Ch.29698. In the End, It Has Come.

The north wind rages.

The sea breeze freezes against the mountain range, and the wind that endures this harsh trial to reach inland cuts like a blade.

Behind the mountains, they say rain, wind, and fog overflow in abundance.

Meanwhile, on this side, blizzards and frosty winds whirl mercilessly.

Beyond the mountains, across the sea and beyond.

They say that another land far away somewhere is covered in snow and ice.

In childhood, I heard these stories through lullabies my mother whispered as I drifted to sleep.

They were all harsh and severe tales.

Saying ordinary people couldn’t survive there.

That once, even mighty warriors fled to our continent in fear.

Mother told me so.

With the crackling sound of burning firewood.

“Whew!”

As soon as I remove my fur gloves, my hands turn bright red.

The cold quickly transforms into intense pain accompanied by heat.

My breath shoots out like white vapor, then surrenders and brushes across my face.

“Ugh…”

A groan escapes involuntarily.

I quickly break apart chunks of ice scattered outside, grab them with both hands, and dash into the cave.

“Ughhh!”

As I enter, cold and warmth rush in simultaneously.

Cold on my back, warmth on my front.

The temperature difference becomes more pronounced with each step.

“Whew!”

The small cave interior with a fire burning was arranged as a relatively habitable space.

The girl immediately placed the ice chunks beside a jar but couldn’t quite put them in, just setting them halfway upright.

They’ll melt and fall in on their own anyway.

Next.

She threw off her leather shoes and began warming her bare feet and hands first.

Having been outside for quite some time, frost had gathered on the leather garments she wore.

“Whoa!”

After catching her breath, the girl began removing one layer, then two, then three layers of leather and fur clothing.

Underneath, her bare body was revealed, covered in wounds.

Bite marks, scratch marks, stab wounds.

Not a single part unscathed.

Though skinny, her muscles were tightly formed, but unfortunately looked more emaciated than sturdy, appearing almost precarious.

“Whew!”

She carefully moved her body to stretch her muscles, then took out beans soaked in a container and began chewing them slowly.

She’d heard somewhere that preserving beans in salt water allows them to be stored for a long time, and even small amounts can sustain you.

It wasn’t wrong, as she hadn’t gotten sick yet.

Since hunting wasn’t always successful, such long-term preserved food was essential.

Smoked meat and fish were impossible to obtain in a place like this.

Unless you buried them in the frozen ground as another form of preservation.

…Breaking the frozen ground again would be its own struggle, but enduring it as training wasn’t entirely meaningless.

“Hmm.”

Chewing on dry bits of grass, along with carefully collected tiny larvae from inside trees, the girl reaffirmed her resolve.

‘When will I improve?’

She was told to return when even this bitter cold would feel like a gentle breeze.

…Honestly, she doubted such a day would come.

Already three years.

This place was literally hell.

…The cold was brutal, but surprisingly, that was just the most basic problem.

‘The Seven Peaks Mountain Range.’

A famous demonic realm.

The monster kings who followed the Golden Beast.

The Demon King who commanded them.

Known in that era as the Golden Beast.

After the Demon King’s defeat, they flocked to this treacherous region seeking ways to survive.

The ecosystem was transformed, and even apex predators suddenly became prey.

As monster kings gathered, the cold transformed into even more desperate frigidity.

Then the various races and peoples dwelling nearby.

And the Empire and several nations drew a line to prevent these creatures from breaking into their territories.

Some, having lost their homes, continued building frontlines in outrage.

Others were incorporated into the Empire or certain countries.

Thus, they conducted periodic subjugations to reclaim territory and prevent war.

Without subjugation, overflowing monsters would enter their territories, so there were no exceptions.

And the increased numbers of these creatures served as another obstacle and barrier ensuring the monster kings’ safety.

In other words, to subjugate a monster king, one would first have to face countless hordes of monsters.

“Sssip!”

Flipping through a book, she eventually bit her tongue lightly to fight off the overwhelming drowsiness.

And the girl was positioned right at that unofficial boundary.

A section where monsters appeared but didn’t overflow.

Of course, when they did overflow, this area was just as dangerous, but what could she do? She couldn’t advance further or retreat.

This was the perfect place for a long-term stay.

Even this area took nearly three months of suffering from minor illnesses to secure.

