“S-Sir Sisou said so. Since I w-won the honor duel, I c-could inherit Rips Mohan’s p-position. Now I’m a Tildyen k-knight…”
As Evernight, who had been sitting on the bed with his face buried wearily in both hands, cast a cold gaze at him, Anya couldn’t finish his sentence. Because he read contempt in his eyes.
“……”
But he couldn’t back down like this. Since the boy who had nothing to lose all his life now had something precious, he could no longer remain a powerless half-wit. Besides, that man… Anya barely continued speaking while forcefully swallowing the groan that seemed ready to burst out.
“Y-You’re acting like this because you d-dislike me, aren’t you?”
“What?”
“You d-dislike me, so no matter what a-actions I take, you d-don’t like any of it… right? You d-don’t even want to get along with me…”
Anya unnecessarily swallowed his sniffles while recalling Evernight’s true feelings he’d accidentally overheard during the day. There’s no need to be upset over that. I just need to live fulfilling my duties as the mistress of Tildyen. Sir Evernight dislikes me, but there’s Sisou, Sabelli too… and there are children I must protect.
“Yes, I dislike you.”
Even though he’d steeled his heart, when those words actually came from the person in question’s mouth, his fingertips trembled finely.
“If you know I dislike you, you should conduct yourself properly. Anya Evernight. I don’t like people who make a fuss without ability. In those cases, troublesome things that require cleaning up always happen. Damn it, almost nine out of ten times they’re really fucking shitty.”
As the man rose, a black shadow fell over Anya’s face. He was very tall and built like a carnivorous beast befitting a knight, as if he might pounce and strike Anya at any moment. Anya unconsciously moved his bottom and pressed himself against the wall.
“Can you guarantee you won’t be like that? No, you’ve already been creating troublesome situations left and right. And you don’t seem to realize… you’re very…”
Evernight let out a hollow laugh as if he found himself ridiculous for thinking such things.
“You’re made perfectly to toy with.”
Anya’s body stiffened completely at those words.
“F-From now on I’ll k-keep training and eat diligently… and when I g-grow older, I can g-grow enough to be like you.”
His guts had definitely come out of his belly. This was the first time he’d ever talked back to Evernight this many times in a row. Even while Anya hung his head low and muttered timidly, he said everything he had to say. It felt like that man would grab him by the nape and throw him out the window at any moment.
“G-Give me a chance. If I m-make a mistake this time too, I’ll g-give up my knight position. And… and… I won’t step even one f-foot outside the inn.”
R-Really. Anya added his last words in a whisper. One of Evernight’s eyebrows rose crookedly. Really. He pleaded as if reciting a magic spell to win Evernight’s favor.
“I thought I brought back a scarecrow partner, but I brought back a tiger cub. Fuck.”
Anya’s eyes widened at the crude curse. Evernight smiled crookedly and bent his waist, propping the bed with both arms. Their eye levels became equal. He scanned Anya’s drooping eyes and spoke with emphasis on each syllable.
“A knight? Fine, good. From today, I’ll recognize you as a Tildyen knight.”
“……”
“You’ve dug your own grave. I’ll work you like a dog until you bitterly realize the position of scarecrow partner was better.”
A small hiccup escaped Anya’s mouth. Evernight narrowed his brow and muttered quietly, “little blood clot,” then abruptly straightened up. He soon felt self-loathing wash over him for having bickered with his young partner and let out a deep sigh. The time when the moon waxes, once a month. During this time, Tildyen’s new duke’s judgment became particularly cloudy and he grew helpless. He shook his head slightly and immersed himself in the bath water the servant had brought.
“Um… S-Sir Evernight…”
“Shut up, Anya. I’m tired of arguing with you anymore.”
Anya couldn’t address his husband anymore, who was languidly leaning back with his eyes closed. If he reported even a little of what happened today, it seemed like he would revoke the knight position he’d just granted. It seemed like he would lock him in Tildyen Rock forever and curse the Claicer bloodline.
“P-Please rest comfortably.”
And somehow, what happened at the Wall in Anya’s mind was also gradually fading like the white blizzard raging outside the window. It was a night as if he’d been caught in a hallucination.
* * *
“Your Imperial Highness…?”
When day broke the next day, Riario and Karen, whom he met at the inn entrance, looked at Anya with bewildered faces. Their expressions meant, why are you here? Anya smiled awkwardly and patted Mil, then mounted the saddle.
“I r-received permission from Sir Evernight. I c-can do well now too.”
