On the third day, early in the morning, the sky over the Land of Snow was uncharacteristically clear.
Koyuki, dressed in light cotton clothes, tightly clutched a bronze key and set off towards the top of the snowy mountain with Sandayū and ten trusted confidants.
Last night, she had specifically reviewed the notes her father had left behind and learned that the geothermal generator did not rely on traditional energy sources but rather on six giant crystals on the mountaintop that absorbed solar energy to operate.
Her heart was filled with a mix of anticipation and trepidation about the sight she was about to witness.
"Your Highness, the crystal platform is just ahead."
The confidant walking at the very front suddenly stopped and pointed to the platform ahead, speaking loudly.
Koyuki looked up and saw six giant crystals, over ten meters high, arranged in a line on the flat platform at the top of the mountain.
The crystal surfaces were smooth as mirrors, reflecting colorful light under the sun, like six rainbow monuments embedded in the snow.
In front of the giant crystals stood a hexagonal platform. At the center of the platform was a hole that perfectly matched the shape of the bronze key, clearly the key to activating the device.
"Is this the Sunlight Crystal recorded in father's diary?"
Koyuki walked to the crystal and gently touched its surface with her hand. A cold sensation came from her fingertips.
Following the instructions in the diary, she slowly inserted the bronze key into the hole.
With a soft "click," the key perfectly fit into the hole.
As Koyuki gently turned the key, colorful light began to glow around the stone platform, spreading along the patterns and connecting to the six giant crystals.
In an instant, the six huge crystals simultaneously erupted with dazzling light.
Red, blue, green, yellow, purple, and orange halos intertwined, and a colorful glow appeared on the crystal surfaces.
Sandayū watched this scene in amazement. "Absorbing solar energy... So that's it! Sosetsu-sama possessed such wisdom. It's incredible that he used crystals to collect sunlight as energy."
Koyuki did not speak, her gaze fixed on the connection between the crystals and the stone platform.
As the crystal energy continuously poured in, a low "humming" sound came from beneath the stone platform, and the core device of the geothermal generator began to operate.
The snow around the platform melted at a visible rate.
Water droplets flowed down through the cracks in the rocks, forming small streams on the ground that slowly flowed down the hillside.
"Come and see! The land is exposed!"
Koyuki quickly walked to the edge of the platform and looked in the direction her confidant pointed.
The hillside, which had been covered by thick snow, now revealed large patches of black soil.
On this moist soil, several tender green grass shoots were diligently pushing through, their leaves still clinging to sparkling water droplets, glimmering in the sunlight.
Near the village further away, the formerly frozen river also began to thaw, and the sound of breaking ice drifted on the wind, crisp and pleasant.
The people at the foot of the mountain had long since gathered there after hearing the news, and when they saw the snow on the hillside melting and the grass shoots breaking through the soil, the crowd instantly erupted in excitement.
An elderly farmer squatted by the field ridge, picking up a handful of moist soil with trembling hands and sniffing it at his nose.
"It's living soil! It's living soil that can grow crops!"
Children nearby chased after the melting water, holding branches and drawing circles on the mud, cheering, "Spring has come!"
More people held up the previously posted newspapers, pointing to the crystal light on the mountaintop and spreading the news.
Some carefully pasted the newspapers on their doors. They worshipped them as auspicious signs.
Others knelt towards the top of the snowy mountain, silently chanting, "May the former lord bless us, may the new lord bless us."
Koyuki stood on the mountaintop, watching the joyful scene of the people below, her heart filled with relief.
She reached out and touched the crystal beside her, feeling the flow of energy.
A faint unease rose in her heart. "Energy consumption is faster than expected."
It wasn't until the afternoon that Koyuki led everyone down the mountain.
As soon as she returned to the palace, she saw that the area outside the palace was crowded with officials and commoners bringing good news.
Some village chiefs reported that most of the snow in their villages had melted, some farmers said their land was ready for plowing, and some artisans suggested quickly making farm tools to prepare for spring plowing.
Koyuki patiently listened to everyone's reports and responded.
It wasn't until sunset that she finally saw off the last group of people.
"Koyuki, you must be exhausted, right?" Shun's voice came from inside the hall.
He was holding a cup of hot tea and sitting on a soft couch, waiting for her.
Koyuki sat beside him, the smile on her face gradually fading, replaced by a hint of worry. "Shun, when I activated the geothermal generator today, I found that the energy in those six crystals was consumed very quickly, and father's notes didn't mention any method for replenishing energy."
Upon hearing this, Shun's expression became serious. "Although those six Sunlight Crystals can absorb solar energy, the accumulated energy in the crystals is limited. At most, they can only keep the geothermal generator running for ten days."
"After ten days, the energy will be depleted, and without new energy replenishment, the melted snow will refreeze, and the land will be covered by snow again."
Koyuki suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with shock and disappointment. "Only ten days? Then the hopes of the people... can they only last ten days?"
Shun raised his hand and rubbed her cheek, comforting her, "The elevation of the Land of Snow is between 2,000 and 4,000 meters, but the Cloud-Severing Mountains to the east and the Floating Snow Mountains to the west are too high, forming two natural barriers that completely block out warm currents from the outside."
"As long as a hundred-meter-wide gap is opened in each of these two mountain ranges, allowing warm currents from the outside to enter the Land of Snow, the climate here can be changed, fundamentally solving the problem of severe cold."
"Then, even without the geothermal generator, the Land of Snow can welcome a true spring."
Koyuki leaned over the map, looking at the gap locations Shun had marked.
She said, "Opening gaps in the mountain ranges... can that be done? Those two mountain ranges are so high. By human power alone, I'm afraid..."
Shun smiled and raised his hand, condensing a pale golden Chakra. "I can throw the mountain range to the Nameless Planet, and a gap can be opened in a few seconds."
"However, this requires your consent. After all, this is the land of the Land of Snow, and I don't want to change it without permission."
Koyuki looked at the gaps on the map, then thought of the expectant eyes of the people below the mountain, and instantly made a decision in her heart.
"I agree. As long as it can allow the people of the Land of Snow to live good lives, what does it matter if the terrain is changed? Shun, I'm counting on you."
Seeing the light in her eyes, Shun smiled and nodded.
"Don't worry, tomorrow we will go to the mountain ranges to investigate and determine the specific locations of the gaps. The climate of the Land of Snow is due for a real change."