Ch.2929. Evernote (3)

We dismounted our horses to greet the Grand Duke of the North. Duke Quenore slowly walked to the front of the formation and looked at our party. Truly, he had the exact appearance of a northern duke straight out of a fantasy novel. In his late 30s or mid-40s at most, his face was distinguished by piercing blue eyes and long black hair that covered his cheeks.

“You must have had a difficult journey coming here, Hero.”

Duke Quenore was tall. Ilroy’s height would be around 185 centimeters, and since the Duke was looking slightly down at Ilroy, he must be at least 190 centimeters. Moreover, his broad shoulders topped with a fur cape exuded a formidable sense of intimidation.

What was intimidating wasn’t just his appearance. His deep, resonant voice that echoed as if in a cave, and above all, the warrior’s fighting spirit that he made no attempt to hide or diminish. It hung in the air, seeking to overwhelm everyone, whether they were the Hero or knights dispatched by the Queen herself. I cleared my throat and racked my brain for the right response.

“It was certainly an easier journey than traveling between the north and the capital in winter. Thank you for your constant vigilance in protecting the north.”

“No more than you, who travels on expeditions to hunt Calamities. Let’s go inside the fortress first.”

Duke Quenore gestured toward the inside of the gate. Like most high-ranking individuals, his voice affected an emotionless tone. Soldiers took our horses and disappeared somewhere, presumably to the stables. The hand that grabbed the reins from my hand was quite rough.

“[It doesn’t seem like a welcoming atmosphere.]”

As the Holy Sword said, the reaction of the soldiers lined up here couldn’t be described as friendly even by the loosest definition. The proud northern soldiers didn’t seem particularly pleased with the existence of a Hero who caused their master to come out like this. …Though I never asked him to come out personally.

“Please understand if the soldiers’ mood seems sharp. The north is just like this.”

Duke Quenore said, looking at his soldiers with what seemed like pride. Not wanting to create unnecessary friction by pointing out the flaws in this welcome, I kept my mouth shut and followed the Duke.

“[I thought you’d argue with him, given your personality.]”

The Holy Sword asked, seemingly surprised. I pick my battles based on who I’m dealing with. At this point, it would be fair to say that almost no one was stronger than the Grand Duke of the North.

“[Is it simply about strength?]”

Of course not. This is just a kind of initiation ritual, a way to establish discipline or a hazing. It’s also a characteristic of northern people commonly found in novels. I didn’t expect them to welcome me warmly regardless of how I reacted.

“First, you must be tired, so I’ll guide you to your quarters. Summer doesn’t allow for completely comfortable rest here. As we approach the summer solstice, there will be several weeks with no night at all.”

Duke Quenore warned. Glancing at George, I could see he was itching to strike up a conversation with the people around us. Just be patient a little longer, old man.

We boarded separate carriages. The knights and soldiers who had come for the dispatch were led away separately, leaving only me, George, Daphne, and Marianne. George sat in the driver’s seat next to a soldier, while I sat in the four-person carriage with Daphne and Marianne.

“The north feels quite rugged. It seems to match the common perception.”

Daphne said, glancing out the window.

“Who knows. Maybe they’re deliberately acting this way because they don’t want to disappoint our expectations.”

“…Don’t say such foolish things.”

When Daphne frowned, I let out a hearty laugh.

Clunk.

Just then, the carriage door opened, and a large man poked his head in. It was Duke Quenore, who had removed his cumbersome cape somewhere. With George in the driver’s seat, the Grand Duke of the North in the passenger compartment, and me as well, I began to worry whether just two horses could pull this carriage. The Duke knocked on the sliding window to the driver’s seat, and the carriage started with a jolt.

“Time is precious, so let’s have our basic conversation in the carriage.”

His attitude was imposing. Duke Quenore looked at me. Up close, I could see quite impressive scars on his face. One scar crossing his left cheek, and another like a crack where his head had been split open. His already fierce appearance would make children burst into tears at the sight.

“I’ve been hearing stories about you, Hero. Since the news that you drew the sword from the relic, the north has also been keeping a close eye on your movements.”

“That’s an honor.”

Why doesn’t his statement about monitoring my movements sound positive at all? Well, the Hero of a Hero party that had been constantly bickering internally couldn’t have had a good reputation. Looking at the Duke’s distrustful expression, I asked a question.

“Where is the ‘boundary line’ now?”

When I mentioned the boundary line, the Duke seemed quite surprised and arched his eyebrows.

“It’s moving very slowly, about one step per day from a distance. Once a week, an army of monsters invades from beyond the boundary line.”

Beyond the boundary line is a land covered in ice year-round, with constant blizzards. It’s also the place where the fourth Calamity, the “Giant,” resides. The Giant is not only powerful in itself but also brings the north wind and winter wherever it goes. It’s not for nothing that it heralds the end of the world and reigns as a divine being over intelligent monsters. The monster army the Duke mentioned must also be commanded by those intelligent monsters.

“I heard you also take the initiative in monster subjugation.”

“Once a day. It’s closer to reconnaissance to understand enemy movements than subjugation. Monster subjugation is merely secondary.”

“Are there any unusual developments yet?”

“It’s as usual. So usual that it’s rather unsettling. You’ll see when you join the reconnaissance.”

Duke Quenore leaned forward as if it was now his turn to ask questions.

“Hero, do you think you can kill the Giant?”

I frowned at the Duke’s question. The “Giant” wasn’t a being that could be captured through schemes. Just as the sea was the Kraken’s territory, the frozen land was the Giant’s territory. The difference from the Kraken was that the Giant wouldn’t be easier to kill even if lured to a pier.

