88. To the Northern Mountain Range

“Uuugh!”

Count Alexei, whose clothes were torn to shreds, hurriedly left the training ground. Though Sylraphe’s storm had long subsided, he still felt a bone-chilling cold.

〈My wife is an outstanding spirit mage who will be a great help to us in dealing with monsters.〉

“Hmph, that petty spirit magic……”

“Count, please change your clothes.”

Count Alexei exploded with anger at the casual clothes the servant cautiously offered.

“How dare you present such trash before me!”

“I, I, I just thought your attire was……”

“Get out, I said get out!”

“And, um, Young Master Alexander said he wanted to speak with you privately.”

“Didn’t you hear me say get out! Even someone like you dares to disrespect me?”

Count Alexei deliberately unleashed his fury. His godson’s embarrassment due to his godfather’s recent rude behavior didn’t matter to him.

Only after the frightened servant disappeared did he carefully look around.

‘I hope no one noticed?’

Concerned that the pattern that needed to be hidden might be visible through his tattered clothes, he quickened his pace.

Even though there were plenty of ignorant humans who wouldn’t recognize the pattern even if shown directly, it was still better not to be discovered.

He needed to change his clothes somewhere private.

* * *

“I entrust the Grand Duke’s household to you.”

“Don’t worry, my lady. We’ll do our best so we won’t feel your absence.”

“Take care of Rose too.”

With my participation confirmed, Lady Temeri and Lady Maude agreed to take care of the Grand Duke’s castle in the absence of its master. Rose, who had firmly believed Darius would stay with her while he was gone, had swollen eyes.

“Why are you leaving me behind? If you’re going, take me with you, hiiing.”

Alexander, who had been watching carefully, took Rose’s hand. Rose grabbed his hand and wailed loudly. Fortunately, although his godfather was joining this journey, he didn’t insist on bringing his godson along.

So Alexander could spend time with his prospective fiancée while his godfather devoted himself to eradicating monsters in the mountain range.

“How lovely.”

Lady Temeri smiled contentedly as she watched her prospective son-in-law. No, but her daughter was still crying her eyes out.

“If I had a spirit too…… if I had a spirit, I could go too. Waaah.”

“Spirits are something you’re born with…… if you don’t have one by now, you probably never will.”

That’s not particularly comforting.

Anyway, I left Castle Inkheart in the hands of reliable ladies, left the sobbing Rose with Alexander, and departed with the army.

Among those left behind, a red-haired man caught my eye. Despite his outstanding martial prowess, Barbarossa didn’t join this mountain range expedition team. Count Spinel, who valued strong individuals, was so disappointed by his absence.

The Count’s disappointment couldn’t be helped, but Barbarossa had other tasks to attend to.

〈Barbarossa, go to the capital and find someone. She’s at the temple, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find her. Her name is Evangeline, and she has blonde hair.〉

It was a task I had assigned him.

‘When he returns, I’ll be able to hear news about Evangeline.’

I even considered the option of bringing Evangeline to the North.

Resisting the urge to change my orders with that thought, I departed.

* * *

On the third day after leaving Castle Inkheart and setting out for the mountain range, the army arrived at the foothills.

The weather was clear, and the demonic beasts we encountered during the journey were only weak varieties. Just wild boars that had become ferocious due to the influence of monsters.

On the fourth day, they began climbing the mountain range in earnest. Arshama, who had volunteered as a guide, was sent to the front from that point on.

“Hmm, I feel like I’ll be abandoned if something happens.”

“Since the prince has asked us to trust him, I have no choice but to show that trust.”

Darius placed Prince Arshama at the very front without batting an eye, while the prince made a fuss about how valuable a reliable guide was.

Prince Arshama led the way, looking dejected but still taking the lead.

“Look at this! I told you it’s dangerous here!”

The moment Arshama turned around while pushing away a dead tree, the scenery changed, and a monster jumped out.

Whip!

The whip quickly struck down the monster. It was a weapon that came from Arshama’s bosom.

‘He uses a whip. When did he start carrying that?’

“Hmm, you’re surviving well on your own. Since you seem as nimble in body as you are loose with your mouth, I’m sure you’ll survive just fine next time without special protection.”

“Hey, what if I really die like that! I’ll die? I’ll really die if you don’t help me!”

“Fighting, Prince.”

“Anette, be careful. What if monster blood splatters on you?”

Despite the nonchalant response, people rushed to help Arshama.

The group of demonic beasts that followed the first one attacking Arshama was dismantled in an instant.

And so, it was another fulfilling evening of beating demonic beasts and preparing for the night.

“It’s fascinating. From the outside, it looks no different from an ordinary mountain. But just walking a little changes the scenery completely.”

