Chapter 492 - 491: The Arrival of the Winter Calamity

"Sorry, everyone."

Mikhailo pulled Albert aside, whispering about something.

'Are you crazy, Albert? What good is that Orc equipment to us? At best, we can just melt it down for a little iron. This is a complete money-losing deal,' Dorn's voice sounded in his mind.

Colin sighed inwardly. 'You don't have to eavesdrop on them, you know.'

'I'm not eavesdropping,' Dorn continued. 'I just happen to be standing here and can't help but overhear. Besides, I think it's good for us to hear this. Alright, now for the noble boy's reply: 'I prefer to call it an "investment."'

'Our cash flow… Fine, you win.'

Just then, the two of them returned.

Albert said, "So, have you made a decision?"

"We agree to the price," Colin said immediately.

Knowing they had been offered a significant discount, there was no point in playing games with polite refusals.

Colin sensed that Albert's repeated offers weren't just because they'd grown close after adventuring together for so long.

If Colin had to venture a guess, he'd say Albert was trying to gather a faction centered around him.

Judging by the attitudes of the other Knights toward Orcs, not everyone approved of Albert's policies. Most of the Northern Nobles likely favored the approach of his father, the elder Weston.

As for why Albert would risk his life adventuring with them and do so many absurd things, Colin had no idea.

After settling the matter of the loot, the group had no reason to linger.

Colin and the others packed their things and gathered at the entrance of Wolf Castle.

A heavy snow had fallen the night before, blanketing the surrounding ground in white.

Standing nearby, Albert kept glancing nervously at the sky, which looked rather comical.

He had started doing this frequently whenever he was outdoors. The habit had formed after he was carried off by the Wyvern. Colin had assumed it would fade after a few days, but to his surprise, it had stuck.

"The Yule Festival is still more than a month away, right?" Colin asked, looking out at the snow.

"Thirty-four days until the Yule Festival," Orelia replied. "I'm keeping track."

"Last year in Thousand Masts City, the first snow didn't fall until the Yule Festival itself... Isn't the snow a little early this year?" Colin said.

He was reminded of what Oak Heart had told them… the winter calamity was not yet over.

'Has Lady Rime been active this whole time? Why would she waste her Divine Power like this?'

Colin thought for a moment. Lady Rime had a vile personality, so she had many divine enemies: the Goddess of the Harvest, the Lady of Enthusiasm, the Morninglord, the god of the Frost Giants... he could name a whole slew of them off the top of his head.

Logically, with Lady Rime squandering her Divine Power like this, those other Deities should have made a move by now. Why was there no sign of them?

Colin frowned.

But he couldn't come up with an answer to a question concerning Deities.

"Why don't you stay for a while longer?" Albert said. "You could help me deal with the Orcs coming from the north."

Orelia quickly interjected, "We have to get back for the Yule Festival, Mr. Weston."

"You could just celebrate the Yule Festival here," Albert said. "I'd be more than happy to have you."

"I've already promised to help someone with a task, so I can't stay long," Colin declined politely.

Donkexes had previously mentioned a job escorting a Dwarf into the Undercity, and Colin had already accepted.

"That's a real shame," Albert said, handing Colin an envelope sealed with the Weston Clan's wax. "If you want, you can head to Storpitz. They have a Teleportation Array there. Take this letter, and the local Mystery Study Association will let you use it for free."

As he took the envelope, Colin asked, "It'll take us nearly a month to get there. Is there a closer Teleportation Array?"

"Not every city has a Mage powerful enough to cast Tier Five Magic, Colin," Albert said with a yawn. "Let alone one willing to expend a precious Tier Five spell to create a Teleportation Array."

"Just asking," Colin said, then looked at Mog. "What do you plan to do next, Mog?"

"Eat good food, get good sleep, look for herbs, stay away from danger, and don't die," Mog said, counting on his fingers.

"That's the spirit," Colin said with a smile. "Alright, we're heading out then."

Albert sighed and murmured, "I'm already starting to miss our life of adventure."

'Is he serious? He's got Wyvern-induced PTSD!' Colin bit back the words and said instead, "Well, goodbye then, Albert."

"Goodbye, Colin," Albert said with a smile.

"Wait!" Kase, who was standing nearby, shouted.

Albert's head snapped up. "What is it? Monsters?!"

"Big Hoof Treasure! We forgot Big Hoof Treasure!" Kase said hurriedly.

Colin froze for a second. "Oh, right. We forgot Big Hoof Treasure."

Muttering amongst themselves, the group hurried toward the slope where they had left Big Hoof Treasure.

When they arrived, they saw the tall Hoar Horse still tied to the slope, its coat dusted with snowflakes.

The poor horse was shivering, unable to shelter from the wind, and had eaten all the fodder within its reach.

When Big Hoof Treasure saw them approaching, it snorted indignantly, flecks of spittle flying from its lips.

Not caring about the mess, Kase untied Big Hoof Treasure and let it graze while Colin and the others went back to Wolf Castle to get more fodder to stuff in the Dimension Bag.

Once Big Hoof Treasure had recovered, the group finally set off, heading west.

Within the first two days of their journey, Colin and the others were already missing Albert.

To be precise, they missed his infinite coffee pot and his spice pouch. Stews and roasted meats made in the wild were completely different things with and without spices.

Furthermore, the journey back was proving more difficult than their trip out.

Dark clouds chased the party, and a howling north wind swept snowflakes across the ground. A sense of cold and despair quickly settled over the land.

The people of the Northern Lands were clearly not prepared for this.

Along their route, people who had been celebrating the autumn harvest were now on edge.

Men and women, young and old, began to work tirelessly. Laughter vanished from the villages and fields.

They scrambled to bring in their crops, chop firewood, and make charcoal in preparation for the long winter ahead.

Vast fields of turnips and radishes froze in the cold wind, while birds and wild animals vanished overnight. Fortunately, the villagers had already harvested their rye and other grains, so the situation wasn't entirely disastrous.

In this atmosphere, four weeks passed in the blink of an eye.