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Time subtly flitted by, and before they knew it, June had arrived.

The brief spring of the North Territory was nearly over, with summer’s breath rapidly approaching.

But before summer arrived, Winterfell City first welcomed the Dwarf Legion.

The Menam family and the Dawson family had pooled their forces together, totaling a formidable force of 150,000, now stationed below Winterfell City.

The army arrived in an orderly fashion, banners waving high, swords and spears gleaming. The soldiers’ morale was high and at first glance, it was undeniably a strong force.

The elite of the Dwarf clan had essentially assembled here.

The moment the army arrived, they tightened the siege around Winterfell City, began setting up their camps, evidently prepared for a long-term siege.

Inside the temporary headquarters of the Dwarf Legion, the atmosphere was quiet and solemn, with Marquis Menam offering a devout prayer.

This Dwarf Marquis was a devout believer in the Lord of Glory. At least on the surface, he seemed very pious.

Being an annex of the human race, the Dwarf clan had long abandoned their own faith, choosing to serve under the Lord of Glory instead.

Unfortunately, whether because they did not have enough faith, or because the gap between the races could not be bridged, no dwarf had ever been able to accept baptism and become a knight.

This reinforced the unbridgeable gap between them and the human race.

In fact, it was rumored that in the shadows, believers of the deity once served by the dwarfs — the Mother Earth — were still quietly disseminating their faith.

Of course, for the Dwarf nobles, they must pledge allegiance to the Lord of Glory, otherwise, the Empire wouldn’t have a place for them.

It wasn’t until he had finished his prayer that Marquis Menam lifted his head, his gaze slowly sweeping across the command center.

Although the last princess of the former dwarven royal family, the Solinci, had married into the Dawson family, in reality, the Menam family was undoubtedly the dwarf leader in terms of military strength and prestige among the Dwarf clan.

However, not all dwarf nobles accept the leadership position of the Menam family, at least the Dawson family certainly didn’t.

They always thought they were the successors of the Solinci family, with the bloodline of the dwarf king flowing in their veins.

Therefore, no matter how Marquis Dawson looked at Marquis Menam, he always had a grudge, always feeling like the latter’s prayers were overly pretentious.

“Winterfell City is right in front of us, how can we conquer this central city of the North Territory? Any ideas?” Marquis Menam opened the conversation, his voice resounding with the dignity of one in authority.

At this moment, he also considered himself the commander of this Dwarf Union Army.

Although Marquis Dawson was reluctant, he had just suffered a major defeat at the Ben Liu River, which greatly tarnished his reputation, and his military strength was far inferior to that of Marquis Menam. Therefore, he could not compete with the latter for the command of the joint army.

A dwarf general with robust limbs and large, strong hands spoke up, “Honorable Marquis Menam, I believe there is no fortress in the world that our Dwarf Legion cannot conquer! Even Winterfell City is no exception!

Once our engineers have built the siege equipment, we can launch an attack and see how many days this so-called first fortress of the North Territory can last!”

This dwarf general’s voice was brash, his words almost reeking of fresh blood, undermining Winterfell City’s might.

Indeed, the Dwarf clan was quite proficient in siege warfare.

Their craftsmen were excellent at building siege equipment, and their small stature was actually an advantage in siege warfare as it made them difficult targets for the arrow storm from the city walls.

So in comparison to open field warfare, the Dwarf clan was actually more adept at siege warfare.

Of course, not all dwarf generals present were so reckless. Yet another dwarf general stepped forward, cautiously expressing his views:

“I believe we must not be careless. I have been to Winterfell City, I know how solid its city walls are, and how clever its design.

If we launch a direct attack, we may pay a heavy price.”

“That’s what I think too,” Marquis Dawson who had been quiet all this time suddenly interjected.

Marquis Menam raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze fixated on Marquis Dawson, seemingly waiting for the latter to elaborate further.

With a nonchalant expression, Marquis Dawson continued, “As nobles of the North Territory, we are of course well-informed on the defensive system of Winterfell City.

Firstly, it is a city built on a mountain. If we are to attack, we must do so from below, giving the enemies a vantage point to mount their defense.

Secondly, the walls of Winterfell City are constructed from the toughest evergreen rocks meticulously cut and stacked, with a thickness of five meters. Our siege hammers will struggle to make an impact.

