“M-Master Mage…”
A cautious and frail voice interjected. Beyond the door, Joel stuck his swollen face in.
“That arm… is it Ronan?”
Every time Joel spoke, white breath poured into the air. It was particularly cold. A chill rushed in, and everywhere was quiet as death. Right, he couldn’t put this child in danger too.
The punishment… let’s accept it later. I have to deal with the situation even if it costs me my life. Anya tidied his tear-soaked hair and carefully picked up one arm rolling on the cold floor.
Anya and Joel left the barn and buried it under a nearby tree. Joel sobbed loudly and prayed to the gods. Perhaps Joel’s sibling had ended up the same way. Even so, the two seemed to tacitly agree not to bring up that fact and didn’t open their mouths once. They just constantly tried to erase it from their minds.
Anya looked at the kid praying with his tiny hands clasped together. He wanted to tell Joel that he was the cause of all this, but his mouth wouldn’t readily open.
If you find out I’m the pathetic bastard who lured in the monster, how will you react? If that innocent face that praised me as a great mage transforms like Rips Mohan’s, will I be able to endure it?
He was afraid that Joel, upon learning everything, might even challenge him to an honor duel.
He now understood why they hated the imperial family. A cursed race that somehow took away their precious things. That was him.
“Joel!”
“Mom?”
In the distance, widows came running hurriedly. They looked very urgent. They were breathing roughly, having run around everywhere. One woman shot out and picked up Joel.
“What are you doing here! I told you to stay quietly at home! Don’t you know how serious things are right now? I said Mom would look for your sibling!”
Joel sobbed and burrowed into the woman’s arms. The women had spent all day searching for the missing Joel siblings and Ronan, so their entire bodies were frozen solid and they looked very emaciated. I know, I know. But… did you find my sibling? Deep sorrow passed over the woman’s face. She held Joel in her arms and shed tears.
“You are…”
The widows who finally noticed Anya hesitated. Since they’d been introduced by the village chief on the first day, they knew this boy was Tildyen’s new mistress. Some of them were people who had shared a meal with Anya not long ago. But why is this noble person here… Suddenly, they saw a small mound rising roundly behind them.
“Ro… Ronan… is d-dead.”
Anya had bitten his lips so much that bright red blood was seeping out. With a face trying not to cry, he repeatedly muttered to them in heavily garbled pronunciation, “I-I’m sorry… I, I…”
“Ro, Ronan? That can’t be…”
That can’t be! The woman at the very back collapsed on the spot and screamed. She crawled on her knees and clung to Anya.
“It’s a lie, right? My lady, it’s a lie, right? That child can’t be dead. I made lots of pie that child loves… The child was always hungry… But whenever there was food, he always liked to share it…”
The woman muttered vacantly as if rambling. She soon covered her face with her hands and began to weep. Perhaps she’d already vaguely known since last night. Because Northernmost was always a place where death was close by.
It was such a sorrowful crying sound that just hearing it made one’s heart sink. Anya’s head dropped powerlessly.
Oh my, what should we do?
Several women sniffled along with Rielri.
Is it the work of monsters?
How could monsters enter?
Some murmured and trembled in fear at the current situation.
“You’ll protect us, won’t you? My lady, I heard you’re a mage. Please protect this Northernmost.”
They cried out desperately toward Anya. Anya couldn’t bear to look at those women and turned his head away. He couldn’t reveal that Ronan died because of him. Those gentle eyes seemed ready to transform like Rips Mohan’s at any moment.
‘Coward, cowardly coward Anya.’
Just then. A sound—a low war horn sound—made a long, heavy note.
“This isn’t the time for this.”
Other women gathered themselves from crying. The eerie horn sound cut through the air once more.
The horn sound announcing the enemy. In Northernmost, enemy meant the ‘dead things.’
“Everyone go into your homes, bolt the doors firmly, and don’t come outside.”
Everyone nodded at the words of the woman who appeared to be Joel’s mother. A quiet tension hung in the air.
“Duke Evernight is here, so we don’t need to worry, right?”
Someone forcibly created a smile on their stiff face. Stroking their pounding hearts, the women began to leave the spot hastily. Ronan’s mother, Rielri, was almost exhausted and seemed out of it. Joel supported her.
“Master Mage. Aren’t you going, Master Mage?”