Well, I wasn’t going to answer with a simple “I can” or “I can’t.” Either answer would have flaws. While I could ignore being treated poorly myself, being looked down upon wasn’t just about me—it concerned the prestige of the entire party. I couldn’t back down here.

“Do you judge the outcome of battles before they’re even fought, Your Grace?”

“Are you saying you can’t do it?”

This was a provocation doubling as a test. I shouldn’t get angry needlessly.

“I mean we won’t know until we fight. How could anyone go into battle against a Calamity with absolute certainty of victory? That wouldn’t even be arrogance; it would be closer to idiocy.”

I lowered my voice slightly. Duke Quenore’s eyes flashed, but I didn’t look away.

“To win a fight. I didn’t have such certainty even when fighting the third Calamity.”

It was fortunate that George wasn’t present, allowing me to speak freely. Duke Quenore didn’t try to counter my words and simply closed his mouth. The sharp atmosphere directed at me seemed to have softened somewhat. Thanks to that, Daphne was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

“…Very well. You would know better.”

I appreciated that he cut the conversation cleanly rather than being petty like the politicians in the capital. Though I dismissed him as an old-fashioned person and half-listened, this is still a difficult place to live. We should be understanding if they’re somewhat sensitive to outsiders who’ve lived in the comfortable environment of the capital.

After our brief exchange, an awkward silence fell over the carriage. The silence continued until we reached the guest house where we would stay. Duke Quenore called to me as I got out of the carriage.

“The nights are short, so you won’t be able to sleep long.”

“That’s fine.”

“Make sure to draw the blackout curtains on the windows when you sleep.”

Then the carriage drove away. George approached us with a satisfied expression, as if he had finally gotten to say everything he wanted to say. It was the first time I’d seen him so excited. He definitely has a military temperament.

“Did you enjoy your chat?”

George cleared his throat, seeming a bit embarrassed. Daphne looked around at the surrounding soldiers who were glaring at us and lowered her voice to a whisper.

“They’re looking at us like they want to eat us alive.”

“It takes quite some time to be accepted as comrades in the north. Well, soon enough they’ll have no choice but to acknowledge us.”

George shrugged and entered the lodging. I narrowed my eyes and looked at the soldiers and knights of Evernode. I understand this is an initiation ritual, but I hope they don’t take it too far.

“[Your bad premonitions usually come true.]”

Don’t make such ominous statements about my premonitions being accurate. When you say things like that, it’s almost guaranteed to happen.

“[Isn’t it better to know it’s coming than to be caught by surprise?]”

I think it’s best not to have bad things happen at all. I followed George into our quarters, leaving behind the stares of knights and soldiers boring into the backs of our heads.

==

“What did you think of the Hero?”

In the fortress of Evernode, a knight approached Duke Quenore as he walked across the corridor. Duke Quenore shrugged.

“He speaks well. I’m not sure how he’ll perform in actual combat, but his attitude isn’t as bad as rumors suggest. His relationship with his companions also seemed quite good. Since he said they’re companions he newly recruited, it would be truly strange if there were discord among them.”

The rumors about the Hero that had reached the north were untrustworthy and disturbing. They said he frequently clashed with his companions. That he maintained an overbearing attitude, and for someone with such an attitude, he wasn’t particularly strong. While stories of strength would have sparked competitive spirit, stories of weakness bred contempt.

Crucially, there was the rumor that he had dismissed companions he didn’t like and arbitrarily recruited only those who suited his taste. Especially the claim that he had dismissed companions who had fought alongside him—this was enough to make him unpopular among the people of the north, who valued bonds above all else.

“While the staff officers won’t make hasty judgments, I’m concerned that other knights or soldiers might do something unnecessary. Wouldn’t it be better to warn them in advance?”

Duke Quenore slowly shook his head.

“No, I’ll make sure there’s no need for that.”

Then he added in a mutter:

“I’ll test myself tomorrow whether the rumors about the Hero are true or if they’re just minor faults blown out of proportion. And then I’ll put an end to the complaints one way or another.”

==

The next day. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if the day had changed, but the clock hands indicated so, so I’ll call it the next day. Duke Quenore left word for us to gather in front of the fortress after equipping ourselves. I followed the escort knight and muttered quietly.

“This is unusual. I wonder if news has come that monsters are crossing the boundary line.”

In response to my words, George answered with the clanking sound of his heavy armor.

“Either way, we were dispatched to help defend Evernode. If they give us a task, we just need to complete it.”

I couldn’t help but recall the conversation I had with the Holy Sword yesterday.

“…Right.”

Duke Quenore greeted us in front of the fortress. After a brief exchange of greetings, the Duke took us to the training ground. The soldiers were already lined up under the command of knights, exuding a boiling military spirit.

Duke Quenore glanced at me and then turned to the lined-up soldiers.

“Today, I will personally patrol Zone 1.”

There was no commotion, but they seemed quite surprised.

“…Are you going alone?”

“No. With them.”

Duke Quenore pointed at me. It seems yesterday’s brief conversation wasn’t enough to neutralize the Duke’s attitude. Or perhaps it was a measure to quell the discontent of knights and soldiers who still cast hostile glances at me.

“I will patrol the zone with the Hero’s party to check their skills and mindset. If I judge that they fall short of my standards…”

The Duke’s eyes met mine.

“I will send a letter to Her Majesty the Queen, asking her to reconsider their dispatch altogether.”

Well, it didn’t matter much to me.

“Do you accept, Hero?”

I nodded. While trying to suppress the urge to smile.

The northern episode was the one I had enjoyed reading the most in “I Won’t Return.” I could recite without missing a single detail how Aryen had hunted the monsters of the north.

“Of course.”

It was time to fully benefit from being a transmigrator.