Chapter 139

"Wei Ge, I'll go down first~"

"Oh, I'll sleep a bit more..."

"..."

It was very early in the morning, he lied in bed but couldn't fall asleep.

So he got up...

In Denmark, the difference between day and night is extremely clear.

August is the end of the polar day, but most of the day is still occupied by daylight.

"Toilet, toilet..."

He walked along the narrow corridor.

There was only one bathroom in the whole hotel. When he arrived at the door, it seemed that someone was already inside.

"..."

The door opened.

Raina Nan walked out, holding a toothbrush and a cup in her hand.

She looked up, glanced at him, but didn't say anything, walking past him.

"Stop."

His voice kept her in place.

"..."

She stayed silent and turned slightly to look at him.

He stood there for a while before speaking again:

"Good morning."

"..."

She was stunned for a moment.

"Oh..."

She replied softly.

Then she turned around and quickened her pace to go downstairs.

...

...

"So cold..."

William Wei, wearing a short-sleeved T-shirt, walked to the dining table.

He realized that everyone else had already put on winter clothes...

"Samson Nan, borrow me a piece of clothing later. Why is this place so cold!"

"..."

Although it was still August, due to last night's rain, the temperature here dropped to around 9 degrees in an instant.

Moreover, he was someone who never prepared in advance...

"Oh? Where's Luojia?"

He sat down and noticed that there was one person missing from the dining table.

"Oh right..."

Samson Nan thought for a moment, then looked at Raina Nan.

They stayed together last night.

"I don't know, she disappeared when I woke up..."

"Well, you should have said that earlier."

He glared at her, then took out his phone and dialed, but no one answered.

"How would I know..."

She said softly, poking at the sausages on the plate with a fork.

"Such a grown-up, how could she just go missing..."

"Raina Nan!"

He slapped the knife and fork on the table, looked up at her.

"Well, um... maybe Luojia went nearby to do some shopping."

Roxie Lin quickly spoke up when she saw the atmosphere was off.

"I saw her going out..."

"Is that so?"

Samson Nan said, looking at Raina Nan again.

"..."

She didn't say anything, and stopped eating...

Just kept her head down, thumbing through her phone.

...

At this moment, the door of the hotel opened.

The bell above the door made a tinkling sound.

"Phew, it's so cold outside..."

Jocelyn York walked in, wrapped in a thick scarf.

"Where did you go?!"

William Wei quickly walked to her side and whispered.

Being unfamiliar with the place and the cold weather, he was afraid something might happen during the trip...

"What, what's wrong?"

She hesitated, slightly retreating, probably scared by his tone.

"..."

She glanced around, wondering what was causing this tense atmosphere...

"I just went out for a moment."

She said, loosening the scarf around her neck and puffing out a white breath.

"You should have said hello, and no one answered your phone."

"I forgot to bring my phone when I went out..."

Seeing how nervous they all were, she quickly added:

"Sorry... but, but I collected some useful information!"

"What is it?"

"I heard that there's a local festival these two days~"

"Festival?"

"Yeah, I saw a lot of people driving to this area, so I casually asked..."

"No wonder we've been hearing car noises this morning."

Bell Tong said, looking at the clock on the wall.

"So...are we going?"

Their original plan was to visit the Hans Christian Andersen Museum located in Odense.

"Are you going to attend the 'Midsummer Festival'?"

At that moment, the innkeeper walked over.

"Well, is it called...Midsummer Festival?"

Jocelyn York asked him various questions about the festival.

From him, they learned that the Midsummer Festival seemed to be a traditional festival that had been celebrated for centuries in the Nordic countries. After September, the Nordic continent would enter a long and cold polar night when only a few hours of daylight could be seen each day and the rest of the time was surrounded by darkness.

In the past, without things like electric lights, people living on this continent would light bonfires by the lakeside whenever September approached, praying for the continuation of life and the dispelling of darkness.

"The rum at the festival is all free, you can drink to your heart's content~ hahaha."

The innkeeper said, drinking the half cup of rum in his hand in one gulp.

"..."

Samson Nan, holding his chin, watched the innkeeper's face, which had turned red from drinking early in the morning.

These ethnic groups closest to the Arctic Circle had become accustomed to the extreme cold, drinking alcohol like water every morning, yet never seemed to get drunk...

"And there's this kind of good thing? Then what are we waiting for? Let's go quickly!"

William Wei slammed the table and stood up.

"..."

Almost forgot, there's also an alcoholic here...

...

In the end, they decided to change their itinerary on the spot.

