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Well if it isn't our mercenary friend. I trust you've adjusted to life in the Kingdom by now?
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Yeah, more or less. I've been here a few times before on the job, so it's not too big a shock.
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But I've never lived as far north as Fhirdiad. There's still a bunch I need to get used to.
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Stuff like the wind blowing straight through you, or how it's always so stupidly cold—even inside—or how you can't go out after a blizzard.
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It snowed so much one night that I couldn't even open the door in the morning. Thought I was off to meet the goddess that day.
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An amusing enough story when you tell it like that, but Faerghus winters are no joke. They're harsh, unforgiving beasts.
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Tell me, have you grown to despise the cold?
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Nah, it's not so bad. I mean, sure, all the snow is really annoying.
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But it's also beautiful. You can't see lamp-lit streets covered in the stuff anywhere but here.
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I thought the same when I was young. Though the more years I gain, the more frustrating it becomes.
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Oh, it's miserable. Bet I'm not the only person who thinks that way either, seeing how much it snows.
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I honestly used to think it was some kinda beautiful magic when I was a kid, but I realize now just how rough the stuff can be.
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To be frank, I'm not fond of the snow myself. Not to mention the countless lives we've lost to the bitter chill of winter.
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Nevertheless, this brutal tundra is the only home we have.
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Meaning there's nothing to do but adapt, persevere, and enjoy the lives we've built here.
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Adapt... Like how the messengers ride pegasi instead of horses during the winter?
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Exactly. The sight of those majestic creatures soaring through the frost-ridden sky is one unique to Faerghus.
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No matter how much snow blankets the ground, our pegasi quite literally rise to the occasion.
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When my son and His Majesty were still just boys, they followed one off into the frigid mountains of all places.
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By the time I found them, they were but two shivering masses on the ground. For a moment I thought my heart would never beat again.
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So Felix has been getting into trouble ever since he was a kid, huh?
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His penchant for danger is unchanged, yes. Though I fear his disposition has grown far sharper.
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The hardships of becoming duke at his age are undoubtedly weighing upon his mind.
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I dunno, I don't think you need to worry about him. He can take care of himself just fine.
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A fair point. Perhaps it's time I let him spread his wings like the pegasus he chased all those years ago.
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It seems the coming winter will bring more than just cold to Faerghus. The ravages of war approach on the same wind.
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Training in such conditions will be a struggle indeed, while we cannot afford to ignore the looming Sreng threat either.
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Managing our territories through it all will not be an easy task, but I have faith we will adapt, persevere, and overcome. Just as we always have.
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Next winter, huh? We'll just have to do whatever it takes to make sure the war's over by then.