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Chapter 82

While Charlotte cleaned up the remaining meat and the campsite, Ian changed into a spare set of cold-weather clothes and greaves from his pocket dimension. After checking his physical condition once more, he picked up the Sword of Judgment.

“That, I found it," Thesaya declared, having been watching Ian.

"You did?"

"Yeah. It smelled like you, and something about that sword gave off a repulsive feeling."

"She couldn\'t even lift it. That\'s why I moved it," Charlotte added, checking the horse\'s reins.

Ian nodded in approval. These companions, despite everything, seemed to be gradually becoming more in sync. It was a welcome change. Whatever was in that ice forest, ghost or otherwise, it wouldn\'t be an easy adversary.

"I won\'t be fighting for a while," Ian announced as he got on the carriage.

Charlotte, nearly done with the preparations for departure, looked back at him.

"I\'ve used too much magical power. It\'s not something I can recover from in a day or two."

"...What if another monster like yesterday attacks?" Thesaya, climbing up, asked.

Ian shrugged, "A monster of yesterday\'s level won\'t appear. We\'ve proved our worth."

"What worth?"

"You don\'t need to know that."

Turning to Charlotte, Ian added, "So, for the time being, you and Thesa will have to fight. You\'ll be the main one fighting."

"I will gladly do so," Charlotte responded from the driver\'s seat, her face strangely gleeful.

As she steered the carriage, she added, "I don\'t mind if a strong monster like yesterday attacks. I\'d actually like to fight it, see how strong it can be."

Ian smirked at the memory of her dismembering the giant warrior but soon composed himself and said, "And don\'t ever bring a monster\'s head to my bedside again, Charlotte."

"..."

"Not even the corpse."

As the carriage left the building, they passed by snow-covered ruins.

Heading toward the opposite exit they had entered, Charlotte cautiously added, "What about leaving it at your feet? Would that be okay, Ian?"

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"Yes, but..."

"Ha..."

With that unproductive conversation, the carriage left the abandoned village behind. The endless white snowscape unfolded around them.

***

"It\'s beautiful. Everything\'s so white."

Thesaya marveled at the surrounding scenery as the carriage continued through the snowfield. The path was still discernible, though the snow piled higher as they moved north. Fortunately, the wind wasn\'t too strong.

Ian spent most of the time with his eyes closed, not moving, to recover his strength and magic. Thanks to his high level of Meditation, he was able to maintain a meditative state without diving deep into his inner self. Meanwhile, Thesaya chattered away, paying him no mind.

"I\'m glad I followed Ian."

"Lucky you. It\'s like you’re going on a picnic," Charlotte sarcastically remarked.

Despite everything, Charlotte was usually the one who responded to Thesaya\'s comments.

"What would you know, kitty cat?" Thesaya retorted.

"I\'ve never really taken the time to enjoy the scenery around me. I\'ve never leisurely walked through a city. I had to survive, so I did what I had to. Do you even know what it\'s like to be dropped into an unknown world and survive on your own?"

...I know all too well. Ian thought to himself.

Charlotte\'s scoffing continued, "Pretentious words. You have no idea what it\'s like to live as a beastfolk on this continent."

"And how is that?"

"Every day is a struggle for survival. You\'ve seen it, so you should know."

"Maybe it\'s because you look so intimidating, Charlotte?"

"I am considered quite beautiful by beastfolk standards. And exceptionally strong, too."

"Yeah, your fur is soft, shiny. Makes one want to skin you and wear it."

Thesaya fluttered the hem of her robe.

"Like this one."

“...”

Charlotte growled softly.

Thesaya, unfazed, continued smiling and spoke, "I\'ll see and feel more things as I follow Ian. Maybe then, I’ll be able to kill all those damned vampires."

Her gaze slowly moved across the snowy landscape and the trees that stood tall like frosted flowers.

"My real freedom will begin then. I\'ll travel all over the Empire, even to the South where the fairies are said to live. It doesn\'t matter if they don\'t accept me. I just want to find out who I was once."

"...."

"Once I know that, I\'ll retreat to a safe borderland. I\'ll set up my own hideout and live out a peaceful life."

Her tone was as whimsical as if she were reading from a fairy tale, seemingly not fully believing it herself but wishing for it. Ian, sensing this, did not bother to open his eyes, nor did he need to discuss the likelihood that she might end up as the last of the vampire clan. Nor the possibility of suffering from existential loneliness after being rejected by the fairies, or that she might eventually die by his hand, considering the circumstances.

"Such a dreamy talk for a cursed demon," Charlotte retorted instead.

Thesaya frowned as if hit where it hurt, "I didn\'t choose to be this way."

"That doesn\'t change the fact that you\'re a demon, you pointy ears. Such talk is just running away from reality."

"...Great advice, Charlotte. From a madwoman whose life goal is to die fighting. Very realistic."

Charlotte, picking up a piece of jerky, turned to look at Thesaya.

"That would be the most beautiful and honorable end. There\'s nothing uglier than a beastfolk dying of old age, unable to fight or hunt, just becoming a burden."

"So you lived wiping that ugly human\'s behind?"

"What did you say...?"

"I\'ve seen you mingle with those dark ones, Charlotte. Sitting on horseback, puffing yourself up, that doesn\'t seem like the warrior\'s life you boast about." Thesaya snorted.

Thesaya then continued, "You talk about wanting to die gloriously in battle, yet it seems you liked the gold well enough."

"Don\'t talk nonsense when you know nothing, pointy ears." Charlotte glared at her.

