Chapter 10
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Barbarian Couple Crosses the Border (2)
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Shadows engulfed the carriage.
The Norheim Wall, a marvel of human engineering layered atop nature's colossal spine—a tunnel bored straight through an entire mountain range.
We passed through the tunnel deep in that massive peak's belly.
In the darkness, the carriage skis jolted noisily, scraping against the stone floor.
And then, moments later.
Whoosh—!
Dazzling light poured in from the tunnel's end.
At the same time, the fierce, ear-piercing gale that had battered us abruptly died down.
We had finally entered imperial territory.
The borderlands of the Northguard Grand Duchy.
"Phew... Now I can breathe easy."
The Eisen Baron, who had been crammed into the opposite corner, let out a long sigh.
Thanks to the wall blocking the north wind, the temperature inside the carriage had stabilized dramatically.
The baron began fumbling to remove the fur garments he had bundled up in.
But.
"Ugh... Heave-ho... Ack!"
The cramped space.
Cargo boxes piled like mountains on his lap.
And bundles stuffed tight on either side.
He didn't even have room to extend his arms, wriggling and grunting helplessly.
He looked just like a lobster flipped over, failing to shed its shell.
Sh-Shall I help?"
"N-No, it's fine! Ngh... I can do it... Urgh...."
The prideful administrator strained until his face turned beet red, finally managing to peel off one layer of fur.
Kara and I watched him sweat profusely with a touch of pity before turning our gazes out the window.
"......"
It was all so unfamiliar.
The world unfolding beyond the window was utterly different from the north I knew.
If Norheim was a realm of irregular, majestic snow-capped wilderness, this place was a world tailored entirely for efficiency.
Rectangular stone buildings aligned in perfect, ruler-straight grids.
Street trees planted at precise intervals.
Guards patrolling in orderly rows and columns.
True to its nature as a military city housing the families of border guards and knights, it was dominated by suffocating practicality and discipline rather than any flair.
This is the empire's border. So rigidly orderly it's almost boring.
The air was different from the free-flowing tundras.
The empire was vast.
After enrolling in the academy, the places I'd live would probably look just like this new landscape.
And in time, though a massive wall now blocked the way, crossing that tunnel freely would become nothing special.
By then, this land would be home—not just for us, but for our children too.
At that moment, Kara, who had been peering intently out the window, reacted unexpectedly.
"Hmm... Not bad at all."
"Not bad? Isn't it too stiff?"
"No. I figured imperial folks loved empty pomp, hanging pointless jewels on every building. But this place has no frills. Just the essentials."
Kara's eyes sparkled.
From a warrior's perspective, the city's structure—optimized for defense and daily efficiency—seemed to suit her fancy.
"Roads are wide enough for war chariots or cavalry to charge through, and the building layout covers blind spots perfectly. Some clever head must've designed this."
At her praise, the Eisen Baron's ears perked up from across the way, where he was sorting his shed layers.
He adjusted his glasses and interjected in a deliberately measured tone.
"Regrettably, this borderland won't be where you two settle. I'll escort you inland, closer to the capital—straight to my domain."
He said it regretfully, but his mouth twitched upward uncontrollably.
He looked thrilled.
"What's got you so pleased? Good news?"
When I asked, the baron opened up eagerly, as if he'd been waiting.
"Actually, this city was redeveloped about twenty years ago. By His Grace the Grand Duke's order, I designed and oversaw it myself."
"You, Baron?"
"Indeed. As you can see, those roads are calibrated so four carriages can pass abreast even in wartime without bottlenecking. The building placements block the north wind while maximizing sunlight exposure..."
The Eisen Baron pointed out the window with glee, launching into a full tour of the city.
"See those drainage channels? Not just any ditches—they're sloped to repurpose melted snow as firefighting water in emergencies..."
His usual cool composure was nowhere to be found.
Like a child bragging about his toy blocks, he rambled on with sparkling eyes.
And Kara listened attentively, nodding and chiming in approvingly.
"Makes sense. Perfect for defense. You've got real vision, Baron."
"Hahaha! You're too kind, Miss Kara!"
The mood was warm and jovial.
But my expression, watching them, subtly hardened.
What the hell? Why are these two clicking so well?
A strange feeling squirmed in a corner of my heart.
Come to think of it, during the original web novel's serialization, I'd seen comments like these popping up often.
『Dump the junk protagonist and go for the Benz Eisen.』
『Age gap? Who cares? Eisen Baron would make Kara happy.』
『Author, please give us Kara x Eisen route ㅠㅠ』
The Eisen Baron—one of the few who genuinely worried for Kara—and the shippers pairing her with him, dubbed the "poison stock lovers."
Back then, I'd nodded along: Yeah, Eisen's a hundred times better than that trash Kairun.
