Chapter 122
BSsOn the other hand, while Fernan and Luina crossed the wall and headed north, Albinos Bercheff found the letter his daughter had left behind.eZOTmBz
SMm[Father. The Demon Kingdom is a place even you have never managed to enter. There might be dozens, perhaps hundreds, of cultist nests there. Or maybe they’ve already summoned a demon… (fragment omitted)…]YmBKC
FkLvWhr[…It’s not that I doubt your abilities, but we must prepare for the worst-case scenario… (fragment omitted)…]ZuXxL
ZdYCrumple—Q0u
6Yq0EThe letter was mercilessly crumpled.82KFj
pQ0S“How brazen.”OJhDI
hha“Seems the young lady is of marrying age now. Leaving a letter and fleeing in the night…”wS8pS3
M58At the aide’s comment, the margrave let out a snort.8V90Q
gCZUDK“If she left at dawn, then technically it is a nighttime escape.”PKmdGMF
tGQsx4P“You seem quite upset, I see.”QO3R3V0
QsLhx“I am.”QUjJR
ulrsdbAlbinos shoved a handful of chocolates into his mouth nervously.EwFBv9
Sp1Huu“Never thought my daughter would attempt a getaway like in those plays.”JfP
FGwD“But you just said it wasn’t one.”oAAn6
AmAWl“If that brat Fernan weren’t involved, it’d be a dawn patrol. But with him there, it’s a nighttime escape.”WpDd
mS2nNqJ“You were the one who gave the order, my lord.”RNJf5Gj
4RLwRU4The margrave didn’t respond.zANd
0swCny6“In any case, it seems that brat isn’t completely useless.”nPkVFz2
2MfZHe took note of the fact that Fernan had proposed hiring a mercenary.RLIOA
VpcxUn“Are you going to let it go?”T8h1Kv
QuV74j“That he went through the trouble of hiring the King of Mercenaries works in our favor. All the better.”WPU
VgnaTpHe had known the King of Mercenaries was in the north. But he’d never considered hiring him himself—if Fernan was doing it for him, he could only be grateful.xZO08gk
SwPJEven so, his expression didn’t show satisfaction.58GTDBR
ZW9OnHY“I’ve no face to show my ancestors. I’ve allowed the affairs of Bercheff to be handled upside down.”b9QhQ4v
MC2For a thousand years, the unspoken rule had been clear—even if they sometimes hired support, the defense of the wall was always Bercheff’s responsibility. That tradition had never been broken.r1SQW
ekmQBut now…ILwsDjj
LIw“It’s humiliating, but that’s the reality of Bercheff.”B3t2
rwMCrack—X3v3O
4COq5KThe armrest of his chair broke under his fist.WzO
xnGas“If I can save more Bercheff knights at the cost of a bit of pride, then it’s worth it.”aWkqQQ
XYe3tYHis gaze fixed on the recording orb on the table—the image of the demon summoned at the Academy.SylJ
mBJEZmS“Perhaps… there really are demons out there.”ApyZ
0sApnDeTo save Bercheff, he chose to swallow his pride.xWA
rwuwc***nbeNk0J
CrqThe air in Bercheff was freezing.MtNf
aUYjnrEven if it didn’t snow year-round, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that for more than half the year, temperatures stayed below zero.9yd5O
3I3jU“And right now…?”29HH
vQpdvS“It’s the middle of winter. Most of the year is like this.”xDthgBK
8VfcWhat had started as a light sleet at dawn quickly turned into a blizzard that blanketed the world in white.dQ6
OXpThe patrol, used to it, entered a nearby cave to light a fire and rest a bit. Inside, supplies were well-hidden.ZZsl
lX4OLu2“Is this a shelter?”qyZN
sxkS“Something like that. For emergencies, we’ve prepared places like this all over the north.”NKkZK5
zLYBIt could be because of a snowstorm, a monster pursuit, or being left behind alone. Nothing was strange in these lands beyond Bercheff.XWUei
nLM1Vd“And what do you normally do in these cases?”HhJjzR
7HBMYn“We keep going. Like I said, it’s not unusual for it to snow several days in a row.”g3Gkkd0
Vg9WUQIf they canceled patrols every time it snowed, they’d spend all winter indoors.ynC8
e2SXdBut the monsters didn’t stop attacking the walls or building new nests just because snow was falling.1z8VXW
cNOsrz“We warm up a bit and continue.”KwQOAki
gLN“And what do you usually check for?”2AddQbF
DU2“If monsters have changed their route, if there are new tracks, or if a new nest has appeared. That sort of thing.”Z0O3K
3zOfM3gThe top priority of patrols was to detect in advance any threat approaching Bercheff.N2Br
PbmiUhEAfter a brief rest, they packed up and resumed the march. The blizzard was so dense that it was hard to see the direction. They rode like that for nearly an hour.e1VWpVv
X9b—Kyu!C6GBge
