A few days before his arrival at the garrison, it was time for the Random Summoning Card Draw—a system he had grown quite familiar with.
When he drew his three cards, Arthur didn't expect much.
The first two had obvious value, granting him direct military reinforcements—new soldiers and advanced weapons, like the heavy crossbow, a powerful weapon capable of piercing infantry armor with ease.
But the third card was different… not a military asset, or at least, not primarily meant as one.
[Item Name: Regional Map]
In the game world, lords used this map to gain detailed data about their territories, offering a clear view of fortifications, resources, and even troop locations—both friendly and hostile.
For Arthur, it had no immediate value.
He didn't own any real territory yet, which left him disappointed.
He couldn't even activate or test it, so he set it aside, thinking it was useless in his current situation.
But the surprise came later…
After arriving at Ironhold Fortress and assuming command, everything changed.
The moment he stepped foot inside the fortress as its official commander, the map began to glow faintly, as if it had been waiting for formal recognition of his authority.
A new message appeared before him:
[Territory Registered: Ironhold Fortress]
It was a turning point—not just a cosmetic change, but a real shift in the nature of his authority.
The Regional Map had accepted the fortress as his domain, even if only temporarily.
What truly astonished him wasn't just this acknowledgment…It was the unexpected abilities the map revealed.
And most surprising of all were its features…
It wasn't just a simple virtual map like in the game, showing terrain and underground resources.
It possessed properties that went far beyond ordinary exploration.
Features that had minimal impact inside the game… but in reality, became a decisive advantage.
It could perform an instant, detailed scan of the fortress and surrounding areas, converting them into precise digital data.
This allowed for an unprecedentedly clear display of all structures, walls, hidden passages, and even defensive traps.
Moreover, it didn't just show the positions of allies—it also detected the locations of enemy forces within its range, whether they were moving or stationary, giving Arthur a clear tactical advantage.
The map wasn't a passive exploration tool, but rather a dynamic system that provided real-time updates.
Any changes on the ground—enemy movements, newly built fortifications—were immediately reflected on the map, as if Arthur were observing the battlefield from above.
Most importantly, it possessed an infiltration detection feature.
Any being that crossed the fortress boundaries without permission would be instantly marked, making it nearly impossible to launch a surprise attack.
But despite all these powerful capabilities, there was still one point of disappointment...
"Unfortunately, I can't view undiscovered resources because my authority over this land is still temporary. In the end, I'm just a manager, not the true owner."
Even so, this feature gave him a glimpse of the potential he could unlock in the future.
If he ever managed to claim his own land and territory, who knew how far this ability could evolve?
"For now, all I can do is focus on staying alive… and earning enough merit and military success to carve out a permanent place for myself in this world."
In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.
....
Across the wilderness northwest of Ironhold Fortress, a squad of five soldiers advanced, surrounded by the majestic silence of nature.
The group consisted of seasoned warriors, all clad in sturdy armor, their swords gleaming under the dim sunlight.
At the head of the group, Fenris gently pulled on his horse's reins, stopping atop a small hill overlooking the lower valley.
He raised his head and gazed out at the horizon.
Before them stretched the Black Forest Mountains, towering like a massive wall of shadows cloaked in mystery.
Their peaks embraced scattered clouds, giving them the appearance of heavenly citadels guarding the earth.
The air carried a damp scent, mingled with the aroma of trees and ancient moss. Despite the warmth of the day, a faint chill crept through his body.
"A truly breathtaking view."
Fenris murmured softly, his eyes never leaving the mountains, as if trying to measure the distance with sight alone.
The scene before him was awe-inspiring—towering peaks winding like a black dragon toward the horizon, their summits piercing through the white clouds like castles suspended in the sky.
The air held a faint coldness, blended with the scent of damp trees and aged moss.
Fenris was a man in his forties, with sharp, stern features and eyes that carried the weight of many years of battle.
He wasn't just an ordinary soldier; he was one of the warriors Arthur had summoned among the original three hundred during the first day of his arrival in this world.
Later, after Victor took command of the army, Fenris was appointed commander of two hundred soldiers.
The reason for both assignments was simple—Fenris had already reached the rank of Iron Knight.
The Seed of Life had taken root in his body, granting him strength beyond that of ordinary humans and even that of trainee-ranked knights.
He had been entrusted with a special mission outside the fortress and took with him three other summoned soldiers, who, while less powerful than him, had reached the peak of the trainee knight level.
In addition, there was one local soldier—someone native to this world—whose unique status granted him valuable knowledge of the rugged and important terrains within the kingdom.
It was an asset that could prove useful for their upcoming mission.
Fenris turned to his side, where Caron stood—a man in his twenties with dark brown hair and a light beard. Caron gave him a faint smile before Fenris asked:
"Caron, you grew up in the northern province, didn't you? Do you have any idea how far the Black Forest Mountains stretch?"
Caron exhaled slowly, as if his breath carried the scent of old memories, his gaze fixed on the mountains sprawling before them.
"That's right, sir. I lived in the north as a child, before my father moved us to the territory of House Verner. But our home back then was in a safe zone, close to the kingdom's heartlands, far from its rugged borders. Most of what I know about these areas isn't from personal experience, but from the tales passed down by my grandparents when they used to live here."
