EP.127 What a business trip, what a nightmare (1)
The metal sound that had been ringing for a long time, like Kang, Kang, stopped. Kurak, who turned the silver-glittering ax around, nodded her head.
“I guess this is enough.”
He swung the ax and threw it at Lark.
At first glance, this is rude and dangerous behavior. But Lark doesn’t care about that. Lark, holding the axe, smiled with satisfaction.
“thanks. Kurak.”
“Well, it looks like you’ve cut down a demonic beast. Have you been to a battlefield somewhere?”
“Battlefield? Ah, I stopped by briefly for experiential learning. I once faced a magical beast there. “It felt like a training center for warriors.”
It was a good experience.
Kurak made a very subtle expression as he looked at Rak muttering that with a proud face.
“···Warriors’ training centers do not send experiential learning to the battlefield.”
“is it?”
“exactly. It seems that Aplia is quite passionate about teaching students. “I cleaned it well, so it will be fine until next time.”
Kurak lightly waved his hand.
The story was about getting out. Just like that, it was the moment when Lark and Rania were about to leave the blacksmith shop.
“Oh, come to think of it, Master.”
Kurak said as if he remembered something.
“I heard that the warriors are preparing for a ‘festival’.”
“festival?”
“You know that thing you always do. “Welcome from the North.”
“Oh, you mean that? Know.”
Lark nodded as if he roughly understood.
Kurak looked at him with suspicion.
‘Did I understand this correctly?’
If I had understood it, I don’t think I would have reacted like that.
Kurak questioned Rak again.
“Young Master, is this what you always do? Even so, is that girl next to you okay?”
Kurak glanced at the woman standing next to Rak.
At first glance, he appears to be Rak’s age. Although the aura she wears is mature… if you look at her appearance alone, she is like that of a girl.
‘Didn’t you say he was a professor from Aplia?’
It’s an impression befitting a professor.
In other words, it did not give the impression of a warrior.
“It seems a bit difficult to me…”
She is a girl with a calm and elegant appearance.
No matter how you look at it, it seems far from a fight. She was a girl who looked better wearing dresses and enjoying social events. Kurak narrowed his eyes at her.
‘It’s not like using a weapon. There are no muscles for fighting either. It looks weak, as if it will fall if you hit it.’
There is something we can know because Kurak is a blacksmith who has been forging weapons for a long time. There was no sign of the girl having dealt with Sergeant Hana for a long time. She doesn’t even have a small callus, let alone a scar.
Kurak was watching the girl like that.
“···festival?”
The girl tilted her head slightly.
As they were exchanging stories about their personal lives, she did not feel the slightest sense of crisis.
‘It has to be that way since they must have been living in a greenhouse.’
Kurak shook his head.
“Well, lady.”
“yes?”
“Let me give you some advice.”
Kurak said.
“If you expected to be treated the same way in the north as in the royal capital… you should put that thought aside for a moment. “The warriors of the North only show respect to the strong.”
It was some sincere advice.
“If you look down on me, you will get seriously hurt.”
As he said that, Kurak looked at the girl’s reaction.
She blinked and opened her mouth.
“Ah yes.”
It was a very pitiful reaction.
‘···I’m going to be thrilled.’
Kurak clicked his tongue inwardly.
2.
In the North, the four seasons are meaningless.
The only difference is a little less cold and a little more cold. Snow storms in the North did not discriminate between seasons. That’s why it’s the north.
‘Land of severe cold.’
Those who live in such a land naturally have no choice but to become strong. Because you would have had to train yourself to survive.
“But it’s less so in the summer. When a snow storm hits in earnest, it is difficult to go outside the castle walls. “It’s something even warriors are reluctant to do.”
According to Lark’s explanation, it was like that.
It was still snowing quite a bit, but Lark seemed like it was no big deal.
“Isn’t a moderate snow breeze refreshing? Warriors would wipe off their sweat after hunting with a snow breeze. “I roll in the snow and wipe away the blood.”
…Wasn’t that a bit too much?
Even as I think about that, when I think of the Northern warriors I met on the battlefield, I find myself nodding my head for some reason.
‘They deserve it.’
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These were guys who would do anything.
-Gray!!!! Wizard!!!! sir!!!!!
A loud roar.
A very noisy way of speaking that makes you wonder if an exclamation point must be added between each syllable to be able to express it in a sentence.
-For great warriors! A matching outfit! The way it should be! How about dressing up in the skin of the guardian deity of the snowy mountain? This is the symbol of a ‘warrior’!!!!
