episode_0091

“Then shall we go?”

The next morning.

After a simple meal, we loaded our luggage onto the cart and gathered in front of the lodging, each of us having prepared our own things.

It was now time to set out for the Archduke of Winterfell.

So, I asked that.

“… Yeah.”

Ariel avoided eye contact and answered vaguely.

“… .”

Our teacher just looked at me with narrowed eyes.

Ariel’s reaction was understandable, but Rachel’s sorrowful, or somewhat unpleasant look was not understandable, so I asked what it meant, but the only answer I got was ‘no’.

I don’t think that’s not the case.

Of course, I didn’t go so far as to ask her, so I thought she was just being rude and embarrassed to show her naked body.

Like children who twitch to hide their shame.

The first priority was to hasten the departure for the Grand Duke.

The distance is quite far.

Hurry and move diligently to avoid being homeless, so as soon as the hooded Lumiang got on the cart, they started moving towards the southern gate of the Archduke of Winterfell.

There was a small scuffle with Lumiang, who said that he could walk now and that he would not take advantage of the convenience alone, as he tried to get off the cart, but the brisk departure continued without any major crises or incidents, and before we knew it, we were in front of the southern gate in the distance.

The wind pushing against your back.

Sunlight brightening the road.

The melody of chirping mountain birds.

Everything seemed to be helping us on our way to Daegongryeong, and thanks to that, we were able to arrive at the entrance of the aqueduct leading to the south gate of Daegongryeong in the late evening when the moon was rising.

“Hehehe. Thanks to the heavens, we arrived quickly.”

“That’s right. That’s fortunate.”

“By the way, I can’t help but be amazed every time I visit the Grand Duke of Winterfell’s South Gate Aqueduct. Hehehe.”

As Rendler said, the Nammun Aqueduct was more magnificent and majestic than any other structure I had seen while traveling around the western part of the country.

In the Middle Ages, castles had moats dug around them to defend against sieges.

The idea was to fill the dug channels with water to block the soldiers advancing toward the castle walls.

And there was one bridge leading to the castle gate, and the aqueduct at the south gate of the Daegongseong Fortress was built on a river that was at least 500 meters deep, boasting a magnificent height.

Its length was so long that even the great gates seemed laughable.

To the east, there was a mountain range of snow-capped mountains like steep cliffs, below was a deep moat dug by nature, and in front stood a sturdy wall that no one dared climb, so it would not be an exaggeration to call it an impregnable fortress, limited to the southern gate.

After walking for about twenty minutes, admiring the spectacular scenery and the architecture of the era, we arrived at the checkpoint at the castle gate.

At the same time, tension was building.

Lumiang is riding in the cart.

There was no way to find Lumiang without looking inside the canopy, and while it was customary to not search the nobleman’s wagon, things would have been quite complicated if Duke Logan had given orders not to make any exceptions to the search.

Of course, even if that were true, we would not have suffered any damage.

If you’ve managed to avoid Deron and bring Lumiang back safely, then it makes sense that a reward should take precedence over punishment.

However, for some unknown reason, Lumiang chose to die a lonely death far from the Grand Duke, and did not even respond to the question of whether to take him home.

Since he wasn’t kicked out of the family, it’s possible that Grand Duke Logan is waiting for Lumiang’s return.

Of course, it was highly unlikely, considering that no large-scale search was conducted despite the disappearance of my youngest daughter, and it seemed that they valued the honor of their family more than the safety of their blood relatives.

anyway.

If they were caught at the checkpoint, something contrary to what Lumiang had hoped for might happen, so he just hoped they would pass through safely.

“Okay, next.”

It may seem odd to go through the siege and risk our lives, but we had no other choice as we headed towards the Marquisate of Eris.

The Grand Duke’s castle is located in the center of the west and east, and the mountain range that stretches to the east of the Grand Duke’s castle is so high and rugged that climbing it in November, when the harsh winter was approaching, was difficult, and it was also not easy to go around the mountain range.

The southern part of the mountain range is known as the ‘Abandoned Winter’, and despite its romantic and emotional name, it was a place of fear for northerners.

A modern-day Bermuda Triangle.

There was even a ghost story that said that if you passed by there and got caught in a snow storm, you would rather commit suicide, and it was the abandoned winter where those who fearlessly rushed in often went missing.

So, paradoxically, the safest way to get to the East was to go through the Grand Palace, and that was why we had arrived here.

Of course, what I was worried about was really funny.

“Identity verification will be required.”

“Elden Raphelion.”

“Sat, pass!”

But I managed to get through the security check easily.

hmm…….

Maybe living as a villain is… .

‘Maybe a little bit will be okay?’

With that thought in mind, I crossed the gates with my men and entered the Duke of Winterfell.

