89. Prophetic Dream

When she opened her eyes, it was dawn again. Darius’s deep breathing was barely audible. It was still time for everyone to sleep. Only she had spent another restless night.

‘That dream again.’

A dream where someone called, “Anette, Anette,” but when she woke up, she couldn’t remember it. That made it all the more frustrating.

Perhaps it was because her sleeping place had changed. Since coming to the mountains, she had been dreaming constantly.

Knowing from experience that she wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep with her unsettled feelings, she decided to take a walk outside.

But at this hour, she sensed someone else’s presence besides her own.

“Count Alexei?”

“I’m going the right way…… what a coincidence. If I just turn a bit from here……”

“What are you doing here?”

Count Alexei was busy examining something he held in both hands. When she approached, he quickly hid them behind his back.

Crunch, it was the sound of paper being crumpled.

“Grand Duchess……! What is this, suddenly being so rude!”

“I asked you first.”

In one hand was something round, in the other a flat piece of paper. He looked like someone finding his way with a compass and a map.

‘But there couldn’t possibly be a map of this deep mountain range where no one has entered for hundreds of years.’

Except for Prince Arshama who was their guide, no one knew where they were heading, so how could Count Alexei be finding his way? He must have been looking at something else.

‘They said the Count dabbles in magic.’

But he didn’t openly talk about studying magic because he was concerned about others’ perceptions.

‘It’s a shame he has to study in secret when it’s his area of interest.’

Not all mages make contracts with demons. A few bad mages had changed the perception of magic as a whole.

With his personality, he had humbled himself before Darius to come to the mountain, so he might be studying magic alone even now.

“What’s with that look? You look like you’re seeing some poor child who couldn’t even get proper gruel.”

Right, not having anyone to ask when he’s curious, suffering alone probably made his personality so foul. Let’s be understanding since it’s pitiful.

“Cheer up.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I understand the difficulty of studying an obscure field alone.”

Yes, yes. In my case, I have one teacher, but that teacher doesn’t provide proper guidance and just nags every day, so it’s no help. I understand that feeling well.

“If Count Alexei shows remarkable achievements with magic, the perception of the entire kingdom will change.”

The Count’s expression became peculiar.

“Achievements and perception?”

“The temple disparages mages as easily falling into wicked paths, but we can’t say that only powers sanctioned by the temple are good powers.”

Even spirit mages were viewed unfavorably by the temple because only those with spirit affinity could see spirits.

They thought that believing in the invisible was enough with just the temple.

‘I also feel embarrassed sometimes when I say there’s a spirit here that you can’t see.’

“Achievements and perception, yes…… There’s no need to wait for the right time. There’s no one around now anyway.”

“Count?”

“Thank you for your kind words, my lady. I have no idea what you’re talking about, but since it resonates in my heart, I suppose your intentions must be very good.”

“Are you insulting me?”

“No, no. So, um, actually, I’ve been struggling to fit in here. Just as you thought.”

Count Alexei grabbed her hand.

“Would you mind talking with me a bit more?”

Count Alexei added with an unexpectedly innocent expression.

“It’s difficult for me to speak honestly where there are people around.”

‘Really? This terror of a mouth actually has worries? Is he someone who thinks before he speaks?’

“Oh, yawn. I see I’m not the only one awake at this hour? And there are two of you?”

Arshama was approaching.

“Well, well, who do we have here but a handsome man and a young woman? You two, standing so close together might cause unnecessary misunderstandings?”

At those words, she reflexively pulled her hand away.

“It’s not like that.”

“If it’s an honorable relationship, you should meet in the light. Who would say anything if you held hands where people can see?”

“Tch.”

‘Tch? No, Count, if you talk like that, people will really think something is going on!’

Absurdly, the Count disappeared in a flash without any greeting as soon as he saw Arshama.

“……That person wanted to talk quietly because he’s shy. That’s really all there is to it?”

“Hmm, is it because I’m a half-breed? It’s confusing, isn’t it?”

“What’s confusing? Is this something to be confused about?”

She had just wanted to listen to someone else’s worries with good intentions! She should never try to do things that don’t suit her!

“I suppose it’s harder to tell when they’re mixed.”

Arshama scratched his head vigorously. His grape-black hair curled around his fingers.

“That Count. Isn’t he doing well?”

“Since we entered the mountain range? Yes, he is. Until we departed, I was worried because he was so rebellious.”

Unlike what she had seen at the hunting party, Count Alexei was fiercely hunting down demonic beasts. He had reason to be confident in his skills.

“It’s interesting. The energy I sense is from that side, but he’s at the forefront killing monsters. Which side is he really on?”

