Chapter Seventy Before Departure

  In the church, three people faced each other in silence. The two who were about to depart looked at Astrid, waiting for her to speak first.

  "Take care, come back alive."

  A very iron-blooded greeting. In this situation, it seems that there is no better phrase to express our feelings. Thousands of words, at the moment of parting, always boil down to a simple "take care".

  Although she had no interest in the war in the north, Aisling still heard some rumors about the barbarians. Oseadin was never at a disadvantage, and many warriors died on the barren plains. The phrase "come back alive" made young men and women who yearned for war suddenly wake up from their romantic and passionate fantasies and return to reality.

  Just a little older, sixteen or seventeen years old, is an age where one fears neither heaven nor earth.

  "Don't worry, I know how to protect myself." Lancelot replied nonchalantly, "Ordinary savages are absolutely no match for me."

  This confidence comes from... Only Odin knows where the girl's confidence comes from.

  "I know how to take care of myself, don't worry, Aethereia." Jony was a bit more cautious than Lancelot, "I still have to keep my life to find trouble with the Sun Church."

  It's a goal worth spending one's life on, but Joanie felt that at least the group in Tabriz should be taken care of.

  Seeing the two so confident, Astrid didn't say anything more, just smiled encouragingly and said: "Mr. Steffen is still waiting for you, don't keep him waiting."

  When Stephen entered the church, he also saw Astrid, but he just nodded slightly, counted as a greeting, and then walked to his own room.

  Young people's affairs should be left for young people themselves to solve.

  When Johnny and Lancelot walked into the old man's room, Stephen had been waiting behind the desk for a while.

  "Tomorrow you'll be on your way." After the two sat down, Stefan slowly spoke up, "But there are some things that aren't very clear to you yet."

  Some things are only remembered when they are needed. In the past many years, the northern barbarian tribes were removed from the list of powerful enemies by the people of Oserdin and became a minor nuisance that was not worth mentioning. The Northern Army, which had been established to have both offense and defense capabilities, gradually evolved into its current state of idleness. They could only take their troops out of the border during the seasons other than winter and set up nets to sweep outside the borders of Oserdin. If it weren't for the fact that the north was too cold and the land within the borders was sufficient for farming, the national borders of Oserdin would have been able to expand outward by now.

  That's why this barbarian invasion will provoke such a big reaction from the Ossetians. It is also the reason why Stefan needs to give extra lessons to two children.

  "The opponents you will be facing are the savages of the frozen tundra. If you're lucky, you might even encounter the forest barbarians." Stefan explained, "Knowing a thing or two about them would do you some good."

  Because it is a pre-raid strike, the old man directly skipped what history, culture, and belief connotations, and only explained the military structure as individual combat effectiveness.

  "The barbarians are skilled with axes, which is related to their low smelting technology. Even axes are not available to everyone, and the wilderness lacks iron." Stefan said, "If it were me at that time, any barbarian holding a double-handed battle axe would not be easily defeated by you. Now they are even more unbearable, so any barbarian holding a double-handed battle axe should be avoided in direct combat. Odin teaches us to be brave, but not reckless."

  The young boys and girls nodded.

  "What's left is either a one-handed axe or a short spear. These weapons may not be as fearsome as the two-handed battle-axe, but they can still kill. The savages who use these things are only formidable if you're not careful."

  The two nodded again.

  "In short, for these wild beasts on the wasteland, the simplest way to judge their strength is to observe their weapons."

  Nodding.

  Nodding his head, Joanie thought of a question: "Sir, what if the army is ordered to charge at the enemy and I happen to be in front of one, say, holding a pair of steel-made double-handed battle axes?"

  Lancelot glanced at Johnny with disdain and said coldly, "You think you should get out of the way, huh?"

  Johnny didn't say anything, just looked at Stephen.

  "In the army, everything is about following orders," Stefan said seriously. "Even if there's a group of mages casting spells in front of you, when they tell you to move forward, you can't hesitate."

  Pausing for a moment, savoring Johnny's choking expression, the old man slowly spoke: "However..."

