Chapter 130: The Circus
December 17, 2014
Author: Floating Tower
The biting cold wind is like a knife!
Soren had no choice but to don his cloak, enveloping himself within it. This year’s northern region is colder than in the past. He couldn’t tell if it was just this year’s winter, but according to his memory, the Frozen Kingdom wasn’t as cold as it is now. The heavy snowfall had mostly ceased, but the ice and snow were melting at a sluggish pace, and traces of melting were hardly visible. All around, everything was starting to freeze, and some river ice was thick enough to walk on.
It was still the end of September, with about five or six days left until October.
The beasts of the tundra began to emerge in search of food; due to the cold climate, the wolf packs also started migrating. Soren encountered many monsters along the way but managed to stealthily avoid them. The mountains loomed in the distance, but as he walked, he realized he hadn’t reached them yet. After a whole afternoon of travel, he gradually approached the area of the Frozen Valley, as many icicles had started to appear on the surrounding trees. The Frozen Valley is the coldest place, with a climate that has remained unchanged for hundreds of years.
Amidst the wind and snow, he noticed traces of a carriage. Soren paused to observe and concluded that a caravan had passed through.
“Who would go to the Frozen Kingdom in winter?”
Soren brushed aside the snow to examine the traces of the wheels. The wagon appeared to be specially modified, widening the area of force, yet it wasn’t fashioned into a sled. It didn’t seem like people coming from the south; they were likely from a port city in the central region. There were many in the caravan; Soren estimated at least thirty or forty people.
“This time of year, there shouldn’t be any merchant caravans coming, right?” Soren carefully glanced ahead but didn’t spot any figures, which meant they probably passed yesterday. Traveling through the tundra was slow, so Soren estimated he might encounter these people before nightfall, though he didn’t know who would still head north in such cold weather. Nearby, there were signs of a campfire, with remnants of food carelessly discarded by the roadside. Soren frowned at the clutter; he felt that those up ahead were not merchants.
The ice on the path was getting thicker.
As dusk fell, Soren finally saw a group ahead—a convoy of three modified wagons.
The pack animals were a kind of thick-furred yak, appearing snow-white with a single horn on their heads. They were crouched around, sheltered from the cold wind. The group seemed experienced, clearly having traversed the tundra before and knowing how to make themselves more comfortable, much like how desert dwellers use camels to shield against sandstorms. The domesticated pack animals were very docile, and Soren didn’t see any Merchant Guards. There weren’t many mounts; these people did not appear to be merchants.
“Who?!”
A small figure sprang out, squinting towards Soren. He noticed a green-skinned goblin, which appeared somewhat different from the goblins he had seen before. Its expression was much more varied, and its face was painted with bizarre body paint—looking somewhat like a clown. With the goblin’s loud shout, over a dozen people stood up near the caravan, revealing various races, including a vibrant elf standing beside a sturdy orc.
“A circus?”
Soren raised his eyebrows, slowly walking over and smiling, “Just a passing traveler, I saw you all here and thought I’d come for a warm soup.”
The green goblin sized him up and then revealed a comical smile. It waved, “Come over! We just set up camp.”
A lone adventurer.
It didn’t seem particularly dangerous. At the very least, it couldn’t threaten such a large caravan.
Soren stepped closer, his demeanor not completely relaxed. After sizing up the group around him, he inquired, “A circus? Are you all planning to perform in the Frozen Kingdom?”
Three large wagons.
Two of the wagons were packed with various items, many of which were performance tools. The purpose of the third was unclear but appeared quite ornate from the outside.
“Of course,” a beautiful elf stood up, her skin looking delicate, seemingly of somewhat nomadic elf lineage. She wore an exquisite dress akin to that of a noble dancer, though the neckline was quite low, revealing a smooth expanse of her chest. The side of the dress featured a slit, likely held together by buttons that, if undone, would expose her snow-white thigh. She tilted her head and appraised Soren, and upon deciding he didn’t seem like a bad person, casually remarked, “If it weren’t for the performance, who would want to come to this freezing hellhole!”
Soren narrowed his eyes slightly, not due to her beauty or the sight before him, but because of her attire.
In such frigid weather, she wore so little; while it was cold, she still looked relatively normal.
She must be an Advanced Professionist!
One should not underestimate performers in this world, as many are part-time Bards, especially in circuses, opera troupes, and performance groups, where the number of professional performers could reach half, and most of them command high value. These professionists are like celebrities from a past life, receiving applause wherever they go. A formal performance could earn more than an adventurer risking their life. Just like the green goblin earlier, it likely was a special class clown dancer evolved from a Bard, explaining how quickly it noticed Soren.
