Dragcals
The next morning at dawn, when mist was still floating in the air. The innkeeper wiped under his nose while holding a black iron lantern in the darkness.
“I wish you a safe return journey, Your Grace the Duke.”
The cavalrymen packed the luggage neatly into the cargo wagon along with Karen. For the first time, they hummed with relaxed faces.
Darkness is at hand, but we move forward.
Even when darkness chokes our throats, we move forward.
When night finally comes and all around becomes quiet
The black cloak flutters atop the Wall.
We are not crows.
We are black as darkness, but we are those who wait for dawn.
Behind them, Riario was just coming out of the inn, stretching greatly. He hunched his body considerably in the damp and frozen air.
“You’ve worked hard. I paid your wife the wages.”
Even at the somewhat insincere praise, the innkeeper showed a moved expression.
“I think we’ll visit again within a few months… There will be quite a lot of people then, so we’ll need to secure more rooms.”
Yes, I’ll arrange them somehow. At Riario’s advice, the innkeeper answered with loyalty that he would certainly do so.
“See you again.”
Evernight nodded as he hopped onto his warhorse. Then the few servants who had come to see them off made faces like they would cry. Even though they hadn’t spoken to the Duke once while he stayed because they were scared of him… Riario let out an empty laugh, dumbfounded.
“What ‘see you again.’ I’m not planning to set foot here for half a year.”
Tildyen’s mage shivered slightly, then pulled his hood over deeply and likewise lightly mounted his horse.
“Yes. Thanks to the magical tools that the mage installed, we passed through the snowstorm safely without damage this time, so we’re so grateful.”
The innkeeper rubbed his palms together while fawning. It was an ingrained servile habit from long years.
“That monster… it won’t cross over again, will it?”
Then he unnecessarily watched the young mistress who was quietly feeding carrots to a small brown horse in that corner.
Yesterday in the late afternoon, rumors that Anya was involved in the truth of the monster incident spread through the village by word of mouth. This was a very small area, and compared to Maneregia where it would take a good 2-3 days for rumors to spread, everyone here could hear the rumor in just a few hours.
Yesterday afternoon, several residents who had been lurking around the private house where the widows lived together were shocked to see Anya kneeling before that insignificant little brat.
In any case, Ronan was a survivor who had narrowly escaped from the monster. Apologizing to that kid… and a proud noble, the most arrogant in the world at that! What it meant was that the responsibility for that monster invasion lay with that high-ranking mistress. That was the conclusion the witnesses reached.
‘Why are they so curious about everything? Ugh, get lost. I have nothing to say.’
They questioned Rielri several times, but instead of a satisfying answer, she shouted at them to get lost.
Rumors are originally horses without legs and are bound to be exaggerated. By that afternoon, most of the Northernmost citizens began to chime in one by one that the monster that had made them tremble in fear for several nights was closely related to the mistress. Later, their own deductions that they had been keeping to themselves were even added.
‘Did you know? They say the mistress can handle magic. Those who were drinking at the inn told me they clearly heard it.’
‘Then does that mean the monster came here because of magic?’
‘Maybe she summoned it to show off her power? You know… because she stutters… damn it, anyway, nobles care unnecessarily about appearances and are sensitive about being ignored.’
‘She didn’t seem like that though… Or a black mage? Could it be something like that? Something terrifying that controls monsters…’
‘A black mage? Haha. You’ve read too many novels. Where in the world is there black magic?’
Then a passing drunkard interrupted and shouted.
‘Hey! That person is someone who was even moved and cried at those insignificant little brats’ gifts! I saw it! You mustn’t distort a person’s sincerity. This is why this place is in this state, ptooey!’
The drunkard poured out curses at them to his heart’s content, then staggered away. A moment of solemnity flowed among the people.
‘Well, I’ve never seen someone who admits their fault and apologizes like that before.’
‘Didn’t Commander Ramsey throw people beyond the Wall at the drop of a hat? Is this place safe from monsters? Monsters can come anytime. What’s important is who rules this place, that’s what’s important.’
‘That’s exactly right.’
Honestly, they were quite surprised by the terrifying rumors surrounding the mistress, but they were more inspired by the fact that that high-ranking person knelt and made a vow to a Northernmost kid. The truth of the incident no longer emerged as an important issue for them.
To them, Anya’s tears shed from guilt while willingly kneeling to the lowest person in this world were more shocking.
“D-don’t worry. The m-magical tools are w-working properly.”
