Volume 4 Chapter 72

Volume 4 + Chapter 72: If Nothing Unexpected Happens

“Come here quickly, let Her Highness see you!”

Chelsea shouted loudly towards the direction of the vehicle.

Following his gaze, Xia Yi noticed the waterproof tarp on the vehicle moving about, as if something was hidden inside. Then, several figures flashed out and jumped down from the vehicle.

“This is…?!”

Xia Yi blinked in surprise.

Upon receiving the command, the three figures darted over to Xia Yi’s side.

“Woof!”

“Woof!”

“Awoo!”

They were actually three big dogs!

Each dog seemed to be a different breed. One looked like a goofy one sticking out its tongue, another seemed to be wearing a silly smile, and the third, despite being both goofy and silly, was trying hard to look very serious.

The three big dogs surrounded Xia Yi, looking up at her with curious expressions in their eyes.

“Chelsea, are these the ‘companions’ you mentioned?” Xia Yi inquired.

“Yes, Your Highness. They are professional sled dogs. We call them the ‘Three Great Sled Generals.'”

Chelsea began introducing the three big dogs.

“This is the leader of the Three Great Sled Generals, Alaska.”

“Woof!”

Alaska responded with a bark.

“This is the second of the Three Great Sled Generals, Samoyed.”

“Woof!”

Samoyed also barked.

“And then, this is the youngest of the Three Great Sled Generals, Husky.”

“Awoo!”

Husky’s bark was different from the first two.

“Why is Husky’s bark so special?” Xia Yi asked, puzzled.

Chelsea leaned close to her and whispered, “Your Highness, Husky always thinks he’s a wolf and likes to imitate wolf howls.”

“So that’s it. Husky is quite a character.”

Xia Yi crouched down and reached out to pat Husky’s head.

The other two dogs also came closer, wagging their tails, begging for pats too.

“Do they love to be pampered this much? Don’t worry, don’t worry, everyone will get a turn.”

Xia Yi gave each dog a pat. As a result, the dogs became even happier and started sticking out their tongues, trying to lick her.

“Wow wow wow!”

Having raised dogs in the Dragon Royal Garden before, Xia Yi naturally loved them very much too. She began playing with them.

“Your Highness is really… hehe.”

Seeing this scene, Chelsea couldn’t help but chuckle, his gaze resembling that of someone watching an innocent little child.

Only then did the little princess notice there were others nearby. Having been seen playing with the sled dogs, her dignity was severely compromised in an instant. She hurriedly stood up, her face slightly flushed, and coughed a few times.

“Ahem… Chelsea, I have a serious question. Can these sled dogs really survive in the harsh, extremely cold environment?”

Xia Yi quickly changed the subject. If she continued playing with the dogs, her dignity as the Silver Dragon Princess would be completely lost.

“Such a cold is even somewhat difficult for dragons to endure.”

“Your Highness, please rest assured on that point. Our Three Great Sled Generals will definitely not disappoint you,” Chelsea said confidently. “You can look forward to their performance next.”

“Oh? Then let me see what extraordinary abilities these Three Great Sled Generals possess,” Xia Yi replied expectantly.

…

The staff from the Northern Mining Field had finished procuring the necessary supplies in the border city and successfully loaded all the cargo. The convoy was ready to depart.

This large convoy used magic rune chains made from frost crystal ore, produced from the Frost Crystal Vein, to link each snow vehicle together, forming one massive whole.

According to Chelsea’s explanation, the magic rune chains made from frost crystal ore were exceptionally sturdy and possessed strong impact resistance and cold endurance properties. This ensured that even in massive blizzards, no single snow vehicle would be left behind alone, guaranteeing everyone’s safety.

The power for the large snow convoy came from the Three Great Sled Generals Xia Yi had just seen.

No matter how you look at it, these three dogs are pulling so many snow vehicles… was really a bit too far beyond common sense.

“Alright, Three Great Sled Generals, commence the return journey now. Destination—Northern Mining Field Base!” Chelsea commanded.

“Woof!”

“Woof!”

“Awoo!”

After the Three Great Sled Generals let out a long howl in unison, a faint layer of light covered their bodies. Magic power began to flow through the dogs.

An astonishing scene unfolded, the Three Great Sled Generals actually started pulling the large snow convoy, beginning to run swiftly across the snowy ground.

Despite pulling so many vehicles loaded with numerous supplies and dragons, the Three Great Sled Generals’ movement showed no hindrance whatsoever. They sped through the snow like arrows released from a bow, showing no sign of strain, as if blessed with wind-avoidance magic.

