Card Apprentice Daily Log

Chapter 3042: Aftermath

Date: Unspecified

Time: Unspecified

Location: Myriad Realms, Lil’ Red Storm Realm, Freedom City

“Wyatt, these Froslings are completely incompatible with my Two Sun Realm System,” Dalie complained.

To accommodate the newcomers, she had been forced to modify the Array Formation governing the Freedom Megalopolis, transforming the surrounding climate into perpetual midwinter.

Not only did that completely disrupt her original plans for the city, but even this artificially frigid environment was still uncomfortably warm for the Froslings.

Meanwhile, the Card Apprentices of the Freedom Fighters found themselves on the opposite end of the spectrum. They shivered constantly and rarely stepped outside unless absolutely necessary.

Even so, they enthusiastically gathered to help the newcomers settle into their new homes. The moment they saw the Froslings, however, many of them froze in astonishment. Their breathtaking beauty quickly became the center of attention. Men and women alike, young and old, couldn’t help but admire them, openly fawning over their ethereal appearance.

Ordinarily, the Froslings would have paid little attention to such reactions. They had long grown accustomed to people being captivated by their looks and had become almost immune to the attention. This time, however, was different. These were beings that belonged to the same race as their savior, Card Apprentices a.k.a Humans.

Because of that alone, the Froslings treated every member of the Freedom Fighters with the utmost courtesy and respect, regarding them with the same reverence they held for the one who had rescued them.

“Well, you’ll have to find a way to accommodate them within your realm because they’ll be staying here for quite some time,” I said, recalling the Snow Elven Crown Prince’s failures in the Winter Valley. “Whatever you do, don’t segregate the Froslings and the Card Apprentices into separate districts. Mix them together as much as possible. Encourage them to interact every day.”

I paused before adding, “There’ll inevitably be friction because of their different cultures and customs, but I want the two races to genuinely coexist. And if they end up falling in love and having children, even better.”

Dalie’s eyes widened ever so slightly. She had, in fact, been planning to divide Freedom Megalopolis into separate climate zones: a permanently frozen district for the Froslings and a temperate one for the Card Apprentices. Realizing I had seen through her intentions, she quickly composed herself and shifted the conversation elsewhere. Her gaze landed on the nearly one thousand Half-Bloods.

“What about them?” she asked. “Individually, none of them can threaten me, but together they’re a formidable force. If they decide to cause trouble, I can suppress them eventually, but ending the disturbance quickly won’t be easy.”

“I’ll handle them,” I said to Dalie. “You just focus on creating an Array Formation that can accommodate both races without creating a divide between them.”

Leaving the matter to her, I flew toward the Half-Bloods, who were currently being treated by Sansa. She was using her Innate Calamity to undo the lingering effects of the Heathen Stone Prison while simultaneously delving into their minds to better understand the trauma they had endured before I released them into the city.

Years of imprisonment had left scars far deeper than the physical. Then, their minds had been subjected to relentless torment inside the Heathen Stone Prison. Had it not been for their Semi-Ruler-class physiques and extraordinary bloodlines, they would have long since become irreversibly brain-dead. Even with Sansa’s abilities, healing such deeply rooted trauma wouldn’t happen overnight.

While I examined the condition of the Half-Bloods and the experimental subjects the Crown Prince had used in his breeding program, Moon Fright arrived alongside the Frosling leadership to greet me and deliver their report.

Fortunately, everything had gone more smoothly than expected. Aside from the inevitable culture shock caused by encountering the Card Apprentice civilization, the Froslings were adapting remarkably well to their new home.

Much of that was thanks to the Freedom Fighters’ leadership, who had patiently introduced them to the customs, laws, and day-to-day life of Freedom Megalopolis and the Lil’ Red Storm Realm.

For people who had spent their entire lives in captivity, simply being able to walk freely through a city without chains or fear was already a world they had never dared to imagine.

The Froslings adapted surprisingly quickly, though not without a few surprises.

They weren’t accustomed to apartment complexes that towered higher than mountains, let alone a city built in layers. Freedom Megalopolis stretched across three sprawling tiers above ground, with a couple more hidden beneath the surface. To many Froslings, it felt less like a city and more like an artificial world.

They also found themselves missing the snow and Snow Spirits. Even though the Snow Spirits had served as the Snow Elves’ eyes and ears, the Froslings couldn’t bring themselves to hate them. They regarded them as fellow victims, beings bound by circumstances beyond their control. If anything, they sympathized with them.

One aspect of Freedom City they embraced wholeheartedly was its communal dining.

Due to their former leader’s financial incompetence the Freedom Fighters had developed a habit of gathering regularly to share meals together, and that tradition resonated deeply with the Froslings. Their own tribes had practiced similar communal feasts during festivals and important celebrations.

Learning that such gatherings were not only part of everyday life here filled many of them with genuine joy. To them, it was as though every day had become a festival. All things considered, the Froslings settled into their new home without a hitch.

The real challenge lay elsewhere. It was the Half-Bloods and the other victims of the Crown Prince’s experiments, especially the Snow Elves among them. Unlike the Froslings victims, they didn’t have a place to return to.

For now, aside from Moon Fright and the Frosling leadership, the rest of the Froslings had no idea what the Half-Bloods and the experimental victims had endured beneath the Snow Capital. I didn’t plan on letting them know anytime soon. At least not until I have discussed the things with the Half Bloods and the other victims.

Leaving them in Sansa and Ceed’s care, I and Karl return to the Card World to prepare for the upcoming death match with Konjur’s master by the Shrouded Hills.