episode_0063

“Welcome! Young Master, Young Lady.”

Waiting for us as we exited the magic tower was the Blue Steel Knights of the Friuli family.

Leading them was Orca, the Vice-Commander of the Knights.

Commander William had to protect the territory, so Orca had come to greet us instead.

Isis greeted him happily.

“It’s been a while, Sir Orca. Have you been well?”

“Of course! And how have you been, Young Lady?”

“Yes. I’ve been well too.”

Isis had trained with the knights since she was young, so her bond with them couldn’t even be compared to mine.

Even the other knights’ gazes were drawn more to Isis than to me, the eldest son, so the difference was clear.

However, Isis seemed unable to tolerate that.

“Sir Orca. Ruan came with me too.”

“It’s a pleasure to see you too, Young Master. It’s good to see you after so long. You seem to have grown a lot.”

“Not at all.”

Orca and I shook hands.

Orca, who had known me before I possessed this body, had a wide smile on his face, as if he felt the stark difference between then and now even more acutely.

At his level, he would surely be able to tell my cultivation realm.

He was probably thinking that sending me to the academy was a good thing.

Orca offered a few words of good wishes and praise, then gestured towards the carriage.

“Then please, get in. We’ll depart immediately.”

“Yes, Sir Orca. Ruan, let’s go.”

And so, under the escort of the Blue Steel Knights, we rode the carriage towards the Friuli territory.

A short while later, we approached the snow mountain.

The snow mountain, rising so high it seemed to pierce the sky, had its peak obscured by clouds. The perennial snow covering its peaks merely hinted at its grand history.

‘Actually, it hasn’t been ten thousand years.’

Just as I was recalling the game’s settings, Orca tapped on the carriage window.

Tap tap!

“We will now be passing through the snow mountain. It can be dangerous, so please inform us in advance if you need to come out!”

His words seemed directed at both of us, but his gaze was focused on me.

Isis possessed martial prowess that was in no way inferior to the knights, so encountering monsters wouldn’t be a problem for her.

As I nodded, the carriage immediately began to move.

Half a day passed, and the sun began to set.

─Whoooaah!

The roar of a monster echoing down the canyon filled the surroundings.

[Everyone, be alert!]

And as soon as Orca commanded the knights, the monsters’ offensive rained down.

They were balls of ice.

Each ice ball, the size of an adult’s head, contained the power of a cannonball.

Boom! Crash!

However, the knights all drew their sword energy and, to the point of making their tension seem futile, easily cut down all the ice balls.

They didn’t just cut them down; they controlled their power appropriately, causing the ice balls to shatter without inflicting any damage on the carriage.

This was an example of how outstanding the Blue Steel Knights’ capabilities were.

However, what was unsettling was that the monsters’ assault had only just begun.

─Whoooaah!

After one attack failed, a group of Yetis peeked their heads out from the top of the canyon and again threw compacted ice from their hands.

Occupying the high ground, they intended to overwhelm us with a one-sided assault and wear us down to death.

Orca immediately gave an order.

“Break through the canyon! Do not engage the Yetis!”

The Blue Steel Knights were excellent.

But if they were to run up the steep canyon and expose themselves to the Yetis’ attacks, inevitable casualties would occur.

They had two more days to travel, and a loss of fighting strength would be a major problem.

Ignoring them was the best way to preserve their strength.

Thus, we moved to defend against the Yetis’ assault and escape the canyon.

However, the situation worsened.

─Grrrroooowl!

A pack of snow leopards appeared from the front, blocking our path.

The Yetis did not attack them.

The wilderness was about the survival of the fittest.

The monsters had instinctively reached an unspoken agreement to eliminate us first.

Orca quickly realized the situation, clicked his tongue softly, and made a decision.

“All knights! Do not let them lay a hand on the carriage! I will deal with the Yetis in the canyon. Hold out until then!”

The most troublesome thing now was the Yetis’ air raid.

The snow leopards could be easily handled by the knights, so Orca dealing with the Yetis first was the quickest way to resolve the situation.

He began to climb the canyon with movements so agile it was hard to believe he was wearing heavy full plate armor.

Due to his astonishing movements, the Yetis’ attacks were fully concentrated on Orca.

At the same time, the snow leopards charged, becoming entangled with the knights.

Blood scattered everywhere, and the stench of blood assaulted their nostrils.

‘I wonder if this will be alright.’

Surely the knights wouldn’t be defeated, but if casualties appeared on the first day, it was doubtful if they could reach the territory without a hitch in their plans.

As if sharing the same thought, Isis, who had been anxiously watching outside, stood up.

“Ruan, I’m going out for a bit to help. Should I stay here?”

“…Yes. Please be careful.”

