Chapter 4

He woke up a few hours later.

Seeing the weather, Isaac assumed it was early morning. The snow looked thick, so they might have to do some preparation before venturing onwards.

"Will the snow slow us down?" Isaac asked.

"Maybe, it depends on how well Elisa's spell works," Hillut said. "But the snow is the least of our concern with Icirin roaming around."

He wanted to ask what kind of spell Hillut was talking about, but hearing Icirin's name made him shudder.

After a few hours, the others were now awake. Hillut filled them in on their current situation and how they proceed forward from here.

"We have to be extra careful," Hillut said. "Icirin is not a fight we want to take."

Darius agreed. "We'll be over Whitewash Peaks today if we're lucky."

The thought of being down from the mountain gave him some sense of relief. "Let's move," Elisa said. She chanted a spell on them and Isaac's body felt lighter.

"What did you do?" Isaac asked.

"It's a simple spell to make your body lighter," Elisa said. "It's normally used to walk on water, but the same principle applies with snow."

"Huh. Never knew a spell like that could exist." Isaac said.

Elisa shrugged. "It's normally for fishermen so they could go to shallow waters without needing a boat. It's also so that we don't leave footprints."

Isaac stepped onto the snow. He expected his foot to sink right through, but it didn't. It felt weird. Isaac felt like he was stepping on a cloud

"But don't put too much force. If you do, you're gonna–"

Too late. Isaac tried jumping and as soon as he landed, his feet broke through the surface of the snow and he sank knee-deep into it.

Scarlet laughed while Elisa sighed. "There's a limit to how much force it could hold. Take light steps like you're sneaking."

Isaac smiled apologetically as Elisa cast the spell on him once again. This time, he gently walked on the snow and didn't sink, fortunately.

With that, they continued their journey. The dark sky shows that it’s early dawn. The horizon glowed with a blue and yellow hue, meaning sunrise is coming up.

As usual, Darius led the way while Hillut watched their flanks. Ever since seeing Icirin and realizing how frightening she was, Isaac was on edge about everything he heard. Every time he heard any rustling or a twig breaking, his head would instantly snap in the direction of the noise.

He would like to say that he wasn't afraid of Icirin, that he was just being cautious. But the truth is that he was definitely scared shitless of Icirin.

The weather was kind to them today. Light snow, but at least it wasn't a blizzard. The atmosphere was still getting colder the higher they climbed. By this point, Isaac was certain that if he threw a bucket of water into the air it would instantly freeze.

But their adventures were not uneventful. On their way to the summit, they had a few encounters with Snow Goblins and log throwing Yetis, both of which were swiftly dealt by Hillut, Darius, Elisa, and Scarlet who was surprisingly good at using ice magic. Isaac took part in their battles by being a good moral support.

It was a small contribution, but it still helped.

After a few more hours of climbing up the mountain, they reached the summit just in time for sunrise.

Isaac had not traveled a lot by that point so this doesn't mean much, but the view from the top of Whitewash Peaks was the most beautiful scenery Isaac had ever seen in his life.

It was uncanny on how differently the north side and south side of Whitewash Peaks looked. As the sun came up to their right, Isaac could see everything illuminated in bright light.

Behind them was the southern side of Whitewash Peaks, the way they came from. The mountainside was all white and snowy and at the foot of the mountain, the grassy plains started to take over as the scenery turned green.

In front of them was the northern side. The snowy grounds and tall trees stretched all the way to the foot of the hills where it continues for a bit before the trees get lesser and it turns into a mix of snowy plains and icy tundra. A few distances after that, the ocean stretched as far as the eye could see. At the shoreline, was their destination.

The White Kingdom.

From afar, the White Kingdom glistened under the sun. True to its name, it looks completely white, almost heavenly. Ice spires surround half of the kingdom that was on land, acting as a wall. The roof of buildings in the kingdom was ice blue and the largest building, the Palace, was the most unique one of them all.

It was as if the largest ice spire here was carved and built into a palace. It was beautiful, magnificent, and also threatening all at the same time.

"Home sweet home." Scarlet sighed. "I honestly didn't think I would be back here so soon."

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"I left the place and was supposed to get married to the Sovereign Prince and spend a few more months in the Royal Capital before returning," Scarlet said. "Now I have to explain why I've returned with no salvation for them in sight."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for, right?" Isaac said with a smile of reassurance. "I'm here to help."

Scarlet gave an appreciative smile. Elisa seems to share her gratitude as well.

Hillut on the other hand was eager to continue. "Once we get to the foot of the mountain, we'll be safe. The Sovereign Army and mercenaries won't chase us."

"How could you be so sure?" Isaac said as they started their journey to the bottom.

"Have you ever wondered why the White Kingdom is able to stay independent from the Sovereign Army?" Elisa asked.

"Um, because Scarlet told them off?"

Scarlet chuckled. "That's one of them."

Elisa rolled her eyes. "It's because the northern part of Arya is barren."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Isaac asked.

"That is a very important factor." Darius supplied. "Let's just say, the Sovereign Army decides to siege the White Kingdom. So, they send their army. Their first obstacle would be the mountain itself."

"Oh, I see." When Isaac thought of it, it made sense. Whitewash Peaks is by no means an easy route. It was difficult enough with just the five of them and they got very lucky. Imagine if a whole army tries to go through it with the thick snow and the threat of Icirin wandering around. "But can't they just make a path? Dig a hole through the mountain? They did it with a mining village on the east."

"Yes, that could be a solution, but that would take years of work and labor. And that's also assuming that nothing goes wrong." Darius said. "You never know what lies beneath these mountains."

