99: Eternal Peak

Because the Red River Territory had previously suffered a heavy blow, the territory was left with only a group of elderly, women, and children. Later, Renn brought back three thousand young men, making the territory's population somewhat unstable.

Therefore, Renn had always wanted to stabilize and integrate the immigrant population by forming new families from these single men and women.

Later, Renn abducted ten thousand people from Keduo Town and purchased more than ten thousand Slaves. Now, the gender ratio of the territory's population was somewhat unbalanced, with more men than women.

Despite the demographic imbalance, Renn still wanted to stabilize these new additions to the population through marriage and family.

Thus, Renn still intended to hold a mass wedding. He had already made arrangements with Fornal a few days ago and notified everyone in the territory.

Any compatible men and women could marry on the day of the Harvest Festival, with Renn personally acting as the witness for this mass wedding.

“Fornal, are there many people signed up on your end? Roughly how many couples?”

“About a hundred couples or so!”

“A hundred couples? That's still a bit too few!”

A hundred couples was only two hundred people; this number was far too small compared to the total population.

“It is a bit low, but most of the people in the territory are newcomers. Moreover, since arriving, they've been busy with construction, so many men and women don't know each other yet. Thus, those with the intention to unite are still in the minority.”

“The vast majority of these hundred couples are unions between the young men from the three thousand you first brought and the women of the territory.”

Renn thought for a moment and then said:

“In that case, tomorrow the mass wedding will proceed as planned regardless of how many couples there are. After the wedding, the celebrations will begin. You should organize a mass blind date for the single men and women so everyone can get to know each other.”

“This way, tomorrow won't just be a holiday celebration and a mass wedding, but also a large-scale matchmaking event, allowing more interested single men and women to meet and unite.”

After speaking, Renn looked at Ross and the others, saying with a smile:

“And you guys—most of you aren't married either. Work hard tomorrow and don't embarrass me!”

Old men like Wayne didn't have much interest. They once had families, but though their homes were lost to various accidents, they weren't that desperate for women or a family anymore.

Young men like Eric, full of vigor, were still extremely expectant in their hearts.

“Lord, you haven't even started a family yet, and you're talking about us!”

Eric muttered quietly. Suddenly, the scene went silent. Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Eric immediately shut his mouth and looked at Renn nervously, not knowing what to say.

“You brat, you sure think a lot. You don't need to worry about me.”

Renn didn't react much, laughing as he scolded Eric a couple of times to move past the topic.

He intended to start a family in the future, but for Renn, starting a family wasn't that simple. That person would be the future mistress of the Red River Territory; that position wasn't suitable for just anyone, and Renn wasn't the type to lose his head over any woman he saw.

Although he was young now, having lived two lives, his psychological age had long passed the impulsive stage that Eric was in.

With Renn intentionally livening up the atmosphere, the hall became boisterous again as everyone discussed tomorrow's festival.

Soon, as the meeting in the hall concluded, everyone in the territory knew that tomorrow's Harvest Festival would be a day off, and they could all rest for the holiday.

A joyful atmosphere hung over the Red River Territory.

Early the next morning, everyone rushed to the square in the center of Red River Town to wait for the mass wedding to be held.

Renn had distributed new clothes to everyone. Since there was no work today, most people wore their new clothes, watching the couples in the square with smiles on their faces.

Under Renn's witness, two or three hundred newlyweds became husband and wife, and cheers resounded throughout the square.

Then came the lively celebrations, with prepared delicacies lining both sides of the wide stone road.

Today's food was supplied openly; people could eat and drink as they pleased as long as they didn't waste anything, and the variety was greater than usual.

The Slaves who had just joined the territory had never seen anything like this.

Wearing new clothes, eating delicious food, and watching couples marry to form families, the gratitude these Slaves felt for Renn was beyond words.

Some felt they couldn't even dream of such a good life, and many began to cry as they ate.

Renn didn't know all this, but he knew that after this festival, the newcomers in the territory would be completely integrated into the Red River Territory.

“Harvest Festival... after today, winter begins tomorrow!”

Feeling the chill in the air, Renn stood with Master Kapdo and Cecilia on the high platform of the castle, looking down at the bustling Red River Town.

The excited Cecilia had not yet recovered from the excitement of the mass wedding.

Such a unique format as a mass wedding was something not even Master Kapdo had seen, let alone Cecilia.

“The Harvest Festival, also known as the Winter-Welcoming Festival, was established a thousand years ago after King Asriel founded the kingdom. For a millennium, it has been the kingdom's largest festival besides Kingdom Foundation Day and the Golden King's Redemption Day.”

Touched by the lively atmosphere of the Red River Territory, Master Kapdo became more talkative and began discussing the kingdom's history with Renn.

A thousand years ago, winter on the Golden Plains would arrive in November. According to records, it used to snow on the Golden Plains back then.

However, when the ancient relic, the Cold Wind Spire, appeared in the world, the majority of the cold winds blowing from the Far North were absorbed by it, and it never snowed on the Golden Plains again.

Because of the Cold Wind Spire, winters in the North were no longer as cold.

In Renn's memory, the lowest temperature in the North's winter was about minus twenty degrees—cold, but not excessively so.

At this temperature, given the physical constitution of people in this world, it was no problem at all as long as they were well-fed and healthy.

“Master Kapdo, is that Cold Wind Spire really that powerful?”

Master Kapdo nodded and said, “The power of ancient relics is beyond what ordinary people can fathom.”

“I once visited the Cold Wind Spire. I can only say that the powerhouses of ancient times truly possessed means to change the very heavens.”

“The entire Cold Wind Territory, due to the presence of the Cold Wind Spire, is in a state of constant snowfall all year round, even in the height of summer.”

“The cold wind is bound within the Cold Wind Territory; one step outside, and it's a different world.”

“The kingdom's North is separated from the world further north by the Black Mountain Range and the Eight Peaks Mountain Range.”

“The Black Mountain Range is lower in the east and higher in the west, while the Eight Peaks Mountain Range is higher in the east and lower in the west. The two massive ranges are distributed in a V-shape.”

“The Cold Wind Territory is wedged in the mountain pass where the two ranges meet. The corridor formed by the intersection of the two ranges leads all the way to the Far North. All the winter winds of the kingdom blow out from this corridor, which is why it's called the Frostchill Corridor.”

“However, the Cold Wind Spire blocking the exit of the Frostchill Corridor and absorbing the cold winds from the Permafrost Plateau in the Far North is a good thing, as it improved the environment for the kingdom.”

“Without the piercing cold winds, the crops on the Golden Plains went from one harvest a year to two. The North, which was originally unsuitable for human survival, gradually became habitable.”

Renn agreed with this point; the change in the natural environment caused by the Cold Wind Spire was indeed more beneficial to the kingdom's development.

“That's true!”

“But Master Kapdo, if our North wasn't habitable before the Cold Wind Spire appeared, how did those in the Wasteland of Chaos to the north survive the winter? They are even closer to the Permafrost Plateau. Wouldn't those Orcs and Fel Orcs all freeze to death in winter?”

“To the south of the Wasteland of Chaos is the Black Mountain Range, and to the north is another majestic and massive range, the Eternal Mountain Range. That was once the homeland of all Dwarves, featuring the highest peak on the Noah Continent, the Eternal Peak.”

“The Eternal Mountain Range and the Black Mountain Range surround the Wasteland of Chaos in an arc. Because the mountains block the cold currents, winter in the Wasteland of Chaos is only slightly colder than in the North. With the physique of those Orcs, they can definitely withstand it.”

Renn heard a new term, and his curiosity was immediately piqued.

“Eternal Peak?”