Joel looked back. He couldn’t go with them. Unless Evernight gave orders, Anya should return to the inn.
‘Stay quietly holed up or else choose to die like a dog.’
He inwardly chewed over what Evernight had once said to him. Perhaps that would have been better from the start. His husband was right about everything.
“I-I’ll g-go back to the inn.”
They soon became dots and disappeared. Anya couldn’t hold onto them until the end.
“Your Imperial Highness!”
Karen hurriedly drove his horse over.
“Let’s return to the inn. I’ll take charge of your escort.”
As expected, it seemed Evernight had ordered him to send Anya to the inn. Anya quietly mounted Mil that Karen had brought. The wind was ominous. Even while galloping toward the square, Mil staggered because of the wind. The same was true for Anya holding on above. The gale was so strong that boards were flying around everywhere in the village. Even when he pulled his robe over himself, it kept getting stripped off.
“S-Sir Karen. Sir Evernight…”
Before they even reached the inn, a blizzard began to sweep through in an instant. Anya stopped speaking mid-sentence and gaped at the spectacle visible in the distance. The snowstorm that had been touching the middle of the Beriela Mountain Range just this morning had already reached right in front of the Wall. It felt like they would be swallowed by the massive vortex at any moment.
“The Commander… will deal with that thing and return. The situation is worsening faster than expected. Your Imperial Highness, let’s go to the inn first.”
Karen, who was going ahead, shouted. His voice, which had been clearly audible just moments ago, was buried in the blizzard and became muffled. The vision was dizzying because of the snowflakes scattering in all directions. The fortunate thing was that the village people had evacuated well, as they didn’t encounter a single person while galloping. The village was empty like ruins.
‘When spring comes, merchants will come too, and then I’ll definitely buy a history book.’
If I had just been a little more careful, Ronan would have safely taken refuge with his mother by now. While eating his beloved pie in his mother’s arms, he would have quietly waited for this Snowstorm to end.
Evernight, Riario, and Karen would have also safely installed the magic tools and quickly returned to Tildyen. Everything was entirely my responsibility. What punishment could wash away this sin?
‘Master Mage.’
Anya heard a young child’s voice beyond the whitened vision.
‘Help me. It hurts. I’m cold.’
It was Ronan’s voice.
Good lord! That child was alive. When he gripped the reins hard, Mil neighed and kicked its front legs in the air. Anya’s head turned urgently back and forth, checking the surroundings. But because of the snowstorm raging from all directions, he couldn’t see anything.
“Ro, Ronan!”
‘Master Mage, please help me.’
The sound of sniffling and crying echoed close by. Anya turned direction toward where the sound came from and began to gallop.
“Your Imperial Highness!”
He heard Karen’s cry from behind him, but if he could just save this child, it didn’t matter what happened. Anya drove his horse forward madly as if passing through an endless maze.
‘Please help me.’
He wouldn’t turn away from the voice of help clinging desperately to him. He wouldn’t lose that child again.
The small but fearless horse, Mil, galloped as its master led even in the snowstorm. Finally, Anya broke through the storm and climbed onto the Wall.
“Ro, Ronan!”
Anya’s voice echoed. Beyond, a blurry silhouette could be seen. Crunch crunch. The sound of something being chewed and torn could be heard. Ominous chills flowed through his entire body. Mil took fright and fluttered, lifting its front legs.
“Shh, shhh. It’s okay.”
Anya stroked Mil’s mane, but the timid animal wouldn’t calm down easily. Above all, a bone-chilling cold could be felt. It felt like ice crystals were crunching and sticking to the white breath pouring out. Anya dismounted from Mil and carefully walked toward the blurrily visible silhouette.
“Ro, Ronan. Is that you? Y-You need to go home now.”
Crunch. Crunch.
As he approached closer, that silhouette was prostrate, picking up and eating something. It slowly raised its head and cried out.
‘It’s delicious. Master Mage.’
It was Ronan’s voice. Definitely Ronan’s voice, but…
Anya’s dirtied leather boots hesitated. Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck. That couldn’t be. That voice was definitely Ronan. Anya gathered courage and took one step into the fog.
And simultaneously faced the back of that thing crouching and shoving something into its mouth.
‘Give me more, Master Mage.’
It slowly turned around. Eerily blue eyes shone in the snow fog. Its mouth tore open and it laughed in Ronan’s voice.
‘I’m hungry.’
