The tenth winter arrived silently.
The Central Islands have silver-blue daylight all year round, without real seasons, but Duke could feel the air getting colder through the very narrow vent in the corridor outside the Magic Potion Laboratory.
He had just emerged from a fifteen-day retreat, his stubble had grown out, and he had lost some weight.
As he walked to the dormitory door, he suddenly stopped.
There were several letters sealed with various colors of wax stacked there, some from Black Sail, some from the Thorn Holy Tower, and some from the Florence Continent.
He didn't rush to open them. Instead, he went inside, changed into clean clothes, drank half a pot of warm water, and then sat by the desk to read them one by one.
There was no urgent matter in the letters. Vivian wrote that a third Defense Witch Array would be built on the Florence Continent before spring; the site and materials were ready, just waiting for him to return and take a look someday.
