Chapter 119: Warming Cabinet (3)

The Three Northern Kingdoms

The Three Northern Kingdoms were nations where large portions of their lands were permanently frozen, making winter eternal.

Because of this harsh cold, the most dominant religion in the north was the Cult of the Hearth.

People naturally gathered indoors to escape the cold, and the fire that provided warmth became the most sacred element of their faith.

For the northerners, who had depended on fire for survival since ancient times, the hearth was more than just a religious symbol—it was the very center of life.

So, it was only natural that the Empire's theater productions gained immense popularity in the north.

[The Goddess of the Hearth, Hestia: Receives the Air Fryer! & The Warming Cabinet]

The goddess's hearth and the sacred box.

This play was designed to appeal directly to the northerners.

And the fact that the events of the play were based on true events made it all the more captivating.

Then, when the fantastical inventions from the play became reality, the reaction was explosive.

"An—an air fryer?!"

"Wow… it's real!"

Beyond the glass window of a large air fryer, golden-brown chicken sizzled as it cooked.

The northerners stared with wide, sparkling eyes, watching in awe as though they were witnessing a magic trick.

Even in an environment where lighting a simple fire was a challenge, the air fryer functioned effortlessly.

Sizzle—

"Wooaaahhh!"

"Look at the steam!"

Inside the box, steam rose as warm food emerged, a sight that was nothing short of miraculous to the northerners.

"Ahh… The soup is hot…"

"The meat inside is perfectly cooked."

Gathered closely indoors, smiling faces lit up as the warm meals from the air fryer filled their hands.

"A box that can adjust its temperature… The White Tower's technology is truly marvelous."

"How is this even possible? The temperature is so high, yet the box remains untouched by the heat?"

"Yuri must have truly received a divine revelation."

The northerners couldn't hide their astonishment as they experienced the functions of the air fryer.

For people who had to struggle just to light a fire, the ability to adjust heat with a mere turn of a switch could only be perceived as divine intervention.

With a temperature range from 90 to 200 degrees, the air fryer could be precisely controlled—and there was no risk of the fire going out.

In the frozen north, where frozen food was abundant, the air fryer was even more revolutionary than in the Empire.

While in the Empire, it was seen as a tool of convenience, in the north, it was a survival necessity.

Soon, public air fryers were installed in villages, and food that was previously discarded due to freezing was now cooked and consumed.

"Come, take a drink! It's warm!"

"Warm yourselves up here!"

Merchants stood in the streets, handing out warm beverages from the warmer boxes.

"Ahh, my hands are so warm."

"I don't want to let go of this."

Some pressed the warm cans against their cheeks, while others tucked them into their coats, cherishing the heat.

A drink, meant to be consumed, had become a hand warmer, melting away frozen bodies and souls alike.

And at a price of just 3 silvers, it was so affordable that anyone could enjoy it.

It hadn't even been two weeks since the warming cabinets had spread, yet the streets were filled with people holding blue cans.

People sat on benches, sipping their drinks.

Families ventured out, showing the warmer boxes to their children.

The once indoor-bound populace was now stepping outside once again.

"One Let's Be, please."

"Do you have Let's Be?"

Let's Be.

A small piece of warmth, from another world, was driving away the northern cold.

Clack.

A black knight moved forward.

"Arendelle has brought up tariffs again."

The Second Princess's voice echoed across the silent chessboard.

"What do you plan to do?"

"That's for His Majesty to decide."

But despite her words, a smirk twisted her lips.

That smile told me exactly what she was thinking—

The Second Princess had no intention of accepting Arendelle's proposal.

Although she claimed the emperor would decide, in reality, he had given her full authority over the tariff negotiations.

As imperial goods flooded into the north, the three kingdoms were being rapidly consumed by imperial culture.

Arendelle, sensing this cultural invasion, was cautiously trying to restore tariff barriers—

But the Second Princess had no intention of entertaining that idea.

If anything, she would accelerate the invasion instead.

Clack.

Her elegant white hand moved the queen, trapping the black king.

She loved maneuvering her pieces like this.

It might have been a display of her ambition, but she wasn't just a woman obsessed with power.

"Let's go outside."

The Second Princess stood up and draped a coat over her shoulders.

"It's quite cold out."

"Which is exactly why we should go out."

Her scarlet lips curved into a smile as she glanced at me.

