Chapter 64
“The request must be quite urgent.”
Ulric spoke as he watched those who had only managed to rest for two hours prepare to leave.
“Thanks to you, we could rest comfortably before leaving.”
Dermo bowed his head as he said this.
Perhaps due to his familiarity with Walter, since they would only rest briefly before heading out again, Ulric exempted the group from standing watch. Thanks to that, they could recover from fatigue without worry.
“If we get the chance, let’s meet again later, brother.”
“Let’s do that.”
Thud—thud—
Walter and Ulric tapped each other on the chest with their fists in farewell.
Dermo mounted his horse alongside the group.
“Ulric.”
Ulric raised an eyebrow at Dermo’s call.
“Are you perhaps planning to head west?”
“I’ve already refused the request, so I doubt it. Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
“If it’s about the request, you’d better give up. Someone else has already taken it.”
“Do you know who took it?”
“No, I don’t.”
Ulric shrugged. His presence here did not erase the Western episode—it was still ongoing. Someone else would have to sacrifice themselves in his place.
“…Understood. I’ll be on my way, then.”
“Good luck.”
Dermo nodded and spurred his horse. It began to gallop.
“….”
Walter still had plenty to say to Ulric, but as he watched the group ahead fade into the distance, he eventually set off silently.
“Giddy-up!”
Two Days.
It took two days to reach the northern gate.
While the Aslan Count’s territory was relatively close to the northern border from the east, the main reason was that they had only slept four hours in total over two days. Using the magic of the depleted soul stone horses whenever it recharged naturally made their travel speed astonishingly fast.
Whooosh—
A fierce snowstorm greeted them as they entered the north.
On the white snowy plains, a line of people awaited passage in front of the gate.
“All mercenaries.”
Walter muttered, his lips trembling. Sensitive to the cold, he was bundled tightly in the leather fur coat he had prepared before leaving and clung to the horse’s back.
Thunk.
Something fell over his head.
Walter slid his hands from under his arms and picked it up.
“Huh…?”
Warmth seeped into his fingers—it was a fur coat.
“Put that over yourself too.”
A voice came from beside him. Walter turned his head. The shoulder that had been wearing the fur coat moments ago was now bare—it was Dermo.
“You…?”
“Not really cold.”
Walter gave a wry laugh and began covering himself with Dermo’s fur coat as well. The warmth enveloped him, melting the chill from his frozen body.
“What…? This feels warmer than my own coat…”
Dermo had raised his body temperature with Ma-Yeom (Magic Flame). Because he wore the coat while his body was already warm, the heat retained in the fur was naturally greater.
“Are you really alright?”
Riane asked, exhaling a visible puff of white breath. Her nose and cheeks were red from the cold, showing she hadn’t yet acclimated. Dermo only nodded, indicating he was fine.
‘Such an amazing body,’ Riane thought, staring at him in wonder.
Among the crowd, Dermo was the only one not layered in fur. Even the gate guards, all from the north, were bundled up in layers, showing how harsh the weather truly was.
Soon, it was their turn for inspection.
“Identification, please.”
A guard approached, holding out his hand. While everyone else retrieved theirs from their clothing, Dermo pulled his from his inventory.
“…A wizard?”
The guard, having confirmed with his eyes, still asked. Dermo nodded in response.
“….”
The guard’s eyebrows twitched slightly. What caught his attention was the name vouching for the blonde man. While not a particularly influential family, it was rare for a noble to personally vouch for a mercenary. In fact, it was the first time the guard had seen such a case.
“This… is real?”
The guard pointed at the identification card.
“That’s for you to judge.”
“Ahem…”
The guard cleared his throat. Without being insane, no one would dare put a noble’s name on a fake ID. Even the eyes of a guard who checks hundreds or thousands of IDs daily would not mistake it for fake.
“Pass… and be careful.”
“Careful of what?”
The guard lowered his voice.
“Wizards are going missing all across the north. Since you’re a wizard too, you should be careful.”
Dermo furrowed his brows. This, like Ulric’s northern journey and the demons moving beyond the northern front, was not part of the original story. Indeed, they were far outside the plot he remembered.
The guard continued as he finished checking their IDs.
“Everyone says it’s the work of demons. The north might be profitable now, but for wizards, it’s a time to risk your life.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“…I would have told you to turn back if I could.”
Seeing that Dermo had no intention of leaving, the guard shook his head.
“The weather isn’t good, making travel difficult. Leave your horses at the stables here and book an inn. The central inn is full, so you’ll need to go to an outer inn.”
Even Dermo admitted the weather was terrible. The storm reduced visibility so much that even a guard only ten steps away appeared as a vague shape. He knew traveling now could invite unforeseen dangers.
“When do you think the weather will improve?”
Riane asked as she took back the ID. The guard scratched his cheek.
“Well… I’ve lived in the north all my life, and even I’ve never seen weather this severe, so I have no clue.”
“The inn direction?”
“If you walk this way, you’ll see the bell tower. Go left from there.”
