IV : The White Kingdom

Isaac expected another few hours of travel, but instead, they went on for a few minutes or so and stopped.

"Here would be good," Scarlet said and Elisa nodded. She raised her hand with two fingers sticking out. Then, she fired something that looked like a fireball from her fingers. The fireball flew upwards quickly for a few seconds before it exploded in a bang.

"What's that?" Isaac asked.

"A signal," Elisa said. "For the guards."

Isaac wondered what she meant, but he got his answer soon when Isaac saw something speeding through the ice and snow from the White Kingdom. At first, he thought it was some kind of animal but it was way too fast.

The closer it got, the clearer Isaac saw it and he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Is that a boat?" Isaac asked.

Scarlet looked proud. "The White Kingdom's invention. Powered by wind and fire crystals and capable of traveling high speeds on snow and water." Scarlet said. "The White Vessel."

True to its name, the boat was white rimmed with blue ice. It looked more like a shoe than a boat, as if the shoe belonged to a giant. The back of it had two glowing orbs of red and green while the front of it was shaped into the tip of a cone. Near the orbs, they carved out seats and put in leather cushions. Driving the thing was only one guy, wearing white armor.

"Your Majesty." The driver got out of the boat and knelt. "I didn't expect you to be back so soon."

"How are the people?" Scarlet looked concerned, but it just shows how deeply she cares about her people.

The knight seemed reluctant to answer. "Thirteen more died."

The atmosphere got heavier. Isaac glanced at Scarlet and see her biting her lip while clenching her fists. She feels helpless and desperate.

"Take us back," Scarlet said grimly to which the knight obliged. All of them got into the White Vessel and traveled.

Isaac could honestly say it was the most exhilarating ride Isaac had ever experienced in his life, but he also had never been that scared in his life.

The boat sped up so quickly that he felt his stomach get left behind. Isaac felt his body being pressed against the seat. The wind whipped against his skin and it almost hurt.

On the verge of passing out from that pressure, the boat slowed down to a halt. When they got down, Isaac was surprised at how comfortable they looked while he was the only one feeling ill.

"How come you guys are-" Isaac didn't finish his sentence as he threw up rainbows and sunshine on the front gate.

Nobody paid him any attention as they ventured into the White Kingdom which Isaac struggled to follow.

Up close, the White Kingdom was bigger than he anticipated. The main dirt road led up to the Palace while the buildings lined up to the left and right of the main road.

Just a few meters ahead, Isaac could see the kingdom's central square. A circular area that was big enough to host an army, but instead had stoned floors and an ice sculpture in the middle.

Despite being so big, the kingdom looked empty. Isaac hardly saw anyone except for them.

"Where is everyone?" Isaac asked.

"You'll see," Elisa said grimly.

Instead of going to the Palace immediately, the party went to one of the bigger buildings in the kingdom. It looked like a cathedral. They entered and Isaac was speechless.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are laying bedridden, sick, and miserably skinny. Isaac felt sorry and instantly felt sick.

He knew that the White Kingdom was suffering, but he didn't know it was this bad. If this goes on, Isaac doesn't see a very promising future for them.

"Oh god." Isaac gasped.

"It's worsening," Scarlet said. "We need to help them."

Isaac is supposed to fix this? People are dying. How was he supposed to fix this?

One at a time.

Darius's words rang in his ears. Don't try to do everything all at once. Just do one at a time.

And so, Isaac rushed to the closest person that was lying to him. The girl looked terribly thin. Her lips were dry and chapped. She also had a weak pulse.

The number one problem they have was food and water. Since this is a barren land of snow, nothing would grow here. Scarlet mentioned they did fishing here but stopped. Maybe the fishes have moved to another area or they were hunted to extinction, Isaac didn't know. That was a problem for another day.

"Food and water," Isaac muttered to himself. "That's the problem." He closed his mind to concentrate.

Water first. Where can he get water?

Are there any lakes or rivers nearby? It'll be too far. Isaac didn't see any other body of water around except for the ocean.

Wait for the rain? Isaac doubted it would rain here. Plus, it's a gamble. It could rain tomorrow or it could not rain for the next week. They needed a more immediate solution.

The ocean? Salty and not fit for consumption. Unless he can somehow take the salt out of the water.

Underground? Wait, are there any underground rivers beneath them?

"Do you guys have a well or something?" Isaac asked.

