The passenger ship slowly sailed into Wigtan Bay.
Dawn was just breaking, and the rising sun painted the northern sea in shades of orange and gold, bringing a touch of warmth to the cold city of ice and snow.
Flora stood on the deck, bundled up tightly with a scarf wrapped snugly beneath her cloak.
At this moment, she was looking at everything before her with a sense of wonder.
She had spent most of her life inside a secret realm; this was her first time visiting the north, and her very first time seeing snow.
Everything before her felt entirely new.
Wigtan City's port was much smaller than Linyu Port, lacking its bustling, lively atmosphere. There were few pedestrians on the pier, with only a few sailing ships, painted the same deep blue, docked quietly on either side.
Near the harbor stood rows of uniform dark gray stone houses with triangular roofs, all covered in a thick blanket of snow.
Further away, tall steel structures gleaming with a metallic luster rose into the sky, creating a slight contrast with the stone houses. They looked like products of two completely different eras.
At the highest point of the city stood a massive, ice-blue clock tower.
“That's the landmark of Wigtan City, the Wigtan Clock Tower. It's the work of dwarves, forged from scrap frost steel. Before the restructuring, it was the Dwarven Temple of Forging, but now it's the Wigtan Council Hall. Though they call it that, it's actually just a gathering place for the nobles.” Loviki's slightly lazy voice drifted from behind Flora. “This city has gotten so quiet.”
“What was it like before?” Flora turned her head, asking curiously.
As a cold wind blew past, Loviki pulled her hands further into her cloak. “When I came here with my father seven years ago, the sound of iron striking iron echoed all over Wigtan, and the streets were filled with the rich aroma of wine. Even though the constant clanging from morning till night could be annoying, and the older folks drinking and chatting all night seemed boring, the place felt so lively back then.”
Flora did not reply.
Footsteps sounded behind them as Chen Mian walked out of the cabin, carrying Flora's backpack in his hand.
“You're so spaced out. You forgot your backpack just to look at the snow.” He handed the bag over.
“Thank you...” Flora's ears turned slightly red as she spoke, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Let's go. We'll find a place to have breakfast first.” Chen Mian walked toward the gangway, and the two girls quickly followed.
“Respected ladies and gentleman, may I know how I should address you?” the captain's voice called out from behind.
Chen Mian simply waved his hand without replying.
Sensing his cue, the captain tactfully stopped asking, quietly watching the three figures disappear from his sight.
“Up ahead is the Old District, the Anvil District, which was the original foundation of Wigtan City. It kept its name even after the restructuring.” Loviki walked behind them with a natural gait, but the northern cold was biting; the tip of her nose was slightly red, and even her fingers peeking out of her cloak had an unnaturally red hue.
“If you're cold, just say so,” Chen Mian said as he walked at the front.
“I'm not that cold,” Loviki replied, her voice relatively steady, though there was a slight tremble to it.
Flora glanced at her, pulled another woolen scarf from her backpack, and handed it over.
Loviki hesitated for a second, pulled down her hood, and took the scarf to wrap it around her neck. She buried the lower half of her face in it, leaving only her pretty eyes and the bridge of her nose exposed, before pulling her hood back up.
“...Thanks,” she mumbled, her voice muffled by the scarf.
The three of them walked along the road and soon entered Wigtan City's Old District.
Unlike the harbor, this area was far from deserted; it was actually quite bustling. Most of the pedestrians were dressed as adventurers—warriors, swordsmen, mages, priests... The reason for the crowd was simple, as Leila had mentioned before: the new dungeon and the Ice and Fire Festival.
Most of the stone houses lining the streets had been converted into shops, selling specialties unique to the north, such as frozen fish, scrap frost steel, ice-carved ornaments, and various hot food stalls.
Every stall was surrounded by visiting adventurers.
The air was filled with the mixed aromas of grilled fish, stewed meat, ale, and various pungent spices. In the freezing northern weather, hot and spicy seasonings were exceptionally popular.
Thanks to the new dungeon, the locals' businesses were doing much better.
As they passed a steaming grilled fish stall, Flora slowed her pace slightly.
The stall owner was a somewhat plump, middle-aged woman bundled up in a padded coat. She held an iron fork skewering a silver-white frozen fish as long as an arm, turning it slowly over the charcoal fire. The fat on the fish skin seeped out from the cuts, sizzling as it dripped onto the embers and releasing a rich, mouthwatering aroma.
“Frost-patterned salmon,” the plump woman said, noticing Flora's gaze and offering a warm sales pitch. “It's a Wigtan specialty, only caught in the icy seas around here. It's very fatty, so it smells amazing when grilled. Would you like one, young lady?”
Flora looked at Chen Mian.
He nodded, fished two copper coins out of his pocket, and handed them over. The fat woman accepted them with a smile, took a freshly grilled frost-patterned salmon off the rack, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it to Flora.
Flora cradled the grilled fish in her hands. The heat seeped through the thick oil paper into her palms, feeling wonderfully warm.
Holding the fish up, she presented it to Chen Mian and Loviki. “Have a taste. It smells delicious.”
Chen Mian tore off a small piece and put it in his mouth.
The meat of the frost-patterned salmon was tender and delicate, far springier than regular salmon. It carried a subtle, fresh sweetness and a smoky aroma, rich with fat. To put it in one phrase, it practically melted in the mouth.
However, precisely because it was so fatty, eating too much of it would make it impossible to digest. Many years ago, when the team had only three members and passed through Wigtan City on an adventure, Louise had come up with a terrible idea to host a grilled fish party before their quest.
They had bought all kinds of flavored grilled frost-patterned salmon and fruit wine, which ended up delaying their departure by three days. Vic was completely drained from diarrhea, and as for Chen Mian himself...
Loviki had already pulled down her scarf. She reached out to tear off a small piece and popped it into her mouth, her eyes narrowing slightly. “So fresh! Let's buy two more. We can have this for breakfast!”
“I advise you not to,” Chen Mian said, his expression somewhat subtle.
“Why?”
“I'm afraid you'll end up stuck in the inn's bathroom and won't want to step outside.”
“Huh?”
Flora looked at Chen Mian's expression, then at the frost-patterned salmon in her hand. A look of understanding dawned on her, and the corners of her mouth curved up slightly. “It's fine. I have a way to neutralize the effects of the fat.”
“Boss, another one, please,” Chen Mian said, nodding as he turned to the owner.
“You don't want one?” Loviki asked, slightly puzzled. “It's really delicious, you know.”
Rate on N.U.
