[Vol. 9] Chapter 51: The Myth of Icefang Island
“In the snowy lands, there is an old myth. About a thousand years ago, the great God of Snow, who ruled the northern lands, had a conflict with another god. Because of this, the two gods fought each other fiercely on a lonely coast to decide the winner.”
“The battle between the two gods was so destructive it almost destroyed the world. Their overwhelming divine power crushed countless mountains and pressed the whole land down by thousands of meters, forming a deep valley that stretched for thousands of kilometers. Then, the endless sea water rushed in and filled it, creating what we now call the Ice Sea.”
“And the great God of Snow, who was the guardian of our snowy lands, stood on the earth to face the strong enemy. The only place that survived without being crushed by divine power was the spot where They stood, that is the origin of the strange landform called Icefang Island.”
“Although this peninsula was lucky enough not to sink under the sea, the terrifying divine power from the battle still had a lasting effect on the land. Even after a thousand years, almost no plants can grow in the soil here, and little by little it became a barren island.”
“Because the island is surrounded by sea on three sides and hard to reach, the Preston Kingdom used it as a natural prison. They sent serious criminals from many places into the island, only guarding the narrow corridor called the Endless Corridor. From time to time, they would send in supplies and food, but other than that, they ignored all the prisoners’ needs and let them stay until they died.”
Hearing Moraya’s detailed explanation, Miss Priestess also became a little curious.
“So you believe this myth is true? Isn’t the [Eternal Winter Temple] made up of snow god believers? Don’t they have some kind of secret ancient records~?”
The snow girl kept a calm face and only shook her head.
“Myths are basically just old stories passed by word of mouth. Even if they were once based on facts, as time goes on, they will definitely drift away from the truth. They cannot be fully trusted. The origin of Icefang Island may be a legend, but no matter the reason, the land there is indeed extremely barren. Almost no plants can survive there, and resources are very scarce.”
“Over countless years, prisoners were thrown into that kind of place. With so few resources, they could only fight and kill each other to survive. The ones who managed to live were almost never kind people. Together with the harsh environment, even the officials of the kingdom do not dare to send armies deep inside the island. After hundreds or even thousands of years, the island has almost turned into a lawless land, like a half-independent country. If we really ended up there, we would surely run into some trouble.”
“Trouble, huh…”
Violet, however, did not look worried at all. Instead, the corners of her lips curved with interest.
“Unwanted and boring things are called trouble. But if it’s something we choose to do, then maybe it’s different. Weren’t you looking for a bigger Divine Temple to deliver your message? If this really is the place you say it is, then the local officials surely built a strong fortress at the entrance of the peninsula. Look, isn’t this the perfect chance~?”
Moraya froze for a moment, then suddenly stopped walking. She turned around with a slightly surprised look, as if remembering what Violet had done before. Her expression slowly turned uneasy.
“You… you’re not thinking of doing something here, are you? Icefang Island is not a place where you can just act recklessly. If the prisoners here were to break out, not only the Preston Kingdom, but all the northern countries would face huge problems. And also, the reason for the barrenness of this place still hasn’t been fully investigated. Who knows, maybe…”
Miss Priestess gave a sly smile and waved her hand to stop the snow girl’s worries.
“Hehe, don’t worry. I have an idea. We could do this…”
…………………………
Veranica had been under a lot of stress lately.
As leader of one of Icefang Island’s four main gangs, the [Scavenger Gang], she was born into the Ice Demon race. Although she was over forty, for ice demons, who usually live around three hundred years, she was still just a young woman.
About ten years ago, she was captured by the Preston Kingdom for killing an enemy in revenge and thrown into the island prison. At first Veranica had nothing but herself. She survived by scraping and fighting, using the fierce nature that comes from her ice demon blood. Little by little she built the [Scavenger Gang] from nothing and eventually became a feared leader on Icefang Island.
Now the [Scavenger Gang] had over three thousand members, more than any other single group on the island. But even as Veranica pushed forward, she felt more and more that she couldn’t keep up.
Icefang Island was a hell for the weak and a gathering place for crime. Each year the Preston Kingdom sent criminals from across the north, those judged with heavy sentences, to this island. At least ten thousand would be sent in some years, but most were killed off within a year. Only about ten percent or less managed to survive longer.
After all, this so-called “prison” had no order. Conspiracy, violence, and force were the only ways to solve problems. The island had storms year-round and it was hard to fish outside. Not even weeds grew well here. Prisoners who wanted to live had to rely on the supplies and food that the outside world sent in from time to time.
The Preston Kingdom was smart or cruel. They sent only a limited amount of supplies on schedule, enough for maybe five thousand normal people. That was like an invisible guillotine hanging over everyone. With no rules or law, people had to do anything to get food. Kill others, steal, or form gangs.
Those who failed to get food might survive for a short while but would die later from exhaustion or hunger. In this way, the Preston Kingdom removed many dangerous prisoners without directly executing them, and the number of prisoners on the island stayed at a level they could control.
Too often, desperate people can gain terrifying strength. The Preston royal family knew this, so they rarely executed prisoners themselves. Instead, they sent them to an island that seemed to offer a chance to survive, and in that struggle the prisoners buried themselves.
Providing regular supplies was also a cunning and cruel trick. If the government left no hope at all, the ruthless prisoners might unite and storm the fortresses outside the Endless Corridor, causing huge chaos.
But by giving just enough supplies, far cheaper than sending armies to wipe out the gangs, the kingdom kept the prisoners fighting among themselves and prevented them from becoming a real threat. It was a clever, ruthless plan that solved many problems at once.