The mountain wind cuts like a blade, slicing through the unending mine ridges along the northern edge of Snow Peak County. The thick snow has yet to melt, but the mountains have already exposed layers of mottled rocky bones, resembling a slumbering steel giant.
Louis stands atop a mountain hollow, draped in a heavy cloak, overlooking the bustling scene below.
The sound of axes and chisels echoes between the mountain walls, carrying rhythm and power.
Artisans wield pickaxes before the mine tunnels, with rows of half-underground wooden cabins neatly embedded into the ground, smoke rising from ventilation shafts.
A few snow-horned cattle slowly amble out from the barn, pulling sleds loaded with stone materials towards the dispatch area.
A small aqueduct channels water through the cracks in the rocks, crystal clear, bypassing a purification device, and into the drinking water tanks.
The entire mining camp has already taken on the shape of a "territory in embryonic form."