  Jony's eyes lit up. Although he yearned for the battlefield, he cherished life even more.

  "...In the army of Ausdin, if even you have to face such a strong enemy, it means that the battle situation has deteriorated, and no matter what choice you make, you can only perish together with the army you are in."

  This is a reassurance or something else... Joanie looked at the old man with a smile on his mouth and secretly slandered him.

  "What I'm saying only makes sense when you're sent out on a scouting mission," Stephan said seriously. "It's mainly to give you some basic understanding of your enemies. Especially you, Joni, I don't know what you've heard or seen in Vilsa, but remember! On the wasteland, those with good equipment have strength that matches their gear, so don't be reckless."

  Joni nodded repeatedly. This is indeed a very good common sense education. He also said that he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't get dizzy at some point and bring the setting of the incompetent tribal chief's son into reality, ultimately dying in a foreign land.

  Lancelot was also listening intently, these things she had never heard her grandfather mention before. When it came to the barbarians, there were always those few powerful and majestic stories, where Stefan, as the protagonist, killed the barbarians with a chilling blow, only to be defeated by the army of Ocedin... In her impression, the barbarians were just a group of weaklings.

  This impression would remain in her mind until her first real battle.

  "As for the forest barbarians, they are similar to the ordinary barbarians. However, they are more skilled in using bows and arrows, and excel at hiding and tracking in the woods. There are also warriors who use giant axes, but not many. This time you will be marching with the army, so it's unlikely that you will encounter them."

  Udis walked into the house, holding two giant swords wrapped in linen.

  "Dad, I've brought the things."

  "Put them against the wall and go get those two sets of chain mail."

  Joni and Astrid turned around to see the weapons, knowing they were prepared for them. Under the old man's indication, the two came before the swords, each choosing one, removing the cloth wrapping, revealing the magnificent sword body of the giant sword.

  Indeed magnificent. Joanie eyed the weapon in front of her. The blade of this sword was not straight, but wavy, like flames burning from the blunt end of the bladeless hilt to the tip of the sword.

  This is really a standard German two-handed sword now. Johnny was speechless.

  Lancelot was very enthusiastic. After trying out the balance, she made a few attacking moves in mid-air and instantly fell in love with the weapon in her hand. Looking at her like that, it seemed as if she had received a long-awaited gift.

  "Is this for me? Grandpa, you're the best!" Lancelot put down his sword and hugged Stephanie, jumping up and down with her, even bringing a relieved smile to the old man's face, just like an ordinary grandfather enjoying his granddaughter's affection...

  Alright, this is indeed Grandpa and granddaughter.

  Joni looked a bit strange beside him. Although this sword was finely crafted and of high quality, was it worth getting so excited about?

  Lancelot, who had been calming down slowly, saw Johnny's expressionless face and suddenly became a bit angry. She pointed at Johnny - just like any girl who found her idol being ignored or criticized - and said: "Do you know what sword this is?"

  German Zweih?nder... what other sword could it be? Jony looked at the girl innocently.

  "You don't understand, do you?" Lanslot raised his head, "This is the royal guard's weapon, a symbol of the kingdom's authority! This is the masterpiece of Osedin's craftsmen, this is the latest two-handed sword!"

  Oh... what's the big deal? Johnny still looked puzzled.

  "I'm telling you, this sword not only looks intimidating, but its structure is also very effective at killing people. It can cut deeper than a straight blade, and sometimes it doesn't even need to be swung - just a single swipe can cause a deep wound! This is every Osadin's dream!" Little Ye was excited.

  "Why didn't you buy it then?" Johnny asked curiously.

  "I haven't even started making money yet," Lancelot said, only to find himself chatting with Johnny, and he snorted in response, no longer paying attention.

  Jiao Ni saw this and shook his head with a bitter smile.

  "Lancelot, I think you're being unfair to Johnny," Stephan spoke up from the side. "Since he can now fight evenly with you, you should respect his strength. Odin taught us to respect our opponents, whether they are good or evil."

