Gun of Ashes

The sky was a cold ice blue, cloudless, and to the naked eye, it extended to the icy blue horizon, where a glow tinged with green spread across the skies, blanketing this frigid realm.

The crew aboard the Morning Glow Advance had donned thick, warm clothing, never expecting the temperature to drop so swiftly upon entering the Viking seas. A thin layer of frost formed on the railing at the deck’s edge, clinging to the metal like wild-growing vines, freezing it in place.

The dull thud of impact was constant, as the sea was dotted with numerous ice floes, each pushed aside by the Morning Glow Advance, carving a new path.

”Finally... we’re here.”

In the command room, Lorenzo exhaled a cloud of white breath, tears welling in his eyes as he gazed at the distant, hazy shadows.

After drifting at sea for over a month, he’d finally spotted land just ahead. With the vision of a Demon Hunter, Lorenzo could even make out the rising smoke and the structures reaching skyward.

”How does it feel to return to human society?”

Bola’s spirits lifted slightly at this moment, his face marked with irrepressible excitement.

”Fantastic! Speed up! Tell Notar to speed up! Hurry!”

Lorenzo shouted excitedly.

It was more than mere joy he felt now. Lorenzo could see the floating boats, all evidence of human existence, proving that humans were, after all, social creatures, and the isolation from others was unpleasant.

Standing at the helm, Notar ignored Lorenzo’s raving. Initially, Notar felt a hint of fear toward Lorenzo, but over time, that fear was diluted by Lorenzo’s eccentricity, allowing Notar to regard Lorenzo with a relatively equal approach.

”According to the Nautical Chart, that should be our primary destination this time.”

Selyu stood beside Lorenzo, glanced at the chart on the table, and traced the route with her finger, stopping at a red dot.

”The capital of the Viking lands, Willerte. We will stop here for a while, have a good rest, then head to Ice Bay to discuss with the Lord.”

Blue Jade said, like a considerate steward she managed everything perfectly.

”Willerte... I’m quite curious what a Viking city would be like.”

Lorenzo gazed into the distance and spoke slowly.

”Compared to Old Dunling, Willerte seems much more backward. The city still uses kerosene for lighting, far behind Maruri of Gaulunaro, which at least has gas pipelines.”

Blue Jade explained appropriately.

”Coupled with the civil war just ending not long ago, the Viking lands are in a state where everything is waiting to flourish... yet before they had time to develop, war is looming again.”

”This counts as their war for rise. As long as they successfully seize land, the Viking lands can complete their external colonization, sending the surplus population out.”

Having drifted at sea for long, Notar somewhat understood these matters.

”Compared to war, each year many Vikings die of cold and hunger. It’s an icebound, barren land. Sometimes the slaughter is to consume the internal population, allowing more people food and fuel to survive.”

Others turned to Notar, their gaze made him feel unexpectedly watched.

”Tell us.” Lorenzo signaled him to continue.

”Oh... oh.”

Notar paused for a moment, momentarily discomforted by so many eyes.

He could sense this wasn’t out of sheer curiosity. As such a serious operation, they must have researched the Viking lands beforehand, and Notar guessed perhaps his words caused some association.

”This was what I learned interacting with some Vikings. Outsiders deem them just a group of war-crazed lunatics, yet most are forced into aggression. The frozen lands grow no crops, and few wild grasses can withstand the cold winds for pasturing. To let more people survive, the men would sail to plunder, gradually becoming lords and then fighting each other.”

Notar spoke, feeling a pang of desolation.

”The Viking lands only have a few months of warmth each year. The rest are just bitter winds, which I think you all understand as well.”

The portholes already bore thin ice. It was hard to imagine what scenes would unfold deeper into the World’s End.

”We’ve heard such things,” Lorenzo said, reminding him of a friend, ”He talked to us about the reasons for war, quite similar to what you said. Internal wars couldn’t solve problems, so they ultimately chose to wage war outside, plundering warm lands.”

”We might even meet him in Willerte.”

Bola added, recalling who the Viking friend Lorenzo had mentioned was, even though their meeting was brief, he still remembered that Viking.

”What fascinates me most is the explanation of faith.”

Lorenzo pondered, recalling what Hebdo told him later.

On the way back to Ingwig, things got a bit dull, so Hebdo spoke of the late Ivar and Ivar’s understanding of the God Odin faith.

A lie, Odin was a lie.

”It is precisely this harsh environment that forces people into plunder, quickening the consumption of people to save more provisions so the young can survive... Death is a cruel matter, and no one wishes to face it unless someone can beautify it, turning death from darkness to a realm of light and glory.”