As Brian put it, Border Town never stops snowing once it starts.
Within a single night, the town was draped in a white veil. By dawn, the snow had softened, with only sporadic flakes falling here and there, yet the sky remained a dull gray. The thought of months without sunlight struck Roland as utterly surreal.
This defied all logic, he thought. While searching for reason in a world where witches wield Magic Power was inherently bizarre, how could demonic beasts influence celestial phenomena? It was a shame he lacked weather satellites to reveal the current distribution of clouds across the world.
As they walked toward the western city wall, Carter couldn't help but remark, "The town has grown much quieter. Some folks actually followed Noble's evacuation." "That's a good thing," Roland sighed. "At least they won't be a hindrance." "I've already arranged for Barov to conduct a census this winter," Roland explained. "What's it about?" "It's door-to-door surveys—counting how many people remain, recording each household's name and occupation, then compiling the data," Roland continued. "This way, we can efficiently allocate manpower during wartime and distribute pensions afterward." "Eh... manpower?" Carter blinked, then chuckled. "Your Highness, you've changed a lot since before." "Oh?" "Your former self, while still speaking gibberish and doing odd things, never did anything befitting a Prince. But now..." Carter paused, hesitating over the words. "Whether it's those bizarre training protocols you set or the experimental substances from the alchemy workshop, they've proven remarkably effective. Maybe that's what my grandfather meant when he said 'the extraordinary are extraordinary because they see what others overlook.' I have a hunch you might actually become the next King." "...Really?" Roland's heart warmed. What could be more fulfilling than being recognized by your own people after years of struggle? For a moment, he felt his limbs brim with strength, and the gloomy sky no longer seemed so oppressive.
As they ascended the city wall, the militia was clearing snow from the passageway. When Prince appeared, everyone bowed in salute.
Roland, who should have been teaching them military drills, asked, "How was last night?" "No signs of the evil beast," replied Iron Axe. "Your Highness, based on past experience, we usually have a relatively stable period after the first snowfall. During this time, the evil beasts are few, and the ones that appear are mostly weak animals." Roland nodded. "Then we must remain vigilant." The area behind the city walls had been converted into a barracks. When the alarm was not sounded, most people would rest in the camp to conserve energy. The vigilance system operated on a rotating basis. Considering the low winter temperatures, each team would only patrol for two hours before rotating.
Roland had meticulously implemented these measures. After consulting Brian, he learned that the Long Song Fortress had no effective defense against the demonic beasts. The most unfortunate recruits were assigned to monitor the beasts' movements, spending entire days on the city walls. This led to frequent cases of laziness and desertion. Over the winter, as many as twenty to thirty soldiers were hanged for negligence or violation of military orders.
The situation became even more chaotic after discovering the traces of the evil beast, with no clearly defined defensive zones or assigned responsibilities. Considering the warfare standards of that era, Roland understood the predicament. In an age where individual valor, honor, and plunder were paramount—even knights would charge into battle when driven by passion—it was best not to set unrealistic expectations.
After walking around the city wall, everything seemed fine at first glance, but Roland realized he'd missed a crucial detail.
That is to guide the roadblocks.
These barriers still clearly guide the demonic beast toward the middle section of the city wall. But if Brian's prediction holds true, the snowfall over the next two to three months will eventually bury all obstacles. By then, any point along the 600-meter defensive line could become a path for the beast, leaving his troops with no time to cover such a vast area.
It's highly unlikely to send people to clear the snow, as a few agile wolf-type evil beasts would cause the team to suffer heavy losses.
Perhaps we still have to rely on the power of witches.
For instance, have Nightingale sneak out of town with Anna, ignite a massive fire to melt the snow, then slip back in—just like she did when she stole Nana Wa from the Paine family.
Just then, the watchpost on the left side of the wall cried out.
"Quick, look ahead!" Roland and Carter turned toward the spot he pointed. A small black shadow emerged from the snow and slowly crept toward the wall.
"Your Highness, would you like to..." the hunter in charge of that defensive sector turned to ask.
"Based on our previous drills, you should be able to decide for yourself whether to sound the horn," Roland said. "And in this regard, you're more experienced than I am." He hesitated for a moment, then simply drew the bowstring and stood by the wall, continuing to observe.
Roland nodded approvingly. The order on the city walls remained intact for now. The real question was whether they could swiftly organize a defense according to the drill procedures when a large number of evil beasts attacked Border Town.
As the shadow crept closer, about fifty meters from the city wall, Roland could already discern the appearance of the monstrous beast.
Maybe just a fox variant?
Its fur was grayish-black, its eyes were bright red, and it came to the wall panting white vapor.
"This guy's only been eroded for a short while, so he's not much of a threat," Iron Axe said, drawing his bow and aiming.
"You mean they were all infected by the hellish aura and driven westward?" "Not just westward," Carter leaned closer. "When the Gates of Hell opened in the wilderness, every pass without the Endless Mountains blocking it became a target for the demonic beasts—especially the Great Rift in the north. The Endless Mountains stretching here were effectively severed, and the Rift, stretching over ten miles, became the primary assault route." The frenzied creature lingered beneath the wall for a moment, then raised its head and growled at the crowd. Just as it was about to leap, the iron axe's bowstring snapped, and an arrow pierced its neck with pinpoint accuracy, pinning it to the ground.
Roland noticed that the blood it was spilling out was black.
Why did the Witch, despite being similarly corrupted by evil forces, retain the God's will upon awakening, while the Beast descended into madness and bodily mutations? If he ever had the chance, he resolved to visit the back of the Desolate Mountains. In Prince's memory, that place was a forbidden zone untouched by humans—the very spot where the gates of hell opened. Yet since no one had ever set foot there, these mostly speculative tales from ancient texts remained unverified, their credibility questionable.