  "But he..." Lancelot wanted to argue, but was glared at by Stefan and finally answered softly, "I know."

  At this time, Udis returned to the house again, with a pair of chain armor in each hand.

  "Put them on and try them out." Stefan handed over the armor, giving each of them a set.

  The chain mail fit well, a bit loose. This meant that when the day really warmed up, the armor was a bit too big. But Johnny had no pressure, anyway he still had another suit of armor, and at worst he could wear it inside.

  "Grandpa, it seems a bit small." On Lancelot's side, he was facing another kind of trouble.

  "It'll be fine when it gets hot outside." The old man explained, "With fewer clothes inside, the chain armor will fit snugly."

  After a few more words, Stephfen waved his hand and let the two disperse. Do what you need to do, whether it's getting familiar with new weapons or saying goodbye to those who need to be bid farewell. Everything will be ready, and tomorrow they can set off without any worries.

  Joni decided to go find Brunie. Sir Ray said goodbye, from now on, no one would accompany him to chat again, he had to accumulate his nagging in his heart, waiting for the next unlucky person... No, lucky one to listen to those past things.

  Incidentally, Joanie also wanted to ask more about the barbarians. The stories of brave battles that Bruni told were inspiring, but they didn't have any other use. After all, Bruni was only a squad leader until he was transferred to the Western Army.

  "Barbarians?" Bruny let out a disdainful snort from his nose, "They're nothing but a bunch of lowly beasts!"

  This grudge is really not ordinary...

  "This group of beasts that can't even forge their own weapons, I'm telling you, at that time I led my men to patrol the border..."

  After a long and familiar story.

  "So, Joanie, you don't have to worry about anything, take your weapon and chop them up! Except for the elite by the chief's side, they're all trash. I'm telling you, even the elite aren't that great, that year we gathered..."

  Like a last revelry, Johnny heard many stories on this day, unfortunately all of which he had heard many times before.

  At the same time, at Morrol's outpost, Odara Ludwig was staring at a young man holding a giant sword with red eyes. The wavy blade... Odara could completely imagine what it would be like to drag it on the enemy's flesh and blood.

  "Odarla? Odarla?" The young man tried to wake up the man in front of him who was about to drool, "Wake up!"

  "Ah? Ah......" Odara woke up, but her gaze still didn't leave the sword in front of her eyes. "This sword, where did it come from?"

  "This is the royal guard's weapon, a symbol of the kingdom's authority." In similar wording, but this one was much calmer than Lancelot, "It was made by someone in my household, although it's not a masterpiece, it's still a top-notch sharp blade."

  "What is this symbol of royal authority? When did this happen?" Odara finally shifted his gaze, looking at the man in front of him with a puzzled expression.

  "You didn't know? Oh, I see, you've just returned not long ago. Your feats back then were something I admired since my youth!" The young man flattered, before getting back on topic, "It was probably around five years ago that this weapon was used to counter the civilian soldiers of Tanias. Against such lightly armored or even unarmored enemies, this design is far superior to a straight blade. After the war ended, the royal family used it as a symbol of the kingdom's authority, representing our admiration for advanced technology and design."

  Odarra was depressed. His father had never mentioned it in those days, and he naturally didn't ask. The colleagues in the sentry post also didn't, he didn't ask, others naturally wouldn't say either. Until today, a young man named Al. Frederick came to the sentry post, Odarra knew for the first time that there were such beautiful weapons in the world.

  But he didn't have money.

  "How much for one like this?" Odala swallowed hard.

  "It's not expensive, just a bit more than an ordinary great sword. You can imagine that this wavy blade still requires technique to make." Al explained, "But it's just ordinary goods, like the standardized great swords in the military."

  This kind of quality is unbearable for Odala.

  "Is that okay?"

  "It's not just about the price, it depends on who made it and what materials were used. This sword in my hand was crafted by the chief artisan of the city at a cost of 50 gold coins." As he spoke, Al raised his sword again and gave it a few swings.

  Audrey thought that what was reflected on the sword was clearly golden light.