Chapter 1426: Compromise

“Ah… The snow is really heavy.”

Lorenzo lazily lay on the sofa, wrapping himself tightly, like a plump, satiated caterpillar.

“Really heavy… really heavy…”

On the other side, Red Falcon echoed the same sentiment. The two sofas flanked the fireplace, greedily hoarding all the warmth together like hibernating bears, burying themselves under piles of blankets, leaving only their heads exposed.

Squinting, the crackling sound in the fireplace echoed, rising and falling steadily with their breaths.

After the storm, Old Dunling ushered in its cold winter. The remaining un-cleared water solidified in the low temperatures, transforming the streets of Old Dunling into a world of ice and snow, like a city built of countless mirrored surfaces.

This was beautiful, but also terrible.

The slick roads made transportation inconvenient; even before the storm’s aftermath was fully dealt with, a group took to the streets, laboriously clearing the roads, breaking the icy patches one by one.

Men worked through the wind and snow, wielding shovels, laboriously scraping away the solid ice and snow. Women busily tossed burnable items into the fireplace, easing the room’s temperature slightly, while children leaned against the windows, gazing at the rare heavy snowfall, eagerly hoping to play with friends, building one beautiful snowman after another.

“If only we had some fine wine, it would be even better.”

Red Falcon’s gaze was dazed, reflecting the flames in the fireplace; he leaned close, seemingly wishing to plunge into the fire.

“Such provisions have long since been depleted.”

Lorenzo’s response came from the other side, his eyes narrowed in a line, looking as if he had truly fallen asleep.

“Ah… After all, it’s wartime.”

Red Falcon muttered.

With the conflict at the White Tide Strait and the heavy damage Old Dunling endured, the Platinum Palace recently announced that Ingwig was in wartime status.

All cities were set in motion, the war machinery roar echoing, urging everyone’s spirits.

Old Dunling was directly taken over by the army. To survive this harsh winter, a substantial amount of resources was requisitioned from other cities, filling the vacancies of Old Dunling, while the homeless were gathered and sheltered.

Large buildings, such as memorials and libraries, now serve as temporary shelters for these people, united in their hope to endure through the winter.

Anxiety lingered over Old Dunling, heavy snow falling endlessly, even coating the towering Dunling Tower in white. The entwined cables extended similarly, their heavy ice enveloping them in solidity, bending them close to collapse…

“I hope Merlin doesn’t suddenly die; surviving the storm only to succumb here would be too laughable.”

Red Falcon reached out to the low table beside him, finding only half a cup of warm water, which he gulped down to moisten his parched throat.

“Who knows, but he’s surely busy now.”

Listening to Red Falcon’s words, Lorenzo recalled Merlin’s circumstances, finding it amusing.

These days, Merlin was overwhelmed with work, facing a tougher opponent than Demons; if his resolve were not strong, Lorenzo even thought Merlin might resign.

Old Dunling consisted of several massive systems, interwoven and intermingled like a fortified stronghold, and indeed, for years, it stood firmly as originally designed. But all this crumbled under Roger’s inhuman power.

The collapse of one system triggers a chain reaction, let alone the collective breakdown of these numerous systems.

The main body of Furnace Pillar wasn’t severely affected, but the steam pipes spreading across the city suffered varying degrees of damage. The storm poured underground, un-cleared before encountering the snow, now turning the underground world into ice, sealing countless corpses beneath the darkness.

Surface transportation was also impaired by the ice. As for Dunling Tower, the port for War Airships, it suffered tremendous damage during the war; the Broken Dome became a wasteland, hindering the efficient aerial resupply to these warships, which were grounded at the rural airports.

Such incidents are all too common within Old Dunling. Every day, Merlin wakes up to more troubles; sometimes, even before he sleeps, new documents are sent his way.

“Is it too late to resign now?”

Among the desk stacked full of paperwork, Merlin looked at Nikola with a face of resignation.

“Teacher, don’t be like this…”

Nikola smiled consolingly, trying to calm the nearly furious Merlin.

“But, despite the grim situation, this might also be an opportunity.”

After laughing, Nikola reflected, expressing a serious sentiment.

“Opportunity? What kind of opportunity?”

Merlin looked into his student’s eyes, sensing Nikola’s seriousness, truly preparing to divulge something grand and profound.

“Reform, comprehensive reform of Old Dunling’s system.”

Nikola dug through the layers of files, as if excavating Merlin from a pile of paper; finally, there was no barrier between him and Merlin.

“Now, all these obsolete systems have been struck to different extents. Instead of laboriously repairing and maintaining them, why not use their remnants to create something new?”

Nikola was extremely excited, expressing this to Merlin.

“Illuminate the future path with the thunderous force.”

Merlin didn’t respond immediately; he fell silent. His impassive face showed no emotion, and his gaze was an empty darkness, yet beneath his head, his thoughts were rapidly spinning.