In mid-October, Mulan sailed toward the Ilkhan Empire with his men and the Ilkhan envoy. As their ship headed farther north, the temperature steadily dropped.
"Mr. Envoy, Ilkhan's bitter winter seems to last longer than I imagined."
Mulan had already put on a thick cloak and exchanged his hat for a peaked cap of his own design, with a gray cloth crown and a black leather brim. It gave him a striking, smart appearance.
Barton seemed to have become Mulan's personal guard once more, his towering figure never leaving Mulan's side.
Handel, Benjamin, Marlin, Hathaway, and the others stood by the deck railing, gazing out at the sea. This was their first time sailing so far north, and the wind and snow felt novel to them.
The Ilkhan envoy was wrapped in a thick fur cloak. Even with his hood fastened around his ears, he was still shivering slightly.
"The winters have been particularly cold these past few years, but never as extreme as this year. This winter has also been unusually long."
"Really? I thought it was like this every year. We must be exceptionally lucky, then."
"The wretched thing is that those lowborn scum are still very active in winter. Aren't they afraid of the cold? Hh-achoo!"
Mulan glanced at the Ilkhan envoy beside him.
"You should go back to your cabin and rest, Mr. Envoy. We won't arrive until tonight, and then we still have to take transport to the Royal Capital, don't we?"
"Yes, yes. I'll leave you to it, then. Excuse me."
"Mm."
Had Mulan not summoned him to ask about the situation, the Ilkhan envoy would never have left his heated cabin. Now, as though granted a pardon, he hurried back inside.
The moment the Ilkhan envoy left, Handel let out a derisive laugh.