Scarlet shook her head. "The ground is too hard to dig through. Even with magic." Scarlet said miserably.

Isaac cursed under his breath. But then, a thought popped into his head. "Wait, Whitewash Peaks is a volcano, right?" Isaac said.

"Yeah, but that doesn't help," Scarlet said. "I'm surprised you know of that."

Isaac had a plan in mind, but it was for the long term. He needs a solution for now.

"I need to take a trip through the city," Isaac said. He needed to see the scope of what he was dealing with.

"You need me to accompany you?" Scarlet asked.

Isaac shook his head. "I'll be fine." He stepped out of the building and started walking around.

As expected, the White Kingdom had no life right now. Everyone was suffering. Despite that, the place does look beautiful.

The dirt under his shoes felt like rocks. Isaac could tell that it doesn't support life. Anything they plant would die out. So he tried thinking of ways how to solve their problems.

Then, he recounted something Myrna had once told him.

The Earth provides you with everything you need. You just need to know where to look.

It was easier said than done. Isaac had reached the port of the White Kingdom. Ships and big boats were moored to the port, floating and waiting on standby.

The cold wind from the ocean hit his face and he started shivering despite his warm clothing.

As he walked down the harbor, the floorboards creaked with each step. There were guards stationed, but it was only a few.

He racked his brain for answers. As he walked, a splash of water sprinkled on his face and unto his lips. Isaac flinched and mistakenly licked his lips.

One of the boats rocked a bit too much and splashed water unto him. Isaac shook it off and continued walking.

Until he realized something.

He stopped in his tracks. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He couldn't tell, so he decided to test it out. Isaac went to the edge of the harbor and knelt to touch the water.

One of the guards noticed. "Hey, sir! Don't do that! You'll fall!"

Isaac wasn't listening. He dipped his finger and tasted the water.

It wasn't as salty as he thought it'd be.

Isaac have tasted seawater before, so he knew what kind of saltiness they were dealing with.

But this wasn't it. It was less. Way less.

If only he had a fire, he could test something out. He instantly thought of Elisa.

"Hey, you," Isaac called the guard. "Get me Elisa. Or, can you do fire magic?"

"Um, I'm just a soldier."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Then get me Elisa. Hurry!"

The guard turned tail and rushed away and came back a few minutes later with Elisa and Hillut.

"What's wrong?" Elisa asked.

"I thought you said this was the ocean?" Isaac asked.

"This is the ocean," Elisa said. "We're at the edge of the Aryan continent."

If that was the case, then why does it taste different?

"Nevermind. You can do fire magic, right?" Isaac said. Elisa nodded in confirmation. "I need you to make the hottest fire you can." Isaac turned to Hillut. "I need the biggest metal pot you can find."

Hillut and Elisa looked at each other before nodding and following his orders. Hillut went off to find a pot while Elisa prepared to do her spell.

"What are you planning?" Elisa asked.

"Have you tried boiling the water?" Isaac asked.

"Yes. It just turns into hot salt water." Elisa said.

"Nope. You stopped too early." Isaac said.

"What do you mean?"

"My cousin Saori taught me this," Isaac said. "It usually takes weeks for it to work, but with the water being less salty I figured it would only take a few hours. Plus, we have fire magic."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what happens when you keep boiling a water for too long?"

"It turns into smoke or something like that." Elisa said.

"It evaporates into steam." Isaac corrected her.

"Well, same thing. We can't drink steam."

"Not unless you condense it," Isaac said.

"What?"

"Water turns into steam, or vapor, right?" Isaac said. "What if you could reverse that process? Capture the water vapor and condense it back into water."

"You can do that?"

"Within certain conditions," Isaac said as Hillut came back with a cooking pot that was large enough to fit a turkey in it. Isaac nodded and filled it with seawater. "The fire, if you will."

Elisa took a deep breath and conjured up a fireball. Unlike the previous one he'd seen her do, this one was blue in color and did not move around. It lit up straight and unmoving.

Once it was done, Elisa collapsed on her butt. It must've taken a lot of energy, to which Isaac was grateful for.

The blue fireball was static in one place, so Isaac needed to hang the pot over the fire. He had Hillut help him with setting up a temporary cooking station with sticks and planks to hang the pot above the flames.

Thanks to Elisa's flames, it didn't take long for the water to start steaming. Pretty soon, it will boil.

In the meantime, Isaac closed the lid of the pot but poked a small hole at the center of it, a place for the steam to get out.

