Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 909 - 137

When Perfikot's carriage slowly entered the core fortress of the Desert Kingdom colony, the honor guard that greeted him was by no means less grand than Marsel's.

Empire soldiers in deep red winter uniforms formed neat phalanxes on the frozen square, their white breath transforming into a thin mist in the cold wind.

The brass cannons resounded one after another on the fortress walls, and the sound of cannons echoed across the frozen ground, both frightening and arousing the curiosity of the city's residents, wondering what kind of dignitary could command such a grand display from the Governor and garrison Commander.

One must understand that the Desert Kingdom is different from Marsel. Apart from some Empire immigrants, most residents here are local tribal people.

They are mostly uneducated and, before the Empire took over this land, were nothing more than a group of indigenous tribes still leading a nomadic lifestyle.

These tribal people have little insight or culture, they are merely the population raised by the tribal chieftains.

In the past, the chieftains were the core of everything on this ancient land, mastering wealth, water sources, and oases. Tribal people had to rely on them to survive.

But when the Empire's forces targeted this land, the ancient chieftains could hardly resist the Empire's army; those tribal warriors wielding scimitars were ultimately no match for muskets and cannons.

Even though some chieftains borrowed the power of the gods from ancient beliefs, they still ended up being crushed in front of the Empire's Steam Knights.

Yet even so, for this ancient land, it only meant that the tribal people went from relying on chieftains to relying on the Empire's Governor, still finding it difficult to comprehend what kind of nobility the Empire Regent was.

After all, this is no longer considered the old world, and its level of civilization is no match for France.

However, unlike the bloated bureaucrats in the Marsel colony, the Governor and garrison Commander here have a distinctly different demeanor.

Governor Redcliff wore a sharp, dark gray woolen military coat, with only a few simple military honors on his chest.

His gaunt face had a scar running from the brow bone to the jaw, a "reminder" left from quelling a local rebellion in his early years.

The garrison Commander Valken stood like a bronze statue beside him, his rough fingers always resting on his sword, knuckles covered with scars from frostbite.

When Perfikot stepped down from the carriage, these two local rulers gave a crisp military salute, without excessive flattery or elaborate welcome speeches.

They exuded a scent of gunpowder and rust, a temperament truly honed on the apocalyptic battlefield.

Perfikot could not help but nod secretly—in this brutal apocalyptic winter, such iron-blooded soldiers were indeed the right choice to guard the Empire's colony.

Behind them, those soldiers, whose faces were blue with cold, still maintained a standard posture with their rifles, served as the best testament.

Perfikot was not one to treat subordinates harshly, seeing these soldiers also looking miserable. He said to Valken beside him, "Let them go warm up by the fire; it's harsh in such cold weather."

"Yes, Regent," Valken responded and immediately gestured to the adjutant beside him.

The adjutant, upon receiving the signal, immediately issued two commands, which allowed the lined-up soldiers to disperse.

But Perfikot observed carefully, even as they left, these soldiers did not break formation, instead departing in neat ranks.

This made her nod slightly. Even as just a display, such strict discipline was already quite commendable. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Moreover, it hadn't been many years since the Desert Kingdom experienced rebellion. The last time Empress Annie suppressed the chieftain rebellion, even several legendary Steam Knights crafted by Perfikot were involved. No matter how inadequate these soldiers were, they had truly experienced war.

Led by the Governor and Commander, Perfikot entered the interior of the fortress and sat down in the Governor's office.

The core defense system of the city consisted of several towering fortresses, with high Energy Towers standing in the central square of the fortress cluster.

These metal giants continuously emitted astonishing heat amid the wind and snow, melting a circle of black soil around their bases, in stark contrast to the surrounding ice.

The soldiers who participated in the ceremony earlier, though wearing crisp winter uniforms, were only in standard-issued Empire woolen coats.

In extreme cold below minus tens of degrees, such uniforms were practically useless in terms of warmth.

If it weren't for the warm force field radiated by the Energy Towers enveloping the entire fortress, those standing guard might have turned into ice sculptures in less than half an hour.

As they left, Perfikot noticed a layer of frost on the eyelashes of many, all frozen.

It was precisely these towering Energy Towers that became the strongest pillars of the Empire's rule.

The tribal people of the Desert Kingdom had lived for generations in the sweltering heat, using light linen to shield them from the sun and relying on blankets at night to withstand drastic temperature differences.

When the apocalyptic winter suddenly arrived, these tribal people were powerless to cope, as even the eldest Shaman had never seen such terrifying cold in ancestral prophecies.

The initial resistance by the tribal chieftains relied on the blessings of the Ancient Gods sought from old beliefs to sustain the tribe's survival.

Those ancient temples and altars, though using blood sacrifices to dispel cold within small areas, became new beliefs for the tribal people despite being brutal and bloody.

However, as Empress Annie, in her capacity as Eldest Princess, led her army to crush the resistance points, and one Energy Tower after another rose beside the ruins, these old beliefs were crushed along with the chieftain's resistance.

"Regent, currently, there are twenty-seven Energy Towers built in the Desert Kingdom region." Governor Redcliff opened his carried notebook, filled with dense data detailing this Empire colony under his administration: "Each Energy Tower has a radiation range of about five kilometers, covering one hundred thirty-four tribal settlements around."

Saying this, a trace of pride flashed in his gray-blue eyes, yet his tone remained restrained: "Although the chieftain rebellion caused some unrest earlier, the Empire's governance of this area is now more stable than before the rebellion."

"Currently, the main outputs are coal and iron ore necessary for Energy Tower operations, as for traditional crops…" The Governor shook his head, continuing his report as his finger traced the notebook: "Cotton fields have turned into ice plains, the wheat fields have only frozen stalks left, and the local camels and goats have almost all frozen to death; now not even fresh meat is seen at the nobles' banquets."