NOVEL WEB Chapter 457: Soku
The journey to Soku wasn't a long one, and it was all thanks to Visla. They took the shortest and most direct route, which meant they skipped roads that would have brought them to other cities or places in other directions first before taking them to Soku.
Such a journey wouldn't have been possible for Zach alone since his sense of direction was nonexistent, and his familiars weren't any better. There was Nora, though. However, she wasn't trained for that kind of thing.
Basic survival knowledge was ground into her since she had to be prepared for every situation. Alas, basic survival and wilderness knowledge could not compare to Visla's advanced expertise, which had been fostered through generations of a nomadic life on the Sesha Steppes and then honed through practical experience.
Visla was even better at Garad when it came to finding running water, camping spots for the night, and tracking monsters. It was an almost luxurious experience. Zach wouldn't mind doing it again under less stressful circumstances without being in as much of a rush.
Now, they barely had time to chat when eating. They either rested or moved. But he couldn't complain. They both knew that time was of the essence. The sooner they did this, the more lives they would save.
The only reason they weren't ignoring sleep and only eating the bare minimum was the fact that it was a marathon and not a sprint. Soku was just the first of many places they had to calm down before they could even dream about brokering peace between the Sesha and the Empire.
More specifically, they had to try and convince the barbarian tribes attacking Soku that they didn't have to take one of the richer cities in the East after Ciel. Soku was close to the south, after all.
It was only natural for it to become a trade hub between the East and the South. The East's treasures from the Labyrinth of Jira, and the South's bounty from the sea coming together in one place.
Soku was a wealthy city.
It wasn't the only wealthy city along the border on both sides, but it was one that should have been easy to take over since it did not have a naturally easy-to-defend position. It also didn't have the greatest defenses since it was closer to the South than the East. Soku was far from the barbarian raids, and it had many cities, towns, and villages between itself and the far East.
Soku didn't need half an army to protect it. A city guard to keep the crime at a minimum and skilled fighters to protect trade convoys was enough.
Still, the city had managed to defend against the four tribes who pierced the eastern region and made it all the way to the border region. Pushing so deep so fast into the Duchy had cost the four tribes a lot, but it should have been worth it in the chiefs' eyes.
However, Soku did not fall as easily as they had predicted. They were having a hard time.
It would be difficult for Zach and Visla to convince them that they had to give it up. The four tribes had already come this far. They had bet on the resources and wealth they would get from raiding Soku. What were they supposed to do if they couldn't do that?
That was something Zach and Visla had tried to figure out, but they still hadn't come up with anything during their journey. They needed to take a look at the situation first before being able to figure something out. They needed a deeper understanding of what was happening.
First of all, why was Soku still standing?
They got their answer shortly after the warriors in charge of guarding the perimeter verified Visla's identity and let her in after looking at her tattoo, which she was still reluctant to show Zach.
It was the middle of the day, sunny. It was close to the southern region of the Empire, known for its good, hot, and tropical weather. The last thing Zach would do on such a day was light a fire and bundle himself up in pelts and fur.
But that was what a bunch of the barbarian warriors were doing. They were huddled around a campfire, shivering until their teeth looked like they were about to fall out. The strange thing was that Zach understood them. When he and Visla were close to them, they could feel the air around them cool down, despite the campfire.
Visla looked at the warrior guiding them toward his chief's tent.
"What happened to them?" She asked worriedly. Being cold without being able to do anything about it was a horrible feeling.
The warrior didn't even need to look to know who Visla was talking about. He looked straight ahead, afraid to even look at the warriors lest he incur the wrath of the one who put them in such a miserable state.
"The Ice Witch," the warrior answered curtly.
Visla naturally wanted to ask who or what that was, but the warrior seemed just as naturally reluctant to expand further on that matter. Visla let it go for now.
Zach also didn't have anything to add, though he was too distracted by his thoughts to think of something to ask.
Ice Witch. Close to the South. Zach could fit that to the image of a person.
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It could just be a coincidence, and it could just be because he missed his friends and wanted to hope. But someone who could use ice at a level where the barbarians who were strong enough to break into the heart of the East could only be one person in Zach's mind.
It had to be the one and only Violina Systine.
Without him noticing it, there was suddenly a light pep in Zach's step, which hadn't been there for several months, as he followed Visla and the barbarian warrior to the Woet tribe's chief's tent.