The Magic Words That Saved My Sanity
The Frostbite Gate. The entrance to the North was a colossal gateway, boasting a scale comparable to an eight-lane highway. Perhaps because it was constructed from the faded gray stone characteristic of the North, the atmosphere of the gate felt incredibly bleak and desolate.
The fact that the gate was tightly shut undoubtedly contributed to this grim mood. Under normal circumstances, it would have been bustling with merchants and travelers moving between the Central Empire and the North.
Now, it stood firmly closed, denying entry to all. Toward this formidable barrier, only our guild's carriages ventured.
As we drew near, a guard's voice boomed down from atop the ramparts. "Halt! The Frostbite Gate is currently closed! Turn back at once!"
I had expected them to rain down arrows or launch an immediate attack as a warning, but the guards were surprisingly polite enough to give us a verbal warning first. Have I been thinking of Northerners as too barbaric? Jiren, leading the vanguard, dismounted and shouted back.
"We are the Lorend Merchant Guild! We have come to escort Lady Matilda de Ludmily back to the North!"
"What?! You have escorted Lady Matilda?!" A commotion broke out among the guards. A moment later, the massive gate creaked open just a crack, and a squad of Northern guards emerged. They approached my carriage, where Lady Matilda was riding, to verify her identity.
"L-Lady Matilda!" Clank! Clank! The moment they recognized her, the guards turned pale and instantly dropped to their knees. Ah, the sweet taste of authority. Ever since I was reincarnated into this world, one of my absolute favorite pastimes was watching people get utterly flabbergasted by the sheer weight of power.
"Please, stand up," Matilda said.
"Yes, my lady!" Clank! Clank! At her word, the guards scrambled to their feet. She looked at them and made a request—no, issued a command.
"Please send a telegram to my father informing him of my return."
"Understood! We will wire Blakemore Castle immediately. You have suffered greatly among those filthy Imperial bastards, Your Grace!"
What followed happened in the blink of an eye. The colossal Frostbite Gate swung wide open solely for our sake. Escorted by the Northern guards, we finally set foot on Northern soil. Rattle, rattle.
"..."
"..."
As we made our way toward the ancestral seat of the North, Blakemore Castle, I observed the state of the region through the carriage window. Even a casual glance revealed a dire situation.
The faces of the Northern people were devoid of life, and beggars lined the streets. The food shortage in the North was worsening far faster than I had anticipated. Good... everything is going exactly as planned.
While I was mentally organizing my future business strategy against the backdrop of the bleak Northern landscape, Matilda, who was also staring out the window, spoke up. "...Perhaps I should have endured it a little longer."
"Pardon?"
"If only I had held back... if Lukas hadn't done what he did... the people of the North wouldn't be suffering like this..."
Matilda's nagging nature was a notorious rumor in high society. Given that it was even written in the original novel's character settings, she probably really did nag a lot. But even so, the Crown Prince's decision to drop a metaphorical bomb in the middle of a high society event was utterly unforgivable.
A proper partner would have talked things through and ended the relationship amicably without hurting each other's feelings. Dropping a bomb like that? Unbelievable. Even to a playboy like me, the prince's behavior was pure trash. I was grateful his foolishness helped my business, but business was business, and ethics were ethics.
"I don't think that's true at all, Lady Matilda."
"Sir Kyle..."
Perhaps because her self-blame reminded me of my own past life, I found myself speaking more than usual.
"The prince is the one who did wrong, not you. Taking the blame for someone else's mistake is a terrible mindset to carry. Instead, try looking at it this way."
"How?"
I shared the magic words that had kept my sanity intact from my previous life up to this very moment. They were...
This was my ultimate mental-management technique, forged in the fires of playing with countless trolls in the ultra-popular game League of Watch. In life, you are bound to run into destined assholes. There is absolutely no need to let them rent space in your head.
It was a shitshow, and let's never see each other again. If you ever show your face in front of me again, I'll kill you. Thinking like this made the entire world a much more peaceful place.
Hearing my words, Matilda's eyes went blank for a moment, as if she had suffered a physical shock. And then... "Pfft! Pahaha! Hahaha!" Our dear lady had burst into laughter once again. This time, she laughed so hard that tears actually welled in her eyes. So she really loves this kind of humor. I need to keep that in mind.
"S-Sir Kyle, so that is the mindset you live by."
"Yes. Thinking this way makes things so much easier."
"I envy you. Having that kind of mindset..." Matilda looked back out the window, her expression noticeably brighter.
See? She looks so much prettier with a bright face like that! If it weren't for business, I would have definitely tried to flirt with her... but I had to hold back. Business was business, and more importantly, the Duke of the North backing her up was terrifying.
"I... I will try to adopt that mindset as well."
"Yes, I'll be cheering you on, Lady Matilda."
While I was admiring her newly refreshed face, the carriage came to a halt. In the midst of our conversation, we had arrived at the heart of the North, Blakemore Castle.