But seeing my wife actually bond with another man—even if he was old enough to be her dad—the vibe felt off.
Is this jealousy?
An unnecessary sense of crisis bubbled up.
I quietly clasped Kara's hand, resting on my knee, and gripped it tight.
Her warm body heat transmitted through my palm.
She's my wife. Dream on.
Childish possessiveness, sure—but the warmth from our joined hands melted away the rising jealousy like snow in sunlight.
Kara glanced curiously at my touch, but I played it cool, not letting go.
"And that central plaza fountain... Ahem!"
Mid-ramble, the baron caught my blank stare—more precisely, my glare fixed on our clasped hands—and cleared his throat, falling silent.
Self-aware of his overexcitement, he flushed and smoothed his disheveled hair.
"...I've prattled on. My apologies."
"No, it was fun. Didn't know you built it."
"Haha... Embarrassing. Lately, I've dumped most family duties on my son... Seems I've gone soft. Quite unbecoming."
He chuckled sheepishly and gazed out the window.
His eyes brimmed with deep affection and pride for the city he'd created.
But inwardly, I couldn't help snarking at his words.
Gone soft?
At an age to retire and relax, he personally treks to this harsh border to play coachman.
Drafting Kara's pregnancy schedule and my training regimen himself?
This guy's a hardcore workaholic.
If this is soft, how maniacal was he in his prime?
A miracle he didn't drop dead from overwork in the original.
Still, thanks to that perfectionism, we'd arrived safely. I owed him gratitude.
Wait, speaking of—which... how did he die in the original?
Racking my brain, it wasn't overwork.
Cleaning up the political messes from trash protag Kairun, he took the assassins' blades meant for the kid.
A loyal retainer's tragic end.
And that death was the trigger for his son—'Heinkel Junior,' whom the baron just mentioned—to hate Kairun and turn villain.
Huh? Then...
Most of Kairun's trolling stemmed from inferiority complex over liking Kara but never voicing it.
But now Kara's untouchable—my woman, who gets glared at for even looking.
My woman.
No matter how pathetic the sub-prince, he wouldn't eye a married woman.
...
Would he?
Anyway, I'd nixed the root of Kairun's trolling, so the baron lives.
Son doesn't fall to the dark side.
I've saved this guy's life and erased one future villain, all me?
The butterfly effect from my actions might be huge.
"Right, a fork ahead. From there, it's the direct road to my domain, Eisen Guard."
The Eisen Baron switched back to calm guide mode.
But I saw it.
As he grabbed his map pouch, the sneaky lip-curl of pride.
Not a bad partner.
Even if the carriage was a sardine tin.
Moments later, the carriage halted.
A massive repair depot in the border city's central plaza.
"Everyone out. Heading snow-free, we need to swap the skis for wheels anyway. Might as well maintain here and stock up."
The baron instructed the coachman.
We unfolded our crumpled bodies like crushed paper and crawled out.
"Ugh... My back."
"Legs are numb...."
As Kara and I stretched and groaned, the baron eyed the cramped interior gravely.
"And... for the trip to my domain, I'll procure another carriage."
"Pardon?"
"No more cramming like this. My age won't allow it—my back's protesting."
At his resolute declaration, Kara and I nodded vigorously in unison.
"Agreed! Baron!"
"Me too! Thought I'd suffocate!"
Liberation was overdue for all three.
The baron pushed up his glasses and pointed across to the shopping street.
"Swapping and prepping the carriages will take time. You two should get fitted for clothes at those shops ahead."
"Clothes?"
"Yes. Unlike the capital, this military district respects size—easy to find big sizes that fit you."
I nodded at his words.
Military town where bigger means better treatment...
Past-life memories flashed: Itaewon.
Or shops near US bases in Dongducheon.
Heaven for giants, stocked with 3XL, 4XL that normal stores wouldn't touch.
Big-and-tall paradise. Haha, empire or Earth—people are the same everywhere.
For my barbarian physique, this beat dainty capital boutiques hands down.
"Got it. We'll head over."
"Ah, Barg!"
The baron paused en route to the depot, turning back to call out.
"Casuals are fine, but check for uniforms too! Something academy-interview worthy!"
"Will do!"
We parted from the baron and stepped into the clothing district.
The stall-hung clothes were no joke from the start.
Shirts with sleeves thigh-thick on a man, coats big enough for bears.
"Whoa... Barg, look! Super huge!"
Kara's eyes widened in awe.
"Yeah. This is our world."
I chuckled and opened the door to the biggest-looking shop.
Ding-a-ling.
With the cheerful bell, our first imperial shopping spree began.
"Welcome... Gah! Barbarians?!"
Off to a rocky start, it seemed.
Barbarians on first greet. Great.