The Unexplored Lands Beyond the Demon Realm
On the castle walls overlooking the vast white snowfields, a man stood tall against the biting cold that turned even his ordinary breaths into visible puffs of steam. “Six months already….” Ian Wintergard. Half a year ago, the man who had returned to his homeland after ten long years suddenly learned the truth about his bloodline. If one were to add another secret, it would be that he possessed memories from a past life in Korea, but after living more than twenty years in this world, it no longer bothered him much.
Without even a moment to rest, he had rushed to the North. Upon arrival, he immediately helped repel a demonic beast invasion. The bizarre territory where fighting monsters took up more time than paperwork had already become familiar to him.
“Enemy ahead! One thousand sighted!”
“Prepare for battle!”
If he claimed he didn’t want to do this, it would be a lie. But if he didn’t stop the expansion of the Demon Realm and inherit the magic sword, the world he loved would disappear. That was why he had no choice but to accept the position of Grand Duke.
‘Yeah, that’s a lie.’
Before the scout’s shout even finished, Ian had already drawn his sword after spotting the distant dust cloud. There was no tension in him as the snowfield orcs—who somehow grew so massive in this barren land—marched forward. ‘The end of the Demon Realm. And what lies beyond it.’
East, west, and south—he had traveled the entire continent, yet the North remained unexplored. The massive barrier known as the Demon Realm and the unknown threats lurking within it were things no ordinary adventurer could handle.
And then there was the magic sword. He had wanted to find the divine sword and the holy sword, but the Church had already swept them away, leaving nothing behind. How disappointed he had been. In truth, he was far more drawn to the magic sword than to pioneering the Demon Realm.
‘As Grand Duke, I will develop the North and conquer that place.’
It was only after becoming the Northern Grand Duke that he realized this world was straight out of a romance-fantasy novel. But as long as unknown lands waited beyond the horizon, it didn’t matter what kind of world this was to Ian.
The blood of the snowfield orcs had barely soaked the ground before the northern snows already began to cover their corpses.
“My lord. Your sword…”
“Please.”
Ian handed over his blood-soaked blade to Ivelin, his personal maid and former party member, then moved among the wounded, helping with their treatment one by one.
“G-Grand Duke, sir.”
“Stay still and accept it. The cold is severe, so infection isn’t likely, but frostbite will force us to amputate without mercy.”
The soldiers and knights were deeply moved by the sight of a Grand Duke who valued even the lowliest soldier. Only Ivelin, who knew he was simply protecting valuable assets for his goals, watched with ice-cold eyes.
“Kalden. I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
“Are you leaving, sir?”
“Can’t be helped. I’m already swamped, yet they insist on calling me…”
“Haha…”
Kalden, commander of the Northern Cross Knights who had been guarding Ian’s back while he treated the injured, gave an awkward laugh. Anyone would feel uncomfortable hearing such blunt words about an imperial summons, but this was the North. Even Kalden could tell the North was busier than ever these days.
“I have no choice but to go for the sake of our plans. I’ll leave Ivelin behind, so work together and protect everything while I’m gone.”
At the words “leave behind,” Ivelin’s ears drooped slightly before perking up again. As a half-elf, the movement was subtle, but Kalden standing right behind her caught it clearly.
‘He’s going to get nagged the moment he returns.’
In swordsmanship, charisma, and character, he was the perfect Grand Duke. Yet his strangely clumsy side when it came to women only made him feel more human. Completely unaware that his personal maid was sharpening her knives, Ian headed toward the warp magic circle.
The imperial mages who had been waiting in advance bowed their heads respectfully. Though they were in their mid-twenties, the other party was the Grand Duke who ruled the North. No one dared treat him carelessly.
“We will depart now. However, your companions…?”
“They’re all busy.”
Realizing that the polite phrasing actually meant ‘I’m already dying of overwork, and you people are the ones who called me,’ the lead imperial mage hurriedly bowed his head again.
Had it not been for the First Prince’s birthday party, Ian would have refused the imperial invitation outright. Even in the stiff atmosphere, the magic circle activated. The moment the blue warp gate opened, Ian stepped through without hesitation.
After a brief sensation of displacement, a massive garden appeared before him. He barely suppressed a sigh at the sight of the warp magic circle—a strategic asset—placed in such an exposed location.
“Are you His Grace, the Grand Duke Ian Wintergard?”
“That’s right.”
“Your attendants…”
“Haa. I came alone without any attendants. If you ask the same question again after reporting that, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”
His rising stress level made irritation spill out naturally. The maid’s expression stiffened for a moment, but like any servant accustomed to the imperial palace’s constant scheming, she quickly regained her composure.
“I will relay the message. This way, please…”
As he followed the maid’s guidance, Ian felt like a lion trapped in a cage. The gazes directed at him held no goodwill—only hostility, curiosity, or complete indifference. The Wintergards of the North were the only faction officially permitted unlimited private troops by the imperial family. That made them the most dangerous blade if turned against the throne, yet also a force the empire currently lacked the strength to oppose. That was the extent of their current perception.
“This is the room. Would you require a maidservant?”
“No. Until I call for one myself, do not send anyone. Dinner is fine too.”
“Understood.”
“I clearly said not to send anyone. Make sure everyone knows that anyone who enters my quarters afterward does so at the risk of their life, regardless of reason.”
Although there was a First Prince, the Emperor had yet to designate a Crown Prince.
‘It’s obvious even without looking.’
The imperial family member connected to the protagonist would surely become the next emperor. Since he had no intention of getting involved no matter what happened in the process, he drew a clear line in advance to block any approach from the imperial family. He had no desire to side with the protagonist, nor did he want to become enemies with the humans loved by this world.
