Toward the Unknown

"Pity." Aurora spoke with some regret. "I'd thought we could obtain more direct intelligence. Now we can only rely on the mages."

Jern Vanrite, however, had mixed feelings.

He did not regret the rebels' deaths. He simply found the way they had died difficult to accept.

The Bloodkin's survivability was absolutely among the best in the nations of the Sea of Tranquility, not to mention the heaps of protective spells layered over them. Yet without any obvious external injuries, they had failed to last even an hour. Just how harsh was the world beyond the wall?

Even so, the Duchess remained determined to cross the Black Barrier. That conviction truly sent a chill down Jern's spine.

Did she truly know what she was doing?

The mages began examining all the test subjects in public, including those stiff, unyielding nobles. To save time, they unusually brought out their heavy blades and hacked the corpses into several pieces.

"The exterior of the deceased is largely intact. Their fingers are shattered, and there is bruising at the ends of their limbs."

"Oh? Examine those areas of pooled blood."

"Did any of them leave behind any records?"

"No! Every one of their notebooks is blank."

"They did not write a single word in an hour. Either they died the instant they crossed the Black Barrier, or they never intended to assist our research."

"Lord Kana, you should take a look at this... These people may not have died from the cold."

"I see... You've done well. I'll inform the Duchess at once."

After hearing the Archmage's report, a sharp gleam flashed through Aurora's eyes. "You mean they were indeed subjected to extremely low temperatures, but the true cause of death was suffocation?"

"Yes. Their throats are swollen, and there are multiple internal hemorrhages in