Problem

Aurelian opened his eyes again and called to Master, "Get up first!"

With that, he used the uneven ground around the pit to spring up in one leap, landing beside Hume. Master quickly followed.

Extraordinary warriors who cultivated magic were beyond ordinary people's imagination in both speed and strength.

"Oh! My lord, are you all right?" Hume hurried over, his flesh wobbling with every step.

"I'm fine."

Aurelian straightened his clothes and brushed off all the dust. Otherwise, it would damage his image in the eyes of his subordinates.

"My lord, was the thing below that was giving off such a dazzling light a block of ice?"

Master asked, still shaken.

"Probably. I think that's the real reason the seeds can't grow. It's draining the life from them."

Recalling what he had seen written in the Stone Book, Aurelian replied as casually as he could.

The first rule of nobility: never show weakness in front of your subordinates. Of course, not many nobles actually followed it.

Hume and Master exchanged wide-eyed looks. They didn't really understand, but it was clearly no ordinary matter.

Yet their gazes held a new measure of respect for Aurelian.

Just as expected, even the king's bastard son had the broad knowledge of a noble—and he possessed a courage most nobles lacked.

He had actually dared to face that eerie ice which could steal away life.

"That's enough for now. I'll head back first. Hume, have someone fill in this pit later. I'm worried something might happen if the layer of ice below is left exposed."

Everything that had happened just now proved that the Stone Book he had seen last night wasn't a hallucination. Aurelian was still thinking about the reward it had shown him.

"Although we've found the reason the crops can't grow, may I ask how we're supposed to solve this? If we don't act quickly, I'm afraid everyone will starve to death when winter comes."

Hume's face was still plainly troubled.

Winter City stood in the Frozen Land. Even the nearest town inhabited by humans was a two-month journey away. When winter came, darkness would rule everything here, monsters would rampage, and endless snowfall would cut them off from the outside world. Aurelian no longer had time to send anyone inside the Great Wall to buy food; a round trip would take half a year.

Winter was coming in three months.

Aurelian fell silent. He didn't have a solution either.

"Well... sorry, Hume, I haven't thought of a way to solve this yet. I need more time to think."

All he could do was offer verbal reassurance, while pretending to be at ease.

Hume had to stay behind to supervise the serfs as they cleared land for cultivation, so Aurelian and Master, the captain of the knights, returned to the castle ahead of him.

After parting ways with Master, Aurelian returned to the main keep of Winter City.

Waiting to welcome him was an old man dressed in a tailcoat and bow tie. He looked full of energy, his eyes bright.

This was Aurelian's old butler, whom he called Old Will. One could say Old Will had watched him grow up.

Aurelian still felt a little guilty in the old butler's presence. At heart, he was an impostor. What if Old Will saw through him?

"Welcome home, my lord. Your dinner is ready," Old Will said with a bow.

Grr—

"Sure..."

He had planned to go to his room and cultivate, but as a foodie, Aurelian couldn't resist when he heard the word "dinner." His stomach was already protesting.

All right, he couldn't cultivate on an empty stomach!

He had always felt that the only perk of being transported to this world was that nobles ate fairly refined food, even if it didn't taste as good as the food from his previous life.

After he had cleaned himself up,

the castle servants brought dinner to the table, which was covered with an exquisite tablecloth.

A length of sausage, a few slices of pickled herring, a colorful fruit salad, a basket of fine white bread, a glass of wine as red as blood, and a covered dish of the main course.

As a noble, even in the distant, barren Frostlands, he still maintained the luxury expected of his station.

Aurelian held the silver knife and fork awkwardly, his eyes uncertain. His stiff movements showed how uncomfortable he was with this sort of thing.

This entirely Western-style dinner didn't suit his taste. He preferred the stir-fried dishes and rice sold in street stalls, with their rich, varied flavors.

But this world was strictly hierarchical. Nobles were forbidden from entering kitchens and storerooms, places reserved for servants.

If he went in, he would lose the dignity of a noble and become the laughingstock of the other nobles.

The Star Empire's court was the exception, of course.

The courtiers, chefs, coachmen, and other attendants at court were all nobles from across the country. Serving the king was their honor.

The one who cooked for his father, Otto, was a great noble called Vladimir, the Blood Lord.

Aurelian had seen the dishes he made. He couldn't understand why the duke liked decorating food in red.

Will deftly, yet elegantly, lifted the lid covering the main course.

It was a golden-brown roasted rack of lamb, its rich meaty aroma wafting through the air.

"Thank you, Mr. Will. You can go enjoy dinner with the other servants now."

Aurelian smiled with the poise of a great noble.

No matter the circumstances, a noble had to remain polite to everyone.

"Of course, my lord. Just call if you need anything. We'll be nearby."

After finishing dinner, Aurelian wiped his mouth and hands with an exquisite knitted napkin.

Will had timed the end of Aurelian's meal perfectly. He came over with two servants to clear the table.

One was a girl with brown hair, clear blue-green eyes, fair skin, and a faint blush on her cheeks. She wore a black-and-white maid's uniform, and a long braid fell to her waist.

She approached Aurelian carrying a small basin of wash water.

The young woman was stunning, yet possessed an innate air of purity that made it hard to entertain any profane thoughts about her.