TERMS 17

Chapter 17

Even after saying something shocking, Raven calmly turned a few more pages—and then even smiled faintly.

“The rough-skinned shell demon frog can only be cut by someone with aura, so unless you’re at Swordmaster level, it will eat you alive. It says you should run away.”

So… Swordmaster? It eats people? A frog eats people?

“Hehe, so there’s even stuff like that in here. This is exciting.”

Despite how terrifying it sounded, Baron nodded enthusiastically with a bright smile.

“W-wait! Isn’t this book too dangerous for Baron? He’s just a kid.”

Is this some kind of 19+ restricted book?

But since the library lent it out, it probably wasn’t age-restricted.

Or is there no concept of age ratings here at all?

Even Raven still looked perfectly calm, which made me feel like I was the strange one.

“Any imperial citizen with verified identity is required to serve at least once because of the Gate zones in the northern region. Learning about dangerous creatures like these early is actually beneficial.”

“Mandatory service in the northern Gate region? That’s compulsory?”

“Yes. From age fifteen to forty, you can serve for five years at any time you choose. If you serve longer, you get higher pay.”

My mind went blank.

Of course I knew the northern Gates constantly produced monsters, and that the Emperor—someone with supernatural power—led the imperial army to defend the nation. But I had never truly considered that Baron would eventually be conscripted.

Thinking about it, the Emperor’s army would naturally be made up of imperial citizens—and Baron would be included.

“I can still learn about these bad frogs even if I’m young. I’ll eventually encounter them anyway, so it’s better to know early.”

At his words, I could vividly imagine his future.

Standing in a snowfield in the northern region where icy winds howled, drinking antidotes while fighting monstrous frogs that threatened human lives.

Some high-ranking commanders might stay behind to give orders or be protected by better equipment—but not Baron.

Our Baron won’t be one of those safe nobles anymore… he’ll be thrown right into it.

A scene formed in my mind: exhausted soldiers sitting around a campfire, eating terrible soup after brutal battles.

It all felt like it was connecting to some hidden part of the original story I had suspected before.

Wait… is this the path where he earns achievements and becomes a knight commander?

Baron was talented enough to survive—but that didn’t mean it would be easy.

He’s still so young… and already has to think about war?

Tears welled up.

“Huh? Are you crying, sis?”

“I—I didn’t know conscription existed. I didn’t think you’d have to go there when you grow up…”

I dropped my bags and hugged Baron tightly.

“I don’t want you to grow up. I want you to stay by my side forever, not go to war…”

Baron flinched, then paused before gently patting my back.

“Come on… I’m a man. When I grow up, I have to protect people.”

His voice was steady, calm in a way that made it even more heartbreaking.

“Aww, our Baron is so mature for his age,” Raven said with a smile as he returned the book.

“Still, I’m impressed you’re fluent in foreign languages at such a young age. If you like books—”

He pointed toward the house he was currently building.

“I plan to bring in a large number of related and specialized books there.”

Baron’s eyes sparkled. Raven smiled, clearly pleased.

“As expected. If you’d like, you’re welcome to come read anytime.”

I was the one who responded.

“Anytime…?”

“Yes. Day or night. Construction will only take about a week, and I’ll be moving in soon after.”

“That fast?”

“I hired many workers and equipment because I want to rest quickly.”

Baron looked up at me.

“Can I go read books there, sis?”

“You want to go?”

“Yeah.”

Raven added, “Ah, and once I’m settled, how about we have a meal together to celebrate being neighbors?”

I felt grateful for his kindness—but also a bit overwhelmed by how much he was offering.

Baron seems really happy… I can’t really refuse.

“I appreciate your kindness. How do you usually have lunch?”

“Lately, I just eat sandwiches while watching the construction site.”

“Then… can I prepare your lunch tomorrow? It’s a bit embarrassing as payment for letting us use the books, but still.”

Raven thought for a moment, then nodded.

＊ ＊ ＊

After parting with Raven, I immediately soaked soybeans in water as soon as we got home. Then I rolled up my sleeves and put on gloves again.

“Baron, go read your book.”

As I grabbed the hoe, Baron raised an eyebrow but nodded.

“Don’t overdo it. Muscle pain will hurt.”

“Yeah. I’ll take it slow like yesterday.”

Outside, I checked the field.

Did I make it too big? But I feel like it needs to be at least this size.

Just thinking about clearing all the stones made me tired, but it had to be done.

I need to stabilize our life and make money quickly.

Raven’s words—and Baron’s future—had shocked me. But if I prepared in advance, maybe I could reduce the hardship Baron would face.

Baron is smart. I should earn money and send him to a good academy.

I wasn’t sure if I could afford tuition, but if I could manage the entrance fee, maybe it would work out.

As they say, a promising tree shows its strength early.

He’ll probably rank first in class and get a scholarship anyway.

Even if not, he could join the knights after graduation.

Even in war, there’s a huge difference between being a soldier and an officer.

The more I thought about it, the more determined I became.

If conscription was inevitable, I would at least make Baron’s life easier.

If I’m raising him, I’m going to raise him well.

I took a deep breath and drove the hoe into the ground with force.

Thud.

“…Huh?”

I expected resistance from rocks.

But the hoe slid in smoothly. The soil turned over easily.

“Wait, what?”

Confused, I tried another spot. Instead of stones, only fertile soil appeared.

“?”

I scratched my head and tried again where I had started yesterday.

This time—clunk.

A solid rock.

“…Huh?”

I let out a laugh.

Only then did I realize: the rocky ground had only been in the exact area I worked on yesterday.

“What the— I was worrying for nothing.”

I continued turning the soil easily.

<Northern Gate Record, Entry 12>

Alone at the wooden table, Baron quietly turned the pages of the book he had brought from the library.

The warm violet smile he usually showed Hailey was gone.

The boy was no longer Baron.

He was Bloden—his red eyes cold and unreadable.

From his pocket, he pulled out a small pouch. Inside was an ink-filled fountain pen, retrieved from an artifact-like spatial storage bag passed down through the imperial family.

He began adding notes into the book. His handwriting was neat and refined, as if it had always been part of the original text.

To ordinary eyes, it looked like a foreign language—but it wasn’t.

Long ago, nobles of the imperial capital had created a coded script to hide sensitive records. Though the spoken language had died out, the writing system remained for classified documentation.

His predecessor—the Empress—had recorded monster data in this book. Now Bloden was continuing that work.

Once revisions were complete, Raven would collect the book and return it to the library as if nothing had changed.

The records of monsters outside the Gate were relatively accurate, and the military used them in battle.

Originally, Bloden had no intention of changing anything. But after experiencing combat inside the Gate, his thoughts shifted.

If battles can happen inside the Gate, there’s no reason the destruction should be outside the Empire.

Monsters caused devastation around the northern Gates, and sometimes spread elsewhere. In his view, it was only fitting that the source of destruction suffer instead.

So future battles should take place inside the Gate itself.

That would also prevent monsters from spilling into other regions.

However, monsters behaved differently inside and outside the Gate—even if they were the same species.

Bloden was the only one who understood that difference.

Which meant only he could correct this information, ensuring imperial soldiers could survive inside the Gate.

He continued writing, sketching maps and monster forms from memory where needed.

Then, suddenly, his pen stopped.

A voice echoed in his mind:

I don’t want you to grow up. I want you to stay by my side forever, not go to war…