EP.124 The Road to the North (2)
The butler, Sebas.
This elderly man with graying hair has worked as the butler for the Grace family for a long time. He has dedicated most of his life to the Grace family.
“It’s been a long time.”
He is now just reflecting on these brief thoughts, but… he has gone through countless hardships and adversities that cannot be expressed in a single line.
The master of the north.
The Grace family, referred to as such, is certainly not ordinary. They are far from the mundane.
“They are different from typical nobles.”
They do not indulge in luxury and vanity. They do not attempt to decorate themselves. Living life in its raw form, they are more akin to warriors than nobles. While other nobles sip tea and hold social gatherings or balls, the Grace family is out hunting another orc on the snowy mountains.
In short, their very way of thinking is different.
Sebas, with his very ordinary thought process, took a long time to adapt to the Grace family. Reflecting on it, it was indeed a long, arduous time.
“Direct, unembellished, and their way of showing respect differs; their simplistic way of thinking sometimes makes them appear lacking…”
Still, they are a magnificent family with their own convictions.
That’s why Sebas did his best in his assigned task of “serving Lac von Grace.” At the very least, he taught him manners to avoid being rude and trained him to be considerate towards ladies.
“Surely, that should have been the case.”
How did it come to this?
Sebas recalled a conversation he just overheard.
– Hey, you threw an axe at me.
– Yes, I did.
– And kicked me too!
– …? Yes, that happened.
The once kind and gentle young lord from the north became a reckless fool upon arriving in the royal capital.
“Re-education is necessary…”
Sebas let out a short sigh.
He then slightly turned his head to sneak a glance at the interior of the carriage where his master was seated. His master was nodding along, listening to someone intently.
– So, in this manner…
There sat a woman next to his master.
Her flowing ashen hair and emerald green eyes are her trademarks. Sebas was well aware of the rumors surrounding her.
Rania van Trias.
The professor who made a dazzling debut at the largest magic academy in the royal capital, Apuria. Due to her high-level classes and unique appearance, her name often appeared in noble social gatherings.
A beautiful young lady with ashen hair.
The renowned professor of Apuria.
The ashen lily of Trias.
Indeed, it’s an environment where rumors about her are inevitable. She is the only daughter of the Trias family, which raised the Ashen Mage.
With her unique appearance and her position as a professor of Apuria, her magical knowledge has been validated. She possesses every quality that would pique the interest of noble heirs.
“If she were to attend a social gathering, she would surely be the center of attention.”
However, she has never attended any social events. Unless one is connected to Apuria, very few nobles have even seen her face.
A woman shrouded in mystery.
An enigmatic figure.
Sebas observed her from a distance.
It’s clear why noble offspring would lose their minds over her. Her ashen hair moves gracefully with even the slightest motion, and her elegant appearance makes it easy to understand why she is dubbed the “Ashen Lily.”
“She… suits it well.”
Seeing her converse with Lac creates a picturesque scene. He feels relieved that he forced his master to wear proper attire, even amidst the chaos.
– Yes, so when you’re doing this…
By the way, what could be so enjoyable about their conversation?
“Hmph.”
Sebas subtly leaned in to listen.
Not exactly something a butler should do, but he worried his master might make a mistake. As he brought his ear closer, the words became clearer.
– Yes, so in this way…
– Right, exactly.
Were they teaching each other something like a professor and a student?
With a satisfied smile, Sebas nodded absentmindedly. However, that was short-lived.
– Trolls have thick necks, you know. When you break them, you do it like this: stick your fingers in the gap of the neck…
Sebas’s eyes widened in surprise at the following words.
– Ah, and when breaking the joints…
– That’s similar too. You use two axes, right? I heard from a connection of mine that if you can’t break it in one go, just use the axe like a hammer.
– Huh?
– Stick one axe in, and keep hammering until it breaks. If you hit it enough times, it’ll break eventually. You know, there’s no tree that won’t fall after ten hits.
The teaching was correct.
It was indeed accurate… but it was entirely different from what he had expected. With trembling eyes, Sebas peered into the carriage’s interior.
– Keep hitting it. Until it breaks.
– Indeed…
The professor shrugged her shoulders, and he saw his master nodding repeatedly. At a glance, it resembled a scene of a teacher imparting wisdom and a student gaining enlightenment, but…
“Is this… right?”
The conversation content was alarmingly aggressive. Sebas shook his head in puzzlement.
“…After all, this must be the person the young lord recommended.”
The Ashen Lily.
The identity of the young lady of the Trias family, known as such, felt somewhat revealing. With a long sigh, a spicy taste lingered in his mouth.
2.
In the north, the blizzards swirl at all seasons, causing the flow of mana to be constantly disrupted. What that means is, teleportation devices cannot be used.
“In fact, there are very few places you can use teleportation devices.”
Especially not for long distances.
The spell “Teleport” is incredibly close to being impossible to use in real situations. If even the tiniest anomaly occurs at the coordinates designated, teleportation becomes a spell that could kill the caster.
Let alone attempting to teleport long distances into the blizzard-ridden north… that would be akin to suicide.
