Blade Ring Mountains - Beyond
Two days had passed since Rudell left the Count's territory and crossed the Blade Ring Mountains.
"We're finally here..."
Only two days had passed, but Rudell and the merchants looked utterly exhausted.
Razor-sharp winds that cut to the bone, blizzards that constantly obscured their vision, treacherous terrain with steep slopes, and monsters and beasts lurking around every corner, ready to pounce on them at any moment.
The journey across the Blade Ring Mountains had been nothing short of an ordeal.
"Now I understand why the Nord Tribe doesn't come this way..."
Rudell muttered in a low voice as he gazed at the mountains, where the cold wind howled relentlessly.
Even if they managed to overcome the harsh natural environment of the Blade Ring Mountains, all that awaited them was a small territory with little to plunder.
From a raider's perspective, it was a losing proposition.
"Everyone! Just a little more! Let's go!"
Rudell shouted, encouraging the exhausted merchants.
Thus, Rudell and the merchants emerged from the corridor filled with bizarrely shaped rocks and ice...
"Finally...!!"
A low gasp escaped Rudell's lips as he saw the vast expanse of the snowy plains unfold before his eyes.
Ice pillars and grotesque rock formations that grew in bizarre shapes like blades, a vast, white snowy field stretching as far as the eye could see, and in the distance, mammoths with giant tusks were migrating in herds.
The Plain of Eternal Winter.
They had arrived at the home of the Nord Tribe, a land of wilderness.
"Young Master, how about we rest here today?"
"I was thinking the same thing."
Rudell nodded at Kyle's words and looked up at the sky.
The sky was already turning crimson.
"There's no point in rushing..."
Rudell had no intention of rushing this matter.
He had an invitation from the Duke, but there was still plenty of time before the due date.
Even if that weren't the case, both Rudell and his party were exhausted after crossing the Blade Ring Mountains, one of the five most dangerous mountain ranges in the Kingdom, in just two days.
The Plain of Eternal Winter was not a place to be taken lightly.
It was a place where the struggle for survival was an everyday occurrence.
Conserving their strength to operate in such a place was of utmost importance.
"Everyone, let's camp here today. Take your turns on watch duty as we planned."
"Huuuh..."
"Fi, Finally..."
Perhaps they didn't even have the energy to cheer, as everyone sighed and sat down, beginning to prepare for camp.
They lined up the carriages to form a wall, set up tents, and built campfires.
Soon, a decent-looking camp was set up...
"Good work, everyone."
Kyle approached Rudell, who was on top of a carriage, surveying the surroundings, and handed him a cup of warm milk.
"What do you mean good work? You guys did all the hard work."
"Don't say that. We couldn't just stand by while you risked coming to such a dangerous place for the territory, could we?"
"I appreciate you saying that."
Rudell replied with a faint smile and drank the warm milk.
As the warmth of the liquid spread through his body, he shivered slightly...
"I'll take the first watch tonight, so you get some rest."
"How can I rest before you, Young Master?"
"It's an order. Rest."
Rudell said in a firm voice to Kyle, who bowed his head.
From this point on, they might have to fight.
Considering that the rest of the party, excluding Kyle and Rudell, wouldn't be of much help against the naturally born warriors of the Nord Tribe, it was crucial that at least one of them maintained a certain level of fitness.
"If you insist..."
Kyle climbed down from the roof at his words, and after observing the surroundings for a while longer, Rudell also got off the carriage.
"So, you see, at Ms. Cattleya's house next door..."
"Have you ever tried this? With a piece of this bread and a bowl of freshly cooked stew, you can stay full all day!"
"Leaving home~♬ Riding a carriage~♪ To a foreign land~♪ On the road~♩"
The workers were laughing and chatting, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were in a dangerous place.
And Rudell watched the scene with a faint smile.
The place they were currently in was one of the most dangerous places on the continent.
As such, the tension and stress they were under must have been immense.
If they could relieve that tension and stress in this way, it would certainly be beneficial to their mental health...
"Young Master! Come and eat with us!"
"Thank you. I'll enjoy it."
As Rudell was watching the scene with a content expression, one of the merchants brought him a bowl of steaming stew.
Rudell took the bowl, nodded, and sat down next to the workers, beginning his meal.
Thus, the first day in the Plain of Eternal Winter drew to a close.
* * *
-Crackle. Crackle.
As the bonfire crackled merrily, Rudell tossed another log into the flames to keep it going.
With a clatter, embers scattered and flew through the air, and Rudell looked up at the sky as he watched the scene.
"The sky here is beautiful too."
The same scenery as the one seen from the Count's territory.
Two large moons, countless stars, and the Milky Way stretching between them.
It was a sight he never tired of.
"I wish I could meet him too, if possible..."
Rudell muttered with a short sigh as he watched the scene, then shifted his gaze back to the burning bonfire.
Trading with the Nord Tribe.
There were several reasons why Rudell had strongly pushed for this reckless endeavor: to get back at the arrogant large trading companies and to solve the Count's financial problems.
But there was another hidden reason.
One of the members of the protagonist's party in the original story, and the only one capable of fighting Leje one-on-one.
His hometown was right here, in the Plain of Eternal Winter.
It would still be nearly a year before he officially appeared in the novel, but reality could throw curveballs like Sindri's rebellion at any moment.
Therefore, Rudell needed to gather the protagonist's party as soon as possible.
It was the only way to prepare for unexpected situations.
As Rudell organized his future plans in his mind and continued his thoughts,
"Young Master."
"Hmm?"
At the voice from behind him, Rudell turned his head to see Kyle, who had woken up and finished preparing for his watch duty.
"It's time for you to change shifts."
"What? Already?!"
Startled by Kyle's words, Rudell pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. It was already 3 a.m.
"Haaaawm... Time flies..."
Perhaps because he hadn't been paying attention to the time, fatigue suddenly washed over him. Rudell stretched with a yawn.
"Alright, I'll leave the watch to you until morning."
"Leave it to me."
Kyle bowed his head as Rudell got up, and Rudell started walking towards his tent.
At that moment...
-Rustle.
"...?"
Rudell turned his head with a puzzled expression at the sound coming from a nearby carriage.
'Did I hear that wrong?'
Just as he thought that, the rustling sound came again. Rudell called out to Kyle with a hardened expression.
Kyle looked at him with a questioning look, but soon he also heard the rustling sound and drew his weapon.
The two approached the carriage, muffling their footsteps.
Reaching the entrance of the carriage where the food supplies were stored, they pulled back the carriage's curtain without hesitation.
And...
"Who's there!"
"…!?"
With Kyle's shout, someone inside the carriage turned their head with a startled look.
A body with dark, tanned skin covered in scars, clad in obviously worn-out leather armor.
Red eyes that glimmered faintly even in the darkness, and messy, ivory-colored hair that hadn't been properly combed.
The boy, who looked like he hadn't eaten in days, was stuffing his mouth with food he had grabbed with both hands.
"You...!!"
A dumbfounded voice escaped Rudell's lips.
And for good reason...
The boy standing before him was the very boy he had come all the way to the Plain of Eternal Winter to meet.
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