Chapter 018: Entering Odinburg

The news that the Laney Empire had sought peace with the Gavin Empire quickly spread throughout the entire camp. Initially, the soldiers were worried whether Du Fan, with only tens of thousands of troops, could withstand an attack from the Laney Empire. But once this news spread, everyone’s anxious hearts finally settled.

Now, almost everyone in the camp was discussing the peace talks—this time’s negotiations were completely different from the previous attempt six months ago. It could be regarded as a long-awaited victory for the Gavin Empire, making it a rare and significant event, so it was understandable that everyone was talking about it.

The main topic of discussion was what the outcome of these negotiations would be. After all, in the last peace talks, the Laney Empire had gained many advantages. This time, they surely wanted to regain what they had lost.

Although many knew this idea was somewhat naive, for some reason, it still held traction in the camp. Du Fan, on the other hand, remained indifferent to these rumors. When news spread that he intended to go to Odinburg personally to negotiate with the Laney Empire representatives, the Silro Province was also shocked.

Old Mark, Simbat, Elsic, and others repeatedly advised Du Fan to abandon this plan, but he merely smiled, it being unclear whether he even listened.

Soon, three days passed. Du Fan had already ordered the selection of 300 elite soldiers and another 200 elite fighters from the Divine Might Prison to serve as his personal guard for this mission to Odinburg. After all, Odinburg was now enemy territory. If he brought too few men, he might struggle in case of trouble; if he brought too many, it could undermine his own momentum. Five hundred men seemed to lie within the psychological threshold for both sides.

With the support of 200 men from the Divine Might Prison, even if the enemy turned hostile, he wouldn’t fear being unable to break through.

As for the negotiators, Count Christopher would naturally go with Du Fan. After some consideration, Du Fan also added Randy’s name to the list.

Under the surveillance of the Divine Might Prison’s men these past few days, these two hadn’t done anything suspicious. But Du Fan still wasn’t at ease leaving Randy behind in his camp. Only by having him by his side at all times could Du Fan feel somewhat reassured.

With everything prepared, Du Fan sent a document to Odinburg and then led his large force slowly toward the city.

When Count Christopher saw Du Fan, he simply smiled slightly and nodded as a greeting.

It was Randy, who hadn’t come to see Du Fan these past days, who was called out from the tent. After glancing at Du Fan, he approached with a smile to pay his respects. His behavior made Du Fan nod in approval in secret. It seemed Randy wasn’t completely foolish—if he had come up to scold or even ignored Du Fan, he wouldn’t be such an impressive figure. But his ability to act as if nothing had happened showed that he had some cunning about him.

Upon arriving at Odinburg, General Marcus once again came personally to greet Du Fan and his party. Given Du Fan’s status and the fact that they were there for peace talks, it would have been expected for at least the commander-in-chief to greet them. The fact that only a general showed up gave the impression of rudeness. Du Fan’s men were naturally annoyed, but Du Fan himself remained calm, smiling as he introduced Count Christopher and Randy to Marcus. They exchanged a few polite words.

During these conversations, Du Fan noticed General Marcus’s eyes darting around, clearly sizing up the few hundred people Du Fan had brought, his gaze filled with suspicion. It was obvious that the Laney Empire was quite wary of Du Fan. Seeing this, Du Fan understood the situation well. Since he was only there to take advantage, not to cause trouble, his army, aside from being fully equipped with weapons, didn’t carry any other dangerous items, so he wasn’t afraid of Marcus’s inspection.

After checking around, Marcus saw that Du Fan had only brought about five hundred people, including a hundred or so who seemed to be servants. It was likely that this young master Du Fan was so accustomed to luxury that he brought along a bunch of servants to serve him. Among those servants were a few with graceful figures and beautiful faces, clearly maids or concubines. This showed not only Du Fan’s lustfulness but little else of value.

