In the end, he could only spit bitterly and fall silent, his displeasure written all over his face.
And so, the army, which hadn't been marching quickly to begin with, slowed down even more.
Whenever they encountered narrow roads, dense mountain forests, or had to cross bridges and passes, the unit of Personal Guards would scout ahead, sometimes even prodding the undergrowth with their spears or firing a few arrows into suspicious shadows.
This meticulous caution, while ensuring their safety, severely slowed the army's overall pace.
The sun gradually sank in the west as dusk crept closer.
As the setting sun sank toward the horizon, a stone bridge spanning a tributary of Mirror Lake appeared up ahead on the road.
The bridge was about thirty to forty meters long, its surface wide enough for two carriages to pass side-by-side. A large stone stood at its entrance, upon which were carved two large words in the common tongue of the continent—"Water Bridge."