Besides, the walls of Winterfell City are double-layered. Behind the outer wall is an inner wall. The two walls are separated by a distance of more than twenty meters and there are ninety-six city towers between them.

Even if we managed to break through these two walls, let’s not forget: there is still Lion Roar Castle atop the hill!

If we insist on launching a frontal assault, I fear, we may have to sacrifice all our elite dwarf warriors.”

The moment Marquis Dawson finished speaking, a general from the Menam family tree immediately retorted loudly, “Honorable Marquis Dawson, the battle hasn’t started yet, and here you are praising the enemies. Could it be you are afraid?”

“Hmph! I just don’t want some people to foolishly risk their lives.”

“Enough. Stop arguing.” Marquis Menam raised his hand to urge everyone to calm down.

Once everyone quieted down, Marquis Menam turned to Marquis Dawson and asked, “Marquis Dawson, since you disagree with a frontal attack, do you have any better suggestions?”

Marquis Dawson stroked his thick beard and replied placidly, “I believe the best strategy is to besiege them without launching an assault.”

“Oh? Why?” Marquis Menam inquired further.

“The famine sweeping through the North Territory is severe, the St. Hilde family couldn’t stockpile enough food in time. Furthermore, I’ve taken the liberty of investigating, and Winterfell City is already experiencing a food shortage.

Therefore, we simply need to encircle this city, cutting off all contact from outside, and soon enough, there will be turmoil due to the lack of food within the city.

That will be our best opportunity.”

Marquis Menam’s eyes twinkled, seemingly intrigued by the idea.

While he was carefully considering Marquis Dawson’s suggestion, a tall and thin figure entered the command post.

Recognizing the newcomer, Marquis Menam’s eyes narrowed.

“Mr. Ji, is that you?”

The newcomer was completely shrouded in a wide mage’s robe, his entire face hidden under a hood. It was a mystery how he managed to walk into the Dwarf Legion’s temporary command post without drawing attention to himself.

“It’s me.”

Mr. Ji’s reply was succinct.

His voice was dark and hoarse, like an old man on his deathbed. The overwhelming scent of decay filled the air around him, much like the smell of a long-dead corpse.

“Are you… alright?” Marquis Menam cautiously asked.

Mr. Ji did not answer this question. Instead, he said simply,

“Two matters.

First, the Dark Cavalry and Silver Moon Guards of Ice Rock City have set out and are heading towards Winterfell City. Therefore, you need to be wary of your rear.

Second, the Uman Clan’s army is currently in Winterfell City. Count Uman bears a grudge against Viscount Angler. You can utilize this fact to sow discord among them, weakening the forces within Winterfell City…”

At this point, Mr. Ji suddenly fell silent.

The dwarves looked at each other, confused about what had just happened.

Finally, it was Marquis Menam who again broke the silence, asking, “Mr. Ji? Mr. Ji?”

However, Mr. Ji remained quiet, appearing as though he was frozen, standing motionless like a statue.

Marquis Menam wore a look of puzzlement. He walked a few steps forward to check on Mr. Ji.

But after just a few steps, Marquis Menam froze in his tracks, his eyes filled with terror.

As Marquis Dawson watched this unfold, not yet understanding what was going on, he suddenly felt an overwhelming holy force encompassing the atmosphere. He felt like an insect trapped in amber, completely locked by this irresistible power, unable to move a muscle.

“Ah—” After an unknown period of time, Mr. Ji sighed and seemed to regain his mobility.

Slowly, he turned around and stepped out of the temporary command post.

The dwarf soldiers outside were also motionless, as if their time had been completely frozen.

Standing before Mr. Ji was a proud figure.

It was merely a silhouette, yet it was as if it radiated the blinding light of the sun, causing everything else to pale in comparison.

Mr. Ji gently removed his hood, exposing a face of sheer horror.

The left half of his face was completely decayed, revealing a dark skull underneath.

The right half of his face also seemed infected, with bulging veins squirming like maggots, as if they could burst open at any moment.

But Mr. Ji seemed utterly unperturbed by the terrifying metamorphosis on his face, greeting the person before him in a regular manner,

“Prince Lexie, it’s unexpected to meet you here.”