Night gave way, but the morning mist had yet to fully clear.
A thin, milky veil still shrouded the seawall and waters of the Glanz Strait. Only when the sea breeze blew in gusts did the fog reluctantly begin to disperse.
Since Annie had cleared every shipwreck and all the silt that had accumulated in Glanz Strait Bay over the past decades with a single Fiendfyre, Frieren and Fern had finished their commission months ahead of schedule. Naturally, they no longer had any reason to stay in that little town on the Glanz Strait.
So, of course, they couldn't stick around to watch the sunrise on the day of the so-called New Year's celebration in Glanz Strait.
After all, there was no way to know whether the weather would be good that day, or suitable for watching the sunrise. What if it rained or snowed, or the day was overcast with strong winds?
And so, Frieren and Fern couldn't possibly foolishly stay in that little town for the sake of a sunrise they might not even get to see.
And so!
Today, before dawn, Frieren and Fern got up. Without waking Annie, who was still fast asleep in their room, they set their luxurious carriage—which had a magically expanded interior—to a destination and resumed their journey as a trio.
Clop! Clop!
Creak, creak—!
Outside the window, the carriage's suspension was excellent, so the passengers could barely feel it moving or bouncing. Even so, the faint, soft crunch of the wheels rolling over the damp morning earth and the horses' hooves striking the ground still filtered inside.
For safety and to keep track of what was happening outside, Annie hadn't used magic to completely block out every sound. At the very least, she'd left the carriage's living room unsealed—the one in