Isaac shuddered at the thought that something was under where they were standing.

"Even if they manage to get over Whitewash Peaks, there's also the matter of it being barren," Darius said. "As you can see, the snowy plains have nothing to offer. No animals, no source of water, no shelter, nothing that could help sustain an army for a very long time. When they come here, they have two options. Go back to where they came from for supplies, to which the closest town would be Tuplin, or go to the White Kingdom."

Isaac ducked under a branch as he stepped forward. "They can just bring supplies along, can't they?"

Darius shook his head. "Food and rations last for about a day or two in these conditions before it's unsafe to eat. Bread lasts longer, but not long enough. They can't grow their own crops and they can't bring their own food." Darius said. "And as you can see, the journey to the White Kingdom isn't a short one."

Realization dawned on Isaac on how hard it would actually be to invade or attack the White Kingdom.

"So this place is basically impenetrable," Isaac said.

"Yes, but it has its drawbacks," Darius said. "Similar to how the Sovereign Army can't get here, the White Kingdom can't get over to invade anything on the other side of Whitewash Peaks."

Scarlet nodded in agreement. "Like you just pointed out, supplies are important and we don't even have that much food to begin with. An army expedition would be difficult and we still have other people to feed."

Isaac was about to brainstorm ideas on what they could do to help with the kingdom's food situation, but his thoughts were interrupted when he heard an ungodly roar coming from behind them.

The roar was loud enough to shake the snow off of trees. They turned around to see Icirin at the top of the mountain, her eyes firmly locked on the group.

There was a brief moment of confusion and awe before those feelings turned into fear and panic.

"Run!" Elisa shouted and the five of them bolted. The Snow Dragon started roaring and chasing after them. Isaac was in full survival mode at this point. He was screaming and hauling his body down the mountain.

"Keep moving!" Scarlet shouted. "We're almost there!"

Almost where? They were nowhere near the White Kingdom.

But Isaac was too busy running for his life to ask questions. He ducked under branches and sidestepped any trees. The momentum has gotten so fast for him that if he stopped running, he's going to roll down the mountain so one way or another, he's gonna get to the bottom.

As luck would have it, he slipped on something and fell face first into the snow. It appears Elisa's spell has broken when he stepped a little too hard while running.

"Isaac!" Scarlet shouted. The others ran past him so he was now behind. Scarlet started to turn around. "We have to go back–"

Scarlet was cut off by Hillut who grabbed her away. "Let me go!"

Darius went back and tried to get the dragon's attention. He succeeded in doing so.

Now for the ‘small’ task of fending the dragon off.

Isaac's head went blank. It's as if everything in his brain stops functioning. He could still see and hear everything, he just couldn't process it. It’s like his brain had malfunctioned.

Who in their right mind would've imagined being attacked by a dragon?

Darius knew better than to overstep against a dragon. He did not stand a chance against it. So Darius was being passive, drawing Icirin’s attention and only playing defensively. He wasn’t aiming to beat the dragon, but rather to buy enough time for Isaac to get up on his feet.

But their little game ended quickly as Icirin lost interest in Darius and made a beeline for the easier prey, which was Isaac who was running for his life. Isaac noticed Darius frantically tried catching up to the dragon, but he wasn't fast enough. If it comes down to the wire, Darius wasn't going to make it.

This is it, Isaac thought. I'm going to die.

Isaac closed his eyes and braced. All he heard was the sound of Icirin's roar and his own heartbeat before everything went deathly quiet.

He thought he was dead, but the sensation of snow on his skin told him he was still alive. Slowly, Isaac opened his eyes with Icirin towering above him, glaring with her beady blue eyes.

But glaring wasn’t the right word for it. It was more like Icirin was observing. Rather than angry, she seems . . . curious.

She starts sniffing Isaac around and nudged him a little as if to check if he was still alive or dead

"W-what?" Isaac stammered. "What's happening?" Isaac looked over to his friends to see them just as confused as he was. Just seconds ago they were running for their lives and now they're staring at Icirin in amazement.

Isaac was still somewhat scared, but more confused. Icirin started nudging him. "H-hey, calm down girl." Isaac spoke as if Icirin was a horse. He starts stroking Icirin’s snout but his hands were shaking badly not because of the cold, but because he was deathly afraid. The Snow Dragon let out a sound that sounded like a soft growl.

"Okay. Good dragon." Isaac could hear his voice trembling against Icirin. Even if the dragon is friendly, it's still a dragon.

Icirin closed her eyes for a few seconds as she gently pushed her snout against Isaac's palm. Despite being known as the Snow Dragon, Icirin’s scales felt warm.

Icirin then opened her eyes and regarded Isaac. Isaac was still trembling out of fear, but the dragon made no signs that she meant any harm. For now, at least. She cocked her head to one side and then the other.

Then, she roared into the skies before she flapped her wings, sending snow flying in all directions. Then, she took off to the skies and flew to the other side of the mountain.

Isaac could not fathom what just happened. One minute, Icirin was chasing him to no end. A few seconds after that, she got comfy and flew away.

"What the hell just happened?" Isaac asked as he turned to his friends. While Darius and Hillut tried to suppress their shock, Isaac could still see hints of it.

Scarlet was somewhat fascinated while Elisa looked like she was hiding something. It was as if she knew why Icirin was like that but wasn't saying anything.

"That was amazing!" Scarlet said. "I've never seen that before." Scarlet turned towards Hillut. "I thought dragons hated humans?"

"They hate everything," Hillut said. "But that was the first time I've seen such a thing."