“What do you mean?”

“Hmm. It’s nothing.”

Arshama grinned. He seemed to be contemplating something complex on his own, but due to his nature, he looked bright even when dealing with complicated matters.

“You should be careful. As capable a guide as I am, if you cross a dangerous bridge on your own, I can’t save you from that too.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, it’s not a good choice for a married woman to offer her hand to another man in a secluded place.”

“Oh, come on. I told you it’s not like that!”

“Of course, in our Hershma, we practice polygamy, so we have more open minds about relationships between men and women than those who practice monogamy.”

Teasing her until the end, Arshama mumbled something incomprehensible again.

“Well, this too is heaven’s guidance. In the end, you can’t play the game knowing all the cards.”

* * *

“Visibility is decreasing! Clouds are approaching! Judging by the weather, it looks like snow is coming!”

“What? It was pouring rain just now! Damn, watch out for demonic beasts! When the terrain changes, they’ll hide and target people again!”

Day 8 of their entry. Today’s weather was so unpredictable that it made their previous mountain journey seem easy in comparison. Every time visibility decreased and the terrain suddenly changed, hordes of demonic beasts poured out.

“Don’t lose sight of the guide’s lead!”

But that instruction became useless when heavy snowflakes began to fall.

‘Rain couldn’t be helped, but if it’s snow, I can clear it away with wind.’

“Sylraphe!”

Sylraphe’s storm temporarily cleared away the blizzard right in front of them.

“Lady Anette!”

“As expected, my lady is amazing!”

But the joy was short-lived.

“Grrrr.”

“Kweeeek!”

A pack of black demonic beasts had gathered where the white snow had been cleared.

“Kwek! Kweeeeek!”

“……Dear God.”

“Good heavens.”

“I think I’d prefer the blizzard to return. At least while the blizzard rages, those monsters can’t see us either.”

“Sorry, I didn’t know what was under the snow either.”

This was the largest group of demonic beasts they had faced so far. It might even be more than all the ones they had killed combined.

“All troops.”

Darius remained calm.

“Advance.”

Following his command, the army clashed with the horde of demonic beasts.

“If we kill this one, Hash’s uncle’s pumpkins will grow well, and if we finish off this one too, Brown’s uncle can go gather firewood without worry!”

“Who are those people?”

“They’re the names of people who suffered from demonic beasts last year, the year before, and the year before that!”

Sir Dwaine was at the forefront, vigorously swinging his spear.

The remarkable knight who had survived despite the superstitious medieval medical practice of applying medicine to the weapon that caused the wound rather than to the wound itself.

Even after being thoroughly defeated by her over that incident, his bright personality remained unchanged.

“Yes, remember who we wield our swords for! Killing these creatures will bring peace to our families and neighbors!”

Knights influenced by Sir Dwaine’s ultra-positive mindset shouted the names of their neighbors.

“I’ll avenge our house for Mrs. Mushroom’s honey pots and harvested grains that were all ruined!”

The black blood of demonic beasts spilled onto the white snow.

“Die, Mrs. Mushroom’s enemy!”

“The snow is coming back!”

“My lady, could you blow the wind once more?”

“I can, but it keeps coming back! If I clear it again, can you kill all of these?”

“Ah, that seems unlikely.”

“Regroup!”

“Retreat!”

When the snow returned, the demonic beasts also couldn’t see. They needed to face them more strategically. For instance, timing when she would clear the snow…… So they decided to retreat first and approach again, when someone shouted.

“Retreat? Ha, after pretending to be so brave, you’re all cowards!”

Hesitantly. Count Alexei stood out distinctly among the retreating ranks.

“Count Alexei, the commander has ordered a retreat!”

“Just watch how I catch these demonic beasts from there.”

The muzzle of his fire-spitting gun pointed forward. The troops under the Count’s command wavered as he took independent action, ignoring the order to return.

“Count, if you stay there, you’ll be engulfed by the monster horde! Don’t be reckless!”

“Withdraw immediately!”

Someone’s shout was heard.

“Ptui, let him die alone for all I care!”

‘No.’

He won’t die alone.

Bang bang, what sound does a gun make when it spits fire?

〈Anette.〉

〈Anette, don’t worry. The dream you’re seeing isn’t reality. It’s not what’s happening now.〉

〈I don’t even know exactly what you’re seeing, but Anette is special.〉

A world where white blizzard blows.

The sharp metallic sound echoing in her ears.

‘Don’t shoot, don’t shoot!’

She had always been afraid of guns.

The dream that she always forgot when morning came now vividly came back to her.