Forest. (3)
Recor Dak, the northern prison dubbed the "worst hellhole on earth" for housing humanity's most vicious criminals—a frozen wasteland where even midday temperatures rarely climbed above freezing.
"Oh, come on! I said no~!"
Railly blocked Julie from leaving the main building, grabbing her by the scruff of the neck. Julie, dragged along with a sullen scowl, grumbled.
"I'm fine. Why do you keep doing this?"
"Fine, my foot."
Railly pressed a finger firmly into the small of Julie's back.
"……!"
Her eyes widened in an instant, her whole body twitching violently. The aftereffects of her injury.
"See? You're gonna drop dead."
"……Ahem."
Julie's condition was still dire. Not just the physical wounds, but mana exhaustion to boot.
"Still, I should at least say thanks—"
"What are you talking about? I don't even know who it was. And I already said thanks. They even shared some tiger meat with me."
Strangely enough, Julie vaguely remembered the demon beast ambush from two days ago. She hadn't been conscious, but her body remembered.
A mark of a true master, perhaps. Even battles she hadn't fought herself left their mana imprints etched into her flesh.
"Tiger meat?"
"Yes."
In truth, they'd been too busy fleeing to recover the tiger carcass, but Deculein must have taken it anyway.
"That's. Why! If you wanna go out so bad, take a walk with me instead. Wearing this. Didn't you say this hide blocks sword auras?"
Railly draped the tiger-hide coat over Julie's shoulders. A flush crept across her pale cheeks, as if embarrassed.
"This……."
"I had a tanner process the leather and commissioned a craftsman to make it."
"……."
She didn't say it, but Julie's lips quivered. The telltale sign she was pleased. A soft mmph—hmph—grrmph, like a puppy rumbling contentedly.
Julie said, "Thank you, Railly."
"No big deal. I actually made myself a bracer from the leftover hide. That's okay, right?"
"Of course. You deserve it."
"Hehe. Yeah. Anyway, let's go for that walk."
The two stepped out of the main building and strolled slowly. The biting wind howled, but the coat kept the chill at bay.
"Still, this place feels kinda lived-in. I was terrified when we first arrived."
Recor Dak's grounds were divided into the main building, prison blocks, watchtowers, and walls. From the main building, the prisoners' daily life was on full display.
They were exercising now. Crude bench presses. Dumbbells fashioned from rocks. Bodyweight routines, and so on.
All training to survive this brutal land, but it stirred not a shred of pity.
If anything, it was absurd. These beasts knew the value of their own lives so well, yet they'd stolen countless others without a second thought.
"Sir Knight, how's your body holding up? Not this injury—the old one."
"……Getting better."
"Good. Hurry and heal up so we can show 'em what you're made of. Don't lose that tiger hide, no matter what. Watch out for thieves too. With that on, no one's gonna underestimate you based on skill alone."
Julie nodded, then asked quietly, "Railly. You said Deculein is in the north."
"……."
Railly flinched but quickly composed herself. Deculein's request flashed in her mind.
"Yes. I got a report through the crystal orb, but…… we won't run into him or anything."
To adventurers, lies were a virtue. The adage "An adventurer who can't lie is a con artist" was famous for a reason.
"……Yeah. I hope I don't."
Julie's murmur was icy cold.
Railly swallowed hard, tension rising. Her frozen rage was far more terrifying than boiling fury…….
"I don't know what I might do, so I won't let anger consume and control me."
"……Pfft."
Railly forced a smile, desperately changing the subject. It worked on Julie, who shot her a grumpy glare.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Nothing. You're just so straitlaced, Sir Knight."
"What do you mean by that?"
Julie's eyes narrowed. Spot on—she hated that word most of all.
Like calling an ugly person ugly. Telling a rigid person they're rigid was a wound in itself.
"Isn't that straight out of an old knight novel? 'I won't let anger consume me.'"
"No. I mean—"
"The Exemplary Knight Ipalensia." I read that book."
"……No."
"Really?"
"……I read it as a kid, so maybe it stuck in my head subconsciously. I didn't mean to quote it."
Railly chuckled at Julie's pitiful excuse.
"Oh, right. But Sir Knight, you should smile more properly. You haven't been lately. Not those fake ones to reassure people. A real one."
Julie said nothing, walking silently through the cold wind. She merely surveyed Recor Dak's barren landscape.
"……Sir Knight?"
Smiles were a habit knights should avoid. And a smile…… it reminded her of that pathetic past self.
—Once a year is too much; at least once a month…… smile for me. That's all I ask.
His saccharine plea for a monthly smile.
She despised herself for falling for such empty flattery…….
"Railly. Don't expect vain smiles from a knight."
No trace of a smile lingered on her lips now.
The north remained peaceful.
Duties here were more practical than at the tower, but nothing special. Commanding soldiers was actually more convenient. The fortress commander was far my junior.
"As ordered, we've remapped the surrounding area. Also, a letter arrived."
Today, I received a map from the fortress cavalry and a single letter.
The sender: Yeriel. A welcome name.
I hadn't expected a letter from her.
"Well done. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir."
I set the map aside on my desk and opened the letter first.
—Hey. You doing okay?
—Heh heh heh~ New spell I just learned. This one's tough. Took me three whole days to barely get it right. Maybe 'cause it doesn't match my affinity?
—I heard you're working up north. ……Huh? What? Did I mess up? Isn't this how you do it? The voice is recording fine!
—What do you mean? No, this works fine. Argh, damn it. What's the problem?! It's saving my voice! ……Who cares if it's not textbook? If it works, it works. There's that saying: even a crooked path leads to the right destination if you get there. ……Why use new paper again? Waste of money. Just do it. Ugh, seriously, stop talking. Again. Redo.