“The Three Great Sled Generals are so amazing!” Xia Yi couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Why does it feel like these dogs’ strength isn’t that of ordinary animals?” Elly was also very surprised.

“Your Highness, in fact, the Three Great Sled Generals are indeed not ordinary sled dogs,” Chelsea explained. “They are all specialized alchemical creatures, designed specifically to serve as transportation in extremely harsh environments like the Far North Lands.”

“Are they actually alchemical creatures?”

“Mhm, yes. Actually, this goes back to a long time ago. In the past, transportation was a very serious problem in the Northern Mining Field. Ordinary lifeforms found the snowstorms and cold of the Far North truly unbearable and couldn’t serve as long-term, stable transportation. There were also no food or energy sources in the Far North, making it impossible to establish a mining field… So, a genius alchemist advised the Dragon King of that time, proposing the use of specialized alchemical lifeforms. The Dragon King agreed and had our dragon genius alchemists begin research. Through generations of iteration and innovation, these alchemical creatures were finally born and gradually put into use, aiding the construction of the Northern Mining Field.”

Chelsea looked at the Three Great Sled Generals pulling the convoy ahead with much emotion.

“If we really want to talk about it, the value of the Three Great Sled Generals is even more important than our lives. The Northern Mining Field could do without us, but it cannot do without them…”

“Why would you say that?”

Xia Yi was somewhat concerned.

The Three Great Sled Generals were indeed impressive at transporting goods in the icy polar region, but surely it wasn’t as exaggerated as Chelsea made it sound?

“This is because—oh, perfect timing, the blizzard is here. Please experience it,” Chelsea said, squinting his eyes.

Xia Yi looked up and felt the howling blizzard rush towards her face, almost instantly engulfing this part of the world.

The blizzards in the Far North were completely different from ordinary blizzards elsewhere. The snowflakes were like blades, slicing through the air with formidable offensive power. They crashed against the snow vehicles, producing chilling sounds. This force could even directly kill ordinary magical beasts!

The mages in the convoy hurriedly used magic, erecting magical barriers to resist the snowflake attacks.

The temperature dropped rapidly within the blizzard. Xia Yi could clearly feel the cold air entering her throat, cutting like knives, making her body somewhat uncomfortable. In such extreme weather, even breathing became a burden.

This blizzard blotted out the sky and sun, obscuring all light sources. The whole world was a gray, murky expanse with extremely low visibility. The blizzard seemed to contain some kind of disruptive force, affecting the judgment of bodily senses, making it utterly impossible to distinguish directions.

Now, Xia Yi finally understood why Chelsea had said earlier that unleashing one’s true dragon form to fly in the Far North would be a more dangerous move instead.

Ordinary dragons would find it somewhat difficult to withstand the blizzard’s attacks. Under the influence of this disruptive force, there would be no escape. Coupled with the extreme cold draining energy…

No wonder, in past eras, establishing the Northern Mining Field was such a difficult task that many opposed it.

“Chelsea, when will this blizzard stop?” Xia Yi was somewhat concerned.

Hearing this, Chelsea seemed to consider his phrasing, stroking his chin before slowly asking, “Your Highness, you’ve always lived in the Northern Royal Capital before, correct?”

“Yes.”

“In your impression, how often did it rain in the Northern Royal Capital?”

Xia Yi thought back. The times it rained in the Northern Royal Capital…

While it couldn’t be said there was none at all, it was indeed very infrequent.

“It rained very rarely in the Northern Royal Capital. Mostly, it was normal sunny days.”

“Your Highness, on the contrary, in the Far North Lands, harsh climates like this are the norm, completely opposite to the Northern Royal Capital,” Chelsea explained. “These blizzards often last not just a few hours. It’s not a matter of enduring for a while and getting through it.”

“Is it… really like that?!” Xia Yi was somewhat surprised.

This kind of harsh climate was just too excessive, wasn’t it?

“Most areas of the Far North Lands are covered by blizzards year-round. Only a few areas have less frequent blizzard occurrences. Our mining field is precisely established in such special areas. This climate acts like a barrier, isolating the Far North Lands from the outside world.”

“… So, you mean the Far North Lands itself is essentially a natural, massive prison?”