Now all Isaac needed was something to gather the water vapor.

He looked around frantically to see if there was anything he could use.

Planks? It would absorb the water.

Metal? Too heavy to handle.

Isaac then saw Hillut's sword. "Hold your sword above the smoke and point slightly downwards."

Hillut didn't question any further. He hefted his sword and put the blade over the steam and tilt the tip slightly downwards.

Isaac stood at the tip and waited. Again, it didn't take long for water droplets to start forming on Hillut's blade where the steam was coming from. The droplets then flowed down the blade and started dripping from the tip of it.

Isaac cupped his hand under it until he had enough water to drink.

"It's no longer salty," Isaac exclaimed happily. "It worked!"

Elisa looked like she didn't believe him. She tried it for herself and sure enough, it was true. They managed to turn seawater into pure, drinkable water.

"It works," Elisa said.

"But this is so slow," Hillut said. "It would take a while to gather enough for everyone."

"This is just a small-scale design," Isaac said. "The real one would be bigger and produce pure water much faster."

"How are we going to do it?" Elisa asked.

"We need a bunch of wood and a much bigger cooking pot."

Line Break

"You need to what?!" Scarlet shouted when Isaac presented his idea.

"Exactly what I said." His voice echoed in the throne room. The walls were made of ice and it was mostly empty, save for the white throne at the end of the room and a red carpet leading to it. Isaac stood in front of Scarlet while Elisa and Hillut were kneeling behind him.

"Are you joking me?" Scarlet asked.

"No, I'm not," Isaac said.

"Elisa, is he playing with me?" Scarlet asked.

"No, Your Majesty."

"Hillut?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Majesty," Hillut said.

Scarlet glared at Isaac. "So your great plan to help my people is to melt the White Kingdom Army's armory and weapons just to build a cooking pot?"

Isaac tried finding the words for it. "Well, when you put it like that, it sounds-"

"I am not playing around here!" Scarlet said.

"I'm also not playing around." Isaac stood his ground. "Look, I know this is a hard decision. But you brought me here for help, so let me help. And I need you to trust me."

Scarlet kept her eyes on Isaac. He could feel her piercing gaze against his skin until she sighed. "Fine," Scarlet said. "If it would help the people, then I will do it."

"Thanks." Isaac smiled. "We'll start right no-"

"But if you've condemned my kingdom into more suffering, I will take your head off," Scarlet growled.

Isaac gulped. "Consider me warned," Isaac said. Scarlet seems different on and off the throne and he prefers the latter. He turned to Hillut and Elisa. "We have work to do."

"Okay, so what do you want us to get?" Elisa asked.

"For you Hillut, I want you to get all the iron you can," Isaac said. "We're going to melt it before turning it into a pot." Isaac turned to Elisa. "For you, I need you to gather any guards or people who can work. Then, fire sources or fuel. If it can start a fire or light up in flames, I want it. We need manpower and fire."

The two nodded and went ahead with their task. Isaac already had the design of the boiler drawn. It's only a matter of time before it's realized.

He went to the harbor, where he found a good spot for it. The White Kingdom's supply of iron is little to none, which is why Isaac opted to melt the kingdom's armory.

Isaac met with the kingdom's blacksmith who was already at the harbor. It might sound wrong, but Isaac didn't expect the blacksmith to be a woman. Not that he was judging or anything, he just didn't expect it.

"So, you're the new guy?" The blacksmith said.

"Isaac." Isaac introduced himself. A cold gust of wind blew against him, sending chills down his bones.

"Meng, daughter of Mengis." Meng introduced herself. Isaac noticed that she had no warm clothing on. Her yellow hair was tied to a braid, her clothes were stained and sooty from the forge along with her hands and arms. She wore a brown shirt with a leather apron where she put and hung all her tools.

Isaac could see most of the tools he'd ever used as a handyman and even tools he'd never seen before.

"Hello there, Meng," Isaac said. "Shall we get to work?"

"What are you planning?" Meng asked.

"A constant supply of pure water," Isaac said as he explained how he was going to obtain it and how the whole process works. He even brought a picture of it drawn in leather parchment, describing what it looks like from the inside and outside.

"Amazing," Meng said as her eyes ran over the plan. She was definitely interested. "I never knew you can turn vapor back into water."

"Anyway, that's the plan," Isaac said. "You think you can make it?"

