Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 941 - 161: Royal Supplies

The extra supplies sent by the Royal Family weren't precious alchemy materials or strategic resources, just some food and clothing essentials.

The list included cured smoked meat, air-dried sausages, jam sealed in earthen jars, and cheese capped with wax.

These foods seemed ordinary, but each was carefully handled—the smoked meat was made from premium wild boar of the Northern Territory, slow-smoked with sea salt and cedar shavings, giving it a savory taste with a hint of fresh wood aroma; the sausage followed the secret recipe of the royal chefs, mixed with spices and a dash of honey, making it perfect both as a condiment and a standalone snack; the jam had labels with "Summer Orchard" inscribed, a product of the Empress's private estate, which was built for the Royal Family's enjoyment by the court mages in conjunction with alchemists after arriving in the Northern Territory.

The clothing included thick fur coats, windproof capes, and lined leather boots, each diligently crafted by the royal tailors.

The coat's lining was sewn with fine silver threads, providing warmth and preventing static in extreme cold; the cape's collar fastened with an unassuming copper clasp, which when pressed, unfurled a lightweight metal mesh to ward off unexpected snowstorms; the boots had soles layered with alchemically-treated cork, making them both lightweight and slip-resistant.

Even the stitching was expertly hidden, feeling smooth and seamless to the touch, obviously to prevent wear and tear during long-distance travel.

Clearly, more than anything else, Empress Annie cared for Perfikot's well-being.

Although these supplies seemed ordinary, they were selected with care—meats were salted and smoked to last months without rotting; jams and preserves sealed in glass jars to avoid spoiling; even the tea and coffee were sealed in tin cans, with a layer of moisture-resistant alchemical fibers inside to ensure they stayed dry and undamaged.

Besides food and clothing, there was also a set of silver cutlery, portable folding tables and chairs, even a complete set of compact grooming tools.

The handle of the silver fork was engraved with delicate snowflake patterns, the joints of the folding tables and chairs wrapped in soft leather to prevent noise during transport; the grooming kit contained not only an ivory comb and mirror, but also a small bottle of essential oil, a soothing fragrance Perfikot frequently used in earlier years.

Each item was designed to withstand the wear and tear of long-distance transport, ensuring they would reach Perfikot in perfect condition.

After all, these were meant for Perfikot; sending items that couldn't be preserved would mean they'd spoil before arrival. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The end of the list included notes specifying which boxes needed periodic ventilation and which must be stored away from light.

The boxes of smoked meat and cheese had to be separated with hay to avoid crushing; tea and coffee tin cans couldn't be near high heat, or the wax seals would melt; even the grooming kit had a "handle with care" label.

Evidently, the Empress had considered even the minutest details of transportation.

Though the entire world felt like a gigantic icebox now, some things were as likely to spoil from heat as they would from cold.

For example, fresh vegetables and fruits could freeze and rot even at low temperatures, so the list replaced them with dehydrated vegetables and dried mushrooms, being both lightweight and storage-friendly.

The vegetables were sliced thin, dried, and compressed into blocks, requiring only hot water to regain some of their freshness; the mushrooms, native to the forests of the Northern Territory, became more flavorful when sun-dried, suitable for stews or congees.

As she scrutinized the list in her hands, Perfikot nodded slightly and said, "Transporting these all the way from the Northern Territory must have been arduous."

The Captain stood upright, placing his right hand on his chest in salute, "In service to the Empire and to the Regent!"

His tone was firm and powerful, but he soon slipped into a fawning smile, adding, "Compared to everything you do for the Empire, Regent, my contributions are insignificant."

Perfikot's gaze lingered on the list for a moment, her fingertips gently brushing over the words "Ceylon Black Tea," before closing the page and calmly stating, "Since the items have arrived, log them according to the list."

Her tone remained steady, but the tension in her brows eased somewhat.

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After the Captain, with his fawning smile, left the storeroom aboard the Floating Battleship, the door closed gently, enveloping the surroundings in a brief silence.

Perfikot stood alone before the towering wooden crates, her fingertips unconsciously gripping the list, the paper's edges faintly creasing under her hold.

"Such superfluous efforts."

She should have felt impatient— the Empire was at a critical juncture, gripped by the extreme cold, with colonies harboring rebellious intentions and ancient gods threatening from outside, yet the Empress spent resources sending these frivolous comforts?

But as she opened a crate marked "Cold Weather Apparel" and felt the silver-lined interior of the cloak, she was enveloped by a long-forgotten sensation of care and warmth.

The cloak's stitching was as precise as the one she had received years ago in Langton.

Back then, she was merely an orphan from a Baron's family with no title, and now... Perfikot lowered her eyes to hide a fleeting moment of wistfulness.

"Aunt Annie... you are still as impractical as ever."

Perfikot's words about Empress Annie carried a tone of sarcastic critique, yet behind the sarcasm lay genuine appreciation for Annie's care.

She inspected the supplies one by one: the cedar aroma of the smoked meat was fresh and dry, the label on the jam jars still had fresh ink, indicating a hastily-prepared shipment; the sealing technique on the tea tin cans used a royal-patented alchemy coating, far from a rushed job.