lNTOnDBefore anyone else, Wooden reacted.8EV5
wWrh‘A monster ahead? Are you sure it’s a cultist, not a beast?’JWGE
0lyQ— Kyuu!diiBzI
rn2JCmWooden nodded confidently, even though Fernan’s eyes saw nothing.IcDLQ8X
qxD“Luina.”7iknv
MefX“What is it?”TGpyo
rs1mu“Maybe…”oQsQ
FEoMD2VHe feared sounding like a liar in front of the veteran White Lions, when a scout about a hundred meters ahead returned.5j0
cD8W6v“About 150 meters northeast—there’s a cultist.”Twa
R9EzGqv“……!”vHqwlG
lik3JVFernan instinctively looked at Wooden, who crossed his arms and shrugged.XRhDeV
PPrpT45“A cultist? Not a monster?”86r
soTzW“Yes. A pack of grade 7 cultist beasts.”iUn
T63The creatures were beasts covered in thick black fur.zm3g
dnkeRx“How many?”LdoN
2DY“Eleven.”5ybj
JJD9“Eliminate them all and follow their tracks.”2B7
3Rk“Understood!”W6Wzx4G
RbDF7aThe knights dismounted.WZz
aak9Q“Follow us.”lLG
0kXN3VExcept for two who stayed behind to watch the horses, the rest advanced silently.rUY
JEkcI“Is it necessary to follow the tracks after killing them?”e6RL3W
AaTmFX“To find out where they came from and why they came down.”pRtnM4K
JflG“You mean whether they descended on their own or were driven out by other cultists?”cmiK
byfca“Exactly. If it’s the first, it’s not too serious. But if it’s the second, it’s a bigger problem. From here on—silence.”bqxY
bYAfV3Fernan shut his mouth.mfEbCCD
JDIeRzbDespite dozens of knights moving through the blizzard, there was almost no sound.cqBouP2
ZgDvuXzIt didn’t take long before white silhouettes appeared through the snow—the scouts had returned.uyF
FtO4vfT“How’s it going?”PYgTQ
TGtd“They encountered a group of yetis. Two corpses, and the creatures are busy devouring them.”0WM
vQ0N0“Then, we attack immediately.”QsR2
1M3The White Lions’ captain didn’t hesitate to give the order.sEjtgQ
ysHya“None must escape. And Lady Luina…”AmLXvTJ
iTDv“Yes.”BqNek4L
vhV“Protect young master Fernan.”Yxn
S5ds0“Understood.”nQSVb
reUOhzSince they left the cave, the knights had stopped calling her “young lady,” and Luina naturally accepted the orders.KSvjiu
J4dIt was a subtle change, but Fernan fully understood what it meant.ZCF8S
sdDOu“It’s the first time I’ve seen a demonic creature.”YCCZ
AWCqCbnIt would be the same for any newly-appeared cultist.71o3S
glZThe knights surrounded the creatures and closed the encirclement.wakyB
5zInkyA“Why kill them all?”7ZfzQ
Tppdn“Because the Bercheff wall doesn’t cover all of the north.”0dOus
sZYHUnlike the wall at Altrioque that blocked the Taklakan Desert, Bercheff’s walls were eight fortresses in strategic points. There were always gaps.KBFL1c
o76DElU“So they try to cover the gaps.”LIWzq
RA2K“Exactly.”N5B
fCLWhile Fernan and Luina whispered, the knights were already upon the beasts.oDzPBz
9M3Li‘Impressive.’4xGkM
vyfckpwThere was no sound. Though he could see them, he couldn’t feel their presence. The tradens didn’t even notice they had someone behind them.oLQXp
aC2And that was their downfall.rCcxrlk
s83wJ21Slash—AJbp
MLFqG8cA silent hand signal.QNiWIBW
2ZvUThe eleven heads fell in unison.Uz3Ux
kmZLsQEIt ended right there.tw2
0HuH“…The White Lions are truly the White Lions.”cxTgE
Qk5MIt wasn’t by chance that they were considered the best knight order in the north.oup3bZx
Vrrb4j“Of course.”vPiTb
eO3t5There was pride in Luina’s voice.KJIFJyq
1GtIMa“Do they always take part in patrols?”QAeRr
HycFor something so routine, they seemed too valuable.vfrYp
cId“Not always, but sometimes. Though today might have to do with you and me.”khESsG
I1e“I see.”SFY
Hb3Ts4It was logical—protecting his daughter and avoiding conflict with the Pellenbergs justified sending the best force.gmDl1H
ALw5“Let’s move.”UWXDn9f
cbTThe knights buried the corpses of the cultists and soon found the tracks from where they had descended.cZN
O5J“They stretch northward. What should we do?”MWP
3ssAG“Hmm.”iIH
eCiThe captain gave a fleeting glance to Fernan, who understood immediately.prvUeBN
6PYjX0“Don’t worry about me. I assume you know I’ve already signed the letter.”XKdJQu
dO5CEA document that absolved Bercheff of all responsibility should anything happen to him.o4J1DA0
QB7Vud“Yes, we know.”q4k95F7
TUt8L52Even so, leaving him in real danger wasn’t an option.Ms9472
0Fk1f1“Follow the tracks. If they go beyond five kilometers, return. And beware of monsters.”Rd9i
NbajwS“Understood!”RIJ4