I was quietly slipping away from the leadership meeting with Darius, Count Spinel, and Sir Lucion, feeling I had nothing to contribute. Looking around, this mountain range felt particularly strange.

According to the leaders, this expedition differed from the past when they merely circled the mountain range, thanks to Arshama’s participation. They had definitely advanced higher up the mountain.

‘Having a guide certainly makes things easier.’

I guessed that Arshama cooperated with us because he was an outsider among the foreigners. The result was good either way.

As I was thinking this, someone suddenly approached me.

“Hey, how is it? I’m useful, aren’t I? Right?”

It was Arshama.

“You’re no gentleman, or rather, no nobleman.”

“What are you talking about? I’m royalty!”

If not for his light behavior that seemed like he could fly away with a puff of wind, Darius and others would have praised him long ago.

“Foreigners are certainly interesting. Though no one says it, everyone seems impressed by your abilities.”

“This used to be our land long ago. Oh, should I tell you something only we know?”

Arshama picked up a branch and scratched the frozen ground.

“Do you know the saying ‘the sea becomes a field’?”

“It means forests change into seas, right? The same as ‘feeling the passage of generations.’ Are you underestimating me? I may not know about Hershma, but I’m not that stupid.”

Dead grass emerged from the ground Arshama had dug up.

“You’re smart. Then do you know this too? This grass is from a tropical region.”

“Huh?”

“A thousand years ago, this place was a jungle. Now it’s a snowy mountain. Truly ‘the sea becomes a field,’ isn’t it?”

This was the first I’d heard of it. Before I could recover from the shock, Arshama spoke again.

“They say there’s a prophecy that when the demon king resurrects in the North, Inkheart will rise and capture him, right?”

“You’ve heard well. My husband is the descendant who will capture the demon king.”

“But I too have received a prophecy.”

“What?”

“Surely a prince should have at least one prophecy to his name to seem princely, don’t you think?”

With his playful smile, Arshama was such a light-hearted person that it was impossible to tell where the joke ended and the truth began.

“Return to the past and resolve the mistakes of your people. That’s the prophecy I received.”

“Do you think you can undo wrongs committed in the past? You can apologize, but you can’t make what has happened unhappen.”

“For ordinary people, prophecies are metaphors. But for us, they’re intuitive. Because we are foreigners.”

“So what, are you really planning to turn back time?”

“I’m sorry for using you. I’ll try to keep you uninvolved as much as possible.”

Arshama covered the grass he had dug up back with soil. Ice and snow poured over the long-dead grass.

‘Prophecy?’

Foreigner, and Prince of Hershma.

I believe in the prophecy about Darius Inkheart more than anyone. Because it was in the original story.

‘But Arshama’s prophecy, no, his very existence……’

Wasn’t in the book I read.

So what should I do?

I wanted to ask more about the prophecy, but Arshama had already left.

“It’s cold, Anette.”

As I pondered about the prophecy after he left, Darius approached and covered me with his coat, the meeting apparently over. Then he embraced me tightly and asked.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

“What?”

“You said you came because you were worried about me.”

Ah.

“A lord should have his lady by his side. I was happy.”

I felt guilty. To tell the truth, I hadn’t come with such pure intentions.

I had been searching for the item Boyer requested whenever I could while climbing the mountain.

“You must not have prepared properly since you came so suddenly?”

“Apple, who grows more capable every day, packed well for me.”

“I asked Apple to put something in your pocket.”

Darius said in a mischievous voice.

“Look for it later. See what I put in there.”

“Should I expect something amazing?”

The warmth from his body behind me felt cozy, but as night fell, the temperature was dropping.

“You said you were cold. Let’s go in now.”

“Let’s stay like this a little longer.”

Darius was holding me close, using the cold as an excuse. Saying that sharing body heat was natural when the wind was blowing.

“I’m glad you came on your own. I might have kidnapped you otherwise.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been so busy. After the harvest festival, people kept coming endlessly.”

“I did lose my personal time. But we were together until the hunting party. And when Rose met her fiancé too. We’ve been together in between.”

“That’s because…… I wanted it that way.”

Darius’s nose was red as I looked up at him. He rubbed his nose awkwardly.

“This is the first time you’ve followed me of your own accord.”

I’m sorry. Actually, I came for a different reason. I couldn’t bear to entrust it to someone else because I felt sorry for Mr. Boyer.

“I was so anxious about leaving you alone. Worried you might cause some trouble while I was away.”

“What trouble would I…!”

…cause, he says. Even now, I’m hiding the real reason I followed Darius.

‘If I confess now that I came because of Boyer’s request, would he be disappointed?’

“While I’m away on the mountain range expedition, who else were you planning to make fall for you?”

“Yes, yes, I understand. We’re together now.”

Feeling guilty about many things, I indulged the Grand Duke who was acting spoiled in the cold.