Chapter 2287 - 95: Legend of the Northern Territory

In the cramped space, the dust finally settled.

The armor fell heavily to the ground, motionless. The black mist inside the armor was finally consumed, burning into a purple flame, and ultimately vanished into nothingness, with nothing more occurring.

Only then did Fang Hong have time to observe the surroundings—beyond the heavy stone gate, the space was not large, even narrower than the space in front of the stone gate. It was already at its limit to accommodate this piece of armor.

Behind it, there was a stone throne. The armor was originally positioned upon that throne, with a stone rack on its side, where the great sword was placed.

Apart from that, there was nothing behind the stone gate. Fang Hong inspected carefully, yet found no valuable clues. But was such a heavy stone gate merely designed to enclose this armor?

With this thought in mind, he turned back, refocusing his gaze on the armor.

The sight of the armor lying on the ground undoubtedly reminded him of the events Miss Atira, Tianlan, and Sophie had collectively described to him.

The armor was similarly empty, yet somehow seemed to have a soul, able to move freely. Previously, he had witnessed it himself; the inside of the armor was now empty, devoid of any spiritual force, nor were there traces of Alchemy left behind.

This was, by any measure, baffling.

The armor had fallen face down; its tattered cloak lay over it like a shroud. Fang Hong lifted the layer of fabric and first saw the Magic Guided Reactor, corroded beyond recognition—he could hardly believe that such a device could still operate, but upon a closer look, he found that the Core Crystal of the reactor was still reasonably intact.

Though the Magic Guided Reactor was in tatters, it was not ancient, dating back about half a century.

He crouched down, flipping the armor over under the watchful eyes of Luo Yu and Mei.

Then, in the gaze of the three.

A gray and white raven caught their eyes.

"Crow's Claw Sanctuary?" Luo Yu asked in surprise.

But Fang Hong shook his head.

The raven clearly differed from the Holy Emblem of the Crow's Claw Sanctuary.

Rather than a Holy Emblem, this was more like a noble coat of arms, the features of the Shield Emblem and ribbon were very clear, and even a slightly blurred motto, though the original content was unreadable.

But how could such armor appear in a monastery, and who was its original owner?

...

Xiangzi didn't know why he found himself in the plaza once more.

Perhaps it was unintentional, perhaps deliberate, but when he stopped in his tracks, he still saw that little girl from last time holding a dirty basket, timidly watching him. The towering owner of the bakery, clad in a long apron, stood by, also looking at him—the man bare-chested despite the harsh winter, his strong shoulder muscles rising prominently.

"You again."

The man frowned and spoke.

Xiangzi recalled that he seemed to have forgotten to ask the man's name last time, and now wasn't sure how to address him, feeling at a disadvantage. After all, the man had asked his name—it was only polite to reciprocate, though he hadn't answered truthfully at the time.

"Istrael," the man introduced himself proactively. "Even though I'm just the owner of a bakery, to you, it's hardly worth mentioning."

Xiangzi was a bit puzzled; Lonely White Field had never told him which people were worth 'associating' with and which weren't, and Fang Hong surely wouldn't discuss such matters with him. Why would a bakery owner be 'hardly worth mentioning'? He was a little bewildered, and he didn't quite understand the difference between Holy Choosers and the Natives.

He pointed to the little girl: "Is she safe here?"

"You know her?"

The little girl tugged at Istrael's apron, prompting the tall man to lean down as she tiptoed to whisper something in his ear. After listening, Istrael raised his eyebrows and looked at Xiangzi with surprised eyes, then straightened up and spoke:

"Interested in hearing a story?"

...

The harsh cold guarded the northern coast.

The settlers of Scepter Coast still believed they were the Guardians of winter, with the North Wind safeguarding this land. Ancestors crossed the sea and overcame the ominous winter to firmly root themselves here.

The history of this land begins with a young man named Edwin Cleworth. During the Silver Tower Era, Aisen the First conferred the title of 'Iron Knight' upon Marlin, making him Marquis Tarun, responsible for guarding the borders of the Kingdom and overseeing the Ancient Tower People who crossed the sea.

In that era, three successive wars broke out. Many mercenaries and adventurers active on the battlefield were granted nobility by their war achievements, and Edwin Cleworth was one of them. Edwin was a notably intelligent young man and fought bravely, earning high regard from Marlin during the wars. Based on Marlin's recommendation, the King of Colin, Geralt Lowend, conferred upon him the title of Earl.

After Marlin's death in battle, Edwin took over command, leading the knights against the Ancient Tower People. They landed on what is today Long Sail Beach, establishing Coldwater Port. They marched east along the winding coastline, defeating several major armies of the Ancient Tower People.

From this point onwards, Scepter Coast came under the administration of the Colin Kingdom. After the war ended, Geralt Lowend granted Edwin this land, entrusting him to guard this severe and cold territory for the Kingdom.