Meng frowned. "Who do you think I am? Is it because I'm a woman?"

"No!" Isaac said quickly. "I just mean that this is not an easy feat for any blacksmith. That's why I'm asking."

Meng calmed down and she studied the plans. "It is indeed hard," Meng admitted. "But luckily for you, I'm the best blacksmith this far north of Arya. Just bring me the materials and I'll get your thing done."

"That's great," Isaac said. "Hillut and Elisa should be here any moment with materials and some extra manpower. If anyone asked, just tell them I put you in charge."

"Hold on there chief." Meng stopped Isaac. "What's in it for me?"

Isaac thought about it. "I'll make you a deal. If you can finish it in three days, I'll have the Queen grant you whatever you want."

Meng was not impressed as she crossed her arms. "And you know the Queen? The White Witch?"

"Swear my life on it," Isaac said. "But, if you finish it any later, I'll just give you some gold. Deal?"

"Oh, you're playing a risky game, mister," Meng said. "Deal." They shook hands as Isaac went away and Meng continues to study the plans.

His next stop was with Darius, whom he had sent out for a little errand outside of the kingdom.

After catching up with him on the snowy plains in the middle of nowhere in the White Vessel, Isaac stepped down with shaky legs.

"Did you find it?" Isaac asked.

"Not yet," Darius said. "I'm still searching."

"I'll search with you," Isaac said. "Hey, you also help," Isaac told the driver. They were looking for the path they took when they arrived at the foot of the mountain. The snowy weather wasn't helping as it covered any footsteps and traces that they have been there.

It was noon when Isaac came here. Now, the sun was setting and it was almost nighttime.

Isaac was about to call it a day when the driver called out. "Here!"

Darius and Isaac rushed over to where he was standing.

"Yes," Darius said. "It's here." Darius tapped the ground with the tip of his sword.

Isaac stomped as hard as he could and the dull thump sound confirmed his suspicion.

There's a lake here.

Normally, Isaac wouldn't have noticed. Especially since the frozen surface of the lake had been buried under a thick layer of snow.

But Isaac remembered something when they were running from Icirin. He knew that he'd specifically slipped, right after Elisa's weight spell was broken.

If he'd tripped, it would be a different story. But the fact that he slipped meant that there's ice here and where there's ice, there would be water.

It shouldn't be that dangerous since they were only at the foot of the mountain instead of on it, but Isaac still felt restless.

"We need to find out how big it is," Isaac said. "Can you shatter the surface?"

"Yes, but I'd advise we move first since we're standing on the ice."

Isaac didn't argue as both he and Darius find solid ground and got ready. Darius lifted his sword high and struck the ground as hard as he could.

Isaac knew if it was him at the receiving end, he would've died from that strike. When his sword struck the ice, Isaac heard the sound of something crunching and cracking.

Where Darius struck, was a hole on the ground, revealing water.

"Nice job," Isaac said.

Darius knelt to the hole and tasted the water. "Seawater. Probably an underground river that runs from the ocean."

"That's fine. My turn. Hold this rope, will you?" Isaac handed him a bundle of rope and tied one end around his waist. "If I'm not back out in two minutes, pull the rope."

"What are you planning to do?"

"Taking a dip," Isaac said. "Hey, I want to ask you a favor," Isaac said to the driver.

"What is it, sir?"

"Give me your spear and be on standby," Isaac said. "After I come up, you take us both back to the Palace. I don't want to freeze to death."

"Understood." The driver said as he gave Isaac his spear. It was a simple spear. A wooden shaft with an iron tip.

"Isaac, what are you hoping to find down there?" Darius asked. "It's seawater. We can't drink it."

Isaac took off all his clothes until he was just wearing a pair of pants and a shirt. "I know," Isaac said as he jumped in.

The cold hit him so quickly and suddenly that he almost gasped. Even so, Isaac didn't want to float around doing nothing. He had limited time under here and he had to make it count.

Isaac swam around. Since it was almost nighttime, visibility was limited. Isaac could barely see what was in front of him.

But Isaac just needed to see it once. Catching it would be nice, but seeing it would be enough.

Isaac held his breath as he swam and kept looking, but he didn't want to swim too far since the rope holding him wasn't very long.

He felt his heart beating against his chest as he looked around. He was running out of air, but he wanted to look for it just a little more.

Then, he felt it. Something swimming by him, just on his left. Isaac's head snapped in that direction.

