Chapter 334: North

Chapter 334: North

The weather in Northland City was odd this year. It was a frozen world of ice and snow outside, but inside the city, it was as warm as spring, yet not so hot as to make people sweat. So, the sweaty, strange-smelling humanoid monster before him made Bran feel amused. He hadn’t expected to receive news of his sister in this manner and at this time.

Just moments ago, not long after Earl had sat down, a group of messengers entered Northland City via the wide stone bridge over the Eternal River and immediately drew a crowd. Earl, who had been happily chatting with Bran and sharing various interesting stories from the Royal Capital, had to cut his tales short because of this arriving group.

For the past two years, delegations from various countries had been coming and going, and the strange appearances of Wizards had long made the city’s people tired of such sights, lifting them above the lowly pleasure of crowding around to watch.

Those who had lived here for a long time also considered themselves well-traveled and knowledgeable. Their favorite saying to look down on outsiders was, “Making a fuss over nothing.” Especially when facing Knights and Nobles visiting for the first time, they displayed this superior attitude to the fullest.

But today’s group was too distinctive, so much so that even the well-traveled people in the city rarely showed such a reaction of making a fuss over nothing. Because even the tall and mighty Northlanders were half a head shorter than these newcomers, and their accompanying pack animals were even larger.

The main pack animals were giant elephants covered in thick, long fur, mingled with a few white bears and large dogs of relatively normal size.

Such a group should have been awe-inspiring, but the city’s temperature made them very uncomfortable. After only a few steps in the city, everyone was sweating on their foreheads, and the accompanying animals were even worse off. A strong peculiar odor also began to spread, attracting nearby mosquitoes and insects.

This situation only improved as they approached the Eastern District. A force appeared out of nowhere and dispersed the crowd and the insects. Although the crowd scattered, the discomfort from the “high heat” still plagued the group.

Moore did not like this place. He now missed his hometown, perpetually covered in ice and snow, more than ever. Unfortunately, his hometown was occupied by the cruel Snowstorm Queen. She and her people flaunted their power everywhere with that magic snake by their side. Although the Queen called it a dragon, Moore still believed it was a snake. Did they think he had seen too little and never seen a real dragon?

Wherever the Queen went, she left behind an ice statue to establish her rule. What was even more unbearable was that the Queen demanded morning and evening worship. The most hateful part was the surprise inspections…

They gave themselves Divine Names: the Ice Wind Goddess and the Snow Goddess. Two little people, each smaller than the other, yet with such big mouths. If it weren’t for that terrifyingly large magic snake, Moore would have long led his people to crush them.

The last time someone tried to rebel with force, it brought an unprecedented snowstorm upon their own village. That magic snake flew over the tiny village, shook its scales, and froze everything there.

If you can’t fight, run! But reality was too cruel. Compared to them trudging along the ground, that magic snake moved through the air like the wind. They would just establish a new settlement when the magic snake would descend from the sky and casually spit a new Statue into the center of their camp.

After several times, everyone understood. Those two little people were playing a game of hide-and-seek. If someone managed to hide for a few days without being found, she would even reward them with one or two treasures. Those treasures were so small and exquisite that some people were actually won over, wearing them close to their necks and showing them off whenever they had a chance.

What’s so great about that? I have some too! Thinking this, Moore quietly touched his chest.

It was at that time he was brought alone to the foot of this High Tower to meet its master. He had intended to stand tall and straight, to let the other party witness the cool, tough demeanor of a man from the snow and ice lands. But the moment he raised his head, the big tree beside him actually came to life. It stretched out a rough, large hand and gently patted his head, praising, “Little friend, you’ve grown so tall!”

So, Moore immediately shrank down.

“I am Moore, messenger of the Snowstorm Queen, conveying the greetings of the Ice Wind Goddess and the Snow Goddess to the Deity Nightfall.” Moore hunched over, looking down at the youth sitting cross-legged by the pond’s edge, and shouted loudly with his big mouth open.

Bran felt a wave of confusion. He wanted to stop the sound from spreading, but it was already too late.

