Chapter 168

Episode 168

“What are they up to? They’re building something, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

A warrior bundled in a thick coat asked. The young woman next to him narrowed her eyes.

Their gazes were fixed on O’Brien, Selendis, and Jericho.

The outsiders were working day and night, constructing something, but they couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I’m worried they might harm the villagers. Both the gate warriors and the villagers here are completely ignoring them.”

“That’s impossible. They came here on orders from the Imperial Family. If they harm the villagers, it would be a declaration of war. They wouldn’t do that.”

Her voice was as cold as ice.

The woman who spoke was Freya, the eldest daughter of House Whitefield. She carried a snow-white bow on her back.

It was ‘Mistilteinn,’ one of the treasures of House Whitefield. It was an artifact that could only be inherited by those with the greatest archery skills among the Whitefield bloodline.

Freya was tracking O’Brien’s movements with her adjutant.

It wasn’t on the orders of Margrave Finwinter.

She always acted on her own will, and all her actions were motivated by the peace of the north.

“Something is definitely wrong. We shouldn’t have turned away the Second Prince.”

Not everyone in the north resented the Imperial Family. Some sought to use the Imperial Family to solve the north’s problems.

Freya was the leader of that faction. That’s why her adjutant could say such a thing.

“I heard that Inspector is a very clever man. To negotiate with Prince Karma, the Emperor’s representative, he must be a formidable opponent. We need to find out what he’s planning. Don’t let him out of your sight.”

“Understood.”

The adjutant bowed and focused on the scene before them.

Jericho was processing the wood Selendis had gathered, and O’Brien was stacking bricks made of snow.

The three of them didn’t do anything else suspicious.

As the sun set and night fell, they stopped working and returned to the igloo. A faint light emanated from inside.

“Captain, we should head back. The clouds look ominous. It’s going to be a very cold night.”

“What are they building?”

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

Freya and her adjutant emerged from the snow-covered bushes and left the village.

They mounted their reindeer, crossed the gate, and entered the main castle of House Whitefield.

The northern warriors, clad in sturdy armor, saluted Freya with sharp precision.

Freya immediately sought out the Margrave.

“Lady Freya, where have you been? His Excellency was looking for you.”

The warrior guarding the door said, flustered. Freya gestured for him to open the door.

*Creak—*

The door opened, and Freya entered alone, leaving her adjutant outside.

Finwinter’s office was a wild place.

Taxidermied models of ferocious animals hung on the walls, and animal skin rugs covered the floor.

Not only that, but weapons and armor were also displayed everywhere. They weren’t just decorations; they were well-maintained and ready for immediate use.

It was a scene that perfectly reflected the survivalist beliefs of House Whitefield.

“Where have you been?”

Margrave Finwinter was discussing important policies with his two sons and the scribe.

The master of the house was displeased. He was always dissatisfied with his eldest daughter’s impulsive actions.

On the other hand, Freya was inflexible and incapable of lying.

That’s why there was a deep conflict between the father and daughter.

If Freya hadn’t earned the title of “North’s Divine Archer,” Finwinter wouldn’t have bothered looking for her or allowing her in his presence.

“I was observing O’Brien and his subordinates, who came from the capital.”

“…Where are they now? I heard they couldn’t cross the border.”

“They’re camping in Aslan Village.”

Finwinter chuckled.

“Those pathetic fools. Serves them right. They came here on Imperial orders, and now they’re camping? In Aslan, no less?”

But it seemed that wasn’t enough to appease the Margrave’s anger.

*Thump!*

He slammed his fist down, and the armrest of his chair cracked and shook.

The scribe, who was watching, sighed. This was already the tenth chair that had been replaced.

“We’ll teach the Imperial Family and those cowardly nobles a lesson this time. That level of hardship is nothing. Scribe, have you heard from the Nordics?”

“Not yet. It will take some time. They’re probably suspicious of our intentions.”

“Keep sending messengers to show them we’re serious.”

“Understood, Your Excellency.”

“Father, how about I go?”

Baldr, the eldest son and Freya’s older brother, stepped forward. He was a muscular warrior, wielding two massive hammers.

Those hammers were ‘Mjolnir,’ another treasure of House Whitefield.

‘Mistilteinn,’ used by Freya, and ‘Mjolnir’ were the two main weapons, and the two siblings were the most likely successors to House Whitefield.

“If you go, they won’t stay quiet. Haven’t you sent countless Nordics to hell with those hammers?”

“But to gain their trust, one of us has to go. Don’t worry. If they betray us, I’ll crush them all with these hammers!”

Finwinter pondered for a moment and shook his head.

