Chapter 30
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 30
Oath
Rattle. Rattle.
The vibration of the carriage rang the body intact. After a night passed, we left the city and headed to the North again.
I looked at the receding Kingdom leaning against the window. Before I knew it, the carriage was crossing the border.
"Finally the North..."
Come to think of it, this was my first time going to the North. There were several opportunities to go after becoming a War Hero, but I remember the King disallowing all of them. In the first place, he rarely allowed me to go to other countries, let alone the North. Because of that, most of my missions were restricted to the Kingdom.
So my heart beat without me realizing. Anxiety about the unknown. Maybe it's excitement. I couldn't help but laugh at the chill seeping through the window frame.
What is in that land indeed. What is waiting for me on this battlefield. Maybe I can get a hint to prevent the Demon King's resurrection.
Thinking so, I felt it was good that I left.
"Brother, are you okay?"
At that time, Yuria sitting opposite asked carefully. Turning my head, she was making a worried expression. That wasn't just her. The members and Barg had also been examining my complexion since a while ago.
Last night, I told everyone about the Hero's party. Starting from them visiting me suddenly to the warning left to me. When I told that story, everyone froze with pale faces. Yuria also put side dishes on my bowl silently during breakfast.
Even after that, everyone's words decreased noticeably, and only the noisy sound of the carriage wheels was heard loudly for nothing.
'If I knew it would be like this, I shouldn't have told them.'
Of course, it would be a lie if I said I didn't care. But I wasn't particularly surprised or afraid. Since I knew the original work anyway, it was something I expected to some extent. If I can persuade them with words, that would be the best way.
However, in the original work, until the Demon King resurrected, they couldn't even dream of the demons' conspiracy. They were busy turning away from the disappearances and massacres happening all over the place, just enjoying the peace obtained by the previous Heroes.
Like that, after the Demon King resurrected, the main characters finally joined forces to seal the Demon King again, but the price was half of humanity.
In a place where half of the countries perished and the Kingdom's capital became a pile of ashes, they finally shouted victory.
And the readers who saw it from the main character's perspective accepted it as a happy ending. Because the story of those sacrificed in that process was enough with just one line. There would have been no reader anywhere, including me, who empathized with the deaths of extras whose names they didn't even know.
However, now it was different. I was no longer a single reader. I exchanged greetings every day with villagers who didn't appear in the original work, and shared life and death with members who didn't even have names. Now that they have become part of my life. There's no way the deaths of all such people would mean nothing.
I'm sorry to the main characters who will face a happy ending someday, but now that I've gone to the North, there won't be a case of seeing the same ending as the original work. Even if the Hero and all Heroes turn into enemies. I will just do what I have to do.
"We are almost there now."
As time passed, Yuria finally pointed out the window and said. Before I knew it, the sky was being dyed with orange. Soon the carriage stopped, and we left our first footsteps in the North one by one.
"We really can't see anything but snow. Captain."
"Yeah. Is this the forefront of the continent."
Looking at the snowfield where all sides are snow, the members and I felt we had really come to the North only then.
"To think demons are roaming in such a quiet place. Honestly, it's disgusting."
"Thanks for saying so."
She laughed small at my words. Others also nodded as if sympathizing.
"From here on, we have to walk up. It's a bit steep, but there are no demons so no need to be vigilant."
"Right. Then I ask you to guide the way."
Like that, we started moving following behind Yuria.
Crunch. The sound of snow breaking on the quiet snowfield engraved the path. Going up with dozens of footsteps like that, soon a wide snowy night was waiting for us.
"Wait a moment."
At that time, Yuria suddenly stopped. Did we arrive already. But to say so, only snow was visible.
Besides, strange presences were felt around, but at least it wasn't killing intent or demonic magic power. While I was worrying whether to throw a dagger just in case, she suddenly looked at me.
"We just have to go a little further from here. However, there is something to do before that."
"Is there perhaps a condition needed to enter."
"Not exactly. Just..."
She started putting her hand on her back.
"I have a favor to ask Brother."
As she tightly gripped the transparent handle, a huge axe soon revealed its appearance.
Thud- She looked at me striking down the axe on the floor.
"Deal with me seriously."
"...The reason."
"None. Such a thing."
Unlike her words, she gripped the handle tighter.
Before I knew it, a pure white Aura was swaying on the axe.
"Brother. Better be careful. Because our battlefield has always been this sea of snow."
Along with those words, she rushed at me straight away. Kwaaaaang! Dodging the struck-down axe, a roar echoed throughout the snowfield. Even though I dodged, she didn't get flustered and immediately twisted the axe to connect the attack.
Certainly, even in the disadvantageous terrain of a snowfield, her footsteps were natural like running on flat ground.
Seeing that, the members admired as if they couldn't believe it.
"Heo-uh. To think the Grand Duchess of the North harbored such skill. Truly a warrior herself."
"Amazing. How can she swing an axe that big with such thin arms?"
Come to think of it, I was the only one who saw her skill in the capital. However, it was on a different dimension from what she showed in the underground sewer.
