The Yuridina Clan had a history of pioneering the barren North.
At the northernmost tip of the continent lies a land of snow and ice. A little further down, there is the permafrost where only moss takes root each spring, followed by vast coniferous forests as one descends even further.
There were not many plants and animals that could survive in the cold and barren land. Among them were humans as well.
Like any other biological community, humans could not live entirely alone. Numerous plants and animals must coexist to provide a stable source of nutrients.
Thus, when the Yuridina Clan planted their flag in the North many years ago, it was a place of exile.
Once a loyal subject of the Unified Empire, the Yuridina Clan was abandoned over time. Although they migrated north under the pretense of receiving new territories, it was well known that it was an act of political abandonment.
Yet even there, the Yuridina Clan survived.
Every creature that lived in the harsh North was resilient in its own way. Even the small rats that fed on moss hid their own form of tenacity.
Creatures specialized solely for survival.
The Yuridina Clan embraced the ways of the indigenous people.
They would do whatever it took to survive. They revered strength, and weak existence was cast aside, accumulating centuries of history.
Thus, when the Unified Empire crumbled in the War of Division, the Yuridina Clan stood at the forefront.
Having become a founding benefactor of the empire, the Yuridina Clan ruled as the greatest power in the North for a long time. Nevertheless, their beliefs never wavered.
Victory was everything; defeat was death.
The refined etiquette of the clan during the days of the Unified Empire had long been discarded as mere formalities. The only commonality between the Yuridina Clan of that time and the Yuridina Clan of today was one thing.
The vision season Golden Lionsword, a sword said to be modeled after the claws of a lion.
In fact, there were no lions in the North. There was not enough prey for such a predator to thrive.
Still, the reason traces of beasts living in the eastern grasslands remained in the Yuridina Clan was that their roots did not lie in the North.
Conversely, this meant that everything about the Yuridina Clan, except for the Golden Lionsword, had been adjusted to fit the life of the North.
Delphine Yuridina was born as the legitimate heir of such a clan.
At that time, the Yuridina Marquis was in the prime of his life. He had conquered numerous exotic settlements that remained in the North and successfully chased away elves and orcs beyond the vast coniferous forests.
His skill was among the highest of sword experts, undeniably nearing that of a master.
However, being such an outstanding individual meant he was burdened with many responsibilities.
Having little interest in women, he was indifferent to the idea of producing heirs. In fact, when he eventually brought back Seria and her mother, his retainers were greatly astonished.
Thus, Delphine had to grow up alone for a long time. Being the precious gem of the Yuridina Clan, it goes without saying what kind of presence she held.
During a period that should have been devoted to strict heir education, she grew up throwing tantrums. She was a girl who inherited the clan’s characteristic golden hair and red eyes.
Everyone in the clan loved her. Few could dislike Delphine, a lovely and sociable young girl.
Delphine enjoyed a happy childhood living freely among the retainers. She even loved the cold, barren land of the North.
Someday, if she were to ascend to the position of the North’s ruler, she would plant flowers to adorn the North even more beautifully.
Holding onto a futile hope that could only be dreamed of in childhood, Delphine grew up.
But only until the age of six.
Delphine still vividly remembered that day. Her keen mind inherited from the excellent bloodline of the Yuridina Clan was famous for its sharp memory.
In the lord’s castle’s stable, there was an old man named Hanson. He looked like an aged villager but was a trusted retainer responsible for the important strategic asset of horses.
He was particularly fond of Delphine. Perhaps it was because he had a granddaughter of that age in a distant territory, that reason remained in the back of Delphine’s mind.
Naturally, Delphine also liked Hanson. As the stable caretaker, he knew many tales of the knights’ exploits. Listening to his stories, Delphine firmly believed that one day she too would become a just knight.
A child dreaming of being a knight inevitably had a fascination with horseback riding.
Delphine begged Hanson to let her ride every time she met him. Each time, Hanson would only respond with a gentle smile.
“Oh dear, you’re still too young to handle a horse’s strength. Once you grow a little taller, you won’t want to stop riding. Ha ha!”
Delphine felt a twinge of disappointment and pouted. A child always believes they have grown up, so Hanson would just laugh it off.
The incident occurred one night.
Delphine secretly entered the stable. Originally, it was a place she couldn’t enter freely, but a little girl with a bundle of keys to the castle had no concept of impossibility.
With her clumsy horse-riding knowledge, Delphine managed to climb onto a horse, and the outcome was predictable.
A fall; fortunately, it wasn’t a serious injury, but it was enough to break a child’s fragile bones. It was a prank that would make the retainers’ hearts freeze in an instant.
In her sickbed, Delphine groaned in pain.