“Yes, Your Highness! Your understanding is perfectly correct!” Chelsea nodded. “Miners who escape without permission in the Far North Lands also can’t run very far. Anyone daring to venture into this blizzard barrier, without supplies, guidance, or transportation, has absolutely no chance of leaving the Far North Lands alive.”

At this point, Xia Yi looked at the Three Great Sled Generals pulling the vehicle ahead. They seemed largely unaffected by the blizzard, still moving as smoothly as before, pulling the entire convoy forward.

Moreover, she discovered that these three dogs seemed to possess an innate sense of positioning and navigation. They showed no hesitation whatsoever about the direction to proceed.

“Your Highness, it seems you’ve noticed.”

Chelsea noticed that Xia Yi had been observing the Three Great Sled Generals.

“This is the unique feature of alchemical creatures. When necessary, they can block out the blizzard’s interference. Through resonance with the magic crystals inside their bodies, they can accurately find the direction to their destination even in such complex environments, safely bringing everyone to the target.”

“This is the value of the Three Great Sled Generals, right?”

“Yes. We are able to travel between the Northern Border City and the Northern Mining Field precisely by relying on such alchemical creatures. Without such tools, moving around in the Far North Lands would be impossible,” Chelsea said proudly.

This was the confidence belonging to the Northern Mining Field.

In the polar region, the value of such alchemical creatures couldn’t be casually measured by money, it belonged to the category of things money might not even be able to buy.

Xia Yi still wasn’t very skilled at creating alchemical creatures.

These things… were they really this amazing?

She felt that if necessary, she could try researching them later.

As Chelsea and Xia Yi chatted, the blizzard gradually subsided, and the weather changed.

“The blizzard has stopped.”

Xia Yi looked around.

The previous state of everything being gray and murky, with poor visibility, had disappeared. The wind and snow gradually receded, and the world seemed to return to normal.

“Oh ho? Your Highness, it seems your luck is really quite good. If this were in the Northern Royal Capital, you could say it’s equivalent to a ‘sudden, brief downpour’ situation,” Chelsea remarked. “However, this kind of clear weather is only temporary. Probably before long, the weather will revert to how it was just now.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. We’ve traveled this route countless times, we definitely won’t run into trouble! Don’t listen to Chelsea’s exaggerated talk!” one of Chelsea’s colleagues said.

“Hey, you, stop undermining me all the time,” Chelsea complained.

“Is it really that stable?” Xia Yi asked.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Chelsea’s colleague walked over to Xia Yi. “Although what Chelsea said isn’t false, you don’t need to worry about any of that at all. Even with our eyes closed, we could return to the Northern Mining Field. If nothing unexpected happens, there’s absolutely no possibility of an incident. Since I started transport work at the Northern Mining Field, I’ve never encountered any problems! Right, Chelsea?”

Chelsea sighed, “… Yes, Your Highness. Even if our Northern Mining Field convoy travels like this a hundred times, encountering non-stop blizzards the entire way, we won’t encounter problems. We can safely accomplish all our tasks.”

“Chelsea, we brought some local specialties from the Northern Border City, including vodka! Want to have a drink to warm up?” another colleague of Chelsea called out.

“Her Highness is right here! Be more restrained, don’t casually drink in front of Her Highness!” Chelsea glared at his colleague.

“Chelsea, don’t let my presence make you too constrained,” Xia Yi said. “I don’t mind your straightforwardness. Just act as usual.”

“Really sorry, Your Highness, for letting you see such a scene from our Northern Mining Field…” Chelsea said with a helpless smile.

“Great! Her Highness is truly magnanimous!”

Chelsea’s colleague opened the vodka and handed a bottle to each staff member.

After all, in this region, the body easily gets chilled, so drinking strong liquor was a very good idea.

Because of last time’s lesson, Elly absolutely refused to drink alcohol this time no matter what.

As for Xia Yi…

Just as she expected, everyone indeed treated her like a child and didn’t offer her any alcohol.

However, both Elly and Xia Yi did receive hot milk.

“Then, let us now celebrate in advance Her Highness’s safe arrival at the Northern Mining Field—”

The Northern Mining Field staff gathered together and raised their glasses.

“Cheers!!!”

The atmosphere on the large snow convoy was lively. Amidst the laughter and cheers, just as everyone clinked glasses, they heard a deafening sound, followed by a violent shake that caused all the bottles to fall to the ground.

BOOM——!!!

“W-what is this?!”

Chelsea looked towards the direction of the explosion within the large snow convoy. In an instant, his pupils constricted, almost unable to believe what he saw.