a bountiful harvest as if by divine intervention. Soldiers who have distinguished themselves in the war will be allowed to choose, first in the newly cultivated fields, land for themselves and their families.

The food produced by this "divinely blessed land" will no longer be of concern to the War Mother and will be entirely at their disposal.

The soldiers who were replaced were still somewhat bewildered, not knowing what this meant, but they would understand when they returned to their tribe.

The soldiers who came to relieve the enemy were full of fighting spirit, their eyes like those of jackals, forcing Tryndamere to repeatedly issue orders that no one was allowed to launch a surprise attack on the Noxians without his permission.

As the commander, Tryndamere would naturally receive a letter from Sejuani.

Although it was said to be a letter from Sejuani, the writing was actually entirely in Harren's handwriting. Tryndamere, who wasn't very educated, finally figured out the whole story after discussing it with his advisor for a while.

The most shocked person was Garen.

"Your War Mother is incredibly audacious, and your—'War Father'? He's even more audacious."

Udyr is a shaman, Alara is a nature priest, and even Tryndamere has the title of "Commander of the Dire," while Harren doesn't yet have an official title.

Garen then adopted the local custom and called her by the nickname Heron.

"Is there?"

Tryndamere remained calm. For the past two years, he had only lived in the Horde. He knew nothing of the Noxian Empire or Ionia. All he knew was that he was completely loyal to the Winter's Claw. He simply obeyed the orders given by the War Mother.

Garen appeared hesitant. If he were a Freljordian, he would naturally obey without hesitation, but he was, after all, a Demacian warrior—if the Noxians really attacked and Garen appeared on the battlefield, it might have a negative impact on his country.

After a month of getting to know each other, Tryndamere had become quite familiar with Garen. Although he was a man of few words, he was much more thoughtful than he appeared, and seeing this, he kindly offered a reminder.

"If there's a battle, you don't need to step in. I believe we can hold off the Noxians."

'

'

Tryndamere's words of comfort were a devastating blow to Garen. Garen's face immediately turned bright red. If that were the case, wouldn't he be the one being protected?

What about his honor? Was his sense of justice betrayal of his comrades?

"No—Trydamir, if there is ever war, I will stand with you, I swear!"

"Oh? You dare to swear an oath?"

"—So this matter can't be resolved, is it?"

On the other hand, Zhao Xin was already numb in Winter's Claw.

He originally thought Herren had lost his mind, but he didn't expect there to be another expert.

Upon hearing that Heron intended to sever trade ties with Noxus, Sejuani, the Mother of War, immediately began preparing for war without a word.

During the sacrificial feast that evening, Sejuani spoke passionately about the Noxians' impending invasion and plunder of their lands.

What might cause panic among the people of Demacia, in Winter's Claw, has provoked outrage among them.

Sejuani ordered that the Winter's Claws should prepare for war from this moment forward.

Zhao Xin traveled through Ionia, Noxus, and Demacia. In Noxus, he was a slave and naturally didn't know much, but he had seen the Ionians' "lying flat" attitude and the Demacians' need for long and drawn-out negotiations among nobles for everything.

In the Claws of Winter, he witnessed for the first time how, at the command of the supreme leader, the War Mother, the entire tribe instantly transformed into a war machine, acting to carry out the War Mother's orders.

The speed was so fast that Zhao Xin could hardly believe it.

Zhao Xin also received a new mission: the tribe's powerful warriors had basically completed their training, and Zhao Xin needed to select young and strong men from the ordinary tribesmen and train them into soldiers who could fight.

Zhao Xin numbly accepted the task. Walking through the tribe, he saw everyone making preparations in full swing, and Zhao Xin felt as if he were in a dream.

"No—what on earth happened?"