"I've seen dragons only four or five times in my life," Darius said. "None of them have ever done that." His eyes glanced at Elisa just for a second before glancing away.

It looks as if Elisa and Darius had an idea of what just happened but decided not to say anything.

Whatever it might be, Isaac wasn't going to press. They had survived an encounter with Icirin. That's the big highlight of his day.

"Shall we continue?" Isaac said.

Isaac expected another few hours of travel. Instead, they went on for about half an hour to the foot of the mountain before stopping.

"Here would be good," Scarlet said and Elisa nodded. She raised her hand with two fingers sticking out. Then, she fired something that looked like a fireball from her fingers. The fireball flew upwards quickly for a few seconds before it exploded in a bang.

"What's that?" Isaac asked.

"A signal," Elisa said. "For the guards."

Isaac wondered what she meant. Isaac waited for a few minutes but nothing happened. It wasn’t until an hour had passed before he got his answer when Isaac saw something speeding through the ice and snow from the White Kingdom. At first, he thought it was some kind of animal but it was way too fast.

The closer it got, the clearer Isaac saw it and he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Is that a boat?" Isaac asked.

Scarlet looked proud. "The White Kingdom's invention. Powered by wind and fire magic crystals and capable of traveling at high speeds on snow and water." Scarlet said. "The White Vessel."

True to its name, the boat was white rimmed with blue ice. It looked more like a shoe than a boat, if the shoe belonged to a giant. The back of it had two glowing orbs of red and green while the front of it was shaped into the tip of a cone. Near the orbs, they carved out seats and put in leather cushions. Driving the thing was only one guy, wearing white armor.

"Your Majesty." The driver got out of the boat and knelt. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

"How is everything?" Scarlet sounded concerned.

The knight seemed reluctant to answer. "Thirteen more died."

The atmosphere got heavier. Isaac glanced at Scarlet and saw her biting her lip while clenching her fists.

"Take us back," Scarlet said grimly to which the knight obliged. All of them got into the White Vessel and traveled.

Isaac could honestly say it was the most exhilarating ride Isaac had ever experienced in his life, but he also had never been that scared in his life.

Not counting his earlier encounter with Icirin.

The boat sped up so quickly that he felt his stomach get left behind. Isaac felt his body being pressed against the seat. The cold wind whipped against his skin like thousands of tiny needles poking on his face.

On the verge of passing out from that pressure, the boat slowed down to a halt. When they got down, Isaac was surprised at how comfortable everyone looked while he was trying to hold his guts in.

"How come you guys are–" Isaac didn't finish his sentence as he threw up rainbows and sunshine at the front gate.

Nobody paid him any attention as they ventured into the White Kingdom while Isaac struggled to follow.

Up close, the White Kingdom was bigger than he anticipated. The main dirt road led up to the Palace while the buildings lined up to the left and right of the main road.

Just a few meters ahead, Isaac could see the kingdom's central square. A circular area that was big enough to host an army. It had stoned floors and an ice sculpture on top of a fountain in the middle of the square.

Despite being so big, the kingdom looked empty. Isaac hardly saw anyone.

"Where is everyone?" Isaac asked.

"You'll see," Elisa said grimly.

Instead of going to the Palace immediately, the party went to one of the bigger buildings in the kingdom. It looked like a cathedral. They entered and Isaac was speechless.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are lying sick. They were bedridden and were miserably skinny. Isaac felt sorry and instantly felt sick.

He knew that the White Kingdom was suffering, but he didn't know it was this bad. If this goes on, Isaac can't see this kingdom lasting more than a year.

"Oh god." Isaac gasped.

"It's getting worse," Scarlet said. "We need to help them."

Isaac is supposed to fix this? People are dying. Thousands of them are sick. How was he supposed to fix this?

One at a time.

Darius' words rang in his ears. Don't try to do everything all at once. Just do one at a time.

And so, Isaac’s brain starts working. What could he do to help?

The number one problem they have was food and water. Since this is a barren land of snow, nothing would grow here. They used to get their supplies from merchants but now that Icirin’s here, that method is out of the question. Scarlet mentioned they did fishing here but it had slowed down. Maybe the fishes have moved to another area or they were hunted to extinction, Isaac didn't know. That was a problem he needed to look into.

"Do you guys have a well or something?" Isaac asked.

Scarlet shook her head. "The ground is too hard to dig through. Even with magic." Scarlet said miserably.

Isaac cursed under his breath. "I need to take a trip through the city," Isaac said. He needed to see the scope of what he was dealing with.

"Do you need me to accompany you?" Scarlet asked.

Isaac shook his head. "I'll be fine." He stepped out of the building and started walking around.

As expected, the White Kingdom had no life right now. Everyone was suffering. Despite that, the place does look beautiful.

The dirt under his shoes felt like rocks. Isaac could tell that it doesn't support life. Anything they plant would die out. So he tried thinking of ways to solve their problems.

"Are you okay?" A voice said behind him. Isaac turned around to see that Elisa had followed him.

Isaac shrugged. "Just trying to clear my head."

Elisa sighed. "I guess this might be a lot to take in."

"You think?" Isaac grumbled. "You're telling me I'm responsible for all those people inside? How am I supposed to make them feel better? Where do I even start with that?"

Isaac realized he accidentally raised his voice because Elisa looked uncomfortable.

He took a deep breath to recompose himself. "Sorry. Like you said, it's a lot to take in."

"We're desperate, Isaac." Elisa said. "Scarlet's at her wit's end."

"I know. I just . . . I need some rest." Isaac said.

"I'll take you to your chamber." Elisa said.