They headed to a lake not far from the town.

...

Due to last night's rain and the sudden drop in temperature, the road was covered with a thin layer of frost.

Without any anti-skid measures, it would be difficult to drive on the road...

They had no choice but to change into thicker clothes and walk there.

According to the innkeeper, it would take about 2 and a half hours to reach their destination along this road...

No time to waste, they filled a thermos with hot water and set off.

...

As they walked along the road, the tundra stretched endlessly on both sides, with hardly any tall trees. The view was wide, and they could see far into the distance.

The air was dry and cold, and even though it had just rained, the sky here was still blue. The vastness of the wilderness made it seem like one could reach out and touch the clouds in the sky...

They were not walking fast, and occasionally a group of people riding bicycles would pass by.

Even though they were far away, they could still hear the sound of chains and bicycle wheels turning.

"Ah...choo!"

Bell Tong rubbed her frozen red nose.

"It's so cold, we might as well go back to sleep..."

And she looked at Raina Nan beside her.

"Raina, aren't you cold with bare legs?"

She was still wearing the plaid skirt she had come in, but added a pair of black tights underneath.

"These are lined..."

"Is that so? You're really well-prepared..."

Bell Tong said, reaching out and touching Raina's thigh.

"But it feels a bit scandalous."

"What, what are you saying..."

She ignored Bell Tong's words and moved two steps away.

Even on the coldest days, she didn't want to dress like a fluffy ball...

...

"You two, stop dawdling! We won't be able to make it before it gets dark."

Samson Nan shouted ahead.

"Coming!"

They followed after him.

...

A journey of over two hours.

They finally arrived at the lakeside where the Midsummer Festival was being held.

Many early arrivals had already set up tents by the lake, while merchants had already set up temporary stalls.

For those who wanted to stay overnight here without any preparation, there were plenty of tents available for rent, and for a small fee, they could spend the night here.

—Midsummer Festival—

That's what it said on the banner at the entrance.

In the middle of the venue, a huge bonfire tower was being built, which would be lit tonight.

And around it, many people dressed in traditional Danish costumes were singing and playing the accordion.

"Is that the troubadour?"

Roxie Lin's eyes sparkled with excitement.

It was just like what was written in the books.

"Wow... "

"The troubadours in Europe have actually disappeared a long time ago. Those must be students from the nearby music school~" Jocelyn York shook her head and said.

"..."

Roxie Lin pouted, looking at her.

"..."

She paused for a moment, realizing that she might have said something wrong.

"Jocelyn is so boring..."

"Haha, this guy always loves to fantasize about poets, princes, and all that~" Bell Tong laughed on the side.

"Haven't you heard how they sing in the songs? 'Fairy tales are all lies'~"

"..."

Roxie Lin remained silent, sitting by the lake, holding her knees, and picking up a small stone to throw into the lake.

Even in Andersen's homeland, fairy tales are still lies...

The harsh reality is always so ironic...

...

Night falls...

The temperature drops further, and small bonfires start to flicker sporadically by the lake.

And beside the bonfire tower in the middle, there are about ten burly men wearing animal skins and chainmail, with helmets adorned with bull horns.

They raise their hands high and stand still by the tower.

"What are they going to do..."

What kind of ceremony is this?

Just as they were puzzled.

The people around instantly quieted down.

Thud

The sound of drums echoed in their ears.

Thud

"Woo!"

Thud thud

"Woo!!"

Thud thud

"Woo!!!"

With each beat of the drum, the men let out a loud roar.

The sound was powerful and resonant, piercing through their eardrums, as if the entire earth trembled with it.

"So loud..."

A local person beside them told them that it's the Viking war cry.

It turns out these people are imitating the ancient Viking ritual before going to battle.

"So intense..."

William Wei widened his eyes, deeply impressed.

The Danish people have always believed that Viking blood flows in their veins.

By performing such rituals, they seem to be reminding themselves where they come from...

As the short ceremony ended, the person dressed as a Viking prophet lit a huge bonfire tower.

The flames soared into the sky, instantly illuminating the darkness of the night.

The Vikings prayed for the day not to depart and the night not to come, as if their wish really came true at that moment.

...

People gathered around the bonfire and danced to the music, performing the dance that has remained unchanged for thousands of years.

...

A group of people sat by the bonfire, even though they were not part of this historical moment, they could feel it and quickly immersed themselves...

...

"A drink?"

William Wei handed him a wooden cup filled with rum.

"I'll pass~ Who's gonna drive later?"

