Frost Wind (4)
Several conversations passed between them. Dina the Duchess promised Dante her full and unwavering support.
“Given the circumstances, I’ve ended up placing far too heavy a burden on you, Lord Dante.”
The monster wave was nearly upon them. Had there been any spare time, the Duchess would have aided him as well, yet she too had duties only she could fulfill.
“Still, you may rest easy.”
In that sense, Dante’s arrival had been a welcome rain after a long drought. A capable, versatile man who could move freely between the highest and lowest rungs of society—Dante Aision.
“I believe I now understand why Her Highness entrusted this matter to you.”
Dante nodded. Like the Duchess, he intended to focus solely on the tasks only he could accomplish.
“I would advise you to keep your head down for a while… though I suspect that is impossible.”
“Yes. The liberation army knows it too. Once the monster wave passes… everything will be decided.”
Until now the liberation army had operated only in the shadows, but they had finally bared their fangs in the open. It was one or the other: achieve their goal, or be destroyed forever.
“I will devote myself to handling the aftermath of the monster wave alongside my mother. Lord Dante… please, see your own wishes fulfilled.”
“I wish you every success, Duchess.”
“And you as well, Lord Dante.”
The conversation came to an end. The Karmilton Duke had invited Dante to stay at the castle, but Dante declined. He still had work to do.
“Let’s go, Rivera.”
“Yes!”
Guided by Rivera, Dante made his way deep into the mountains.
The Karmilton liberation army grew stronger the farther one traveled from the empire. At the northernmost edge, near the Ice Wall, small villages often became their hidden bases—knowingly or not. Rivera’s village was one such place.
“Kya~ The colder it gets, the better the drink tastes~!”
“Hey! Karl! Come have a glass!”
“I’ve got work to do…”
“What are you saying! Is today the only day? Drink today and work tomorrow!”
The sawmill lay buried under fresh snow. Once bustling with lumberjacks, it had become a playground for idle men. Young and old northerners sat around a campfire, sipping honey mead. Their faces were flushed, whether from drink or the biting cold.
“You lot drank yesterday and today again. When exactly do you plan to work?”
A respectable lumberjack tried to reason with them, but the idlers had already drunk far too much for any sensible words to reach them.
“Work? Why work?”
“…”
“The empire bastards will bring us clothes and food anyway.”
“Exactly! Let’s quit working and just drink!”
A chill wind swept past. The lumberjack frowned at the group.
‘Have they been infected by that liberation army nonsense?’
Indeed, it was a strange ideology. No one knew who had started it, but the absurd notion of a “Free Northern Kingdom” had begun spreading through the north like a plague.
At first the northerners had been bewildered. Independence from the empire? Why? Without the empire’s food and manufactured goods, the north would surely regress to primitive times.
Yet the independence advocates shouted: You only think that way because the empire has tamed you!
They cried out: Do you know why northerners live in poverty? Why empire folk earn five hundred thousand celons a month for the same work while northerners earn only two hundred thousand? Because the empire exploits our blood and sweat! They use agriculture and industry as weapons to treat us like slaves.
While young northerners die fighting monsters on the Ice Wall, empire nobles hold balls every night, drowning in luxury and pleasure.
The Northern Grand Duke? He is nothing but a slave tamed by the emperor. His body may be northern, but his heart longs to join empire society—a spineless coward!
The claims were clearly strange, yet they found surprising sympathy among the rural northerners.
Why must only northerners fight monsters? Empire people earn fortunes in safety and throw parties daily—why must northerners bleed on the Ice Wall simply for being born here?
Thus the independence advocates declared that a new kingdom was needed—one that would protect northern sovereignty, not the current Grand Duke.
Even in this tiny mountain village, many idlers spoke openly of “independence.” Rivera’s father, Leon, was among them. A carpenter who ran the sawmill, he had ironically lost work because of imperial aid. His main income had come from crafting goods for the wall, but once free manufactured items flooded in from the empire, demand collapsed.
Commissions still trickled in—just enough to scrape by—but expensive orders dried up completely. Leon’s skills were far below those of empire technicians. The sawmill grew emptier by the day. It was not starvation, yet far from prosperity. As the hand-to-mouth existence dragged on, he began to look back on his life.
‘How did it come to this…?’
He had changed nothing. He had inherited his father’s craft, become a carpenter, and sold goods as he always had. Yet he had been pushed aside by empire goods and reduced to an obsolete craftsman.
‘It’s all because of the empire…!’
Leon constantly grumbled about the empire, and like-minded idlers gathered at his workshop. The villagers called those men who drank daily and cursed the empire the same name:
They’ve become the liberation army.
“Empire bastards~ Go to hell~!!!”
“A strong king needs to appear and flip the world upside down!!!”
“The north needs a kingdom for northerners!!!”
Able-bodied men shouted while guzzling liquor. Villagers avoided the area entirely, unwilling to be associated with the liberation army.
“Damn empire! Just disappear already!”
The bushy-bearded man—Rivera’s father—cursed the empire until his throat went dry. With no work and income at rock bottom, this was the only way to endure the day.
…It was at that moment.
“Hey! Rivera’s father!”
“What.”
A neighborhood aunt called out to him.
“Are you going to keep drinking when your daughter’s on her way home?”
“…? Rivera’s coming back?”
He blinked in confusion. It had been less than six months since Rivera left home to earn money. She had been overjoyed to land a job at some high-class train company. Already returning?
“W-wait, everyone. I’m heading out.”
“What? Already?”
“My daughter’s coming home. I should at least show my face.”
