Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Road to the North (2)
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Head Butler Sebas.
This elderly man, with his hair streaked white here and there, had served as the Grace family's butler for many long years. He'd devoted most of his life to the Grace house.
'It was a long time.'
Now, he could only mull over that brief sentiment... but he'd overcome countless hardships and trials that couldn't be captured in a single line.
The lords of the North.
The Grace family, known by that title, was anything but ordinary. The word "ordinary" was far from their world.
'They're different from typical nobles.'
They didn't indulge in luxury or vanity. They didn't bother dressing up. They lived raw, unadorned lives—less like nobles and more like warriors. While other nobles sipped tea at social gatherings or balls, the Grace family hunted one more orc in the snow-capped mountains.
In short, their entire mindset was different.
Sebas, with his very ordinary way of thinking, had needed a long time to adapt to the Grace family. Looking back, it had been a truly arduous stretch.
'Direct, without pretense, their way of showing respect is different, their thinking straightforward to the point they might seem dim-witted at times...'
Still, it was a fine house with its own convictions.
That was why Sebas threw himself fully into his assigned duty: attending to Rak van Grace. At the very least, he'd taught him manners so he wouldn't act rudely anywhere, and drilled in consideration for ladies.
'I'm sure I did.'
How had things come to this?
Sebas recalled the conversation he'd overheard just moments ago.
-You even threw an axe at me.
-That I did.
-Kicked me and all that.
-... ? Yes, I suppose I did.
The kind, gentle young master of the North had gone to the capital and returned a wild, unbridled rascal.
'He needs re-education...'
Sebas let out a short sigh.
Then he turned his head slightly, glancing at the compartment of the carriage where his master rode. The master was nodding repeatedly, listening intently to someone.
-So, like this...
There was one woman seated beside the master.
Her cascading gray hair and vivid blue eyes were her signature traits. Sebas knew the rumors about her well.
Lania van Trias.
A professor who had burst onto the scene at Aphria, the capital's largest magic academy like a comet. Her high-level lectures and striking appearance often had her name floating around noble social circles.
The beautiful lady with gray hair.
The renowned professor of Aphria.
The Gray Lily of Trias.
In truth, the environment made rumors inevitable. She was the only daughter of the Trias family, who had raised an ashen mage.
Not just her unique looks, but her position as an Aphria professor validated her magical knowledge. She had every element that would intrigue the sons of noble houses.
'If she appeared at a social gathering, she'd be the center of attention.'
Yet she never attended any. Unless you were an Aphria affiliate, the nobles who'd seen her face were few and far between.
A woman shrouded in mystery.
A figure cloaked in enigma.
Sebas glanced at her.
No wonder the noble sons went mad for her. The way her gray hair swayed with the slightest movement, paired with her refined features—it was easy to see why she was called the Gray Lily.
'...It suits her well.'
Sebas nodded unconsciously.
Seeing her chat with Rak, they made quite the picture. He was glad he'd forced his rowdy master into formal attire.
-Yeah, so when you do that...
Still, what were they talking about so animatedly?
"Hm."
Sebas tilted his head to listen in.
It wasn't exactly butler-like, but he worried his master might slip up. Bringing his ear closer, the voices came through clearly.
-Yes, so like this...
-Right, exactly.
Was she teaching him something, like professor and student?
Sebas nodded with a pleased smile. But that lasted only a moment.
-A troll's neck is thick. To snap it, you jam your fingers into the gap in the vertebrae like this...
Sebas's eyes widened at her words.
-Ah, then for joints...
-Similar. You use two axes, right? I heard from someone I know—if you can't sever it in one go, use the axe like a hammer.
-Pardon?
-Plant one axe and pound away until it breaks. Hammer it like hell, and it'll snap. Hey, no tree stands after ten chops.
It was teaching, sure.
But not the kind he'd expected. Sebas peered inside the carriage, eyes trembling.
-Keep chopping. Until it dies.
-I see...
The professor shrugged, while the master nodded eagerly. At a glance, it looked like a teacher imparting wisdom and a student gaining enlightenment... but...
'Is this... right?'
The content was brutally violent. Sebas shook his head with a complicated expression.
"...As expected of the lady the young master recommended."
The Gray Lily.
The flower of Trias.
He felt like he'd gotten a taste of the true nature of the Trias lady known by those names. The spicy aftertaste lingered in his mouth, and Sebas sighed deeply.
2.
The North's perpetual snowstorms disrupted mana flows year-round, making teleportation devices unusable.
'Truth be told, places where you can use teleportation devices are rare enough.'
Especially for long distances.
The spell called Teleport was practically unusable in real combat. Even the slightest anomaly at the designated coordinates could turn it into a spell that killed the caster.
Much less long-distance teleporting into the North's blizzards... that was borderline suicide.
