Mr. Pantalone has no crazy plans today.

He intended to properly unload the burdens on his shoulders, not as the executor of the Fools, nor as the president of the Northern Bank, and he would not consider any other plans or such matters.

Shed all shackles and simply relax as himself.

Find the simplest joys of being an ordinary person.

After all, this is just a dream. Once he wakes up, he will simply get out of bed in reality. Everything here is just a dream to him.

Since it's a dream, there's no need to bring other things into the dream, like burdens from reality.

He could shed all pretense and no longer needed to maintain that inscrutable demeanor in front of his colleagues and subordinates, nor did he have to constantly ponder what his plans were.

After all, it's all just a dream, isn't it?

After looking around at everything, he quickly decided on his first destination.

"Let's start by climbing that highest snow-capped mountain. Maybe there's something special up there?"

Although he thought it was impossible, maybe?

Life should have a touch of romance, otherwise wouldn't it be too boring?

Exploring this pure white world alone is certainly a pleasure, but it inevitably brings a sense of loneliness and solitude, which is why he decided to explore it.

So he began his journey to climb that snow-capped mountain, which, in a sense, was an experience he hadn't finished before.

Because it was a dream, he didn't need to worry about getting lost or anything like that.

This will allow him to experience the mountain climbing he failed to complete last time. So, instead of thinking about how to find the route last time, he is more focused on how to climb the highest snow-capped mountain.

After enduring the harsh winds, snow, and cold, he finally managed to climb the highest snow-capped mountain.

But when he actually climbed that snow-capped mountain, he was surprised by what he hadn't expected.

He discovered a palace on the snow-capped mountain, went inside, and saw a figure inside.

It was a woman standing on the edge of a dilapidated palace window, gazing into the distance.

He saw an extremely contradictory quality in her, as cold and sharp as solid ice, yet possessing an indescribable and special tenderness and love.

A white veil veiled her body, revealing her flawless and delicate legs beneath the gorgeous dress.

Noble and elegant, yet revealing a hint of sharpness, an aloofness and coldness that looks down on everything.

Its perfect appearance and noble bearing, unlike those of humans, give it an air of detachment from the world.

The instant he saw that figure, a sentence involuntarily surfaced in Pantalone's mind—

Since being crowned king in the frigid northern lands

Pine needles form a cloak, and white snow forms a crown.

Chapter 80 Dreams, the Queen, and the Understanding One (5k)

Snowflakes falling like ashes, a desolate ice palace, and that proud and cold figure.

The cold and bitter chill were unbearable, and it made people feel fearful and timid.

The woman exuded an almost divine, unreal aura; her face was veiled, making it difficult to see clearly, while her magnificent gown accentuated her flawless figure.

Upon seeing the figure clearly, Pantalone instantly understood. Such a lofty figure and temperament meant that only she deserved to be called the undisputed queen of this frigid northern land.

But what truly puzzled him was not this, but why the Empress was here.

If this is indeed his dream, then logically, only his thoughts should appear here. Therefore, the appearance of such imagery here is quite intriguing.

So what exactly is the reason for this situation?

But this possibility is not entirely nonexistent, assuming this is his dream.

Therefore, he had every reason to suspect that the empress before him might be a phantom created based on his impression of the empress.

Based on his knowledge of psychology from his previous life, if dreams are all derived from subconscious thoughts, then perhaps everything before him could be explained.

He guessed that the real reason he dreamed of this pure white world was that it all came from the memories of the original Pantalone, which might represent that he was gradually merging with his subconscious self.

Or perhaps, this is a subconscious act of self-exploration of one's subconscious.

Pantalone felt this was the most reasonable and scientific guess.

If all of this is a dream, does that mean he can be even more unrestrained?

Perhaps his dream of the empress is actually a good thing, assuming that the empress in front of him is a manifestation of the original Pantalone subconscious.

So perhaps she knew the real plan that Columbia had revealed to her during their conversation—the plan she had promised the Queen.

If this is truly a dream formed from the subconscious, then if he wants to learn anything from it, he needs to consider how to dig deeper.

Just as he was pondering how to begin, the woman gazing at the distant sky from the window suddenly spoke.

"You've arrived."

The Queen's sudden words startled Pantalone, who was pondering how to speak first.

Somewhat bewildered, he couldn't quite grasp the meaning behind the other person's words, so he could only suppress his doubts and continue along with the other person's line of thought.

He gazed at the Empress with scrutinizing eyes, carefully choosing his words before slowly replying.