The North was a cold and dark place.
Even the radiant white sunlight felt cold here. This place was the only one on the entire continent where you could feel the sun as frigid.
What once would have been a barren expanse was now lined with all kinds of civilizations. Various buildings and the bustling crowds filled the streets, proving the power of the Yuridina Clan.
It was the only metropolis in the North, the undisputed center.
It was called ‘Yuridina City.’
The ability of the Yuridina Clan to cultivate a bustling area in this dry land was astonishing. It truly deserved to be described as a historic achievement.
Originally, the North had only existed as small village communities. However, with the migration of the Yuridina Clan, the North was finally integrated into a structured administrative district.
So, the influence of the Yuridina Clan in the North was something that needed no further explanation.
The one who had sent me the invitation was also a member of the Yuridina Clan.
The only heir of the Yuridina Clan, a noble family of the Empire that governed military power, had personally requested my assistance.
Her name was Delphine Yuridina, a woman commonly referred to as the ‘Sun of the North.’
In most regions, the ‘sun’ holds a mythical significance.
It is the one that enriches the earth, the source that brings light and warmth to the world. Many regions even worship it as a divine being.
Take the Heavenly Deity Sect, for example; don’t they associate the sun with the deity Arus?
Long ago, the heavenly deity Arus and the evil god Omelos made a wager, and the deceitful trickery caused Arus to pluck out his liver and embed his eyes in the sky.
The liver became the sun, and the eyes became the moon.
Thus, the wicked beings of the world melt away beneath the sunlight.
Worshiping the sun was no different in the North.
In fact, the North regarded the sun as more precious than anywhere else; without the sun, it would inevitably become a land of eternal snow and ice.
Since the beginning, it had been a cursed land due to Delphrium’s sins.
If one did not rely on the grace of nature, survival itself would be impossible. Hence, the significance of the ‘sun’ was all the more exceptional for those in the North.
The leader of all Northerners and the absolute being next to the Emperor of the Empire.
It was a fitting title for the one and only heir of Yuridina, who had built an unbeatable legacy.
However, perhaps due to the harsh conditions of the North, the aesthetic sense of the Northerners was not particularly admirable.
They had prioritized practicality over elegance and strength over logic.
If there were resources to invest in art, they would sooner choose to feed hungry warriors. As a result, even the lordly castle of the Yuridina Clan couldn’t help but feel bleak.
Of course, everything necessary was present.
In fact, one might say the facilities themselves were luxurious. The materials and equipment all appeared to be of high quality.
Nonetheless, Yuridina Castle gave off a somewhat desolate feeling. It lacked the splendid elegance that should be inherent to a high-ranking noble.
I walked along the dark corridor.
Ahead of me, a knight serving as my guide, Sir Alex, was moving his steps. He was someone I had met before.
It was ‘Sir Alex,’ who had helped me back at Perkus Manor.
He was the knight who commanded nearly a thousand Yuridina soldiers in the bloody battle against the Corpse Giant. This meant he was trusted by the clan, and it seemed he had recently returned to Yuridina City.
The Delphine, who had invited me, was currently away to handle some work.
Our meeting at the warp gate was merely a coincidence. Given that I had received no prior notice of my arrival time, someone like Delphine wouldn’t have time to waste.
Having arrived at Yuridina Castle and taken a moment to breathe, I received another message.
Delphine was looking for me.
There was no reason for me to decline. I promptly began to follow Sir Alex.
During this process, I realized anew how incredible Delphine’s clan was.
We had been walking for several minutes, yet the corridors within the castle seemed endless. I was unsure of where I was standing.
It was only a brief moment of silence, but as we walked without speaking, I found it hard to overcome my growing boredom.
Ultimately, my patience ran thin, and I decided to speak to Sir Alex.
“Um, Sir Alex?”
However, there was no response from him. He was a quiet person no matter when you saw him.
He had appeared more relaxed while at Perkus Manor.
I pressed on, undeterred by his cold demeanor.
“I appreciate what you did in the last battle. Thanks to you, many of the territory’s people who were in a desperate situation were saved….”
“It was no battle for anyone else’s sake.”
His words cut through with precision.
