Chapter 20: The Road To Demon Realm (2)

The next day.

After spending a night in a moderately sized village, we set off again.

The road to the Demon Realm was long, so we had to stay in several villages.

Currently, among them. We arrived at a County in the north.

Being in the north, snow fell, and the cool air pierced my lungs.

Lilac said we would stay here for the night, so I decided to wander around and look at the County for a while.

“As expected. The barbarians of the north have poor literacy and are frail.”

Diana, walking beside me, sniffled and disparaged the County.

I didn’t want to agree, but indeed, the streets of the County were less developed than the Duchy.

I hadn’t been to the capital, but compared to it, the civilization here was likely miserable.

People wore clothes stitched from animal hides, and the streets were unkempt.

The ground was just snow and dirt, and buildings taller than two stories were nowhere to be seen.

Truly a wretched sight.

It was questionable how this place could even be a County.
However, as the saying goes, don’t judge by appearance alone; this place excelled in other areas.

Hunting the demonic beasts and Majin that crossed over from the Demon Realm.

That was the duty of this County.

Not just the Count’s family, but the residents also possessed considerable martial prowess, leading other territories to call this place the ‘Iron Wall of the North’.

Due to the climate and environment hindering development, the territory could only foster martial strength and repel invasions from the Demon Realm.

That’s why the streets looked like this.

Though barbaric, they shouldn’t be belittled or disparaged.

They served as the shield protecting the Empire.

“Don’t complain. From their perspective, we’re the same.”

I retorted to Diana’s grumbling just now.

From their perspective, they wouldn’t welcome us.

‘They’re probably thinking, ‘Why are the southern scarecrows here?’’

Indeed, the relationship between the northern residents and the people from the capital and the south wasn’t good.

We saw them as barbarians.

They saw us as scarecrows or worse.

Fortunately, Lilac had a good relationship with the Count here, so we could stay.

And she was probably exchanging pleasantries with the Count right now.

So, it was just Diana and me for now.

We could have stayed warm inside the Count’s estate, but I insisted on seeing the streets, so we came out.

Diana was thrown to me as bait in case of an emergency.

Though such a thing was unlikely.

Butler was currently nearby, so I wasn’t worried.

Lilac told me to take him as an escort.

However, he wasn’t showing himself.

If Butler, with his strong killing intent, wandered the streets, it might arouse the residents’ vigilance.

Of course, he could control it and stay with us, but Butler insisted this was more comfortable and deliberately hid.

“Ugh. What’s there to see on the streets.”

Diana complained yet clung close, following along.

‘Indeed.’
I came out of curiosity, but there really was nothing to see.
For reference, my time limit was 5 minutes, so we were moving around a tiny village near the Count’s estate.

It was a really small village.

So few houses that it took only 3 minutes to see everything.

‘Isn’t this barely even a village?’

Being the closest village to the Count’s estate, I expected it to be slightly more developed.

We could even see the Count’s mansion from here.

Yet, it was no different from the other villages in the County we saw on the way.

The same animal hides, the same one-story wooden houses.

The residents were unwelcoming, and Diana’s constant sniffling after just 3 minutes was getting annoying, so we were about to head back.

Just as I stepped onto the carriage stairs.

Thwack.

“Ugh!”

Something hard struck my lower back.

Thud.

The impact threw me forward, making me smack my face on the carriage floor.

“Oww. What the heck…”

A throbbing pain came from my back and the face I hit falling forward.

Fortunately, my nose wasn’t bleeding, but the stinging pain remained.

To see what it was, I stood up and turned around.

And what I saw was.

“Eek! Let go! Let me go!”

A boy, held by the scruff of his neck by Butler’s hand.

Similar to the northern residents, he had brown skin and stripe-like markings painted on his face.

“Uh… Are you okay?”

Diana approached cautiously, used Heal, and asked.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit late to ask that?”

“Ahem. I-I was startled too and lost my words.”

“Ah. Right.”

“Hmph…”

‘The more I look, the more she resembles the Goddess.’

[I don’t think so.]

‘Isn’t that also too late to say?’

[Hmph…]

‘They’re acting like a pair.’

