Chapter 64: Receiving a Proposal
The biting cold of the wind sweeps through the land.
Atop the impenetrable northern fortifications of Wintertide, stood the warriors of the empire.
Among them, a man draped in the hide of the fearsome Frostfang Wolf caught everyone’s eye.
His name was Grand Duke Felix.
A Swordmaster celebrated by the empire and the steadfast shield of the North.
People hailed him as the Iron-blooded Swordmaster.
“Stoke the fire some more. It’s still cold.”
“Ah, the wind keeps snuffing out the embers, sir.”
“Don’t we have any magicians around? It’s a real hassle every time we need to start a fire.”
“Would any of those precious magicians bother coming here? Even a heap of gold wouldn’t keep them from running away.”
Duke Felix warmed his hands by the flickering fire, teetering on the brink of extinction.
“Roast some sausages before the fire dies.”
“We’ve run out of herbs, what should we do?”
“Hunger is the best spice. Let’s eat them raw.”
Biting into a hot sausage handed to him by a soldier, Duke Felix grimaced. It tasted awful, like it hadn’t been properly cleaned of its innards.
The North had always been a harsh place, but lately, it seemed even more so.
Above all,
“He’s still at it, I see.”
Becoming a Swordmaster sharpens all five senses to their peak. Yet, Duke Felix harbored a doubt.
‘Is it becoming a Swordmaster that sharpens your senses, or is it because your senses are sharp that you become a Swordmaster?’
He planned to seriously discuss this with another Swordmaster someday, but the likelihood of that happening in the North was as slim as a hot spring suddenly erupting here.
Anyway,
Duke Felix saw it.
A towering giant, standing still in the distance.
Nearly half the height of the fortifications.
With frost-covered pale blue skin, arms muscular enough to casually fling stone walls aside, and tusks larger than those of an elephant.
Each step the giant took caused a minor earthquake, leaving deep footprints behind.
And the first thing Duke Felix did upon seeing the giant was to reflexively signal for help.
<Help.>
For the first time in his life, he called for help from the empire.
He was genuinely scared.
It’s something when something is big, but this was fortress-level big.
...In hindsight, he should have provided more specific information about the situation and who the adversary was. But by then, the eagle had already flown away.
He had sent a messenger, at least.
But then again, what kind of help could the empire possibly provide against a giant?
In the end, it was the North that had to face the giant.
“Warriors of the North, brace yourselves for death!”
Duke Felix mobilized all forces for defense. However, no matter how much time passed, the giant remained motionless.
Suddenly, a scholar who had climbed up to the ramparts spoke up.
“This is a Frost Giant. Also known as Géant de Gel, Морозный гигант, फ्रॉस्ट जैंट, हिमगज, and...”
“Enough.”
Duke Felix cut him off before he could delve into ancient history.
Scholars had a tendency to be verbose once they started on something they knew.
“So, why isn’t this Frost Giant attacking?”
“I wouldn’t know. If I did, I’d be a seer, not a scholar.”
“I see.”
The scholar shrugged. Duke Felix seemed satisfied.
“Looks like we have no choice but to keep watch over the giant.”
From that day on, Duke Felix began living on the ramparts.
****
“Commander! The Frost Giant is scratching its behind!”
“He must be itchy.”
“Commander! The Frost Giant is eating a tree and even burped.”
“Must be hungry.”
“Commander! The Frost Giant is going to relieve itself...ugh.”
“Don’t report such things.”
Then, after some moments.
The Frost Giant began exhibiting strange behavior.
It uprooted a tree and started writing something in the snow-covered ground.
“Commander, the Frost Giant is writing something. What could it be?”
A Frost Giant writing letters.
Never in his life had Duke Felix expected to witness such a scene.
His eyesight was far superior to that of ordinary people. He had the vision to rival that of an eagle.
Therefore, he could clearly see what the Frost Giant was writing from this distance.
“That writing!”
“Is it a warning of our impending doom?”
“No, it’s just terribly written.”
It was a case of severe bad handwriting.
Surprisingly, the writing the Frost Giant completed was in the language of the Empire.
The message read:
<Bring Ascal.>
“We need to bring Ascal.”
The soldiers were shocked to hear the name Ascal. His fame had even spread to the North. However, their interest lay in a slightly different direction.
“Ascal? Isn’t he the legendary womanizer rumored to have courted the princess?”
“Ah... I’m envious.”
“But why would a Frost Giant be looking for Ascal?”
“If I knew that, I’d be a seer.”
Duke Felix remarked, “So the Frost Giant speaks the language of the Empire. This is a significant discovery.”
He then commanded his soldiers, “Cover your ears.”
“Yes, sir.”
Duke Felix jumped down from the ramparts and strode forward, maintaining a certain distance from his soldiers and getting slightly closer to the Frost Giant.
“His physical abilities are astonishing every time.”
“He’s not a Swordmaster for nothing.”
****
<Will you retreat if we bring him?>
It was a roar.
The soldiers were in agony. Had they not covered their ears in advance, their eardrums would have burst.
The Frost Giant looked at Duke Felix.
The giant nodded.
Duke Felix sent another message to the Empire. Fortunately, the eagle that had left home long ago had returned, unable to find a mate and looking rather dejected.
****
“Feed Ascal the stew.”
“Your, Your Highness...”
