NOVPUBThe snow at night was tranquil and vast, perhaps an untouched corner of this world.
The antlers of the Snowfield Mystical Deer, proud and beautiful, looked like sparkling ice sculptures cutting through the velvet-like curtain of snow.
The deer-drawn sleigh gradually slowed down and came to a stop, waiting for Lanci and Sigrid to switch places, settling into each other’s original seats.
The moment Lanci took hold of the reins, a sense of security returned to him.
During the Northern Continent’s winter months in the Protoss Empire, it was he who had to take charge of the direction to avoid losing their way.
"Right, fancy a couple of swigs?"
Just after sitting down in the back, Sigrid reached into the storage box and pulled out a Leather Wine Bag, unscrewing it with one hand and passing it forward.
Lanci’s eyes widened.
"Didn’t I tell you over ten years ago that you shouldn’t touch alcohol while driving? Not a drop, ever. Safe travel starts with the heart, and refusing to drink and drive is putting it into action," he leaned back a bit and addressed Sigrid, who was now in the rear.
"I didn’t drink any alcohol."
Sigrid replied with stoic calm.
"..."
"I mean, you can’t let me drink either."
Lanci was momentarily lost for words, feeling like Sigrid’s logic had ground him into the earth.
"But this is the vast Snowfield, which by definition is a ’no-man’s land.’ In these harsh natural conditions, it’s essential to have a bit of alcohol to warm up. Besides, according to the rules of the Holy Polante Theocracy, this isn’t a magic energy-powered vehicle, so it’s actually not restricted. Plus, even if you drive normally, there’s no need to swerve for Snowfield magical beasts. There have been many accidents caused by trying to avoid magical beasts, so the Holy Polante Theocracy simply removed the protection of the country’s animals from the traffic rules."
Sigrid earnestly explained.
"No, I’m not drinking."
The last time they brought up this topic, he had easily persuaded Sigrid when she was just a child.
This time, he found himself speechless in front of her.
Now that this kid was grown up, she had become somewhat more difficult to handle.
It was not that he dared not drink; it was that alcohol abuse was harmful, a realization he had come to since their departure from the domain of Nanwantina.
"I’ll just drink by myself then."
Sigrid stood up, leaning on the front seat to glance at Lanci, reading the look in his eyes.
It seemed he could smell the scent of the alcohol from the bag through the air; if this continued, he would feel dizzy.
In the end, she sat back down, took a couple of sips, closed the lid of the wine bag, and returned it to the storage box.
"If you feel like having a drink, just let me know. You can focus on the road; it’s okay, I can feed you."
Sigrid, propped up on the front seat, spoke to Lanci with a smile.
"No need, no need."
Even through the air, Lanci could smell the sweet and sour scent of alcohol on Sigrid’s breath.
Lorge had already paid with his life to teach him that he must abstain from alcohol for life.
"Secure your seat, we’re off."
In the brief moment before urging the Snowfield Mystical Deer to set off again, Lanci cast a quick glance at the Shadow World information.
[Task Target 1: Read the letter from old friend Calila; head to Purgatory City Pasqual. (Incomplete)]
[Task Target 2: Understand the mood of Black Sun Lankros: 0.13%. (Incomplete)]
For a long stretch ahead, he would need to focus his attention on the road conditions, with no spare capacity for the messages from Shadow World.
Since leaving the Papal Hall and the Throne Hall, there had been a shift in the content of the mission targets.
Neither encountering Sigrid nor anything else along the way had caused any more fluctuations since then.
To this point, Lanci still couldn’t completely discern the connections between the tasks of this Shadow World mission.
He only had rough guesses.
If the progress of one mission target affected the other, then naturally, by following this journey, the missions would eventually be completed.
With a light flick of the reins, the Snowfield Mystical Deer sprang into action.
Their nimble forms dashed through the snow, their hooves kicking up flurries of snowflakes.
The sled glided over the soft snow, producing a soft hissing sound.
Lanci expertly maneuvered the direction of the sled, which gradually receded into the distance, leaving two long trails on the snowfield.
In the back of the sled.
The brief change of speed woke Talia, who furrowed her brow and squinted around her.
She had accidentally slept for so long that it had become dark.
Indeed, after consuming carbohydrates, it was so easy to feel sleepy, and Lanci had bought her one of every type of burger from the Holy Polante border, telling her in his heart that she might never get the chance to eat them again, that this was Shadow World’s last re-sale opportunity.
While she felt he was a bit awful for this, she was so good to have eaten all the Holy Polante border-style burgers anyway.
After waking up and having a look around.
No dangers.
It was just a brief stop, and then Sigrid had taken the seat beside her.
"Yawn."
Talia yawned, pulling up the blanket and sharing half with Sigrid.
If she could lie still like a doll, that was the lowest state of energy consumption, hardly using any of Lanci’s mana.
On the contrary, any movement from her would start to use Lanci’s mana.
"Thank you."
Sigrid would not refuse the kindness of Calila, sitting much closer to her, wrapped in a blanket.
She was curious about the sight of Calila, who had been slumped over the entire trip.
In her eyes, Calila seemed like the beauty of a dream, hard to remember her face, but with a heart-felt clarity that Calila must be the most captivating appearance.
Now, staring intently, Siegler felt more and more that Calila resembled the mother she had imagined in her childhood.