The distance closed a little.
Soren noticed an emblem featuring an elegant silhouette, surrounded by barriers, with colorful drapery. He looked at the group in surprise, wondering, “Phantom Circus?”
“Eh?” The elven girl giggled, glancing at him, “You’ve heard of us?”
“I have,” Soren nodded, slowly continuing, “You are quite popular over by Arthur’s Harbour; I’ve heard you have some very unique performances.”
The elven girl giggled, playfully appraising him, “Those performances aren’t something just anyone can get the privilege to see!”
Soren shrugged slightly, not having much expectation for those performances.
“Come here.”
The green goblin gestured for him to sit by the campfire. It looked entirely different from the wild goblins, likely belonging to a group near Sandy Harbour. Those goblins had been servants to the Grand Archmages and retained some traditions after the Arcane Empire’s fall. Their skin is lighter than other goblins, and they don’t relate to the wild ones. Their attitude towards wild goblins is like that of Africans toward cannibal tribes; when it comes to dealing with them, they show no mercy!
“I’m called Copper Coin. I’m a clown,” the goblin said with a comically exaggerated smile, raising a piece of food, “Want to try? Barbecued ice frog! A delicacy you can only get here; it tastes way better than other bullfrogs!”
Ice frog?
Soren glanced at the food in its hand, frowning, “That seems toxic, doesn’t it? Eating that would lead to diarrhea!”
“No problem,” Copper Coin shrugged nonchalantly, saying, “Goblins eat anything.”
“Copper Coin likes eating frogs, not afraid of poisoning!”
By the campfire.
A group was seated around it, including orcs, dwarves, elves, humans, etc., numbering over twenty, among whom nearly half were women. Soren glanced around and noticed that most of them were Advanced Professionists, with a high ratio of Bards. The Phantom Circus is an organization active near port areas, so the members certainly wouldn’t be limited to just the ones before him; they were merely part of the whole. Aside from the two speaking, the others showed indifference towards Soren and were busy with their own activities.
A human girl wearing a puppet mask, with dozens of throwing knives at her waist, often cast a rather provocative gaze towards him.
The elven girl seemed to be one of the organizers, unless the unseen woman within the wagon was the one.
“What’s your name? How come you’re all alone in this freezing place?” The elven girl approached and sat directly beside Soren. She had a special fragrance about her; Soren recognized that scent, often found on the Priestess of the Goddess of Desire.
Soren smiled, glancing at her, “Soren. A lone adventurer wishing to explore the Frozen Kingdom.”
“What’s your destination?”
The elven girl glanced at his curved blade, chuckling, “We’re heading to Arendelle; their Princess is set to ascend. The court invited us to perform.”
Both parties were conversing tentatively.
The others seemed uninterested on the surface, but their attention was actually on Soren, as he was an outsider.
“Arendelle?”
Soren’s expression showed surprise, soon seeming to recall something, “That place seems special, doesn’t it? Have you heard anything before going there?”
The elven girl smiled slyly, saying playfully, “Heard what? We haven’t heard anything at all!”
“Did you hear anything?”
Soren glanced at her, gently shrugging, with a hint of truth intertwined with jest, “Wasn’t there a legend about the Avatar of the Ice Goddess descending there a long time ago?”
The elven girl blinked, giggling, “Really? I’ve never seen an Avatar of a Deity before!”
A crisp ringing of bells emerged from within the wagon.
The elven girl paused for a moment, then quickly jumped up and walked over; the door curtain was quite thick, and nothing outside could be seen.
After a while.
The elven girl came back out and looked at the others, saying, “The troupe leader says you all should rest well and aim to leave the Frozen Valley by tomorrow morning. Oh, you’re Soren, right? You can set up camp here; if you didn’t bring anything, I can have them prepare something for you.”
Soren smiled, shaking his head to decline.
With the woman’s words from inside the wagon, the others’ attitudes towards him improved slightly.
The group began to bustle around, and Soren also set up his simple arrangement; the cold wind outside was still strong, and the campfire would occasionally flicker. The masked human girl was keeping watch over it. Passing by the ornate wagon, Soren cast a glance and thought he noticed some peculiar damp traces, having formed a thin layer of ice due to the cold weather.
It looked a bit like traces left by a snake!
…………… (To be continued ~^~)