That's why they traveled by mana carriage, but it wasn't uncomfortable at all. The carriage was spacious, and the mana propulsion was so smooth there was hardly any shaking.
It just felt utterly foreign to me.
"...This carriage sure is comfy."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
I rested my chin on my hand and glanced out the window.
The scenery whipped by at high speed. Riding in a carriage felt strange to me.
'Well, on the front lines, we always went on foot.'
It was the demon landscape, overflowing with demonic energy.
Horse-drawn carriages, let alone mana ones, were impossible there.
'We marched through the nights. Fighting swarming beasts was basic, and the demon landscape was full of traps...'
Every step was a trap.
Disarming spells planted by those damned skeleton bastards, smashing barriers, pushing forward—that was daily life.
'Traveling comfortably by carriage?'
I let out a chuckle.
This was one of those moments that made me feel my battlefield retirement. This unfamiliarity in unexpected ways wasn't entirely unwelcome.
Screech.
As I thought that, the carriage stopped.
Knock knock. The butler spoke from outside.
"We'll replenish the carriage's mana and take a short break. I'll prepare a meal, so please wait just a moment."
...Prepare a meal?
I tilted my head, thinking of the rations stuffed in my robe.
"Rak."
"Yes, Professor."
"...Do they serve meals on trips these days?"
"Pardon?"
Rak stared at me like I'd said something bizarre.
"Uh... it's not 'these days,' it's always been that way, hasn't it?"
"Has it...?"
They'd even brought cooking tools, but it seemed unnecessary. I gave an awkward smile and stepped out of the carriage briefly, to get some air.
"Nngh..."
I stretched languidly.
The sun had set, and it was growing dim. Normally, it'd be time to set up camp. I scanned the surroundings.
'Forest, clearing, open spot. Firewood from snapping branches...
My gaze naturally drifted to the forest.
Spots for tents and cover jumped out instinctively. I paced the forest edge out of habit, then paused.
"...This is a sickness too."
I chuckled.
There was no need to camp anyway. The carriage followed set paths, day and night. Even if we camped, it'd be comfy among the escorts.
No need to set watches.
No need for soundproof spells.
No tossing and turning from those fuckers' moans leaking through spells.
"Anyway..."
I really had retired.
This journey could be taken lightly, like a vacation... but old habits kept creeping in.
'That's how big a gap those five years made.'
Five years on the battlefield.
Years of seeing, experiencing, learning countless things.
Habits forged in extreme conditions don't fade easily. My mind knew this wasn't the front lines, but my body moved on autopilot.
"Weird feeling."
Muttering that, I turned back.
The butler, having finished preparing the meal, was coming to fetch me. Heading toward the ornate carriage, I glanced back briefly.
The forest cloaked in darkness.
Looking at it reminded me of nights in the demon landscape, and a certain face came to mind.
'What’s that bastard Kyle up to?'
Probably eating well and living well on his own.
I knew exactly what that fucker would be doing.
"Bet he's just pounding away at some pussy."
Obvious without looking.
I couldn't imagine otherwise.
"Milady, the meal is ready..."
"Yes, coming now."
I followed the butler's lead.
My gait and shoes were different from battlefield days. Glancing at my shiny dress shoes, I smiled faintly.
Maybe I'll take this journey lightly.
Like a real vacation, relaxed.
3.
The Hero Kyle Toven.
He gripped his holy sword anew. Starlight softly enveloped his body. In his clear field of vision loomed darkness. Deep, profound darkness.
Creak, crick-creak.
Something rolled in the darkness beyond. Bones rattling. The grinding of bone on bone echoed lowly in the gloom.
Clack, clack-clack.
Bones meshed together.
Eerie sounds reverberated across the black plain. The knights behind Kyle swallowed dryly. In the pitch black where nothing was visible, only sounds rang out.
Gulp.
As throats bobbed...
"Get ready."
Kyle said.
"It's coming."
With his words, light rose in the darkness. Unlike the starlight rising from Kyle's body. Similar, yet different. Alien light.
Ancient script.
Ancient spell circuits.
Ancient incantations incomprehensible to mere humans glowed faintly in the dark. Lights connected like constellations. At last, it revealed itself.
『Ah.』
A robe stitched from human faces.
Thick demonic energy leaking from bizarre bone gaps.
『Ah, aah.』
As it clacked open its mouth, black breath escaped. Jaws moved with strange noises that turned to laughter.
『Ah, aahah, aaahaha.』
It laughed.
A mocking cackle like scraping bones echoed across the field.
『Fear the shadows.』
A calamity centuries old.
The ancient lich, Skeval.
The calamity stood before the hero.
『Come, child of the stars.』
Deep darkness descended on the plain.
Author's Note I wanted to stage a majestic entrance for Skeval, but... why is it so hard? Even heavy sentences don't carry the weight I want... *This illustration was worked on by the typo author; the quality is insane as always...!