The fatal weakness of an axe was that it becomes defenseless after attacking once. Nevertheless, she used that in reverse.
Using the loud roar and the scattered snowfield, her appearance swinging the axe had disappeared before I knew it. Hiding behind the axe bigger than herself, while the opponent was distracted, she aimed for my back without making even a footstep sound.
Clang-
"You will lose if you don't do it properly. Brother."
I blocked the short dagger aiming for my thigh with the scabbard. And drew the sword as it was and swung at her.
But she pulled her body back, and rushed at me again with the snow scattered by her feet.
Clang, Claang, Screeeech! Swords aiming at each other were crossing intensely. I struck away her sword without even having time to wipe the snow on my face.
We aimed our weapons at each other keeping a distance.
"Northern combat style. It's interesting."
"Right."
"There must be more than this, right?"
"Well. Try finding it once, Brother."
She wrapped the pure white cape around herself.
And as she activated the magic tool in her hand, a blizzard started falling around. I looked around in the blurred vision, but before I knew it, neither her appearance nor her footsteps were heard.
And this bad condition must be the same for the opponent—I threw away such clumsy thoughts. Soon, a sound cutting the wind flew from the side, and I swung my sword.
Clang, Claang- The struck-away dagger was painted pure white like snow. However, there was no time to feel interest in that.
"Do you know? The charm of an axe is that it doesn't need confirmation kill."
Hearing the voice from right behind, I looked back, but no one was there. Immediately from the side, Aura was felt along with killing intent.
Kuuuuuuung! But the axe swung towards my waist was rather blocked by the sword and flew far away with a roar. At the same time, Yuria stepped back with a short scream.
"Ugh!?"
"No matter how strong an attack is, it has no meaning if you can't break the opponent's sword."
Same as with Leohar, her Aura was excessively dispersed. So there was no way she could handle the Aura condensed inside my sword.
Above all, in a combat style aiming for ambush like her, hiding Aura would be much more helpful.
'I should teach her the way to handle Aura later too.'
I grabbed her wrist trying to run away. Something flashed in the opposite hand, but it didn't matter. I struck her abdomen with my foot as it was.
"Aheuk!"
Following right after, I flipped her, who was staggering, onto the snowfield. As I aimed my sword at her neck trying to counterattack, the sparring ended like that.
"It's fine since you wore armor, right?"
"Not at all. Ueup- I feel like I'm going to throw up."
She raised her hand towards me with a joke. I raised her up and brushed off the snow.
The members and warriors who were watching the duel also applauded with admiring expressions.
"It was a good match. My mouth couldn't close throughout watching."
"Tell me about it. I knew Brother Carmil was strong, but to think the Lady couldn't even use her hands. It was a study for us too."
"As expected of the Captain! Beating the Grand Duchess mercilessly. Really, the Captain's battle is always new and thrilling every time I see it."
"Don't tell me you dealt with her thinking she was really a younger sister because she calls you Brother? I have a younger sister too, but I don't beat her to that extent..."
"Noisy. You two guys in the back shut up and pick up her axe."
The giggling members handed the axe to Yuria. She looked at her axe with a regretful expression.
I stroked her head and comforted her like that.
"If we only consider talent, you have much more than me. So there is no need to be impatient."
Now that I am here, there won't be a future where the North is annihilated either. In the future, she will be able to become anything. Perhaps feeling better at my words, she made a faint smile.
"Yeah. Thanks."
"But why did you ask for a duel suddenly?"
There's no way she would do this without any reason.
At my words, she turned her body and looked beyond the snowfield. The Northern city was seen small there.
"Brother. There is something I couldn't tell you. Actually, our North doesn't welcome outsiders."
"Mmm. Must be so."
Because no one helped for the past decades. Unbelief and resentment towards outsiders are bound to grow that much.
Nevertheless, Yuria requested a helping hand from them. Solely for the survival and future of the Northern people.
She smiled bitterly and looked at me.
"Therefore, we have no choice but to determine ranks only by strength. Because the strongest person leading is the only way everyone can live."
"...Right."
"And now, everyone saw."
Crunch. Cruuunch. Footsteps were heard from the place where strange presences were felt. However, it wasn't just one person.
Soon hundreds of people revealed themselves, and all of them were Northern warriors.
"From this moment today, no one among us will doubt. Brother's strength. How great Warrior Carmil is."
A warrior standing in front of me knelt on one knee and showed courtesy to me. Starting with him, hundreds knelt on the snowfield.
In the end, all the warriors on the snowfield bowed their heads.
"As the Grand Duchess, I command the Northern Warrior Carmil."
She handed me the sword brought by a subordinate and said.
It was a sword made entirely of Ice Crystals. I lifted that sword and looked around. Before I knew it, everyone there was waiting for my answer.
"A Hero, huh..."
Hut. Is there a need to worry.
While the sunset dyed the snowfield red, I drew the sword she gave and swore towards the sky.
"The Hero of the North, Carmil. I will receive that command."
At the same time, hundreds of warriors raised their swords all at once.
This day, it was announced to the entire continent that a new Hero of the North was born.