Because of this, they were traveling by carriage, but… there wasn’t much discomfort. The carriage was large, and the mana being operated was so smooth that there was almost no shaking.
That felt strangely unfamiliar to me.
“…This carriage is quite comfortable.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s nothing.”
I rested my chin on my hand and stared out the window.
The scenery zipped by at a fast pace. Riding in a carriage was somewhat unfamiliar to me.
“Well, that’s because I was always running around during my time on the front lines.”
A landscape overflowing with mana.
In such places, not only regular carriages but even mana-operated carriages were unusable.
“I used to walk all night long. Fighting off the rampaging beasts was just the basics, and the phantom territory was full of traps…”
Every step was a trap.
Disarming the cursed land-mines planted by those damned skulls and breaking barriers became my daily routine.
“Traveling comfortably by carriage?”
I chuckled softly.
It was in moments like this that I felt I had truly retired from the battlefield. This unexpected sense of unfamiliarity wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
Creak.
While I was lost in thought, the carriage suddenly came to a halt.
Knock knock, the butler spoke.
“Shall we take a short break to replenish the carriage’s mana? I will prepare a meal, so please wait a moment.”
…Preparing a meal?
I tilted my head, thinking of the supplies I had packed into my robe.
“Lac.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“…Do we really get served meals while traveling these days?”
“Huh?”
Lac looked at me as if he didn’t understand what I meant.
“Uh… haven’t they always done that?”
“Is that so…?”
I had even packed cooking utensils, but it seemed unnecessary. I stepped out of the carriage awkwardly, thinking I would at least catch some fresh air.
“Ugh…”
I stretched lazily.
The sun was setting, and the surroundings were beginning to darken. Normally, it would be time to prepare camp. I looked around carefully.
‘Forest, clearing, wide-open space. I could easily start a fire with some twigs…’
My gaze naturally drifted toward the forest.
There were naturally places to set up a tent and spots to hide. Habitually strolling near the forest, I suddenly came to a halt.
“…This is also a sickness.”
I chuckled softly.
Initially, there was no need to camp. The carriage runs along the determined path. That means it does not stop for day or night. If by chance we had to camp… I would be leisurely camping among the guards.
No need to assign sentries.
No need for soundproofing spells.
There would be no restless nights from the muffled moans between the spells.
“Seriously…”
I realize I have genuinely retired.
This journey is merely about relaxing, akin to a vacation, yet I keep moving in these old habitual ways.
‘I guess that just shows how significant those five years on the battlefield were.’
Five years on the front lines.
I saw so much, experienced so much, and learned so much during those five years.
The habits formed in extreme situations don’t easily fade away. While I understand this place is not a battlefield in my mind, my body keeps moving according to those old habits.
“What a strange feeling.”
I muttered to myself as I turned back.
Before long, the butler was coming to call me after finishing meal preparations. I walked towards the splendid carriage but paused to glance back.
The darkened forest.
As I looked at the forest, reminiscent of nighttime in the phantom territory, a figure came to mind.
‘I wonder what that kid Kyle is up to.’
Well, I’m sure he’s doing just fine.
That rascal probably has a clear idea of what to do.
“He’s probably just busy getting laid.”
It was painfully obvious.
I couldn’t imagine him acting in any other way.
“Miss, the meal is all set…”
“Yes, I’m coming now.”
I followed the butler’s lead as I walked.
My gait and the shoes I wore were entirely different from when I was on the battlefield. As I looked at my shiny polished shoes, I smiled faintly.
This journey might be a bit lighter than usual.
I feel like I’m going on vacation, relaxed and carefree.
3.
The hero Kyle Toven.
He grasped the holy sword firmly. The soft starlight enveloped his body. What lay before him was darkness. Deep, profound darkness.
Creak, creak.
From beyond the darkness, something rolled around. The sound of bones rolling. The clattering of bones echoed in the dark.
Clack, clack.
The bones clicked together.
A bizarre sound reverberated across the black plains. The knights standing behind Kyle swallowed hard. In the pitch-black darkness, only sound echoed.
Gulp.
As the sound of swallowing echoed through the air,
“Get ready.”
Kyle spoke.
“They’re coming.”
The moment he said that, light began to rise from within the darkness. It was not the starlight emanating from Kyle. It was similar but different. This was an otherworldly light.
Ancient symbols.
The circuits of ancient spells.
An incomprehensible ancient spell glimmered in the darkness. The lights intertwined as if to create constellations. Soon, it took shape.
『Ah.』
A robe made from the skins of human faces.
Dense magic leaking from between its strange skeletal gaps.
『Ah, ah.』
As it cracked its mouth, a strange breath escaped. With each movement of its jaw, bizarre noises echoed. The sounds morphed into laughter.
『Ah, aah, aah, aaah.』
It laughed.
A sneer that seemed to scrape over bones resounded across the battlefield.
『Fear the shadow.』
Centuries-old calamity.
The ancient lich, Skebal.
The disaster revealed itself before the hero.
『Come, child of the stars.』
Thick darkness descended upon the plain.
