That night, Sigrid finally brought Lanchi to an independent city-state called Gretel Stone Fortress, also known as Small Stone City.
The sky had turned pitch-black early, with only the twilight and lamplight serving as their landmarks along the way.
Beneath the towering city gate, thick snow blanketed the ground.
"It's already been dark for three or four hours, yet it's only seven o'clock."
Lanchi stepped down from the sled, took a pocket watch from his pocket, glanced at it, and sighed.
In Small Stone City, daylight probably lasted only a few hours. Farther ahead, it would become even shorter.
That was also why these snowy plains were called the Land of Eternal Night.
Back when he and Sigrid had gone to Banderra City, the northernmost city in the Protos Empire, they would have entered a similar region known to the Real World as "eternal night" if they had gone any farther north.
"Don't worry. Whether it's dark or light, I'll deliver you on time according to the contract."
Sigrid had already jumped off the sled before Lanchi and begun unloading his luggage.
Since he seemed to have brought a lot of tools, his luggage was extremely heavy—three whole chests.
Adding her own luggage made four.
"Mm."
Lanchi watched Sigrid work.
One of the reasons the secretary had strongly recommended Sigrid to him was her exceptional endurance at night. She could practically ignore the poor visibility, wind, and snow, and deliver her clients to their destinations.
With her as their driver, the two of them could basically stop at one Beastman city-state every day. There were six in total, and they would arrive in the Demon Realm on the seventh day.
As soon as the two reached the city, they could see a post station. For a small fee, it provided