Chapter 3
“Explain in more detail.”
“Do you see that mountain over there?”
Dwayne pointed toward a tall, densely forested mountain.
“The Sage River is formed by water flowing down from three valleys within that mountain, all converging into a single stream.”
“So if we go upstream, above whe
re the valley streams merge, there should only be small tributaries. That means we can cross there?”
“That’s correct. However, the terrain is extremely rough, and the path is so narrow that only one person can pass at a time. A carriage would not be able to go through.”
“How long would it take to reach that tributary crossing point?”
“I’ve heard it takes about two hours. But… you’re not thinking of crossing through there, are you?”
Dwayne asked, clearly startled.
“Two hours… going downhill should be easier than going up. If we pass through that mountain, we might be able to reach the next destination before nightfall…”
“No.”
Before she could finish, Dwayne cut her off.
“You’re probably thinking this with Sir Owen in mind, but he’s in no condition to escort you. He can barely take care of himself right now.”
“I’d like to say that’s not true, but Dwayne is right. I should have followed the young lady’s instructions not to eat anything until my stomach settled…”
Owen trailed off, his expression filled with self-reproach.
“I’ll go alone.”
“You’re going alone?”
Dwayne raised his voice as if she had said something absurd.
“That mountain is rumored to be filled with wild beasts. Only herb gatherers and hunters ever go there—ordinary people avoid it entirely. And you’re saying you’ll go alone? Absolutely not.”
He shook his head firmly, emphasizing his refusal.
“Dwayne, I appreciate your concern. But have you forgotten what I am? I’m a herbalist and pharmacist. I regularly go in and out of the Great Forest, which is dozens of times more dangerous than that mountain.”
The Great Forest, a vast jungle-like region, lay within the Armar Mountain Range beside the Harrington Viscountcy. It was home to rare medicinal herbs that could not be found anywhere else, which was why the Harrington family had entered the pharmaceutical business.
“That may be true, but—”
Still unconvinced, Dwayne hesitated. At that moment, Freya spoke firmly.
“Don’t try to stop me any further. Look at the sky—it’s already getting gloomy. It might rain at any moment. If it does, construction on the bridge will be halted, and we could end up stuck here for over a week.”
Just the thought of that situation made Freya shake her head. Dwayne tried several more times to persuade her, but her resolve did not waver. Owen and Anna also joined in, yet the outcome remained the same.
“…The inn I mentioned earlier is under contract with our viscounty. If you arrive there, simply mention our family name to the owner, and you will be accommodated without issue.”
Even afterward, Dwayne continued giving her warnings and advice, clearly worried about her traveling alone to the capital.
Freya, in turn, prepared additional medicine for the two men suffering from stomach ailments, and strongly advised them to boil any drinking water, as the flood likely meant the water supply could be contaminated.
Seeing the sky grow darker, Freya quickly gathered her belongings. Because she had prepared medicinal herbs and medical tools in case her father’s condition worsened, her bag was quite heavy. When Dwayne lifted it, he frowned with concern.
“That’s too heavy. You’ll have to climb a mountain—please leave only the essentials. You can just purchase what you need in the capital.”
At his words, Freya only gave a faint smile.
In her previous life, she had once carried military packs twice as heavy as this and walked for days on end. More than that, she had endured inhumane torture at the hands of enemies—she could not die before her revenge was complete, so she had pushed her body beyond its limits. Compared to that, this weight was nothing.
Moreover, in this life, she had been blessed by her lineage. Her maternal great-grandmother had been a half-elf born between a human father and an elven princess, and Freya had fortunately inherited the elf bloodline’s unique abilities.
These included communion with plants and animals, heightened senses, and innate magical power. Only three people knew of her abilities: her mother, who died giving birth to her; the nanny who raised her; and her maternal grandmother. Both her mother and grandmother had strictly forbidden her from revealing this power, because her great-grandmother—once a great mage—had met a tragic end due to it.
A hundred years ago, humans were not the only race on the continent. Elves, dwarves, beastkin, and others also lived here. Then a dragon-blooded mage named Lucian appeared and corrupted the world with dark magic.
Lucian lured mages with the promise of creating a world ruled by magic users, and those who refused to join him were mentally enslaved and turned into his puppets.
Mages who became his followers committed horrific acts such as human sacrifice and forced crossbreeding experiments, turning the world into a living hell. If anyone resisted or even displeased them slightly, entire villages and territories were wiped out in bloodshed.
These atrocities were not limited to commoners—they extended even to the imperial family. Lucian, who seemed intent on eradicating all opposition, was especially cruel to royalty.
As fear spread, hatred toward mages grew across the continent. Meanwhile, the great mage Freya’s great-grandmother gathered the remaining free mages and led a resistance against Lucian’s forces. But it was not enough.
Fearing that all life on the continent would become Lucian’s experiment subjects or slaves, she went on to persuade the elves, dwarves, and beastkin.
Her persuasion succeeded. Having suffered immense losses themselves, the non-human races agreed. Humans, elves, dwarves, beastkin, along with priests and holy knights capable of divine power, all united in a massive uprising.
In the end, they succeeded in defeating Lucian’s forces. However, it was a hollow victory—far too many had been lost.
The non-human races suffered even greater losses than humans, as they had been placed on the front lines.
With their populations nearly devastated, the other races sought help from humans. But although humans had suffered less, they too were in disarray. Worse, the imperial and royal palaces had been destroyed, leaving no central authority to provide food, shelter, or medical aid.
Freya’s great-grandmother attempted to coordinate treatment through priests who used divine power, but they refused, claiming their divine energy had been depleted from treating too many people. While not entirely false, their refusal was also driven by prejudice against non-human races.
Disillusioned by humans, and exhausted from treating the wounded and mourning their dead, the elves, dwarves, and beastkin gradually left the continent. Some returned to ancestral lands, others sought new refuges. Over time, their numbers dwindled until, a century later, none could be found anywhere on the continent.
While they departed, surviving members of the royal families focused on rebuilding their nations. Once stability was somewhat restored, they issued an extermination order against all mages.
Those affiliated with Lucian were executed on the spot. Those who had fought against him were imprisoned, their contributions acknowledged but not enough to spare them.
Magic towers and academy departments of magic were dismantled, and all magical texts were burned. In short, magic was officially banned.
This was not entirely unreasonable, as Lucian had not been killed—only driven away. The fear that he might return one day and repeat the nightmare kept the world in terror.
The one who most strongly fueled this fear was, unexpectedly, the Temple.
The Temple had long disapproved of mages who used their innate abilities. In their view, only those chosen by the gods—priests who wielded divine power—should possess such authority.
Moreover, the imperial court had favored mages for their practical inventions and overwhelming battlefield contributions, which deeply wounded the pride of the priests.
The Temple was not satisfied with merely banning magic. Despite arguments for leniency and amnesty, they influenced the newly ascended emperor to demand the suicide of all remaining mages, including Freya’s great-grandmother, as responsibility for the crisis.
The great-grandmother trembled at the Temple’s ruthless attempt to erase magic entirely, but she was powerless to oppose them. The Temple fueled public opinion daily, using grieving families and imperial authority as leverage.
Next
