The most shameless alchemist in history

913 Scorching Fortress

According to Yang's explanation, Dure knew that the stone slab from the Land of Flames he was looking for was very likely hidden in the royal family's cemetery.

The cemetery is located near the Scorching Canyon, the main battlefield between the armies of the Land of Flame and the Land of Lightning.

This area was originally very safe, but the army of the Land of Lightning suddenly launched a powerful surprise attack a week ago.

Under the heavy blows of the Land of Lightning's army, the Land of Flame's army suffered a series of defeats.

This resulted in the Flame Kingdom's army losing control of the Scorching Canyon line.

This is a very serious matter for the Flame Kingdom, because their royal cemetery has fallen into the hands of an enemy country!

To some extent, this is extremely shameful. Moreover, based on the analysis later, it seems that the Land of Lightning was initially after the royal family's cemetery. However, the royal family's cemetery is protected by an ancient barrier, which cannot be opened unless one has the bloodline of the Land of Flame's royal family.

Moreover, the location of the royal cemetery is extremely hidden; usually, only members of the Yan Kingdom's royal family know its exact location.

"Yange, how did you know the royal cemetery was in the Scorching Canyon?" Dure asked, frowning.

"This is because I have compiled data on Lava City in recent years and found that every year, members of the royal family visit Lava City under various pretexts, such as inspecting the army or the magic stone market. Among their many visits, there is a common point: they went to the Scorching Canyon."

"So you're convinced the Wang family cemetery is in the Scorching Canyon just because of that?"

"Of course, there is another, even more important reason."

"What's the reason?" Du Lei immediately pressed.

“When I was mapping out the various areas around Lava City, I found that most of the areas had magical energy underground because there were magic stone mines stored underground. However, there was no magical energy reaction near the Scorching Canyon; it was completely silent,” Yang added.

"This phenomenon is very unreasonable."

“Yes, I specifically tested the ores near the Scorching Canyon and found that the magical energy content in the ores there is much higher than in other areas! Normally, areas rich in magical energy should be used for mining magic stones, but the Scorching Canyon is not only not a mining area, but it is also impossible to detect without careful testing, which proves one thing,” Yang continued.

"That means there's a barrier nearby hiding that massive magical energy reaction, right?" Dure said thoughtfully.

“As expected of you, teacher, that’s exactly right. It was because of this that I went to look through the historical records of Lava City and found that a large number of laborers had been conscripted here, which led me to this conclusion,” Yang explained in detail.

Although he looked chubby and inconspicuous, he was a figure ridiculed even within the police department.

However, he is extremely focused when he does things, especially when it comes to the details, which is far superior to others.

"This is interesting. Is the Flame Kingdom currently in a weaker position? They've even lost the royal family's cemetery, yet they don't take it back?"

Dure had obtained a lot of intelligence beforehand, based on the balance of power between the Land of Flame and the Land of Lightning.

These two countries should be evenly matched, but now the flames of war have spread to the territory of the Flame Kingdom.

While it is true that the royal cemetery of the Flame Kingdom is located on the border, there are indeed some issues with that.

However, the fact that even such an important place has fallen shows that the Yan Kingdom is somewhat lacking in military preparedness.

"Given the current situation, the Flame Kingdom is indeed at a disadvantage. In fact, the military strength and equipment of both sides are roughly the same. The main difference lies in the commanders," Yang said after thinking for a moment.

“Commander? I remember the commander of the Thunder Kingdom should be General Thunderclap. He is indeed a first-class commander, while the commander of the Flame Kingdom should be General Purple Flame. General Purple Flame is also a famous female general on the continent, on par with General Restia of the Snow Kingdom. They are also very famous figures. If they were to fight, there shouldn’t be too much of a difference in strength.” Du Lei frowned.

He had conducted detailed investigations into all the important figures on the mainland and possessed relevant information; in comparison, he could not discern much difference.

“Teacher, you are unaware of this. If General Ziyan were in command, the army of the Flame Kingdom might still have a fighting chance. However, General Ziyan was transferred away and replaced by General Huiyan. This General Huiyan is just a figurehead who only knows how to talk the talk. Since he took office, the army of the Flame Kingdom has suffered defeat after defeat, and the loss of the royal cemetery, also known as the Scorching Canyon, is his responsibility,” Yang explained.

"So that's how it is. Then what's going on in Lava City? Why is there not a single person on the streets?"

"Because the war is about to spread, most people have already fled, so there aren't many local residents left in Lava City," Yang said helplessly. The sun outside the window was scorching, and the streets were deserted and especially desolate.

"And what about you? You haven't left yet?" Du Lei asked in surprise.

“Our orders are to stay here and hold our posts. Actually, it doesn’t matter to us which side wins the war. Even if the Land of Lightning attacks, we’ll just change our uniforms and we’ll still have to maintain local order,” Yang explained.

"No wonder your colleague is so relaxed and not nervous at all," Du Lei suddenly realized.

"So, teacher, what are your plans for the future?" Yang asked.

“Me? I’m going to meet General Grayflame next,” Du Lei said after thinking for a moment.

"See him?"

“Yes, because if I want to get the stone tablet from the Flame Kingdom, I have to enter the royal tombs, and only members of the Flame Kingdom’s royal family can open them. To do that, I have to help the Flame Kingdom reclaim the Scorching Canyon,” Du Lei explained.

“But teacher, that General Grayflame… is a very narrow-minded person who doesn’t listen to other people’s advice at all. And now he’s suffering defeat after defeat, so it probably won’t be easy to persuade him,” Yang said hesitantly.

“Whether it’s easy or not, we have to give it a try. So where is he now?” Dure made a decision immediately and asked.

After all, he came all the way to the Land of Flames not for sightseeing, but for serious business.

Yang had originally planned to personally take Dure to find General Grayflame.