Line Break

Isaac spent the last three days brainstorming ideas on what he could do. He discussed with everyone and suggested anything he could think of, even the most ridiculous ideas he had.

Sure, the rain dance suggestion was a bit stupid but by this point, he's open to try anything.

"Food and water," Isaac muttered to himself. "That's the problem."

Water first. Where can he get water?

Are there any lakes or rivers nearby? It'll be too far. Isaac didn't see any other body of water around except for the ocean.

Wait for the rain? Isaac doubted rain would be enough. Plus, it's a gamble. It could rain tomorrow or it could not rain for the next week. They needed a more immediate solution. Also the rain could come as hail and they’ll have nothing but ice filling up their buckets.

The ocean? Salty and not fit for consumption. Unless he can somehow take the salt out of the water.

Underground? This was his best bet. An underground water source. But Scarlet had already said that the ground was too frozen to dig through.

Then, he recounted something Myrna had once told him.

The Earth provides you with everything you need. You just need to know where to look.

It was easier said than done. Amidst his brainstorming while strolling, Isaac found himself at the harbor.

The cold wind from the ocean hit his face and he started shivering despite his warm clothing.

As he walked down the harbor, the floorboards creaked with each step. There were guards stationed, but it was only a few.

He racked his brain for answers. As he walked, One of the boats rocked a bit too hard and splashed water on his face. Isaac flinched and mistakenly licked his lips. It was annoying, but he didn't think much of it.

Until he realized something.

He stopped in his tracks. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He couldn't tell, so he decided to test it out. Isaac went to the edge of the harbor and knelt to touch the water.

One of the guards noticed. "Hey, sir! Don't do that! You'll fall!"

Isaac wasn't listening. He dipped his finger and tasted the water.

It wasn't as salty as he thought it'd be.

Isaac had tasted seawater before, so he knew what kind of saltiness to expect from it.

But this wasn't it. It was less. Way less.

If only he had a fire, he could test something out. He instantly thought of Elisa.

"Hey, you," Isaac called the guard. "Get me Elisa. Or, can you do fire magic?"

"Um, I'm just a soldier."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Then get me Elisa. Hurry!"

The guard turned tail and rushed away and came back a few minutes later with Elisa and Hillut.

"What's wrong?" Elisa asked.

"I thought you said this was the ocean?" Isaac asked.

"This is the ocean," Elisa said. "We're at the edge of the Aryan continent."

If that was the case, then why does it taste different?

"Nevermind. You can do fire magic, right?" Isaac said. Elisa nodded in confirmation. "I need you to make the hottest fire you can." Isaac turned to Hillut. "I need the biggest metal pot you can find."

Hillut and Elisa looked at each other before nodding and following his orders. Hillut went off to find a pot while Elisa prepared to do her spell.

"What are you planning?" Elisa asked.

"Have you tried boiling the water?" Isaac asked.

"Yes. It just turns into hot salt water." Elisa said.

Isaac shook his head. "You stopped way too early."

"What do you mean?"

"My cousin Saori taught me this," Isaac said. "It usually takes weeks for it to work, but with the water being less salty I figured it would only take a few hours. Plus, we have fire magic."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what happens when you boil water for too long?"

"It turns into smoke or something like that." Elisa said.

"It evaporates into steam." Isaac corrected her.

"Well, same thing. We can't drink steam."

"Not unless you condense it," Isaac said.

"What?"

"It's like the rain cycle. Water turns to a cloud which is steam, then it turns back into water and rains down to the earth."

"So, you're creating rain?"

Isaac see-sawed his hand. "In a sense."

"You can do that?"

"Within certain conditions," Isaac said as Hillut came back with a cooking pot that was large enough to fit a turkey in it. Isaac nodded and filled it with seawater. "The fire, if you will."

Elisa took a deep breath and conjured up a fireball. Unlike the previous one he'd seen her do, this one was blue in color and did not move or flicker around. It almost looked like a blade.

Once it was done, Elisa collapsed on her butt. It must've taken a lot of energy, to which Isaac was grateful for.

The blue fireball was static in one place, so Isaac needed to hang the pot over the fire. He had Hillut help him with setting up a temporary cooking station with sticks and planks to hang the pot above the flames.

Thanks to Elisa's flames, it didn't take long for the water to start steaming. Pretty soon, it will boil.

In the meantime, Isaac closed the lid of the pot but poked a small hole at the center of it, a place for the steam to get out.

Now all Isaac needed was something to gather the water vapor.

He looked around frantically to see if there was anything he could use.

Planks? It would absorb the water.

Metal? Too heavy to handle.

Isaac then saw Hillut's sword. "Hold your sword above the smoke and point slightly downwards."

Hillut didn't question any further. He hefted his sword and put the blade over the steam and tilt the tip slightly downwards.

Isaac stood at the tip and waited. Again, it didn't take long for water droplets to start forming on Hillut's blade where the steam was coming from. The droplets then flowed down the blade and started dripping from the tip of it.

Isaac cupped his hand under it until he had enough water to drink.

"It's no longer salty," Isaac exclaimed happily. "It worked!"

Elisa looked like she didn't believe him. She tried it for herself and sure enough, it was true. They managed to turn seawater into drinkable water.

"It works," Elisa said.

"But this is so slow," Hillut said. "It would take a while to gather enough for everyone."

"This is just a small-scale design," Isaac said. "It's also incomplete. The water needs to be filtered out properly for it to be pure, but nothing a bit of magic can't solve. The real one would be bigger and produce pure water much faster."

"How are we going to do it?" Elisa asked.

"We need a bunch of fire and a much bigger cooking pot."

