The tour of the Imperial City was complete, and the list of talents was in hand.
The following noon, at Iceflow Plaza.
Beneath a lead-gray sky, the snow had been cleared away to make a vast open space.
The temporary raised platform was covered in deep-blue velvet, its edges inlaid with ice crystals and cold iron runes.
They flowed with a chilly gleam beneath the dim daylight.
Below the platform stood a dense sea of people. City guards in armor and carrying spears maintained a security perimeter.
Beyond it were the crowded yet silent civilians of the Imperial City.
Wrapped in shabby furs, their white breaths merged into a murky fog.
There was confusion, fear, and a faint trace of hope in everyone's eyes.
The nobles and guild leaders had been arranged near the platform.
Clad in thick, luxurious fur robes, their expressions varied.
Some lowered their heads obediently, while others' eyes flickered.
No one spoke casually.
Marshal Haken stood solemnly at the side of the platform in full ceremonial armor.
Grand Scholar Grian held the Ice Crown Scepter, symbolizing the kingdom's legacy.
Victor Langston stood behind the platform with a selected squad of Elite border guards, their figures as straight as cold firs upon the snowfields.
Zong Shen was not wearing his iconic battle armor.
He had changed into a set of formal attire hastily made by the royal craftsmen.
Its inner layer was a black bodysuit woven from soft yet resilient snow giant spider silk.
Over it, he wore a fitted robe of silver-white, embroidered with the Vijaya ice wolf totem in Mithril Thread.
The hem was adorned with tiny deep-blue gemstones, symbolizing the stars of the Everfrozen Ice Plains.
The robe did not completely cover his body. A smooth curved opening had been deliberately left along his