Chapter 36 Charm Doesn’t Appear to Do Any Good at All (1/2)

Unfortunately, even when the banquet was about to end, a few of those girls could not even utter a complete sentence when Joshua was looking at them. While trying to get in a word with Joshua, most of them would even stutter when they were saying their own names. After a hasty salute, the girls would run aside quickly. They would only stop shaking after their girlfriends calmed them down a little bit.

There was one who finally managed to introduce herself using complete sentences. The warrior nodded to express his admiration. Right when he was getting ready to respond to the girl, Joshua witnessed the girl take three steps back and she almost fell…

Seriously? Was that necessary?!

To be frank, these girls did not look fragile or weak from their appearances. They even looked sort of heroic. After all, they were people of the north. The environment of the land was not as tame as the land in the south. So there was no way that any of them would be raised to be ladylike.

However, Joshua's aura was really something not to be reckoned with. He did not have to say a word. With just a regular grunt, he could have scared all wolf packs away. He could also unconsciously scare away all beasts with his presence. With a little more effort in it, he could become as intimidating as the demons from the abyss. As if his mini intimidation aura had just been upgraded tremendously.

Even though Joshua had tried his best to keep his intimidating side to himself, it was still a bit too much for the girls who had not seen bloodshed before.

Overall, despite some hiccups that happened during the event, the banquet was still considered a success. Joshua and the fellow merchant leaders across Moldavia got to know each other well enough to even set an appointment to their next meeting.; unlike the girl in his care. These leaders were much more knowledgeable after all. They had traveled across many places. Some of them even traded with the White Dragons and other famous groups. Even though the warrior was intimidating, he was not as intimidating as a dragon.

Although these businessmen were not of noble status, they were actually far more important than some of those lesser noblemen across the land. They were the sort of existence not to be ignored in a territory. Just as Chris who ran all the way back to the south of the Empire's mentioned, the land in the north was now freezing cold. Meanwhile, the daemons were beginning to gather around. The region was basically very isolated in the first place. While the wizards of the Empire were reducing the running cost of the elemental engine called [Vortex] before making the airships available in a more advanced form, these merchants played a vital role in the communication between the territories and the outside world.

Time passed as they were exchanging toasts. When almost all guests had left the hall, Joshua put down the glass in his hand and smiled at Alphonso who seemed to be a little drunk.

”What, are you drunk already?”

The wine was much stronger in colder places. Moldavia was not an exception as well. The wine that was produced by the local winery and the dwarves could be used as additives for combustion after adding several other ingredients to it. Even though Alphonso was a Steel-tier merchant from the north, he could only remain sober with a few cups wine before becoming drunk.

”I'm just a little bit drunk, but that won't matter.”

Although his face was a little red at the moment, the middle-aged merchant's eyes seemed clear and sober. Joshua did not even have to ask as the merchant knew Joshua's exact intention.

”My liege, do you need something done then? Please bear with me for the moment, I'll look for a quiet spot first.”

”Yes. Thank you.”

Upon seeing the merchant replying him immediately without the need to ask, Joshua nodded with satisfaction and said, ”Then lead the way.”

The moment when Joshua and Alphonso were walking towards a study room, Ying was standing on a tall chair right at the porch of the house by the west side of the city. She was staring at the frozen pond as she let her mind wander.

The sky was turning dark, it was almost dusk. The golden sunset shone on the city covered in snow with a cold breeze blowing through. There were no signs of any leaves on the dried branches. As the branches shook a little, the snow on the branches fell to the ground.

Ying was not bothered by the cold weather at all. After she stared for a brief moment without any thought in her mind, she squatted and reached out her fair hand. She touched the frozen pond with her finger and sighed.

”So hard, so cold… Is this ice? It feels like glass.”

Although she was forged in the north, she had been sealed away beneath the church all this while. She only came out of the sealed room recently. So it was certain that the silver-haired Divine Armament never had the chance to touch ice. She immediately stood up on her feet and walked to the side of the tree, stretching her hands out in an attempt to break off one of the icicles hanging by the branches. However, she was not tall enough, so she failed to even touch it. Because of that, she felt extremely embarrassed.

Even though Ying seemed tiny in her human form, her basic power level was still Silver. With a light leap, the angered and embarrassed little girl managed to pull off the entire branch of the tree.

Putting the icicle on her palm, the silver-haired Divine Armament looked at the transparent ice piece patiently, feeling the coldness that was spreading across her palm. After that, the warmth of her body slowly melted the ice and turned the icicle into a puddle of water.

”It's just like the record in the memory core. Water can really solidify due to the lower temperature.”