Thesaya smiled, "Struck a nerve, have I? Don\'t be ashamed. Most humans I\'ve met prefer gold over fighting and risking their lives. Even those who captured me were promised boxes of gold if they brought me in."

"I won\'t deny having benefited from the merchant guild. But I\'ve only fulfilled my duties and responsibilities. Gold means little to me. It doesn’t hold a great meaning."

"Duties? Responsibilities?"

"Honors you pointy ears wouldn\'t understand."

Charlotte paused, then continued, perhaps deciding it was okay to share with Thesaya and Ian.

"Warriors must venture out to earn money once they come of age, for the prosperity of the tribe."

"So, you earned money not for yourself?"

"It\'s a tradition started because of your kind. But we beastfolk may have lost our homeland, not our roots. We\'ve established a new territory granted by His Majesty the Emperor. Although it’s still small and shabby."

Ian remembered a line from the game, hinting at a city of beastfolk hidden deep in the southern outskirts, along with the notoriously high fees of beastfolk mercenaries. It wasn\'t just because they were rare.

"Most of my earnings went to the tribe. To buy land, expand our domain, and raise the next generation of warriors. My duty was almost over. Just a few years or so. After that, I would\'ve left the guild without regret, just to live as a warrior, aiming for a beautiful demise."

"So, is your tribe starving because you\'re here?"

"That\'s foolish talk. There are many warriors from my tribe out in the world, each fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, even after they\'re no longer required to."

"Ah...." Thesaya nodded, a devilish smile on her face.

"Pity. You became Ian\'s pet before fulfilling that sacred duty."

"...It would be a lie to claim otherwise. But it\'s a common occurrence. Many warriors meet their end before they can fulfill their duties. It might be rare to lose one\'s tail in the process, but I\'ve accepted such a fate. Unlike you." Charlotte snorted.

"I will continue to fight life-threatening battles alongside Ian. Even if I die before regaining my tail, it would be an honor as a warrior."

"Okay, go ahead, die all you want. I plan to survive a long time."

"Do you think that\'s a blessing?" Charlotte turned to Thesaya.

"Even if you have to live forever with a different face by day and night, tormented by that cursed thirst and impulse?"

“...” Thesaya momentarily fumbled for words, not fully comprehending the length of eternity.

"So what, you\'re saying I should just live moderately and die?"

That was all she could retort with, a jab in return.

Charlotte shrugged, "If you ever get tired of living, just say the word. I\'ll gladly grant you the most painful death."

"I\'ll offer that blessing first. Ah, of course, I\'m talking about after our business is finished, Ian."

"You\'re making death wishes sound so long-winded."

"...!" Thesaya gasped, not expecting Ian to respond.

"You were awake? I thought you were sleeping."

"With all the noise you two are making, did you really expect me to sleep soundly?" Ian opened his eyes with a snort.

"You two are like one body. Don\'t forget that."

"If this crazy cat keeps wanting to die fighting, there\'s not much I can do about it, Ian."

"Then you\'ll just have to die together."

"What...?" Thesaya\'s eyes widened.

Ian looked down at her calmly.

"If you don\'t like that, then watch Charlotte\'s back. And I mean protect her, not try to kill her."

As Thesaya grimaced, Ian turned to Charlotte.

"And you, tone down all this talk of an honorable death. I have no intention of dying either."

"...Fair enough."

With those words, Ian closed his eyes again. He left unsaid the acknowledgment that, despite their reluctance to admit it, the two of them had more in common than they thought, and so did he. Ian reactivated his meditation, delving deeper into his consciousness than before. This time, he reached into the very depths of his inner self, aiming to shed unnecessary emotions and stray thoughts.

***

Contrary to the rumors of the white demonic realm, the midnight assaults were not as threatening as feared. Surprisingly, it was due to the sigil engraved in Ian\'s hand. After killing the Gatekeeper, the sigil began to serve an opposite role from before. When the sigil resonated, spirits from the ancient giant kingdom inevitably appeared nearby. However, they no longer approached as before, merely observing from a distance.

"...It\'s annoying, can I go and kill them all?"

"I actually agree with the kitty on this one. They\'re irritating."

While Charlotte and Thesaya were displeased, Ian paid them no mind. There was no need to engage if they weren\'t attacking, especially since most of these spirits didn\'t even yield experience points.

"Save your strength. Just deal with those that come too close to our camp."

Of course, not all creatures in the snowy wasteland were remnants of the giant kingdom. Mutated wild animals and indigenous monsters like ogres appeared, along with undead and spirits unrelated to the giants.

Most were no more than warm-up opponents for Charlotte, while the non-physical beings that Charlotte couldn\'t handle fell prey to Thesaya\'s unexpected ability to tear them apart with her bare hands. Her shadow familiars even devoured them.

"How do you catch spirits with your bare hands?"

"I don\'t know. It just works?"

There was no need to delve into the unknown reasons. Ian simply chalked it up to one of the many abilities inherent to demons. Having an additional method to deal with such troublesome entities like spirits was welcome enough. Days passed, and the mountains that once seemed like mere fingernails in the distance now loomed high enough that one had to tilt their head back to see their summits. The wind was as cold as if it bore blades.

"Turn the carriage around, Charlotte," Ian, glancing around, made the call.

A desolate valley stretched out, marked only by snow, rocks, and the occasional bare tree.

"There\'s no sign of anyone passing through. No path either."

"That means we\'ve found the right place."

"I agree."

With that, the carriage veered onto an indistinct slope, heading toward an unknown destination.