"Lupus, do you know the way to Mondstadt?" She paused, adding a more specific request, "A main road we can take openly, and also... a small path suitable for sneaking in and out."
She continued to explain: "The meteor has most likely fallen into Decarabian's hands. Nine times out of ten, we'll have to meet with that lonely king. The best way is to seek an audience as foreign travelers, saying we came here to follow the power of the fierce winds. Once we meet him, we can subtly inquire about the whereabouts of the fragments."
"If we're lucky, He will think those power fragments are useless, and we can help Him 'clear' them away. In the worst-case scenario, we'll have no choice but to confront Him. At that point, we can still escape via the small path, wait outside, and bide our time for a better opportunity."
Coppelia didn't elaborate on the worst-case "conflict," which meant they would have to defeat the lonely king to obtain the fragments. She didn't want Columbina to get involved in a war with an Archon. So if they failed, she would rather wait for the right moment—for the people of Mondstadt to rise up and overthrow the lonely king's rule. After the war ended, she would then take Columbina to retrieve the fragments. Since the fragments were harmful to humans and the environment, no one should try to stop them then.
Lupus's grayish-white hair stirred in the wind. He thought for a moment before replying, "To the southeast of Mondstadt's city, there's a cleared main road that leads to a large gate. As for the hidden path... Miss Gunnhildr should know about it."
"Then could we trouble you to take us to her?" Coppelia immediately asked.
"No problem," Lupus agreed readily, but then added a reminder, "However, I can't guarantee she'll be willing to see you."
"Why?" Columbina asked softly from the side.
"She is the daughter of the settlement's leader and is often busy helping her father with many matters."
Coppelia said, "It's fine. We'll play it by ear when we get there."
...
Lupus led the two to the location of Gunnhildr's settlement. The wind and snow here were slightly milder than elsewhere, and a patch of unfrozen water could be seen in the distance.
The people carried tools like harpoons, fishing nets, and bows, likely relying on hunting and fishing to survive. Their faces bore the rough marks of a long struggle against the wind and snow, and their eyes were exceptionally resolute. Their clean but slightly tattered clothes still bore traces of fine embroidery, preserving their former noble heritage amidst their impoverished circumstances.
Soon, they met Gunnhildr herself.
Her blonde hair was impeccably combed, and her gray-purple eyes were as clear and firm as a frozen lake. She wore an old, patched-up knight's uniform that was starched stiff, with a coarse animal hide wrapped around it for warmth. Her posture was erect, carrying the bearing of a knight honed through years of training.
A weariness clouded her features. At this moment, she was sitting in front of a simple hut, patiently mending broken fishing gear. Her fingers were red from the cold, yet her movements were steady and focused. Others beside her were doing the same, occasionally glancing at her with eyes full of trust and respect.
Lupus went forward and exchanged a few words with her in a low voice. Gunnhildr looked up, her gaze sweeping over Coppelia and her companion, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
It wasn't because of their stunning beauty, but because the two of them were wearing thin clothes in this land of ice and snow. This was especially true for Columbina, whose arms and legs were completely exposed to the cold air, yet she showed no signs of feeling cold at all.
These two visitors were certainly no ordinary people. Gunnhildr composed herself, stood up, and walked over to Coppelia.
"Travelers from afar, Lupus has already explained your purpose to me." Her voice was cool and carried a leader's air. "You seek a path to Mondstadt and hope for our assistance."
"Yes, Miss Gunnhildr." Coppelia met her gaze. "We need a route that allows for safe entry and, if necessary, a quick exit from within."
"Regardless of your reasons for wanting to see Decarabian, if it's just a path you need, we can help." Gunnhildr didn't question Coppelia's intentions; after all, it was Lupus who had brought them.
Gunnhildr led the two to a young knight whose face was also weathered but whose eyes were sharp. "Parsifal," she ordered, "you are familiar with the 'Sparrowhawk Path.' Take these two guests to the entrance. Oh, and also point them in the direction of the main road."
"As you wish, my lady." The knight Parsifal placed a hand on his chest and bowed.
...
Since the route required crossing an area frequented by wolf packs, Lupus naturally joined the party, acting as both a guide and a liaison.
The knight Parsifal was a talkative man. On the way, perhaps to ward off the loneliness of traveling through the snowfields, he struck up a conversation with Coppelia.
"Speaking of which," Parsifal's tone held a hint of confusion, "you come from afar. Do you have other... gods, or beliefs?"
"Why do you ask?"
"We... or rather, I, sometimes feel conflicted." Parsifal gazed at the endless snowfield ahead and confessed, "The might of the King of Tempests is undeniable, but the feeling of being trapped by that wind wall was too suffocating. We left that place, praying for the favor of other gods. Only the King of the North Wind was willing to let us settle here. Although we are far from the violent tornadoes, the north wind by the Wolf King's side is very... cold."
He paused, searching for the right words. "We hoped a gentler god, one who truly understands the desires of the human heart, would hear our prayers, but we haven't found one..."
Haven't found one? Could it be that Gunnhildr hasn't met the wind spirit yet? Coppelia felt like her memories might be faulty. Didn't the ancestors of the Gunnhildr clan survive in the ice and snow thanks to the protection of a wind spirit? But from what Parsifal said, it was the Wolf King who was helping them now.
Her thoughts yielding no answers, Coppelia's attention returned to Parsifal's story.
He sighed and continued, "Surviving here is incredibly difficult. Hunger and cold are constant companions, but at least... we can breathe more freely than we could beneath that high tower."
...
Under Parsifal and Lupus's guidance, the group quickly found the hidden path known as the "Sparrowhawk Path."
It was actually a rock crevice, half-hidden by snow and stones, with a concealed entrance to the east-southeast of Mondstadt. To ensure they could retreat through the path from the inside in a worst-case scenario, Coppelia planned to go in first to memorize the exact terrain of the entrance, lest they be unable to find it later relying on direction alone.
Coppelia led Columbina into the crevice. The terrain inside wasn't complex; treading on fine gravel, they made their way to the crevice's inner opening.
In stark contrast to the bitter cold of the icy world outside, the air, sealed off by the wind wall, was warm but stagnant like amber. Not a single whisper of natural wind could be heard, creating an eerie, "isothermal" state.
High above, sunlight filtered through the wind wall that enveloped the sky, casting an unnatural, pale white light and bathing everything in a suppressive gray tone.
__
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