He thrusts his spear forward, hoping to catch one. Whether he missed it or not, he didn't know since he couldn't see anything. Isaac tugged the rope as a signal for Darius to pull him back. He felt himself being pulled as he broke the surface of the water.

The cold air hit him like a freight train. Isaac felt the freezing all the way to his bone. "H-h-h-holy f-f-f-u-uck." Isaac managed through chattering teeth.

"Did you find what you're looking for?" Darius asked as he wrapped Isaac in warm clothing.

Isaac grinned as he noticed the squirming fish at the end of his spear. "S-s-s-see f-f-for y-y-yours-s-s-self." Isaac managed with a shaky grin.

"Is that . . ." The driver couldn't believe it. "May I have it, sir? I haven't eaten in weeks! I promise I will repay-"

"H-h-have it," Isaac said. "T-t-take me b-b-back first."

"Of course sir." The driver said urgently and hastily carried Isaac unto the White Vessel followed by Darius before speeding off.

It took no time before they made it to the Palace. Darius insisted that Isaac rest, but he wanted to deliver the good news to Scarlet first.

So the three of them made it to the throne room where Scarlet was talking with someone whom Isaac didn't recognize. When Scarlet noticed the trio entering, she dismissed the first person and faced Isaac.

"What happened to you?" Scarlet asked. "You look pale."

"Just a bit cold," Isaac said. He was still cold, but at least he was no longer stammering. "But guess what?"

"What?"

"We found you a food source."

Line Break

The very next morning at the break of dawn, Scarlet, Elisa, Isaac, Darius, and a few other guards went to the location yesterday.

Instead of diving for it today, Isaac instead brought a fishing pole with him and some bait. He cast his line into the hole and in just a few seconds, a fish had already bit it and Isaac pulled the rod.

Unluckily, Isaac was a little too excited when pulling it so the line snapped and the fish went free.

The group stared at him. "In my defense, that was my second time fishing," Isaac said.

"This is incredible," Scarlet said. "We need to take them all and bring them back to the people. Auro, bring the men and-"

"You can't do that," Isaac said.

"What do you mean?" Scarlet asked with a glare. Her anger was justified. A solution to their food shortage was this close and yet someone is stopping her.

"You can't take all the fish at once," Isaac warned. "The same thing will happen again."

"What thing?"

"The kingdom's main source of food is fish, right?" Isaac said. "As the population grows, you would need more and more fish to sustain your people. Well, what I guess happened is the fish thought where they live now is dangerous since they keep getting hunted. That's why they move up here." Isaac gestured at the lake. "This lake is seawater, meaning they probably found an underground river or something."

"So if we harvest them all at once . . ."

"You would scare them off again," Isaac said. "Plus, you would give them no time to repopulate and increase their numbers."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Scarlet asked, clearly getting frustrated. "Just wait until we starve again before we can eat?"

"I have a solution for that also," Isaac said. "Order your men to dig several more holes around the lake, but don't make them too big. That could send them to hiding. Make them start fishing and gather enough to feed everyone for the day."

The guards looked at each other and their Queen for confirmation.

"Do it," Scarlet said as they hurriedly went with their orders. "Now what?"

"Follow me." Isaac started walking away from the lake. "Darius, keep an eye on them."

Darius nodded as he stood over the guards like a bodyguard.

"The fishes in the lake will only be a temporary solution," Isaac said. "It will probably only last you five to six months."

Scarlet scowled. "That's too short. Why is it too short?"

"It can't be helped," Isaac said. "You have too many mouths to feed. Unless you're planning to abandon some people."

Scarlet glared at Isaac. "I will not abandon them."

"I know." Isaac grinned. "Which is why I have a long-term plan that will provide you with a food source that will never run out. But it's going to be highly dangerous and risky."

Scarlet regarded him with her blue eyes. The crystal tiara fitted perfectly on her head. "Will it help my people?" She asked.

"As I said, there's a very high danger to it and I don't know if it will work. But if it does, then yes. It will help you."

The White Witch's lips trembled. She leaned in and pressed her head against his chest. "I trust you. You have my support, my King."

Isaac had almost forgotten about that, but it seemed like a small matter for now. Right now, he's focused on getting the White Kingdom back on its feet.

And it's for Scarlet as well. Isaac sensed a change within her. She was no longer desperate. She was now hopeful. Finally, she sees a chance for her people to be saved.

