Chapter 169

Episode 169

“It seems like our first guests are arriving.”

Jericho said, and I turned my head. The children who had been watching us from behind the wall were hesitantly approaching.

They still seemed wary of us.

But their curiosity about the steaming hot open-air bath must have been greater.

That’s why they disobeyed their parents and came here.

“Let’s get ready to welcome our guests.”

At my words, Selendis and Jericho got out of the bath and waited for the children. As I smiled and beckoned them, their pace quickened.

“Come on in. It’s cold out here. You can even wear your clothes in the bath.”

“…”

The children still looked hesitant.

“The water in the bath is made from the snow that fell nearby. It’s very clean.”

“…Are we really allowed to go in?”

“Didn’t you see us in there? There’s nothing to worry about. Just dip your feet in. It’ll make you feel refreshed.”

I instructed Jericho to heat the water. He went into the igloo and circulated the hot water with his magic.

The slightly cooled water started to steam again.

Then, a mischievous child jumped into the hot bath. The other children gasped in surprise.

“It’s really warm! Come on in!”

“Really?”

“I’m telling you! Hurry up!”

Well, in this harsh environment, seeing hot water must be a rare sight.

Thanks to the mischievous child, the other children entered the bath one by one.

They were amazed by the warmth they had never experienced before.

“Wow, this feels so good…”

“It’s like my body is melting!”

“I wish I could live here forever.”

Soon, the children started splashing and playing in the water. It was a heartwarming sight.

“But where did you and your sister come from?”

“We came from Kalisto Dukedom. We’re here to meet the lord of this land.”

“Where’s Kalisto?”

“It’s a territory far south of here. It takes over a month to get there.”

“Wow~”

It didn’t take long for the children to open up to us.

Thanks to them, I was able to gather various information about this village. And I also learned why the villagers were avoiding me.

“My mom said if we make eye contact with you and your sister, you might eat us!”

“She said if we get too close, we’ll be taken away as Nordic slaves.”

They made us out to be villains.

Not just any bandits, but Nordic slaves, the beings the people of the north hated and feared the most. It was the perfect way to scare children.

“We’re not those kinds of people. We came here to find ways to help you, the villagers, and everyone in the northern territories.”

“How are you going to help us?”

“I’ll tell you after I meet the lord.”

“Tell us now!”

The children raised their voices, but I just smiled. I couldn’t reveal sensitive information here.

But this heartwarming scene didn’t last long.

“They’re trying to harm our children!”

“Damn it! That’s why I said we should chase them away! We have to stop them!”

“Let’s go!”

The village head and the men of the village rushed towards us, armed with axes and maces.

Selendis instinctively reached for her frost sword.

But I stopped her with a gesture. The adults’ intrusion was already part of my plan.

“You bastards! How dare you outsiders try to harm our children?!”

The village head shouted. It would be foolish to get angry in this situation.

“We didn’t harm the children in any way. We just provided them with hot water and a place to play. We can make plenty of hot water without burning firewood. Calm down and try the bath. It’ll relieve your fatigue.”

The children’s smiles faded because the adults had arrived with weapons.

The village head and the men had seen the children playing happily. But they couldn’t ignore the orders from Whitefield’s main castle.

The village head frowned.

“How dare you speak with such a forked tongue! We allowed you to stay because we pitied your situation, but this is too much. Leave this place at once!”

“You kids! Get out of there right now!”

“Come out!”

The children hesitantly got out of the bath. The village head gave a harsh order.

“Destroy those suspicious facilities!”

*Crash! Bang!*

The men swung their axes and maces. It seemed the aggression wasn’t limited to the knights; the civilians were just as belligerent.

The open-air bath we had worked so hard to build was destroyed in an instant.

Not just the bath, but also the water heating facility and the igloo we were using as shelter.

“Get out of the village! If you linger here any longer, we’ll call the warriors!”

“We understand. Please calm your anger. Thank you for your hospitality.”

And so, we were driven out of Aslan Village.

“You were right, Inspector. It’s chilling. How did you predict their actions?”

Selendis and Jericho retreated without resistance because I had warned them beforehand.

“If the cause is clear, you can predict the outcome. They’re not at fault. They were just following the lord’s orders.”

“Then what’s the next plan?”

“I don’t have one.”

Jericho hesitated. Selendis did too.

“Wait, if you knew we would be driven out, you should have a backup plan! Are we going to sleep in the snow?”

“We won’t freeze to death with magic.”

