episode_0031

The reason we call winter ‘real winter’ is because we still have some ‘Southernness’ left in us.

Even though Del Quisi is a relatively cool place, it basically has its own seasons. Of course, it is true that it is covered with snow all year round.

There is a map in my father’s room, but if you look at it, it doesn’t look very accurate, so you can’t trust it 100%, but it’s probably made by people who actually traveled around, so if you believe it a little, the Kingdom of Alwen, in reality, looks roughly similar to the Scandinavian Peninsula. It was in the north of the peninsula.

Since the map was not a world map, the exact location is not known, but considering the characteristics of the fantasy novel worldview, it is highly likely that the map of the area is a topography taken from a map of the Earth.

The Kingdom of Alwen is located at the top, or ‘elbow’ side, of the peninsula that sticks out like a bent arm.

And at the very tip of that elbow is Delkish.

But if you think about it that way, a few strange things arise.

If the map is truly a map taken from the topography of the Earth, the area occupied by the Kingdom of Alwen in the ‘similar Scandinavian Peninsula’ is part of where Sweden is likely to be.

In that case, it is right that there is a summer in that country when the snow melts. Even though it is always cold at the top of the mountain and there may be a permanent snow, there is a brief summer in Sweden when the temperature exceeds 20 degrees Celsius. In fact, the Kingdom of Alwen itself has four seasons. I know that all of these exist.

And even though it is in the north of Sweden, the north is not the complete North Pole. There are midnight nights and polar nights. Even so, it does not make sense for the entire Delky city area to have snow that does not melt 365 days a year.

And secondly, if the Kingdom of Alwen was at the ‘elbow’ and Delkish was at the ‘edge of the elbow’, then the place above them had to be the sea.

However, if you go up to the city of Delki, what you find is not the sea, but a snowy field. It is also a white snowy field without a single tree that stretches without knowing the end.

I don’t know when the map was made, but it is said that at least at the time when the map was made, there was a sea above the city of Delki. And as time passed after the map was made, the entire sea surface froze and turned into a white snow field.

The problem is that no one knows when the map was made. It seems to be 200 years old at the most, which also means that Delki City has literally been covered in snow for at least 200 years.

So, the environment around Delki City was literally a ‘fantasy’.

“How long will the polar night of Delki City last?”

Of course, as far as the ‘non-fantasy parts’ are concerned, even Prince Evan, a southerner, and those who followed him know to some extent and can prepare for it.

Although I keep calling them southerners, the Kingdom of Alwen is also a country at the elbow. Everyone in the kingdom has experienced the Midnight Sun and the Polar Night in some big or small way.

“About two months. The darkness is also darker than the royal capital. And, that darkness is also the real enemy of Delkish.”

“… … .”

Prince Evan looked a little nervous after hearing his father’s words.

If it was simply night, it wouldn’t be a big problem. The city of Delkish had very good security. It wasn’t that big of a territory, and it was also an environment where people couldn’t live if they didn’t trust each other.

Usually, a fiefdom is made up of a fiefdom and a village around it, but Delki City Castle was closer to an oriental castle than the European castle you commonly think of. It is a special form of being located at a high place and having a huge mountain fortress. Otherwise, barbarians coming down from the north would I’m going to turn sideways and go down to Grand Duchy of Gratton Mount.

However, it was not in the form of covering the entire territory, so there were scouting parties constantly moving around, and there were also sporadic guard posts.

The sun is bright.

Even if the sun does not rise, the fact that there is a sun beyond can be clearly seen even in Delki City during the polar night. There are times when sunlight shines faintly between the rugged mountain ridges.

But after that short period of a few hours ends, the sun goes away without revealing its face, and the world becomes dark like midnight again.

This was also the reason why people constantly had to go out of the castle and scout even in the bitterly cold winter.

As the night continues, the darkness lasts longer. And that also meant that the enemy would come down to the south.

The reason why Prince Evan was nervous was probably because he thought about that night and imagined that the enemy would come.