“Really?”
Riario quickly turned his head and asked Evernight, who was walking out.
“This time, teach him well in advance so he doesn’t collapse.”
Karen shrugged and patted Riario’s shoulder. Oh, my fate. Riario groaned inwardly and mounted his horse. Somehow it seemed he’d ended up taking on Sabelli’s role from Tildyen, which was quite bothersome.
‘What on earth did the two of them talk about last night?’
The Evernight that Riario had observed for a long time detested troublesome and bothersome things. Perhaps it was even more so because battles in the territory beyond the Wall were literally kill-or-be-killed situations if you took your eyes off them for even a moment, but Evernight must have certainly grown up experiencing terrible things from birth itself. He didn’t like getting entangled with others, didn’t create things worth lingering over, and acted as if he might leave at any moment.
“…It’ll come soon.”
Karen stopped his horse and murmured quietly toward somewhere. The party followed Karen’s gaze beyond the hazy snowfall. The Beriela Mountain Range could be seen beyond. A white vortex was rising at the very top of the mountain range.
“It’s occurring a bit earlier than the scheduled date. With that size… there’s probably about 3 days left.”
That vortex was a precursor phenomenon of the Snowstorm. Though they’d been preparing since the weather had been unusual, actually witnessing it brought fear.
When they drove their horses to the construction site near the Wall, everyone had gloomy faces. The atmosphere had sunk deeply, as if everyone had witnessed the precursor phenomenon of the Snowstorm.
“Y-Your Grace. When the Snowstorm comes, I’m w-worried the Wall we worked so hard to build might collapse…”
If the Wall they’d built with backbreaking effort for over a year collapsed, it would be money wasted and time wasted. Of course, all the materials needed to build the Wall came from Tildyen Rock’s storehouse, but even so, the people of Northernmost were anxious about the fact that the Wall they’d built with affection might collapse. Above all, if the Wall collapsed, an avalanche could bury the entire village. Though it was something they experienced every time, they were always anxious because the scale of damage varied each year.
“Don’t worry, we’ve installed defensive magic tools. Of course, it won’t be complete unless we install them all the way to that end within 3 days, but…”
Imperial mages were rare. Except for the six dukes, nobles who had mages under them weren’t very common. To tie a mage to one’s territory required much wealth. First of all, making magic tools itself required astronomical wealth because many rare materials were needed, and one had to know how to manipulate merchant guilds and associations to obtain such rare materials.
“Thank you, thank you. Master Mage.”
The people of Northernmost knew this well. They sincerely respected Tildyen’s strong and young duke and the capable mage assisting him.
“Now then, let’s finish the work quickly before the Snowstorm comes.”
“Yes, understood!”
Everyone moved their steps spiritedly with determined expressions.
“Your Grace, I have something to tell you.”
After the able-bodied men scattered away, the Northernmost village chief, who was in charge of field command, carefully stopped Evernight. Awkwardness could be read on his wrinkled face. Something bad had occurred.
“What is it?”
The chief stalled for a long while before finally opening his mouth reluctantly.
“This morning, the guy working at the village barn came running to report…”
It looked like it would be a long story. Riario sent a look to Evernight. Commander, I’ll go ahead first. Evernight waved his hand as if to say he understood.
“Let’s focus on the magic tools. The Commander will handle complicated matters on his own.”
As Riario and Karen turned their horses’ heads, Anya also pulled the reins to turn Mil toward the open area. But his head kept turning toward Evernight. The village chief looked very anxious.
“Your Imperial Highness?”
Riario and Karen, who had already gone ahead, looked back at Anya. The prince was lost in thought.
‘Could it be because of visiting Joel and Ronan yesterday?’
Anya felt needlessly anxious about his transgression that he ultimately couldn’t confess properly last night because Evernight was scary.
‘It seems like there was something more besides that…’
His instinctive intuition tried to rummage through his mind as if chasing something, but the more he tried to recall last night, the more his vision turned pitch black. By the time Anya’s hand gripping the reins had turned pale, Riario shouted from far away.
“Your Imperial Highness! Aren’t you coming?”
“I-I’m coming!”
He was very curious about what story the village chief was telling, but it seemed he shouldn’t meddle presumptuously even in this.
Anya hurriedly followed Riario and Karen. Their horses galloped vigorously toward the open area where the magic tools were positioned. The sound of hoofbeats echoed close by, then gradually grew smaller.
In the distance, the vortex that was still just a dot was steadily growing in size—it was still… a peaceful day.