I took a deep breath and exhaled, as if smelling the scent of home.

A deserted street.

A street covered with snow.

The streets are turning completely white.

As I looked around the Grand Duke, who had left in May when all things were melting and returned in November when all things were freezing, I muttered incongruous sentiments.

“It’s like coming back home.”

That’s where it all began.

The place where the evil Elden Raphelion was reborn.

The first place I opened my eyes in this other world was a medieval fantasy.

That’s why I returned to a place that felt like home at first glance, a place that felt a little bit familiar, after six months.

**

“Then I’ll go and take care of something.”

After first finding a place to stay, I went out into the street alone, saying I had some business to attend to.

It wasn’t important business.

I heard there’s a scroll shop nearby, so I’m thinking of buying two healing scrolls.

Humble.

“See you even if you’re soaked in perfume.”

It was hard to pinpoint the reason why I felt affectionate towards the Grand Duke, who was neither my hometown nor had any special story.

Moreover, the period of stay was not long.

Still, the feeling of returning home could be an odd anomaly or a quirk, or it could be a forced pseudo-nostalgia, but I decided not to add anything extra to the thought of just walking the streets at night.

anyway.

Because the Archduke of Winterfell is a special place to me.

Thud thud.

While exploring the night streets, I headed to the scroll shop and asked the owner, who was preparing to close, to buy me two healing scrolls.

The Archduke was merely a transit point on the way to the safety of the Marquisate of Eris.

The plan was to have a quick meal when the sun rose tomorrow morning, then head straight to the eastern gate.

It was a very wide expanse of land, so it would take a full day to reach the eastern gate.

Today and tomorrow.

After two days, you will be leaving the Grand Duchy and embarking on the long journey to the Marquisate of Eris.

So I think I wanted to experience the charm of the night streets even more.

Moreover, he didn’t know when he would see the Archduke of Winterfell again on this stopover, and it might even be his last visit.

“The moon is bright today.”

I grabbed the scroll, left the store, and walked leisurely down the street illuminated by bright moonlight.

Then, I had to stop walking when I heard someone calling me.

It was behind my back.

“Elden?”

A voice I’m hearing for the first time.

Still, a voice calls me comfortingly.

Ariel turned around with a puzzled look on her face, her voice not belonging to Rachel.

and.

“… ?”

I was able to encounter a strange woman.

The epaulettes on the black cloak she was wearing had the symbol of the Magic Association engraved on them, and she was a woman with dark red hair and contrasting dark blue eyes.

He seemed to be around the same age.

“What the heck. Is that really Elden Raphelion?”

A woman who frowns as if she saw something she shouldn’t have seen, but then smiles faintly.

That smile is a mix of incongruous emotions like contempt, joy, fear, anger, and joy, which makes it all the more puzzling.

I desperately tried to recall my memories, but unfortunately, nothing came to mind.

I don’t know if it was because my memory was blurred due to the possession, or if it was just a fleeting moment that the original Elden couldn’t remember, but I couldn’t say anything because the name just wouldn’t come to mind.

Then the woman crossed her arms and gave a rotten smile, as if she was in awe.

“You’re still rude, huh?”

“Uh… , um… .”

“I didn’t know you wouldn’t even remember. Anyway, you’re a human being who surpasses imagination, right?”

“Um… .”

Judging from the reactions, it seems like the original Elden did something pretty rude, so maybe that’s why.

As if he had to shoulder the responsibility of solidarity, he couldn’t help but feel intimidated by the sharp momentum of women.

And when the name is mentioned from a woman’s mouth, the timid heart sinks greatly.

It had to be that way.

“Anna Ventria.”

As soon as I heard that name, I remembered what the original Elden did to her.

“You can’t possibly have forgotten the girl you were dating who kicked you out just because you were ugly, right?”

uh….

this…….

The moment I thought, “Is this X?”

I heard the reason why the smile was filled with both contempt and joy.

“Well, I really appreciate it, because I have absolutely no intention of having a marriage proposal with you.”

what.

So you’re saying thank you or are you going to kill me?

I couldn’t greet her, respond, or apologize to her strange words, so I could only stand there dumbfounded. All I could do was change the subject and berate her for the reason for our meeting that led to the current situation.

“Uh… It’s been a while. But what brings you here…?”

As I recall, she was clearly not from here, but lived in the Duchy of Trimrillion, far to the south.

In the same territory as the original Elden.

I asked a question mixed with resentment, “How did we come to meet again by chance in this vast place, in this distant land, at this ambitious hour?”

Anna Ventria answered with her same rotten smile.

“We received a tip that dark magic was detected near the Siege of Winterfell, so we were dispatched to investigate.”