LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 20
It’s only natural that creatures thriving in the wild would have a high survival rate, and this applies to humans as well.
To endure the harsh winter of Iceland, it’s expected that the village residents scattered across the territory would concentrate in the city. And while an increase in population tends to make things noisier, Coldon was always bustling with people regardless of the season.
The outer castle district of Coldon, which easily surpassed Borderster several times over, was buzzing much more than that fortified free city.
Elder Iona, who had spent many years in the city, wore a warm expression as if she had finally returned to her hometown. In contrast, Catherine, who was focused on her scroll, eventually gave up reading due to the loud noise.
And Karem was holding his nose and breathing through his mouth.
It was an incredibly embarrassing act to perform in front of the Duke’s steward, Sir Atanitas, and the Grand Wizard employer, but Karem was entirely serious.
As they say, first impressions count for half, and Karem had already been let down by the city once.
He was awestruck by the grand sight he’d glimpsed from the wagon window but quickly snapped to reality when he saw the people parting in front of the city’s main gate.
After all, when there are many people, everything multiplies.
Recalling the horrific scenes in the outer castle of Borderster that only peculiar tastes would appreciate, Karem shut the window in a panic and started to breathe through his mouth like an elephant that saw a mouse.
Though the wagon was relatively enclosed, at least some air would flow in for minimal ventilation, making it hard to breathe, but for Karem, it was an unavoidable choice.
Better to be out of breath than to catch a whiff of the stench from the toilet drains.
“…Kid. What are you doing right now?”
And he couldn’t help but shoot her a glance filled with disbelief at how absurd the situation was.
“Breathing through my mouth.”
“Breathing through your mouth?”
“Just breathing through my mouth—”
“Well, it’s odd not to know that. Why in the world?”
Catherine asked this question with a tone that indicated it was only natural. After all, he looked as if he was sparkling with excitement like a kid who just received a birthday gift, only to be left gasping for air like a fish out of water.
“I’ve already experienced it in Borderster, and I can’t go through that again. I’ll be like this until we enter the inner castle.”
“Experience? Ah. That.”
“If Sir Atanitas were here, he would understand why I’m like this, right?”
“Hmm. If I saw that for the first time, then…”
Karem sincerely replied with a stuffy voice, and Catherine thought there was no helping it. After all, the sight of people throwing waste out of tall buildings was a shockingly overwhelming experience for a country boy visiting the city for the first time.
“Sir Atanitas. What on earth are you two finding so amusing?”
It was utterly natural for Elder Iona to ask this.
When Karem explained his situation in a nasal voice, Elder Iona shook her head.
“Indeed, many rapidly developing cities suffer from insufficient sewage facilities, and this is no laughing matter, even surpassing Felwinter Ridge.”
“The inner castle of Borderster was better, but the outer castle smelled worse than the village’s communal stable.”
“Well, it’s nothing to be concerned about.”
“Really?”
Elder Iona waved her hand as if to say not to worry. With her tone of assurance, Karem cautiously let go of his clamped nose.
“Uh, does it really smell?”
“Though Iceland may be inhospitable, it boasts a longer history and tradition than the kingdom, so wouldn’t it be a problem if they don’t have any sewage facilities?”
“A sewage system for a city of this size?”
“Great amounts of money, and dwarves know the answer to that.”
Ah, dwarves. The renowned race famous for metalworking and architecture.
Along with a substantial budget.
“Kid. You’ll find that dwarves are crazy for money and craftsmanship.”
“But isn’t Iceland supposed to be inhospitable?”
“True. Hand in hand with the Kingdom of Seophone, it ranks among the most inhospitable regions of the Europa continent.”
“Then where would they find the money to do construction?”
An inhospitable land means scant yields. If yields are low, taxes will be too. Yet, the people outside the wagon didn’t display faces tarnished by despair like those in Moston Village; instead, they showed a lively spirit filled with the eagerness to survive.
“Wait a second, but it actually feels kind of warm, right?”
“Coldon is built above a hot spring area, so it’s warmer than other parts of Iceland. That’s the key.”
“So that’s why it feels so cozy.”
Though he said that, his breath was still visible in a white puff. It only felt warm compared to the bone-chilling gale outside that seemed ready to slice through flesh.
It felt like stepping into a warm room after enduring a whole day in the frigid winter outdoors, where it might even feel pleasant to have cold water hit your skin.
