# Chapter 56
Baron Husdinen, the commander of Iron Fortress, warmly welcomed the Black Unit that had arrived unexpectedly. Since one of the unit members was none other than Count Lance, a renowned imperial guard knight, he thought it absolutely essential not to get on their bad side.
“You must be tired from your long journey. Let me first guide you to your quarters where you can rest and recover.”
Despite the black-haired youth bearing the wapen on his chest that identified him as the unit’s commander, Baron Husdinen showed more deference to Count Lance standing beside him.
Although the youth had received the same count title as Lance a few days ago, considering he didn’t even have his own territory yet, the two shouldn’t have been treated as equals.
In Baron Husdinen’s view, the black-haired youth was someone whose rank or position could change at any moment.
His guess was that there must have been some reason why Count Lance couldn’t be appointed as the unit commander. For Count Lance to be included as a unit member, the unit commander needed to at least hold the same title of count or higher. After all, command of a unit always went to the person with the highest rank.
That’s why Baron Husdinen thought the youth was merely a hastily appointed unit commander. No matter how urgent the situation, he couldn’t understand why they’d chosen such a young, inexperienced kid.
‘He must be the son of some obedient fallen noble from the frontier.’
Baron Husdinen smiled cordially at the youth on the outside while inwardly judging and dismissing him. Having desperately climbed up from a low position to reach his current status, he couldn’t look kindly upon this unknown young man who had received a lightning promotion and now stood above him.
Count Lance didn’t immediately accept Baron Husdinen’s invitation, instead politely asking the youth:
“Would you like to rest for a day and look around tomorrow?”
“No. I want to do it now.”
Baron Husdinen was startled by the youth’s response.
Even though they both held the title of count, there was no comparison between this landless youth and Count Lance, the emperor’s honorable imperial guard knight. Even if the youth was the commander of the unit that Count Lance belonged to. In such a situation, such casual informal speech was shocking.
Unlike the surprised Baron Husdinen, Count Lance looked at the youth as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
“Baron Husdinen. If possible, I’d like to look around the fortress interior now. Could you guide us?”
“Ah, yes. Of course. I’ll guide you personally.”
Baron Husdinen, still visibly flustered, quickly instructed one of his aides to spread the word. Since he hadn’t expected these visitors from the imperial capital would want to tour the interior without even resting from their journey, he needed to wake up the soldiers who were lounging at their posts.
As he began guiding them through the interior of Iron Fortress, Baron Husdinen glanced back over his shoulder at the black-haired youth. He was taking in every corner of the fortress with an expressionless, indifferent face.
While touring the interior, when they climbed up onto the high fortress walls, the black-haired youth suddenly stopped walking. He approached the wall and looked outward.
Baron Husdinen, who had been enthusiastically extolling the greatness of Iron Fortress, inwardly grumbled when everyone else also stopped because of the youth. Given the time constraints, they would barely have enough time to tour the entire fortress before sunset even if they walked without stopping.
“Count Aden, is something bothering you?”
Baron Husdinen approached the youth and asked. He followed the youth’s gaze but couldn’t see anything unusual outside.
Just as Baron Husdinen was about to ask again because Count Aden wasn’t answering:
“High.”
“Pardon?”
Baron Husdinen’s expression turned bewildered at Count Aden’s words.
“This place. It’s high.”
Well, it’s a fortress wall, of course it’s high. What did you expect?
Baron Husdinen couldn’t understand what this young count was trying to say. Was there some profound meaning in those brief words that he was missing?
Count Lance stepped in, standing beside Count Aden, and spoke:
“This is probably higher than any place you’ve been before, except for that room where you stayed with His Majesty.”
Count Aden—Levi—nodded.
This was his first time being in such a high place. The room he had shared with Raziel was on the third floor, but this seemed twice as high.
Things looked different from high places.
Finding this fascinating and enjoyable, Levi had liked high places ever since his time with Kalvern and still did now. Sometimes when he was sent to assassinate a noble with a tall mansion, instead of returning immediately, he would climb to the highest point of the mansion first.
Just to see how far he could see.
“I don’t remember who it was.”
From the fortress wall where he could see an immeasurable distance at a glance, Levi tried to recall something vague.