—Ahem—ahem—
—I heard you're working up north. I'm busting my ass in Hadekan too. Shame I can't send you the territory development reports. Come see for yourself. Everything you mentioned is sorted, and now business is booming.
—Also, there's rumors lately about some 'Voice' demon or whatever…… Exterminating demons is Yukline's duty, so. Also…… um…….
Her voice trailed off, followed by a tiny sigh.
Yeriel seemed to deliberate, mumbling to herself, before finally saying,
—Come visit sometime and we'll grab a bite. ……Hey, get out! Get out already! Ugh, you're giving me goosebumps! What? You say I should get out? How do I even—?!
"What a spectacle."
I chuckled softly and stood. Time to tackle the real work.
I picked up the soldiers' map.
"……Hm."
I'd instructed them to pinpoint areas with abnormal mana density, and they'd executed flawlessly. After checking the four marked spots, I applied Midas' Hand level 2 to the map.
The plain paper now gained detailed navigation: current position, contour lines, and more.
"This should suffice."
I donned my coat, stepped outside, and retrieved the snowmobile parked near the first-floor stables.
"Ack, Profe~ssor~!"
"It's the professor!"
As I revved to go, my assistants called out.
Allen, Ifrin, Drent. Each clutched a massive snowball, faces beaming like they were on vacation.
Ifrin asked, "Wanna make a snowman with us~?!"
"……."
I floored the accelerator without a word.
Vroooom—!
The snowmobile surged forward, kicking up a tsunami of snow. The massive blizzard engulfed the assistants mid-snowman.
"Gahhh—!"
"Eek!"
"Mommy!"
Not intentional, but I didn't look back.
I drove to the marked spot on the map, activating Great Tycoon Wealth simultaneously.
Abnormal mana density meant something noteworthy nearby.
"……A dungeon, as expected."
Soon, I spotted a golden glimmer.
A crevasse, like the many in the north. But below pulsed a brilliant energy.
The so-called "hidden piece."
The north hid many event dungeons like this. Unclear rewards, but more reliable than central or southern ones.
"Hm."
Before entering rashly, I checked with Villain's Fate.
No death flags, so no hesitation. I slipped right in.
……The very next instant.
A line floated across my retina.
Epoch
"……A main quest?"
The question slipped out naturally. Main quests weren't supposed to pop up like sudden mutations.
But no time to think.
Whooooosh……!
My body plummeted to the crevasse floor.
Unknown Isle in the sky. Famous even from afar for its striking artificial beauty.
But the island's master was acting strangely.
"……."
She wandered the isle restlessly. Her expression unchanged, just circling east, west, south, north.
"……If you're that worried, why not go help him?"
Idnik, watching, spoke in exasperation. Sylvia's pacing halted abruptly.
She turned to Idnik.
"Worried about what?"
"You just said it. Deculein entered a dungeon."
About five minutes ago, Sylvia had muttered unconsciously.
—Deculein entered a dungeon.
But the dungeon's mana barriers blocked even her magic. Observation impossible.
And even for Deculein, a northern dungeon was perilous. Even sturdy mages faltered alone up north. Mages handled variables far worse than knights…….
That was why Sylvia fretted.
"When."
Sylvia played dumb. She truly didn't recall saying it aloud.
"See."
Idnik projected the scene she'd just witnessed. Her eyes could replay anything she'd seen anytime.
Five minutes ago: Sylvia, perched on Unknown Isle, watching Deculein, mutters.
—Deculein entered a dungeon.
She bolts up and starts pacing frantically, back and forth…….
"……."
Evidence undeniable. Sylvia shifted gears swiftly.
"Not worried."
"Then what?"
"He might die before I can kill him."
She muttered, then sat calmly. Lips twitching, she gazed back at the distant ground.
Deculein's fallen crevasse. She stared at the area, but the dungeon entrance barred magical entry.
"Jeez. Hate him or like him……."
Idnik's mumble made Sylvia clench her fist.
Deculein wouldn't die there. Nothing would happen.
His eagerness for her to kill him meant he wouldn't die before she did.
"You muttered again just now."
Sylvia turned to Idnik.
"No."
"See."
Idnik showed more proof.
—He can't die before I kill him.
Five seconds ago. Her unconscious mutter.
"……."
No choice. Sylvia conjured tape and sealed her own mouth.
……After Deculein left.
Ifrin returned to her lodging and sorted her soaked clothes.
"Heh. That was fun anyway. Snow just dumped outta nowhere."
She giggled, shedding her robe to change into fur garb—
"Dawn the next day, is it."
"Gahk—!"
She whipped around, startled.
Sophien had appeared again. Sophien smirked at Ifrin, who clutched her chest in relief.
"……Hah, hah. Y-Your Majesty. Could you maybe make some noise next time……."
"How dare you make such insolent demands of Us."
"N-No, I didn't mean…… But is your work okay?"
"It is fine. We can handle duties from here."
The palace cats sufficed for possession. Process work via proxy, return. Even from this remote north, she oversaw the capital.
"Anyway. Dawn tomorrow."
"Yes…… About six hours left."
Sophien had planned a trip to the future with Ifrin. It sounded intriguing, so preparations were thorough, no slacking.
"Very well. We shall expect great things, then.
Ifrin Luna.
The moon's fall.
Chasing that name via shooting star to the future. And what awaited there.
Sophien brimmed with anticipation.
"But won't you need a guard knight?"
Ifrin asked cautiously.
"No need."
Sophien drew a snow globe from her bosom.
"Our most trusted knight resides within……."