A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

If we are away for an extended period, Snowwind Fortress could easily fall.

Dorothea did not want to see her people become livestock kept by the Silver Race; humans should not become such beings.

She knew very well that most people did not have strong willpower, and once they gave in, there was no hope.

Even if you believe you have a strong will, you can still be incredibly vulnerable at certain times.

Only a very small number of people can be called "iron-willed".

Bray did not force Dorothea to go with him to find the "Alliance of the Gods".

While it would be better to have Dorothea's help, it wouldn't matter if she didn't.

After all, Bray had never included the help from others in this journey from the very beginning.

Even if no one helps him, he will still keep going.

Perhaps without anyone's help, I'll die halfway through—

Maybe...

Snowflakes were swirling in Snowwind Fortress just like in the wild, but there was no biting cold wind here.

In this cool weather, as long as you wear appropriate clothing, you won't feel uncomfortable.

There were still quite a few children on the street who had time to play with snowballs, and the expressions of the other adults were not so stiff.

In the areas accessible to Dorothea, people had not yet reached the worst places.

At least Bray saw these people as people trying to make a living, rather than being kept in captivity.

It's not that those people living in captivity don't work hard, but how should I put it...

It's very subtle.

As Bray thought this, he took a breath of cold air.

He planned to stay in Snowwind Castle for two days, but not because he was too tired.

Bray planned to embark on his journey to find the "Unity of the Gods" only after his right hand had fully recovered.

To be frank, he believes that he is unlikely to beat certain silver-level players if he plays with one hand.

"Cannot win" means there is no chance of winning at all.

For example, Bray doesn't think he's strong enough to give Umkandal a hand's advantage.

It's more accurate to say that Umkandal made it more likely that he would use both hands.

However, with his medication taken on time every day, Bray's right arm is almost fully recovered and ready to fight again.

This was also thanks to Bray following the doctor's orders every day, and the priest's medicine being effective enough.

Seriously, Bray was very curious about what the priest used to prepare the potion. Could it be those dried-out Silver-type corpses?

If that were the case, Bray suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Sir, this is for you." As Bray was considering his next move, a small elf child walked up to him.

The little girl held a bunch of yellow flowers in her hand and looked at Bray with a smile.

"For me?" Bray first pointed to himself, then looked around to see if anyone else was there.

He instinctively felt that the yellow flowers were meant for someone else, since he had only been in Snowwind Fort for a short time and no one should be giving him flowers.

“Yes, it’s for you, sir.” The little girl nodded emphatically, indicating that it was for Bray.

"Why did you give me flowers?" Bray asked, but he still accepted the little girl's yellow flowers first, knowing very well that the girl would be disappointed if he didn't accept them.

Don't ask why, Bray has experience.

Of course, there are also those who exploit this to have children deliver drugs or bombs to others.

The bunch of yellow flowers in front of Bray didn't look so dangerous.

"The flowerbeds at Snowwind Keep have recently blossomed successfully, and the older sisters plan to give the yellow flowers to other people." The little girl gestured frantically, trying to convey her meaning to Bray.

“Don’t be nervous, I understand Common Tongue.” Bray’s lips twitched. Did he look like someone who couldn’t understand others?

However, Bray still didn't realize how impactful his appearance was for children.

It took a lot of courage for this girl to step forward and talk to her.

"But I just arrived at Snowwind Fortress, wouldn't it be more appropriate to give it to someone else?"

"It's fine to give it to the gentleman." The little girl nervously clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her lower abdomen.

If her feet were to spin in circles, she probably would have been too nervous to speak.

"Sir, you must be His Majesty's friend. This is fine with you."

Upon hearing this, Bray understood why he had suddenly received flowers.

It turns out that the girl felt she had a good relationship with Her Majesty the Queen, so she took the initiative to send flowers.

"Your Majesty works very hard every day."

"I don't understand people outside at all. His Majesty has done nothing wrong, so why are they blaming him?" the girl muttered.

Why would people outside complain when His Majesty is clearly protecting everyone and driving away those monsters?

Moreover, many people not only do not believe His Majesty, but also turn to believe the monsters that destroyed their homes just a few years ago.

Have everyone gone stupid? The girl couldn't find any other explanation besides this.

"Sir, you are His Majesty's friend, so you must be having a very hard time."

"It's tough..." Bray tilted his head slightly, seriously considering the problem.

"It must have been quite tough." Surviving in the wild every day and then having to fight against ridiculously strong guys, it certainly must have been tough.

"Then this is perfect for you." After saying that, the girl quickly ran away.

It's remarkable that she can say so much; even many adults wouldn't dare to talk to Bray.

Bray held the bunch of yellow flowers in his hand, tilted his head, and put them into his pouch.

I never imagined that flowers could be grown in such a freezing place, without even a greenhouse.

And the people here often have the leisure to grow flowers, which is truly remarkable.

