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A few days after the threat from Afterglow Fortress and Present was put to rest.

Karem finally got to board the wagon heading back to Winterhome.

“Wasn’t there a siege war? Isn’t this a bit hasty?”

“Actually, we might be a bit late.”

“So when will you be signing the contract?”

“Are you already itching to leave? But you should enjoy the banquet first—”

“Starting now is cutting it close, don’t you think?”

“Ah…”

It was because if he didn’t leave soon, he would end up spending winter at the northernmost edge of Iceland.

Catherine, reminding Richard of this, was finally able to receive final approval for the contract that they had coordinated in advance. And unlike when they came, the caravan had grown significantly larger.

The reason was simple.

It was the reward for their exploits in battle.

Catherine, who stalled the enemy Grand Wizard from using magic, Gordon, who decapitated the enemy Swordmaster during the special forces operation, and Karem, who preemptively mitigated the threats the fortress may have faced when the special forces failed.

Moreover, every single soldier and servant deployed in the battle received some form of reward, however small it might be. Even Mary, who usually refused such things.

On top of that, there were the byproducts from three mammoths—meat, leather, bones—that Richard had tossingly given as a token of goodwill.

Despite the scale being enormous and the season being what it was, there was no doubt that trouble would be attracted; however, this too could be prevented in advance.

Richard provided carts and guards.

Thanks to that, the speed didn’t slow down, despite the larger caravan than when they came.

The atmosphere in the caravan was not bad.

No one dislikes a reward for their efforts.

Thus, as Catherine, looking tired, touched the heavily sealed box while munching on the walnut cookies Mary offered, she cautioned Karem, who was subtly trying to bend his elbow while kneeling.

“Whoa there, your arm’s going down. You know your crime, right?”

“…But it ended well, didn’t it? We’ve only been on this wagon for a few days!”

“Do you think that excuses your crime?”

Upon hearing that, Karem had no words.

Throwing the holy relic into the well without much thought was a serious offense.

Even if he retrieved it and wore it around his neck, the crime wouldn’t just vanish.

Thanks to the support of the guards and carts, Gordon, freed from the hardships of being a driver, clicked his tongue lightly.

“Couldn’t you have at least put it in a pocket or a bucket and dropped it on a pulley instead?”

“Ugh. I won’t make excuses.”

“No, I mean, you should make one.”

“I absolutely won’t speak!”

“What kind of grand reason could it be that you’ve sewn your mouth shut?”

Karem, avoiding eye contact with the incredulous Gordon, squeezed his eyes shut and trembled his arms.

Of course, Gordon had thought the same thing just moments ago.

Right after Mary had warned him.

He regretted not thinking it through just once or twice instead of acting reflexively as he usually did, but it was too late for that.

“By the way, the sword at your waist looks different from the one before!”

Karem quickly changed the subject. Gordon had a look that seemed to say “what now?” but nodded while stifling a laugh.

“Well, it’s the loot I acquired this time.”

“Is it a sword that the enemy used?”

“It’s something the Swordmaster used; it belonged to a Grizzly Beaver of all things.”

“Are you serious? What in the world is a Swordmaster?”

Skepticism crept into Karem’s tone when it came to such a powerful term being associated with that kind of race.

But Gordon nodded confidently at Karem’s words.

“With such a clear aura right in front of me, that’s a Swordmaster for you. Although, it was easier to deal with since he wasn’t quite experienced.”

With that, Gordon proudly grabbed the sheathe at his waist.

Swish—

As the sword revealed itself with a clear sound, Karem, momentarily forgetting the pain in his limbs from curiosity, marveled.

“Oh, it gives off a significant vibe. A magical sword?”

“Well, it is a magical sword. Does it look otherwise to you?”

“But it doesn’t seem to compare to Sir Atanitas’s staff, does it?”

“What—ah.”

Gordon, taken aback, glanced at the staff Catherine had placed nearby.

“Hey, you should compare properly. This is a magical sword made from obsidian of unknown origin, while that is the legacy of a fallen ancient civilization. It’s practically impossible to replicate that!”