"Good," Isaac said. "For starters, we're going to need glass. A lot of glass."

"For what?"

"You can thank Leium for this one," Isaac said but judging from her expression, Scarlet had no idea who it was. "Oh, he was a merchant that passed through my village a few months ago."

"Did he sell you some special seeds that grow in the winter?"

"Nope," Isaac said. "Even better. He taught me how to build a greenhouse."

"A what?"

Isaac starts to tell the story to Scarlet. He'd met a merchant called Leium who was selling all sorts of fresh crops that were definitely out of season. Certain crops can only grow during certain seasons, but somehow he has fresh crops and produce that were out of season.

If it was old, preserved, or dried, then it would've made sense. But fresh? That's impossible, especially since crops take months to grow.

After helping Leium sell out his stock, he told Isaac his secret as a sign of gratitude. The way he grows any crops, plants, or food he wants no matter what season it was, even if it was winter.

"So basically, a greenhouse is like a building made out of glass," Isaac said. "When the sun comes through it, it brings the heat with it and traps them inside, making it warm and perfect for farming even though it's winter," Isaac explained. "That way, you can grow whatever plants you want without worrying about the weather."

"Yeah, you forgot about one thing." Scarlet kicked some snow at him. "You can't plant anything here," Scarlet said.

"That's where the dangerous bit comes in," Isaac said.

"Which is?"

"We need to make Whitewash Peaks explode."

Line Break

"That in no way is ever a good plan," Meng argued.

The group was gathered for a meeting and Meng was there, surprisingly.

"Why are you here?" Scarlet asked.

"Elisa said I could join," Meng said.

"She's a valuable ally," Elisa said.

Scarlet looked like she wanted to argue, but decided against it because of Isaac's insane plan.

"Whitewash Peaks is dormant right now, which kept the kingdom safe for hundreds of years, and you want to make it blow up?" Scarlet asked.

Isaac nodded. "The ashes from a volcano eruption are super fertile. Down south at the Pelagos Volcano, they made a vineyard with its soils mixed with volcanic ash. And if you've heard the rumors, Pelagosian wines are the best in Arya."

"I can vouch for that," Meng said.

Scarlet sighed. "What do you think?" She turned to Hillut and Darius.

"There's some sense to it," Darius said. "The greenhouse will ensure the volcanic ash won't lose its quality under the snow and you can grow crops."

Hillut nodded. "I can see it working, but I haven't seen anyone deliberately try to make a volcano erupt."

Isaac sighed. "It's not an easy choice. The way I see it you have two options here. You can either regain strength with the fish supplies you currently have and relocate to a newer location, or go with my plan."

"Relocating would be difficult," Hillut said. "We have many elderly people and children."

"Isaac's plan is also dangerous," Elisa added. "We don't know what would happen if Whitewash Peaks erupt. What if Icirin gets angry at us about it?"

"As I said, it's not an easy decision," Isaac said to Scarlet. "Give it a week or two. We still have time, but you have to make a decision soon. The faster the better."

Scarlet nodded. "I'll think this over. I'll inform you when I've reached a decision."

Nobody argued. When faced with a big decision like that, it takes time. The wrong one could cost them everything.

"In the meantime, get back to your duties. There's still work to do." Scarlet said. They nodded and went to do their work.

Isaac went with Meng to see how well the boiler was progressing.

"It's going smoothly," Meng said. By now, the boiler looked like the bottom half of a metal cylinder. "Elisa's been a major help. You should see her when she starts her commander mode." Meng turned around. "Ah, speaking of which."

Isaac turned around to see Elisa standing in the middle of the construction site, barking orders and shouting instructions. She looked like an army general, which is to say, scary.

Isaac shuddered. He felt sorry for the volunteers, but they looked motivated to do work. "Seems like you'll be finished soon."

"Don't forget about our deal," Meng said as he went his way to the cathedral.

Seeing fish being transported, Isaac took the liberty of carrying the barrels of fish to the cooks to get served to everyone.

The atmosphere improved drastically. It got livelier and more cheerful. Although most were still skinny and weak, the colors were back on their faces. The light in their eyes that almost faded was now reignited.

All because of a few fish.

Isaac served some of the food himself. He enjoyed helping people. As he did it, he lost track of time and it was evening by the time they fed everyone.

He finally took a breather and sat down. He was glad to see the people finally being in a good mood. Compared to when he was here a day and a half ago, it was livelier.

