Barbarians

"No, my lord, you don't need to comfort me. I can already see it. In the deciding match, Miss Jeanne didn't use any magic at all. She defeated me entirely with ordinary techniques."

Master returned to his usual cold expression.

"I believe I can still become stronger. The way Miss Jeanne defeated me just now made me understand that magic truly does not decide everything. There are things even more important. I have already glimpsed a little of them, so I have no objection to Miss Jeanne serving as Grand Knight Commander."

"Very good, Master. You have not disappointed me. The strong rise through constant defeat, and clearly, you possess that potential."

Aurelian smiled faintly. It seemed his knight commander still felt a tiny bit unconvinced.

But that was even better. The stronger his subordinates were, the more smoothly his territory would develop.

"Alright, it's settled. Let's set off."

In a grand procession, more than twenty knights rode freely across the vast Frostlands, Aurelian's blue knightly cloak fluttering in the wind.

In the distance, the Abif Mountains, a forbidden zone of life, towered majestically, yet seemed close enough to touch, like the end of the world.

Jeanne rode a white warhorse, one Aurelian had specially selected from his own stables. It was considered a fine horse.

She was still wearing her black-and-white maid outfit. There was no helping it; Aurelian simply could not find any suitable armor for Jeanne to wear.

If he had the chance, Aurelian thought he could have a set specially made for her.

"My lord, I heard soldiers on the Wall of Despair mention that in the barren Frostlands, the greatest danger is not the magical beasts or those elusive curses."

Master, riding beside him, spoke up. It seemed he had done plenty of preparation before coming here and had learned much about the Frostlands.

"What is it, then? Sorry, but rumors about the Frostlands have long faded away in the royal capital. I do not know much."

Aurelian looked up. Several kilometers ahead, he could already see towering spruces. It was incredibly dark there, like the gaping abyssal maw of some prehistoric beast!

"Fierce barbarians, also called the Barbarians. They resemble us, but they are far stronger. They hate us, just as we hate them, like ice and fire."

A flicker of fear passed through Master's eyes.

"The Barbarians? Didn't they disappear centuries ago? I heard they gradually died out in the deepest reaches of the Frostlands."

"They have appeared again. That is what I heard from the guards on the Wall of Despair when I passed by."

"They appeared again? That sounds suspicious."

Aurelian muttered as he tried hard to recall the information in his mind.

Barbarians. That was the name the Star Kingdom had given them; their true name could no longer be verified. A thousand years ago, they had been the Star Kingdom's inescapable nightmare, like the Sword of Damocles forever hanging above its head.

The royal capital had been besieged six times, and nearly half the kingdom had fallen. If not for the Holy Sword of Stars, which suppressed the kingdom's fate, the Star Kingdom might have vanished into the dust of history long ago.

They had been like a comet, rising suddenly and vanishing just as suddenly.

There had been no warning, and no one knew why.

The decline of the Barbarians gave the Star Kingdom a chance to catch its breath. In that long-awaited peace, the Star Kingdom gradually rose again, achieving the prosperous age under Arthur's rule.

"The Holy Sword of Stars has already been lost."

Aurelian's gaze flickered. He felt an enormous weight pressing down on him.

His territory lay beyond the Great Wall. He would surely be the first to suffer the impact.

Before long, the broad plains vanished from Aurelian's sight, replaced by a dark, towering forest where the light was blocked out.

The Spruce Forest.

As the cold wind passed through the narrow gaps between the trees, it howled like the shrieks of evil spirits, ringing around Aurelian's group, now near, now far.

The warhorses beneath them had already slowed to a walk. Jeanne stayed beside Aurelian, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

The knights around Aurelian each watched the dim surroundings warily, their hands ready on the hilts of their swords.

The moment danger appeared, they would be ready to strike back.

"Everyone, be careful. Do not let the beasts here harm a single hair on my lord or Lady Jeanne."

Master gave the order in a low voice.

Although Jeanne had been appointed Grand Knight Commander by Aurelian, she was not actually interested in commanding these knights. Thus, the crucial task of leading the knights in battle fell back onto Master, the knight commander.

But clearly, he was far more motivated than before. Perhaps he had found a new direction to pursue.

"There have always been rumors that Lower Rank Overlord magical beasts roam this place. I do not know whether they are true."

Master spoke gravely to Aurelian.

"I would rather not verify that rumor personally, my knight commander."

Aurelian cut Master off, looking at him with a smile.

Then he turned to Jeanne behind him and asked, "Jeanne, how confident are you against a Lower Rank magical beast?"

Jeanne shook her head. If no one spoke to her first, she would remain silent forever.

"We would have to try to know. Once a magical beast reaches the Lower Rank, one of its physical abilities will be enhanced. It should be quite troublesome, right?"

As always, her expression did not change in the slightest.

"Is that so? Even you are not certain."

Aurelian could not help feeling uneasy. This was the Frostlands. Who knew what strange thing might come running out?

What worried him most was encountering the Barbarians, who appeared and disappeared like ghosts. He knew nothing about them, and the unknown was the source of fear.

Because the mission issued by the Stone Book was to defeat the Guardian, Aurelian planned to enter through the southeastern part of the Spruce Forest and exit from the southwest. That way, he could venture into the depths of the Spruce Forest while still taking a safe route back to Winter City.

"Master, have you heard of the Child of Frost, protected by winter?"

Aurelian suddenly asked.

"The Child of Frost? Forgive me, my lord, but that name is completely unfamiliar. I am certain I have never heard of it."

Master shook his head helplessly.

"The Child of Frost, also called Winter's Darling, is an elemental being born from frost magic. It is said to provide living creatures with frost protection."

Aurelian suddenly heard someone answer his question. He turned in surprise and discovered it was Jeanne, who had been silent the entire time.

"Jeanne, you know about it?"

Aurelian asked in surprise. He suddenly felt that his personal maid and Grand Knight Commander was capable of practically anything!

"My lord, you never ask me."

Jeanne spoke softly, but a smile suddenly bloomed across her face.

So beautiful.

Seeing Jeanne's beautiful smile again, Aurelian suddenly felt completely satisfied.

"The Child of Frost... can it make seeds sprout in this land?"

He gazed into Jeanne's beautiful blue eyes and asked with a smile.