Advance. (4)

The world was engulfed in a white blizzard. The surging winds formed a veil of pure white that shrouded the sky, and the snowflakes embedded within pressed down upon the earth with their collective weight.

It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fierce and cold. A dry blizzard raged over the frozen, muddy ground.

"...Cold."

"It's okay, Leo... Just a little longer..."

In the northern mountains, Ganesha heard the faltering voices of the children behind her.

The other adventurers, including Rohan and Dozmu, had already left for different missions, making this mountain trek far too dangerous. A blizzard this brutal could kill.

"Kids. Let's stop for now."

"...Huh?"

"Gather around me. Hurry!"

"..."

Ganesha called the staggering children over and hugged them close, checking the temperature.

Minus 33 degrees.

On top of this insane cold, the blizzard's mana itself was truly deserving of the name Han-gwi, the Cold Ghost. It nullified even artifacts—a literal magical extreme chill.

"Kids. Hey, kids."

Ganesha patted their cheeks, but their faces had already turned purple. Their breaths were faint, and their frozen eyelids were stuck shut.

"Kids! Don't sleep! You'll get in big trouble if you do! Wake up!"

She shook their small bodies, but they slumped softly like sinking feathers, like baby birds falling asleep.

"..."

Watching their limp movements, Ganesha suddenly felt a chill of fear.

After walking this long road together, after all this time built up, after memories so deep—it couldn't end so pointlessly.

"Kids, hang ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on just a bit... "

That was when it happened.

Ziiiiiing—!

With a metallic hum, the blizzard cleared for a moment. The resonance of mana steel. Through it, a strange cabin appeared.

"!"

A thread of warmth rose like a beam of light. Ganesha tucked the kids under her arms and rushed over.

She tried the door, but a signboard blocked her.

"...Relay station?"

"...Yukline."

The elegant, beautiful script engraved on the signboard, along with the family name—it was obvious who 'I' referred to.

"Professor made something amazing."

Right now, she was just grateful.

Ganesha bit her finger and used the blood to swear the oath on the pledge, then recorded her name in the register.

Kiiiik—

The door opened on its own like a ghost. The warmth pouring out was pure bliss.

Ganesha hurried the kids inside first.

"...Warm."

The interior was surprisingly spacious. There were even beds.

Ganesha laid the kids on the floor and checked their conditions. Color was slowly returning to their pale faces.

"Whew... I really thought we were goners..."

She sighed in relief and leaned against the wall, gazing at the blizzard outside.

"...Saved by that guy."

Without this relay station or whatever, they'd be buried out there. She could've handled it, but it would've been fatal for the kids.

"Ugh..."

Just then, Lia sat up.

"Lia. Feeling better~?"

Ganesha deliberately elongated her words brightly, her twin tails flapping like propellers.

Lia, understanding the intent, smiled purely.

"Yeees, much better now~..."

"Good. Rest easy then."

"Um, but... You mean Professor Deculein, right?"

Lia asked. Her face was weary, but curiosity won out.

"Yeah. Seems like one of his facilities. Saved our lives, huh."

"Oh... But lately, there's weird rumors."

"What rumors?"

"Well, before coming here, I heard on the Floating Island. That Professor Deculein knows who was behind the emperor's poisoning attempt—"

Tadak.

The lamp suddenly went out. Ganesha shivered at the sudden chill and quickly relit it.

"...Lia?"

The lamplight cast a red glow on Lia.

"Yees?"

"That's dangerous talk. Never say it again."

No matter how much commoners' treatment had improved lately, they were still commoners.

As a commoner from the southern islands, Lia shouldn't even think about imperial scandals.

"...Yees. I won't. I'll reflect on it~..."

Lia knelt on the floor, raising her arms high.

She closed her eyes in reflection, then slowly... drifted off to sleep.

"Heehee. Such a curious kid."

Ganesha chuckled and leaned against the wall.

Whiiiiiing—!

