Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 611 - 575 Cooling Down

"Why is it so cold today? Has the castle's temperature barrier broken?" Perfikot, awakened by the cold early in the morning, got out of bed, draped the fur cloak hanging by the bedside over her shoulders, and went to the window to see what was happening.

The sky outside was still dark and not fully bright, looking gray at a glance.

However, as she walked barefoot to the window, she immediately sensed something was wrong, for not only was the ground icy cold beneath her feet, but it also felt as if she was stepping on ice with a stinging pain.

Looking down, she noticed a thin layer of frost had already formed on the floor by the window, and there were frost flowers on the windowpane.

The thermometer that Perfikot had ordered to be hung by the window showed a reading of -10°C.

As for the outside of the window, it was snowing, and the snow had already accumulated to a finger's thickness. The dim sky was not just because it hadn't fully brightened yet, but also because the snowstorm severely impacted the light.

Perfikot glanced at the time; it was already six in the morning. Usually, the sky should have been fully bright by this time.

Obviously, the snowstorm was severe, and the effects of the low temperature significantly obscured the daylight, giving the illusion that dawn had not yet fully arrived.

"It's snowing? The temperature drop came faster than anticipated!" Perfikot turned to look at the fireplace in the room and, seeing the fire still burning, walked over to it, warming her body while pondering what to do next.

Although she needed to respond immediately, she had to first clear her mind before taking action.

This temperature drop came much quicker than she had expected, hastening at least three to five days, leaving them with virtually no time at all.

She had tried her best to spur those officials into more efficient work, but obviously, it was still not enough.

Perfikot could no longer press those officials to work faster as their efficiency had reached its limit, and pushing further would be unrealistic.

However, the cold wave had already arrived, and if she could be awakened by the cold in the castle with a temperature barrier, imagine the situation of the people outside.

Even though most people had already been sheltered in the underground refuges, and those who hadn't entered were placed in sturdy buildings under the protection of the Energy Tower, no one was left living in tents exposed to the snowstorm.

But for the people, enduring this cold wave was still a formidable challenge.

According to the Astrologers' Association's predictions, the temperature would drop significantly in the coming days, plummeting to an extreme cold of -40°C in the next few weeks.

In such temperatures, even metal would become brittle with frost, and without adequate protection, one could turn rigid after being exposed outdoors for just a short period.

If there were no Energy Tower and underground refuges, Perfikot would have to consider taking the Flying Airship, risking being swept into a typhoon to cross the ocean route back to the Northern Territory.

Because even with building protection and adequate fuel and food, surviving in such frigid weather would still be difficult.

Not to mention, after the initial temperature drop, most parts of the planet would be covered by thick snow, and the white ice and snow would reflect sunlight, further lowering the temperature, creating a vicious cycle while plunging the entire world into an ice age.

"Looks like we can only squeeze the people into the refuges for now, and deal with other matters after this blizzard passes." Perfikot quickly made up her mind, but just as she was about to reach out for the bell to summon the maid, a maid entered the room.

"Count, Mayor Langton wishes to see you." Seeing that Perfikot was awake, the maid hurried over to whisper to her.

"I don't have time to waste on him right now; get them moving immediately. Relocate the people into any operational underground refuges as much as possible. If the reinforcement on the Energy Tower is done, ignite it; if it's not reinforced in time, abandon it for now." Perfikot had no intention of meeting with Mayor Langton and directly gave her orders, "Save people first; all other matters can be postponed! We'll consider other issues once the storm has passed!"

"Yes, Count." The maid answered, prepared to convey Perfikot's orders but paused to ask her, "Count, would you like some food or hot tea prepared?"

"Is there food available in the kitchen?" Perfikot looked at the maid, surprised that there might be food at this time.

The maid nodded affirmatively, "The fire should be lit by now. They can prepare some simple meals."

"Then prepare some for me," Perfikot said as she rose from beside the fireplace to get dressed.

She was only wearing a nightgown and a fur cloak at the moment. Although she wasn't cold by the fire, she intended to put on clothes first.

Noticing this, the maid immediately called other maids to assist Perfikot in dressing.

While Perfikot could dress herself, the maids dutifully ensured she could stand still while they dressed her completely.

Perfikot had long been immune to such extravagant indulgence. From another perspective, these maids having work now was indeed beneficial for them.

Otherwise, under current circumstances, without this job, their entire families might starve.

Considering that dismissing them could end their means of survival, Perfikot maintained the maid arrangement at Windsor Castle but suitably reduced their workload.

With the castle now housing only her, the maids had only her to serve. Since Perfikot ordered the closure of many unused areas, the maids' work had indeed decreased compared to before.

Once dressed, Perfikot returned to the window, looking at the snowstorm-battered city, her brows constantly furrowed.

The cold brought a series of issues, triggering a chain reaction.

In low temperatures, humans need to consume more energy to maintain body heat; high-calorie food is ideal for this, but it's quite evident that the people would be fortunate enough to get compressed biscuits.

Once there's not enough food, people would feel colder and more prone to illness than under normal conditions.

Thus, Perfikot was contemplating how to solve the food issue, enabling people to obtain more calories, which would help them better withstand the cold.