“Someone told me you can see many things when you’re in high places.”
It was someone different from the boy he tried to remember every day. The feeling was similar, but definitely different.
“That you could find anything.”
It seemed to have been a woman with a pleasant voice. He couldn’t remember her voice or much of what she said; her words remained like scattered fragments.
“She said if I wanted to find something from a high place, I would see it.”
In response to Levi’s words, Count Chepel Lance replied:
“Now that you’re in a high place, you should be able to find what you’re looking for, just as that person said.”
“Yeah.”
As if entranced by the view, Levi’s eyes took in his surroundings, a strange killing intent flickering in them.
“I’ll find him and kill him.”
Unlike the vague boy he longed for every day, that man’s face was crystal clear in his mind.
A man with blonde hair and golden eyes, with abilities opposite to his own.
A man who desperately called out his name yet tried to kill him.
A cruel enemy who, not satisfied with taking the Black Forest where he was born, was now trying to destroy the only place he had found to lean on.
‘I’ll kill him.’
For Raziel, who wanted to live, to continue living, Levi would kill Ion with his own hands.
That was the sole reason Levi was at this bulky, towering Iron Fortress.
Just as that woman had said, now that he had climbed to a high place with the intention of finding Ion, he would surely find him.
From this fortress wall where he could see far into the distance, Levi hoped the moment he would spot his blonde enemy would come quickly.
❖ ❖ ❖
After easily defeating the Caron Empire’s border garrison of 20,000 troops, the Delos army set up temporary barracks at what had been the enemy’s station. Though they had crushed the border garrison, they needed proper reorganization before marching on to attack Iron Fortress.
In reality, the reorganization didn’t take much time. Since the 20,000-strong garrison had been dispatched by only 5,000 troops of the Immortal Army, the remaining 100,000 troops could advance without having suffered any damage.
Count Kairous, while impressed by the Immortal Army’s casualty-free battle, wanted to ensure abundant supplies in case of contingencies.
There was an incomparable difference between facing a border garrison and attacking Iron Fortress with its formidable defenses. If the Caron Empire troops in Iron Fortress decided to barricade themselves for a prolonged siege, it was obvious that the expeditionary force would exhaust itself first. To prepare for such a scenario, it was better to secure as many supplies as possible.
That night, while the army was regrouping.
Ion planned to move secretly with thirty knights from his unit.
Count Kairous and Baron Endef expressed concern about being discovered by enemy forces, but Ion paid no attention.
“Even if we encounter the enemy, we won’t engage in battle. Our purpose is strictly reconnaissance.”
If his hypothesis was correct and they discovered a secret passage to Iron Fortress, they could capture it much more easily than when they faced the 20,000 border troops. Count Kairous suggested proceeding more cautiously since the existence of a secret passage wasn’t certain, but Ion didn’t have the luxury of time.
Besides, it wasn’t a mere guess.
According to reports, supplies had last been delivered to Iron Fortress two weeks ago.
Count Kairous had been monitoring them for a long time in preparation for an attack on Iron Fortress, since the two empires had entered a state of war. He said that supplies to Iron Fortress normally arrived every ten days, but no wagons had been seen since the delivery two weeks ago.
That meant proper supplies hadn’t arrived for five days.
Count Kairous saw this as an opportunity. The supplies that entered Iron Fortress two weeks ago were the same as usual, and since the next delivery hadn’t arrived, he predicted growing confusion inside. Count Kairous suspected that with the commercial city of Talea in the southern Caron Empire having fallen and neighboring cities under threat, they were prioritizing sending troops and supplies to that region.
But Ion thought differently.
What if they were supplying the same amount of provisions but moving them through a different route to deceive them?
‘For instance, if there are secret passages in all four directions around the fortress, they might be secretly supplying through the north.’
Confirming this was necessary for their preparations and for bringing down the sturdy Iron Fortress.
“Your Grace.”
Ion, who was changing into light clothing for the reconnaissance mission, admitted the person seeking him into his tent. The man entered, gave a slight bow, and placed the items he had brought on the table.
“It’s temporary, but they should work fine during your reconnaissance.”
These were important items that would change the color of Ion’s hair and eyes.
