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Chapter : 20
Marianne stepped out of the carriage, escorted by Sir Miel. Perhaps because this was the northernmost edge of the North, the wind that brushed against her nose felt colder and sharper than it had at the manor.
“Your Highness, your hat.”
“It’s warm. Thank you.”
Amelie, who followed behind, placed a fur-lined hat on her head. It had no brim, but it covered her ears and blocked the wind, making it surprisingly comfortable and warm.
Marianne pressed her hair down with her hand as the wind blew and looked toward the castle walls.
‘They look at least three times my height.’
The walls, built as high as possible to block monsters, were a dull gray. Some parts were cracked, and patches of moss had grown in places due to poor maintenance.
‘They used huge, thick bricks… it looks really sturdy.’
Even Marianne, who knew nothing about architecture, could tell that the walls were solid and dependable.
“This way, Your Highness.”
Sir Miel led her along the path up to the walls. The stairs were higher than she expected, and Marianne was glad she had worn flat boots.
“Hoo…”
Climbing the long stairs made her breath come in short gasps. By the time she reached the top, her neck ached from looking up so much.
However, it seemed easy for the knights. A few had already carried the firewood up the stairs and were preparing to light it with ease.
Marianne had assumed Amelie would struggle like her, but as soon as they reached the top, Amelie calmly handed her a water bottle. Seeing her so serene made Marianne feel a little sad.
“Amelie, isn’t it hard for you?”
“Hehe. I enjoy hiking as a hobby. If Your Highness also climbs the mountain every morning, your stamina will improve. Speaking of which, perhaps Your Highness should also take up a hobby?”
“Ah, no. I’m fine.”
Marianne shook her head hastily. Amelie’s eyes were sparkling in a way that made Marianne worry she might be forced to start morning hikes from tomorrow if she answered incorrectly.
“Where are the lanterns, Sir Miel?”
She quickly changed the subject.
The top of the wall was wide enough for several people to stand, but there were no other structures in sight.
Sir Miel exchanged a glance with Tehez before kneeling on one knee in front of Marianne. Tehez lowered his head slightly as well.
“I apologize, Your Highness, but I cannot reveal the exact location of the sacred relic. It is forbidden to disclose it to anyone who is not a knight. If you wait here, Tehez and I will bring it to you together.”
Ah, so that’s why they were apologetic.
Marianne appreciated how cautiously the two knights were acting. It was better to prevent any possible dangers in advance, especially if she learned too much about the lanterns.
‘This world has wizards and maybe even objects that can read memories. The Divine Lantern should remain a secret so Cedric can use it effectively later.’
So she smiled brightly and replied, sounding completely at ease.
“Alright. I’m fine, so do that. I’ll just look around the uncharted lands.”
“…Thank you for understanding. Please do not get too close. You must remain in a safe position and not cross this line.”
Sir Miel stood, and Tehez spoke in his stead. He pointed to the middle of the wall’s surface, far from the uncharted lands, and gave her careful instructions.
“Mm, got it.”
“I will keep watch. Do not worry about Tehez or Sir Miel. Go ahead.”
Marianne thought they were being a bit overprotective. Amelie, standing behind her, stepped forward and clenched her fist, clearly not trusting them entirely.
“I promise I’ll stay put, so go on and get it, knights.”
After reassuring her once more with an awkward smile, Sir Miel and Tehez descended the stairs. Marianne noticed that there seemed to be no other way up, so she wondered if there was a secret door.
Blowing the small curiosity away like the wind, Marianne looked at the fire that had begun to burn and then turned her gaze toward the uncharted lands.
Even though the walls were tall, the uncharted lands were so vast and desolate that she couldn’t see it all at once. Perhaps because of monsters—or some other reason—the land was a lifeless gray, scattered only with large and small rocks; no greenery could be seen.
‘It’s similar to the description in the novel.’
Without monsters, it was described as a dead land. In reality, there were some herbs and Potea fruits, but they grew so sparsely that they were hardly noticeable. At first glance, it seemed completely lifeless.
