Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Episode 20.
Aiden walked along the faint blue line shimmering in the clear sky.
From Gielran's hut to this point, there had been no drastic changes in environment or sudden drops in temperature.
Only an endless expanse of snowfields stretched in all directions, enough to make one slightly dizzy.
But now was different.
Darkness had descended upon the snowfields. A deep ravine blocked their path.
The trail of Elohimderk, previously hidden in the bright sky, now stood out vividly against the darkness, clearly marking their way.
The blue line pointed beyond the canyon.
"From here on out, stay alert. Don't let your guard down."
This ravine served as the boundary separating the Empire's territory from the lands inhabited by the Ain.
Beyond this lay the Eternal Snowfields—a permafrost that never thawed. A land where humans dared not dwell. Even when the Empire hunted the Ain, they never crossed this canyon.
Because the deepest reaches of the Eternal Snowfields were home to races beyond human reckoning.
Of course, Aiden had no reason to venture that far. Knowing the exact location of the ruins allowed him to avoid encountering them.
"Listen carefully, both of you. The Ain despise humans. Don't be fooled by their gentle, beautiful appearances. Any encounter with their kind ends with one side dead. Never show mercy or compassion."
There exists a race that blends rabbits and humans. Their appearance is undeniably adorable and cute. But they use their looks as weapons to lure humans into traps.
The hatred the Miao Clan holds for the Empire knows no bounds—who knows what atrocities they'd commit under the guise of avenging their kin.
And it's not just the Miao Clan. Most inhabitants of the frozen wastes consider humans their sworn enemies.
Aiden emphasized this once more while looking at Sein. Girls were more susceptible to being swayed by sentimentality.
"Sein, remember—the cuter they look, the more terrifying they are."
She nodded with an extremely tense expression.
"Deril, same goes for you."
"Ah, milord. Don't let this humble appearance fool you—I've got plenty of experience under my belt. I know their temper well enough. No need to worry."
Aiden nodded and headed toward the narrowest part of the canyon.
The opposite side was just barely visible.
As Aiden drew his spear to attach a rope, Deril approached and stopped him.
"Milord, leave this to me. I've got just the thing."
Deril rummaged through a long case slung over his shoulder and began assembling something.
"Those westerners sure know how to make one hell of a gadget. Some noble from the Burk Kingdom gave me this instead of payment. Honestly, it pissed me off at the time..."
The finished product was a peculiarly modified crossbow.
Just under two meters in length and extremely narrow.
"Turns out it's pretty damn useful now."
Deril shouldered the crossbow and aimed at the opposite side. When he pulled the trigger, a hooked bolt shot straight across.
Thwack! The attached rope pulled taut.
Deril yanked with all his might, but it didn't budge.
"Done. Its biggest advantage is being silent. Beastfolk have sharp ears, don't they?"
He cut the rope and securely tied it around a protruding boulder.
Aiden was quite satisfied. Had he thrown his spear with all his might to embed it in the opposite side, the clang would have echoed thunderously through the canyon.
Eliminating risks was always the best approach.
Aiden nodded, then picked up Sein. The Demon-Slaying Ascetic twitched violently but was barely restrained.
Deril looked at Aiden with slight surprise.
"M-milord?"
Because the Aiden he knew never allowed such physical proximity to the siblings.
"It's fine. I'll go first."
Aiden hung from the rope.
He placed Sein in the space between the rope and his chest, then slowly moved forward.
A freezing gale roared through the canyon, violently shaking the rope, but Aiden's balance remained unshaken.
Sein, incongruously with the situation, felt an overwhelming sense of security.
Deril followed behind.
*Not even a few steps past the boundary, Aiden felt winter.
A biting chill began clawing at his skin.
The drifting snowflakes had become a blizzard, clinging to their ankles and dragging them down.
Snow whiter than darkness gnawed at their vision.
"M-milord!"
Deril's voice was faintly audible through the gale. Even at close range, he appeared like an afterimage.
"A-are you there?!"
Had they not tied ropes around each other's bodies, they might have gotten lost in an instant.
"Stay calm!"
Panic would spell their end. This was precisely why they'd left Yuron behind.
Aiden looked up at the sky. Amid the blizzard, the faint light still pointed the way. 'Still a long way to go.' Even so, Sein was his primary concern.
In Aiden's embrace, wrapped in white fur, she trembled violently.
"Sein, there's an ignition stone near the left side of my armor."
An artifact given by Tyruun in the Holy Prosperity Kingdom.
"You know how to use it better than I do."
As a magic-activated item, Aiden couldn't operate it at all.
This wasn't a world where magic could be wielded with a few clicks. Aiden had tried studying magic once, but made zero progress.
Sein fumbled out the luminescent stone and channeled mana into it. Simultaneously, a red barrier enveloped them. 'I should properly thank Tyruun.' Unlike the replica Yuron had procured, this was top-grade. Snowflakes touching the barrier instantly melted and scattered.
The snow-covered ground sank slightly, preventing any risk of stumbling. A force that defied common sense—that was magic.
"Deril! Get inside."
Deril darted in the moment he detected the warmth.
"Ahh, thought my limbs were gonna freeze right off. But milord, this'll definitely alert the beasts."
No helping it. But beyond this area, even Aiden couldn't withstand the extreme cold.
Using the ignition stone was unavoidable. The only issue was activating it slightly earlier than planned.
"We're bound to encounter them eventually. Consider this preemptively thawing our frozen bodies."
Cold numbs the body. Deadly in combat.
