Chapter 21: The Mist Clan

The Rhine is known as Germany’s “Father River.”

It is the longest river within Germany and the third largest in Europe, after the Volga and the Danube.

Its total length is 1,320 kilometers, originating in the Alps within Switzerland and flowing through Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands before emptying into the North Sea near Rotterdam.

Its status is even comparable to that of the Ganges in India.

The Rhine flows for 867 kilometers within Germany, and the most scenic stretch is the Rhine Gorge section of the Middle Rhine, from Mainz to Bonn.

In this section, the Rhine enters a region of mountains and gorges, where the riverbed becomes winding and the current swift.

The scenery on both banks is breathtakingly beautiful, with one picturesque medieval Romanesque town after another watching over this sacred river.

The relics of a civilization, leaving only ruins, appear somewhat lonely and desolate in this land.

In the old era, vast, lush green vineyards once covered the land here, and on almost every hillside and high ground, one could see proud and ancient castles.

Every landscape here, every piece of land, is nature that has been humanized.

Those castles, perched high on the mountains, remind people that the Rhine region was once a land of city-states and feuding lords.

These castles served as customs posts for collecting taxes, fortresses for defense, watchtowers for observation, or lighthouses for navigation.

Centuries of human wisdom and effort created such beauty.

After World War II, with the development of industry and the rise of cities, the water quality of the Rhine began to decline.

By the 1970s, due to environmental protection efforts lagging far behind economic development, the Rhine was severely polluted.

In the late 20th century, due to accelerated industrialization, the heavy metal content in the Rhine seriously exceeded standards, threatening numerous aquatic species.

This work of art bestowed upon the earth by heaven was thus damaged.

The more than 50-kilometer stretch of the Rhine from Rüdesheim to Koblenz best represents the river’s unique natural and cultural landscape.

In the old era, it was listed as a World Natural and Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

To protect the original natural scenery, no bridges were built over this section of the Rhine; travel between the two banks relied on ferries.

“I was born right here.”

Rhein pointed excitedly at the romantic and magical river outside the window.

“My mother was also inspired by this great river when she gave me the name Rhein.”

“It seems you really love your mother, Rhein.”

Li Ruoyi was also clearly captivated by the scenery outside; this was the earthly paradise of German poets’ dreams.

It was acclaimed by Goethe as a “place blessed by God” and by the playwright Kleist as “nature’s paradise.”

A type of ancient Roman coin—perhaps the earliest souvenir of the Rhine—was also inscribed with the legend “Joy of the Rhine.”

The beautiful scenery of the Rhine once attracted the famous 19th-century British painter J.M.W. Turner, a pioneer of Impressionism.

In 1817, he brought his sketchbook and painted all the way from Cologne to Mainz.

Today, these paintings are worth a fortune.

“My mother loved Heine’s legend of Lorelei on the Rhine.”

Rhein clapped her hands happily.

“I still remember my mother reading his poems to my sister and me every night!”

“I know not why I am so sad, a tale of old haunts my heart—”

As the girl spoke, her expression dimmed, and tears welled up in her eyes.

“That was a long time ago.”

This sentence was almost forced from Rhein’s mouth.

She spoke it slowly and carefully, like peeling a bandage from a wound—painful, but it had to be said.

“Miss, you’re crying.”

Galena gently took out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corner of Rhein’s eyes, pulling her into an embrace.

She sobbed quietly in her arms.

“I’m sorry, I was rude.”

After an unknown amount of time, Rhein left Galena’s embrace, though she really didn’t want anyone to see her reddened eyes.

“But the top priority now is to share information about Nibelungen!”

Rhein took a deep breath; the fresh air by the Rhine cleared her head.

Hearing Rhein’s call, the surrounding magicians gathered around.

Zigris, who had been resting in a nearby carriage, also sat up to listen.

They sat around a bonfire, the leaping flames illuminating each of their resolute faces.

These were the desperate individuals Amber had chosen for her—those who would stop at nothing to complete the mission.

A sense of security once again rippled through her heart.

“What I know might only be from my mother’s descriptions.”

Rhein tilted her head, searching her memories.

According to her mother, in Nibelungen, where the German Rhine flows, there lived three Rhine maidens at the bottom of the river.

They guarded a rock at the bottom of the river day and night, for on that rock was embedded a piece of magical gold.

The dwarf Alberich of the Nibelung tribe swam toward the Rhine maidens from behind a cluster of rocks, eager to win the love of one of them.

However, Alberich was met with their ridicule and scorn.

He was furious, but at that moment, he saw the magical gold sparkling on the great rock above.

The three Rhine maidens revealed to him the secret: “Whoever can forge a ring from this gold will be able to rule the world, but he must renounce love.”

And so, Alberich cursed love and stole the gold.

“This is the origin of Nibelungen and the cause of the later Ragnarök.”