What kind of act was this? Bran asked with suspicion in his voice, “I am Wizard Bran. What else did your Queen say?”

Moore pulled a box from his chest. “She told me to personally hand this letter to the Deity Nightfall.”

Bran raised his hand, gesturing. In response, Moore put the box back into his chest. And he said, “I must meet the Deity Nightfall in person. I must carry out the Queen’s order and hand it to him personally.”

Bran said with emphasis, “Give it to me.”

Moore firmly shook his head.

“Do you know who I am?” Bran asked, pointing at his own nose.

Moore nodded. “Wizard Bran, the Queen’s brother.”

Bran reached out his hand again, but what he got was the other party’s continuously shaking head.

What kind of thing was this? All height and no brains. With this thought, Bran asked, “What did your Queen say?”

“Personally deliver the letter to the Deity Nightfall.”

“And then? Didn’t she tell you who the Deity Nightfall is?”

Seeing the other’s head shaking again, Bran couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. “What will happen if it isn’t delivered into the Deity’s own hands?”

“She will freeze us into ice statues.”

Bran had originally been worried that his cute little sister might be too soft. Hearing these words, he finally felt relieved.

“Give me the letter.” As he spoke, Bran’s figure suddenly swelled. Shadow instantly enveloped Moore, and a large pitch-black hand extended before his eyes. This time, Moore did not dare to resist. He obediently handed over the letter.

The Shadow dissipated, and Bran reappeared there, still looking like an ordinary young man. Moore, however, now felt a chill like ice and snow within the warm spring-like air. This chill did not dry the sweat on his forehead; instead, it made him sweat even more.

Bran flipped through the letter. It was lengthy, a full dozen pages or more, so his mood began to turn cheerful. He waved at Moore. “Go on down. First, go wash up by the river. If you find the city too hot, you can find a place to stay on the opposite bank.”

After Moore left, Bran began to read the letter. The letter said a lot. After passing through the Western Territory, Xirui headed straight for the Wasteland. She wandered around it and casually picked up a few Meteorite Fragments. Then, she crossed the Wasteland and continued north, hoping to find traces of their ancestors.

North of the Wasteland were continuous, uninhabited mountain ranges and endless primitive forests. Because she had the Little Fairy Ruijia as a companion, traveling through them did not make Xirui feel lonely. From time to time, she would also discover interesting things in the forest, which kept the journey feeling fresh.

Xirui had originally wanted to have a good time playing here, but the voices carried on the wind grew increasingly urgent, constantly urging her north, north, always north.

Following the wind’s guidance, she left the continuous mountain ranges behind. But along the way, she did not find any trace of their ancestors.

This didn’t affect Xirui much. Her journey was following a vague, internal guidance, trying to form her own Fruit. Searching for traces of their ancestors was merely out of curiosity, just wanting to do something for her Fourth Brother Bran, to find some evidence for his theories.

She never expected to find signs of human activity along the way. When she saw a column of thick smoke rising in the distance under the blue sky and white clouds, it genuinely excited her for a while.

So, she skipped and bounced her way towards it. As she got closer, wooden houses and humans gradually appeared in her senses. They were a group of people without much power, because Xirui did not sense any trace of Mana on them.

Xirui had heard Bran say that during large-scale migrations, some people who couldn’t keep up with the group might be left behind along the way. Even through the passage of time, some traces would always remain, such as language or writing. Bran had said, comparing Anya and the Dragon Riders shows that our language and writing are already very mature, because even though both sides have been separated for many years, the language and writing haven’t diverged too much.

So, Xirui believed the evidence was right before her eyes. But the result was disappointing. She couldn’t understand what those people were saying, nor could she read their writing.

And when those people realized she was alone, malice arose. Her armor, her weapons—these visible signs of wealth drove the people to lose their reason, so much so that no one stopped to think about how a little girl could appear here alone.

Perhaps someone did think about it, but she was still just a little girl. So, not long after, the World gained one more small village buried by wind and snow.