…And it was only after a year of repelling challenges from dozens of monster species roaming the area that it finally stabilized, but…

These creatures would invade and wreck the place whenever she was away.

…That’s why she was forced to become skilled at setting magical traps.

“No… issues.”

After estimating that the magic she had set up was functioning properly, she wanted to quickly get some sleep despite it being a bit early, due to her fatigue.

Just as she was about to drift into a half-sleep, using the crackling firewood as a lullaby.

“—!!!”

The hair all over her body stood on end.

Her bones felt chilled, her lower abdomen uncomfortable, and a hot sweat trickled down her spine.

‘What, what’s coming?’

Is it just passing by?

But the waves she felt seemed to be approaching closer?

‘Coincidence?’

If it were an ambush or attack, emitting such a presence would be completely illogical.

At least, unless it was a monster with unusually high intelligence and a nasty temperament, it wouldn’t intentionally expose itself.

Moreover, this seemed specifically targeted at her.

She had become somewhat famous in this area.

After all, she had destroyed, sliced, and crushed well over a hundred monsters in various ways, continuing her extermination and slaughter.

Ugh…

Though she couldn’t groan outwardly and was dying inside, she rose and quickly donned her leather clothes, her eyes sinking as menacingly as any predator’s.

“Whew!”

Calming herself through breathing, she swiftly grabbed a dagger to use as a tool.

“……”

She closed her eyes and pressed her ear to the ground, focusing on the approaching sounds.

….

……

Thump. Thud. Tap.

‘A person?’

The footsteps, the sound of walking was distinctly clear.

Small animals wouldn’t make audible footsteps unless running.

If it were something large, vibrations would be felt before the sound, resonating around her ears.

She had reached the point where she could detect presences and sounds hundreds of meters away, even amid blizzards, bitter cold, and howling winds.

Perhaps it was because she had nearly died dozens of times by failing to recognize such warnings. She learned it naturally to survive.

If she hadn’t learned, she might have truly died.

“Hmm…”

The presence draws closer.

Moreover, it was approaching directly toward this place without wandering.

‘I don’t recognize these footsteps.’

Being human herself, she had knowingly or unknowingly interacted with others active in this area.

But none of them made footsteps like these.

The weight doesn’t seem too heavy.

“……”

Should she go out to meet them?

It would be better to let them get caught in a trap and then approach to question their intentions after they’re repelled.

…But since someone with such a presence was unlikely to fall for a mere trap, she steeled herself.

Eventually.

When the footsteps became audible from the cave entrance without needing to press her ear to the ground.

…She was not only more surprised but also got goosebumps.

‘There’s another one?’

A woman with red hair and pale eyes, wearing a dark cloak with thick black fur around her shoulders.

Meanwhile…

The man following her, despite being visible to the naked eye, still emitted no presence whatsoever.

When the black-haired man fixed his narrowly opened bright eyes on her, she felt a shock as if her heart had been pierced.

“Ensia Endor. Is that right?”

The voice came from the man.

“Who are you?”

The girl, Ensia, tried to maintain her composure while controlling her breath.

“I’ve come after being introduced by your teacher.”

“My teacher? Why?”

Was it unexpected?

As the girl opened her eyes wide, the black-haired young man, Kariel, raised his eyelids slightly and replied.

“She said if you haven’t reached the level she mentioned by now, you lack talent and should give up.”

“That old hag?! Such nonsense!”

“However.”

Ensia, excited, unconsciously crushed the ground she was touching.

“I will help develop your talent.”

“…You?”

What situation is this now?

“I owe your teacher a favor.”

“……”

I can’t understand his intentions.

But since the other party didn’t approach with malice or killing intent, she couldn’t just show wariness.

So…

“Would you like some water?”

When guests arrive, you offer something.

After all, she couldn’t possibly offer them preserved beans, could she?

====

“But… neither of you seems cold at all?”

She identified this discrepancy right after they sat down in front of the bonfire.

More than that…

The woman was…

‘Hot?’

She seemed to emit heat stronger than the bonfire’s warmth—surely this wasn’t just her imagination?

“……”

The red-haired woman remained silent with her eyes closed.

“It means we’re that healthy.”

No, that’s not it.

Being healthy and being fine in this cold are completely different issues!

She could have argued that, but Ensia didn’t press further.

It wasn’t her place to.