-No, they said he was a guardian deity. Is it okay to take off the skin of a guardian deity and wear it like that?
-Guardian God! A being who watches over the warriors! A presence with warriors! It is clear that the guardian deity will be pleased as well!!!
The image of them holding out their bear skins and screaming is deeply engraved in my mind. Because they were characters with so much personality, they were hard to forget.
‘They were excellent warriors, but… what should I say, they were a bit…’
I glanced at Lark.
Unlike those beasts that only moved on two feet and spoke human language… Lark possessed at least some intelligence. I muttered softly.
“…don’t look too similar.”
“yes?”
“Just like that.”
I just hoped that I wouldn’t lose sight of that intelligence.
I stopped talking and looked out the window. After briefly landing in the city for maintenance, the carriage was entering the depths of the north.
It rattled.
We crossed a road so rough that even the finest carriages vibrated. Cross the castle wall and pass through the steep canyon. Everywhere you looked there was a spectacular view. You will be captivated by the vastness of nature that cannot be seen from the royal capital. Of course, it wasn’t the first time I saw it…
‘Because there was no time to see something like that on the battlefield.’
Even the vastness of nature can be transformed into a ‘useful trap’ in extreme situations. In fact, when faced with an uncontrollable disaster, we often resort to the strategy of collapsing the terrain to block the path.
‘Ganikalt was also trapped in a canyon just like that.’
The entire canyon was blown up and buried.
That’s all I had to do to hold on to that monster’s feet for at least one second longer. Of course, even that was useless… but that’s the way it is anyway.
“ah.”
As I was thinking that, Lark opened his mouth. He said, pointing out the window.
“They’re there to meet you.”
Beyond the canyon, a wide open snow field.
The snowy mountains behind and the northern capital surrounded by walls in front were just around the corner. I followed the direction Lark pointed to and saw a crowd of people lining up in front of the castle wall.
‘Quite a lot.’
Are you trying to welcome me?
Without thinking about that, I blinked. It was because something strange caught my eye.
“···What is all that?”
“These are the warriors of the capital. They are also called the guardians of the snowy mountains and the hunters of winter.”
“No, not that one.”
I pointed to those standing in front of the wall.
As the carriage got closer to the castle wall every moment, their appearance gradually became clearer.
“Why are they all topless?”
It’s snowing. It pours like hell.
There are people who are exposed to snowfall with their bare bodies and are smiling while revealing their pure white teeth.
“Why on earth in this weather…?”
There is no faltering in their smiles.
They remained in the same position with their backs turned and did not move a muscle until the carriage arrived.
“···It’s because they are passionate friends.”
It was the deacon who answered my question.
He said as he opened the door of the stopped carriage.
“For the northern warriors, a trained body is like a treasure. “In their own way, they proudly show off to their guests what is most precious to them.”
The butler wiped his eyes.
Letting out a long sigh, the butler continued.
“After all, they are very nice friends. In any case, please understand even if it is unsightly.”
I felt like this wasn’t something that happened once or twice.
The butler looked very tired, so I reluctantly nodded.
“Ah, yes…”
While I listened to the butler’s explanation, Lark got out of the carriage first. This was the moment when Lark got off the carriage and made eye contact with his warriors.
“Master Rak!!!”
It was a thunderous roar.
The voices of about twenty warriors rang out in unison. They banged their left chest and screamed at the top of their voices. I hit my chest and it sounded like I was hitting an iron plate.
“It’s been such a long time ahhh!!!”
The voice resonates like an echo.
I couldn’t bear it any longer and covered my ears with both hands. However, I was the only one who covered my ears. The butler sighed as if he was used to it, and Lark…
“nice to meet! Warriors!”
“Ooooooooo!”
He smiled like a warrior, showing off his neat teeth, and ran towards them. Looking at that scene, I blinked blankly.
‘What am I looking at?’
It was a very avant-garde landscape.
As I was unable to keep up with the situation, the butler standing next to me spoke up.
“It’s basically like that.”
It was a tone that seemed very familiar.
I asked back, wondering if I had heard wrong.
“···It’s always like that?”
“I hope you know that we do not ‘carefully select’ the guests we bring to the North for no reason.”
“···uh.”
That’s everyday life?
“Uhm…”
I looked at them with cold eyes.
There was a heat there that did not cool down even in a driving snowstorm. It was a landscape that made one very, very reluctant to approach.
3.
Prince of the North, Erijl van Grace.