Trying to stop her here would be a poor decision.

When I simply sent her a look of trust mixed with a little worry, Isis smiled faintly and boasted confidently.

“I won’t get hurt, ever. I’ll be back.”

Discarding her robe, she exited the carriage, pulled a long spear from her spatial pouch, and leaped high.

She landed in the middle of the battlefield.

[For Victory!]

Isis shouted vigorously and plunged her spear directly into the ground.

Boom!

Silver magic spread out in a wave from the spear, sweeping away all the snow leopards that were entangled with the knights.

At the same time, she formed a domain in a certain area, bestowing blessings upon the knights.

From the spear she held, a flag made of brilliant silver magic fluttered.

This was her unique skill, ‘For Victory’.

It was a skill that provided powerful Crowd Control effects and buffs to allies within its domain.

Isis was able to maintain her undisputed number one popularity not only due to her attractive appearance and backstory but also her overwhelming performance.

Who could dislike someone who could act as a frontline damage dealer and also provide buffs simultaneously?

The blessed knights, centered around Isis, accelerated their efforts to eliminate the snow leopards.

I looked at Isis’s back, which wasn’t large but firm and dependable, and recalled a memory from the past.

‘It was like that back then too.’

The incident at that time, which became the catalyst for Ruan Friuli to have a goal, and ultimately despair when he couldn’t achieve it.

*

“Skadia!”

“Ruan!”

A year after their engagement, Ruan and Skadia, reunited after a long time, happily embraced each other.

Though their relationship had changed from precious friends to lifelong partners, no romantic tension could be found between the still young duo.

Isis watched the scene with satisfaction.

Skadia, after a brief reunion with Ruan, also greeted Isis.

“It’s been a while, Unnie.”

“Yes. Skadia. Have you been well?”

“Yes. My mother seems to have regained some strength after eating the snow ginseng you sent recently. She asked me to convey her thanks.”

“Really? That’s a relief. Anyway, it must be cold, so let’s get into the carriage quickly.”

“Yes, Unnie. Ruan, please escort me!”

As Skadia elegantly extended her hand, mimicking a princess, Ruan smiled faintly and supported it.

With all three of them inside, the carriage departed.

The accident occurred at night. They had entered the snow mountain, and as the sun set and they prepared to sleep, a sudden tremor began.

Rumble rumble…

“Wh-what is it?”

“Could it be an earthquake?”

“Ruan, Skadia. Both of you, calm down! I’ll go check the situation quickly.”

Isis, calmly soothing the flustered two as she tried to exit the carriage. But faster than that, an impact struck the carriage.

Crash! Bang!

“Aaack!”

“Ouch!”

“Ugh! Both of you, come here!”

Even in a situation where the world seemed to spin, Isis wrapped her arms around Ruan and Skadia, protecting them.

As they wildly rolled around inside the carriage, enduring, a final large impact brought the commotion to a halt.

Ruan and Skadia, who had been curled up for a moment, cautiously raised their heads.

Then Isis’s face became visible.

She suppressed the pain surging from the bruises all over her body and smiled faintly.

“Are both of you alright?”

“Noona….”

“Are you alright, Unnie?”

Ruan, whimpering, and Skadia, carefully touching her body. With responses that hinted at their personalities, Isis patted both their shoulders, comforting them.

“It’s alright. I don’t think any bones are broken. More importantly, let’s get out quickly. The carriage is overturned, so we can’t stay here.”

“U-un! Noona!”

“It’s this way. I think we can get out here.”

Skadia, quickly regaining her composure, found an exit, and the three of them opened the carriage door and climbed out.

“Where are we?”

“…Could it be that we were caught in an avalanche?”

Unlike Ruan, who was lost in confusion as he looked around, Skadia examined the unnaturally formed snowy path, analyzing the cause.

In the meantime, Isis pulled out a small communicator from her spatial pouch.

“Noona, what’s that?”

“This is a communicator. I can contact the knights with this.”

“Really? So they’re coming to rescue us?”

“Yes. So please be quiet. I’m contacting them now.”

Only 12 years old.

Even though Ruan’s useless questions in such an urgent situation might have been frustrating, Isis answered him with composure.

She immediately tried to contact the knights via the communicator.

But something in this space seemed to be interfering with the signal, as the communicator didn’t work properly.

“Noona, what’s wrong? Is it not working?”

Even at Ruan’s question, Isis quietly looked down at the communicator and bit her lip.

It was due to her great disappointment as well.

However, she quickly regained her composure and recalled the next course of action.

“Ruan, Skadia. Both of you, stand up. We need to leave here right now.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Monsters will gather, hearing the commotion. It’s dangerous, so hurry!”