“So we just need to follow this river to find the entrance?” a magician spoke, a cigarette dangling from his mouth, his hands resting on the wooden stock of a massive flintlock.

Magicians disliked using modern firearms, partly because of their unfamiliarity with modern knowledge, and partly because it was difficult to infuse their own power into the bullets during loading and firing.

“The exact location is still unknown, but we can’t go wrong by following this river,” Li Ruoyi said.

“And I can feel that we are very close.”

Zigris, also a Human King, nodded in agreement with Li Ruoyi’s assessment.

“If it’s the giant dragon species that attacked the main city, for it to hide…” another magician began, but then seemed to understand something.

“What I mean is, it wouldn’t be easy for it to find a place to hide.”

“That is indeed a problem we must consider.”

Rhein took over the conversation, but as it was her first time leaving the family to execute a mission, her experience and insight were far inferior to these adults.

“Although I don’t know the principle, I can access the memories of my ancestors.”

Zigris stepped into the center of the circle.

He gestured toward the stars in the sky as if measuring something.

After a moment of silence, he obtained the data he wanted and spoke.

“Alberich was a dwarf, also known as the ‘Mist Clan’ in Norse mythology.”

Zigris drew his greatsword and plunged it into the ground.

The bonfire turned a dark green and shot upward, the flames casting the image of a dwarf.

“In other words, Nibelungen only appears when there is mist.”

Zigris excitedly drew his conclusion and added, “The position of the stars is right around here. All we need to do now is wait for the mist to appear.”

“A light breeze… the Rhine… ample water vapor… relative humidity!”

Li Ruoyi suddenly understood; their current location met the conditions for mist to form.

“Are we finally there?”

A magician with bandaged hands stood up and happily threw two punches into the air, his muscles gleaming and defined in the firelight.

“Sirs, I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there is mist forming on the road ahead!” a guard reported, running over in a hurry.

“Haha! Mortal, you wouldn’t believe that this is the report we wanted to hear most!”

The muscular man pulled the guard into an embrace and laughed heartily.

Immediately, the surrounding magicians also began to laugh.

Some even stood up and cheered, raising toasts.

Li Ruoyi and Rhein also exchanged a smile.

“It’s really big! The diameter of this mist is nearly thirty kilometers.”

Li Ruoyi climbed onto the lead vehicle.

What surprised him even more was that the mist was actually moving at a certain speed.

The streets it swallowed became impossible to observe.

“Zigris, have the magicians connect magic chains to each vehicle!” Li Ruoyi shouted, but his voice was immediately swallowed by the surging, wave-like mist.

The entire convoy was connected by golden magic chains, but like a ship caught in a storm, the carriages began to jolt violently with the neighing of the horses.

The chains could only prevent the convoy from being separated by the mist and reduce the sense of being lost, but they were powerless against the feeling of dizziness.

It was like being tied to a fifty-pound iron ball and thrown into the sea.

This mist was the first grave prepared for intruders.

Li Ruoyi felt disoriented; the rushing mist filled his nostrils, nearly suffocating him.

Fortunately, the mist finally came to an end, and a vast landscape unfolded before them.

“Oh! My God!”

The first magician to emerge from the carriage after enduring the storm let out an uninhibited gasp of surprise.

They saw a sight even more astonishing than the Sea of Stones in Germany’s Odenwald.

Towering piles of stones formed various strange shapes.

Two giant stone pillars leaned against each other, forming an inverted V-shaped entrance.

These stones shimmered with a dark green luster.

Magicians who approached discovered that the stones were freely outputting magic into the surroundings.

Towering trees grew to a surprising height.

Such strangely shaped giant trees were everywhere, like the outstretched arms of giants crushed beneath the stones.

Accompanied by a faint mist, the entire sea of stones presented an unheard-of ethereal feeling.

In the distance was a large mountain with a watchtower designed like a medieval keep, soaring into the clouds.

The light emanating from the watchtower covered the entire sky.

The tower was so tall that even the vast sea of mist could not submerge it.

A large bridge spanned the roiling stream of rocks.

At the end of the bridge, something was rolling.

As they got closer, Li Ruoyi saw that it was a small, ugly creature.

These were the dwarves of Norse mythology.

They lacked the strength of giants and could only live in dark underground caves and tree hollows, unable to see the bright sunlight.

But they possessed the most skillful craftsmanship; many of the gods’ treasures, including Thor’s mighty hammer, Mjolnir, used to fight the Norse giants, were said to have been made by dwarves.

More and more dwarves rolled in from all directions.

They were covered in thick, messy fur, and some even had saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths.

They stared foolishly with their small, devolved eyes at Li Ruoyi and the others who had intruded into the mystical realm.

These were the original inhabitants of Nibelungen, the world’s small, slovenly craftsmen.

They were known as the Mist Clan.