Book 5 Chapter 8

Episode 110

Coming out of the cave with Alaquish, I had to feel a dizzying tremor as I gazed upon the magnificent snowfield and the snow-capped mountains rising like its backbone.

It was the moment when Harvadonia, a land of extreme cold, an unknown territory, and a world of eternal death, unfolded before my eyes.

To the west, a desolate coastline stretched endlessly to the south, and on the ice floes, oddly shaped seals cried ominously in droves.

"Is this really north of the Barrier…?"

"North, north, north."

I shivered, looking around at all the scenery with Pipi.

It was a cold that felt like it would tear my skin, but thanks to the miraculous flame Alaquish had breathed into my body, I was wearing these summer clothes and felt cold yet not cold.

That's why Pipi had been inside my school uniform blouse ever since we left the cave, with only her head peeking out…

「Don't fall behind, follow me.」

Overwhelmed by the scenery, Alaquish's urging, who was leading the way, reached my ears, and I began to move again.

「You must walk for a full half-day. When the sun sets, the dead awaken. Hurry.」

Harvadonia also meant "Snow Capital" in ancient language.

This implied that it had been a snow-covered land since before Christ, and as the place where the final battle between the "Ones Who Came" and the "Forgotten Kings" took place, it was also the origin of countless heroic legends.

Also, "scary stories" often heard for discipline in childhood were often set here.

For this land was inhabited by cursed beings, the Beastfolk, living in groups.

According to legend, Beastfolk are those who wandered the boundary between the abyss and light, were cursed by the gods, and came to possess beastly bodies with human souls.

Considering that legend, it seems natural that discipline like 'if you do bad things, you'll be cursed and turn into a Beastfolk' became widespread.

"Will the Beastfolk welcome us?"

When I asked cautiously, Alaquish, who was striding across the ice field with Casena in his arms, glanced back at me.

「No, they will tear you to shreds.」

Hmm, as expected, it's probably best to be prepared…

As a former Northerner, I was well aware of the long-standing animosity between the White Wolf Guard, who protected the Great Wall of Ice and Snow, and the Beastfolk.

The White Wolf Guard called the Beastfolk barbarians and blocked their passage south of the Barrier. I also heard that they were sworn enemies.

「Of course, if it were just the two of you, that would be the case. But now that I, Alaquish, am with you, there is no need to worry.」

Harvadonia.

An ancient land where the "Spider Lord, the Unholy Mystery" was sealed.

It goes without saying that its area covers a sixth of the Akrad continent, but the worst part was that there wasn't a single proper road in that terrifying expanse.

Endlessly appearing ice shelves, icebergs, and crevasses blocked the way like a labyrinth. Every time we moved 1km in a straight line, it demanded an unexplainable amount of effort and time.

"The concentration of the Abyss is incredibly dense."

Moreover, if I hadn't filtered the air I breathed using magic control, the atmospheric concentration was such that I would have been poisoned by the Abyss and ended up like Casena long ago.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

To aid its owner's strenuous struggle, the black yang scale around my neck repeatedly flickered, replenishing my core with new magic.

"How on earth do the Beastfolk live in a land like this?"

「A foolish question.」

Though it sounded like a reprimand, there was no childish emotion like blame or derision in Alaquish's voice. Rather, it was closer to a kind sermon.

「They received such bodies from the gods to live here; what meaning would there be if they couldn't live?」

My head tilted in confusion at the strange answer.

Received such bodies from the gods?

So he was saying they were cursed, in a roundabout way? But it didn't sound like that at all, did it?

「We have arrived.」

Just as I was about to ask a question, emerging from the wave of confusion, Alaquish stopped on a shallow iceberg and gestured forward with his chin.

"Wow…"

Standing beside him, I let out an exclamation without realizing it.

It was a glacial valley.

With low mountains on either side, a village of at least a hundred households overlooked the U-shaped erosion valley carved into the ground.

「Reyn Ludwig, engrave these words of Alaquish into your heart.」

"Yes?"

「Given the times, everyone is in a sensitive state. And those who chose beastly bodies for war cannot easily control their aggression. Do not act or speak in a way that could cause misunderstanding.」

My heart had briefly pounded at the thought of seeing a new aspect of the world, but as soon as I heard those words, the excitement quickly subsided.

And that warning was confirmed immediately upon descending the slope to the foot of the mountain.

Although no sound was heard, my spine tingled at the approaching presence of killing intent.

「These children are not enemies.」

As Alaquish spoke, cursed creatures one by one revealed their horrifying forms from within the snow.

There were about five of them, and their eerie appearances varied; some had wolf heads, others goat heads.

