Chapter 7: Suspicion

The arrival of a large number of warriors from the north at Corfu Port could not fail to draw the attention of the dwarves. After all, those half-orcs had faces just as ferocious as those of barbarians, and although they differed greatly in armor and attire, they still inspired considerable vigilance among the already nervous dwarves. Without the repeated assurances of the Iberians, the dwarves would never have taken such a risk.

The Nicomidian soldiers, arriving like turbulent waves, quickly formed an ironclad formation on the dock. The dwarf scouts stationed around the dock kept watching and observing this army, both openly and secretly.

Their presence carried an air different from that of the local armies. The half-orcs were indeed formidable and full of vigor, while the human archers showed excellent discipline. As for those called knights, their behavior varied—dozens of gloomy-looking men seemed lazy, yet like steel needles hidden in cotton, their murderous intent could be felt even from dozens of meters away.

Another group tried hard to show their uniqueness, proudly declaring they could maintain a straight gaze at any time. Equipped with knightly lances and swords, along with neat armor and uniformly colored battle robes and cloaks, their arrogance and fighting spirit combined to create a formidable presence that seemed capable of piercing even the strongest defenses.

Only after this army finally assembled and left the docks of Corfu Port along the planned route did the two dwarves who had been observing carefully finally breathe a sigh of relief. The conflicted expressions on their faces revealed that both had been affected by the imposing aura of those on the dock.

“I wonder if bringing these guys here is a blessing or a curse? I have a bad feeling—maybe they won’t leave once they arrive.”

“You mean they’ll stay in Flanders forever?”

“It’s hard to say. In terms of numbers alone, this army isn’t much, but…”

“But what? What exactly are you worried about?”

“Could the Iberians be luring wolves into their own den?”

“With just this small force? No matter how strong they are, it seems impossible for them to challenge an entire country like Iberia.”

“No, things aren’t that simple. These people certainly didn’t come just to defend Flanders. The situation in Flanders has remained relatively peaceful. Although the barbarians have differing attitudes toward Flanders, there seems to be no sign of them preparing to launch an attack yet, unless those barbarians decide to destroy everything and restart the war. But would those barbarians who have close ties with Flanders agree to do that?”
“We really don’t understand what those barbarians want, but the intelligence gathered by the scouts confirms that they are indeed making war preparations, which means war will start soon.”
The debate between the two dwarf officers didn’t yield any convincing conclusion, and what their true mission was would only become clear after the war ended.
Starting from the port of Corfu and heading west, Ilot would lead the entire southern expedition army across the northern part of the Kingdom of Smyrna into the central region of the Kingdom of Iberia, then turn northwest before crossing the Pyrenees Mountains to reach Antwerp, the central city of the Flanders Valley.
Along the way, Ilot realized that neither the dwarves nor the Iberians were entirely confident in his army. At each fortress they passed, they maintained high levels of vigilance and sufficient troops, suggesting that Komer’s reputation in this region wasn’t very high.
As soon as they entered the Flanders Valley, Ilot and Dragumo could sense that the region already had a slight Caucasus-inspired flavor—whether in the style of the buildings or the extent to which the local merchants welcomed this army; it seemed only the Caucasus had such characteristics.
Antwerp wasn’t very large, but it was undoubtedly the central city of the entire Flanders Valley. Although there weren’t many streets, they were quite smooth and orderly. Many buildings appeared to have been built recently, and there were no towering, solemn structures like those in the north.
The arrival of the 3,000-strong Nicosia army made Antwerp much livelier. Although Ilot ordered strict vigilance and prohibited leaving the camp without permission after the army was stationed there, the army’s quartermasters still added a lot of activity to the streets of Antwerp.
Ilot stopped in front of the lord’s residence. The courtyard had remained unchanged. As the lord’s residence, it should have been quite bustling, but since Komer had hardly stayed here for long, it was rather quiet.

“Mr. Ilot, what are you doing standing here in a daze? Why don’t you go in and sit down?” Dragumo had always maintained a good relationship with Ilot, without any of the awkwardness or distance typical between half-orcs and humans.
“Well, this is Lord Komer’s manor. It’s a shame to let such a large courtyard lie idle just because he’s not here,” Ilot said, shaking his head with regret.
“Uh, Mr. Ilot, I heard that Miss Tracy is somewhere around here, right?” Dragumo wore a rare sly expression on his face—a look completely unworthy of a half-orc, which annoyed Ilot greatly. Could even these honest half-orcs become gossipy like busybodies?
“Where did you get such absurd news? Don’t you know that Eve and Grace came with us to Flanders? Komer ordered that this place should be their permanent residence. Tracy? Hmph, Tracy certainly doesn’t qualify to live here. Those who live here usually mean something important,” Ilot said disdainfully with a couple of snorts.
“Is that so? Is there some special rule to it? I heard that Tracy is also Lord Komer’s woman—just his daughter, Philip’s daughter.” Dragumo didn’t understand these human customs, nor did he intend to.
“Women are very different from each other. You won’t understand. All you need to do is command your soldiers well. Well, actually, I don’t understand either. Only Komer himself knows the ins and outs of it,” Ilot laughed. It seemed that Eve and Grace’s visit to the south this time had confirmed their status in Komer’s eyes.