After coming out of Ronan’s house yesterday, Anya checked all the magical tools on the Wall once more, one by one. After thoroughly examining if there were any more gaps and recording them one by one. And he visited Village Chief Lihisak and conveyed all the deficient points he had found.
When he finished everything, the sun was already setting beyond the ridge. Anya returned to the inn with the red sunset. And as Evernight had ordered, he diligently organized his luggage. His eyes were swollen from crying so much while holding Ronan, making him look utterly unsightly, but the boy’s actions were very resolute and dignified.
“The m-monster won’t come in again…”
“Durok has now disappeared. Unless he resurrects, the small fries can’t easily gather. They’re not smart enough to act in groups. Even if they cross over from the old Wall at the end of the strait, they won’t be able to cross Northernmost’s walls because of the magical tools. And Lord Evernight will soon send troops here.”
While tying the rope firmly to the cart, Karen gladly took Anya’s side. Thanks to that, Anya’s expression, which had been tense, improved considerably, but at the same time he was distracted by a certain word.
“Du-Durok?”
Somehow that name wasn’t unfamiliar.
<Durok. The Headless Black Knight>
He had read it in a book. It was the name of a monster that frequently appeared in hero novels. Anya unconsciously muttered aloud the sentence he had memorized from reading it many times.
“A d-desperate existence where all the evil and d-darkness of the world are gathered, and the gr-great ruler beyond the Wall.”
“Yes. But he has now been annihilated.”
By the Commander’s sword.
For thousands of years, the history of the western lands was humanity’s endless struggle against darkness. Countless kingdoms faded away and faded again before the Delphium Empire was established. The Wall War led by Evernight was humanity’s first victory since the Fourth Age when the Delphium Empire was established, and thus the beginning of a new Northern history.
After the Claicer imperial bloodline sat on the throne, most people forgot about the darkness, but the dark was always gaping its mouth nearby. Through each age, people lamented that the age they were living in was the darkest age. But for the Northerners, there had never been an age as dark as this one.
“As long as that bastard doesn’t resurrect, spring will come to Tildyen again someday.”
Karen imagined the spring that would come to Tildyen for a moment. There was clearly spring in Tildyen too, but when the Fourth Age arrived, that too had long become a page of history covered in layers of dust.
“Now, let’s stop chatting and hurry on our way. I miss my plush bedding very much, and I want to lie in that bed before evening comes.”
When the sun rose completely over the eastern wall, the mist disappeared as if washed away, and the party spurred their horses.
“Um, Riario-nim.”
Anya called out to him while riding his horse alongside Riario’s. Riario stopped yawning with his mouth wide open and looked back at Anya.
“Yes?”
“Wh-when will you v-visit Northernmost again?”
Riario frowned as if he’d heard something absurd.
“Are you serious? You want to come here again?”
“…Yes.”
At the expression that seemed to ask if he wanted to come again after causing such a mess, Anya’s voice crawled in halfway. Riario sighed softly and said.
“Well… We’ll have to establish a Wall garrison here soon, so we’ll send people in a few months… but does Your Highness really need to come along?”
“Ah… yes…”
Disappointment immediately filled Anya’s face. But the boy answered cheerfully with a faint smile.
“If y-you need help, I’ll j-join you anytime.”
And that’s when it happened. Cheers from many people poured over the boy’s answer. It was just when the party turned the corner and reached the avenue in front of the portcullis gate of Northernmost’s wall. The people of Northernmost filled the avenue at the wall entrance. They all shouted with one voice.
“Tildyen! Tildyen!”
Among them, familiar faces could be seen. Ronan and Joel shouted with their mouths open more loudly than anyone. Anya was instantly inspired by the echo of the pouring cheers and opened his eyes wide.
“Darkness with darkness.”
“Give us dawn!”
“We beseech.”
“Save us!”
It seemed everyone had come out here. Instead of waving flags or scattering flower petals like the people of Maneregia, they waved worn clothes and wielded pickaxes in their hands. It was a shabby and worn impression, but their eyes were very sharp and sparkled with hope. Anya could feel strong and tenacious vitality from them.
Wherever Anya passed, resounding cheers followed. Anya placed his hand on his chest with the meaning of respect and nodded his head slightly to them. The bracelet braided with several threads on Anya’s left wrist holding the reins sparkled in the sunlight.
“Somehow he seems to have grown taller…”
Riario muttered while looking at the back of Anya who was passing him and going ahead. Long brown hair that reached past his waist rippled in the cold north wind.
It was time to return to Tildyen Rock.