“They haven’t given us a definite answer yet. There’s no need to act rashly. It’s them who are in a hurry, not us.”

Surprisingly, House Whitefield was discussing peace with the Nordics.

They had been shedding blood since before the founding of the Empire. The word “peace” was something no one in the Empire could even imagine.

But the Margrave was disillusioned with the Imperial Family’s indifference. He had decided to open the northern gate and seek coexistence with the Nordics.

“Are you really thinking of joining forces with them?”

Freya’s voice was colder than the northern blizzard. Finwinter’s gaze pierced her.

“Is there a law against it?”

“Our family has always fought the Nordics. Countless lives have been sacrificed. Are you going to let their sacrifices be in vain?”

“Sacrifices. Interesting.”

Finwinter stood up. He descended the stairs and stood before Freya.

“We’ve been sacrificing for the Empire all this time. But what has the Empire done for us? They only care about their own losses and demand unilateral sacrifices from us. Don’t you understand that peace is the only way to save our people?”

Freya was speechless at his sharp logic.

She knew.

What she had said to her father was nothing but idealism. In reality, many noble families in the Empire were turning a blind eye and only filling their own pockets.

“Still, we need to meet with those who came from Kalisto. They sent the most supplies, didn’t they?”

“…I was thinking of meeting them if O’Brien hadn’t come on Karma’s orders. But now he’s practically an Imperial envoy. It would be absurd to meet him after we kicked out Prince Chertan.”

“Father.”

“Do you still have lingering feelings for the Imperial Family? Don’t you understand their scheme to suck us dry! If you have such a weak heart, I can’t entrust this land to you.”

Baldr grinned at those words.

Freya had a lot to say. But the scribe and her two brothers would reject everything she said.

What she truly cared about wasn’t the succession but the lives of the people in the territory.

“You said they were camping. Did they do anything else suspicious?”

“O’Brien and his subordinates are living in a shelter made of ice. They haven’t done anything particularly suspicious.”

“They built a house out of ice?”

“It’s a hemispherical house made by stacking snow bricks and pouring water over them. It seemed effective in blocking the blizzard.”

It was a strange house that even the Grand Duke of the North had never heard of. But his interest didn’t last long.

“Aslan’s winter is notoriously harsh. Maybe it’s better for them to freeze to death there.”

“That won’t happen.”

Finwinter, who was turning to go back to his chair, stopped and looked back.

“What do you mean?”

“It seems O’Brien is a magician. I saw him use magic when he met with the village head.”

“A magician?”

At those words, the expressions of the Margrave, his two sons, and the scribe turned serious.

If it were someone sent by another family, they would have dismissed it as a trick.

But everyone here knew that O’Brien was an envoy sent by the Imperial Family.

Baldr said, “Father, magicians are dangerous beings. We need to keep a close eye on them!”

“That would be wise. Freya, you started this, so you’re responsible. Go back to Aslan now. Observe them closely and report back.”

Freya immediately left the office and rode back to Aslan Village.

She had only been away for a few days, but O’Brien and his two subordinates had almost completed a remarkable structure.

They had built two large bathtubs and even a channel connecting them. If she hadn’t known O’Brien was a magician, she would have been suspicious.

“Inspector! It’s complete! We just need to let the water flow from the facility!”

“Good work. I’ll handle melting the snow in the channel. You two check for any leaks.”

“Yes, sir!”

Shortly after O’Brien entered the large igloo, hot water, emitting steam, began to flow into the bathtubs.

Jericho checked for leaks as the water filled the tubs.

“This side is fine! How about your side, Lady Selendis?”

“This side seems fine too.”

“Success! Hahaha! A hot spring in this snowy field! How romantic!”

O’Brien came out a while later.

The water supply had stopped, but the water wasn’t cooling down as quickly as expected.

“Let’s relax after all our hard work.”

“That sounds great! Lady Selendis, you can use that bathtub. We’ll use this one. Don’t worry, we won’t peek.”

“I’ll pass.”

Jericho and I took off our outer garments and soaked in the hot water. It was the first time in a long time that I had taken a bath, and I felt all my fatigue melt away.

Selendis took off her greaves and dipped her feet in the water. Even then, she held her frost sword in her right hand, fulfilling her duty as a guardian knight.

“Ah, this feels so good. I wish the villagers would come too.”

“I think they’ll come sooner than you think.”

I gestured to the side, and Jericho turned his head. A few children, who had been peeking curiously, were startled and hid.

“As expected! Children’s curiosity is boundless. I think I understand your scheme now, Inspector.”

“Let’s call it a plan, not a scheme.”

“Hahaha.”

A while later, an unbelievable scene caught Freya’s eye.

Some of the village children were approaching the open-air bath.