Line Break

"You need to do what?!" Scarlet shouted when Isaac presented his idea the next day.

"Exactly what I said." His voice echoed in the throne room. The walls were made of ice and it was mostly empty, save for the white throne at the end of the room and a red carpet leading to it. Isaac stood in front of Scarlet while Elisa and Hillut were kneeling behind him.

"Are you messing with me?" Scarlet asked.

"No, I'm not," Isaac said.

"Elisa, is he playing with me?" Scarlet asked.

"No, Your Majesty."

"Hillut?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Hillut said.

Scarlet glared at Isaac. "So your great plan to help my people is to melt the White Kingdom Army's armory and weapons just to build a cooking pot?"

Isaac tried finding the words for it. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds–"

"I am not playing around here!" Scarlet snapped. She's a completely different person when she's on her throne. A lot more stern and rigid, which was expected since she is the Queen and the lives of her people are on her shoulders.

"I'm also not playing around." Isaac stood his ground. "Look, I know this is a hard decision. But you brought me here for help, so let me help. And I need you to trust me."

Scarlet kept her eyes on Isaac. He could feel her piercing gaze against his skin until she sighed. "Fine," Scarlet said. "If it would help the people, then I will do it."

"Thanks." Isaac smiled. "We'll start right no–"

"But if you've condemned my kingdom into more suffering, I will take your head off," Scarlet growled.

Isaac gulped. "Consider me warned," Isaac said. Scarlet seems different on and off the throne and he prefers the latter. He turned to Hillut and Elisa. "We have work to do."

"Okay, so what do you want us to get?" Elisa asked.

"For you Hillut, I want you to get all the iron and steel you can," Isaac said. "We're going to melt it before turning it into a pot." Isaac turned to Elisa. "For you, I need you to gather any guards or people who can work. Then, find fire sources or fuel. If it burns, I want it. We need manpower and fire."

The two nodded and went ahead with their task. Isaac already had the design of the boiler drawn. It's only a matter of time before it's realized.

He went to the harbor, where he found a good spot for it. The White Kingdom's supply of iron is little to none, which is why Isaac opted to melt the kingdom's armory.

Isaac met with the kingdom's blacksmith who was already at the harbor. It might sound wrong, but Isaac didn't expect the blacksmith to be a woman. Not that he was judging or anything, he just didn't expect it.

"So, you're the new guy?" The blacksmith said.

"Isaac." Isaac introduced himself. A cold gust of wind blew against him, sending chills down his bones.

"Meng, daughter of Mengis." Meng introduced herself. Isaac noticed that she had no warm clothing on. Her yellow hair was tied to a braid, her clothes were stained and sooty from working at the forge along with her hands and arms. She wore a brown shirt with a leather apron where she put and hung all her tools.

Isaac could see most of the tools he'd ever used as a handyman and even tools he'd never seen before.

"Hello there, Meng," Isaac said. "Shall we get to work?"

"What are you planning?" Meng asked.

"A constant supply of pure water," Isaac said as he explained how he was going to obtain it and how the whole process works. He even brought a picture of it drawn in leather parchment, describing what it looks like from the inside and outside.

"Amazing," Meng said as her eyes ran over the plan. She was definitely interested. "I never knew you could turn vapor back into water."

"Anyway, that's the plan," Isaac said. "You think you can make it?"

Meng frowned. "Who do you think I am? Is it because I'm a woman?"

"No!" Isaac said quickly. "I just mean that this is not an easy feat for any blacksmith. That's why I'm asking."

Meng calmed down and she studied the plans. "It is indeed hard," Meng admitted. "But luckily for you, I'm the best blacksmith this far north of Arya. Just bring me the materials and I'll get your thing done."

"That's great," Isaac said. "Hillut and Elisa should be here any moment with materials and some extra manpower. If anyone asks, just tell them I put you in charge."

“Hold on there buddy,” Meng said. “What’s in it for me?”

“For now, you’ll be the blacksmith that saved the kingdom. If you want a more materialistic reward, we’ll talk about it later.” Isaac offered.

His next stop was with Darius, whom he had sent out for a little errand outside of the kingdom.

Isaac went on the White Vessel along with a guard to meet up with Darius who was out there in the snowy plains. After a few minutes of riding at super speed, they arrived at where Darius was. Isaac got out of the White Vessel with shaky legs..

"Did you find it?" Isaac asked as he tried to regain his bearings.

"Not yet," Darius said. "I'm still searching."

"I'll search with you," Isaac said. "Hey, you also help," Isaac told the guard that was with him.

Isaac had an idea that clicked into his head when he noticed the ocean's saltiness was unusual.

When it comes to aquatic life – such as fish – they can be separated by two basic categories: fishes that live in saltwater like the ocean and fishes that live in fresh water such as lakes and rivers.

He knew that the White Kingdom ran out of fishes to . . . well, fish. Isaac assumed that they were just being harvested into extinction, but what if they moved or migrated?

The key factor would be the saltiness of the water that caused them to move somewhere else. Isaac was willing to bet that they used the underground rivers to move somewhere further inland.

The plains from the White Kingdom all the way to Whitewash Peaks were covered in snow and ice. There's bound to be a lake underneath the ice, a lake close enough to the ocean that it counts as saltwater.

So now, they’re looking for any body of water under the frozen surface.

Line Break

It took longer than Isaac expected. They got her at noon and now the sun was setting and night time was approaching.

Isaac was about to call it a day when the guard called out. "Here!"

Darius and Isaac rushed over to where he was standing. The ice under their feet was considerably darker than the rest, which could possibly mean there’s water under them.