In addition to shaggy fur to ward off the cold, they wore crudely woven clothes of penguin or seal skin, and a werewolf, who appeared to be the leader, bared his fangs fiercely.

"Grrrr… Who are those suspicious brats?"

Perhaps because he had a beast's oral cavity, his accent was harsher compared to south of the Barrier, but it was understandable.

「They are under the protection of I, Alaquish.」

"Ha! My father said not to take in hairless beasts."

The sneering werewolf possessed a heavy aura of ferocity, the kind only seasoned warriors like Kies or Bart would have.

"They're杂种 (mongrels) who might stab you in the back any time."

I cautiously glanced sideways, and when our eyes met, an animalistic fear surged through me, making me instinctively avert my gaze first.

"Why are you protecting brats who we don't even know how they got into this land? Couldn't they be spies from the Abyss?"

Well, they must look suspicious no matter how you look at it. Two minors suddenly appearing out of nowhere north of the Barrier…

「Are you saying that I, Alaquish, have become unable to distinguish between light and abyss?」

But when Alaquish narrowed his eyes and glared at the wolf, perhaps due to the force of logic, the wolf clicked his tongue in annoyance and led the way as if guiding them.

As I quickly followed Alaquish, who was proudly entering through the opened path, the Beastfolk warriors stared at me with murderous gazes, and Pipi hid her face completely inside my blouse.

There were no proper structures in the Beastfolk village we entered.

Perhaps because there was no suitable wood or stone, most of the households simply resided in tents made of woven furs.

"Whoa…"

It was a continuous series of interesting discoveries.

It was a surprisingly vibrant village; young warriors could be seen near bonfires, engrossed in hand-to-hand combat using their claws.

Also, young shepherds were seen herding sheep and goats with primitive traits still remaining, and when their eyes met mine, they menacingly aimed their staffs and quickly scurried away crab-walk style.

'Those guys are almost no different from humans?'

I learned later that Beastfolk, like the werewolf currently guiding us, must possess strong beastly traits to become warriors.

Those like the shepherds we just passed, who are mostly human in form with only slight beastly traits (like having only rabbit ears or a dog nose), are said to focus on domestic tasks such as tending livestock.

"It's a human…"

"Hairless beast…"

"Ominous…"

While Reyn became the target of such deep-seated hostility, Alaquish was revered; every Beastfolk he met paid him utmost respect, as if he were a symbol of awe.

"Dur bal aras. Welcome, Lord Alaquish. It has been two months."

The same was true for the owner of the grandest tent in the village, woven entirely white from polar bear fur.

It was an old fox whose yellow fur had lost its luster and was sparsely missing in places, but its body was human-like, which instinctively repulsed me.

However, there was no hint of such repulsion in the fox's glance at me; rather, it wore a benevolent smile, making me feel unnecessarily shy.

"And you've brought rare guests."

「They were afflicted by the Abyss. They need a warm bed and food for stability. Can you provide it?」

"Anything for Lord Alaquish. Please, come inside first."

The inside of the tent was thick with the humid smoke emitted by the brazier.

It was so smoky my eyes stung, but it was also so warm that my body, tensed from the cold, relaxed sluggishly, almost making my legs give out.

Even the floor was thickly covered with furs, blocking the cold rising from the ground, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a paradise on earth in this land of extreme cold.

"This way."

While Alaquish laid Casena on a straw bed, the werewolf sat by the entrance, blocking passage, and repeatedly glared at me.

Feigning foolishness, or rather, acting like an innocent child, I smiled and sat comfortably beside Casena as the chief had instructed. Though I was ill at ease.

The werewolf, displeased by this series of actions, narrowed his eyes irritably.

"He looks suspicious no matter how I see it. That guy, he doesn't show any fear of us. Even those damned fake wolves visibly flinch in fear when they first see us."

"Fake wolves" probably referred to the White Wolf Guard, a derogatory term…

Of course, I wasn't without fear, but I had built up some immunity due to the countless dead I had encountered on my 300-year journey.

The dead commanded by the Lizard Lord have forms mixed of lizards and humans, after all.

"Enough, Barlzen. If Lord Alaquish brought them, shouldn't even a chief wolf welcome them? Have you forgotten the grace Alaquish gave us?"

"That's not it… Hmph, I've warned you clearly. Don't come crying when you've been fooled."

Nevertheless, Alaquish's prestige and the chief's authority seemed strong, as the werewolf named Barlzen finally backed down.

In the meantime, the chief's daughter ladled a steaming hot soup from the brazier into a ceramic bowl and handed it to me. No, this…

I gulped nervously. It might not compare to Alaquish's dragon food, but this was also a formidable opponent…

It was a reddish-brown concoction with unidentifiable ingredients floating repugnantly, impossible to describe in human language.

