novelraw Chapter 821: The First Snowfall
Chapter 821: The First Snowfall
The temperature dropped with each passing day.
The residents of Winnelag had already donned warmer clothes, and thick smoke began to rise more frequently from the chimneys lining the streets.
The temperature at night was already approaching freezing; without a fire for warmth, one could easily fall ill.
Heavy, dark clouds rolled in from the north, casting half of Winnelag in their shadow. Only the port and the more distant sea seemed bright, illuminated through a thinner layer of clouds.
Perhaps they would bring a new wave of cold and rain.
Rain would be better than snow. The temperature had dropped faster than usual this year, and many residents hadn't had time to stock up on coal for the Severe Winter. If the first snow came too early, it could lead to deaths from the cold.
And the next day, the newspaper editorials would publish the news, and the nobles would seize the opportunity to criticize the mayor for his negligence.
Damn those nobles! People died every day in the Lower City and the slums, but they never cared about any of it.
A gale-force wind swept debris along the streets as pedestrians pulled their coats tighter and hurried on their way.
The power station in the northern industrial district supplied a steady current, keeping the city's streetlights lit.Gradually, the view of Winnelag grew blurry and indistinct, reflecting the outlines of the office and the window.
A hand appeared, wiping the condensation from the glass. The landscape warped, like a gardener's haphazard abstract painting.
Finished, the assistant stepped back to stand behind Mayor Matteus.
"Lu Li's train, when will it arrive?"
Mayor Matteus took out a handkerchief to wipe his own damp palms. He then took it back and wiped the window, and the landscape once again became clear.
"The train stopped in Surgtown last night. It should have just departed by now," the assistant replied.
"Will it arrive this afternoon?"
"If all goes well."
"What does that mean?"
"This cloud bank."
The young face reflected in the glass looked up toward the clouds. The port and its docked ships were also shrouded, leaving only the sea visible.
"There are no mountains to the west to block them, so the clouds will arrive sooner than they will in Winnelag. If the cold front freezes the railway, the train will be delayed..."
Knock, knock.
A rap sounded at the door.
The assistant turned, opened the door, and spoke quietly with the servant waiting outside before returning to the mayor's side with a piece of parchment.
"What is it?"
"From the railway. Bad news."
The assistant sighed. An accident on the most anticipated return journey was just...
"A blizzard has hit the Majiao settlement, and the nearby railway tracks are iced over. The train 'The Delight' has stopped midway, and Mister Lu Li is on board..."
The broad, coated back did not turn, but the hands beneath the hem of the coat slowly clenched into fists.
"Do we have our own people in the Majiao settlement?"
"One Privy Councilor and a squad of the Inquisition Guard."
"A Privy Councilor? What's he doing in that town?"
"Have you forgotten? He's helping Mister Lu Li investigate the 'resurrection of the dead' case."
"Have him go... no, have him find the Inquisition Guard and the officers of the Majiao settlement to rescue 'The Delight'."
"Your Excellency, Mayor, allow me to be blunt... this will reveal Mister Lu Li's location, and everyone will know he left Winnelag."
"That no longer matters," Mayor Matteus sighed softly.
"Let it be revealed. I don't want to take any more responsibility for unforeseen accidents."
"I just hope that when Mister Lu Li returns, he'll stop wandering all over the place..."
...
The return journey for Lu Li and his companions was not an easy one.
Moving quickly, they returned to Haughtown before nightfall under the protection of the Swarm of Sufferings, but an evil spirit was always trouble—they couldn't bring the Swarm of Sufferings into the town.
Although the Swarm of Sufferings's ritual did not involve attacking people, its very appearance would cause riots and problems.
Even if Lu Li revealed his identity, it would be difficult to contain the consequences of an evil spirit entering a town.
They were forced to stop at a scavenger's hut far from town.
The dilapidated scavenger's hut was drafty, and with the Severe Winter approaching, Katerina unfortunately fell ill overnight, even with a fire burning.
She didn't think it was her fault; it was never this cold in the Wastelands.
Lu Li brought medicine, but the crudely processed herbs weren't very effective. She coughed relentlessly from late night until dawn, feeling chilled even under three blankets.
"But why is there no Severe Winter in the Wastelands?"
In the special carriage, Katerina was curled up in a chair, wrapped in three hand-woven woolen blankets marked with ancient symbols. She held a cup of hot coffee in her hands.
A day had passed, but her cold had not subsided, and she hadn't slept well.
Katerina couldn't understand it. She could go more than ten days without food, drink the filthiest water, and endure the countless pains of homogenous beings pulling spikes from her eyes and pushing them back in, but she'd fallen ill after spending a single night in the cold...
"Perhaps the World's Spine mountains block them," Lu Li answered Prusius's question.
"Can mountains block clouds in the sky?"
"Air currents."
After noting the brief answer, Prusius may or may not have understood.
Hssss!
Thick steam enveloped the cold platform as the train shuddered slightly.
Ripples spread across the coffee in the cup, lapping at the rim.
Katerina took a sip to keep the coffee from spilling with the train's vibrations.
"Mister Lu Li, what did you say to the Swarm of Sufferings when it left?" Prusius asked again.
"Goodbye."
"Huh? Mister Lu Li, where are you going?" Prusius asked, puzzled.
"You fool, Lu Li meant that he said 'goodbye'," Katerina mumbled, her voice thick with congestion.
"Goodbye? Why would you say that?"
Prusius was even more confused.
Katerina knew the answer, but she didn't feel like talking.
"The Swarm of Sufferings can drive away anomalies."
And it would not attack them on its own.
Aside from its ugliness and the fact that it was an evil spirit, it was a fairly ideal protective charm.
The steam engine, having left the platform, gradually picked up speed. Soon, a waiter entered from the rear car, where the sounds of conversation could be heard, and brought them complimentary pastries.
Half an hour after leaving Surgtown, they suddenly noticed the wind as they glanced out the window.
Or rather, the debris being carried by the wind.
"It's snowing!"
Prusius rushed to the window, watching the fine, ash-like snow carried by the wind.
A single snowflake, following the train, landed on the window. He peered intently at the tiny flake, composed of several beautiful ice crystals.
The snowflake immediately melted from the temperature, warmer than ice, turning into a negligible drop of water. Prusius went back to watching the others fall against the window.
"It's just like the symbol of the Church of Ice and Snow..." Prusius muttered, recalling the pattern he had seen in the Old Sewer.
The snowflakes were beautiful, their surprisingly symmetrical forms truly resembling the work of a deity.
After watching the snow for a long time, Prusius turned his head and asked:
"Mister Lu Li, is the Severe Winter an anomaly?"
"I don't know."
The cold was as normal as the night, but it was difficult to say whether its cause was an anomaly.
"The Severe Winter comes from the north. Maybe there are other continents there?"
Prusius let his thoughts wander.
"I don't know."
In human history, the farthest they had ever explored was only a few thousand nautical miles.
Fog shrouded the world, with only three continents and scattered islands illuminated. No one knew if this was the center of the world, or just one of the most remote, shattered, tiniest islands in the world...
Jolt!
The carriage suddenly shook, and the coffee spilled.
The train slowed abruptly.