Northward

Lowell sped along the road to Ende.

The wind pressure was violent, enough to tear an ordinary person apart. But within a foot of him, an invisible force field smoothed out all the turbulence. His black hair and the hem of his clothes were straightened backward by the aftershocks of his extreme speed, and his figure was like an ink line tearing through the sky, heading straight north.

Within the personal alternate dimension, the temperature is isolated from the outside world, remaining stable and comfortable.

"Why are you suddenly going to Ende so soon? Didn't you say you wanted to enjoy the trip and take your time?"

Frieren's voice carried through the air, calm yet tinged with a hint of doubt.

Fern sat opposite her, a parchment map of the Northern Frontier spread out on her lap, her fingertips slowly tracing the marked routes. Hearing this, she also looked up, her pale purple eyes quietly fixed on the direction of the voice, awaiting a reply.

"Hmm... enjoying the journey is certainly something to do," Lowell's voice came, her pace slightly faster than usual. "But... the main problem is the Riddler! If there's nothing else to do, we can just walk slowly. But that guy said something like 'Someone will tell you the answer in Ende,' and then added 'It's just a little joke'..."

He clicked his tongue, a sound that was a mixture of annoyance and intense curiosity.

"Isn't this just teasing us? We definitely have to go see it first, otherwise we'll be itching to get back to it."

"The Riddler?"

"Ugh, a white-haired old loli, talking nonsense, she's so annoying. If I could hit her, I would definitely beat her up first. Anyway, let's go check her out. She'll be here sooner or later anyway."

Fern lightly tapped the location of "Ende" on the map with his fingertip. The parchment made a soft rubbing sound.

"The ruins of the Demon King's Castle, and the legendary Land Where Souls Rest." Her voice was steady as she analyzed, "If there really is something waiting there, it's good to find out beforehand."

"Right!" Lowell seemed to find agreement, her tone becoming lighter. "Hold on tight, I'm speeding up."

The Demon King's Castle Ende is located at the northernmost tip of the continent.

As Lowell began to descend, the first thing that came into view was an endless expanse of white, seemingly stretching to the ends of the earth. Snowfields covered everything. Only the faint outlines of black mountains in the distance, like the fangs of the earth piercing the leaden sky, broke the monotonous and deathly coldness of this landscape.

The temperature plummeted. The biting cold, like chilling tentacles, tried to penetrate the body.

"Arrive."

Lowell's voice rang out. At the same time, the exit to the alternate dimension silently opened up in front of the two of them.

A biting, knife-like wind rushed in instantly, swirling with fine, hard snowflakes and carrying icy air so dry it could Frozen your breath. Frieren and Fern were simultaneously jolted by the sudden chill and shivered slightly.

They stepped out of the space.

Beneath my feet lay hard, frozen earth, covered with snow that had remained unmelted for years, compacted and crunching underfoot with a barely audible, teeth-grinding sound. Looking around, the vast, eerily empty snowfield stretched out before me. In the distance, a dark city, built against the mountainside, lay silently against the pale backdrop, like the weathered skeleton of a colossal beast. Its walls stood tall, yet crumbling and dilapidated. There were no lights, no smoke, no signs of life; only the long, mournful whistle of the ceaseless wind cutting through the ruins added to the desolation.

"Kindness..."

Lowell's boots sank an inch into the snow. His breath condensed into a large cloud of white mist before his eyes, only to be quickly dispersed by the wind. He crossed his arms and his gaze swept over the familiar yet unfamiliar city with complex emotions.

"Tsk, speaking of which, this place could be considered the 'beginning and the end,'" he murmured, as if talking to himself, yet also to the icy snow. "I arrived here, and death will end here too..."

He shook his head, as if trying to shake off that sudden, inappropriate sentiment, and turned to look at the two people beside him.

"It really is cold, aren't you guys cold...?"

His words came to an abrupt end.

Frieren and Fern were no longer trembling in place.

The two had somehow already taken out thick, warm clothing and were quickly and efficiently putting it on. Frieren wrapped herself in a thick, long cloak with white fur trim, the fur at the collar burying half her face, making her bright green eyes stand out even more. She blinked above the fur. Fern, on the other hand, changed into a well-fitting set of light purple thermal underwear, covered with a thick, sturdy coat of the same color, and had already put on woolen gloves.

They dressed quickly and skillfully, even helping each other adjust their collars and ties.

Within seconds, two tightly wrapped and fully armed "zongzi" appeared in front of Lowell, with almost no skin showing except for their eyes.

Lowell: "..." He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his expression momentarily blank.

Frieren lifted her head from under the fur collar, exhaling a thick cloud of white breath. Her voice, muffled by the thick fabric, carried an air of matter-of-fact certainty.

"Ruby that Ende is freezing cold, and the wind on the snowfield is like a knife that can freeze your ears off. So I prepared clothes in advance."

As she spoke, she reached up and pulled up the hood of her cloak, the frayed edge of the brim almost reaching her eyebrows, making her even more tightly wrapped up, like a round, plump seed preparing for winter.

Fern nodded slightly, his fingertips unconsciously fidgeting with his cuff through his woolen gloves, and added in a steady tone:

"Judging from the intelligence she described at the time, and the consistent climate records of the Northern Frontier, it was indeed a wise choice."

Lowell looked at them, his blank expression gradually replaced by a mixture of helplessness, amusement, and a touch of frustration at his "plans being disrupted." He raised his hand and forcefully grabbed his slightly disheveled black hair in the cold wind.

"Really..." he muttered, his voice muffled, "A talkative fellow."

He lowered his hand, let out an exaggerated sigh, and white mist billowed out.

"I was going to say that I'd prepared clothes for you... I'd picked out all the styles, and they're in my storage space. I was planning to take them out when you were shivering from the cold, to show how thoughtful I am..."

His voice lowered, and his gaze swept over the two men's winter clothes again—clothes that were clearly carefully chosen, perfectly sized, and even pleasing in color and style.

He pursed his lips after comparing the few spare items in his own storage space that were merely "extra thick and windproof".

"... Never mind, hmph." He turned his face away, looking at the Demon King's Castle in the distance, the back of his head conveying a subtle, unfulfilled desire for recognition.

"So," he turned back, his expression now normal, "Where is the Land Where Souls Rest... Although it's called Ende, even a fool would know the clues should be Land Where Souls Rest. Let's go, let's go take a look, and, well, let's also go see my lovely apprentice."