Dungeon of Niflheim-Chapter 925: Unknown lord

After listening to the din of travellers for a good hour or so and with his meal and drink long finished Frost stood up, preparing to head back to the cave were he left the Lunar maidens. Suddenly however from the opposite side of the mess hall where a small contingent of powerful looking individuals sat he heard a whisper that stopped him in his tracks.

"Don’t you find it strange....why are the order of the ice shield so quiet during such times?"

’The order of the ice shield?’ Frost had heard this name a few times since his entrance into the Glacial mountains. According to what he’d been told and what he’d manage to discover they served a similar role as the adventuring guild in the southlands but that wasn’t all. Most camps within the inner and external regions were managed by this group, they also served as middlemen for the mighty nations dwelling within these lands. A group with substantial political pull, vast land, information gathering capabilities and yes even military power. A neutral-ish body that served to maintain balance, financed and fed by the strongest nations, tribes, merchant companies and even certain influential individuals.....Northrend or rather Icethorne played a part in their gestation and to this day served as one of their most powerful backers yet there was little to no movement on their part in response to this war they found themselves in.

"You’d think that given who’s involved they’d rally a volunteer conscription within their camps and within their governed territories or at least offer to help ensure safe passage for those travelling to their aid, whether they be soldier, adventurer, hunter or even merchant."

"Quiet cousin they have ears everywhere." The B-rank individual quickly hushed her companion before scanning the mess hall, obvious panic held in her eyes.

Frost quickly looked away acting indifferent to his surroundings.

’That was close.’ Thankfully he wasn’t caught but their words and the way the woman reacted formed a sense of wariness and distrust for the group known as the order of the ice shield in his heart.

’Perhaps it’s not just the nations in the external regions that have sided with the liberation alliance.’ Frost fostered such thoughts before taking his leave, if he stayed much longer that woman may see him as suspicious.

The next morning when the caravan had finished packing away their gear and made themselves ready for another long trek Frost called Neve to his side so he could learn more about her clan’s recorded information, a productive way to spend his time as they moved.

"The order of the ice shield? Unfortunately I don’t know much about them other than the fact that they have members stationed throughout the external and inner regions. They did attempt to strike an agreement with us a few hundred years ago, but we rejected them outright." Eventually Frost couldn’t resist asking about the order, his mind plagued by an itch throughout the night. Unfortunately Neve knew very little which was to be expected given how isolationist the Lunar maidens were.

"That’s alright continue telling me about the stories passed down from the core regions." Although their time in the inner regions was rather lacklustre, despairing and dull for centuries the tales hailing from their time in the core regions and even within the realm of Niflheim were akin to mystical fables that set the young Dungeon core’s heart ablaze. Ancient Lunar maidens were so strong, and their lives were far more interesting, alliances with empires boasting dozens of S-rank individuals, duels with pure blood ice dragons, wars on a scale that dwarfed what Icethorne was currently having to deal with.

Eventually it wasn’t just Neve talking about their history but all the Lunar maidens, each of them embellishing what they’d heard from their ancestors with smiles on their faces, honoured by the fact that at one point in time their race stood at the top of the world so far removed from their current dismal status...at least until they met their saviour, with him leading them they could perhaps reach such heights once again.

Another two days passed and Frost could already smell the scent of home, recognising the land underneath his feet. Unconsciously he picked up speed which forced the Lunar maidens to push themselves.

"We’re close, another two hours or so and we’ll reach home." Beneath his mask Frost donned a forlorn expression, his heart anxious to meet up with those he considered family.

"Home?" The word sounded somewhat foreign to Neve and her maidens especially given how brutally they had lost their own, but their expressions were positive, curious and a little excited. Although he kept the depths of his plans secret, choosing to wait until they managed to reach the Dungeon, a place of safety and comfort, in exchange for the stories of their ancient clan he describe more aspects of their future home thus they were able to prepare themselves somewhat.

"We’ll enter the town first, after which I’ll have one of my subordinates prepare your lodgings. Rest, relax and eat something hearty, we’ll start discussing the terms of your employment tomorrow."

"Yes master." Neve bowed her head politely, her heart grateful towards Frost for choosing not to rush things.

Roughly two hours later after Frost nearly collapsed from reconnecting with the Dungeon’s influence, the collected DP being so vast that he was seeing stars and struggling to keep his emotions in check the caravan came upon the walls of his burgeoning city state.

A lot of work had been done in the two weeks or so that he’d been away, the walls were 5 metres higher, 6 in some areas. The early stages of farmlands had been excavated beyond the southern wall; the number of soldiers both Dungeon born and not had increased allowing the military barracks to see some real usage and there were far more war machines such a ballistae defending the improved walls. City would be a stretch given its small size and level of military, but the Niflheim camp/city-state would put a lot of towns to shame when it came to structural defences.

Unfortunately although Frost was impressed by the work Yuna had achieved during his absence after seeing Icethorne and learning of the threat that was sure to come his way he couldn’t help but feel it was severely lacking.

An aspect that took him by surprise however was the queue that extended from the main gate all the way into the depths of the Northrend forest, his home had gotten far more popular since his departure.

’They must be people wanting to flee from the civil war.’ He expected such things to pass but the numbers still shocked him, his territory was likely only getting the off cuts from the mass migration that was entering the Furano Viscounty yet even, so the amount was more than enough to make him smile from ear to ear. With more manpower he could accomplish more tasks all without expending the Dungeon’s lifeblood, DP.

Ignoring the long queue full of all manner of people many of which who had gotten quite irritated by the long wait Frost lead the Lunar maidens and Kiba up to the gate aiming to enter the city and meet up with his family who’d already been informed of his arrival via the Dungeon menu.

"Halt! Don’t you see the queue behind you bud, wait your turn or stay outside forever." A guard, a human that was serving in a paid capacity stopped Frost in place with his hand flabbergasted by his actions, didn’t he see the queue and the bevy of soldiers and war machines primed to take down any offenders.

Frost looked down at the hand on his chest genuinely confused by the situation.

’I’m being denied access to my own territory.’ He had to resist laughing maniacally but he couldn’t blame the guard he was just doing his job. Suddenly remembering that his face was still covered by a mask he removed it.

"Can I enter now?" He asked with a slight smile feeling that his barring must have been because of an inability to recognise his face.

"Huh are you deaf elf! I said wait your turn." The guard was briefly moved by Frost’s appearance but quickly remembered his duties as a guard, the strength behind his hand increased and he actually shoved Frost backwards before shooing him away as if he was an annoying beggar.

Frost was once again stunned for a moment. In utter disbelief he stood where he was and repeatedly blinked his eyes.

’....Ok now I can teach him a lesson.’ A vein bulged atop his forehead as his blood started to boil, how dare this brat not recognise his owner. Alas before Frost or one of the quickly rushing over ronsos could make a move themselves the man’s colleague quickly dashed behind and smacked the back of his head without mercy, nearly knocking his eyes out of their sockets.

"Apologies for this disgrace Lord Frost, he’s new to the camp and therefore unable to recognise you." Ignoring the pain he inflicted on his colleague the second guard forced him to bow his head a full ninety degrees.

"Eh? Lord Frost."