Someone muttered, “What’s so special about a kid who went off to suck up empire money?”
Leon glared at the speaker. He had cursed the empire enthusiastically moments ago, but that was that. No matter what Rivera did, she remained the most precious daughter in the world.
“I’m going!”
He shook off the drunken haze and hurried home.
As expected, fresh footprints marked the snow near the house. His heart pounded. Rivera—his beautiful child—had come home…!
He flung the door open.
“Rivera!”
“Ah! Dad!”
His daughter greeted him with a radiant smile. Leon tried to return it just as brightly—
“…?”
—until he noticed the stranger standing beside her.
Who was that? The man looked refined enough to turn girls’ heads… Could Rivera have brought home a suitor?
“R-Rivera. Who is this man…?”
When her father asked in a trembling voice, Rivera proudly declared, “My employer!”
“???”
“Haah, Dad. So many things happened—I’d have to stay up all night to explain everything! Anyway, a lot happened, and he became my employer!”
Leon slowly examined the man. Sharp eyes, a quiet presence, a sturdy build from training, and tall stature. He swallowed hard. This was no ordinary man. Perhaps… a noble?
The stranger rose, bowed, and spoke. “I am Dante of House Aision. It is a pleasure to meet you, Rivera’s father.”
“Uh… well… I…”
Leon stammered. When cursing the empire, words had flowed freely, but facing an actual empire noble left him speechless.
“Rivera has told me much about you. They say you’ve dedicated yourself to the north, crafting tools to help overcome the monster wave.”
“…T-that’s right! Hahahaha!”
“You are performing truly meaningful work. Even if the world does not recognize it, I was deeply moved hearing of your efforts.”
“…”
“It is only a small token, but I brought a gift.”
Dante offered a small box. With trembling hands, Leon opened it.
“…Hah!”
He drew a sharp breath. Inside gleamed an unmistakably expensive bottle of fine liquor. And beside it—
He saw the sealed card.
‘Halbian Brewery…!’
The most prestigious distillery in the north. A single bottle cost over one hundred thousand celons; their premium lines reached one or two million without effort—the pride of the north.
“This… is this really from the Halbian Brewery…?”
“Yes. An acquaintance of mine has ties there, so I was able to obtain one bottle.”
It was no lie. The person who had given him the liquor was none other than the Northern Grand Duke himself. Dante had asked, “Could you spare a bottle for a gift?” and the Grand Duke had simply handed one over. That very bottle now rested in Leon’s hands.
“This… such a precious thing…”
Naturally. A commoner would never purchase Halbian liquor with his own coin. Who would spend tens of thousands of celons on a single bottle? Of course, Dante had tasted it often enough—received as a gift and thought simply, “This is delicious.” To ordinary folk, however, it was an extravagant luxury.
“Please accept it as a gift from the heart.”
“…!”
Leon’s eyes welled with tears. He had spent his days lamenting his fate and drinking. Yet the one who encouraged him was an empire noble—his daughter’s employer, no less. Leon’s favor toward Dante instantly reached its peak.
“Hahahaha…! I should open this right now!”
“Drink it this evening?”
“Of course! My daughter has returned, and we have an honored guest. How could we not open something this fine? Hahahaha!”
Leon burst into hearty laughter. Rivera laughed with him, and Dante smiled warmly.
—At that exact moment—
Bang bang bang!
“…?”
Someone pounded on the door. Leon glanced out the window and turned deathly pale.
“Hey! Mister! Where did you put the warehouse key!”
‘Damn it all…!’
The idle youths—now the liberation army meeting—had followed him home. He had even told them his daughter was returning!
“?”
Rivera tilted her head at the unfamiliar voice.
“Who is it, Dad?”
Leon broke into a cold sweat.
“Ah… well. Just some annoying fellows.”
“Annoying fellows?”
When Leon opened the door, the youths poked their heads inside, reeking of alcohol.
“Mister! We heard in the village—some empire noble bastard came into our village~!”
“…”
“Disgusting empire scum! Mister, want to go mess with that empire bastard together?”
“…”
Leon slowly turned his head. Rivera and Dante were watching him in silence. Without a second thought, he shouted, “Get lost, you good-for-nothings!”
“???”
“Mister, what’s wrong? Already drunk?”
“Get out of my house right now!”
When he roared, the youths protested in outrage.
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Right! Just earlier you were shouting ‘Die, empire bastards!’ with us!”
“…”
Cold sweat ran down Leon’s back, but he refused to look behind him. He could feel Dante’s gaze.
“The empire is the root of all evil!”
“The north became like this because of the empire!”
“Let’s curse the empire happily like before! Huh?”
Leon still did not turn. This time he felt Rivera’s gaze as well. He steeled his heart and bellowed at the idlers.
“The empire…!”
“?”
“Long live the empire…! Long live His Majesty the Emperor!!!”
“???”
“Lord Karmilton Grand Duke is the rightful ruler of the north! And our only emperor is His Majesty the Empire Emperor!”
“A-are you crazy, mister…”
Bang!
He slammed the door shut and turned to Dante and Rivera with an awkward smile.
“There was a bit of a commotion…”
Dante replied with a gentle smile. “No. Nothing happened at all.”
“R-really…?”
Leon’s fondness for Dante grew even deeper. Here was a cultured noble who did not point out another man’s embarrassing blunder.
Laughter filled the room once more.
“Yes. I’d like to warm up. How about a cup of tea?”
“Good idea…! Hahaha! Bring the tea at once!”
Leon was a typical northerner who cursed the empire—yet he was also a typical father who simply loved his daughter and family.