"This looks like the spot," Darius said as he tapped the ice with the tip of his sword.

Isaac stomped as hard as he could and the dull thump sound confirmed his suspicion.

There's a lake here.

It was probably better if they marked the spot and returned to it the next day when there’s daylight, but he got excited. It shouldn't be that dangerous since they were only at the foot of the mountain instead of on it.

"I need to check on the water," Isaac said. "Can you shatter the surface?"

"Yes, but I'd advise we move first since we're standing on the ice."

Isaac didn't argue as both he and Darius found solid footing and got ready. Darius lifted his sword high and struck the ground as hard as he could.

Isaac knew if it was him at the receiving end, he would've died from that strike. When his sword struck the ice, Isaac heard the sound of crunching and cracking.

Where Darius had struck was now a small cracked hole, big enough for a regular sized person to fit through.

"Nice job," Isaac said.

Darius knelt to the hole and tasted the water. "Seawater. Probably an underground river that runs from the ocean."

"That's fine. I expected that.” Isaac said. “My turn. Hold this rope, will you?" Isaac handed him a bundle of rope and tied one end around his waist. "If I'm not back out in one minute, pull me out."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Taking a dip," Isaac said. "Hey, I have a favor to ask of you," Isaac said to the guard.

"What can I help you with, sir?"

"Give me your spear and be on standby," Isaac said as he took a few deep breaths. "When I come out, take us back to the Palace quickly. I don't want to freeze to death."

"Understood." The driver said as he gave Isaac his spear. It was a simple spear. A wooden shaft with an iron tip.

"Isaac, what are you hoping to find down there?" Darius asked. "It's seawater. We can't drink it."

Isaac took off all his clothes until he was just wearing a pair of pants and a shirt. "I know," Isaac said as he jumped in.

The cold hit him so quickly and suddenly that he almost gasped. Jumping in without giving his body time to adjust was probably not the best idea. He felt his heartbeat getting faster as he went into shock. 

Isaac floated for a few minutes and waited as his body adjusted to the freezing water and his heartbeat slowed down. Once he knew he was okay, he started to swim around. Since it was under the ice at night time, visibility was limited. The moon gave some light, but it was dim and only near the surface level.

But Isaac didn’t need full visibility for what he’s doing. He just needed to see enough and see it once. Catching it would be nice, but seeing it would be enough.

Isaac held his breath as he swam and kept looking, but he didn't want to swim too far since he didn’t want to go further than the rope’s length. Isaac didn’t count how long he’d been underwater, but he knew he needed air soon. In a few seconds, he’s gonna have to come out.

Then, he felt it. Something swimming by him, just on his left. Isaac's head snapped in that direction.

He thrusts his spear forward, hoping to catch one. Whether he missed it or not, he didn't know since he couldn't see anything. Isaac tugged the rope as a signal for Darius to pull him back. He felt himself being pulled as he broke the surface of the water.

The cold air hit him like a freight train. Isaac felt the freezing all the way to his bone. "H-h-h-holy f-f-f-u-uck." Isaac managed through chattering teeth.

"Did you find what you're looking for?" Darius asked as he wrapped Isaac in a thick leather coat.

Isaac grinned as he noticed the squirming fish at the end of his spear. "S-s-s-see f-f-for y-y-yours-s-s-self." Isaac managed with a shaky grin.

"Is that . . ." The guard couldn't believe it. "May I have it, sir? I haven't eaten in weeks! I promise I will repay–"

"H-h-have it," Isaac said. "T-t-take me b-b-back first."

"Of course sir." The driver said urgently and hastily carried Isaac unto the White Vessel followed by Darius before speeding off.

It took no time before they made it to the Palace. Darius insisted that Isaac rest, but he wanted to deliver the good news to Scarlet first.

So the three of them made it to the throne room where Scarlet was talking with someone whom Isaac didn't recognize. When Scarlet noticed the trio entering, she dismissed the person and faced Isaac.

"What happened to you?" Scarlet asked. "You look pale."

"Just a bit cold," Isaac said. He was still cold, but at least he was no longer shivering and stuttering. "But guess what?"

"What?"

"We found you a food source."

Line Break

The very next morning at the break of dawn, Scarlet, Elisa, Isaac, Darius, and a few other guards went to the location yesterday.

Instead of diving for it today, Isaac instead brought a fishing pole with him and some bait. He cast his line into the hole and in just a few seconds, a fish had already bit it and Isaac pulled the rod.

Unluckily, Isaac was a little too excited when pulling it so the line snapped and the fish went free.

The group stared at him. 

"In my defense, that was my second time fishing," Isaac said.

"This is incredible," Scarlet said. "We need to take them all and bring them back to the people. Auro, bring the men and–"

"You can't do that," Isaac said.

"What do you mean?" Scarlet asked with a glare. Her anger was justified. Her people had been starving for weeks. There’s food right here up for grabs and he’s saying no.

"You can't take all the fish at once," Isaac warned. "I know you need to, but you can’t. You’re gonna fish them into extinction.”

“But my people are dying–”

“I know, Scar–” Isaac caught himself. “Your Majesty. I understand. But let’s look at the fish’s perspective. If you catch a bunch of them right away, there’s not gonna be enough for them to repopulate. You have to let them replenish their numbers before we fish them into extinction. You have to look at it from the fish's perspective.”

“Fish's perspective.” Scarlet repeated in a low voice. “I have the lives of thousands of people on my shoulders and you want me to think like a fish.”

“I’m saying to not be hasty.” Isaac said. “We can still feed the White Kingdom. We just don't have to be reckless.”