“Thank you.”
Why are they all so short-spoken? They all looked much younger than me.
While the guards withheld their thoughts behind sharp eyes, Dermo dismounted. He left the horses at the stable controlled by the guards and entered the village. Though the snowstorm obscured visibility, lights from houses guided the way.
“Left here, then.”
Soon, a small bell tower appeared. The village wasn’t large. It was just enough for gate guards and their families, and those passing through, to take a short rest.
Dermo pushed forward through the blizzard with his group.
‘There it is.’
At the village outskirts, they saw light—bigger than ordinary homes by two or three times.
Creaaak—
Entering, a warm interior welcomed them immediately.
“Ah… I want to soak in hot water right away.”
Walter shivered, shoulders hunched. The knights nodded in agreement.
“Let’s get rooms first.”
Riane strode forward, clearly eager to warm herself.
‘Well, today I’ll rest properly.’
Dermo had used Hongancho to recover from fatigue during sleep deprivation before. But now, there was none left. He was extremely tired, feeling the heaviness in his body. He could fix it by raising his stamina stat, but stat gain had become harder than before, so he avoided it.
Step.
Soon, Riane approached, her expression troubled. Her yellow eyes avoided Dermo’s gaze.
“The last room just got taken.”
“…We’ll have to try another inn.”
“The owner said the others are the same.”
“….”
With this weather, camping wasn’t an option. They were in a bind.
At that moment, the inn owner approached—a woman in her mid-thirties.
“Um… would you like to stay in the storage for a night? Just pay for meals, and the room is free.”
Dermo exchanged glances with his group. People were still entering behind him. Hesitating could mean losing the storage too.
Everyone nodded.
“Then let’s do that.”
“What would you like to eat? Our recommended dish is smoked venison.”
“We’ll have that and plenty of warm soup.”
“Understood.”
“And is it possible to take a warm bath now?”
“It’s full right now. It should be possible in about an hour.”
After finishing the meal, the timing would be perfect. Walter gave a thumbs-up as if agreeing.
“Where’s the storage?”
“Follow me.”
The innkeeper led them through the hall to a corner door. Only the innkeeper knew the location.
It was pitch-dark, nothing visible.
Fwoosh—
She struck a match, lighting a lantern. Finally, the interior was visible.
“….”
Now I understand why she wouldn’t charge for the room.
The stench from mold and wet barrels was pungent. Sour sweetness from spilled alcohol mixed with rat traces clinging to grain sacks made it unbearable for most.
“There’s a bit of a smell, but it’s better than sleeping outside.”
Not just a bit—the smell was harsh. The innkeeper could only smile awkwardly.
‘Can’t be helped.’
If anything, it was their own fault for not moving sooner.
“If a room becomes available, it should go to us first.”
“Of course!”
Dermo found the least smelly spot and settled. Though sensitive as a demi-human, he hoped his nose would adjust.
“I’ll call when the meal is ready.”
The innkeeper placed the lantern atop a wooden barrel in the corner and left.
“Better than the cold, but… the smell’s strong.”
“Indeed. Lady Riane, are you alright?”
This place was wholly unsuitable for knights, yet Riane had to tolerate it. As a knight serving Dermo, the oracle, she had a duty to protect him. She would endure the stench to stay by his side.
‘Not a great start.’
Knights searched for a place to stretch their legs. Walter sprawled, shivering. Dermo sighed deeply, wishing the blizzard would stop soon.
In a nearby house, warmth was present, but the blood pooled on the floor was growing cold.
“A wizard?”
“Yes. That’s what they said.”
A man held a bloodied woman, biting at her arm. A man dressed as a guard nodded listlessly. His eyes were unfocused, pale, like the blizzard battering the windows.
“Hm… I don’t think she’s the one I’m looking for this time either.”
The bloodied man tilted his head. His eyes glistened dark red, thicker and stickier than the blood around his mouth.
“If she were the one, you’d join her with your mother.”
He pointed at his stomach with his bloodied fingers.
“Here.”
He bit the woman’s arm again. Bones snapped, flesh squelched. The mother trembled under his grip. Beside her, the father was motionless, eyes glazed, like a living corpse. Cornered siblings clung to each other, forced to watch.
“Give the signal, I’ll go out and bring the mercenaries.”
“Sis….”
“If we both try to escape, we’ll be caught. I’ll hold them off.”
The girl’s voice trembled, but her eyes were resolute. The village was full of mercenaries here to hunt demons. If she could send her brother out, he could survive. She was ready to risk her life for him, just as her mother had.
Dong—Daaang—
The village bells rang.
Unlike usual, the bell did not stop. It echoed long like a scream.
Thunk.
The girl’s trembling hand fell from her brother’s. The boy shivered, looking up at his sister.
“Si-sis….”
But her gaze had already changed. Her pupils were pale, like their father’s. Soon, the boy’s vision blurred. A single echo resonated in his mind:
Bring the wizard.
