Ancient runes were carved inside the furnace, and the firebox was piled high with grease-soaked cedarwood.
Most of the people standing by the canal held blessing boats, the candles on the small boats already lit and casting a faint glow.
In the darkness of the night, the tiny sparks of fire gathered together, creating a magnificent sight.
Flora stood by the canal, holding the ice crystal blessing boat with the name written on it.
The candle on the little boat was already lit, its warm yellow glow reflecting on her expectant face.
“When do we release them?” Flora asked.
“We release them when the furnace is lit,” Loviki said, standing beside her while holding her own little boat. “The stall owner just told me that's when Winter is at its weakest, so the blessing is most effective.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Not really.” Loviki shook her head, then paused before adding, “But still, you need a sense of ceremony.”
“It's about to start!” someone in the crowd shouted.
Everyone's eyes turned toward the massive furnace at the same time.
An elderly dwarf dressed in traditional dark blue attire stood on the steps in front of the furnace, holding a burning torch.
He spoke a few words in the Wigtan dialect. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried far in the quiet night.
Flora couldn't understand it.
Loviki softly translated for her, “Thankful that another winter did not take us away. As long as the hearth fire burns, life will never cease.”
Having finished speaking, the old man turned around and thrust the torch into the mouth of the furnace.
Whoosh!
Flames surged up in an instant, and orange-red light poured out from the firebox, making the furnace look like a giant, beating heart.
A wave of heat washed over them, dispersing the chill of the northern night.
The firelight reflected on everyone's faces.
“Time to release the boats,” Loviki said.
She squatted down, cradling the boat in both hands, and gently set it into the water.
The boat wobbled on the water's surface, the candlelight flickering gently before finally stabilizing.
Flora squatted down beside her and placed her own boat next to Loviki's.
“Where is yours, Mr. Chen Mian?” Flora turned around and asked, a little puzzled.
“I already released it,” Chen Mian said with a smile.
“When?”
“Just now, while you were looking at the furnace.”
“Seriously, sneaking ahead of us like that!” Loviki said, pouting.
More and more glowing blessing boats drifted onto the river's surface.
One, two, ten, a hundred... countless candles flickered and sparkled in the night.
The three of them watched Loviki's and Flora's little boats drift further and further away, eventually turning into two blurry points of light that merged into the “river of stars” formed by the countless blessing boats.
In the distance, the furnace fire was still burning, its orange-red glow reflecting on the river, dyeing the river of stars formed by the blessing boats in a warm orange hue.
Loviki watched the blessing boats flow into the sea, then turned around with a smile and said, “You two keep looking around, I'm going to buy some hot drinks.”
Flora looked at her and said, “Let's go together.”
“No need.” Loviki pulled her scarf up a bit and shook her head. “There are too many people, it's very crowded. Besides, I need to head back to the inn to grab something.”
With that, she turned and left, her pace quick. Her dark-haired figure bobbed in the crowd a couple of times before vanishing from sight.
Flora stared in that direction and blinked. “Doesn't she seem a bit strange?”
“Really?” Chen Mian said, standing beside her. “Maybe she just wants to walk around by herself.”
“That makes it even stranger...”
“We can just ask her later. Let's walk around a bit more.”
“Okay, I want to go look at the sea!”
The two of them continued forward, heading toward the harbor.
The burning furnace had completely driven away the chill.
Various stalls, large and small, were gradually being set up along the coast.
The two walked slowly along the coastline. Here, the canal merged into the sea, and the candlelights of the blessing boats gathered at the estuary into a flowing expanse of light.
Flora walked on Chen Mian's right side, her scarf fluttering gently in the sea breeze.
She slipped her hands into her coat pockets, her gaze tracking the candlelights drifting further and further out to sea.
“Mr. Chen Mian.”
“You didn't release your blessing boat, did you?” Flora withdrew her gaze and turned her head to ask.
“Yeah.” Chen Mian didn't deny it.
“Why?” Flora asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Rather than placing my hopes in gods, I think it's more reassuring to rely on myself,” Chen Mian said with a smile.
“Then... can I see your blessing boat, Mr. Chen Mian?” Flora hesitated for a long time before asking in a small voice.
Chen Mian retrieved the ice-blue blessing boat from his storage space and handed it to her.
Flora looked at the two names written on the blue boat. She turned her head away, the tips of her ears peeking out from the edge of her scarf turning red.
After a moment, Flora buried her face slightly into her scarf and turned back. “Mr. Chen Mian... is it true that you want to protect us yourself?”
“Yes, it's true.”
Hearing this, Flora looked up happily. Her eyes met Chen Mian's, and she quickly looked away. Then, as if gathering her courage, she looked back and said, “What about... when we aren't at the apartment?”
Flora lowered her head slightly, her face flushed red. Under the reflection of the orange furnace fire, she looked incredibly captivating.
“The same.”
Hearing Chen Mian's reply, Flora looked up, her eyes shining brightly. “It's a promise, then!”
Having said this, Flora seemed to grow embarrassed again. She quickly turned her face away, leaving Chen Mian with only the view of her completely reddened ear tip.
The sea breeze blew from the direction of the harbor, brushing the tassels of her scarf against the back of his hand.
Chen Mian looked at the returned blessing boat in his hand and stored it back into his storage space.
Flora waited for a moment. When she didn't get a response, she stole a glance at him before quickly turning back.
“Yes, it's a promise,” Chen Mian's voice carried a clear hint of amusement.
The two of them continued to walk along the coastline. Blessing boats were still drifting out continuously from the canal estuary. Some were pushed back to the shore by the waves, washing up on the sandy beach with their candles extinguished, while others drifted further and further away, vanishing into the vast ocean.
“Is that Saintess Flora?”
A voice from the side broke the tranquility belonging to the two of them.
Flora froze. Her hands clenched slightly as she turned to look at the source of the voice.
Turning around, she saw an elf woman slightly shorter than herself standing a few paces away. Her pale blonde hair draped over her shoulders, and her emerald-green eyes were filled with pleasant surprise. “Saintess! It really is you! It is so wonderful that you are safe!”
Flora's face showed surprise. “Alwen...”
The woman before her was one of her clansmen. She had seen her back when she was still with the elves. But Flora had killed Elder Landir, and even if the Shadow Cult's plan had failed, they would have fabricated the scene...
“We all know. The Elder Landir you killed was a traitor of the Shadow Cult!”
“Why?”
“After something happened to you, Saintess, the mark left behind by Lady Ysera was triggered. She returned.”
“Mother...” Flora was stunned. Ysera was her mother's name.
Her memories of her parents had always remained in her childhood. She only knew that her mother was very gentle and powerful, and while her father didn't speak much, he would always take her out to play.
But one day, her parents suddenly left. No matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find them. The clan leader said they had gone on an adventure and would return in a few years.
But she had waited for a very long time.
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