Anyway. Thanks to Diana’s Heal, the pain disappeared.

A slight discomfort remained, but it would likely fade soon.

Anyway.

I lowered my head to examine what hit my back.

What came into view was.

“Goodness. He threw this…?”

Diana pointed in surprise beside me.

And I was just as surprised.

The object that hit my back was a stone.

A stone the size of a fist.

A chill ran down my spine, and my fingers trembled.

If it had hit wrong or harder.

A size that could have caused instant death or left me crippled for life.

Fortunately, hitting my lower back avoided a critical situation.

Diana said my bone was even fractured.

Being hit just now, I didn’t even realize the bone was fractured, and thanks to Heal, the pain vanished immediately, so I was relieved, but.

Pressing down on my trembling fingers, I stared straight ahead.

The boy held by Butler struggled, shouting loudly.

“Let go!! You piece of sh-!”

The people who looked like the boy’s parents, far from showing remorse, shouted for Butler to put the child down.

Now I slightly agreed with what Diana said.

Barbarians.

This was their land, and we were outsiders.

Naturally, they were wary of us and looked down on the southern scarecrows.

They were basically racist.

But I understand.

If they went down south, they would receive the same gazes and wariness.

Just for being racially different and looking different from us.

But that’s because education is flawed, not because we should be hostile to each other.

Because we live in the same Empire.

Butler met my eyes.

Then he brought the boy held by the neck over with one hand and spoke.

“What… will you do.”

His voice was extremely low.

So low it seemed strange coming from an elderly butler.

Was he angry at the child?

Or angry at himself for failing to protect me?

I looked at the child for a moment.

He looked young.

Somewhere between a teenager and a child.

Typical of northern residents, he had a large build.

His height was similar to mine.

But judging by his youthful face, he was still a child.

Diana beside me gulped nervously.

Butler still watched me with sunken eyes.

The boy, fear finally dawning, had trembling eyes, and his parents clenched their fists tensely.

The decision rests with me.

My single word could determine the child’s life or death.

With Lilac backing me, it wouldn’t be strange to call it abuse of power.

But I lack both the courage and the decisiveness for that.

Because life is precious.

The deliberation didn’t last long.

No, there wasn’t even any deliberation.

“Let him go. Grandpa.”

Butler relaxed slightly at the word ‘Grandpa’.

However, he looked down at the child with a displeased face.

His profession was assassin.

He had no qualms about killing people.

Still, I gambled, thinking he would obey my word.

“However, I will report this to Lady Lilac.”

“Yes… well.”

Lilac would probably rush out immediately upon hearing the report, but I have a trump card, so it should be manageable.

I should be able to stop her with that.

Thwack.

As Butler released his grip, the child quickly ran behind his parents.

The residents also breathed sighs of relief, and Diana sighed too.

We boarded the carriage without even a greeting, but the child’s parents approached stealthily, yet didn’t speak.

Seeing them ultimately not apologizing made me laugh, and I closed the door.

They seem to think courage alone solves everything.

I confirmed the northern people’s pride.

The determination not to apologize even after initiating the conflict.

Would the Lord of the North be like this too?

Suddenly, I worried about Lilac.

More accurately, I worried about the Count dealing with Lilac.

If he accidentally offended Lilac and offered no apology.

“Ugh.”

“What’s wrong? Still in pain?”

“No. I’m fine.”

My body trembled just imagining it.

Hopefully, no accidents happen during our stay.

Butler sat back in the driver’s seat.

The faint killing intent he radiated made me shiver again.

‘Please, Lilac, just stay put.’

Leaning back in the departed carriage, I closed my eyes.

Having moved for nearly 5 minutes already, I needed to recover my energy.

It wouldn’t take long anyway, but recovering even a little would be good.

‘Hopefully, Lilac stays put after hearing the report.’

“……”

“Um… Is there perhaps a problem?”

The person who looked like the Count’s butler asked.

“Could you… say that again?”

“Uh… Lady Lilac rushed out to the nearby village just a moment ago.”

She left before I could stop her.

‘After I went through the trouble of saving him. Dammit.’

‘Looks like I have to go back.’