Chapter One - Cold Little Town_1

There are five countries on the Tiang Yuan continent, namely the Empire of Tian Jing in the north, the Empire of Huasheng in the south, the Empire of Sunset City in the west and the Albumy Federation in the east. In the center, sharing borders with the four great nations, is a hexagonal piece of land known as the Holy Church, arguably the most famous entity on the continent. Except for the estranged Empire of Sunset City and Empire of Huasheng, the countries generally maintain peaceful relations. Every year, each nation must pay a "protection fee" to the Holy Church to support its operation.

The Empire of Tian Jing is predominantly inhabited by the White Race, characterized by their towering stature and golden hair with emerald eyes. Meanwhile, the inhabitants of the Empire of Sunset City and the Empire of Huasheng belong to the Yellow Race, distinguished by their black hair and eyes. The national composition of the Albumy Federation, the only federal state on the continent, is more diverse, housing the White Race, the Yellow Race, and the physically sturdy members of the Black Race, along with numerous Alien Races. In terms of comprehensive strength, the Albumy Federation, consisting of six different races, stands as the most powerful, while the other three nations possess comparable military strength.

In addition to the primary human inhabitants, the continent also consists of several scarce fantasy races, including the kind-hearted Elf Clan, the hot-tempered Dwarf Clan, the Winged Tribe known for their singing and dancing, and the elusive Half-Beast Clan that dwells in secluded forests— along with the enigmatic Dark Demon Clan and the legendary Dragon Clan. These races, though fewer in number compared to humans, are scattered across nations where they have coexisted with humans in harmony for centuries. However, due to varying lifestyles, the Alien Races often reside in secluded valleys or forests, rarely coming into contact with humans.

Although the Holy Church only occupies a small area of the continent, it enjoys a supreme status. Virtually all humans, except a handful of atheists, are devoted followers of the Church. The clergy are the most respected, with the Pope holding the highest authority within the Church. The Pope is assisted by four Red Robe Priests, also known as Red Bishops. The Red Robe Priests are followed by twelve White Robe Priests. When more than half of the Red Robe Priests and White Robe Priests consider that the Pope has made a significant error, they can initiate impeachment. However, since the Pope's promotion is extremely stringent, there has been no impeachment since the inception of the Church. Underneath the White Robe Priests are senior priests, intermediate priests, ordinary priests, and novice priests, also known as monks or priestesses. The clergy in the Church are permitted to marry, but their spouses must be devout followers of the Church. In addition to their vocation, clergy members are revered for being Light Magicians. To be promoted to a White Robe Priest requires them to possess the skills of a Light Magus or better, a feat rarely achieved, as the number of Magi on the continent has never reached three digits. The Red Robe Priests are even more powerful, so much so that it is rumored that if the four Red Robe Priests and twelve White Robe Priests were to join forces, their Light Magic could rival the combined military force of any nation. The Pope is usually elected from among the Red Robe Priests through a rigorous procedure. Once chosen, the former Pope conducts a ritual to bestow upon the successor the Church's most sacred powers. The Pope's real power is unknown for, over the past millennium, there has been no occasion where the Pope was required to act personally. The Church's dealings with the external world are usually undertaken by the clerics of the Court of Justice, supervised by the Judgment Chief. The Judgment Chief shares the same rights as the Red Robe Priests, and his judges are referred to as executioners of the Holy Church. As fervent believers in the Sky God, they are ruthless in their dealings with non-believers, adhering to a singular principle: execution. Unlike traditional clergy, the members of the Court of Justice are entirely under the control of the Judgment Chief, who reports directly to the Pope.

The currency on the continent is standardized, denominating Church-issued coins stamped with the Church's logo. The currency operates on a decimal system, that is, one diamond currency equals ten amethyst coins which equates to a hundred gold coins, translating to a thousand silver coins or ten thousand copper coins. The average annual income for an ordinary family is about fifty gold coins, while maintaining a family for a year generally requires about thirty gold coins.

Each of the four countries has its own common language, while the Church's language is universally spoken in all major cities and within the noble classes. The story we are about to narrate begins in the city of Nino, which is located in the northern-most province of Biluno, under the rule of the Empire of Tian Jing.

The city of Nino lies at the northernmost tip of the Biluno province in the Empire of Tian Jing. Being located at the extreme north of the Tiang Yuan continent, the region has prolonged nighttime and experiences cold weather almost all year round. Most people here eke out a living by fishing in the icy sea that stretches along the city's edge. The sea, with its floating icebergs, is teeming with seals and sea lions whose skins are highly sought after by the nobles.

Slowly drifting gray clouds in the sky signaled the onset of a coming snowstorm. In a dark alleyway of the city of Nino, a group of people clothed in tattered cotton jackets huddled together. A man in his middle age, with a deep scar on his forehead, glared intently at a frail-looking girl of about twelve or thirteen years with black hair and eyes. The girl's face was sallow and her body was poorly covered against the cold. Her half-grown hair shrouded her facial features from the nose upward, making it hard to discern her looks. Trembling with fear, the little girl peered alarmingly at the middle-aged man through her curtain of hair.