"Tsk... Too bad, the rum is really good, and it's free!"

That's the key point, right?

Samson Nan looked at his already flushed face and after a while, he softly said,

"Drink less."

...

A moment of silence.

"I say, Samson Nan."

He spoke, placing his hand on Samson Nan's shoulder.

"Aren't you going to dance with her?"

"..."

Samson Nan remained silent.

He knew who William Wei was referring to as "her."

"But I can't dance~"

He didn't look at him, just curled up his lips and said so.

"..."

William Wei didn't say anything.

In silence, he drank all the remaining liquor in the cup.

"Stop it~"

Saying that, he punched Samson Nan's shoulder.

"..."

Seeing no response from him, he stood up and walked away.

...

"Jocelyn! Come, let's dance!"

"....What?"

"Dance!"

With the boost of alcohol, he felt a little braver...

"Can you dance? You must be drunk..."

"Ha~ Don't underestimate me~"

He spoke and pulled Jocelyn York, who was sitting on the ground, up.

"Wait, wait...!"

...

...

"It hurts..."

Samson Nan sat on the ground, watching them.

After a while, he reached out and touched his shoulder, which had been punched by him earlier.

Does that guy have such great strength...

...

The bonfire was burning, occasionally making the sound of wood cracking.

Sparks flew and jumped among the dancing crowd.

"Cough..."

Someone behind him coughed lightly.

He looked up.

...

"Little One?"

There was Raina Nan, standing silently behind him.

"..."

"Come stand a bit closer~"

He looked up at her, saying so.

"..."

She hesitated for a moment, then took a step forward.

"OK, now I can see under the skirt~"

"...!"

She suddenly realized something and her face instantly turned crimson.

Covering her skirt, she took a big step backward, almost losing her balance and falling to the ground.

"You're crazy!"

"Haha."

He laughed.

And then moved slightly to the side.

"Sit here~"

"..."

She didn't speak, hesitated for a moment.

Carefully, she walked and sat next to him.

"..."

Seeing her silent for a long time, he spoke again.

"Still angry?"

"..."

She still didn't respond, burying her face in her scarf, sitting on the ground, hugging her knees.

"Not really~ I swear I didn't see anything just now!"

"It's not just now..."

She interrupted him, murmuring softly.

"This morning."

"Oh..."

It seemed he just remembered something.

"I wondered why you ignored me all day..."

She turned her face, looking to the side.

"And now I still don't want to talk to you..."

"Oh, I'm so scared~"

"..."

As she saw his attitude, she became angry again...

She stood up and prepared to leave.

"Wait, wait!"

He quickly grabbed her hand.

"..."

A moment of pause.

"The morning thing is already over... Besides, someone is missing, everyone is worried..."

"She went out early without saying anything. If you can't find her, blame me! It's none of my business..."

She said with a touch of grievance, her voice trembling slightly.

"I blame you?"

"You do!"

"..."

He was stunned for a moment, carefully thinking about what happened this morning.

After a while, he whispered again:

"Sorry..."

"You're always like this..."

She sat down again, burying her face in her knees.

With a hint of a teary voice, she said.

"..."

"Actually, Raina..."

He hesitated, and finally said it.

"I don't know why..."

He spoke thoughtfully, pinching his nose.

"I've been easily angered recently, especially when it comes to things about you..."

Upon careful consideration of this incident, Raina Nan didn't do anything wrong, yet he got angry at her...

"What is it..."

She raised her head, looking at his profile.

"I don't know... Maybe I really am sick~"

He shook his head, showing a helpless smile.

"Well, you're mentally ill..."

It seemed that she had calmed down a bit, turned her head, and looked to the side.

"Then forgive me, will you? After all, I'm a patient~"

"If I forgive you every time you apologize..."

She covered her scarf, muttering, exhaling a cloud of white breath.

"Then I'd be too easy to deal with..."

"Oh, now Little One is negotiating with me?"

He looked at her with a smile.

"Tell me about it~"

"......"

She thought for a while and then spoke softly:

"I want you to accompany me to a place..."

"......Where?"

"......"

She didn't answer.

The firelight reflected on her already slightly flushed face, making it difficult to distinguish each other.

"I can't tell you now~"

"Really..."

He reached out and held her hand, placing it on his own face.

Even though they were sitting in front of the bonfire, her hand still felt a little cool.

"So mysterious?"

"Mhmm~"

She said softly, closing her eyes and then opening them.

The flickering sparks, like elves, reflected in her transparent pupils.

Reluctant to leave for a long time...