"The weather here is really cold."
Before Bai Yang could finish speaking, Vincent, wrapped in a fur coat, strode down from the ship, cursing. "Your Highness Swain, we need to find a different spot. If this wind keeps up, not to mention the soldiers, even we can't stand it!"
"Yes, the priority is to find a place sheltered from the wind to set up camp," Xiao Xun agreed.
"Shouldn't we send out some scouts to reconnoiter? We know nothing about this place," Vincent suggested.
Xiao Xun replied, "Scorpio knows the terrain of this area, which is why I chose to land here."
Xiao Xun gestured to Scorpio, who was following him.
"He's a living map, don't worry, I don't fight unprepared battles."
"He's a real freak," Vincent could only exclaim.
"Soldiers, let's go, we've found a spot sheltered from the wind!" He turned and shouted to the soldiers who had already disembarked, "Crew members stay on the ship. The rest of you, push the carts down, bring the supplies, and follow me!"
"Your Highness, don't we need to scout the surroundings first?"
At this moment, Dukal also walked over, voicing the same concern as Vincent.
Before Xiao Xun could speak, Vincent's loud voice boomed, "No need. Our Prince Swain has a living map, very useful, he remembers all the maps here!"
Hearing Vincent's unrestrained words, Xiao Xun could only force a wry smile.
Dukal cast a doubtful glance at Xiao Xun, who nodded, and Dukal said no more, proceeding onward.
Just then, another Paladin from the Fearless Vanguard, a female Paladin named Jifini, approached, seemingly in a dispute with Dukal.
Afterward, she walked briskly towards Xiao Xun.
"Your Highness, I still disagree with your assessment."
Jifini, seemingly a straightforward person, said as soon as she arrived, "Even if Your Highness knows the terrain, we don't know what magical beasts or other dangers await us there."
She then glanced at Vincent. "Therefore, it would be more prudent for us to scout first."
Xiao Xun rubbed his fingers together slightly, thinking to himself that his prestige within the army was still insufficient!
However, the Fearless Vanguard was the Empress's direct subordinate and the First Legion of Saint Roman, so a little pride was understandable.
Furthermore, Jifini's words were, after all, born from caution, and he couldn't dampen her responsible attitude.
Xiao Xun cleared his throat. "Do not doubt my orders. I understand the biological characteristics of most of the gregarious creatures in Pabor, and going directly is absolutely fine. I just don't want to waste time and let the soldiers endure this biting cold wind."
At this moment, Dukal also caught up.
Seeing the situation, he added, "What danger could there be in such a desolate place? At most, a pack of Icefield Trolls. There's no need to worry."
Xiao Xun actually disagreed with Dukal's assessment. He had heard before coming that the Pabor region was fraught with danger, and the creatures living there were extremely powerful.
Even if the King of Pride were to attack him, it would take time for his undead army to reach here from their base, so there was no need to worry.
Seeing that everyone had spoken, Jifini no longer insisted and could only nod and withdraw.
The soldiers immediately sprang into action, loading supplies onto the transport vehicles, and then pulled the supplies along. Xiao Xun sat at the front of the vehicle.
After a short while, Xiao Xun stood up and shouted against the wind generated by the moving vehicles, "Everyone stop, we've arrived!"
The vehicles halted, and several Icefield Wolves immediately surrounded them. Seeing these behemoths, they whined softly, a mixture of fear and excitement, as if ready to attack at any moment.
Xiao Xun leaped down from the hilltop and glared at the wolves. Startled, they turned and fled quickly.
"Everyone, come down! The wind is a little less here, we can set up camp here."
Before coming, he had been in a rush, urging Empress Selapei daily to allow him to come to Pabor.
But once he arrived, he wasn't as anxious.
The most pressing matter now was to settle these soldiers.
He had a premonition that the King of Pride had already detected their movements and would come sooner or later. He had to be fully prepared!
"Soldiers, get to work, we need to build a camp as quickly as possible!" he shouted loudly, then directed them, "And over there, we need to build a few defensive towers to monitor movements in the surrounding area!"
As the soldiers began working enthusiastically, Vincent suddenly jogged over and pulled him aside.
"Your Highness Swain, there's something I need to tell you," he whispered, as if not wanting to be overheard.
"What is it?" Xiao Xun turned to look at him.
Vincent suddenly became bashful, as if it were difficult to speak.
"Your Highness, I should have told you this earlier, after all, you are the supreme commander here."
He said, "But this is a secret, if I had told you before..."
Xiao Xun suddenly remembered that Selapei had told him before his departure that there was a weapon of immense power in Pabor – the Star of Kings.
So, upon hearing this, Xiao Xun roughly understood what Vincent was about to say and tentatively asked, "The Star of Kings?"
Vincent's eyes widened.
"Gods, Your Highness Swain, how could you know... Damn it, who leaked the secret..."
He muttered with great dissatisfaction, his mood complex. "Even if I share this secret with you... but, oh gods..."
Xiao Xun smiled. "You don't need to get so agitated. It's not like I don't have my own intelligence organization; it's normal for me to know such news."
He tried to calm the other person down. "To be honest, one of my purposes for coming here is to obtain this divine weapon."
After all, ever since he gave the demon sword to Gateriodor, he hadn't had a suitable weapon.
Vincent's eyes were fixed, as if he had turned to stone.
Scorpio said to Xiao Xun, "Sir, I know some local guides here."
Xiao Xun nodded. "Since there's nothing else to do now, let's go and resolve this matter first."
"What is this nonsense," Vincent muttered in dissatisfaction, then quickly followed.
After notifying Dukal and Jifini to supervise the soldiers in building the camp, Xiao Xun, along with Bai Yang, Scorpio, and Vincent, walked out.
At dusk, in a mercenary house in Pabor, several trolls gathered in the center of the room, continuously throwing pieces of wood into the stove for warmth.
However, Xiao Xun's luck seemed to be quite bad today. As soon as he entered, the entire room contained only a few blue-skinned trolls and a yellow-skinned ogre warming themselves.