And that was also the reason why the prince came here during this period. It was because he had to stay in Delkisi during the period when the enemy was attacking, so it was proof that he had faced the enemy.

All the important people of Delki City were on the walls of Delki City Castle.

It was an event to send off the last year of the year. In Korea, that day would have been December 31st, but considering the polar night of Delki City, that day comes about a month early.

And the first year of the year is seen a month later than in other countries.

“Grand Duchess, is it okay for you not to come down?”

“In fact, by this point it is already too late. I think it would be safer to stay inside Riedel Kish Castle this winter.”

Although he said that with a bitter smile, is it really okay?

No matter how strong and steadfast the people of Del Kishi are, Del Kishi is the front line.

I don’t know what it’s like to be a prince, but is it okay to have a grand duchess?

… … That’s why it’s here, right?

I glanced at Amelia a few times, but she just had a calm expression under my gaze.

*

To Elsie, I am a southerner.

In fact, I know very well how absurd this may sound to people from countries other than the Kingdom of Alwen. However, most Delkisi people call everyone other than themselves ‘southerners’.

So, it is literally presumptuous for me, a southerner, to be worried about the people of Del Kish. The people of Del Kish have their own rules, and they have lived well by those rules until now.

But, I was still worried.

In the original story I read, the prince experienced combat as a child.

It didn’t come out in that much detail, and in fact, the story itself was only a passing story that proved the prince’s skills and experience.

So, if the story had flowed as the original, I wouldn’t have had to worry about Prince Elsina. Even if I wasn’t here, the story would have flowed as it should, and we would have met naturally at the beginning of the original.

but… … Elsie here is not a pure Delkisi person.

Of course, if you look at his words and actions, you can see that he has adjusted well as a Delkish citizen, but even so, the child inside is probably younger than me.

If she were an ordinary girl, would she be able to live a normal life even after going through such a real life experience?

… … I know. Of course I know.

Even so, you won’t be as ordinary as me.

but.

The fact that the prince within the inner castle has experienced combat means that the enemy has once invaded Delkisi Castle.

That means that Elsie, who possesses even a little of the sensibilities of modern people, could have faced that enemy.

The Elsie I’ve seen so far was different from the Elsie I’ve read about in novels. Of course, she may have been able to become that kind of Elsie because she went through such a past, but at least the Elsie I’ve seen had a soft side and a somewhat young-looking side.

Even Elsie would have never experienced war.

It was the same for me too.

… … Even so, wouldn’t the knights who followed me be helpful? If we were a country that vaguely knew the future, wouldn’t we be able to prepare in advance?

The people of Delkish would definitely be angry, but—

“Okay.”

“Yes?”

However, I think Elsie agreed right away.

“You mean the enemy can invade Delkish Castle?”

“Ah, yes… … But, that’s just my opinion. Of course, it may be a strange idea in many ways to the people of Delki City, but—”

“But, what you’re saying is that it didn’t look that way in the eyes of the Grand Duchess.”

“… … Right?”

Elsie looked straight into my eyes.

There was no hesitation or doubt in those eyes.

“In that case, I think it would be a good idea to take the Grand Duchess’ words to heart.”

“… … Is that so?”

“Yes. Because I trust the Grand Duchess.”

Nature doesn’t lie.

Suddenly, Delkisi’s family motto came to mind.

My father said, Always be honest when dealing with Delkish.

Oh, I see.

Because I am from Delkish, I am the daughter of a grand duke who has treated Delkish without lies—

Maybe Elsie is more of a Delquish person than I think.

*

Ah, that’s probably true for people who have read the original.

In the part I read, there is very little of the ‘original work’. In the first place, it starts right after Amelia grows up.

However, from my point of view, Amelia must have read the original romantic fantasy, which only exists as a setting. In the villainous heroines I read, Amelia remembers the contents of the original work in strange detail and prepares countermeasures whenever necessary.

And if Amelia is like that, then of course such an incident will definitely happen.

In that case, I will have to take my own measures.

Are there wolves in Delkish Castle?