Meanwhile, the procession moved through the crowd, parting for the wagon’s flags, and soon they arrived at the inner castle, the main estate of the Felwinter Family, Winterhome.
Even though Karem only had a brief moment to glimpse the outside of Winterhome, he could instantly tell that the castle was quite distinct.
When looking beyond the walls of Coldon, the first impressions that came were square shapes and a sense of solidity, almost like a sturdy block. Given that it was made by dwarves, it could very well be their architectural style.
In contrast, what lay before Karem now, Winterhome, appeared to be the exact opposite.
With towering spires that looked hard to conquer and complex castle walls connecting them, it was practically a stereo type of a fairy-tale noble castle.
The only difference was, the scale of this castle was anything but ordinary.
“Sir Atanitas. Is this really Winterhome?”
“Indeed. Nothing has changed from when I saw it last.”
“This place could easily hold a whole large village, or a small city within its walls, don’t you think?”
Just from the rough estimate of its size beyond the castle walls, Karem’s assertion didn’t seem wrong. If they accounted for all the spires, buildings, and facilities inside, it truly could fit a small city, and it wasn’t far from the truth.
The history of Coldon far surpassed that of the unified dynasties of the Kingdom of Seophone.
Moreover, it was the birthplace of the prime minister who once quelled the demon king’s forces that had burned almost every civilization in the world during ancient times.
Thanks to that, it surely bought time for heroes to slay the demon king, a fact acknowledged by all the nations of the Europa continent.
“Uh, the demon king and his armies that burned down the entire Europa?”
“Exactly. Well, almost. From the Grand Duchy of Lecherus in the north to the Adobice Kingdom in the southern desert. I’ve even heard that there was chaos in the farthest east.”
“Does that mean this place is essentially a holy land?”
“Yes. If we’re being technical about it, you could call it a holy land.”
“But didn’t you say people were reluctant to come to this inhospitable place?”
If that’s the case, why is this town considered a pathetic backwater? Confused, Karem turned to Catherine.
“Well, in the end, human perception is somewhat inevitable. Regardless of how inhospitable it might be, if the weather were a little better, it wouldn’t be that odd. But who would want to live in such a cold town if they’re not a native?”
What about the seasoned grand wizard hired to work in such a cold and inhospitable place?
Caught in a silent demand from Karem for an answer, Catherine kept her gaze fixed out the window, not speaking.
Wait, isn’t it a bit too bold to say this out loud with the Duke’s steward right beside you?
“Nothing much to worry about. Sir Atanitas’s words are always precise.”
As the wagon passed through the main gate of Winterhome, Elder Iona, having opened the window to greet the guards, reassured Karem not to worry.
“Then, Sir Atanitas. You must know where your tower will be. I will only accompany you this far.”
“Elder Iona.”
“See you at the dinner banquet.”
As Karem stepped down with Catherine, Elder Iona led the soldiers away.
Left feeling abandoned in the heart of the castle, Karem immediately turned to Catherine.
“Sir Atanitas. What do you mean by dinner banquet?”
“The Felwinter Family has a tradition of gathering to dine together every evening. But due to the number of people, it might just look like a banquet.”
“And since Winterhome is both the family’s estate and the main residence, it really should be a banquet, considering the size.”
Looking up, Karem saw the towering spires and various facilities standing like giants before him. Just the number of people working here alone would easily surpass thousands.
As Karem began to feel anticipation for the word “banquet,” Catherine glanced at him sideways.
“Don’t get your hopes up thinking it’ll resemble a true banquet where all sorts of delicacies are served. It’ll just be a rather large dinner. The Duke—no, I suppose I should say the lord now—is quite humble.”
“Umm, to be honest, I was expecting something more.”
“Well, for nobles, it could be described as such. Compared to a lavish banquet, that’s true, but it should still be substantial.”
Besides, while some people will be having dinner, others have to work, so not everyone is dining together at once in the middle of the day.
“Well, while the dishes served during meal times might be delicious, rest assured, kid. Your skills will not fall short compared to theirs. I can promise you that.”
“Eh, no need to praise me that much.”
“…Well, you’ll understand if you experience it firsthand.”
Catherine, unable to understand Karem’s peculiar disposition that shied away from compliments due to his previous life, quickly picked up her pace. Of course, Karem followed her closely in quick steps.