As the party neared the North, they decided to take a short break. A warm fire was kindled, and a pot began to boil.
Yulia clung to Ascal’s side.
“My hands are frozen solid; I can’t even hold a spoon. And I’m so hungry.”
“Such actions could lead to misunderstandings.”
“Misunderstandings arise from interpreting things differently from the truth. What misunderstanding could possibly arise from you feeding soup to me as I shiver from the cold? Tell me.”
It was strange.
Yulia, who had come on this trip to the North, was acting differently than usual.
Even compared to Yulia with her hair down, she was much more proactive and uninhibited.
“I will serve you, Your Highness.”
A maid attending Yulia attempted to scoop the soup.
“How tactless. Never mind, step back. I’ll eat by myself.”
Her Highness, whose hands were supposedly frozen, began to eat the stew without hesitation.
What on earth had happened to Yulia in the meantime?
“We will soon arrive in the Duchy of the North.”
Arthur Debrue gulped down his hot tea in one go.
As the leader of the Emperor’s hounds, Arthur was the chief in charge of escorting the party on this trip to the North.
Of course, Ascal saw through the other intentions quite clearly.
‘They sent him to watch me.’
Ascal grumbled.
“You’ve become quite stern since your promotion. Father.”
“The salary is quite good.”
“How much do you earn? Shall we share our salaries?”
Ascal spread his fingers out.
Arthur did the same in response.
“Do you earn more than a minister?”
“That’s why I’m here in this freezing place, isn’t it?”
There was no denying that logic.
With the brief rest over, the party arrived at the Duchy.
****
“Hyah!”
Splash.
The first thing Ascal saw upon entering the Duchy was a Northerner diving into a pond, stark naked despite the cold weather.
And it wasn’t just one; others followed suit, diving into the pond one after another.
“It’s a kind of countermeasure. Fight cold with cold.”
The Northern Vice-Commander Simos explained as he led the group.
“There’s a bear!”
“Ah, that scar on its face, it must be Chorong. Seems like it wants a snack.”
Simos pulled out a bottle of honey from his belt, but it was frozen solid and wouldn’t come out easily.
Frowning, Simos smashed the bottle with his fist, breaking it and spilling the frozen honey onto the ground. Chorong eagerly lapped it up.
“We often keep bears as pets here.”
Ascal began to seriously regret coming to the North when he saw a passing Northerner licking icicles from under a roof, claiming to be thirsty.
“...Where is the Duke?”
“The Commander is on the ramparts, keeping an eye on the Frost Giant.”
Frost Giant? What was that about?
There was no mention of such a thing in the dispatches.
“Ah, that was supposed to be a secret. My apologies.”
“...”
“Haha. Anyway, I’ll show you to your quarters. You all must be tired from your journey.”
Ascal was worried they might be shown to a hut for their lodging, but fortunately, the guest quarters were quite nice.
Though not luxurious, there was a fireplace, the rooms were spacious, and most importantly, they were clean.
“Then, I’ll see you all tomorrow. Good night.”
Simos left.
Feeling a deep fatigue rising from within, Ascal unpacked his belongings.
He fell asleep as soon as he hit the bed.
****
Clang! Clang clang!
The sound of swords clashing echoed.
Ascal was jolted awake.
It was deep into the night, with only the flickering fireplace and candles providing a dim light.
Ascal hurriedly turned on an emergency magic stone lamp.
Two figures were visible.
One was a grim-faced man, cloaked in wolf hide, and the other was a familiar face.
Arthur Debrue. His father.
The mysterious man and his father were locked in combat.
But why?
“What a worthy opponent! I’ve been waiting for a man like you.”
“I can say the same.”
Their exchange was of a high caliber. If only this scene could be recorded and sold, every swordsman would empty their coffers to purchase it.
“How about this?”
“Remarkably sharp. Is this combat swordsmanship?”
The two were engaged for a long time, long enough that the lamp nearly ran out and needed replacing.
“I like it! This is thrilling!”
“Good. Coming to the North was worth it!”
“I’d love to continue until a victor emerges, but I’m pressed for time. However, I don’t want to let a man like you slip away.”
“Likewise.”
Suddenly, the man produced a bottle of liquor.
“How about we become sworn brothers?”
“Sounds good.”
The two men raised their cups and emptied them in an instant.
Is this the Northern style?
“Brother.”
“Brother. But why were you fighting? And who are you, exactly?”
Ascal, who had been eagerly looking for an opportunity to interject, finally found his moment.
“Hmm. I am Van Felix, in charge of the North. I came to fetch him, but unexpectedly found a worthy opponent.”
“I was merely fulfilling my duty as an escort.”
Ascal was taken aback.
Was the man who had attacked him in the middle of the night really the Duke of the North? And his father had ended up becoming sworn brothers with him after a fight?
“So, why do you intend to take me, Your Grace?”
Duke Felix frowned.
“The giant keeps urging me. It demands that I bring you.”
“...?”
“Anyway, I assure you of your safety to the utmost. Follow me. It would be best for my new brother to come along as well.”
“Understood, brother.”
Dawn was breaking.
Following along might not have been the best choice.
For the first time in his life,
Ascal witnessed a Frost Giant forming a heart with its hands.
“It was a female, the Frost Giant.”
< Marry me, Ascal >
Ascal swore never to believe in a witch’s prophecy again.
