Ice Vapor Goddess

Chapter 6 Trekking Through the Snow
There were six survivors in total, including Siren and Mathilde.

A runesmith from Lundinia, a carpenter, and two guards.

Carpenter Sam was in poor condition; he had lost a leg and was therefore tied to the sled. Mathilde had wrapped him in a sleeping bag, and his leg had been treated with Holy Healing to stop the bleeding.

He didn't utter a sound, only occasionally revealing a trace of pain through the twisted wrinkles on his weathered face, as if, like his name "Sam," it was ordinary and commonplace, but usually belonged to the silent and enduring.

When Xiren personally lifted him onto the sled, his eyes revealed a look of fear and overwhelming gratitude.

Runecrafter Aldrich inscribed three runestones on the sled, forming a stable rune. The sacred symbol emitted a faint divine glow, but it required periodic recharging from Siron to function.

Xiren noticed that he checked the sled supplies twice and even made a small draft next to them, which seemed to indicate that he was a very meticulous person.

“Well done,” Xilun praised.

Runes are a unique craft of the Church, using 106 sacred symbols arranged in various ways to produce incredible effects. The steel behemoths that participated in the Crusades were also a product of the fusion of runes and steam technology.

However, the current conditions are harsh; it's enough to just apply a stability rune to prevent the sled from veering off course or tipping over.

But Aldridge didn't seem to care about Celan's praise, and just said casually, "We need to recharge every twenty minutes. If you don't have a watch, there's one in the sled. I'm using it as a spare. We've brought about five days' worth of food and some necessary tools and equipment. Here's the list. How do we allocate them?"

Xilun took the paper, surprised by the craftsman's rationality and orderliness, but quickly calmed down—rune craftsmen are among the professions that most test mathematics, logic, and rationality, and even the slightest mistake can lead to the collapse of the rune edifice.

“Just split it evenly,” Xilun said after glancing at the food. “Don’t bring truffles, just bring meat and bread. Let’s get going.”

Aldridge remained expressionless, but his tense back relaxed slightly in a corner where no one noticed.

The wind and snow continued to relentlessly sweep across the snow-covered plain. The train's remains lay sprawled on the ground, the leaking, flowing red mercury resembling the blood of a giant python. A few insignificant black dots struggled through the half-meter-deep snow, but as far as the eye could see, apart from the white, there was nothing else.

The world was so silent that there was no sound except for the wind and snow, so unfamiliar that it felt like being on some alien planet. The exiles could only hear their own heartbeats, pounding in the abyss of loneliness.

"Where did all this snow come from?" Xiren sighed. His stamina was already poor, and the deep snow was almost exhausting him. "Did all the water from the four oceans flood in?"

These words elicited no reaction. Although the concepts of the three states of water and the water cycle have been proposed, they are only circulated among nobles and intellectuals.

Mathilde's eyes darted around, and she said with a smile, "I've heard that snow is a blanket given by the gods. [Have you ever entered a snow warehouse, or seen a hail warehouse?]"

Xilun smiled and glanced at her: "This is what they teach in the basic education at Sunday school, right? Did you teach there before?"

Mathilde's eyes lit up: "Yes, yes, the children inside are all very cute and well-behaved. I'm in charge of teaching the Bible and I'll also teach the children to sing 'I Know the Son of God Loves Me.' However, there are a few teachers I don't like. They always hit the children, and when it's my turn to teach, the children become listless."

Which order of nuns are you from?

“Uh…” Mathilde smiled, “What do you think?”

Siren looked up at the sky, switched places with Aldridge ahead, and together they each pulled the sled forward on a rope: "The Sisters of Charity, right? Only they would elevate you to abbotship without considering your age." Mathilde winked at Siren, neither confirming nor denying.

They had only walked a little over 200 meters, but it had already taken them half an hour. At this pace, it would take them more than three days to walk without sleep.

Xilun wiped away the sweat that had overflowed, but it turned into icicles as he wiped it away.

Carpenter Sam suddenly stretched out his hand and pointed in a direction with great effort: "There... there..."

Xilun looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a willow tree covered in snow.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Could you help me pick some willow twigs?" Sam nervously licked his lips. It was the first time he had spoken to such an important person. "I should be able to weave a pair of snowshoes."

Siren's eyes lit up, and he quickly broke off a bunch of willow twigs and picked up a few branches. Sam's hands moved nimbly, weaving and stitching them together, and then he made five pairs of snow boots. Each boot had a willow twig upper about the size of four palms, with a rope attached to it to tie to the boot.

Several people tied them to their feet; the resistance provided by the huge shoe uppers prevented them from sinking into the snow.

“This has been a huge help!” Siren reached out, intending to pat Sam on the shoulder, but instead grabbed his own hand and kissed the golden ring.

Silen trembled almost imperceptibly, said nothing, and smiled as he made the sign of the cross above Sam's head.

“It’s what I should do,” Sam said.

“Nothing is obligatory,” Siron said. “You could have remained silent, but you used your abilities and skills to solve our problems. Isn’t that a virtue? ‘Whatever your hand ought to do, do it with all your might’ (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Isn’t that a miracle?”

"I...I..." The honest carpenter was stunned by Xilun's words. His hands trembled as he gripped Xilun's hand tightly, not even noticing that he had twisted the young bishop's fair hand.

Xilun patted him on the shoulder and continued pulling the cart, but this time he didn't stumble and fall.

Mathilde said quietly, “I thought you would say something like, ‘Do not do good in front of others, so that they may see it… Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing… Your Father sees in secret and will reward you.’”

“I think there’s another meaning to this statement.” Xiren smiled and turned his head. “Do you know that the word ‘Papa’ is pronounced in Latin? Since the Pope is the Father and has given me the responsibility of shepherding the lambs, then it is my turn to repay those who do good. The saying ‘Do not do good in front of others’ and ‘Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’ means that those who do good are mostly unknown and very hidden, so we should keep our eyes open and observe them carefully.”

Mathilde's eyes widened: "You're misinterpreting the scriptures! I seem to remember teaching us... students that we should do good deeds quietly, and God will know and reward us!"

Siren shrugged: "I graduated first in my class from the theology department of the University of Florence, and I even had a papal scholarship. Would I lie to you? That's what the most cutting-edge theological interpretations say."

Mathilde thought for a long time, and finally gave him a thumbs up. Siron grinned, indicating that he accepted the gesture.

(End of this chapter)