Neglecting one's duties? No, Bray wouldn't think so; on the contrary, he thinks it's better to have time to grow flowers.

This at least proves that the people here are "living" rather than "surviving," and there is a big difference between the two.

"I'll give it to Levy or Nia when I have the chance." Bray had already decided what to do with the bouquet.

I'll just give them to my own children.

I haven't had a chance to buy anything along the way, so I'll just consider these flowers a souvenir from the Northern Continent.

This is indeed a specialty of the Northern Continent, isn't it?

He put on the coat he had obtained in Snowwind Fortress and tightly tied the waist bag to his body.

Finally, check the weapons for any defects or flaws.

After doing all this, Bray planned to leave Snowwind Keep.

Dorothea did not come out to see Bray off, nor did anyone else come to bid him farewell.

However, Bray himself didn't care; he wasn't the kind of guy who would get lonely if no one gave him a ride.

He moved his right hand, which hadn't been used to vigorous exercise in a long time.

He is now certain that his right hand has recovered.

If Bray hadn't taken enough medicine with him before leaving, his journey to the Northern Continent might have been completed in a crippled state.

Even though Bray had brought more than one box of medicine back then, it was still not enough. He didn't know how far the remaining medicine would last him.

However, after leaving Snowwind Keep, Bray will face a very serious problem: how to find the "Alliance of the Gods".

He could ask the natives of the Northern Continent about other places, but who should he ask about the headquarters of the "United Gods"?

Are you suggesting we capture a Silver-ranked individual and interrogate them?

Putting aside the fact that capturing silver seeds is a difficult operation, Bray himself is not good at interrogating people.

He's having a real headache right now, and not knowing how to even begin is the most frustrating part.

However, no matter how troubled he is now, it won't help things move forward in any way.

They could only continue to travel and stop on the northern continent as before.

When the time is right, you'll probably find it.

To be honest, he felt it was a bit unreliable to leave everything to luck, but that was the only way he could do it.

Surely a guide won't suddenly appear and tell you how to find the "Alliance of the Gods."

"My face is so cold." After leaving the protection of Snowwind Fortress, a biting cold wind hit me in the face.

It's completely different from inside Snowwind Castle; the cold wind outside can sting you.

For an ordinary person, their face would go numb after standing in the wind for a while.

Bray is in relatively good health and can move normally in the cold wind.

If it were Nia, her face would probably have turned blue and she would be trembling uncontrollably.

You're asking about Levy? Levy is even more resistant to the cold than Bray, so comparing them is pointless.

He breathed out a breath of white air, stepped onto the snow, and left footprints of uniform depth.

Bray's idea was simple: first, go straight ahead, and then figure things out when you get to the end.

The various people you encounter along the way may all provide clues to finding the "Unity of the Gods".

It would be even better if you came across a silver-grade one that wasn't too strong; you could try asking around.

Not being good at pressing questions doesn't mean you can't try.

With this thought in mind, Bray wandered through the woods.

Most of the trees in the forest were bare, covered only by a thick layer of snow.

As they moved forward, the trees around them became increasingly sparse, and eventually, all they saw were piles of snow-covered rocks on the sides.

The road bypassed the towering rocks and rushed all the way to an open space.

A rabbit hopped in front of the mine, glancing around every now and then to see if there was any danger.

However, it failed to detect such a significant threat as Bray.

Its ears were perked up high, listening carefully to the sounds around it.

Finally, it heard a "rustling" sound, and then turned its head to see the wreckage right in front of it.

"Waaah!" So it started to run away in a panic.

"I'm not hungry right now," Bray muttered to himself, indicating that he had no immediate plans to roast the rabbit.

However, this monster seems to be a Miqiu Rabbit... These things are really resilient; they can even survive in the wild in this world.

No matter how you look at it, they have no fighting ability whatsoever.

Bray knows a lot about Miqiu Rabbits; each Miqiu Rabbit on every continent is a little different.

Although Kapras is mainly composed of four continents, there are actually many smaller landmasses, but Bray simply rarely goes to those places.

"Eek!" Just as Bray was marveling at the Miqiu Rabbit's formidable survivability, a strange sound suddenly rang out from not far away.

That sounded like a rabbit's scream. So who could have harmed the adorable Miqiu Rabbit?

Bray got hungry just listening to that.

So he walked a little further and soon noticed a faint firelight shining on a smooth rock surface ahead.

Bray looked up at the still-lit sky, then gazed at the firelight ahead with a puzzled expression.

Who would start a fire in the wild in broad daylight? Is it for roasting meat?

However, doing this kind of thing is very dangerous, and Bray felt it was necessary to make it clear to the other party that wilderness survival cannot be done so casually.

But once Bray got closer and saw clearly who was by the campfire, he lost that interest.

He even had the urge to turn around and leave on the spot.