[Vol. 9] Chapter 26: Nofenburg
“Young lady, you are very generous. Plus, judging from your clothes, you must be a priest, right? Even though the main belief here in the North is the [Eternal Winter Temple], we also have systems that use holy magic. Right now, Fortress Lord is recruiting strong people to help fight the beasts, so you could use this way to enter Nofenburg and even receive some special treatment.”
“But let me say the harsh truth first. If you really choose this path, once the beast tide comes, you must also step forward and help the army fight. Even if priests mostly serve as support and don’t have to be in the front lines, the battlefield is still very dangerous. So think carefully before you decide.”
“Hm…?”
Hearing this alternative route and the detailed explanation, the priestess slightly raised her brow for some reason. Her silver-blue eyes swept over the soldier, then glanced at her two companions. On the surface, however, her smile did not change.
“No problem. Thank you, big brother. May I ask where we go to sign up?”
After hearing this, the soldier clearly also started to size up the three of them. When he saw that the black-haired girl agreed almost without hesitation, his brows seemed to tighten slightly.
But in the end, he didn’t go back on his word. He just gave some instructions to his comrades nearby, then nodded to the three women.
“In that case, follow me.”
Naturally, both Xiao Guang and Alexia followed Violet’s decision without question. Seeing her take the initiative to go forward, they hurried to keep up. With the soldier leading the way, the one priest and two dragons passed through the main gate and soon entered Nofenburg successfully.
This settlement was not very large, smaller even than the smallest of cities. It was more like several villages roughly joined together, with messy layouts here and there. The only thing worth mentioning was the tall fortress in the middle, standing out alone, reaching several dozen meters high.
That fortress was entirely smooth, as if carved straight out of solid ice crystal, its surface shining with a cold sharp light. Its edges were clear and hard, and its pointed spires stabbed into the gray sky, completely out of place with everything around it.
Without a doubt, this was the main fortress of Nofenburg.
Walking through the streets, the three newcomers could not help but look around curiously. As one of the Ice-Sea Principality’s territories, Nofenburg was naturally built along the “Ice Sea.” The land here was long and narrow, facing the Extreme Cold Zone in the south, with the vast inner sea to the north. On the far side across the sea lay the land of the Snow Empire, the overlord of the North and the Duchy’s protector.
In a way, the duchy’s dozen or so forts were basically forward outposts built on the coast across from the Snow Empire. The only difference was that these outposts were separated from the empire’s homeland by thousands of kilometers.
Perhaps because of the beast tide, there were not many people on Nofenburg’s streets. The few shops still open looked somewhat bleak. But even so, Violet still saw many of the local residents.
The population of the snowlands was very mixed. Although not as diverse as the Holy Empire, there were still at least dozens of different races living here. Humans existed here as well, but compared to those in the South or the Central North, they were clearly taller and had rougher skin, obviously adaptations to survive in the harsh local environment.
Besides the nearly everywhere-present humans and hybrids, what most caught the priestess’s interest were, of course, the snowfolk and ice demons, special races unique to the North.
The Snowfolk were a kind of humanoid intelligent race. By the standards of the Human United Kingdom, they might even be called high-level magical creatures. Their skin was very pale and smooth, their hair and eyes all showed a snowy blue-white color, and a faint chill naturally surrounded their bodies. It was said they could use many ice-related abilities. They were born extremely beautiful, and were considered one of the most valuable “breeds” in the slave black market.
However, because of the barrier of the Extreme Cold Zone, along with their small numbers and strong individual power, even back at Demon Suppression City Violet had never seen a single Snowfolk slave. Though Nofenburg had some, along the way she had only spotted two or three, which was a little disappointing.
The Ice Demons, on the other hand, were the complete opposite. They were also a unique northern race, but their numbers were huge, making up at least one-third of the total northern population.
They looked somewhat like a cross between humans and magical beasts, with thick fur growing on their bodies to keep out the cold. Because of this, they didn’t need much clothing. With their strong builds, great numbers, and endurance, they usually worked in production and labor jobs, and could be seen almost everywhere.
Still, even though they seemed like “cattle-and-horse” types of races, the snowlands did not appear to have much racial discrimination. If the Holy Empire followed the idea of absolute equality among all beings, then in the snowlands, the Snowfolk who represented the [Eternal Winter Temple] held the highest position, but the other races were not treated better or worse than each other. This relationship was somewhat similar to how the Snow Empire stood above the other northern countries.
Not only were there big cultural differences between the South and the North, but the living environments were also very different. Take Nofenburg for example, compared to the Extreme Cold Zone, its climate was already considered “warmer,” yet it was still a land of endless winter. Snow and ice never melted here, so one of the main materials used by locals to build houses was ice itself, hardened by cold until it was tough as steel. Bricks, stone, and wood were actually less important.
Besides houses, ice was also used for sculptures, utensils, and even weapons, like those soldiers’ arms made of frozen ice metal. The elements of snow and ice filled almost every corner of life here, it was truly fascinating.
The young soldier walked in front to lead the way. Naturally, he noticed the three women glancing around curiously, but he never interrupted them or said where he was taking them. The priestess also didn’t bother to ask. Only when he led them through the residential area and brought them directly beneath the towering icy fortress did the four of them finally stop.
“We’re here. This is the main fortress of Nofenburg. Fortress Lord is very busy, so please wait here for a while. I will go and report your arrival.”
Without waiting for a reply from Violet and the others, he hurried into the main gate alone.
Watching him disappear inside, the priestess folded her arms and raised her brow slightly.
“Huh, didn’t expect him to be such a good-hearted person~”
“Uh… reporting news is his duty as a soldier, right? Lady Violet, why do you need to praise him for that? If you mean how he helped us get into the fortress, well, didn’t you give him a bribe?”
Violet turned her head to glance at Alexia, who had blurted that out without thinking. The clear and silly look in her eyes reminded Violet of a certain dragon girl from when she had just arrived in this world. She couldn’t help but laugh quietly.
Then she shifted her gaze toward the blonde girl beside her.
“What about you, Xiao Guang? What do you think?”