It hurt, but the rumors circulating said that Hanson would be in trouble. She couldn’t bear the thought of putting Hanson in a difficult position.
Once she recovered, she wanted to apologize to him and protect him.
One day, while thinking this, Delphine heard that her father had returned.
It was just around the time when she had barely regained her ability to move. She hobbled on crutches and rushed out joyfully to see her father as usual.
And then she saw it.
Her father holding a sword and Hanson kneeling before him.
His hands were bound by ropes. Despair clouded Hanson’s expression.
At that moment, Delphine’s mind froze.
It was a scene she had witnessed many times before. Her father executing a criminal, and realizing this, Delphine rushed toward her father unconsciously.
She stumbled, still awkwardly trying to run on crutches. Rolling on the ground and dragging her injured leg, Delphine crawled to grab her father’s ankle.
Before she knew it, Delphine was crying out loud.
For the first time that day, she understood. When you yearn desperately, it naturally leads to pleading and tears.
“Father, snff… p-please don’t! It’s my fault! Hu, snff… Hanson is innocent! I acted on my own…!”
However, her father’s expression remained unchanged. He commanded in his usual stern voice.
“Delphine, step back.”
“N-no! You’re going to kill Hanson! P-punish me instead… It’s my fault! Hanson didn’t do anything wrong!”
For the first time ever, Delphine raised her voice against her father, who was like a god to her. The retainers around them could only remain silent in the face of her pitiful wails.
After a while, the Yuridina Marquis let out a sigh.
As if he had no choice, he uttered a word.
“… Stand up.”
At that moment, Delphine’s face lit up. She thought her father had changed his mind, gritting her teeth against the pain, she rose.
And the moment she lifted her bright face.
Blood burst forth in a fan shape.
She couldn’t see it. It was her first time witnessing the skill of a capable swordsman.
Without realizing the sword had been drawn, she found herself witnessing the aftermath.
Delphine’s eyes gradually turned toward Hanson. He was collapsing while spurting blood from his neck, bubbling crimson foam from his mouth.
The blood quickly splattered on the ground. When it splattered on her legs, Delphine screamed and sat down.
“Ah, ah… Aaaah!”
“Stand up, Delphine.”
The Yuridina Marquis showed no reaction. Delphine forgot that he was the one who killed Hanson, and she clung to her father’s pant leg.
“F-father! H-hanson…!”
“I told you to stand, Delphine!”
And those blood-red eyes gazing coldly at her.
Delphine’s blood froze. It was the instinct of a prey facing its predator. Without realizing it, she awkwardly stood up.
Her pained leg trembled. Yet, Delphine could not sit back down.
The Yuridina Marquis, watching her, solemnly spoke.
“Remember today well, Delphine. We humans have no right to receive punishment.”
Tears filled Delphine’s eyes and shook violently. Even witnessing her trembling small body, the man showed no sign of emotion.
“Even if you make a mistake, even if you fail, all responsibility lies with your subordinates. And at those times, your precious people will dwindle one by one… Do you understand, Delphine?”
However, even the Yuridina Marquis was human, unable to maintain his icy mask when it came to dealing with his daughter.
A pained light flickered in his eyes.
Delphine was surprised. She realized that even strong humans like her father couldn’t control everything.
“… Therefore, do not lose. If you do, you will have to lose your precious people one after another.”
Instead of you.
With that unspoken addition, the Yuridina Marquis left without uttering a word of comfort.
Delphine stood there for a while, as if she had turned to stone, then eventually sank to the ground in anguish. She crawled over and looked down at Hanson’s corpse.
There was no trace of emotion in his eyes. This made Delphine suffer even more.
Burrowing her face into that corpse, Delphine inhaled the scent of blood. It felt like hyperventilating. With gritted teeth, the sight of a small girl inhaling blood through her nose was almost ghastly.
It was bitter and warm. This was the trace of life.
The share of precious people who would never return.
In the pool of blood, the girl cried. The retainers of Yuridina watched her with pity but did not lift her up.
It was the burden that the heir of Yuridina had to bear.
After that day, Delphine changed. She lost her expression, and the smile that had once seemed charming turned cold long ago.
When she met her half-brother, and when her mother was expelled, Delphine earnestly advised him.
“If you can’t prove your worth, you’ll end up like this.”
That was all Delphine could advise her younger sibling at that young age.
Thus, Delphine grew up without a single defeat. She naturally absorbed the worldview of Yuridina and came to realize that the lessons she imprinted in her heart as a child were not mistaken at all.
Victory is everything.
The loser loses everything. What is precious, everything is altered by victory or defeat.
Yet that worldview, which she had upheld all her life, was shattered by a single man.
By Ian Fercurus, that very man.
