Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Northern Frontline (10)
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The other members of the special forces unit, including Rie, decided to stay behind at the Northern Frontline.
I transferred my authority to Rie, who had been practically my adjutant, and asked her to pass on the Wave technique.
Rie gladly accepted the request, saying she had plenty of time on her hands anyway.
After finishing our farewells and just before departing for the capital, Rie grabbed my arm.
"Will you come back? You're not planning to slack off on me and never return, are you?"
The journey north had taken two years, followed by nine years on the Northern Frontline.
In a way, the north had become like a second home.
Even the bone-chilling cold that used to make my teeth chatter felt tolerable now.
If the north's frost could feel warm, just how scorching would other places be?
I smiled at Rie and replied.
"No. I'll come back."
I had no idea how much time it would take.
It might even be longer than the years I'd spent in the north.
But I would return.
"Then... let's all go on a trip together. Any ideas where?"
"Well, if you do come back. We'd have to plan the trip as a group, right? But personally, I'd love the western desert."
Unthinkingly, I stroked Rie's golden hair.
Oops—I pulled my hand back, but Rie caught it and placed it right back on her head.
Our eyes met.
An exotic beauty gazed back at me.
"Someday. If you come back—"
For a moment, the drifting clouds parted, and sunlight poured through.
Her red eyes sparkled brilliantly in the light.
"I'd love to show you my hometown."
"A desert, huh? Sounds great. I'll look forward to it."
"Well, it might be too hot, so you'd better check with the others too."
"I'll write."
"That's a given, isn't it? You can't possibly have no conscience after slacking off with me, Captain."
I bid farewell to Rie, then to the rest of the Northern Frontline folks.
They saw me off with great enthusiasm.
What was supposed to be a quick goodbye dragged on for a full four hours.
Only after wrapping up everything in the north could I finally board the carriage bound for the capital.
But soon, two voices calling my name forced me to stop in my tracks.
"Ian."
"Lord Ian."
Irina and Freya.
The two of them were beckoning me from in front of their separate carriages.
"Ian, wanna ride with me?"
"Lord Ian, would you ride with me?"
Even their timing overlapped perfectly.
And the meaning behind their words was identical.
Irina and Freya turned their heads to face each other.
Their eyes met, and it looked like invisible sparks flew between them.
But it wasn't an outright glare.
It felt more subtle, something fiercer than mere staring.
"I had no idea the lady knew Ian."
"Ahaha. But I'm head of the family now, not just some lady. And I was the one who brought Ian to the frontlines. That's something I should be saying, isn't it?"
"But I was the one who fought alongside Ian."
"Wasn't it thanks to my nursing that Ian could fight without a worry in the world?"
"That was a hilarious joke, lady. But I can't agree. Ian could trust his back to the fight because I was there."
"You're joking too, Captain. Treatment and support are just as vital as the fighting itself, you know? I had no idea you were such a fun person."
Why were they still going at it like this?
The atmosphere had turned so hostile that I'd slipped away under the pretense of saying more goodbyes...
Had it been completely pointless?
"..."
I scratched my head and climbed aboard the carriage the northerners had prepared for me.
They'd volunteered to provide it as a way to repay past favors.
I'd declined at the time, but who could've known it would come in so handy now?
I stuck my head out the window and called to the two still locked in their verbal skirmish.
"Not riding? There's plenty of room here."
The carriage they'd gifted was luxurious enough to rival any noble's ride.
If anything, it outclassed the others.
Rumor had it this one was made from Monster byproducts.
Thanks to that, it boasted incredible size and durability.
Irina and Freya hurried aboard my carriage.
An awkward tension filled the air inside as we headed for the capital.
Irina and Freya sat glued to either side of me, quietly stealing glances at each other.
Whether it was fallout from their earlier spat or something else, I couldn't tell.
Honestly, I couldn't make sense of any of it.
After eleven years living a life untouched by such things.
Even in the special forces, things had never gotten this intense.
"Um, are you two... alright?"
"Thanks for worrying. But ever since learning that Wave technique you taught me, I feel full of energy."
