Chapter 1298 — Winter Has Come

Belantia's eyes flew wide in an instant. She instinctively looked toward Luo Yan Augustus, only to see on the face of this stern, ever-straight-faced middle-aged human an expression of shock nearly matching her own. Only after a good dozen seconds did she hear Luo Yan speak: "I have lost count of how many times you have shocked me, my Emperor Gao Yang—just how many secrets are you still hiding?"

"A great many indeed, Augustus—who doesn't have secrets?" Gao Yang said, spreading his hands. "But the secrets we carry ought in the end to serve the safety of this world and the survival of all mortals—just as now, we face this world's greatest problem of security."

Belantia gazed quietly at Gao Yang in the holographic projection. Then she slightly adjusted her posture, leaning her upper body forward: "I agree with that."

……

Winter had come. A bitter cold wind ruled the towering mountains and steep ridges of the Northern Realm. As the snow zones of several principal peaks spread, the city at the foot of Winterhold's walls gradually merged into this world of ice and snow. Amid wind and snow, the land the Wilde family had sheltered for centuries was wrapped in pure white—and this was the very scenery most familiar to Victoria, who had been born and raised in Winterhold.

She stood on the highest terrace of Winterhold, letting the cold wind howl past her. Snow was blown from the high towers and swirled thickly beyond the terrace. She turned to look at the old man standing beside her, and a rare smile appeared on her face: "These mountains, and the broad plains and valleys beyond them—this is the land the Wilde family has sheltered for generations. Of course, with the founding of the Cecil Empire and the implementation of the new order, the old system of landed nobility has crumbled across this land. The mountains of the Northern Realm now belong to all the people who live upon this land, and it is governed by the civil administration authorized by the Empire. As one of the Empire's three Consuls, I have already returned ownership of all the northern lands save Winterhold."

Mojin Wilde walked to the edge of the terrace and carefully craned his head to look down. He saw the city built to follow the mountain's contours stretching across his view, cooking smoke rising from within it, and a giant shield, glimmering with faint light, covering every place where people dwelt. He knew he must have seen this scenery before, but search his memory as he might, he could not find a single trace of it.

So in the end he could only shake his head, abandon the pointless recollection, and ask with some curiosity: "But it seems you are still in charge of managing part of this area?"

"That is part of my work as Grand Consul. Each Grand Consul is responsible for a 'directly administered province' that serves as a center of imperial industry and military affairs," Victoria explained. "My power to issue orders in the Central Northern Province derives from the Empire's authorization, not from any inherent right I hold over these lands—in fact, the next Grand Consul of the North may not even bear the surname 'Wilde.' And what my heir can inherit from me, apart from the title, is nothing more than family property such as Xuanyue Castle beneath your feet."

Mojin had never come into contact with matters at this level, at least not in his memory. Hearing Victoria's explanation now, he was both curious and astonished, and after a moment's thought he said with great seriousness: "And your heir has no objections to such things?"

"We have had a frank and thorough conversation, and he has no objections," Victoria said, also quite seriously. "In fact, Fendir is an outstanding young man. He has the keen mind and adaptability characteristic of youth, he understands very well the necessity of the new order, and he is glad to embrace His Majesty's new policies—you probably do not know this yet, do you? Long ago he entered the Imperial Academy for advanced study and graduated with excellent marks from the cadet branch. Now he has volunteered to go to the wasteland frontier in the south, preparing to take his first step there as a soldier."

As this duchess, who always wore a cold face before outsiders, spoke, a faint smile unexpectedly came to her face: "I believe he will earn his own place in the Empire through his own abilities, rather than inheriting anything from me beyond a title and a castle... That, too, is the path he has chosen for himself."

Here she paused, and only after a few seconds did she slowly continue, as if in thought: "It is not easy to make those remnant nobles who survived the upheaval accept such changes. Even if they have decided to stand on 'the right side,' when certain things truly fall upon their heads, for some it is worse than death. But if a family like the Wilde stands forward first and supports His Majesty's decisions with real action, then matters become much simpler. At the very least... the number of people we have to hang from flagpoles can be greatly reduced."

"...That is good," Mojin said after thinking for a moment. "I mean, this current order is good—in Northport, I encountered the local civil administration and its procedures, and I have dealt with nobles of various places before. The contrast between the two is obvious. Certain stale things truly do need to be replaced by new ones. There is nothing wrong with that."

Hearing this, Victoria looked quietly at her ancestor for a while before speaking in a somewhat strange tone: "Actually, I was worried just now that you might be angry—when I mentioned those 'new orders,' the lands and powers I gave up, the changes in the Wilde family today... I thought you would resent the family's 'decline' at my hands."

Mojin was taken aback, and a complicated expression surfaced on his face. He turned to look at the distant mountains and the cooking smoke rising from the cities among them, and only after a long silence did he respond: "I know what you mean, but... I feel nothing. This enormous castle, these mountains and snow, and those 'antiques' you showed me—you say many of the things in there were even objects I used in my day? And still I have no impression. I have only remembered my name, and the origin of this surname, but my connection to this land... seems to have been entirely severed and set in 'another place.' I am sorry, Victoria. This answer of mine must only disappoint you."

"No, do not say that," Victoria said at once. "I meant nothing by it. I only hoped you might be a little happier here. If you truly cannot recall any impression of this place, then you may perfectly well regard it as a comfortable place to stay—every door here is still open to you, even if you do not remember them."

"I am glad to hear you say so," Mojin said with a smile. "In fact, I have been quite happy living here, Victoria. The wilds have no rooms as fine as these—and though I still cannot recall the days when I once lived here, I have still found things I like in this place. Take that soup at dinner yesterday, which you said was a traditional Northern delicacy—what was it called..."

"Mossak hodgepodge soup."

"Oh, right, that hodgepodge soup. I like that flavor."

"Very well. I will instruct the kitchen to make it again for dinner tonight."

"Good," Mojin said with a smile. "I think I can start with that hodgepodge soup, and little by little come to regard this place as a 'home.'"

(End of this chapter)