The morning mist still hung over the village square as hundreds of adventurers gathered, trampling through the straw and mud left over from last night's rain. The smell of cheap wine and sweat mingled with the jingle of coins at the weaponry stalls. Keqing slipped at the edge of the crowd, her hood covering her face but unable to hide the way she stared at the stage.
A man in cracked armour climbed onto the rickety wooden stage. "Did you all hear that?" he shouted, pointing to the west where the sky was darker. "Fontaine is dying! The water is frozen to the bottom, and the dead are frozen to their beds!"
The crowd roared. A woman with horns threw an empty wine bottle to the ground. "Then why should we care? Let their Archons sort it out!"
"Because our Archons are silent!" replied the orator, slapping the table to send dust flying. "Barbatos, Morax—they all knew but did nothing. What does that mean? That this is a test for us!"
A silence fell. In the corner, a little boy leaned against his mother, his fingers clasped tightly around her robe.
"I'm not being pushy," the man continued, his voice suddenly softer. "But remember our oath: 'Better to die a man than live a coward.'"
"Adventurer's Oath!" someone shouted from behind.
"ADVENTURER'S OATH!" echoed throughout the square, swords drawn to the sky. Keqing looked away.
Stray dogs sniffed at the trampled food scraps, then ran away in fear as cheers began to echo.
An old knight rubbed the medallion on his chest, his eyes teary remembering past battles.
Two wizard brothers whispered, their fingers glowing blue as they made quick calculations about the chances of survival.
In the sky, black birds circled as if waiting for a carrion feast.
"Tomorrow at dawn!" shouted a dwarf from the front row, his fist punching the air. "Storm season starts next week—if not now, we'll be buried in ice before we get there!"
The orator nodded, then drew his sword. "For Fontaine! For humanity!"
"May the next time we meet be a day without suffering!"
"TO A HONOURED DEATH!" replied the mob, their voices shaking the steeple of the old church at the end of the village.
"May the Archon bless all of us!"
…
After the short speech just now, Keqing returned to her team to discuss the plan.
Haoyu, Isabelle, and another man, who had just joined, named Louis, gathered around the strategy.
"Before jumping into battle, let's discuss the strategy we're going to use." Haoyu looked at his three team members who were waiting for him to continue, then pressed his finger to the spot on the map where the red ink had dried. "I'll be the main shield," he said, raising a steel shield full of monster scratch marks.
He turned his gaze to the Geo vision on his belt. "My Geo Vision can create a makeshift wall, but don't expect it to last long."
Next, Haoyu turned to Isabelle indicating that it was her turn.
Isabelle pushed her composite bow to the centre of the table. "I can take down enemies from 50 paces. Closer than that..." She took out a dagger from the boot. "I'd rather run away."
"But if it's really an emergency, I can defend as a melee attacker."
At this moment both of them, apart from Haoyu, looked at Isabelle, as if waiting for her to continue her next words. Isabelle sighed. "That's too bad. I don't have Vision."
Louis—the man with the crescent moon machete—scratches his short bearded chin. "Me?" His iron axe landed with a thud on the table. "Can't defend, can't run. Can only tear apart the enemy's ranks before dying."
Then he added with a smile. "I don't have Vision either."
Keqing did not speak. Just shifted her sword and vision half an inch forward.
In an instant, all three of their minds said the same thing: damager, with Electro Vision.
After that, Keqing put the two items back into storage. And waited silently, as if asking: Are there any more? If not, I will leave.
"Two attackers, one archer, one shield," Haoyu muttered. "Without a healer, we should be-"
"-not get hurt," Isabelle interrupted with a bitter smile. "Or get ready to be the subject of a horror story."
Louis, who was new to them, suddenly laughed. "I can imagine our bodies disappearing one by one." He paused and then added, "Don't worry, I'm a master of disassembly. I like playing with legos anyway."
At this moment, they looked at Louis simultaneously.
Lego... what does that mean?
Louis, who noticed their strange looks, hurriedly cleared his throat.
"Ehem... I mean, former construction worker." He paused for a moment then continued, "If something breaks..." His hand made an imaginary circular motion. "...just connect again!"
Isabelle wrinkled her nose. "Did you just drink from a leaky wine barrel?"
"Ah, never mind," Louis sighed when he saw their confused faces. "Anyway, we need a backup plan."
From under the hood, Keqing finally spoke up: "Backup plan: don't die."
Louis frowned when he heard that. He felt like his ears had heard that voice.
Meanwhile, Haoyu, who felt the same, sighed and looked at Keqing whose face was hidden by the hood. No way, right?
Why would she participate in this raid anyway? It made no sense.
"I haven't had a chance to say this before. Let me introduce you, this is Louis, the new member of our team." He said that while looking at Louis.
"Alright, for those who want to prepare before leaving. I'll let you go. But remember, we'll gather again in the afternoon."
…
The ruddy afternoon sun hung low in the far west, casting a pale orange glow over the assembled crowd of adventurers. Long shadows snaked across the ground, bringing together silhouettes busy checking the last of their gear. Each group consisted of four to six people, each carrying a large, heavy-looking rucksack, filled with supplies to face the cold.
Keqing stood somewhat apart from the group. Her black hood covered most of her face, leaving only a strained jawline that occasionally showed when she turned her head. Her thick clothing—layer upon layer of wool and leather—could not fully conceal her slender frame.
On a weathered wooden platform, the leader stood tall. "You're all here on time," he exclaimed, his voice booming in the suddenly silent square. "It's time we set foot on the frozen Fontaine!"
His hand pointed to the west, where the sky was already darker. "Gather with your team! Take care of each other!"
"RISE!"
"VICTORY FOR ALL OF US!"
The shouts of the crowd echoed, swords were drawn in the air, catching the last rays of the afternoon sun before it finally sank.
Keqing's group had already begun to walk away. From under the hood, her eyes followed their backs-Haoyu with his sturdy posture, Isabelle who kept looking back as if to make sure Keqing was following, and Louis whose steps were heavy but steady.
Keqing looked up. The sky that had still been orange was now turning grey, dark clouds rolling in rapidly. The wind began to blow harder, hitting her body and slipping through her thick clothes.
With a reflex movement, she crossed her arms and hugged herself. It was cold.
Even before reaching Fontaine, the cold had begun to gnaw.
...
A/N: If you want to read the 7 advanced chapters with a faster update frequency than the webnovel, you can read it on my patreon whose link is below:
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