Glanz Strait

The Glanz Strait.

The strait is very cold in winter, and the sea breeze, carrying fine ice crystals, howls across the water.

Grayish-white clouds hung low over the sea, and the distant mountains were covered by snow, leaving only blurry outlines. Waves crashed against the rocks on the shore, and the splashes of water froze into a thin layer of ice on the grass, trees, and rock walls before they even hit the ground.

I had originally thought that the strait in winter should be quite poetic.

But once you actually arrive, you realize that the so-called poetry mostly belongs to those who sit by the fireplace admiring the scenery through the window, and has nothing to do with those who walk along the coast in the cold wind.

To make matters worse, the scenery by the sea was far less beautiful than I had imagined.

Numerous shipwrecks and debris from the sea piled up on the shore, with broken masts, rotten planks, tangled fishing nets, and discarded barrels stretching along the coastline as far as the eye could see.

It's suspected that this place is cursed, as ships are "immediately" destined for shipwrecks as soon as they set sail.

The roads built along the coast are equally difficult to travel in winter.

Fern walked at the front, holding his staff in one hand and holding Frieren's hand with the other, lest she slip and fall while looking down and hurrying along.

Frieren wrapped her cloak tighter and buried half her face in her scarf. Perhaps the "True Magic to keep her hair clean" had worked its magic; although her long, silvery-white hair was disheveled by the sea breeze, it didn't have much dirt on it.

"It's so cold..."

Fern couldn't help but say.

"Winter in the Glanz Strait is like this all the time. Cold air from the north passes through here during winter, and the mountains on both sides squeeze the sea breeze into the narrow strait, so although the actual temperature is not extremely low, it feels colder than many northern regions."

I see, this must be what's known as the narrow channel effect.

No wonder this place doesn't look like a high-latitude region at all, yet it has a cold wind strong enough to make someone lose consciousness quickly outdoors; the problem clearly lies in this special strait.

"Does Lady Frieren not have True Magic to ward off the cold?"

Fern seemed to be reaching his limit too, so he asked Frieren.

"Absolutely not."

Frieren answered quite readily.

There's nothing here, nothing there. We've collected so many different kinds of folk True Magic, yet it seems like there's nothing that's actually useful.

"We'll be reaching the town soon; we can spend the winter there."

Frieren pointed to the buildings in the distance and said.

But do we really have any money left?

Lorenzo asked a very serious question.

Frieren didn't turn around; she simply quickened her pace.

"The town ahead looks very prosperous; it should be easy to find a job there."

How pathetic! In her past life, as Magecraft, she was never short of money. Even Rin Tohsaka only lacked cash. If she really decided to sell all her jewels, it would be a huge sum of money for a Magecraft family.

But now that I'm in this world, since I'm traveling with Frieren, I can neither rob nor steal. Honestly, when did Magecraft become so virtuous?

If my former colleagues saw this, they would laugh their heads off.

The three continued forward despite the cold wind.

An hour later, they finally arrived at the town by the strait.

This is a port town that developed based on fishing and maritime trade. However, due to the influence of winter winds and waves, there are not many ships to be seen on the dock. In fact, the wreckage of the sunken ship piled up next to it is not entirely without its advantages. At least it can serve as a warning to the captains who set sail from here.

Most of the shops had their doors and windows tightly shut, with only the smoke rising from the chimneys indicating that people were still living inside.

"Speaking of which, do most of the residents of this town have their birthdays in the summer?"

Lorenzo seemed to suddenly remember something and asked Frieren.

"I don't understand, why do you say that?"

Frieren glanced at Lorenzo.

"Look, it's so cold here in winter and it gets dark very early. After the strait freezes over, even fishing boats can't go out to sea. The residents probably don't have much to do at night except go home early."

"But what does this have to do with birthdays?"

Frieren still didn't understand.

"Uh... because winter isn't really a good time to give birth, and at other times you're busy with other things in life."

Lorenzo tried to be as tactful as possible, but Frieren still looked confused. However, Fern seemed to realize something, and her cheeks, which had been pale from the cold wind, suddenly flushed red.

"Lord Lorenzo, please refrain from discussing such strange matters so casually on the road."

"This is local custom and tradition; how can you call it a strange question?"

Lorenzo said in a very serious tone.

A huge notice board for entrustment stands at the entrance of the town.

Slay monsters, escort caravans, search for livestock lost in blizzards, and even help the tavern owner drag unpaid customers out of the basement.

There are quite a few commissions suitable for True Magic to complete, but unfortunately, the rewards for the vast majority are only enough for them to eat a few meals.

Just as Fern was about to give up, a rather old notice caught her attention.

--Clear the northern coast of the Glanz Strait.

Compensation: Accommodation, food, and firewood for heating during this period.

"This is perfect. Food and lodging are included; it's like it was made just for us."

Fern's eyes brightened slightly.

The person in charge of issuing the commission was an elderly man who lived near the port. When he heard that they were willing to take the job, the old man was very happy and immediately took the three of them to the coast that needed to be cleaned.

They ended up on the same beach they had seen before, piled high with all sorts of strange and wonderful trash.

"How long has it been since this place was cleaned?"

Lorenzo asked.

"About twenty years ago."

The old man answered uncertainly.

"Every year, some new things emerge, and over time it becomes like this."

Even True Magic would probably need a long time to clean up these things.

"Leave it to us; one winter will be enough."

Frieren looked at the trash in the sea and said with great confidence.

"In that case, I'll leave it to you."

The old man smiled with relief, then took out a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to Fern, before leading the three of them to their lodgings.

"Your lodging is on the east side of the port. It's a house that's been vacant for several years. The furniture is a bit old, but the stove and chimney still work. Firewood is stored in the backyard, and food is delivered there every few days."

Fern held the key in her hand and looked back at the long coastline one last time.

Is one winter really enough?

"Enough."

Frieren remained very confident.

"Just start working hard tomorrow."

Why not today?

"Because it's very cold today."

"Every day from now on will be cold, Lady Frieren."