Gordon tilted his head slightly toward Catherine.

“Madam Mage. Would that be impossible?”

“That’s not incorrect, but it irks me somehow.”

“Did you just say it’s impossible?”

“Hey.”

However, Gordon, ignoring Catherine’s words, plucked a hair from his head and placed it against the blade.

As soon as the hair touched the edge of the sword—it was cleanly severed.

“Is it because it’s obsidian? It’s remarkably sharp.”

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it break after a few cuts?”

“Whatever magic is on this sword, it’s remained intact. I was thinking of trying to feel its aura—”

Gordon subtly glanced at Catherine.

“You’ll be paying the price.”

“What?!”

“Of course. But is there a discount for friends?”

“Ha. A discount, you say?”

“Madam Mage. Aren’t we close friends, including Karem here?”

“I will definitely collect the full service fee.”

“Why?!”

“That’s why you’re still a mercenary.”

The noisy atmosphere in the wagon, which had continued with playful bickering, lingered instead of quieting when they left Winterhome.

Thanks to Gordon’s tireless exploration, there was no shortage of topics.

There were no tedious matters, and even if Karem was freed from sparring due to heavy snowfall, he still had his complaints.

How could he not be eating the delicious mammoth meat?

He was quite displeased.

And upon hearing Karem’s grievance, Gordon remarked.

“Honestly, just tell me. You’re not a serf, right?”

“Gordon, what do you mean by that?”

“Oh, suddenly using such grand titles.”

Gordon waved his hand at Karem, as if saying it wasn’t necessary.

Each time he did, the beef stew in his hand splashed.

“In any case, do you think a trip like this would afford proper meals for someone who’s not a noble? Right now—”

“Excuse me, but you’re a baron, aren’t you? Baron Bolton.”

“Oh, right.”

Karem swirled the stew pot in frustration.

Of course, Karem knew there was no helping it.

The mammoths were completely frozen in the snow of the frozen wilderness.

Heavy machinery had to be brought in to secure the byproducts, and they had been loaded in a completely frozen state, making it impossible to prepare anything on the journey.

Moreover, time was tight, so they had been surviving on a pot of stew made only with beef, chicken, and pork for days—wait a minute. How had he forgotten that?

“Gordon can prepare it.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes. It’s your turn.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“The frozen mammoth meat?”

“What do you expect me to do with that?”

“Use your aura.”

“…Good point?”

Gordon, having gulped down the remaining broth of the stew, poked his lips out and narrowed his eyes. If he used his aura, he could easily cut through something frozen like that.

Other aura users from the escort?

More like it would be more likely to get crushed.

‘Admittedly, I’m a bit curious about mammoth meat too.’

Mammoth meat.

Unlike other byproducts like the egg of a phoenix, cockatrice meat, or mandrake, which were delicious but had special effects or uses that justified their prices, mammoth meat stood on equal footing purely for its taste.

Moreover, mammoths were only found in the cold northern regions, where far more people die of exposure before they even lay eyes on one.

Even among the gourmets of the fallen Palatino Empire, it was said to trade at the same weight as gold, which Gordon understood.

He had never once been treated better than just for mammoth meat, despite numerous attempts.

“But it doesn’t sound that appetizing.”

“What?!”

“Hmm.”

Filling his empty bowl once again, Gordon engulfed the stew with all the solid bits in one go.

“What can I say? It’s mammoth meat. I want to eat it prepared properly at a decent setting.”

While Gordon had grown accustomed to the life of a mercenary, he wasn’t ignorant of gastronomy.

In fact, in some ways, he was more knowledgeable than your average mercenary.

Of course, he hadn’t grown accustomed to it by choice.

It was all thanks to the powerful entities who sought to woo him.

However, the memories of a Swordmaster receiving such exquisite delicacies left Gordon unwittingly accustomed to high culinary standards.

That meant the everyday food he consumed now fell short in comparison but it wasn’t unsatisfactory to endure.

“At this point, there’s no choice but to persuade Sir Atanitas!”

Karem, leaving behind the pot and Gordon, headed straight for the wagon.