Gazing at the raging blizzard outside, she thought of the 'Altar' that would soon arrive. She imagined the 'God' they sought to manifest.

"This won't be easy... From here on out."

She'd have to steel herself for death too.

Ganesha let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

For the first time in nearly a month, the god of sleep finally visited her...

Recor Dak was in the midst of completing its 'provisional knight order' facilities.

Like a real knight order, they were building a complex linking the main building with a drill ground, training rooms, armory, tactics hall, mess, barracks, and more.

—Hey! Move properly, you lot! Don't spill it!

The empire had sent architects, who directed the prisoners per my designs.

"Professor. How's this spire? The view's great."

I watched it all from the Recor Dak spire.

To the north lay a massive 'wall' separating the untamed lands from Recor Dak. This spire was the only spot overlooking both the wall's far side and the entire base.

"Knight Julie comes up often too..."

The warden ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clamped his mouth shut mid-sentence, suddenly recalling my relation to Julie.

He bowed.

"My apologies!"

"Hmph. Apologies for what?"

Then, a voice from somewhere in the spire. Reyli's.

The warden pointed.

"...Ah. There—Knight's aide, adventurer Reyli."

"I know."

I approached her.

"What. Why."

Reyli grumbled curtly, sitting at an easel with palette and brush, painting a landscape.

I asked.

"Painting as a hobby?"

"The scenery here's decent. Hmph, tch!"

Reyli, Julie's cousin, resembled her—silver hair instead of white, but bouncy where Julie was calm.

"Scenery."

I looked where Reyli gazed.

"Hm..."

I had no hobby of appreciating views.

But a natural exclamation escaped.

Beyond the Recor Dak wall, the world wrapped in snow and wind was misty like fog, dreamlike and ethereal.

"..."

Staring at the endless untamed horizon—

My mind's Aesthetic Sense activated.

"Move."

"What? Move wha— Hey, whoa?! What the—?!"

I Telekinesis-pushed Reyli aside, snatched the brush and palette, and Cleansed the chair.

"Hey, Professor! What're you doing?!"

I intended to paint. I ignored Reyli's outbursts. All focus converged on one point.

A trance.

My eyes saw only that vast landscape; my fingers moved as if enchanted.

"...Whoa."

Reyli's awed drop after mere moments.

The warden's drawn-out ooh from behind.

"..."

I, wielding the brush myself, suddenly stopped. My gaze shifted from canvas and scene back to reality.

Due to an unexpected alert.

Proof my canvas became a 'unique' item.

Perhaps because I'm treated as NPC, not player.

"Incredible, Professor!"

"..."

The warden clasped his hands in awe; Reyli pouted sullenly. Their eyes were glued to my painting.

The warden asked.

"Whoa... Truly beautiful. What's the title?"

I pondered briefly.

"...'Winter'."

Then the item's name and effects changed.

Julie awoke at dawn.

She checked her heart first. The tearing pain upon waking had clearly subsided.

"This should be fine."

No sudden death imminent.

She stepped into the hall as usual. But the air was unusually clear. And a new painting hung on the wall.

"...Mm."

Julie nodded at the landscape. A natural admiration.

Winter

A dreamy depiction of the untamed lands beyond Recor Dak. The simple title fit perfectly.

"Reyli painted this...?"

Only Reyli painted here—had she grown this much? Even she, no art expert, found it beautiful.

Proud for no reason.

As she headed out satisfied, she spotted someone on the drill ground and stopped.

"..."

Deculein. He was running.

In the pre-dawn glow under a jewel-like frozen indigo sky, he ran with diligent, proper form.

Kaduk—

Her teeth ground. Nails dug into her fist.

Flames rose within, but Julie suppressed them. Unconsciously, she counted time and laps.

"30 seconds, one lap."

One lap every 30 seconds.

She'd known his physical prowess was exceptional.

"2... 3... 4..."

Julie counted as she waited for his run to end.

"Seventy-seven."

77 laps in 30 minutes—no mana or magic used. Top-tier even among knights.

