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It was a new day.
The sky had brightened, exceptionally so.
In this vast expanse of white, even a faint light would appear very bright due to the snow's reflection.
The fireplace in the room was still crackling, but it was clearly not burning strong enough.
Yulian woke up very early, or rather, ever since he arrived in the Northern Lands, Yulian had never overslept.
"Clang ~"
"Clang ~"
Yulian carefully crept out from under the covers and went to the fireplace to gently add firewood.
Inside the room, the other four people besides Yulian were still fast asleep.
After all, traveling in the heavy snow yesterday had completely exhausted them.
What should I eat?
Yulian rubbed his rumbling stomach and murmured softly.
"How about making some soup?"
Yulian closed his eyes, his mind sinking into his spatial ring as he looked around, finally picking out some fruits and vegetables.
Vegetable soup in winter was a decent breakfast.
"Gurgle Gurgle "
The iron pot, simmering with soup, bubbled as it boiled.
A rich aroma gradually spread throughout the wooden house.
The first to wake up was Fern.
"Mr. Yulian?"
Fern slowly opened her purple eyes and looked towards the fireplace.
"Fern, you're awake."
Yulian's lips curved slightly.
"Hurry and get up, I'll let you try my specialty."
"Is it vegetable soup?"
Fern gently got out of bed and walked over to Yulian.
"But it doesn't smell quite like it?"
Fern looked at the rich broth in the pot, blinking twice.
"You can also call it vegetable broth."
Yulian scratched his head.
Besides vegetables like white radish, carrots, cabbage, and zucchini, Yulian had also stewed the spare ribs he and Kraft had brought back last night.
"I knew it."
Fern smiled slightly, then tilted her head.
"Mr. Yulian, it's been a long time since you cooked."
"Is today a significant day?"
"A significant day, huh..."
Yulian hesitated.
It wasn't any special day, but Yulian felt that the days he spent with them all seemed very significant.
Perhaps he just wanted to cherish this time even more... "What day?"
A muddled male voice sounded.
Stark rubbed his sleepy eyes and climbed out of the bed laid on the floor, looking at the two.
"Why am I here?"
"What happened?"
Stark blinked in confusion, looking at Yulian and Fern, then at Kraft lying beside him.
"What's going on?!"
After three seconds of silence, Stark shouted!
"Why am I sleeping with this stranger?!"
"Me?"
"Stranger?"
Kraft also woke up, pointing at himself in disbelief.
"You were holding me so tightly last night, and I didn't even complain!"
"Oh, Mr. Stark is making such a fuss."
Fern had initially thought something serious had happened and had braced herself with full attention.
Seeing the situation, she immediately complained.
"So noisy."
Frieren was also woken up, but quickly turned over.
Her even breathing resumed.
"Mistress Frieren!"
"Since you're awake, you should get up!"
Fern puffed out her cheeks, stood up, and walked towards Frieren.
Yulian smiled helplessly, simultaneously stirring the soup in the pot and explaining to Stark.
A moment later, by the wooden table in the cabin, Stark and Frieren finally understood the situation.
"So yesterday Mistress Frieren and I passed out, and you followed the path Frieren pointed out and found this place..."
"Then, Kra..."
"Kraft."
Kraft took a sip of the soup in his bowl and said indifferently.
"Right, and then you just happened to meet Mr. Kraft here, and you all stayed together?"
Stark counted on his fingers as he spoke.
Yulian nodded gently.
"I really didn't expect you to actually find this place."
Frieren drank the soup in her bowl, murmuring.
"What do you mean 'didn't expect'? Didn't you point the way?"
Yulian was stunned; he had personally seen Frieren point in this direction.
"I passed out before I could point out the way yesterday..."
"So it should have been quite a distance off course."
Frieren handed her bowl to Fern, and after receiving another full bowl of vegetable broth.
Frieren drank it all in one gulp, a contented smile on her face.
= ω =
"So you really pointed the wrong way!"
Yulian ruffled his hair, looking incredulous.
"I knew it! How could you have come to this cabin from the Cader region from that direction?"
"So that's how it is."
Kraft stroked his chin, looking as if a mystery had been solved.
"Then why were we still able to find this place?"
Fern was as shocked as Yulian.
Isn't this like the problem was wrong, the process was wrong, but the answer was right?!
"It seems we really got lost again yesterday..."
Yulian thought for a moment and seemed to realize the truth.
"Oh, come on..."
Fern helplessly covered her forehead with her hand.
She recalled the words Yulian had said.
Things like "The reason companions are companions is because you have to trust unconditionally"... and "After all, we are companions"...
"Haha..."
Kraft chuckled heartily at their expressions.
"As long as the outcome is good, isn't that enough?"
"Now it looks like we need to gather some firewood before the heavy snow starts again."
Kraft glanced outside the house.
The snow outside had stopped in the morning.
"Gather some firewood, huh..."
Yulian nodded thoughtfully.
In this extremely cold winter, it would indeed be difficult to get by without firewood.
"Then let's get ready to go."
Fern stood up and said with a smile.
Gathering firewood naturally meant looking for trees.
But the trees used for firewood couldn't just be any trees.
Starting from the wooden house, they walked up the mountain.
After hesitating for a while beside the occasional trees they saw along the way, everyone finally spotted a patch of woods.
"Fern and Frieren, go collect the branches that have fallen on the ground..."
"The rest of us will cut down trees."
Kraft looked at the tall trees beside him, rubbing his palms eagerly.
Frieren and Fern nodded gently and walked into the woods.
"Cut down trees?"
Stark looked at the large tree in front of him, tilting his head slightly.
"Um, should we perhaps choose a different tree?"
Stark pointed to a tree hollow on the tree.
A blue squirrel stood there, currently holding a pinecone and tilting its head as it watched the three people below.
"That seems to be its home."
"A squirrel, huh?"
Kraft stroked his chin and exchanged a smile with Yulian.
"Perfect for an extra meal!"
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