As we stepped out, Blakemore Castle, the ancestral seat of the Duke of the North, revealed its overwhelming grandeur. If the Imperial Palace in the capital was a delicate piece of art adorned with extravagant marble and gold leaf, this place was like a colossal giant rooted deep into the earth, guarding the edge of the continent.
Weathered by centuries of blizzards and drenched in the blood of magical beasts, its black granite walls looked twice as tall as those in the capital. A fortress that embodied the harsh environment and unyielding strength of the North—that was my impression of Blakemore Castle.
Although most of the Lorend Merchant Guild, including myself, had visited the North a few times to set up our milk distribution system, we had never been to the main castle itself.
While everyone, myself included, was utterly intimidated by the sheer aura of the North, Matilda's face lit up, as if she finally realized she had escaped the suffocating capital and returned home. ...Or perhaps she was just still in a good mood from my joke earlier.
Just as we were all dismounting, a thunderous roar echoed from the distance. "Tilda!!!" A booming, bear-like voice reverberated so loudly that I wondered if he was using amplification magic.
Then, with heavy, thudding footsteps, a massive man clad in wolf-skin armor came charging toward us. Seeing him, Matilda smiled warmly. "Father... I'm home."
"Tilda! Are you hurt anywhere?!" He possessed the same silver hair as Matilda, but his was far wilder, complemented by a rugged beard that stretched from his jawline to his temples.
Though he had charged like a wild bear, the moment he stood before Matilda, he turned into a gentle lamb, completely at a loss for what to do. This was the ruler of the North and Matilda's father, Duke Cromwell de Ludmily.
"Did that worthless bastard do anything to you?!"
"I'm really fine, Father."
The Duke roared, looking ready to beat that "worthless bastard" to a pulp. The bastard in question was undoubtedly the Crown Prince. How on earth did a giant, bear-like man father such a beautiful daughter?
Aside from their silver hair, Matilda and the Duke didn't share a single percent of resemblance. Just how incredibly dominant were the genes of the late Duchess? As I watched their touching reunion with these idle thoughts, the Duke's gaze suddenly shifted to me. ...Don't tell me he read my mind?
"Tilda, who are they?"
"They are the ones who took responsibility and escorted me safely from the capital."
"I see... so they are the ones..." The Duke dragged his massive frame toward me. I remembered him from the novel, but this was my first time seeing him in person. Whoa... he's terrifying enough to give me nightmares.
"I have heard the tale. Are you the one who brought our Tilda back?"
"Yes, Duke Cromwell."
"What is your name?"
"I am Kyle Lorend, the eldest son of the Lorend family."
I offered a polite, formal greeting as the eldest son of the Lorend family and the vice leader of the Lorend Merchant Guild. The Duke stared at me in silence, then slowly raised both hands. And then... he pulled me into a crushing embrace.
"Kyle Lorend... thank you!"
Thud! Squeeze!Argh! My... my guts are going to burst! Trapped in a bear hug of monstrous proportions, I felt the air completely leave my lungs.
I had heard that the Duke of the North was a warm-hearted man who expressed his affection through bear hugs, but I had no idea it would be this extreme! I could literally see the pale Northern sky turning yellow before my eyes. Uh... am I about to die a second time like this?
Fortunately, before I could experience reincarnation a second time, the Duke set me down and continued. "To think there was such a righteous soul among those hyena-like nobles in the capital... Thank you, truly, for bringing Tilda back..."
Whew... I almost met my maker. Catching my breath, I quickly responded to the Duke's praise.
"Cough! Cough! ...No, it was nothing, Duke Cromwell. Compared to the sacrifices you and the people of the North make to protect the Empire from monsters and barbarians, my actions are trivial."
"Bwahaha! Not only do you understand righteousness, but you're also quite the smooth talker! I like you!"
Whack! "Urgh!" The Duke slapped my back with his massive palm. A shockwave rippled straight through my internal organs. Thank goodness my stomach was empty; if I had eaten anything, I would have definitely thrown up right then and there.
"Listen up, everyone! These are the guests who safely escorted my daughter, Matilda, away from those capital bastards! Treat them with the utmost respect!"
"Yes, Your Grace!"
Afterward, we were treated with great hospitality by the Duke of the North. There was no grand banquet, as the North was naturally frugal, and their current food situation was dire. Since I hadn't come expecting a lavish feast anyway, it didn't bother me in the slightest.
Instead, the meeting I had actually been waiting for was arranged with surprising speed. In the dead of night, Matilda's attendant discreetly guided me to a meeting place.
Accompanied only by Elina, I was led deep into a private annex of Blakemore Castle. Upon our arrival, I found him waiting for us. Standing in the room was a strikingly handsome young noble with the same silver hair as Matilda—looking exactly as she would if she were a man and slightly older.
"Welcome, savior of the North."
"It is an honor to meet you, Lord Ivan de Ludmily."
This was the son of the Duke of the North, Matilda's older brother, and the vice commander of the Northern Army—the practical ruler of the North. Lord Ivan de Ludmily was the golden ticket who could grant me exactly what I wanted. It's time to unleash my ultimate skill: the art of persuasion.