The New Year had just passed, but winter's bitter cold still gripped the entire Sains Continent.
The Malo Empire lay in the Northern Continent, so its winters were naturally colder than those of the countries in the south.
But Stassom, a small town at the northernmost edge of the Malo Empire, was not merely colder than other places on the continent. It was practically another world altogether.
By the time the cold wind blowing in from the Endless Sea to the north reached the southern part of the continent, it was little more than a breeze brushing against people's faces, carrying a faint chill. But in Stansome, which faced that wind head-on, it cut across their faces like a blade, stinging their skin.
"Hiss-"
A gust of cold wind struck Hogan and Dicardo in the face, making them both draw sharp breaths. They instinctively pulled their fur coats tighter and tucked their necks down. Even their eyes, the only parts of their faces left exposed, narrowed to slits as they looked north.
"Hey, Dicardo, in weather this cold, even if we meet up with the Transport Fleet, how are we supposed to get the goods back?" Hogan's voice was heavily muffled by his mask, sounding rather strange to Dicardo.
That, of course, was not what concerned Dicardo at the moment. He glanced at the distant sea, where there was no sign of anything, and shook his head with a wry smile.
"We'll just have to take things as they come. Those fellows in the Transport Fleet haven't stuck to the schedule at all. They're more than two whole months late. If they'd arrived two months ago, it wouldn't have been this cold, and things would have been much easier."
Hogan fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "You can't really