The castle where he resided was located in the snowy mountains surrounding the capital. The people of the north did not build castles there. The castle was there from the beginning.
‘Ancient ruins.’
An old kingdom that has become a heap of ashes.
An old castle that is believed to be a relic of that place.
‘White Night.’
An incalculable amount of time has passed since the castle was built, but it still maintains the same white exterior walls as before. It was as if the passage of time had slipped by.
“This is the White Night Castle, the pride of the North. “It is named so because even in darkness, it emits a soft white light like stars in the night sky.”
The butler walking by Rania’s side said so.
“The Midnight Star is a symbol of constancy. For warriors, constancy is difficult, but it is a value that must be maintained.”
The warriors walking ahead explained it that way.
“Okay then.”
At the beginning of the road to the White Night Castle, at the entrance to the snowy mountain, the warriors stopped. One of them took a step forward.
“As the warriors’ representative, let me explain. “It is said that he is ‘Oyakal,’ who holds the third position among the Grand Duke’s thirteen warriors.”
A warrior who introduced himself as Oyakal.
He said while looking at Lark and Rania.
“I have prepared a small welcome greeting for you and your master. “It is a process that must be completed in order to visit the White Night Castle.”
At those words, the butler slapped his forehead.
It seemed as if something was coming. Of course, no warrior paid attention to the butler’s reaction. Not a single one.
“It’s a welcome greeting, but it also has to do with how you will be treated during your future stay in the North.”
The butler whispered in Rania’s ear.
“Warriors, or their equivalents, will test you. Their treatment will change depending on the girl’s attitude during the test. Of course, I will maintain the minimum level of courtesy…”
The butler declared.
“In the North, you will have to be evaluated based on your value, not based on your status in the capital.”
The butler’s explanation has ended.
Oyakal opened his mouth as if waiting for the explanation to end.
“Master, I don’t know if I should ask. Are you going to do the same course you always do?”
“Of course. I heard that you prepared especially hard this time. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Of course I will. “I prepared it a month in advance.”
Oyakal smiled, revealing his pure white teeth.
With a refreshing smile, he turned his head. The place where the gaze was directed was Rania standing next to Lark.
“Then, the rest is for our guests.”
Oyakal said, looking at Rania.
“You said you were a guest from the royal capital and a professor at Aplia Academy… I didn’t know what you would like, so I prepared two options first.”
He spread out two fingers.
He then said, folding his middle finger first.
“One is to compete for knowledge with the wizards of the Magic Tower. “The Lord of the White Mage, Celi de Bella, said that he personally evaluates the value of his guests.”
“Anything else?”
“The second path is similar to Master Lark’s.”
Oyakal pointed to the snowy mountain.
“Just climb the mountain and arrive at White Night Castle. It’s the most traditional path. Of course, the road up will not be smooth.”
He said, patting my chest.
“It’s a specially prepared road.”
Oyakal emphasized the word ‘special’.
Of course, although he emphasized it, he did not have high expectations.
The girl in front of me is not a warrior. He is a professor who teaches magic in Aplia. It means wizard. It would be difficult to expect such a person to be as bold as a warrior.
‘Of course I’ll choose the first path.’
Therefore, the second path was not explained in detail. This was because I felt there was no need to explain. Oyakal waited for the girl’s answer.
“hmm.”
Eventually, she nodded slightly and opened her mouth.
“I like it simple.”
The answer that came back was different from what Oyakal expected.
“Let’s go with the latter.”
The girl answered with a smile.
It was an answer without any hesitation.
“Hwiyu.”
The warriors behind Oyakal whistled and stuck out their tongues. Their eyes sparkled. Warriors are enthusiastic about challenging people. always.
“As expected of the person who teaches you, Master.”
“You must be the one chosen by the master.”
Oyakal narrowed his eyes as he listened to their whispers. Oyakal asked the girl again in a low voice.
“…Are you serious?”
“Simple is better.”
It wasn’t a pretentious tone.
There was no wavering in his tone, as if he was stating the obvious. The corners of Oyakal’s mouth itched.
‘She’s a bold young lady.’
The first impression is very satisfactory.
Oyakal nodded deeply and said.
“You turned out to be a surprisingly hot guest, great! “I’ll show you both the way!”
Oyakal takes the lead.
Rania and Lark follow behind them. The butler’s complexion turned pale when he saw the back. Unlike the butler who is afraid of the future, Lark and Rania’s steps are very light.
However, no one knows.
Aplia’s nightmare has come to the northern snowy mountains.
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