Isis’s judgment was swift.

Under her guidance, the group quickly moved away from the carriage.

However, unfortunately, simply leaving the spot wasn’t enough to shake off the monsters. The problem was that the carriage had been pushed into the territory of snow leopards.

The group was chased by a passing snow leopard and eventually surrounded.

─Grrr!

The creature snarled, its face contorted.

Its fur lacked luster and its flanks were gaunt, suggesting it was a weak individual that had fallen behind its pack. But even a rotten pike is still a pike [a proverb about something still being formidable even in a diminished state], and its oppressive aura was immense.

The killing intent, as clear as if it were visible, instilled profound fear in young Ruan.

As he trembled all over, enduring his fear, Isis drew her spear and stepped forward.

“Ruan, don’t worry. Noona will take care of it.”

“B-but…”

“It’s alright. Noona is strong. Understand?”

“…Okay.”

Even young Ruan knew.

That no matter how much Isis had trained since she was young, she wouldn’t be able to handle a snow leopard at just 12 years old.

Yet, the fact that he could do nothing but trust her instilled a sense of helplessness in Ruan.

To Isis, Skadia said.

“Don’t worry about Ruan! I’ll protect him!”

“Will you?”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

“Thank you.”

Isis, who had expressed her gratitude, then hardened her face seriously, as if she had never smiled, and slowly aimed her spear at the snow leopard.

As if sensing her momentum, the snow leopard circled around, then pushed off the ground and charged.

Grrrroooowl!

The battle between 12-year-old Isis and the snow leopard began.

Ruan, under Skadia’s protection, could only silently watch the scene.

‘Go, Noona!’

Did his cheering give her strength?

Isis took advantage of the snow leopard’s hunger, strengthening her defense before counterattacking.

As the battle prolonged, the snow leopard sustained injuries and its stamina dwindled.

However, there was one point she overlooked: Isis wasn’t the snow leopard’s only target.

As soon as the creature realized that the human in front of it wasn’t easy, it shifted its gaze to the easiest prey.

─Grrrroooowl!

The snow leopard immediately bypassed Isis and charged towards Ruan.

“Ah! No!”

Isis tried to stop it in a hurry, but she couldn’t catch up to the already leaping snow leopard.

At that desperate moment.

“You can’t lay a hand on Ruan!”

Skadia, somehow managing to cast a spell, activated it and fired an ice missile at the snow leopard.

But her mana reserves weren’t large yet, and her proficiency wasn’t high enough, so it didn’t exert enough power to stop the snow leopard.

It merely bought a fleeting 0.5 seconds.

Thanks to this, Isis nearly caught up to the snow leopard, but in that state, even if she killed the beast, she couldn’t guarantee my safety.

That’s why Isis must have thought:

That it would be wiser to sacrifice an arm than for Ruan to lose his life.

Making a judgment that a normal 12-year-old child couldn’t conceive of or act upon, she thrust her forearm into the snow leopard’s maw.

Crunch!

“Ugh!”

Her delicate forearm was pierced by sharp teeth, bleeding profusely.

“N-Noona!”

“Unnie!”

Ruan and Skadia froze in shock, but even in that situation, Isis took advantage of the snow leopard’s restrained movement to plunge her spear into its neck.

Stab!

The sharp spearhead plunged in from above and protruded from below.

─Whine!

The snow leopard cried out in pain and quickly flung Isis away.

Thud!

Isis, seemingly having exhausted all her strength by piercing its neck, flew limply and rolled in the snow.

And the snow leopard, unable to stop the blood gushing from its neck, stumbled back and eventually collapsed.

The victor of the life-or-death struggle was Isis.

However, even the victor’s life couldn’t be guaranteed.

“Noonaaa!!”

Ruan, who had been momentarily stunned, screamed Isis’s name, his throat tearing, and ran to her.

Isis looked at Ruan and smiled faintly.

“Haa, Ruan… I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Noona! Noona! What do we do? Your wound…!”

Her ragged breaths were faint.

At her precarious state, as if she might stop breathing at any moment, Ruan couldn’t calm down and burst into tears.

He quickly took off his outer coat and wrapped it around her forearm, but the wound was too large and deep for that alone to stop the bleeding. Still, he desperately struggled, using every method he could think of to try and do something.

…My memory from then on is vague.

Perhaps my emotions were so intense that my brain’s functions were paralyzed.

Only one thing I clearly remember is that the Blue Steel Knights’ rescue team arrived just before Isis lost consciousness, and…

“I’ll become strong! I’ll definitely become strong! I’ll become strong, the strongest in the world, and protect Noona!”

…it was only the vow I made, gripping Isis’s hands tightly as she was being carried away.