"Unfortunately, I couldn't master Aura Energy, but Lord Ian's Wave technique has made my body feel so light!"
No sooner had they finished speaking than they exchanged sharp looks.
A chill hung in the air from somewhere.
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Ah.
"Did the lady learn the Wave technique too?"
"Did the Captain master the Wave technique as well?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Eleven years ago, it had taken me nearly two years to reach the north.
The roads were terrible, carriages scarce—I thought that was just how it was.
But this time was different.
The road to the capital was fully paved.
Whether the Empire had advanced in the interim or new routes had opened up, I couldn't say.
I'd prefer it if they'd just built new roads.
Losing two years to a wrong turn would've been too idiotic otherwise.
Still, smooth roads didn't put my mind at ease.
Right before departure, I'd heard a strange rumor.
"All the Great Beast corpses are gone. Monster corpses too... even the remains of our fallen soldiers."
On the Northern Frontline, where death was commonplace, soldiers seeing ghosts wasn't unusual.
Especially when we saw the faces of the dead every day.
But the one who told me this was the supply commander from the frontmost lines, and he wasn't the type to spread baseless gossip.
"I went to the spot, and there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Like... it had never been there to begin with."
After that day, a gruesome rumor spread among the northern soldiers: the dead were being dragged away beneath their feet.
I gazed at the scenery unfolding beyond the carriage window and drew in a short breath.
One more reason to head to the capital.
It took a total of two months to reach the Empire's capital.
The moment we arrived, crowds of waiting citizens erupted in fervent cheers.
Waves of people endlessly chanted the names of the frontline's key figures.
"You must have had a tough journey from the north."
The welcome felt awkward. The capital citizens' cheers, the opulence of the lodging.
The northerners had cheered enthusiastically too, but it was different.
I knew those people, but these ones didn't know me.
It was like forcing on clothes that didn't fit.
"Ian, you look tired. You okay? Rest if you're worn out. This must be your first time in a place like this."
Irina asked.
Freya nodded right away and set a cup of warm tea in front of me.
"Get some shut-eye, even if just for a bit. The banquet's this evening, so there's still time."
I couldn't refuse their concern and nodded.
The bed in the lodging was plush.
True, perfect tranquility after so long.
The moment I closed my eyes, the northern winds and Rie's laughter floated into my mind.
*'I'd love to show you my hometown someday.'*
Those words kept echoing.
As dusk fell, an imperial carriage arrived at the lodging.
Seeing the lined-up escort knights and court attendants, I could tell this wasn't just any banquet.
"Are you ready to depart?"
As I boarded the carriage, Irina and Freya followed.
I wore formal attire; they each donned dresses of different designs.
They'd adorned themselves in their own styles, but both were strikingly beautiful.
And that was the bigger problem.
The air inside the carriage was far more tensely awkward than before.
I swallowed a sigh.
Upon arriving at the imperial palace, the banquet hall glowed with golden light.
Beneath massive chandeliers, nobles, generals, and high officials made their splendid entrances.
When my name was called, applause thundered like the roar of a battlefield.
"The Empire's Sword, Ian the guardian of the north!"
I walked forward slowly.
All eyes focused on me.
Irina and Freya walked at my sides.
Beneath the translucent, hazy canopy, figures were distinct, but faces remained unseen.
Motionless, yet their mere presence crushed the air in the hall with overwhelming pressure.
That was the current Emperor.
From beneath the veil came a clear, resonant, yet resolute voice.
Too thin and high for a man.
Deep and dignified, yet laced with feminine grace.
"Welcome, hero of the north."
Had this generation's Emperor been a woman...?
Regardless of my confusion, the crowd applauded once more at the Emperor's words.
I concealed my bewilderment behind a stoic expression and bowed to the Emperor.
But soon, I felt one more blatant gaze.
At the edge of the noble cluster, a woman with soft eyes.
Long aquamarine hair and turquoise irises.
She stared straight at me with enigmatic eyes.
In that gaze lingered a hint of wariness and bafflement, overshadowed by deeper suspicion.
I glanced around with just my eyes.
No doubt about it—that gaze was fixed on me.