[Vol. 9] Chapter 97: The Ice Wolf Guards
Whether it was the imperial fleet from before or the Silver Claw mercenary group now, Violet actually knew very little about why Carinvega, or rather the Austre Empire, would send so many forces north.
Her relationship with the Austre Empire was not as close as the ones she had with the Human United Kingdom, the Azure Sky Kingdom, or the Holy Empire. Although she had high-ranking friends there, the two sides had once been enemies. Compared to close friends like Sethlin, Carinvega was still a bit distant. Not someone she could talk to about everything without reservation.
Besides, even though that girl was now the Equal King of the Empire, her gentle and noncompetitive nature meant she probably didn’t hold much real power. Above her still stood the Emperor himself. From any point of view, secrets at such a high level in the Austre Empire wouldn’t be casually shared with outsiders.
Of course, if the priestess really wanted to dig into the truth, Carinvega probably wouldn’t hide things from her. But forcing someone into a difficult position wasn’t Violet’s way of doing things. And right now, since their group still hadn’t found a stable place to stay in the North, traveling all the way back to the faraway imperial capital, especially without setting up an Spatial Gate, would be far too troublesome.
So, rather than going that far, Violet preferred to directly get information from Silver Claw. Tina’s rank might not be high enough to reach the core of this operation, but surely someone else could.
Even though Salzburg was the capital city of a kingdom, its defenses were not especially strict. After waiting in line for a short while and presenting their identification papers, the group was allowed to enter the city smoothly.
As the largest city they had come across in the North so far, Salzburg’s scale and prosperity were far beyond that of small nations or border towns like Nofenburg or Gore Fortress. As they walked through the lively and crowded streets, even a certain blue dragon lady kept glancing around curiously like a child seeing the world for the first time, and even Violet herself showed a hint of curiosity in her gaze.
The North was bitterly cold, so like in Nofenburg and Gore Fortress, most buildings here were reinforced with solid ice materials. However, unlike those poorer places, Salzburg’s architecture was noticeably more elegant. Less rough, and with a softer, more refined charm that didn’t quite match the usual northern style.
Simply put, the locals here knew how to enjoy life.
It was clear that southern architectural styles had influenced this city to some degree. After all, the more prosperous and diverse a city becomes, the more it absorbs outside cultures, which also reflected the strength of its economy.
Because of the harsh natural environment, the North’s agriculture and livestock industries were rather poor. But it was rich in magic crystals and crafted goods. It was said that merchants earned huge profits trading between the North and South, and even in Salzburg, the capital of the Preston Kingdom, this pattern was clearly visible.
Along the way, Violet saw many stalls lined up on both sides of the streets. Some sold small trinkets like ice carvings and dolls, while others offered all sorts of handcrafted items for daily use or raw materials like minerals and ores. But street food stalls and restaurants were rare. The few food shops that did exist were massive and well-established, clearly part of powerful business chains.
It seemed food shortages were indeed a serious problem across the North. While the situation on Icefang Island had been especially bad, it was, in a way, just a reflection of the larger regional issue.
Thinking back, when she had met the Xavier Merchant Guild in the frozen lands, their wagons had been packed full of grain. If they had managed to reach the northern markets safely, they were probably making huge profits now, smiling so wide they couldn’t even close their mouths.
Murmuring those random thoughts in her heart, the priestess walked leisurely through the streets. Along the way, she bought quite a few things for the bright-eyed Alexia, who looked excited at every turn. She also picked up a few lovely trinkets for herself, planning to use them later to cheer up Xiao Guang, and maybe even as gifts for Sethlin when they next met.
Along the way, everyone chatted and laughed quite happily. Sensing Violet’s kind and approachable attitude, Tina and the others, who had at first felt some awe toward this mysterious and powerful figure, gradually relaxed and became more familiar with her. They finally dared to talk freely about lighter topics.
Just then, the sound of shouting and hurried footsteps, mixed with the sharp clatter of horse hooves, quickly grew louder from a distance. As the crowd gasped and moved aside in panic, a group of several dozen people suddenly appeared at the end of the street.
“Make way! Everyone move! Ice Wolf Guards on duty! All bystanders, step back!”
The group was dressed in fine uniforms with long knives at their waists. Their clothing was made of thick silver-gray fabric with deep blue trims, and both the collars and sleeves were lined with heavy frost-wolf fur. Clearly warm, windproof, and of excellent quality, the kind of outfit ordinary people could never afford.
They all wore knee-length icy-blue capes embroidered with a howling wolf crest. The leaders rode tall frost horses at the front, galloping in formation. Their capes flapped wildly in the wind, looking like crashing waves rushing forward with great force.
As their knives clanked against their belts, the deep metallic sound added to the chilling, oppressive atmosphere, the very image of cold authority and danger. Even without knowing how strong these people were, their appearance alone was enough to make most onlookers too scared to breathe.
Violet and her companions weren’t in the group’s way, but the sudden commotion naturally caught their attention. They turned to look curiously at the approaching riders.
The priestess and Alexia didn’t recognize these people, but the locals among them, including Veranica and Tina, visibly stiffened the moment they saw the uniforms. The expression on the mercenary captain’s face darkened completely, as if recalling some unpleasant memory.
“So it’s the Ice Wolf Guards… It’s been almost ten years, and those arrogant bastards still look just as full of themselves.”
Hearing that, Violet looked at the ice demon girl in mild surprise.
“What’s wrong? You’ve had trouble with them before?”
“…Can’t really call it a personal grudge,” Veranica said flatly. “It’s been ten years, I’m sure the ones I knew back then have already been replaced. I just never liked that group, that’s all.”
Seeing Violet and the blue dragon lady exchange puzzled looks, Tina sighed and stepped in to explain.
“Lady Violet, the Ice Wolf Guards are a royal unit directly under the Preston Kingdom’s crown. They hold many special powers, they can investigate anyone, act as they see fit, and even bypass normal laws. You can think of them as similar to the Imperial Intelligence Bureau in Austre Empire, but with even greater authority.”
“These guards are stationed both openly and secretly across the entire kingdom, spying on and monitoring the citizens’ every move. Their methods are harsh, and every year, thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, are arrested or executed on the spot for various reasons. My family was once falsely accused by criminals, and it was the Ice Wolf Guards who personally came to arrest us.”