Firefly Journey

Chapter 128 Walking in the Snow (1)

This was the first time Lin Yuanran, a southerner, had ever been so close to a snow scene.

Outside the window, everything was covered in silver and white. The snow on the road was so deep that it even affected the normal passage of vehicles.

The Blackwing Lagoon worked tirelessly, never uttering a word of complaint despite the low temperatures, carrying the trailer through the snow-covered world.

"Ahead, we'll be out of the duchy's territory." Dick, sitting at the front of the carriage, was already wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, looking like a ball.

Lin Yuanran reached out and opened the small car window. A chill immediately rushed in, the cold wind mixed with snowflakes, which startled him so much that he quickly closed it.

Lin Yuanran also wrapped himself up like a fat man, while Claudia was different. She was still wearing the lotus flower dress she had come in, her fair legs exposed to the air, and she didn't feel cold at all.

This princess failed once during her second awakening, but obtained the secondary profession "Water Mage". Water mages can control water elements, and ice mage and snow mage are its branches, so she is naturally not afraid of the cold.

Originally, when Lin Yuanran first entered the Northern Territory, he thought he was a "fire mage" and had already completed his second awakening, so he should not be afraid of the severe cold.

He was overthinking it. It's true that fire mages can keep warm, but that's only if they have to burn their magic power at any time.

After comparing the two, he found that wrapping himself up as a fat man was more cost-effective. The speed at which his mana recovered was far slower than the speed at which it was consumed, so he saved it to deal with unexpected situations.

Chichi——

The Black Wing Tiger stopped, and Lin Yuanran inside the vehicle knew that today's journey had come to an end, and they were preparing to stay overnight.

The group of cars stopped in front of a hotel located outside the principality, a place that warrants some thought.

Judging from the size of this inn, the owner is fully capable of opening one within the principality, but he didn't, which suggests that there are better prospects overseas.

Even though this place is close to the duchy, it is not actually duchy territory, so the duchy's laws cannot govern it.

The more chaotic a place is, the easier it is for businesses to thrive, especially shady businesses.

If it is a hotel within the principality, the staff will definitely check what is in the carriages of passing travelers for the safety of the guests. If anything is found to be abnormal, it will be handed over to the principality's police.

This overseas hotel seemed to know the rules well. Faced with four large vehicles, they ignored them and the staff simply took the black Wing Tiger to rest, remaining silent throughout.

Victor and his group booked rooms and ate together in a room with a charcoal fire burning.

The experienced Boros took a bite of a lamb chop, chewed it quickly, and swallowed it whole. He then looked at the group from St. Louis and said, "Some of you are participating in this kind of mission for the first time, so I think it's necessary to tell you about the rules of the North."

This kind of hotel is definitely not a legitimate establishment, but even thieves have their code of honor; as long as you pay enough money, you can get away with it.

However, be careful of other customers, as the store is not responsible for security; if anything is lost, you will have to retrieve it yourself.

Lin Yuanran and the others nodded. Without the constraints of the law, all sorts of crimes would naturally occur. This shop is still relatively safe for now; if they were to go deeper, who knows how chaotic it would become.

Boros added, "Further east lies the territory of the northern orc tribes, where there are no inns. Our wagons bear the logo of a newspaper, which means we are absolutely neutral, and they generally won't make a move."

But there are also those who don't follow the rules; when they can't even survive, they have no choice but to take risks.

So starting today, apart from the employer, we will all take turns keeping watch at night, because later on, we will inevitably have to sleep outdoors, and we will inevitably attract the attention of some small tribes or refugees.

"I'll start tonight, and Julian will take over for the rest of the night. Tomorrow night, it'll be the three of you. After all, you're still students, so the three of you can take turns."

Julianne said, "I have no objection."

"Thank you." Lin Yuanran and the others expressed their gratitude, as Boros's arrangement was already very considerate of them.

The renowned journalist Victor expressed his desire to join the vigil, but Boros refused, saying that Victor was just an ordinary person who would have a hard time surviving in such a harsh winter environment and didn't need to get involved.

Viktor didn't insist; he knew he had a more glorious mission, so he went back to his room to rest.

The big-shot reporter, being quite wealthy, booked a private room for everyone. Everyone knew that further on, there probably wouldn't be a hotel in sight, and they'd likely have to sleep outdoors every day; tonight was essentially their final dinner.

Since there were no students from St. Louis to keep watch tonight, Lin Yuanran went to bed early. He slept soundly all night, a rare treat, and was stunned by what he saw when he woke up in the morning.

Last night there was a heavy snowfall, which increased the snow depth on the roads by at least half a meter. In other words, traveling in this kind of weather is very difficult.

In response to this matter, Victor convened a small meeting. Boros suggested waiting until the snow had melted slightly before proceeding, as this type of weather was the favorite of the vagrants and bandits, and one could easily stumble and fall if they were not careful.

Although our side has five second-level awakening transcendents who can take on a hundred ordinary people, we should avoid such unnecessary risks if possible.

Viktor shook his head. Time was money, and he wanted to get going. He had encountered this kind of weather before, and everything was still fine.

He also said that people shouldn't worry about the hiring fees. Given the weather, the work probably wouldn't be finished within a month, but he would continue to hire people and pay for the delays to ensure everyone was satisfied.

The two argued for a few moments, but considering that the other party was the employer, Boros didn't say much. He ordered a barrel of local liquor from the inn and then used a map to determine the direction.

Lin Yuanran and the others were easygoing and listened to their employers. They would follow the employers' decisions and only step in when needed.

And so, the four tiger-drawn carriages embarked on their journey once again.

Even the Blackwing Tiger, known for its robust physique, slowed down in the face of such harsh weather.

The wheels of the four vehicles left several long tracks in the snow, which would disappear again after a while as the snow covered them.

Fortunately, it wasn't a blizzard, and visibility was still good. Relying on experience and the map, the convoy steadily headed east.

Boros leaped from the front car to Victor's in a single bound. He unfolded the map and pointed to a corner ahead, saying:

"I encountered a gang of robbers in this place a few years ago, I don't know if they are still around now."

Viktor looked around and saw that it was a valley with steep cliffs on both sides, which was indeed suitable for an ambush.

Taking a detour wasn't out of the question, but it would increase the distance. Viktor considered it for a few minutes, but ultimately decided that safety was paramount. Venturing through such deep snow was already dangerous enough; he didn't want to make it even more so.

Boros nodded, got back into his car, and drove the Blackwing to take the lead on the detour.