"After all, you can only truly enjoy warmth… when it's cold."

Unlike most royals and nobles, who preferred to stay indoors, the Second Princess loved venturing outside.

She was someone who only trusted what she could see and experience herself.

"That doesn't mean you need to wait in line."

A chilly autumn breeze rustled the red leaves in the park.

At the end of a long queue in front of a warming cabinet, the Second Princess stood, smiling playfully.

"Are you asking me to cut in line?"

"...."

She knew that wasn't what I meant.

If she wanted, she could have had a Let's Be delivered to her immediately.

And yet, she chose to stand in line—to experience things as others did.

As the line moved forward, the Second Princess finally reached the warming cabinet and placed an order.

"I'll take two cans of Let's Be."

"Here you go."

The merchant, after giving her a quick glance, handed over the two cans without question.

Her speech was slightly elevated, but not uncommon for a noblewoman.

"Thank you."

After thanking the merchant, she handed me one of the cans.

"Take it."

"Thank you."

As I took the Let's Be from her hand, the warmth seeped into my fingers, chasing away the autumn chill.

Drinking Let's Be indoors and drinking it after standing in the cold felt completely different.

"So, this is a warm drink…"

The Second Princess smiled as she felt the heat in her hands.

She often dropped her authoritative demeanor during these outings.

Even when a passing child spilled a drink on her, she let it go without a fuss.

"Not bad."

As people bustled through the city, as carriages clattered by—

The Second Princess leaned against a bridge railing, enjoying the rising steam from her drink.

At that moment—

She didn't look like a princess at all.

But for some reason…

"She looks lonely."

Perhaps it was because she knew—no matter how much she tried; she could never truly blend in among the people.

There was a certain emptiness with the Second Princess.

Whoooooosh.

A fierce wind suddenly blew in from the riverside, brushing past her.

Her golden hair, loosened, fluttered in the breeze.

Her pale white neck stood out starkly.

I silently watched her for a moment before wrapping a scarf around her neck.

Surprised, her crimson eyes turned to me.

"It's cold."

The Second Princess, who had been staring at me like a rabbit, suddenly let out a small laugh.

"A Swordmaster won't catch a cold even without a scarf."

"...."

I had forgotten.

That the Second Princess was an exceptional swordswoman.

"Shall I take it off, then?"

"No need."

She replied awkwardly, then chuckled softly.

"That was rather considerate of you."

A deep smile formed on her lips as she looked down at the scarf around her neck.

For some reason, I felt embarrassed.

"Shall we get going?"

Just as I straightened up from leaning against the railing, feeling the chill in the air—

Suddenly, my collar was yanked forward.

Startled, my eyes widened.

Her hand was gripping my clothes.

The Second Princess had pulled me toward her.

And—our faces were too close.

If I moved even slightly forward, our lips would touch.

Those crimson eyes, glowing like blood, stared at me in silence.

My heart pounded.

Her breath, laced with the sweet scent of coffee, brushed against my lips.

"...Your Highness?"

"You did something praiseworthy, so I shall reward you."

At that moment, something flowed into me along with her coffee-scented breath.

Prideful yet noble, mischievous yet gentle…

"My magic."

Roses.

A rich, intoxicating fragrance flooded my mind.

Her magic coursed warmly through my body, eventually wrapping itself around the circle of my heart.

Like thorny rose vines.

But—it didn't hurt at all.

As if it had always been a part of me, my heart felt at ease.

And suddenly, the once chilly air no longer felt cold.

"With that, you'll be able to share my magic wherever you are. It should be enough to keep a frail mage like you in good health."

The Second Princess smiled.

"It wouldn't do if my escort were to catch a cold, now, would it?"

"...Your escort?"

"We must attend the imperial banquet, mustn't we?"

"Ah."

A grand banquet was set to be held at the Imperial Palace to commemorate the alliance between the Three Northern Kingdoms and the Empire.

That must be what she was referring to.

However—

"I have no intention of attending."

A crowded banquet was not my kind of event.

I could already foresee the endless troubles it would bring.

I hadn't even considered going.

"The guest of honor cannot be absent."

"Guest of honor…?"

"It is a banquet dedicated to the Goddess of the Hearth."

Her crimson eyes curved mischievously.

"Would it be right for the goddess's apostle to be absent?"

She had sealed every possible escape route.

It was as if she was telling me not to even dream of running away.

***

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