Chapter 852

Chapter 852: Winter Approaches

Chapter 852: Winter Approaches

In the Crimson Empire, in the northern territories.

After the extremely cold winter night, this land did not welcome the promised warmth of spring and summer. The biting wind and snow continued to blow between the mountains and the forest. Even though it was July, most of the territories were still only around ten degrees Celsius, far from being considered warm.

At the heart of the Cold Leaf Territory lies Ice Needle City.

This is the coldest and most remote city in the empire, located in the Northern Region near the Sighing Mountains. Beyond the mountain ridges and forests north of the Cold Leaf Territory lies an ocean floating with ice shards.

Inside the Lord’s castle, thick candles made of pine wax were placed on the table, illuminating the room with shadows of wind and snow.

Lord Tushen sat at the head of the long table, wearing heavy armor. Underneath the shiny silver plates was a thick black cotton layer. Although cumbersome, it gave a sense of steadfastness and weight like a mountain.

“The blizzard is expected to last for a very long time, not just this month, but next month, this year, and even the next,” he said, his beard still carrying a few ice fragments that slowly melted under the candlelight.

Hearing this, the dozen or so knights clad in heavy armor fell silent, only their occasional breaths revealing that they were not as calm as they appeared.

“Winter approaches.”

In this extraordinary world where Mana exists, cold and heat manifest more intensely and variably than on Earth. Cold waves are not just short-term temperature drops but can last for months, even years. Such events are not uncommon in the Northern Region.

“This time we will have to go south to procure grain. Fortunately, our territory does not have many people, so we need less grain,” Lord Tushen placed his arm-girded wrist on the table and tapped lightly.

“Now, the southern part of the empire is not very stable. Who among you is willing to go and procure grain?” he asked the knights in his territory.

Procuring grain is no easy task. Not only must one traverse the rugged mountain roads over thousands of miles, passing through the territories of many other nobles, but the money for purchasing grain is often insufficient, putting greater pressure on the executor.

The Cold Leaf Territory is not wealthy, and the products here are scarce, thus unable to provide ample funds.

Although in the midst of

In times of peace and order, everyone could live stable lives, but once such moments arrived, tension and peril would rise.

After Tusun finished speaking, the knights below fell into contemplation, continuously analyzing the impact of this matter.

They were all vassals of Viscount Tusun, owning villages and small manors or castles under their names, being the lowest-ranking nobility in the empire.

If they accepted this task, after completion, the lord generally wouldn’t assign them or their families any other tasks for ten years, and might even show some favor to their descendants.

However, such a task was no easy feat. If completed poorly, not only would they face the lord’s dissatisfaction, but also the complaints and anger of the people. The northern region was not comparable to the southern part of the empire; under harsh conditions, life could be lost at any moment, and they would not tolerate the anger in their hearts. Who knew when a group of people might storm into your small castle or manor, set it ablaze, and attack with swords and spears?

Historically, such incidents had occurred several times in the area. To appease the situation afterward, the lord found it difficult to deal with these riotous people because the land truly lacked manpower and couldn’t afford any killings.

A dozen heavily armored knights remained silent. After several minutes of thought, many believed that this task was extremely challenging, and rashly accepting it could only bring disaster.

Seeing no one speak up, Lord Tusun slowly tapped his fingers, his deep blue eyes slowly scanning each face present. Most of them were around 40-50 years old, with dark beards, wearing various styles of armor. At the moment, some looked at the table, some at the candlelight in the middle of the table, some at their rough palms, lost in thought, with no one daring to respond.

Tusun was well aware of this. This situation was different from the past. Now, the internal situation within the empire was unclear, multiple uprisings had erupted in the south, and major nobles began to look out for themselves, leading to a significant decline in the royal family’s prestige. Even whispers of instability within reached his ears. For a time, there was widespread panic, and even he, a lord in a remote corner, received numerous chaotic and unclear messages from relatives.

Some said that the Raven Duke had begun mobilizing troops, forging weapons and armor, while others said that the griffin family from the west was planning to reclaim their kingdom, preparing to secede from the empire. There were also rumors among the people that the late Crown Prince Ansel of the north still had descendants alive, and they were the ones who should ascend to the throne.

People who had been loyal to the Crown Prince were once again becoming active in secret, spreading rumors detrimental to the Ackman brothers.

“To be able to weather this harsh winter, I plan to sell some of my past treasures to gather 1,800 Exalted Gold Coins. I wonder if any loyal knights would be willing to go,” Tuson spoke again, stating the conditions he was prepared with this time.

Upon hearing these words, the knights finally showed some change. Their gazes no longer focused on the tabletop and the burning pine candles. Some turned their heads towards Lord Tuson at the head of the table.

They began to engage in新一轮的分析和踌躇中。

In the end, three knights raised their hands.

“Ready to serve Lord Tuson,” they pushed back their heavy wooden chairs and stood up. Amidst the sound of armor rubbing against each other, the three knights placed their arms across their chests and bowed deeply.

“That will be much appreciated,” looking at the three men, Tuson nodded slowly and then called for the scribe to prepare the contract and other necessary documents.

The pine candles in the room continued to burn, emitting a slight black smoke and the scent of pine resin. However, the atmosphere had eased somewhat. Some knights started whispering among themselves, feeling relieved.

Seeing their expressions, Lord Tuson shook his head slightly and fell silent, turning his gaze to the gray rock window. The mountainous fir trees were covered in snow, only revealing hints of black beneath the snowdrifts on the branches.

To the locals, the pure white world of snow did not signify beauty. They would not be amazed by such a vast snowfall as those in the Empire’s south; instead, they felt annoyed and oppressed.

Snow on the branches, snow on the roads, snow on the haystacks, snow on the rooftops, snow in the fields, cold and numbing snow, ground ice that wouldn’t melt, frost on the windows, and hard surfaces formed from frozen water in the barrels.

Cold seeped into every corner and crevice of life like a knife slicing through your body, causing pain and clarity, making you acutely aware of your insignificance and helplessness, the suffocating despair that gradually overwhelmed you.

Facing the approaching winter giant, the residents could only hold tightly onto the remaining warmth around them, struggling to endure the test of the harsh winter through prayer and extreme frugality.

This scene was not limited to the Cold Leaf Territory. The biting cold wind began to sweep across the entire Northern Region of the Empire.

(The chapter ends)