He paused for a moment, as if recalling those ancient stories, then continued in a contemplative tone:
"The Black Forest Mountains? They stretch for an unknown distance. It's said their end connects directly with the eastern mountain ranges, though no one knows for sure. There are valleys untouched by human feet for decades, and dense forests said to be haunted by ancient spirits. Even the orcs themselves don't dare venture too deep without a good reason. After all, these lands are home to creatures just as dangerous as they are."
He lowered his voice slightly, as if the mere mention of the place demanded an unspoken reverence, then added:
"The magical beasts here aren't like the ones we find in the open plains. Some possess strength beyond that of Golden Knights—some even say a few of them have wisdom equal to humans. There's even a legend about a being known as the 'True Ruler of the Black Forest Mountains,' a creature no one has ever dared to challenge. It's not just a monster, but a living force that halted the kingdom's expansion to the north. They say it was the reason all military campaigns in this region ceased a hundred years ago, back when these lands still fell under the kingdom's sovereignty."
Fenris nodded silently, though his mind wandered elsewhere. In truth, something felt odd when Caron mentioned that his family had moved from the north to the southwest, to the territory of House Verner. In these primitive times of limited transportation and productivity, how could a peasant family travel safely across the kingdom without trouble? It was natural for a peasant to be born, live, and die in the same village—rarely ever venturing more than a mile or two from home. How could it have been as easy as Caron made it sound?
But Fenris didn't question him.
He knew it wasn't relevant to the current mission. Investigating a soldier's suspicious background wasn't part of his priorities.
What mattered now was accomplishing the task at hand and analyzing the information Caron had provided. It wasn't difficult—Arthur had granted them access to all the records available in the fortress concerning the region.
There were plenty of documents and old data tied to the things Caron had spoken of, and they would help Fenris assess the situation more thoroughly.
These mountains weren't just rough terrain; they were a boundary separating the known from the unknown—for both humanity and the other races dwelling in this region.
And yet, something else had caught his attention—secret paths.
If ancient civilizations had once dwelled in these mountains, or if travelers had used them in the past, there might still be hidden routes waiting to be discovered. They could serve as escape routes—or be used to set up a deadly ambush…
Over half a month ago, after Arthur successfully thwarted the orc infiltration of the fortress, all enemy movements had ceased completely.
There were no more minor attacks, no scouting attempts—it was as if the orcs had vanished into thin air.
Even distant traces, like the ashen remains of long-extinguished campfires, had begun to fade away with the wind.
But Arthur and his advisors weren't naïve enough to believe the orcs had simply given up on the fortress.
They knew this was merely the calm before the storm—that the orcs hadn't disappeared… they were regrouping, planning something much bigger.
The military council—established by Arthur himself, along with his aide Gabriel, Victor, and the other high-ranking officers in his forces stationed at the Iron Fortress—had discussed many potential future scenarios.
Were the orcs waiting for reinforcements? Were they trying to lure the human forces in the stronghold into a trap? Or perhaps they had discovered another secret passage unknown to the kingdom?
But there was one thing everyone agreed on: the information they had regarding orc movements was limited.
Most of what they knew was based on the battle records of Baron Edric.
While those records were rich in detail, they didn't fully reflect the current reality—especially since circumstances could change after every new battle.
For that reason, Arthur decided to send Fenris and his men to scout the surrounding regions—not only to search for any traces of the orcs, but also to conduct additional reconnaissance of the area, its resources, and any remnants of past activity, to gather more intelligence overall.
By sunset, they arrived safely at the reclamation site.
"This is it."
As Fenris surveyed the distant hollow, a look of satisfaction crossed his face. He then signaled to the soldiers following him.
"Let's set up a basic camp first, just in case we face any attacks during the night."
As Fenris and his men were busy setting up camp, they noticed an unusual movement on the horizon.
In the distance, a small group of no more than seven individuals was quietly making its way across the rugged terrain.
Their steps were cautious—suspicious even, at first glance.
Within the camp, one of the three summoned soldiers had picked up on something strange about the way these strangers moved, especially the sudden stops and the evident caution.
They didn't seem to be walking a simple or straightforward path.
"Are they…?" the soldier whispered, but Fenris cut him off, his sharp eyes fixed on the figures.
"Yes, they're orcs…" Fenris whispered back, his voice low and laced with caution.
With this sudden revelation, tension began to creep through the group.
None of them had expected the orcs to appear so soon—it was a surprise.
Despite their small numbers, there was something about these orcs that raised suspicions. They were different from the tribes they had previously encountered—the ones that had repeatedly tried to assault the Iron Fortress.
One of another soldiers added, "Besides their number, it's clear they're not from the tribes we've known. Could it be that they've added new clans to their army to make up for their earlier losses?"
Fenris studied them with a scrutinizing gaze and spoke, his thoughts piling up, "That's exactly what I'm afraid of. But right now, we're in the reconnaissance phase, and we don't have the strength to make any decisive moves. For now, we need to focus on gathering information."