However, Dureh instructed him to stay at the police station to provide support, in case of any unexpected situations that arose, he might be able to help.

Yang listened to Dure and stayed with the police department.

After leaving the police station, Dure headed straight for the Scorching Fortress.

This is a defensive fortress located about twenty miles from the Scorching Canyon, and it is also the garrison of the Flame Kingdom's army.

General Gray Flame, the commander of the army of the Land of Flame, is stationed here.

According to the intelligence gathered by Yang, four legions are stationed in the Scorching Fortress.

Based on the standard configuration of 2,000 men per legion, the four legions together have a total of 8,000 men.

Including other auxiliary troops, such as logistics support soldiers, the total number is approximately 10,000.

The border legions of the Flame Kingdom consist of a total of six, with two more legions stationed in Mahong Town on the left side of the fortress and Flame Mountain on the right side.

When Dure arrived at the fortress, he clearly saw that the sturdy fortress was equipped with twenty large magic cannons.

It's clear that a great deal of money was spent on this fortress. It's tall and sturdy, and it would take a huge amount of money and several years to build such a defensive fortress. The cannons on the fortress are all aimed at the location of the Scorching Canyon.

Because the Scorching Canyon is the only land route for the army of the Land of Lightning to break into the interior of the Land of Flame.

In particular, the Thunder Beasts of the Land of Lightning are a land force with strong mobility.

The reason why the Flame Kingdom's army was defeated in a short period of time was largely due to the Thunder Beasts.

The so-called Thunder Beast is a type of magical beast, similar to the Frostmoon Legion of the Snow Country.

However, the Thunder Beast is faster, not only is it naturally thick-skinned and has great endurance, but it is also covered with a layer of mithril armor.

Such armor is highly resistant to magic cannons, and even the knights riding on the Thunder Beasts wear the same armor.

They used only magic guns, which were similar to gunpowder guns.

It has a longer range and greater power, but it is also more expensive to manufacture.

Even with the entire strength of the Land of Lightning, they could only equip a Thunder Beast unit of two hundred men.

While gunpowder guns lacked range and power, they were inexpensive to manufacture and soldiers were easy to train, so both had their own advantages.

However, even if the Thunder Beasts wanted to break out of the Scorching Canyon, they would first have to face the attack of these twenty magic cannons.

Even if they manage to break through, the price they pay will be extremely high, something the Land of Lightning is unwilling to bear.

So even though they won several battles and captured the Scorching Canyon, they did not choose to continue their advance for a time.

Both sides were locked in a brief standoff, each searching for the right opportunity.

Once the time is right, the two sides will inevitably clash again, and it is very likely that the battle will be decided in one fell swoop!

“This is truly an impressive fortress. So, what’s next…” Dure walked toward the Scorching Fortress.

Guards spotted him from a distance and raised their guns to aim at him.

Dure could only raise his hands and walk toward the guards.

"Who are you? Are you a spy from the Land of Thunder?" a soldier on the fortress questioned.

"I come from the Land of Snow to see your General Grayflame," Dure stated his purpose.

"See General Grayflame? I think you might not be an assassin, are you?" The soldier didn't believe him.

"I have a letter here. Please give it to General Grayflame and tell him that Dure from the Snow Kingdom wants to see him."

Dure held up a letter high; it was one he had written while he was with the police.

The above are just some unimportant pleasantries; of course, what's important is his initiation mark.

This is made with special materials and has the words "Inspector General of the Snow Country" on it.

Although he resigned from his position as Inspector General, he still retained his seal of authority, as he still held some nominal posts.

The seals of a monk are made by specialists in each country, and are passed down from one family to the next.

They are closely linked to the country, making it impossible for others to imitate them.

Moreover, even if there were highly skilled people, they would soon be recruited by the state, because impersonating a monk's seal would be a capital offense if discovered.

"Dure from the Land of Snow? Have you heard of him?" the soldier asked his companion.

As they were whispering amongst themselves, the shadow beneath Dure's feet grew somewhat displeased.

"Hey buddy, when did your temper become so good? In my opinion, we should just charge in. They can't stop us anyway." Old Hei wasn't the kind of person with patience, especially after waking up from his long slumber, he was already itching for a fight.

"Not all problems can be solved with violence, and we are here to ask for help, not to fight. Let's wait and see."

Dure wasn't in a hurry, and by then the soldiers on the fortress had already lowered it down in a basket.

After all, these are extraordinary times, and the fortress gates will not be opened easily.

"You say you are Lord Dure from the Land of Snow?" The soldier asked, somewhat skeptical.

It's clear that Du Lei's name has become very well-known recently, and people across most of the continent have heard of him.

“That’s right, it’s me. Please give this letter to General Grayflame and tell him I request to see him. Don’t worry, there’s no poison or trap on the letter. You can have the magic users and hounds examine it before giving it to General Grayflame.” Dure handed over the envelope.

As a former inspector general, he knew the basic procedures for sending letters.

After all, there have been instances in history of assassinating high-ranking officials and generals by smearing poison on letters.

Therefore, in order to deal with such incidents, everything that senior commanders come into contact with, whether it is food, water, or even ordinary envelopes, will be strictly inspected to ensure that no one has tampered with it. After all, if something happens to the commander, the entire army will be shaken.

"Understood, we'll deliver the message right away. Please wait a moment; it's our duty, and we hope you can understand."

The soldiers were much more polite when they looked at Dure.

Regardless of whether this guy was really Lord Dure, his composure alone was enough to earn his admiration.

“It’s alright, I’ll wait here.” Dure nodded as he watched the guard sit back down in the basket and be pulled back upstairs by his companion.

Taking advantage of this break, he observed the surrounding terrain. All around were treacherous mountains, with only the Scorching Canyon as the only way out.