Gordon would likely finish the beef stew but it didn’t matter. He had already filled his belly while cooking, and Mary had finished her meal ages ago. Catherine would probably have one bowl and nibble on the rest as a snack.

What mattered now was mammoth meat.

Though frozen solid, Catherine was indeed a Grand Wizard who specialized in ice magic. Therefore, she should be able to defrost it.

Opening the wagon door, just as expected, Catherine had a fatigued look on her face, enjoying shortbread cookies and milk mixed with honey while being tended to by Mary.

“Hey? Have you finished your meal already?”

“I had my share while cooking. No, that’s not it. Sir Atanitas.”

“…What are you trying to say with such gravity now?”

Catherine regularly sprang surprises on him in ways that defied imagination. She glared at Karem suspiciously.

“You did say your specialty was ice magic.”

“Yes. You wouldn’t have forgotten that, would you? The reason I brought it up is—”

“Then you should be able to defrost the frozen mammoth meat on the wagon behind us, right?”

“Well, defrost, eh? I could even thaw it as fresh as if it was just hunted.”

Karem instinctively raised his fist toward the sky.

Of course, there are some who wouldn’t rejoice at Catherine’s confidence.

“Contractor, are you really going to eat that?”

Mary’s eyes twitched in disbelief. Naturally, it was a reasonable reaction considering they were talking about consuming the remains of an undead.

“True. I understand your thoughts. Eating the remains of an undead person is certainly rare if the undead aren’t starving monsters.”

However, Catherine could assure them.

“A mammoth that died a natural death. It’s been less than a month since it turned undead, and the cleansing ritual involved holy water has been meticulously applied. You must have seen it too, right?”

The cleansing ritual and holy water. None of these could remain intact if an undead came into contact with it.

Conversely, if it remained unharmed after contact, it indicated safety.

There was no need for concern about freshness either.

Both butchers and the cooks from the fortress had deemed it safe to eat.

“However, not right now.”

“Then please—wait?”

“No, I lacked the explanation.”

Catherine spoke in a voice full of helplessness. Weariness oozed from every word and gesture.

“You’re unable to use magic? What does that mean?”

“Had I slapped around some spells at the old geezer, it would have been a different story. But the enemy was denying access to magic over large areas, so I’m lucky to have made it out with this little energy.”

“Oh, so it wasn’t just fatigue all along?”

“Right. It’s hard to use my magic now that I’ve completely let my guard down.”

“Ugh—”

Karem sighed deeply, feeling truly disappointed.

He had certainly never seen Catherine so exhausted.

Moreover, it was implausible that she would lie for such a trivial matter.

It wasn’t like he’d ever seen her tell a lie.

“But somehow it feels like your clothes have become shorter.”

“Huh? Who? Sir Atanitas?”

“Of course not. I mean you, little one.”

Catherine gestured toward Karem as she cocked her head to the side.

Despite feeling confused, Karem followed her gesture and stood straight with his arms open.

He could feel the cold air at his wrists and ankles.

“Wait, did I really grow?”

Karem turned his head. His arms, heavily packed with clothing, only showed his wrists and ankles peeking out.

“Definitely seems like my clothes shrunk compared to before.”

Mary murmured softly and examined Karem from top to bottom.

“You’ve grown taller.”

“It’s no wonder my limbs have been sore these past few days. Sometimes my heart feels weird too.”

“That’s pretty normal when kids grow. Once we return, we must get clothes that fit. But about your heart?”

“Maybe it’s just fatigue?”

Feeling a bit tired due to overwork had been familiar since his previous life.

In school, he often felt fatigued to the point of chest pain.

Damn study sessions, damn group projects, damn midterms and finals.

It wasn’t unfamiliar enough that Karem felt any stronger connection to it now.

“Please take care of the clothes.”

Karem momentarily recalled past memories and promptly bowed his head toward Catherine. He had sloppily been dressed back then and it was no different now. All his clothes were managed by Mary.

Thus, after the caravan that had been paused resumed after the horses and snowrunners finished their feed, they set off toward Coldon again.

 

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