The group quickened their pace. The ignition stone cleared their vision and circulated warmth through their bodies.
Aiden and Deril prepared for imminent combat, loosening their muscles as they moved.
Naturally, the red heat cutting through the blizzard stood out conspicuously.
A low howl echoed from somewhere. A sound that froze the blood—a predator's cry upon spotting prey.
Aiden immediately drew his holy sword.
"Deril! Locate it first!"
"Understood!"
Ten throwing knives soared from Deril's cloak, slowly orbiting the group to guard all directions.
Mocking laughter followed. Turning toward the sound, they saw flashing blue eyes.
Brilliantly glowing pupils pierced through the blizzard to stare at Aiden.
Its true form remained indiscernible. Some bipedal creature. The silhouette glimpsed through the snow was all they could see.
Blink. The moment Aiden closed and reopened his eyes, the glowing eyes flickered. Trailing blue afterimages, it pounced on Aiden.
A throwing knife was instantly knocked aside as it reached for Aiden.
Clang! Aiden raised his holy sword like a shield to block.
He immediately tried to grab the beast's nape, but it had already vanished.
"Milord, above!"
Aiden jerked his head up. Something surged through the air.
As he thrust his sword upward, the beast twisted mid-air. Razor claws grazed Aiden's abdomen.
The armor screamed. The platinum-plated section was slightly peeled away.
The beast disappeared again. The blizzard worked overwhelmingly in its favor. 'Not an easy opponent.' Just as Aiden scanned the surroundings, its voice rang out.
"My, my—sturdy, aren't we?"
A female voice. Screech! This time, it targeted Deril. In an instant, it closed in, wrapping its white tail around his neck and lifting him.
Deril immediately pulled out a poison vial, causing the beast to loosen its tail. As Deril fell, he hurled the vial, but it dodged effortlessly.
"This one's got some tricks up his sleeve."
Hidden in the blizzard, the female growled with apparent amusement.
Sein burst from Aiden's embrace and began tracing a spell in the air.
"Paladin! It won't last long, but I can clear our sight!"
As she began chanting, a tempest erupted from her body.
The ignition stone's heat rode the winds skyward, illuminating the surroundings brightly.
As if this area alone had become another world, everything grew eerily still. Like the eye of a storm.
A phenomenon Sein created by applying wind magic to the ignition stone.
Only then did the beast reveal its true form.
A hybrid of human and snow leopard. An Ain covered in pure white fur, with the face of a human woman.
Standing on two legs, she licked her lips.
"What an interesting group. Two stinking beasts and a paladin?"
Her extremely sensitive nose must have caught the demons' stench.
Before Sein could notice anything, Aiden immediately charged.
Blinding the beast with a burst of light, he swung his sword downward.
Instinctively, the beast twisted its body. Pivoting at the waist, it aimed a kick at Aiden's occiput.
At the moment of contact, Aiden ducked, grabbing one of the beast's legs planted on the ground.
Confusion flashed across the Ain's face as she toppled backward. Ten throwing knives rained down on her.
Swiftly raising her arms to block, she failed to deflect them all, allowing several to strike home.
Thunk-thunk-thunk! Blades embedded in her flesh.
The fallen Ain gritted her teeth and immediately tore off her left arm.
A preemptive measure before the potent venom spread.
Deril couldn't hide his shock at her decision.
The beast's mockery vanished. With a ferocious snarl, she roared:
"Coward hiding behind steel armor!!!"
Using her waist to spring upright, she grabbed Aiden's throat with her remaining arm and charged straight ahead.
Aiden's body lifted slightly.
Holding Aiden aloft, she slammed him into a distant boulder, pinning him firmly.
The horrific impact forced blood from Aiden's mouth. The snow leopard's tail wormed into gaps in his armor.
The rigid tail probed between his ribs, delivering excruciating pain, which he ignored.
Grabbing her snout with his left hand, he drove his holy sword into her abdomen.
Aiden and the beast desperately probed each other's flesh. Tearing skin, gouging organs—each wielding their weapons with all their might.
Riiip! The sound of tough hide tearing. Aiden didn't miss his chance.
Roaring like a beast, he shoved the holy sword deeper into her belly. The blade, now drenched red, protruded from her back, staining her pristine white fur.
A fountain of blood she vomited drenched Aiden's face.
The fanged woman's gaze gradually dimmed. The agony ravaging his side also subsided.
She grinned. A smile meant to enchant males.
"...What a waste."
With those final words, she collapsed.
"M-milord!"
"Paladin!"
Deril and Sein rushed to support Aiden. Lately, Aiden couldn't shake the thought that enemies were stronger than anticipated.
Without Sein and Deril, he might have been in real trouble.
His condition was far from ideal.
"M-milord, there's a hole in your side..."
"...It's nothing. It'll heal quickly."
True enough.
Deril couldn't help feeling Aiden's body wasn't entirely human. What kind of human remained so composed with a hole in their side?
"Let's rest briefly."
Just as Aiden tried to lie on the snow, the collapsed snow leopard twitched.
Aiden immediately drew his lance and hurled it with all his might.
Crunch! The lance exploded the Ain's skull, embedding itself in the cliffside with a vibrating hum.
Only then could Aiden catch his breath.
He bore no ill will toward the Ain, but letting her live wasn't an option. What if she returned with allies? Worst-case scenario.
One wrong decision could ruin everything. Just like that day a year ago.
Aiden shook off the thought.
"Five minutes. Then we move."