After confirming the maid had withdrawn, Ian entered the room—only to find someone already waiting. Unlike the cold warning he had just issued, genuine delight appeared on Ian’s face.
“Hey there, Northern Grand Duke?”
Blond hair and golden eyes. A man with the lazy impression characteristic of the imperial family’s direct bloodline was lounging inside.
“It gives me goosebumps, so call me by my original name. Claven.”
Claven Carnesia. The Second Prince and a former member of their disbanded party.
“Yes, yes. Party Leader. So, how’s life as Grand Duke treating you?”
The way he poured wine into a glass and asked with a sly grin was no different from before. Thanks to that, the mask Ian wore as Grand Duke slipped off slightly.
“Not at all. If I didn’t have a goal, I’d quit immediately. Demonic beasts keep coming, white shit falls every single day, and those crazy bastards even cut our support.”
“Kkuk kuk. Then why do you keep doing it?”
“What else? The end of the Demon Realm and what lies beyond!”
The face of the Grand Duke vanished, replaced once again by the adventurer Ian. A man who sought the unknown and burned with pure passion for exploration—strong and brilliant precisely because of that purity. Though he now held the title of Grand Duke, his heart remained unchanged.
“You really haven’t changed.”
“They say a man only changes when he’s about to die. So, how’s the imperial family these days?”
“How else? My older brother and sister are sharpening their knives claiming they’ll be the successor, and my little brother has apparently fallen head over heels for some woman.”
“Same as always.”
“Same as always. This might be the first and last time we meet like this. Obviously, if we drink together as friends, they’ll attach all sorts of meanings to it, right?”
The factions of the First Prince and First Princess were the largest. Yet even after ten years of absence, the symbolic weight of being the Second Prince had not faded. In such a situation, a personal meeting with the Grand Duke was bound to cause rumors.
“What do you mean your little brother fell for a woman?”
Ian knew the First Prince and First Princess were checking each other, but this was the first he had heard about Claven’s younger brother being bewitched by a woman.
“The guy who was obsessed with the sword went to the academy and got completely hooked on some baron’s daughter.”
“A baron’s daughter…? Is she pretty?”
“Hmm. Well. She does have a different charm from our party’s two pretty faces. But I’m not really into her?”
“Besides your brother, are there others who like that girl?”
“Oh… How did you know?”
One thing Ian had realized while living in this world was that the wall of social status was far higher than he had imagined. It was natural for Claven to be surprised. As an adventurer, Ian could afford open-minded thoughts, but reality was colder than expected.
“Let’s call it intuition.”
“Intuition my ass. The young master of the Southern Duke’s house, the Magic Tower Lord’s disciple, and even my little brother. Apparently three guys are competing over her.”
“With that many, shouldn’t it already be a scandal?”
If a man met multiple women before marriage, it could be overlooked. But if a woman was involved with multiple men, it was no light matter.
“That’s why the Adrahan Duke’s daughter made a huge fuss.”
“Why?”
“She’s engaged to my little brother. Since the Third Prince only cares about swords, she said it would be good to bring him in as a son-in-law.”
“This is the first I’m hearing of it. Isn’t this supposed to be a secret?”
“Not really. Anyone above the rank of count knows about it.”
The protagonist, the villainess noblewoman, and the men who liked the protagonist. The classic romance-fantasy board was naturally coming together.
“Alright, alright. Enough of the annoying talk. Since this is the last time we can drink comfortably, let’s drink properly for old times’ sake!”
“Haa. Sure.”
The night before the party. The final drinking session among comrades who were no longer adventurers grew deeper.
They say it is the virtue of nobility to begin a party leisurely and enjoy it at a relaxed pace.
“Huu.”
Ian hated that saying with a passion. The Korean mindset that had resurfaced after he became Grand Duke despised wasting time on unnecessary things.
“If people who arrive early just go in, what’s the point of calling people in order of title?”
In modern social life, chairmen arriving late was a form of consideration, but here it was different.
“Your Grace the Grand Duke. It is time to depart.”
At the maid’s words, Ian finally opened the door and stepped outside. The maid assigned to guide him hurriedly followed. She had naturally assumed he would get lost, but although the order of the paths was different, he headed straight for the banquet hall.
“G-Grand Duke, Your Grace!”
“Haa.”
That damn aristocratic dignity. In his heart, he wanted to ignore it completely, but if he arrived first, it was obvious what would happen to the maid who had merely been ordered to guide him.
“Lead the way.”
“Haa… Haa… Yes, sir.”
The maid’s face, which had been trembling with anxiety, turned tearful with gratitude. After composing herself, she walked ahead with refined steps. As he followed slowly, Ian also summoned the demeanor of the Grand Duke rather than his true self.
After walking another twenty minutes at the maid’s pace, they finally reached the entrance to the banquet hall. Even before entering, his senses already picked up the sound of countless people whispering.
“This way…”
The maid withdrew, and following the steward who opened the doors, Ian entered the banquet hall.
“The Shield of the North! The Sword of the North! His Grace, Grand Duke Ian Wintergard, has arrived!”
Just from the view above, it was clear how the groups had clustered. The Emperor’s faction, the Noble faction, and the neutral Adrahan Duke’s faction. The gazes of those who divided the empire’s power all turned toward the new Grand Duke.
Ignoring their stares, Ian walked toward only one person. The reason he had come to this unwanted party, and the person who would help him take the first step toward successfully pioneering the Demon Realm.
“Ian Wintergard. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
“I am Kane Adrahan.”
A middle-aged man with red hair and red eyes. In Kane Adrahan’s gaze, inexplicable warmth and gratitude coexisted.