"Andesha repeated the name softly, somewhat puzzled. "Thorinburg?" She was not very familiar with Cecil's place names, but this one seemed vaguely familiar. After a moment of recollection, she finally found the relevant information in her memories of intelligence reports and documents. "Ah, I've heard that name... It seems to be on the Holy Spirit Plain..."
"Strictly speaking, it lies on the border between the Holy Spirit Plain and the Eastern Territory—though administratively, it is part of the Holy Spirit Plain," nun Marian said with a smile. "It is a place full of miracles."
"Miracles... I remember the Holy Spirit Plain had already become a wasteland during Ansu's civil war, and Thorinburg was the area that suffered the worst devastation. It..." Andesha could not help murmuring, but the new scenery appearing beyond the train window quickly cut her off, drawing all her attention to the wilderness outside.
She saw an immense tower rise in the distance. It was built from metal and artificial stone, even grander than the Communication Tower at Winterwolf Fortress. Magical radiance flowed across its surface, while a massive crystal device atop it slowly rotated, supported by some sort of Mechanical Structure. Around the tower stood a series of auxiliary facilities, making it resemble a small fortress.
Farther away, she saw an architectural complex that looked like towns and villages. Vast numbers of brand-new houses stood in neat rows, their roofs glittering under the brilliant sunlight. Leveled land spread around the settlements like a great brown carpet, and between the fields she could see broad, orderly roads, with streetlamps lined up neatly along both sides.
The train raced across the winter wilderness, yet the winter wilderness welcomed its visitors with the appearance of a land reborn.
Andesha widened her one remaining eye, staring in astonishment at everything