e70Two knights set off as scouts.Ahz7dBZ
gTuF2“The snow is easing up.”x5dg6LP
X5yZf6AAn hour later, they returned.IEqlEY
FdDD90“The tracks continue past five kilometers… and it’s not just one.”bLU
aELIHOh“What?”qxyT3sM
asBjV“It wasn’t a single small pack. About four kilometers ahead, they split into three different trails.”NDgn
o4g“Also, we found a snow troll settlement completely destroyed.”HTtrf5B
JKnThe captain clenched his teeth.lGZFaYs
PtTc“It’s not just an isolated group that came south. We need to determine the actual scale.”Bdvmm3F
mJOAnd then, with a serious expression, he concluded:Hn97Tzt
WF1“Sir, we will protect your safety to the end.”7VqAYDQ
cvQKP“I have my own preparations. Don’t worry.”KN4zh
Zq5S“Thank you for understanding. Track them. We must find out how many there are and where their nest is.”6YuZ
otDSOQ“Understood!”dW5F
gUL8zThe White Lions resumed their march northward.vv0C
mPWMSOV***hMJ1kYf
7H08TfZ“That was the snow trolls’ nest, right?”Jvq9Jos
XtHCJL6In the small depression in the terrain, there were holes everywhere. Snow trolls had the habit of digging and living underground.zNbj
qXh7But now the place was filled with a thick stench of blood and corpses.BAwK
KDxzIAnd among them, a few demons.xeeGKC
MZL“They’re also demonic creatures. Eleven in total. Just like before.”xBXY8O
nc7hG“Then maybe eleven is the standard number for a group of demonic creatures.”m8eMdr
LTs7The appearance of demons was recent and remained a mystery.lKtcu
jbTLNIn ancient manuscripts, they could barely find names and traces, but many documents had been lost.GWz6
XssK5j“We found tracks, but…”VHkWB7
eoOWLKIt wasn’t three, but five.3znrMM1
oyE2F7lIf one was discarded for coming from the north, four remained. And those four extended south, in different directions.b0uMT
CcEvdnYAs if they were spreading out like scouts.WnTP4b
0tQ“…This doesn’t look good.”fFy4lRQ
9sWiy4At the scene, Fernan frowned.wtdyw
raIiwsHe didn’t know much about demons, or about strategy or tactics.Wsoea47
MobtvQCBut from those tracks, there was something he could clearly understand.M7w
wpwxThe demons descending south were far more numerous than they had anticipated.Bz2Z
DMbRwThe White Lions’ captain looked again at Fernan. However, he seemed to decide that things couldn’t be left as they were and ordered the pursuit.BcJ0n
F3AB“We continue north.”So3xVz
uBiujThey left aside the other four branches and focused on finding the source.SceM7s
lv9If it truly was a large number of demons advancing in an organized manner to the south, the threat to Bercheff would be enormous.GYwT
x9O642So they continued for quite a while.juCxMc
X1EThe sky remained overcast, dark as ink, but the snowfall gradually weakened to almost nothing.uuzA
ezbCAlong the way, the patrol group encountered two more packs of demonic creatures, each with eleven demons, and annihilated them all.vm32hQ
gtOq5“…Is this normal?”EumPep4
D8Qs“We don’t know. Even we don’t know much about the habits of demons.”X6wDiYa
FvYkEven so, no one could ignore that the situation was strange.6yyM
2EsgSPyA heavy tension began spreading among the knights of the White Lions.k0RL1O
fg1LEven Fernan, influenced by that atmosphere, didn’t dare ask Luina anything more.yRT
NpbWAnd so, nearly another hour passed on horseback.cTCu5
wwKj1a— Kyu!GMr2V7t
xG40PSuddenly, Wooden began frantically pounding Fernan’s chest from inside his clothing.hlKy
ohKFcI‘What’s wrong?’KeM
IZUjshf— Kyu! Kyu! Kyu! Kyu! Kyu!67FfO5
QBCAgAn urgent voice, tiny hands striking in a rush.yYqpNd
eANa3orDemons? Many? Too many?aMzj
ToEdK1‘That hurts! Stop it!’UNa
TqlFernan’s chest turned red, inflamed from the forceful hits.FNo
cnyOH“Luina, up ahead…”s78Fk
CNuAnd just a moment later.Hixc4z
KfAh7qW“There’s a massive number of demons!”NGH4Mx
cgeC0Bm“There are at least hundreds…!”3MjtZ
gLiThe scouts in the lead came running back.rooH1
nkqRAnd then they saw it.6CV
PX1YWithin a wide valley.wOC7sqz
BLisRRHeaps and heaps of monster corpses—creatures that had once ruled that place.RL2m9
E2Y6585And over them, moving all around, hundreds of demons.Q3RQ
4dyeiThe earth, stained in dark violet.DyNrYPr
Oiz“…It’s a nest.”3qj
Z56OIt was the nest of the demons.2JgR
qZvFar south of the supposed Demon Region, right here—they had established their lair.QtAVHbq
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