Scarlet gave Isaac a steely glare. “Fine.” She said, “Call everyone. Catch enough of the fish for everyone to eat for the day.”

The guards saluted and went to work.

“I know you’re worried, but this is for the kingdom’s own good.” Isaac said.

“I hope you’re right.” Scarlet said.

Line Break

Isaac went with Meng to see how well the boiler was progressing.

"It's going smoothly," Meng said. By now, the boiler looked like the bottom half of a metal cylinder. "Elisa's been a major help. You should see her when she starts her commander mode." Meng turned around. "Ah, speaking of which."

Isaac turned around to see Elisa standing in the middle of the construction site, barking orders and shouting instructions. She looked like an army general, which is to say, scary.

Isaac shuddered. He felt sorry for the volunteers, but they looked motivated to do work. "Seems like you'll be finished soon."

"Don't forget about our deal," Meng said as he went his way to the cathedral.

Seeing fish being transported, Isaac took the liberty of carrying the barrels of fish to the cooks to get served to everyone.

The atmosphere improved drastically. It got livelier and more cheerful. Although most were still skinny and weak, Isaac saw renewed vigor in most of them. The light in their eyes that almost faded was now reignited.

All because of a few fish.

Isaac served some of the food himself. He enjoyed helping people. As he did it, he lost track of time and it was evening by the time they fed everyone.

He finally took a breather and sat down. He was glad to see the people finally being in a good mood. Compared to when he was here a few days ago, it was livelier.

Isaac was about to leave when the door to the Cathedral opened. Scarlet and her guards stepped in and the room fell silent as everyone turned toward her.

The people stood up and knelt in front of their Queen.

"Rise," Scarlet said and everyone stood up. "I see you all have eaten."

They murmured in agreement. It wasn't much as they didn't bring in a lot of fish today, but at least they finally had some food in their belly.

Isaac would’ve loved to feed them until they're full. He was tempted to let Scarlet go through with her plans but for the sake of their survival, they have to eat the bare minimum.

"That's very good," Scarlet said. "I'm glad you are all doing well."

"Your Majesty." One of them stepped forward and knelt. "You’ve saved us. We humbly thank you from–."

"Oh, it's not me who you should be thanking," Scarlet said. "Someone helped us."

"Who is it?" He asked. Isaac caught Scarlet glancing at him and giving him a wink.

"The Pale King," Scarlet announced. "He's the one who helped you all."

The people's murmurs turn into gasps of shock and excitement.

"So it's true?" the man asked. "You married the Sovereign Prince?"

Scarlet scowled. "What? No!" She seems disgusted with that question. "I have already chosen someone as our King Candidate. Someone who will help us get through these suffering times."

"Where is he, Your Majesty?" They asked.

"You will meet him soon enough," Scarlet said. "He's among yourselves, helping you all."

They start looking around to see if they could find anyone who looked out of the ordinary. Isaac would be that someone since he's a new face in town. It wouldn’t take much for everyone to realize that it was him.

Surprisingly, no one took any hints as to who the Pale King was. "Sleep well, my people," Scarlet said. "The Pale King and I will see that you are fed until your bellies are full."

The people cheered with vigor and energy. "Long live the White Queen! Long live the Pale King!"

Isaac felt motivated after seeing how excited the people of the White Kingdom are. He wanted to help more either as a king or as a mere nobody. He just wanted to help.

Line Break

Other than their usual operations, nothing happened for the next few weeks. Isaac had settled into living in the White Kingdom. The people have finally moved out of the Cathedral and finally back into their own homes, bringing life back into the streets of the White Kingdom.

The White Kingdom looked alive again. The people started getting better and healthier with some of them offering to help with the fishing so that the guards and the army could focus on other things.

Meng won her bet when she finished the boiler in just under three days. It was at least ten meters high, made out of steel so it doesn't rust. It stood on a large brick furnace, supported by metal pillars for stability. On top of it, was a smaller cylinder for ventilation purposes so that the boiler won't explode after too much pressure.

At least that’s what Meng said. Isaac had no idea what she was talking about, but that information’s now in his head.

At the top of it, where the water was condensed, a pipe flowed down into a large custom-built keg where people could pour fresh and clean water. They had their own personal water dispenser.

So people would carry water from the ocean and fill up the boiler to a certain limit. That's when the furnace underneath it, which is constantly burning with a permanent fire source, starts boiling the water inside. The steam that condenses from the boiling water gathers up at the top, pours down the pipe, and into the massive keg.

Now, they have clean water for everyone. And it's been pretty effective as well since people would not worry about not having clean water anymore.

Seeing how great it worked, Meng was trying to see if she could create a better one. Isaac told her to knock herself out since her job was basically done.

Darius and Hillut were currently on standby. Hillut was waiting for orders from Scarlet while Darius waited for any further instructions from the Lunar Empress. His mission was only to escort Isaac to the White Kingdom and since he succeeded, he awaits further orders.

Because of that, Hillut was training the army on how to fight while Darius trained Isaac. The first few days, Isaac spent more time in the snow than tripping when trying to learn the proper footwork.

Now, he could move on his feet without falling face-first into the snow. 

Elisa was busy helping Scarlet with the duties of being a Queen. Isaac had thought to help since he was technically gonna be the King, but he realized he didn't know the first thing about running a kingdom.

Also Scarlet told him to do something else for the moment.

So for the last few weeks, Isaac had been wandering around and helping people wherever he could just like back when he was at Rost, whether it was repairing or rebuilding houses, helping with fishing, or fixing the occasional broken door.

