Chapter 11 - {The Sister of the Northern Grand Duke}
{The Sister of the Northern Grand Duke}
Translator : Elizabeth
"Convey this to all knights and employees right now."
As soon as Kang Jin-ho left, Kalian summoned the Knight Commander and the Head Butler to his office.
His expression was as grim as a commander about to embark on a monster subjugation.
"If you encounter a 'man in a black leather jacket' wandering around the castle, absolutely do not make eye contact and clear the way."
"Pardon?"
Knight Commander Bent asked back.
It was an order that made him doubt his ears.
To tell the Winter Knights, the pride of the North, to avoid a mere mercenary upon seeing him.
"Did that man perhaps commit rudeness to Your Highness? If so, I will take his head immediately…."
"The ones whose heads will fly will be you guys."
Kalian shouted coldly.
"He speaks informally to me as well."
"……!"
"So do not get worked up just because you suffered rudeness. If he gets offended and blows away the city wall, that's a bigger loss. Understand?"
The Knight Commander and the Head Butler were astonished.
To think the Grand Duke of the world would take such a low stance.
But Kalian's eyes were serious.
He saw Kang Jin-ho calmly brush off his spirit.
Especially now, facing the unprecedented threat called Mammoth Prime.
In front of the survival of the North, pride was a luxury.
What was important now was maintaining the fact that he was an ally to defeat Mammoth Prime.
"This is an order. Anyone who provokes him… is subject to summary execution."
A strict order like frost fell.
Soon after, an etiquette advisory equivalent to an emergency alert was issued throughout Winter Castle.
Kang Jin-ho strolled leisurely inside the castle.
As expected of a place that paid a lot, the service spirit was thorough.
Thud, thud.
Every time he passed through a corridor, soldiers and servants he encountered were startled and stuck to the walls.
The path opened wide as if the Red Sea were parting.
Among them, there were knights sweating profusely and bowing 90 degrees as if their waists would break.
"Good day!"
"Work hard."
Kang Jin-ho waved his hand roughly.
'It's nice because it's comfortable.'
Usually, when he went to noble houses, haughty knights would pick fights saying, "Where did a rolling mercenary scumbag come from!"
Every time that happened, it was annoying to physically break their pride, but this place saved him such trouble.
This was not authority.
It was merely convenience reducing unnecessary energy consumption.
"Heave-ho~"
Kang Jin-ho exited the castle gate and headed to the city streets.
The market street of the North was desolate.
In the biting cold, people wore layers of thick fur clothes and moved busily, breathing out white vapor.
'It's barren.'
Kang Jin-ho scanned the surroundings.
A land with only snow and ice.
An environment where it was difficult for even a single blade of grass to grow, let alone farming.
On the display stands, rough monster leather or bones, or ores mined from mines, were the main items instead of grains.
'This is why a rebellion occurred in the original story.'
Since farming is impossible, food must rely entirely on external imports.
But what if the Emperor goes crazy and cuts off supplies?
The people of the North have no choice but to pick up swords to avoid starving to death.
'Especially since this North is rough, and it's also the front line blocking countless monsters from moving south.'
Even so, he didn't feel any sentimental sympathy.
It was just a cold analysis acquired while rolling in this barbaric world for 5 years.
"Hey, Mister."
"H-Hiek! Y-Yes?"
The street vendor was startled.
It seemed stories had already spread outside the castle while he was slowly appreciating the interior.
Kang Jin-ho pointed to a skewer sizzling on the grill.
"Give me one of these."
"J-Just eat it! No need for money!"
The merchant seemed intimidated by Kang Jin-ho's fierce impression and leather jacket attire.
But Kang Jin-ho frowned.
"Are you saying a person doing business shouldn't take money and starve to death?"
Clink.
Kang Jin-ho tossed a silver coin onto the counter.
It was an amount overflowing for the price of one skewer.
"Keep the change. Consider it a tip."
"Th-Thank you! Thank you!"
While the merchant bowed repeatedly, Kang Jin-ho took a bite of the skewer and moved on.
The tough texture peculiar to monster meat stimulated his jaw.
"Crunch. My jaw might dislocate. But the seasoning is quite decent."
Although tough, it had a chewy taste.
The spicy flavor of spices spread throughout his chewing mouth.
It was when he was walking leisurely on the street.
"Is, is that the guy? The guy who committed rudeness to His Highness the Grand Duke?"
A young voice was heard from the corner of an alley.
Turning his head, a rookie knight who looked like he had just been commissioned was glaring at Kang Jin-ho with a flushed face.
He seemed to be a guy full of vigor who couldn't hold back his anger despite knowing the Grand Duke's strict order.
"You bastard! Where do you dare think this is…!"
