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Chapter 32
“Father, please listen a little more—”
“How many frauds do you think I’ve seen in my life, claiming to be from the White Forest clan? Go to the capital and you’ll find people like that everywhere.”
The count’s sharp gaze pierced Ariletti.
“Stop making ridiculous claims and bring proof. Whether you’re a sage of the White Forest or a demon of the Black Forest, prove your ability.”
“Ah, we already have documents that prove this little teacher’s abilities, Father.”
At Glen’s signal, the head butler, Maia, placed a stack of papers on the desk as if she had been waiting.
It was a neatly organized ledger showing the trade items, pre-orders, and settlement amounts from dealings with the Ismail Merchant Guild. Beside it lay a written pledge of tribute secured from Viscount Nemar’s estate.
“…Are you saying that child accomplished all this?”
“Yes, Father. The benefactor of Hezeite—”
“Without asking for anything in return?”
Ruso, who had remained cold the entire time, paused. But his eyes, fixed on Ariletti, did not soften.
“A child clever and cunning enough to negotiate with Viscount Nemar and major city merchants devotes herself to Hezeite without any hidden motive? Why? You—answer me.”
He wasn’t wrong.
How much devotion in this world truly comes without a price? Ariletti had started helping this territory largely out of guilt. In other words, it was to ease her own sense of debt.
So no, it wasn’t completely selfless.
‘But I can’t just say that outright…’
The count seemed to interpret her silence differently.
Relaxing his brow, he waved his hand dismissively.
“Leave my territory while I’m still being polite. Since you’re just a child, we’ll at least escort you to a nearby village.”
“…If I prove my power, what will you give me?”
“What?”
“If I pro-pro-prove it.”
She wrinkled her nose as she struggled to pronounce the word. Even so, Ruso was surprised that such a small child knew the word “prove” and tried so hard to say it correctly.
“If you prove this so-called power, I said I would allow you to stay here.”
“Just letting me live here isn’t enough. What’s even here?”
“What did you say?”
“Until recently, your storage house was empty. Why would I settle for just living here? The math doesn’t add up.”
Ariletti looked around the study with a sour expression.
Whether it was the stubbornness of a warrior used to the cold or extreme frugality, Ruso hadn’t even lit the fireplace. The room was chilly.
For the office of the lord of the territory, it was far too old and cramped.
In short, there wasn’t even a trace of the dignity expected of a margrave.
“…So you’re saying Hezeite should first present what it can offer you?”
“Yes.”
In any deal, if one side gives something, the other must offer something equal in return. That was the basic rule.
“You’re playing word games.”
Ruso lowered his voice.
“This conversation has been going in circles. Let me ask you directly, child. If you truly possess such great power, why come to this poor land?”
“…”
“You must want something from Hezeite. That’s why you’re negotiating. What is your demand?”
He intentionally used difficult words, but the child seemed to understand easily.
Ariletti looked disappointed.
“Huh… that didn’t work.”
That was when he realized—she was no ordinary child.
She understood the tense battle of wills between two parties who each had something to gain. She knew that if you revealed your weak hand first, you would lose from the start.
‘So it wasn’t a joke when they said she secured tribute from Viscount Nemar and signed a contract with the Kaspel merchants?’
Ariletti pulled the needles out of the rabbit doll she was holding.
The needle, which had been silent until now, spoke in a low warning.
—You said not to call me for a while, Master. For the next few months, even the Time Sorcerer’s Blessing won’t work.
‘I’m not using my power. I just want to show off brave Needle.’
—…Me?
‘Yes!’
Needle wriggled through the air as if pretending to resist.
Three needles floated in the center of the study.
The small room shook with a strange energy.
Tick, tick.
A faint sound of a second hand began to turn. It was an unmistakable mark of a time sorcerer.
“That should be enough proof, Father.”
As Ruso’s expression changed, Glen pushed Ariletti forward proudly, like a father presenting his daughter for the first time.
That lasted exactly three seconds.
“I’m going to the Snow Monster’s habitat.”
“What?!”
Glen cried out in shock at her bombshell.
“Wait, Aril? You never said that!”
“I know what the Snow Monster really is.”
The study fell silent.
The Snow Monster.
Among the monsters of the Colden Mountain Range, it was one of the most dangerous—and the only one whose identity was still unknown.
It was said to rule over snow, frost, icy winds, and glaciers.
Its nest could supposedly be found at the highest peak of Colden Mountain, yet unlike other monsters, it had never shown itself before humans.
There were many rumors: that the freezing of the mountain range was its doing, that the harsh cold waves striking the territory all came from it.
“I know how to drive it away, too. But I can’t climb the mountain alone, so you’ll have to take me there.”
As you can see, I’m five. She spread her fingers wide to emphasize her age.
“…So? You want me to assign escort knights?”
Ariletti nodded solemnly. It was the most determined expression Glen had ever seen on her face.
“Of course not for free. I’ll bring back enough profit to make the risk worthwhile.”
“Profit… what, you’ll pay my soldiers their daily wage?”
“Ten years’ salary. The place the Snow Monster is blocking is a gold mine.”
There were medicinal herbs that grew by absorbing powerful mana.
Under the ice cliffs and across the Teberta Snowfield, herbs more valuable than elemental monsters likely grew like weeds.
And that wasn’t all.
‘If he hadn’t come down from the mountain early, the count would be dead by now.’
“And your knights won’t have to spend their lives fighting in the mountains anymore.”
She tried to soften her words.
“Hah… hah.”
Ruso let out a small laugh.
Up to this point, he could dismiss it as childish talk. A child who had heard too many stories, perhaps.
But what she said next could not be ignored.
“I’m not asking you to fight. I’ll talk to the monster.”
“You mean you’ll deal with the Snow Monster yourself?”
The margrave rubbed his face in disbelief before his expression hardened.
“Have you even seen it?”
Ariletti shook her head.
Not clearly. She had only seen its shadow.
“And yet you claim to know? I’ve protected this land for thirty-four years, and even I have never seen its true form. It’s impossible to approach close enough to see its body with the naked eye.”
“But you’re curious, aren’t you?”
There was no need for long explanations. In truth, even this conversation was a waste of precious time.
Only ten days remained. Time was running out.
Hiding her anxiety, Ariletti spoke firmly.
“I can prove it. Even if we face the Snow Monster, no one will die.”
As long as I can use my power and return in time, I’ve never failed.