“But we should at least sleep like humans! To sleep while rolling in the snow… Oh, dear God…”

“You’re the only one who rolls around while sleeping.”

Jericho had a habit of tossing and turning in his sleep. And he snored, which often disturbed our sleep.

Selendis suggested, “How about we look for a cave in the mountains?”

“That’s a good idea, but…”

I paused and turned my gaze.

The two presences that ‘Automatic Combat’ had been tracking were approaching us.

“It seems someone who can reason with us has finally appeared.”

Selendis and Jericho also looked back.

Two figures, cloaked in thick robes, were walking towards us.

“Are they from Whitefield?”

“Probably.”

“There might be a fight.”

“They wouldn’t attack us after we left the village peacefully, would they?”

Looking closely, one of them was a woman.

Silver hair was rare, and the white bow she carried on her back was even rarer. It wasn’t made of ordinary wood.

The two figures stopped in front of us. The aura they emitted was extraordinary.

“Greetings. I am O’Brien von Walker, a vassal of House Kalisto. I am also an Inspector of the Lucius Inspection Unit. May I know your name?”

Perhaps surprised by my polite greeting, the silver-haired woman spoke.

“I am Freya of House Whitefield.”

“I’ve often heard of your title, ‘North’s Divine Archer.’ It’s an honor to meet you.”

I bowed again.

Freya de Whitefield.

I had already gathered information about her before coming here. According to the information Jericho provided, she was a cold and stubborn person.

She was also known for her exceptional archery skills and her belligerent nature, earning her the title of “North’s Divine Archer.”

‘Most importantly, she’s the only one in House Whitefield who’s neutral towards the Imperial Family.’

She was the person I needed to meet first in this situation.

As the Margrave’s eldest daughter, she could help us cross the border if I used her position wisely.

I had been hoping to meet her ever since we were first followed, and I was glad to finally see her in person. My bow was half sincere.

“I can’t help but ask why a magician has come here. Was it on Prince Karma’s orders?”

“No. Of course, it’s true that the prince sent me to the north, but it was also partly my own will. I was the one who requested to be sent here.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to fundamentally solve the problems of the north.”

As expected, Freya narrowed her eyes, wary.

I had said I wanted to solve an impossible problem, so she had every right to think I was a fraud.

She probably thought it was the typical boast of a merchant from afar, exaggerating the value of his goods.

“From what I’ve observed, what the north needs isn’t war supplies, but an environment where the people can live comfortably. You must have seen it earlier. The children playing and splashing in the hot bath.”

“Do you think something like that can solve the problems of the north?”

“I’m not talking about just the open-air bath. I have a much larger project in mind. A large-scale project that no one has ever imagined.”

As I smiled at the right moment, curiosity flickered in her eyes, despite her guarded expression. I was glad she was an honest person.

“I’m curious to hear what it is.”

“I understand your curiosity. But I intend to present this plan only to the Margrave. I would appreciate it if you could help us cross the border.”

“That’s for me to decide after hearing it. It could be a bluff, you know? Lifting the entry ban isn’t something I can do easily.”

This young lady, her expressions betrayed her true feelings.

She had been watching us from the beginning, from the moment we built the igloo. She must have been surprised when the open-air bath was built. And she must have felt disappointed when the villagers destroyed it.

We were probably the first to show them a new possibility in this harsh cold.

The Imperial Family and the nobles had always tried to solve everything with money.

*Rumble—*

A tremor echoed from beyond the mountains. As if on cue, our gazes turned in that direction.

White snow powder scattered in the air.

The accumulated snow was sliding down like a waterfall. It was a common, small avalanche. We had seen it over ten times on our way here.

“My plan can transform the north into a completely new land. It would be disrespectful to the Margrave to tell you about this important matter first. And please remember that I am here representing House Kalisto. We sent the most supplies among the nobles because the north…”

I stopped talking.

It wasn’t because I was tongue-tied. It was because of a message that flashed through my mind.

— I sense demonic energy.

At this timing?

I turned my head towards the source of the demonic energy. The ordinary avalanche was growing in size, threatening to engulf the village.

“We’ll have to postpone our conversation. It seems we have an unexpected guest.”

If demonic energy was involved, this wasn’t an ordinary avalanche.

Freya and her adjutant were startled when I drew my sword. But they quickly grasped the situation.

“Heinkel! Evacuate the villagers!”

Freya’s shout reached us from afar. We were already facing the avalanche head-on, with our backs to the village.