The last trip to Torrent Bay had taken five days. Now, with the terrible road conditions and weather, it was hard to tell if they would arrive on time, so the group was in a rush. They didn’t even think about visiting the Halflings who had settled in the wilderness.

They could only hope those endearing little fellows were doing well lately.

The awful snow never let up.

Along the way, most of the leaves were covered in white snow.

In weather like this, monsters such as goblins certainly wouldn’t be out causing trouble; the ragged hides they wore couldn’t possibly stand up to these conditions.

Since it was just a flurry of small snow pellets, the snow on the ground didn’t get too thick, but it was slippery and made for difficult travel.

As they traveled, they saw hardly any refugee groups or merchant caravans. Colin’s party only encountered one competent team of Adventurers, with whom they exchanged a few words.

These Adventurers were members of the Gray Squad, though not the contingent headed to the White Tower to report in.

They said they were headed to the Underworld near Flint Village to investigate the movements of the Giants. They grumbled and cursed the entire time, complaining that whoever had assigned the mission was heartless.

In any case, Colin didn’t dare tell them he was the one who had reported the Fire Giant.

After parting ways with the squad, they didn’t encounter anyone else in the wilderness.

During their journey, Colin found it very difficult to buy supplies in the villages.

Most villagers were hoarding food in case the disaster worsened. Only the local inns would sell them any meals.

In the villages, they could also see the local lord’s Guards on patrol, checking to see if any villagers were making sacrifices to Lady Rime.

’Their presence probably means someone has already performed a sacrifice.’

’Perhaps this is why Lady Rime is so intent on blasting the south with cold air. Every sacrificial ritual provides Her with new Power.’

’These farmers are so pitiful.’

’They just want the winter to end, but their actions are only arming the enemy.’

’But when you really think about it, they don’t have any other choice.’

As he witnessed all this along their route, Colin grew worried.

He remembered reading about the "Little Ice Age" before he came to this world.

A drop in temperature affects crop yields, which in turn impacts human society.

Although the refugees had yet to incite any large-scale rebellions or riots, a prolonged cold spell would undoubtedly trigger all sorts of unrest.

’If Lady Rime stubbornly maintains this winter disaster, I wonder how long the city-states around here can hold out.’

Mired in these thoughts, Colin and his companions finally saw Torrent Bay at the mouth of the river on the afternoon of the sixth day.

Colin stopped to rest his feet, and the others halted as well.

From a distance, he could see that the tents and carriages outside Torrent Bay had all vanished. The number of ships moored in the small harbor had also dwindled significantly.

The Baron’s castle near the coastline still stood tall. Viewed from afar, the blue building matched the color of the dark, oppressive clouds, sending a faint chill through the heart of any onlooker.

"Let’s go. We can sit in the tavern for as long as we want in a bit." Kase tugged on Colin’s arm.

As he started walking, Colin grumbled, "I’m going, I’m going. What’s the rush?"

As the two of them spoke, Ale walked past them.

She carefully held the hem of her Cloak as she moved forward. After traveling such a long way, the bottom of her skirt was spattered with mud, but the white Magic Cloak remained pristine.

Watching her, Colin was reminded of the "ritual" she performed every night before going to sleep.

The young girl would find a particularly clean spot, spread her old cloak on the ground, fold the new one, and then carefully cradle it in her arms before she would fall asleep.

"What are you two looking at? Ale is almost there," Orelia asked curiously from behind.

Kase and Colin exchanged a glance and hurried forward.

They made their way to the main gate of Torrent Bay.

There weren’t many people lining up at the gate, just an old man hauling hay being inspected by the Guards.

Colin looked up.

Chained to the stone gate of Torrent Bay were a dozen enormous, barrel-sized heads. The freezing temperatures had preserved them so well that the bloodstains and wounds were still clearly visible.

"Those must be the Hill Giants from the south," Colin said.

’That’s good news.’

Colin never thought the day would come when his spirits would be lifted by the sight of several extremely ugly heads.

Kase exclaimed regretfully, "They’ve been dealt with that quickly? I was hoping we could be the ones to handle it and make some money."

"You’ve got some nerve. A dozen Giants could have kicked us all to death." Colin shot him a look. "But the commission for taking out that Giant tribe must have been substantial. Last I heard, there was even a pretty good Magic Item up for grabs."

"Let’s hurry, Mr. Kase, Mr. Colin." Orelia cupped her hands to her mouth, blowing on them to warm them. "I’d like some hot stew."

The group then walked through the gate, heading for a tavern in the center of Torrent Bay.

In this weather, the idle townsfolk all gathered in the warm taverns. Luckily, the party had striking individuals like Kase and Orelia; otherwise, they might not have found a place to sit.

Colin and the others each ordered a bowl of fish stew that had been simmering over the hearth until it was practically mush. They sat at a table and began to eat, washing it down with beer.

"So, what’s the plan? Are we waiting for a ship?" the ever-restless Kase asked.

Colin took a bite of the unappetizing fish. "That’s right. We’ll take a ship to the White Tower first. There’s sure to be no work along the way, since we’ll be traveling with a dozen or so other squads."

The words had barely left his mouth when Morel’s voice sounded directly in his mind.

*Sending. Go up Torrent River to Allen’s Sundries in Three Bays City. Ask for ’goods from cabinet three, drawer two.’*

’Sending?’

Colin understood at once.

Sending was a Tier Three Magic. The spell could transmit a message of twenty-five words or less to a creature the Caster was familiar with, even across planes. It seemed the recipient could also send a reply.

That must have been an order from Morel.

"A message just came through. We have to follow the river upstream to Three Bays City," Colin said.

Orelia frowned. "Is this about dealing with the Cultists?"

"It didn’t say so explicitly, just that we need to find a sundry shop. But I have a feeling this is about us taking on the Cultists," Colin said.

"And it’s probably urgent, too," Ale said, her brow furrowed.

"Don’t worry. Didn’t Morel say this was just supposed to be a training mission before we left?" Colin said comfortingly. "Maybe it’s just a coincidence that a suitable job came up."

"Even better. We can make some money on the side," Kase said with a chuckle, taking a swig of beer. His comment left the others at the table speechless.

’That guy has certainly gotten a lot more confident since his Curse was lifted.’

Now that they had their orders, Colin lost his appetite for a leisurely meal.

After hastily finishing their food, the group went to the docks. They had hoped to take a boat upstream, but due to the snow, the trackers were unwilling to work and the captains didn’t want to depart. They saw no ships heading upriver.

After a brief discussion, the party decided they had no choice but to rely on their own two feet.

After finishing their meal and restocking on supplies, they continued their journey upstream along the Torrent River.

A corresponding entry appeared in Colin’s Task Log.

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**[Commission: Investigate the Cultists]**

**[Status: Not Started]**

**[Reward: Uncalculated]**

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