In the grand hall of the Eternal Winter Capital, the fireplace blazed with roaring flames.
Unlike Graycastle's four distinct seasons, summer here feels fleeting, while autumn serves as a harbinger of winter's arrival. Before you can even slip into light layers, the biting wind will come again.
Garcia, draped in a fox fur coat, sat majestically on the throne at Wimbledon, listening to the nobles' appeals and demands.
She disliked the palace. Its pillars, walls, and floor were all made of snow-white stone, each polished to a glossy finish that looked like solid ice. Even with two layers of velvet padding added to the seats, she could still feel the bone-chilling cold emanating from the icy iron chairs.
The damn house looked like it was built with ice, she thought irritably. Once the situation stabilized, the first thing to do would be to smash down all the walls and floors, then rebuild them with dark brown granite slabs.
"Your Majesty, I hope you will vindicate me!" cried a Noble with a tearful face.
This guy had been rambling on earlier, but the whole thing could be summed up in a few sentences. After the Church seized the capital, they publicly tried some notorious Nobles, with Bishop Heather presiding. Most got hanged, but this guy was lucky—just fined and had his money split between the affected civilians.
"Your request is understandable. Private property cannot be plundered," Jiasia mused, then spoke slowly. "But the exact amount is hard to determine. Here's the deal: if you provide financial statements for the past five years, I can compensate you based on the average value of the seized items." "But the mob looted my estate. These records might..." "Then I'll have to compensate according to the announced standards of nobility," Jiasia interrupted. "Look around you—these are all looted Nobles. If I give you more, others will lose theirs. What do you say?" "Exactly. Who knows if your reported amount is true!" "What's the point of nagging, Sir Harlon? Those golden dragons don't belong to you anyway." "You're lucky to have yours. Your accomplices will have to beg God for compensation in heaven." Seeing the surrounding Nobles glare at him, he cautiously bowed. "Then compensate according to your standards. Thank you for your generosity, Your Majesty." "Very well," Jiasia smiled faintly. "Next." "Greetings, Your Majesty." An elderly man with white hair stepped out of the crowd, respectfully touching his chest where the gleaming silver eagle emblem of the House of Lark resided.
"Marquis de Baud, I recall your domain was not attacked by the Church's rioters." "Indeed," he nodded, "not that they would not have attacked, but that they could not... The Snowy Ridge is a fortress, and my knight repelled the invaders. But my son was not so fortunate—he was on duty at the palace on the day of the uprising. To protect the late Queen, he was slain by the rebels, and his body was hung at the city gate. It was only when you arrived in Eternal Winter that he was freed from this disgrace." "What a tragic tale," Giasia said with a sorrowful expression, sighing. "What do you need me for?" "The man who killed him, the Butcher, has now risen as the leader of the remaining rebels. They are hiding in the Desolate Mountains to the north. I seek vengeance for my son," the Marquis stated calmly.
"But my forces are limited. Normally, we're only patrolling, defending the city walls and granaries. It's impossible to deploy troops to search the wilderness for a hundred or so fugitive rebels," she shook her head regretfully. "Moreover, once winter comes and heavy snow blocks the mountains, they'll freeze to death without supplies. Why rush?" "Only by killing the murderer myself can I find peace, Your Majesty. I don't need you to send warriors to hunt for the rebels. There are many natural caves at the foot of the mountains—they must be hiding there. But most cave entrances are too narrow. Even a Knight would struggle to enter if blocked with gravel. I hope you'll provide me with alchemical materials that can blow up city gates. The rest I can handle myself." He wanted snow powder? Giasia frowned. This substance had immense power, a decisive weapon that could change the course of battle. It must not be leaked.
Just as she was about to decline, the other party pressed on: "If you grant my request, I shall return to the court to serve you, and the Silver Egret Clan will wholeheartedly support your rule over the Eternal Winter Kingdom." These words left Jiaxia momentarily speechless. When the Church executed the Queen, it also eliminated a group of high-ranking officials. The Marquis of Bode held considerable influence here. Appointing him as the Prime Minister of the Court and rallying the remaining Nobles could help alleviate the administrative difficulties to some extent.
"This request is reasonable," she pondered for a moment before making a decision. "But I can't hand you the Alchemical Blazing Powder directly. When you need it, I'll dispatch a dedicated alchemist to help you blast open the hole."
After the court session concluded, Jiaxia returned to the inner chamber. Faren approached her with a cup of warm fruit wine. "Thank you for your efforts, Your Majesty. The Nobles have indeed all rallied to you. This way, even without the Wolf King's support, you can gradually bring the entire Kingdom of Eternal Winter under your control." "Without the Church," the Queen shrugged.
The Church's decision to strip Noble of inheritance rights rallied them all to its cause. With this group's support and the previous power faction's significant weakening, establishing a foothold in the capital was no challenge. However, controlling Eternal Winter remained a long journey ahead—the people here were heavily influenced by the Church. Its Black Sail Warriors, dispatched to purge churches in other major cities, faced attacks from civilians and believers. Thus, forming an alliance with Wolfheart proved crucial: it would not only help resist the Church but also weaken its influence through population transfer.
As for those stubborn civilians, just kill them all.
"By the way, the Wolf King just sent a messenger with a letter for you," Fairen said, pulling an envelope from his robe. "Since you were busy with state affairs, I didn't bother you." Jiasia opened the envelope, took out the letter, and unfolded it. God's expression turned solemn.
"Is this bad news?" "The Church has launched another offensive," she said in a grave tone. "They're advancing on Wolfheart from the land, having breached several makeshift defenses." "What?" Fairen stared in disbelief. "The Demon's Moon is approaching. Are they planning to ignore the New Holy City?" Jiasia sat back at her desk, frowning in deep thought.
The Church would never let the matter rest, but she never anticipated the enemy's sudden arrival. Had she waited until next spring to resume the conflict, her preparations would have been far more thorough. The enemy clearly intended to leave no room for her to recover—if she failed to seek aid from the Wolf King, the Kingdom of Wolf Hearts would collapse, and she herself would not survive long.
But it is also an opportunity.
If we can exhaust the Church army in Wolfheart City, the enemy will face a catastrophic disaster when the evil beasts invade Hermes in force.
They might deploy more God Punishment troops, but she wields formidable weapons like Snow Powder, along with the inextinguishable Black River of the Underworld and Evil Fire Powder, plus the towering walls of Wolf Heart City—these will undoubtedly drain the enemy's vital forces.
With that, Jia Xiya barked, "Issue my order to the Black Sail Warriors to gear up for the campaign! This winter, we'll be wintering in Wolfheart City."