Ch.129129. Never Stepped on a Worm, Yet the Snake Writhes (2)

The landscape of Evernode was completely different from what Pablo remembered. Residents who had been preparing for the festival were now taking down signs and transporting supplies. The expressions of owners sending their prized northern horses to the army were solemn. The blacksmith shops operated ceaselessly, melting and hammering the hard northern iron. Arrowheads, spearheads, blades, armor, and helmets were being made and shipped out.

“…So this is Evernode. It’s a completely different scene from last time.”

“When the North begins preparing for war, it equips itself more thoroughly than anywhere else in this kingdom. Not just this castle, but the entire frozen northern land moves as one to annihilate the enemy.”

Outside the castle, communication and supply networks with nearby northern towns were being established. Goods were coming and going, as were people and horses. The young people passing through Evernode’s gates with determined expressions looked more like reserve trainees than refugees. Their destination was predetermined—the volunteer enlistment office prominently situated in the center of Evernode.

“It doesn’t seem difficult to gather soldiers.”

A long line of people of all ages and genders stretched from the volunteer enlistment office. Soldiers were identifying those too young to enlist, sending them home or introducing them to other support duties.

“Numbers aren’t important. What matters is how much we can train them before the real battle begins. The fortress of Evernode exists to protect them, not the other way around.”

Despite his somewhat reluctant tone, Luke’s expression looked quite proud, contradicting his words. The fervor of the North was strange. Though it was a harsh land, people loved it. That passion seemed to spread to Pablo’s heart like a winter wildfire carried by the wind. Pablo remembered the cold air he had breathed in then. He remembered the stench of monsters rising through his nose.

“The battle with the giant last time was Evernode’s greatest glory, but also a humiliation. It was also a wake-up call for our arrogance. The North will not be careless again.”

Pride and regret. Come to think of it, during the last battle, hadn’t Luke been assigned to lead the refugees? There was a sense of determination that he wouldn’t retreat from battle this time.

“Victory to Evernode!”

“Yes. Good work.”

The soldiers saluted Luke with tense expressions as he returned. Luke acknowledged their salute with a nod before immediately heading toward the command post where Duke Quenore Strope would be waiting. In Luke’s hand was the head count of monsters they had defeated in the last battle.

“You can look forward to it. We’re stronger now than ever before.”

The door swung open.

Before Luke could knock on the command post door, it opened. Pablo felt a massive chill overwhelm him as soon as the door opened, making him flinch. Strong. Much stronger than when he first met him. A blade forged by winter stood firmly before Pablo.

“Reporting, sir. We eliminated a medium-sized group of monsters, but there were no intelligent ones among them.”

“Good work. Display the head count widely to boost morale.”

“As you command.”

And then, the blade’s gaze turned toward Pablo.

“A precious guest has come from afar.”

That voice genuinely expressed welcome. Pablo realized then for the first time that one could feel both awe and longing simultaneously. The Northern Duke, Quenore Strope, approached Pablo with a fierce smile across his face to greet him. His stride carried a momentum no less imposing than a giant’s, and his voice held the dignity to subdue even the north wind.

“I told you all to visit the North anytime, yet you show your face when it’s been almost a year.”

“I apologize. My contribution to the battle was so small that I couldn’t presume to show off.”

“Who would think visiting is showing off? You need to be more confident.”

Though his words sounded disappointed, his voice wasn’t at all. Pablo smiled and grasped with both hands the hand that Quenore extended. The Northern Duke’s grip felt like a mountain range.

“Well, how have you been doing?”

“I thought things were becoming peaceful, but it seems the world won’t give us a break.”

The two exchanged pleasantries. But only briefly, as Pablo’s face hardened as he recalled the matters he needed to discuss with the Northern Duke. The Duke, on the other hand, without erasing the smile from his face, gestured toward a chair and invited Pablo to sit. Pablo could understand without asking where that relaxed attitude came from. Strength. The Duke had become noticeably stronger, enough for even an ordinary knight like Pablo to tell.

“Why don’t you sit down first? Let’s hear the situation from you and Luke, and discuss what’s needed.”

Pablo nodded and unfolded the document from inside his coat. It contained detailed information about the current situation of the royal capital and court, war preparation measures, monster movements, and the hero’s status. As Pablo explained, Duke Quenore’s eyebrows gradually lowered as he read the document, returning to their normal position.

“…I see. The situation has become difficult in many ways. His Majesty must really have a headache. This has never happened before, not only during the previous king’s reign but throughout the kingdom’s history.”

Duke Quenore shook his head and returned the document to Pablo. Pablo took out new paper and a pen and began drafting a report.

“How is the North?”

