Soft snow lay in layers over the slopes, woods, and rocks, turning the world silver-white.
The deep snow beneath them was soft, and the horses left trails of hoofprints as they stepped through it.
Louis and his party moved slowly onward. On the surface, they seemed to be wandering casually across the snowfields, enjoying a leisurely stroll after the hunt.
But Louis had already been quietly steering their course.
Their route led north, toward the Archmage's location as indicated by the Intelligence System.
Suddenly, a Knight scouting ahead came galloping back.
"My lord, we found an old man's corpse up ahead. He looks withered... and there's something strange about his wound."
"A corpse?" Louis's brow furrowed, and his heart sank. "Come on. Let's take a look."
That wasn't right. The Daily Intelligence System had clearly stated that the old fellow was merely "unconscious." He shouldn't be dead.
After only a short ride, they saw the strange corpse the scouting Knight had described.
A skeletal old man in a tattered cloak sat cross-legged, half buried in the snow, like an ascetic monk.
He bore no resemblance whatsoever to the vigorous "Archmage Loken," his robes billowing, whom Louis had once seen in illustrations in history books.
The most striking feature was on his chest, over his heart.
There was a fist-sized fissure that gave off a dark glow.
The fissure was still slowly widening. The skin around it kept disintegrating, and black markings spread outward.
"This isn't unconscious..." Louis couldn't help muttering a complaint at the system. "He looks fucking dead."
Just as he wondered whether the system had made a mistake, the "corpse's" mouth moved slightly.
"Mm... ugh..."
A Knight cried out in surprise, "He's actually still alive!"
Everyone exchanged looks, their expressions freezing. How could he still be alive in