He felt like he was the handyman again. Different environment, different circumstances, but still the same old stuff.

The people of the White Kingdom took notice of his presence quickly. Similar to how it was in Rost, they relied on him. They knew they could ask for his help. They were comfortable around him.

Isaac felt right at home.

He befriended some of the people in the White Kingdom. For example, the local bartender, Liliora, was a succubus.

Right? Surprised the living shit out of him too.

Succubus is a one of the types of demons from the demon race. As to where demons come from, they came from Hell. But it's not as if there's just a gate to Hell laying about in Arya. Gateways to Hell are hard to open and maintain.

The succubi – as with any other demon types – are summoned here with a living sacrifice. Be it a human, a cat, a mountain goat, it doesn't matter. As long as you sacrifice a life, you can summon a demon, but the quality of the demon will depend on what you used as a sacrifice for the summoning.

And as a succubus, Liliora is . . . um, she's really pretty.

Like, reaaallly pretty.

A succubus is most common for their tendency to attract humans and 'have their way’ with them. Simply speaking, she has sex with them. After that, they drain the life force out of their victims and increase their own.

Luckily, Liliora is nothing like that. She still lures humans in and has her way with them, but she doesn't kill them.

"I still take their life force, but only a bit. I don’t drain them dry.” Liliora said.

“I’m not sure if that’s better.”

“It is, though. Instead of being dead, you’ll just feel really tired.”

“Fair point.” Isaac said. “Why do you do that anyway?”

“To stay alive, duh.” Liliora rolled her eyes. “I can’t maintain my presence here ever since my master – the one who summoned me – bit the dust.”

"Sorry to hear that," Isaac said.

Liliora shrugged. "Don't be. He was a jerk anyway."

Isaac found himself staring at Liliora constantly. As a succubus, Liliora could alter her appearance in any way she wanted so that she could look like the most beautiful person to her victims before they’re lured into her trap.

But on normal days when she's a bartender, Liliora had light red skin, beady black eyes with orange slits, and grayish black hair.

Normally, people would still be confused as to what she is. At first glance, she looked like one of the Sand Tribes that lived in the southern desert. But what separates her from them are the two crimson tusks on her forehead poking out like daggers.

Isaac struggled to keep his eyes away from Liliora's chest. They kept bouncing in his face. Quite literally, in fact because Liliora loved to get up to his face and tease Isaac about it.

"Like what you're seeing?" Liliora licked her lips.

"You’re being annoying," Isaac said. Despite how beautiful Liliora could look, Isaac wasn’t interested.

"You're no fun." Liliora pouted. "Come on, you've done a lot for us. Let me help you relax."

"You can help me relax by refilling this cup." Isaac handed her his mug.

"Coming right up," Liliora said with a grin.

"Why did you become a bartender anyway?" Isaac asked. "Aren't there other things that demons could do aside from pouring drinks?"

Liliora shrugged. "After my master died, I could've gone back home," Liliora said. "But I don't want to listen to my mom babbling about my life. She keeps going on about how I'm wasting my life in Hell as if there's anything to do down there."

Isaac had never heard about Hell as an actual place before. He’s heard of Hell, but the one he’s used to is like an afterlife concept. It’s like the place you go to after your death if you’re a bad person.

But the way Liliora talks about Hell it’s like she’s talking about it like it’s just another kingdom or country.

"She prefers my brother anyway. He's the young one. It's easy when you're born as an archdemon. She always complains about how I’m ‘just a succubus’, as if I had a choice." Liliora grumbled. She handed Isaac his drink and sulked on the counter. "Staying here was better."

"Okay, but why a bartender?" Isaac asked.

Again, Liliora shrugged. "I like meeting new people. I want to learn more about this world."

"So, that's why you decide on staying in the White Kingdom?"

"Hm? Oh, that's my master’s fault." Liliora said. "He summoned me here, asked me to do some stuff, then died and left me here. At first, I didn't show myself to anyone because I never meant any harm and my master was supposed to use his own life force to make sure I stay alive in this realm. But then I started to get weaker so I had to lure some humans in. After a while, the White Queen intervened."

"Did she want to kill you?"

Liliora shook her head. "She was surprisingly calm about it. She said I could stay here and make myself at home just so long as I don't kill any more people."

"You can do that?" Isaac asked. "I thought you had to kill them."

"Whoever started that rumor was an idiot," Liliora grumbled. "Not all demons kill. The mean ones, yes. Most of us don’t need to kill humans. Like I said, we just take a bit of your life force, make you tired, then send you right back home.”

Although Isaac was glad to know people weren't dying, he also figured that humans don’t appreciate their life force being taken without consent.

"So, I took the offer," Liliora said. "And I was allowed to do what I usually do as a succubus. Then I realized it's easier to seduce people when you’re friendly and recognized by everyone, so that's why I became the bartender."

"I thought you said you became a bartender to meet new people."

"Yes, that too," Liliora said. "And also have sex with them."

Isaac rolled his eyes as Liliora kept rambling about how she had no taste and would gladly get on with any men and women, sometimes even both.

That's one of the more interesting characters Isaac had met in his stay here.

It had been an interesting few weeks for him. They have yet to know the Pale King's true identity since Scarlet hasn't announced it, but they were grateful for him. In their eyes, it was the Pale King that brought them up from the brink of destruction.

And so, they looked up to the Pale King in high regard.

Isaac was also happy with himself. Within just a short time of being here, he managed to help a lot of people which made him feel better.

But this was just for a short term. Isaac was worried about the long term, where things would get very dangerous.

He's gonna have a tough time in this kingdom.