"..."

As Deculein returned to his quarters, Julie stepped out as if waiting.

"Hoo..."

Standing in the drill ground's center, she breathed the cold air.

"Hup, hup."

Deep breaths, warm-ups, stretches, loosening stiff joints...

Then running.

Goal: Deculein's 77 laps in 30 minutes.

Her heart's curse damaged 'stamina' worst—might be tough.

"I won't lose."

Recalling Deculein's form fueled her resolve.

She absolutely wouldn't lose to that villain...

10 AM, Recor Dak conference room. I sat at the head of this filthy cramped space.

"..."

Mood foul. Beyond foul.

200 knights and mages crammed into ~30 pyeong space scrambled my brain.

"137 volunteered."

I checked the list. Julie, Ihelm, even Ifrin—137 total for the culling process.

"This afternoon, we'll start practical training to form teams from these 137."

Assessing strengths/weaknesses was easy. I'd form the most efficient teams—no deaths if possible.

"We'll also secure supply lines and open roads to the rear."

"Hm? Professor. Roads aren't connected internally."

The warden interjected.

"If the Recor Dak wall falls, roads would exponentially speed monster advance—"

"It won't fall."

I eyed the warden, then chin-pointed the knights and mages.

"The point is to make it unbreakable. Assuming it'd fall is why Recor Dak's in this state."

"...My apologies."

The warden bowed. I returned to the point.

"Also, we'll evaluate performance clearly for proper rewards/punishments. And..."

"Professor! Dispatch from the palace!"

The herald burst in shouting.

Annoying, but I nodded.

"Bring it."

"Here!"

I took the massive letter stamped with the emperor's seal. Content was lackluster.

I said with a sigh.

"Also, Recor Dak will host its own Go tournament. By Her Majesty's order, practice when you can. Note: I won't participate."

"...What is this?"

In the capital's Imperial Palace, Emperor Sophien furrowed her brow. Piles of dispatch requests from court mages covered her desk.

Eunuch Jolang said.

"Petitions from palace mages wanting Recor Dak dispatch."

"...What?"

The emperor was baffled. Even she struggled to comprehend.

"Mages hate the cold, no? Those cowards volunteering north? Truly?"

Sophien adjusted her nose-perched glasses with a finger.

The huge round glasses, half her face, were an artifact aiding Go and study.

"Yes. Due to rumors."

"Rumors?"

"Professor Deculein is producing countless high-quality theses at Recor Dak."

"That guy again?"

Sophien was incredulous. She chuckled, readjusting the slipping glasses.

"Yes. Each worthy of Floating Island archives."

"...Hmph. Worth braving cold and death. Fine. But can't send all—select ten."

"Yes. ...However, Your Majesty."

Jolang bowed low, curling like a pillbug—a sign of resolve.

"Your Majesty once mentioned during a match with the professor."

"The poisoning."

That maddening palace incident. But Sophien replied nonchalantly.

Jolang's body trembled violently.

"Yes, Your Majesty... If only that—"

"Deculein knows. Who it was."

"..."

"But I shall wait. Until he speaks."

Jolang choked. He slammed his forehead to the floor.

"Slay me, Your Majesty."

"Slay you? Did you poison me?"

"N-no, Your Majesty! How could I. Slay me—!"

The mosquito-voiced eunuch bellowed. Sophien grinned mischievously.

"Enough. No need to kill. Begone. Busy studying Go."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Your mercy is boundless..."

"Scram."

After sending Jolang away.

Alone, Sophien's expression calmed.

"...Strange."

Chin on hand, she eyed the Go board.

Moving black and white alone no longer bored her. She pondered fiercely: How would Deculein play?

Yet this hollow, odd feeling persisted because...

"..."

I wish that guy were here.

The one who kindled a tiny spark in this eternally boring life—I wish he were here now.

Was this nagging feeling 'missing him'?

"Tch. Pathetic."

Sophien shook her head and dove back into Go.