It was the moment the rookie put his hand on his sword hilt and tried to step forward.
Slap! Mmph!
The veteran knight next to him freaked out and covered the rookie's mouth.
"Mmph mmph?!"
"You crazy bastard! Are you dying to die?!"
The veteran knight's face had turned pale.
"His Highness the Grand Duke said summary execution if we touch him! Not only will your head fly, but our entire squad will be finished!"
"Mmmmph!"
The veteran dragged the struggling rookie and disappeared into the alley.
That sight was quite desperate.
"……."
Kang Jin-ho stared at that scene blankly while chewing the skewer.
A situation where, in the past, a fight would have been picked and he would have had to use his fists annoyingly.
But since they took care of it themselves, it wasn't bad.
"What are they doing?"
Looks like they're training a mutt.
Kang Jin-ho considered it insignificant and moved on again.
It was the moment he tossed the last piece of meat into his mouth and was about to throw the skewer stick into a trash can.
"Are you that 'Fist Emperor'?"
A voice heard from behind his back.
There was no hostility, but it contained strange curiosity and sharp spirit.
Kang Jin-ho turned around slowly, holding the skewer stick.
"……."
A woman was standing in front of him.
A woman with pitch-black hair like Kalian tied behind her back, wearing a suit-style outfit comfortable for activity.
A beauty with a cold impression but prominent red lips, exuding an intelligent yet dangerous atmosphere.
Her blue eyes were staring as if to pierce through Kang Jin-ho.
And a heavy-looking longsword was hanging from her waist.
'Quite strong. With that appearance and strength, it's obvious who she is.'
Kang Jin-ho immediately recognized that the beauty in front of him was a significant powerhouse.
He felt the robust energy that only those who reached the realm of Master could possess.
He guessed who she was through knowledge of the original story, but asked pretending not to know.
"That's right. Who are you?"
"Frederica."
The woman answered briefly and crossed her arms.
"Kalian's older sister, and the eldest daughter of the Winter family."
Frederica de Winter.
In the original story, she was described as the 'Iron Lady' who was in charge of the North's internal affairs and practically ran the territory on behalf of her brother.
But right now, her eyes were not the eyes of a simple administrator.
They were the eyes of a martial artist who discovered a new toy.
"I heard rumors. Nonsense-like stories that you blew away city walls and beat Fenrir to death."
Frederica took a step closer.
"Seeing my brother having his pride broken and tail tucked, it seems they aren't just nonsense."
"So? Are you here to pick a fight?"
Kang Jin-ho didn't hide his annoyed expression.
The Grand Duke issued a strict order, but to think his sister would come and be annoying.
As expected, blood couldn't be deceived.
"No."
Frederica shook her head.
And breaking Kang Jin-ho's expectation, she smiled strangely.
"Just curious. What the 'fist' of the man called the continent's strongest is like."
Her gaze lingered on Kang Jin-ho's empty hand, that smooth fist without a single callus.
It was primal interest in a strong person, beyond simple curiosity.
"And I was also curious what the man who made my brother nervous looked like."
"……."
Kang Jin-ho swallowed a sigh inwardly.
Whether the Grand Duke or his sister.
The Northern bastards all had plenty of battle maniac temperament.
"If you're done watching, move, will you? I'm taking a walk."
Kang Jin-ho tried to pass by indifferently.
But instead of clearing the way, Frederica matched his steps side by side.
"A walk. Good. I'll guide you."
"Don't need it."
"I know the geography here better. I know delicious restaurants too."
Frederica spoke confidently as if refusing the refusal.
"And you said you're going to do a request? Before you go, I wanted to verify with my own eyes how useful you are."
Her eyes sparkled.
She looked like a scholar observing an interesting research subject, or a beast discovering a prey to its liking.
'An annoying woman attached herself.'
Kang Jin-ho clicked his tongue, but he didn't go out of his way to push her away.
Anyway, it didn't seem like she would listen to words, and more than anything, knowing information about delicious restaurants was important.
'I can't waste important mealtime in vain.'
Finding good restaurants was surprisingly laborious work.
If he received wrong information, it was a headache.
'Appearance passes.'
Kang Jin-ho glanced sideways.
Black hair fluttering in the cold wind, and a sharp nose bridge.
Frederica was, as described in the original story, one of the top beauties in this world.
Certainly, her beauty stood out even among the countless noble young ladies and wives he had met over 5 years.
'Well, eating with a beauty is better than eating alone.'
Kang Jin-ho shrugged his shoulders.
Perhaps noticing his positive reaction, a faint smile spread across Frederica's lips.
"This way. It's a place where the North's specialty stew and steak are amazing."
Frederica introduced with confidence.