Just as her interest was waning, Marianne spotted something resembling a wavering black heat haze near the horizon.
What is that? It was too far away to make out its shape clearly. Too small to be a monster, too thin and wispy to be human.
It moved like smoke, far beyond the reach of the campfire’s smoke, and its strange presence kept bothering her.
Unconsciously, Marianne stepped forward.
“Your Highness. You must not go further.”
Amelie, startled, quickly came close. Marianne snapped back to reality at her voice, and at the same time, she realized her eyes had met the mysterious haze.
“Uh…?”
A chill ran down the back of her neck. It felt as if someone had a sword at her throat.
As Marianne stepped back, the haze disappeared. Like a hallucination, the horizon was empty again.
‘But to call it fake…’
The unpleasant sensation still lingered all over her body.
“Your Highness? What’s wrong? You suddenly look pale. Are you unwell, or is it the height making you dizzy? Shall we go down?”
Again, Amelie brought Marianne back to reality. Marianne turned away from the uncharted lands and looked at Amelie.
Her worried eyes were warm, which helped Marianne shake off her unease with a few blinks.
“…I must have felt a bit dizzy. I’m fine now.”
She exhaled softly and smiled at Amelie to reassure her.
Amelie bowed her head quietly. Marianne could tell that her pale face and forced smile were just for show, but she could sense that Marianne didn’t want to talk about it further.
“Here’s some warm water, Your Highness. Drink it slowly. And come a bit closer to the fire.”
Instead of asking more, Amelie handed the fur-wrapped water container again. Marianne opened it and wet her mouth slightly as instructed.
Feeling the warm water go down cleared her head. She could now hear the crackling of sparks rising from the fire.
‘What on earth was that…?’
Handing the container back to Amelie, Marianne stole a glance at the uncharted lands.
‘It seems to have completely disappeared…’
Just as she was gathering her courage to check again, footsteps came from the stairs.
“Your Highness. We have brought the lantern.”
Marianne widened her eyes slightly at the Divine Lantern in Sir Miel’s hands.
Its appearance was slightly different from the description in the novel.
When Cedric used it, it was described as radiating a bright and beautiful light, but now it looked like an old antique. It seemed ordinary enough to sit on a shelf in an antique shop.
“It doesn’t glow?”
“It emits a gentle light only in its designated location. Perhaps the divine power is being amplified. Don’t worry. Records show that even without light, the holy power remains within.”
Tehez kindly explained. So there was a special setting for that too. Marianne had only seen Cedric and the female protagonist use it, so she didn’t know.
“I see. Fascinating.”
Marianne nodded, and Sir Miel adjusted his hold on the lantern.
“Now, let’s descend. Since it’s just past noon, we’ll dedicate the next two to three hours to the search. If the journey tires you, please wait in the carriage.”
Should she tell them she saw something strange in the uncharted lands? Marianne hesitated and glanced near the horizon.
Yet, on the gray land, there was no suspicious trace to be found.
“…Alright. Be careful. Monsters might appear.”
“Yes. These are knights trained under Count Hill, so even if monsters appear, they can handle them. Do not worry, Your Highness.”
Tehez smiled confidently and descended the stairs.
Marianne watched the knights leave the castle gate and head into the uncharted lands. Half drew their swords, while the others carried papers depicting frost lilies and Potea fruits, keeping a cautious watch as they moved forward slowly.
“Even from here, they look so formidable. Just as expected from knights carefully selected by Count Hill.”
“Yeah. They don’t seem any less skilled than the knights I met at the palace.”
As Amelie said, Marianne felt reassured by their reliability.
Yet, even standing next to the fire that radiated comforting warmth, a chill lingered in her heart.
Her eyes kept drifting to the horizon, drawn by an unexplainable unease.
Marianne bit her lower lip. What could that have been?
Worried something might happen, she alternated glances between the horizon and the knights.
“Your Highness. We’ve found everything.”
“…Thank you for your hard work, knights.”
Nothing happened in the uncharted lands.
Marianne tried to shake off the lingering discomfort in her mind and spoke again.
“Let’s go back.”