Du Fan inwardly sneered—those from the Divine Might Prison were experts at disguise. Acting as servants now? If you could spot something suspicious, then you were really good…

Only after checking everything did Marcus feel relieved. He knew Du Fan must have noticed his actions, so he laughed and said, “The Duke is truly extraordinary. Coming here for peace talks with such a small group—such composure and determination! I, Marcus, admit I lack such qualities. I admire you, truly…”

Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “It’s nothing much. Compared to your master, who’s afraid that I might strike him right at this city gate, I’m only slightly more formidable.”
These words hit Marcus right in his weak point, making his expression even more awkward. All he could do was cough and make a gesture, saying, “My lord Duke, please enter the city!”
With that, he waved his hand slightly, and the gates of Odinburg, not far behind him, slowly opened.
Odinburg had originally been one of the three military fortresses built in the south at the founding of the Gavin Empire, all constructed to the highest standards set by the empire’s military. Normally, such city walls should be ten meters high according to military defense standards, but Du Fan could tell at a glance that Odinburg’s walls were by no means just ten meters high.
The additional height clearly indicated that they had been built recently, showing that the Lani people took great care of this captured fortress, aiming to turn it into an impregnable stronghold.
The walls were made of sturdy boulders, with gaps so tight that not even a steel blade could fit through. The towering walls were also covered with barbs and iron hooks, and from a distance, rows of trebuchets could be seen on top.
Upon closer inspection, Du Fan realized that these trebuchets were the same kind recently produced in his own Siluo Province.
At this sight, he couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Did these Lani people really think he would be that foolish as to sell such things casually? If a battle really broke out, if they didn’t use these trebuchets, they wouldn’t stand a chance if they did.
In addition to the trebuchets, there were also many crossbows, oil pots, and stones on the walls. After doing some calculations, Du Fan realized that even if he wanted to capture this fortress, given his current strength, it would be nearly impossible.
Thinking of such a fortress, which should have belonged to the empire but now was in the hands of the enemy, Du Fan couldn’t help but feel a sense of sigh.
As Marcus slowly entered Odinburg’s gates, he saw several large military camps beneath the walls, with huge training grounds in front where troops were constantly practicing. This showed the militaristic spirit of the Lani Empire.
Inside the fortress, patrol teams were constantly on the move everywhere, exuding an overwhelming aura of violence that was impossible to ignore.

What was strange, however, was that these soldiers seemed to be divided into two groups: one group wore black armor, while the other wore blood-red armor. From a distance, it seemed these two groups of soldiers were completely incompatible with each other. After pondering for a moment, Du Fan realized this was likely because their respective masters were not on good terms, and this hierarchy naturally led to such a situation. Initially, he thought that Odinburg, being as solid as an iron barrel, would be difficult to attack in the future, but now it seemed there might be ways he could take advantage of it. With proper use of these resources, he might be able to capture the fortress without even deploying a single soldier. As Marcus continued riding, the buildings around them grew denser, and occasionally, merchants could be seen selling goods. The houses in Odinburg were designed primarily for practicality, and there was little to admire in their appearance. Yet these square-shaped houses had strong defensive capabilities. Du Fan could see at a glance that even if the city walls were breached, the soldiers could still use these houses to hold their ground and fight back. However, judging from their appearance, it seemed they hadn’t been subjected to battle for a long time. When Odinburg fell, the soldiers of the Southern Legion probably left without much resistance. Thinking of this, Du Fan couldn’t help but glance back at Young Master Randy, only to find him with a strange expression, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought. Du Fan had intended to tease him a bit, but remembering that Marcus was still around, he decided it would be awkward if their own people started fighting among themselves. So he gave up and listened carefully as Marcus described the surroundings. On both sides of Odinburg were towering mountains with steep cliffs. Apart from those extremely strong who could fly up and down, it was an impassable barrier for ordinary people. In this light, Odinburg indeed had the aura of being impregnable. After riding for a while longer, Du Fan suddenly saw a relatively wide street not far away, with a spire-shaped building on it. The building was entirely white, its windows covered with colorful stained glass, and at the top was a sacred cross… “Huh…” Du Fan was slightly stunned and couldn’t help but say, “Is there also a church of the Holy Church here?”

“The Duke is joking,” Marcus said seriously. “The God of Light is the only faith in the continent. Many soldiers are also believers in the God of Light. Who in the entire continent does not worship the God of Light? So, it’s not strange at all that there are churches of the Holy See in Odinburg.”
Du Fan nodded slightly, but wasn’t convinced. The Lannian Empire has always been aligned with Roland Academy. I believe in worshipping the God of Light, but as for their attitude toward the Holy See… hmph…