Isaac was about to leave when the door to the Cathedral opened. Scarlet and her guards stepped in and the room fell silent as everyone turned toward her.

The people stood up and knelt in front of their Queen.

"Rise," Scarlet said and everyone stood up. "I see you all have eaten."

They murmured in agreement. It wasn't much as they didn't bring in a lot of fish today, but at least they were no longer starving.

Isaac would love to feed them until they're full, but for the sake of their survival, they have to eat the bare minimum.

"That's very good," Scarlet said. "I'm glad you are all doing well."

"Your Majesty." One of them stepped forward and knelt. "Thank you for helping us. We would've died without you."

"Oh, it's not me who you should be thanking," Scarlet said. "Someone helped us."

"Who is it?" He asked. Isaac caught Scarlet glancing at him and giving him a wink.

"The Pale King," Scarlet announced. "He's the one who helped you all."

The people's murmurs turn into gasps of shock and excitement.

"So it's true?" the man asked. "You married the Sovereign Prince?"

Scarlet scowled. "What? No!" She seems disgusted with that question. "I have someone already chosen. Someone who will help us get through these suffering times."

"Where is he, Your Majesty?" They asked.

"You will meet him soon enough," Scarlet said. "He's among yourselves, helping you all."

They start looking around to see if they could find anyone who looked out of the ordinary. Isaac would be that someone since he's a new face in town.

Surprisingly, no one took any hints as to who the Pale King was. "Sleep well, my people," Scarlet said. "The Pale King and I will see that you are fed until your bellies are full."

The people cheered with vigor and energy. "Long live the White Witch! Long live the Pale King!"

Isaac felt motivated after seeing how excited the people of the White Kingdom are. He wanted to help more either as a king or as a mere nobody. He just wanted to help.

Line Break

Other than their usual operations, nothing happened for the week. Isaac had settled into living in the White Kingdom. The people have finally moved out of the Cathedral and finally back into their own homes, bringing life back into the streets of the White Kingdom.

The White Kingdom looked alive again. The people starts getting better and healthier with some of them offering to help with the fishing so that the guards and the army could focus on other things.

Meng won her bet when she finished the boiler in just under three days. It was at least ten meters high, made out of steel so it doesn't rust. It stood on a large brick furnace, supported by metal pillars for stability. On top of it, was a smaller cylinder for ventilation purposes so that the boiler won't explode after too much pressure.

Or so Meng said. Isaac didn't know anything about how pressure works so he decided to trust Meng with it.

At the top of it, where the water was condensed, a pipe flowed down into a large custom-built keg where people could pour fresh and clean water. They had their own personal water dispenser.

So people would carry water from the ocean and fill up the boiler to a certain limit. That's when the furnace underneath it, which is constantly burning with a permanent fire source, starts boiling the water inside. The vapor that condenses from the boiling water gathers up at the top, pours down the pipe, and into the massive keg.

Now, they have clean water for everyone. And it's been pretty effective as well since people would not worry about not having clean water anymore.

Seeing how great it worked, Meng was trying to see if she could create a better one. Isaac told her to knock herself out as long as it helps the people.

Darius and Hillut were currently on standby. Hillut was waiting for orders from Scarlet while Darius waits for any further instructions from the Lunar Empress. His mission was only to escort Isaac to the White Kingdom and since he succeeded, he awaits further orders.

Because of that, Hillut was training the army on how to fight while Darius trained Isaac. The first few days, Isaac spent more time in the snow than tripping when trying to learn the proper footwork.

Now, he could move on his feet without falling face-first into the snow. Well, at least not as frequently.

Elisa was busy helping Scarlet with the duties of being a Queen. Isaac had thought to help since he was technically the King, but he realized he didn't know the first thing about running a kingdom.

Also Scarlet told him to do something else.

So for the last week, Isaac had been wandering around and helping people wherever he can, whether it was repairing or rebuilding houses or helping catch the fish.

He felt like he was the handyman again. Different environment, different circumstances, but still the same old stuff. He helps people.

The people of the White Kingdom took notice of his presence quickly. Similar to how it was in Rost, they relied on him. They knew they could ask for his help. They were comfortable around him.

Isaac felt right at home.

He befriended some of the people in the White Kingdom. For example, the local bartender, Liliora, was a succubus.

Right? Surprised the living s**t out of him too.

