That night, Xigelei finally arrived with Lanqi at an independent city-state named Fort Greite, also known as Little Stone City.
Darkness had fallen long before, leaving only twilight and scattered lanterns to serve as waymarkers for their journey.
Beneath the towering gates and checkpoint lay a blanket of pure white snow.
"It feels like it's been dark for three or four hours, yet it's only seven o'clock."
Stepping down from the sled, Lanqi took a pocket watch from his coat, glanced at it, and sighed.
In Little Stone City, daylight likely lasted only a few hours. Heading further in, those hours would dwindle even more.
This was precisely why the snowfields were known as the Land of Eternal Night.
Back then, he and Sigrid had traveled to Bandera City at the northernmost edge of the Protos Empire. Had they gone any further north, they would have entered a similar region referred to in the mortal world as "Eternal Night."
"Don't worry. Light or dark, I'll deliver you right on schedule as the contract says."
Xigelei had leaped down from the sled ahead of Lanqi and was already moving his luggage.
Because the man seemed to have brought a great deal of equipment, the luggage was remarkably heavy—three full trunks.
Counting her own, there were four in total.
"Mm."
Lanqi watched Xigelei work.
One of the main reasons his secretary had strongly recommended Xigelei was her extraordinary nighttime endurance. She could deliver clients to their destinations virtually unhindered by poor visibility and blizzards.
With her handling the sled, the two of them could stop at an orc city-state each day—six in all—and reach the Demon Realm on the seventh day.
Upon entering the city, they immediately spotted a post station, where a modest fee provided a rest camp for traveling adventurers and their mounts.
Xigelei led the Snowfield Nether Deer and the sled over to the orc attendants. These experienced caretakers promptly led the nether deer away to be fed and groomed, ensuring they would be properly cared for and rested for the night.
"By the way, let me give you a heads-up. The recent situation in the Polant Empire means there might be things out on the snowfield that nobody wants to see. You'd better prepare yourself mentally."
Having walked back to Lanqi's side, Xigelei spoke up while they waited by the street for a carriage.
This was also why she had been reluctant to accept new jobs lately.
It was simply that the client's offer had been too generous to turn down.
As long as she completed this commission, the church orphanage would be provided for an entire year without worries. Even if war broke out, the sisters would have the funds to take the children to a neighboring country instead of being reduced to destitute refugees.
"Understood. But could you tell me what kind of creatures they are in more detail? That way, I can prepare myself."
Lanqi asked with keen interest.
"Those vampires from the Blood Clan... If the Horning Empire has designs on the Polant Empire, they've likely already begun infiltrating the Kingdom of Fukelo and the Kingdom of Edith flanking Polant on the east and west. Once they push through both kingdoms, they can advance into the snowfields to lay their groundwork ahead of time."
Xigelei spoke offhandedly in just a few sentences, not really expecting Lanqi to believe her.
"The Blood Clan will definitely want to blockade the northern snowfields behind the Polant Empire first, and then surround and swallow Polant overland. Of course, that's just my speculation. It probably differs wildly from what those imperial politicians think, since they see their primary enemy as the Horning Empire rather than the Blood Clan itself."
She assumed an artist client like him would put more stock in fellow aristocrats of his station rather than take the one-sided claims of someone like her seriously, which was why she didn't mind speaking her mind.
Naturally, an elite figure of his privileged upbringing, accustomed to living in castles and palaces, likely cared nothing for her thoughts on the conflict anyway.
Besides, if the Blood Clan truly conquered the Polant Empire, they wouldn't readily execute an unthreatening, artistically gifted human plaything like him.
Whereas a thorn in their side like her would be their first target for extermination.
Yet she was no longer afraid. Her parents and clan had all been slaughtered by the Blood Clan. She had long grown accustomed to enduring darkness and loneliness, simply surviving in this world one day at a time.
"Wow."
Lanqi looked at Xigelei in surprise.
"What're you 'wowing' at?"
This prompted Xigelei to look up at him in confusion, wondering if a wire had crossed in his head.
"You're very sharp,"
Lanqi marveled as he looked down at the petite figure beside him.
He felt as though they were completely on the same wavelength.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Xigelei couldn't fathom why Lanqi was suddenly praising her; she had fully braced herself to be dismissed.
"I just think your analysis is remarkably thorough—far better than those noble lords in parliament."
Lanqi closed his eyes and spread his hands helplessly.
"Is that so?"
Xigelei remained half-skeptical, though she figured it was at least a good thing that her employer could take her warning to heart.
Then again, it was far more likely this painter was utterly indifferent to the Polant Empire's political crisis, which was why he could take the word of a kid like her at face value without pressing her on her reasoning or bothering to dispute it.
If she had a choice, she never wanted to encounter the Blood Clan again, especially out on the snowfields between the city-states in the Land of Eternal Night.
A confrontation at night would put her at a terrible disadvantage.
Unless she managed to escape the snowfield entirely, there was almost no outlasting them until daybreak.
In the dark, the Blood Clan was virtually invincible.
After they chatted for a brief moment, Lanqi and Xigelei were met by a local driver who loaded their luggage onto his carriage and set off on their journey into the city.
Standing at the southernmost tip of the Land of Eternal Night, Little Stone City experienced winter all year round, its vast terrain cloaked in pure white snow. It was a predominantly orc settlement brimming with primitive, rugged beauty, yet seamlessly blended with the modernity of human city-states.
Among the six city-states along the route, Little Stone City was situated furthest south in the Land of Eternal Night and closest to the Polant Empire. Here, relations between orcs and humans were comparatively normal, marked by frequent trade and deep influences of human culture.
Pushing deeper into the Land of Eternal Night, conditions grew harsher, until in the final city-state, humans were virtually unheard of on the streets, and demons even began to appear.
"In this city-state, we're reasonably safe for now. But starting the day after tomorrow, you must never leave my side without permission, and never act on your own."
Xigelei gazed at the city-state's familiar architecture, built mostly of sturdy stone and treated timber to withstand the freezing cold and blizzards.
She cautioned Lanqi.
Little Stone City was the city-state in the Land of Eternal Night she visited most often. She had traveled less to the ones further along, but she knew well just how treacherous their surroundings were.
"Right, understood,"
Lanqi confirmed.
Listening to one's guide was undeniably important. Having a dependable bodyguard by his side put his mind considerably at ease, including for tomorrow's agenda: meeting the Grand Lord and restoring the city-state's sacred statue.
It was said that the temple of Little Stone City held an ancient relic statue—the God of Rock and Protection—standing in solemn majesty to safeguard this land and the orcs' oaths.
The God of Rock and Protection, also known as the God of Rock and Earth, presided over earth-attribute divine magic according to the Tome of Creation.
He was also the deity worshipped by the bearfolk of Little Stone City.
Lanqi and Xigelei continued deeper into Little Stone City by carriage, traveling down gray stone-paved streets flanked by low-rise buildings. The streets were quite lively, bustling with various furry beastfolk in distinct attire and occasional human figures walking among them; the bustling commercial district blazed brightly with lanterns in the night.
After a ride of a little over ten minutes, they finally reached their lodgings for the night: the Snow Bear Hotel, the most luxurious establishment in the city-state.
Chapter 545