“As you can see. We’re preparing for the coming war with all our might. Much more intensively than during the war with the giant. Having gone through that ordeal once, cooperation from surrounding cities and residents is much smoother.”

“It doesn’t seem like you’re preparing for a defensive battle.”

Evernode’s power wasn’t concentrated around the castle; rather, it was expanding outward with great momentum. Duke Quenore showed no sign of denying this.

“Repeated defensive battles ultimately yield nothing. If we perish along with the monsters during a siege, the monsters win. Even if we repel them but suffer severe damage, it’s no different from defeat.”

It was a bitter statement. Monsters could die, but humans couldn’t. The castle couldn’t fall, and people couldn’t be injured. Monsters could survive on scorched land, but humans couldn’t.

“So, we hunt first. It’s not like they have a giant backing them.”

Duke Quenore’s words filled the space with momentum.

“No, even if they had a giant backing them…”

It wasn’t an empty boast. Duke Quenore genuinely looked as if he wouldn’t mind facing and dealing with a giant. Pablo faced the vast sea rippling in the Duke’s blue eyes. His magical power was ready to swallow anything, becoming waves surging in his sea.

“…How much stronger have you become?”

“Still not enough. Thanks to Ilroy, I’ve found clues to advance to a new realm. I’m just a latecomer following the milestones he set.”

The Duke said this with a hearty laugh. His gaze was fixed on the past. His memory seemed to vividly recall the moment he faced the giant. The memory soon melted away, becoming magical power. Condensed magic formed white frost on the Duke’s fist. The Duke soon shook off the leaked mana and interlocked his fingers.

“…So, how is Ilroy doing? Is he still in an unknown state?”

Pablo nodded with difficulty.

“All I can tell you is that he’s preparing something. All information is restricted, so few people even know that the hero isn’t in a comatose state.”

“Preparing something…”

Duke Quenore nodded his head, deep in thought. After quite a long time staring at the desk in silence, the Duke looked up. A gleam seemed to frost over in the Duke’s blue eyes.

“Right. What’s important isn’t what he’s preparing. What’s important is that Hero Ilroy needs time. And that meanwhile, we need to prevent the world from being swallowed by the wave of monsters.”

And then, a smile returned to the Duke’s face.

“What is there to worry about? I’ll take care of everything before Ilroy wakes up.”

That declaration carried a mixture of confidence and sense of duty.

“Last time, Ilroy protected us.”

Fighting spirit blazed. Pablo met the Duke’s eyes and unconsciously straightened his back.

“Now it’s Evernode’s turn to protect him.”

==

Father is coming.

Looking up, ‘it’ thought. Taking in the night dew and breath deeply, ‘it’ had the appearance of a massive lion. Smoke escaped from the mouth of the lion as it shook its mane from side to side and rose. The night failed to conceal the lion’s form. The lion’s spirit was the spirit of the plains. Without sound or presence, the lion began to run.

He will come down to open the door, riding the light.

A growling sound came from the lion’s mouth. The field grass bowed to its running feet. Tendons and veins bulged on the lion’s neck and chest. The clouds were thick, and the moon had not risen in the sky. It was a night when wolves were quiet and bears curled up. The lion ran across the endless southern plains. The lion’s solitary mane, untouched by any pack, was dyed black at the tips.

The time has come. The time has come.

The blood was whispering. Blood entering and leaving the heart crossed like the tide of the sea. With each beat, blood rushed as if about to burst out. The roar had long transcended the realm of reason and instinct. Like a storm passing through a narrow cave, the sound reverberated throughout the lion’s entire body.

Awaken, awaken.

In the middle of the field, the lion let out a long, deep roar toward outer space. It felt as if an earthquake was occurring from that roar. With the giant dead, the lion’s call is absolute. Monsters began to stir and move. The lion raised its head. The night slowly began to melt, becoming fog.

Are you coming, are you truly coming?

The night sky was reflected in the lion’s golden eyes. The lion’s gaze, its magical power, was looking beyond—at the comet gradually revealing itself. And at the aftermath the comet would bring.

I will welcome you joyfully. I will ensure no one interferes with your path.

The lion looked back. Southern monsters were gathering on the plain. The years they had accumulated were, to the lion, not even a moment in time. The monsters looked at the lion who had summoned them. The lion stood there nobly, quietly observing the gathering monsters.

The monster at the very front was the strongest. When the lead monster bowed its head, the monsters behind all lowered their heads in unison. The lion gave them just one glance before looking up at the sky again. Through the star clusters, the long-awaited end was approaching.

==

14 days until collision with the comet. While the world was immersed in the calm before the storm it would soon face,

The largest monster migration ever recorded was detected.