Succubus is a descendant of the demon race. As how demons are, they come from Hell. But it's not as if there's just a gate to Hell laying about in Arya. They have to be conjured with tremendous amounts of magic.

The succubi, as with any other weaker demons, are summoned here with a living sacrifice. Albeit a human, a cat, a mountain goat, doesn't matter. As long as you sacrifice a life, you can summon a demon, but the quality of the demon will depend on your sacrifice.

And as a Succubus, Liliora is . . . um, she's really pretty.

Like, reaaallly pretty.

Succubus is most famously known as demons that attract humans and 'have their way with them. Simply speaking, she has sex with them. By doing that, they drain the life force out of that human and increase their own.

Luckily, Liora is nothing like that. She still lures humans in and has her way with them, but she doesn't kill them.

"I stopped that practice years ago," Liliora said when Isaac asked her about it. "Especially since the guy who summoned me was dead."

"Sorry to hear that," Isaac said.

Liliora shrugged. "Don't be. He was a s****y master anyway."

Isaac found himself staring at Liliora constantly. As a succubus, Liliora could alter her appearance any way she wants so that she could look like the perfect being to her targets and they could easily be lured.

But on normal days when she's a bartender, Liliora had light red skin, beady black eyes with orange slits, and greyish black hair.

Normally, people would still be confused as to what she is. At first glance, she looked like one of the Sand Tribes that lived in the southern desert. But what separates her from them are the two crimson tusks on her forehead poking out like daggers.

Isaac struggled to keep his eyes away from Liliora's chest. They kept bouncing in his face.

In his defense, Liliora loved to tease Isaac about it.

"Like what you're seeing?" Liliora licked her lips.

"Stop it," Isaac said. Despite the temptation, Isaac wasn't interested in that kind of activity.

"You're no fun." Liliora pouted. "Come on, you've done a lot for us. Let me help you relax."

"You can help me relax by refilling this cup." Isaac handed her his mug.

"Coming right up," Liliora said with a grin.

"Why did you become a bartender anyway?" Isaac asked. "Aren't there other things that demons could do aside from pouring drinks?"

Liliora shrugged. "After my master died, I could've gone back home," Liliora said. "But I don't want to listen to my mom babbling about my life. She keeps going on about how I'm wasting my life in Hell as if there's nothing to do down there."

Isaac found this conversation to be so strange.

"She prefers my brother anyway. He's the young one. It's easy when you're born as an Archdemon. I'm just a succubus." Liliora grumbled sarcastically. She handed Isaac his drink and sulked on the counter. "Staying here was better."

"Okay, but why a bartender?" Isaac asked.

Again, Liliora shrugged. "I like meeting new people. I want to learn more about this world."

"So, that's why you decide on staying in the White Kingdom?"

"Hm? Oh, that's my master's fault." Liliora said. "He summoned me here, asked me to do some stuff, then died and left me here. At first, I didn't show myself, but then I start to get weaker so I start to lure some humans in. After a while, the White Witch intervened."

"Did she want to kill you?"

Liliora shook her head. "She was surprisingly calm about it. She said I could stay here and make myself at home just so long as I don't kill any more people."

"You can do that?" Isaac asked. "I thought you have to kill them."

"Whoever started that rumor was an idiot," Liliora grumbled. "We kill to hide since you humans can't keep a secret. We can just take a little bit of life force and leave humans with a bit more." Liliora fiddled with her grey hair. "You humans are so lucky that you could regain your life force in a few months."

Although Isaac was glad to know people weren't dying, he also figured they wouldn't like their life being drained.

"So, I took the offer," Liliora said. "I still lure people in, but I don't kill them. Then I realized it's easier to have sex with people when they know who you are, so that's why I became the bartender."

"I thought you said you became a bartender to meet new people."

"Yes, that too," Liliora said. "And also have sex with them."

Isaac rolled his eyes as Liliora kept rambling about how she had no taste and would gladly get on with any men and women, sometimes even both.

That's one of the more interesting characters Isaac had met in his stay here.

It had been an interesting week for him. They have yet to know the Pale King's true identity since Scarlet hasn't announced it, but they were grateful for him. In their eyes, it was the Pale King that brought them up from the brink of destruction.

And so, they looked up to the Pale King in high regard.

Isaac was also happy with himself. Within a week, he managed to help a lot of people which made him feel better.

But this was just for a short term. Isaac was worried about the long term, where things would get very dangerous.

For now, he was going to enjoy the time he has now.