Moreover, though it had somewhat subsided…

…this massive wave still emanating from her.

Gulp!

She swallowed involuntarily. Her throat was parched, and even her mouth felt dry.

“Hmm.”

And.

Kariel looked at the light brown-haired girl with shoulder-length hair, the shadows under her eyes, the bloodshot whites and black pupils.

Then at her pale, chapped face drained of blood, thinking she must be struggling in many ways.

‘It’s a climate difficult to endure normally, so it can’t be helped.’

“What’s your relationship with my teacher?”

Ensia asked directly.

“A relationship where I received a small favor and returned one.”

“……”

Ensia looked at the woman again before turning back to Kariel.

“What does that have to do with helping me?”

“In difficult terms, you could call it causality, a connection.”

In simpler terms.

“Because only I know the knowledge and methodology to get what you want.”

“…You?”

“……”

He simply told her this calmly and nonchalantly.

“You don’t need to decide right away.”

“No. There’s no point in wasting time. If my teacher decided this, there must be a reason.”

“…I see.”

She accepts surprisingly cleanly.

“Is that surprising?”

“No.”

Kariel rose from his seat as if it were nothing.

“Then let’s go. Get ready.”

“What? Where are we going? It’s almost dusk…”

“Have faith.”

Kariel calmly instructed.

“Would I abandon you in the darkness?”

====

In the midst of this, Ensia barely managed to pull out a child half-frozen in the snow and a man embracing the child.

“How can you just leave them like this?! They’ll die!”

“They need to taste such bitterness. Unlike you, they’re reckless.”

…I have no idea what he means by that.

“……”

The red-haired woman seemed to find our attitude interesting, smiling faintly but offering no other reaction, merely observing us.

“Let’s go.”

“What?!”

“I said, let’s go.”

I couldn’t hear him at all the first time.

The second time he spoke, it sounded as clear as if he were speaking right into my ear.

“What about these people?”

“You’ll have to carry them.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

I have no idea what’s going on.

Being called out suddenly is bewildering enough, but…

“Ugh!”

The girl carrying the child and the man didn’t seem particularly burdened, calmly following behind Kariel and Elhermina.

“Excuse me, are we really going deeper? The monsters won’t stay quiet…”

But strangely enough.

Even after walking at a fairly quick pace for over 30 minutes…

Not a single monster was in sight.

…This is strange.

It’s the middle of the night again.

Are the mostly nocturnal monsters… ignoring humans wandering through their territory at this hour?

‘Well…’

I suppose it makes sense.

Due to the woman still emitting this maddening presence and waves, any lesser creatures would probably flee, wetting themselves.

Oh, and now that I think about it, it’s not even that cold anymore…

After walking continuously like this for 30 minutes, an hour, then another half hour, and nearly another hour.

“Um, excuse me? Are, are we still going deeper?”

I’m getting anxious.

I estimate we might be entering the territory where, if not monster kings themselves, then their minions or subordinates operate.

Ensia herself had several near-death experiences because of such creatures.

She gained the opportunity to settle on the outskirts only after fighting and winning against one of them, albeit the weakest.

…That was an experience like a nightmare in many ways.

Sssip!

Before she noticed, a pressure bearing down on her entire body.

Different from killing intent, but the air became so heavy it was difficult to breathe.

The heaviness was more palpable than the cold.

Then as different waves rushed in from all directions, the hair on her body stood on end again.

“Hup!”

While she let out a small fit.

“……”

Kariel, who had stopped, slightly raised his head to look.

And there…

Through the bitter cold and blizzard reminiscent of fog.

Bright red enormous eyes.

Deep blue large pupils.

Yellow reptilian pupils.

And various other eyes of all kinds were surrounding them from a distance, emitting intense gazes.

“Mo-monster kings?”

Is this a dream or reality?

And not just one… how many are there?!

“A welcoming party?”

As Kariel spoke calmly, Ensia hiccupped in surprise at his boldness.

Hic!

Her legs gave way and she collapsed, but would you believe she felt proud of herself for not wetting herself?

……

From then on.

This standoff continued for at least ten minutes, precariously balancing between silence and dangerous stillness.

Eventually.

-So, you’ve come after all.

A heavy and weighty, yet distinctly human language was being directed at them.

Sighs and anger.

A tone containing even greater lamentation and resignation trembled precariously amid the intense vocal impression.