I momentarily fell silent at Sir Alex’s firm tone. I hadn’t expected such a cold reaction for mere pleasantries.
The North was indeed a very cold place.
As I realized this, Sir Alex added in a dry voice.
“It was a battle solely for honor. Northern soldiers never turn their backs to the enemy… So there’s no need for you to feel grateful or indebted.”
His statements were starkly direct.
This only confused me more.
Was Sir Alex simply expressing his heartfelt sentiment, or was it something said to spare my feelings?
He felt completely different from when I had seen him in my hometown. He had seemed more boisterous then, whereas now he was the embodiment of a Northern knight whose demeanor was sharp enough to cut.
Or perhaps the recent outcomes of battles had not been good.
I recalled the pale complexion of Delphine’s face when we had encountered each other in front of the warp gate. She had looked rather haggard unusually.
If Delphine was in that state, it wouldn’t be strange for Sir Alex to be even more on edge.
Thus, struggling to suppress my unease, I walked a little further.
Sir Alex stopped in front of a heavy door, then quietly announced.
“Lady Delphine is waiting for you in there.”
‘Lady Delphine,’
It was a title I hadn’t heard in a while.
It wasn’t an uncommon expression in noble society. Within families where succession competitions had concluded, they would honor the heir by using the title of ‘Lady’ along with the proper respect.
This was closer to the culture of higher nobility than lower nobility.
Lower nobles grew up in a more relaxed atmosphere, while higher nobles became entrenched in succession battles from a young age. Consequently, their future interactions were naturally different.
The society of higher nobility resembled a wild ecosystem.
Survival of the fittest.
Once an heir was determined, everyone in the family, regardless of their past relationships, had to kneel before them. The title ‘Lady’ carried that meaning as well.
Though she was not yet the head, it implied one was to treat her with the status akin to that of the head.
Recalling this fact, a cold sweat ran down my back.
Delphine was one who received the loyalty of her vassals in such a manner. What if I were caught in a situation where she called me ‘Master’?
The possibility of my existence being eliminated to erase the clan’s disgrace could not be denied.
Of course, the likelihood of my anxieties being realized was low.
Behind me stood the Emperor and the Empire’s Intelligence Department, and I was currently basking in the reputation of being the rising saint of the Empire. Regardless of the Yuridina Clan, it would be difficult for them to touch me.
Yes, it wasn’t just difficult.
Put differently, it meant it wasn’t impossible either.
The Northerners had often acted without thinking things through.
Thus, still harboring a trace of worry, I quietly opened the door and stepped inside.
There stood a beautiful woman with her back to the sunlight pouring in.
Her flawless, snow-white skin contrasted with her striking crimson eyes, and her dazzling golden hair looked as if melted gold had been woven into it.
Her slender limbs and the alluring curves of her body were accentuated even through her armor. At first glance, she appeared almost perfect, to the point where she seemed like a statue.
Yet anyone who met her gaze would quickly realize.
In those eyes mixed with burning ambition and desire, and an obsession with victory, there was a sensation of weariness. A magnetic allure that dripped like honey.
It granted a startling vibrancy to that flawless body.
Though her face displayed signs of weariness, even that could not overshadow her sun-like beauty.
It had been quite a while since I had seen her face.
Feeling a surge of joy, I unconsciously spoke.
“Delphine!”
“I’ve been waiting, Master.”
It was the second time today I heard those words. I approached Delphine eagerly.
As I did, I reaffirmed a fact.
Delphine seemed a bit melancholic.
Though I didn’t know the cause, it was obvious that her heart wasn’t in the best place. If it were otherwise, she would have already tried to tease me.
Perhaps showing a little cleavage or subtly emphasizing her curves.
The absence of such actions today led me to conclude that Delphine had no leisure to play around.
Thus, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry.
This was not the confident and haughty Delphine I knew.
Seeing her in such a drained state unsettled me.
Just as I was about to offer some words of comfort.
Delphine stood up and wrapped her arms around my neck.
Before I knew it, her face had come right in front of me.
She weakly smiled and whispered to me.
“…Would you like to come to the bedroom for a moment?”
It was an offer that was hard to refuse.
In many ways.