If Casena ate this, she would die of poison, 100%.

"Excuse me, if it's not too much trouble, could I ask what this is?"

"It's a soup made with seal brain broth and ripped-up intestines for ingredients. It's excellent for invigorating health."

Couldn't it just be a normal meat soup? Is it because of the perpetually poor living conditions in the polar regions?

No, wait.

Normally, I would have just closed my eyes and eaten it for the sake of good relations, but the fear of death etched into my soul by the dragon food I ate this morning made it impossible for me to open my mouth.

"Um, this young lady Casena is rather frail and needs specific food. If there are ingredients, could I try cooking it myself?"

Bringing up Casena was an excuse, but surprisingly, it worked well. The werewolf nodded.

"You gotta give it to those hairless ones, they're weak. Just one wrong bite and their insides get damaged, and they die. How can they be warriors who fight the Abyss if they're so weak?"

The chief also agreed surprisingly easily, telling me I could use the brazier and the ingredients next to it freely.

What a stroke of luck…

First of all, I'm not a great cook myself, but I've learned camping cooking from basic to advanced from Kies, who was a seasoned hunter.

If I were to describe my skill in one sentence, I could say that even Frieda, who only ate luxurious food as a priestess, acknowledged it.

"…So that's what happened."

In the meantime, the chief, having heard our story from Alaquish, nodded with an air of understanding.

"Indeed, we could also see the black spots of the Abyss appearing south of the Barrier here… Everyone knew the situation was serious."

「Hmm, now I can confirm it. The Abyss is awakening. Continent-wide.」

Then Barlzen scoffed.

"Isn't that just what they deserve? They betrayed us, saying they could live well on their own, and by now, half the continent might be scorched earth. Those hairless ones are all just weaklings."

Reyn, who was overhearing the conversation while butchering bear meat in the kitchen, couldn't help but tilt his head.

"Betrayal… Did humans betray the Beastfolk?"

"What a stupid question to ask?"

"I don't mean to insult you, but I've heard the opposite. In fact, that's what's written in all the books."

I felt the air in the tent grow cold in an instant.

Oops, was that a slip of the tongue…? I immediately shut my mouth, but the chief let out a bitter, sighing smile and finished my sentence for me.

"The Beastfolk were cursed by the gods and driven out beyond the Barrier after struggling between light and abyss… Like that, you mean?"

When I cautiously nodded, Barlzen let out a humorless laugh, then stared directly at me and shouted.

"Engrave it clearly in your hairless ears, you damned brat! Our bodies became like this not because of a curse. It's thanks to a blessing!"

The emotion contained in that shout, defying the truth widespread throughout the world, was not regret, nor anger, nor hatred.

It was merely the highest pride.

It wasn't the sweet deception typical of tricksters trying to obscure the truth, but rather a confident declaration as if stating an obvious fact.

"The thousand elite assault troops who served Lord Enuel, the strongest of the five heroes of the Holy Elmine Knights, who were called the 'Blades of the Gods'! We are their descendants!"

Enuel… that Enuel?

I stared at Alaquish in surprise, and Alaquish closed his eyes, as if to confirm that what was said was true.

- They received such bodies from the gods to live here; what meaning would there be if they couldn't live?

What, then what happened? What was all the information I knew until now?

In the confusion of my world of common sense, which had been built up until now, cracking, the emotion that flashed through my mind for a moment was a yearning for true knowledge.

Though my heart pounded, I respectfully bowed to the chief and Barlzen.

"Then everything I knew must have been a lie."

"…?"

"Please forgive my slip of the tongue due to my limited knowledge. And if it's alright, could you teach me the truth?"

The boy's reaction deeply perplexed Barlzen and the chief, while also leaving a special impression on Alaquish.

Most, no, all humans, upon hearing these words, would laugh them off as nonsense or thrust a blade at them…

That's why a war was about to begin at the end of this lonely struggle where they couldn't understand each other…

"W-what trick is this guy trying to pull? Cut it out! We won't fall for it!"

Thus, Barlzen couldn't help but be suspicious, his confused mind unable to organize itself, but the chief raised a hand.

"Barlzen, what harm would it do to explain in detail?"

"But Chief!"

"While this is also a first for me and bewildering, it's not such a bad experience, is it?"

Stung by the truth, Barlzen fell silent.

And why wouldn't he? It was truly the first time in his life that a human had listened to their words, or even pretended to listen…

As Barlzen lost his voice, the chief quietly turned to Reyn and smiled gently.

"If you wish, I will tell you our story. Listen comfortably while you cook."