Man in the Ark: Revitalizing Kazdel

Chapter 223: Falling Snow, Dyeing the Country

A long-abandoned mine in the snowy plains north of Ursus.

This mine was originally the property of the Ursus Fourth Army. The patrol team would capture the infected people nearby and bring them to work in the mine. Until the mine was mined and abandoned, no infected person would be able to walk out of here alive.

The Reunion Movement's reconnaissance team discovered this abandoned mine. After carefully exploring the surrounding environment, Tallulah decided to lead the team to stay here temporarily.

"Talulah, you must have had a hard journey. Come and have a bowl of hot soup. Here are some baked potatoes..." The white-haired Elafia girl, wrapped in a tattered cotton coat, curled up her body, and leaned against the fire.

The blackened wooden spoon stirred the boiling soup in the iron pot. Wild vegetables and a few pieces of meat were rolling in it, giving off an enticing aroma.

"Alina, I've already told you. You don't have to wait for me. If you're hungry, I'll cook for myself." Tallulah took off her coat that was stained with snowflakes, hung it on the wooden rack next to the fire, and dried it with the help of the heat from the flames.

"You've been working hard outside all day, so I have to prepare hot soup for you." Alina smiled gently and filled a wooden bowl with soup for Tallulah.

"The reconnaissance team found a village five kilometers to the south. We can try to exchange some food and cotton clothes with the villagers tomorrow. The children have been sick recently." Tallulah blew on the hot soup and took small sips.

"That's great. Now that the team is close to the city in the south, spring will soon arrive in Ursus, so we can start some farming. We still have the seeds we left behind, so we can sow them."

Alina stood up and pulled out a burlap bag from her backpack in the corner and poured out a handful of shrunken seeds.

"For some reason, the patrol team's activities have decreased recently. We should be able to use this time to repair the team and replenish some supplies."

Tallulah finished the hot soup in the bowl in a few gulps, and used firewood to search in the ashes of the fire, and the potatoes with carbonized surfaces were turned out.

Peel off the skin and add some salt, and it will be the most delicious food on the snowfield.

In the tent next to Alina and Tallulah, the fire in front of White Carter had just gone out. Ordinary flames could not dispel the cold symptoms caused by her excessive use of Originium techniques.

In order to prevent the soup in the bowl from cooling down too quickly due to contact with the extremely cold body temperature, she put on thick gloves and brought the soup out of the tent.

Because of his tall stature, the patriot Bozhukasti had difficulty entering the tent, so he built a temporary camp outside using trees and iron sheets.

The shield that looked like a giant tower was inserted into the hard frozen soil, and the flag of the Integration Movement was hung on the halberd next to it.

"Father, the soup is ready, have a sip." Even if Yelena stood on tiptoe, she couldn't reach the height of the patriot sitting cross-legged. Fortunately, the pair of broad hands hung down on his knees, so she could put them directly on them.

"...Well, thank you for your hard work..." The Patriot's throat seemed to have a stone stuck in it, and he spoke slowly and low.

"Little Yelena, is there no share for us?" A tall shield guard came over holding a bowl with a crack in it.

"The uncles are in the tent, go and serve yourself." After Yelena put the bowl in the Patriot's hand, she casually swept the snow on the ground and sat down.

The coldness of the ground was nothing to her.

"Father, we haven't encountered those imperial hounds for half a month. I feel something is not right." The imperial hounds that Yelena mentioned were the pickets on the snowfield.

They would patrol the snowfields periodically, break into villages to search for infected people, send them to mines, and take away the food stored by the villagers for the winter.

Yelena was born in a mine, her grandmother and parents all died under the cruel rule of the mine managers, who would randomly kill infected miners by drawing lots for their own entertainment.

Later, due to the policies promulgated by the new emperor, more attention was paid to the infected, which led the people in power behind the mine to kill all the infected miners and abandon the mine to bury the evidence of their crimes.

The interest groups behind the scenes pushed out a few insignificant minor nobles to take all the blame, and the matter was left unresolved. The new emperor knew all this, but he was powerless to do anything.

Some things are just enough, it would be impolite to check further.

The infected have a very low status in Ursus and suffer discrimination and oppression from ordinary people. The emperor values the infected and gives them gifts, which is against his own people.

The nobles occupying remote areas can use this as an opportunity to compete with the emperor. After all, the infected are really easy to use.

Until now, the snowfield is still dotted with mines of all sizes, and every day cold corpses are thrown into bottomless abandoned mines.

"...I will pay more attention, you don't have to worry too much..." The Patriot's wooden bowl was specially carved and cut by Yelena with a dagger. It was much larger than that of an ordinary person.

"Father... Does the anti-ore sickness potion that Tallulah mentioned really exist?" A few days ago, during a meeting, Tallulah told the team members about Ursus buying anti-ore sickness potion from Kazdel.

"It should be true. She has no reason to lie about something like this."

"Such a precious potion must have been used first by those noble lords. It would never be our turn." Yelena hugged her knees with her hands and drew chaotic circles on the ground with a wooden stick.

"...I'll find a way to get it and give it to you..." The Patriot said slowly but firmly.

"Forget it, father. You should use it on yourself first. Your condition is much more serious than mine." Yelena shook her head and looked up at the Patriot.

"...You are still young and should have a better future. The snowfield should not be your destination..." The Patriot suddenly had the idea of sending Yelena to Kazdel.

But the snowfield is in the north of Ursus, and Kazdel is in the south of Ursus. It is too dangerous to cross Ursus as an infected person.

"I was born and raised in the snowfield. Now I am fighting for my compatriots in the snowfield. This is my home."

“…” The Patriot remained silent and just clenched his fists.

......

Ten kilometers north of the abandoned mine, a dark and terrifying figure moved strangely on the snow, and black snowflakes flew, dyeing the land of Ursus.

"Hiss...Huh..." The figure stopped and reached out to push away the soft surface snow, revealing footprints hidden underneath.

"95 (secret code), the target's direction has been discovered. Awaiting your instructions, Chancellor Witte."

"Return after finding the target camp."

"Yes..." The dark figure seemed to have sensed something and appeared in the leeward side of the hillside, where several well-equipped and expressionless Ursus were hiding.

Without giving them a chance to speak, the magic spears pierced their bodies directly, blood spurted out, soaking the snow red.