The land was still covered in pure white snow.
It was a mark of the long-lasting blizzard.
The Demon Realm is a place of eternal winter.
The winds blowing from there scattered snowflakes across the entire Northern Region. While the North was accustomed to sudden heavy snowfall from the beginning, the snow clouds that rose from the valley were a different story.
It was because of the staggering amount of snowfall.
The North was dry as much as it was cold. Although heavy snowfall occurred occasionally, it was not frequent.
But now, a blizzard had been raging endlessly for weeks.
Had I not defeated Leorick, the North would have perished not from monsters but from snow.
The remnants of the fallen snow were the proof.
The snow piled up to ankle depth severely hindered movement.
Even to walk the same distance, much more effort was required to traverse the snowfield.
It was a situation that made me want to curse, yet I didn’t even feel like complaining.
I wasn’t alone.
The group leading the way felt the same.
With their slender bodies, pointed ears, and exquisite appearances.
Those whose identity was once believed to be blessed by the gods were none other than ‘Elves.’
The enemies of humanity, the savages banished to the North.
I was walking behind them.
“I’m glad you’re safe, human… No, was it Ian?”
It was the first word spoken during the silent march.
Though the gaze wasn’t directed at me, the gentle warmth in the voice showed worry for me.
This broad-minded Elf man was named ‘Ruget.’
Having been one of the Elves I was particularly close to in the Elf village, I could respond with a more at ease heart.
“Call me whatever you like.”
“That’s a bit impersonal, don’t you think? There was only you among humans in the village, after all.”
“You can think of it as a nickname. It feels nice, like I’m a representative of humanity.”
As Ruget and I shared a conversation, I felt the glances from around us.
The Elves from the village, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, showed clear signs of discomfort with my presence.
It seemed they were adapting to human society once again.
They probably didn’t recognize before how heavy the name ‘Ian Fercurus’ was.
I was the emerging hero of humanity and one of the notable swordsmen representing the Empire. Moreover, the connections I had were incredibly illustrious.
Yuridina, one of the five noble families of the Empire, was on my side.
And behind me stood the Imperial Princess and the royal family, with the Virgin Saint of the Holy Kingdom having a deep bond with me as well.
The fact that I was merely the second son of a baron was now irrelevant.
I was already at the core of the Empire’s power.
Previously, no matter how much I talked about it, I couldn’t realize it, but living among humanity at Yuridina Castle, the Elves must have naturally understood.
That the expectations of humanity resting on my shoulders were anything but ordinary.
Yet, I hadn’t changed at all.
The bitter hint of a smile curled on my lips.
Ruget also bit down on a half-smile in response to me.
“I still don’t get it.”
“What don’t you understand?”
“Why you were accepted into the village.”
Suddenly faced with memories of the past, I fell silent.
Now that I think about it, Ruget was also the one who accepted me when I fell into the village with Abiyang.
I responded with a hint of disappointment, almost jokingly.
“Are you regretting it?”
“In a way.”
With every step I took, white breath escaped from my lips.
All around, the world was completely blanketed in white.
“In hindsight, you seemed too big a presence for our village. We, the Elves, lived on the edge, barely surviving on boiling tree sap and the like. But after you arrived, so much changed. There were times we almost died.”
“I’m sorry about that…”
“I’m not blaming you.”
The footsteps of Ishya, who had been walking at the forefront, slowly began to decelerate.
This meant we were getting closer to our destination.
Ishya, usually prickly yet full of life, was unusually quiet today.
But no one dared to pry into the matter.
They didn’t need to listen to understand.
That’s what long-standing neighbors are like.
“To be honest, at first, it was overwhelming and confusing. Why were we, such powerless Elves, caught up in such a great upheaval? Wouldn’t it have been better to starve a little, living off tree sap?”
I kept Ruget’s words in mind.
I couldn’t say I didn’t understand that sentiment. I too had felt that way.
One day, a love letter from the future arrived for me, and everything began.
Even crossing the front lines and enduring excruciating pain, I couldn’t stop myself from questioning relentlessly.
Why was I in this situation?
No, why me of all people?
No answers were ever revealed, and at times I felt like wanting to give up everything out of frustration.
Yet the road continued.
To where I had reached now.
The snow and trees formed a grave that was indistinguishable from the surrounding scenery. At a glance, it seemed like a hill created by naturally piled snow.
At that moment, all the Elves’ steps came to a halt.
A faint groan slipped through Ishya’s lips, who had been maintaining silence. Then she fell to her knees, tears dropping onto the ground.
The ground of snow and ice could not endure that warmth.
One by one, the Elves knelt down. It was the highest honor they could pay to the deceased.
Only I and Ruget remained standing straight.
“…Don’t you hold any resentment?”
That inquiry was painfully squeezed out.
From the moment I stood before the grave, I felt my breath choke up. It seemed like my greed had led to another’s sacrifice.
The tears shed by the Elves fell like rain.
Like the snowfield drenched in warm rain, my heart ached.
Like a scared child, I continued to lament.
“If it weren’t for me, Pope Eyong wouldn’t have died. You wouldn’t have gone through that suffering and been stuck in between humans and Elves…”
“Thank you, human.”
However, Ruget’s voice in response was firmer than I had imagined, causing me to clamp my mouth shut once more.
With a gentle thud, an Elf’s hand rested on my shoulder.
“We’ve always run away. For hundreds of years… As we did, no matter what the truth was, we were only focused on survival. Leorick exploited our fragility. Repeatedly fleeing for so long, we even forgot the reason we needed to live.”
After patting my shoulder a couple of times, Ruget grasped my collar. Then he began to walk forward.
Right up to the front of the grave.
I was unwittingly led by Ruget’s hand to stand beside him.
“Pope Eyong must have been the same. He endlessly blamed himself, couldn’t bear it, and shifted the responsibility… But in the end, he risked his life for the humans he so despised.”
“I mean, I…”
“There’s nothing you can do about it.”
With that one line, spit out like a sigh, I once more chose silence.
Ruget quietly knelt and spoke to me.
“There’s nothing we can do. This world is simply that way. Fate flows so coldly that those like us can only be swept away by its currents.”
I tried to rebut his words but soon fell silent.
Surprisingly, the memories that crossed my mind were of a certain man.
Gradually losing dear ones, laughter and emotions worn away, the tragic tale of a man who did not wish to be a hero.
He too likely didn’t want to become a hero.
“At such times, the paths we can choose are not many. Just two… Will we fight back, or will we run away?”
Ruget grasped a wooden stick that was laid in front of the grave.
And he handed it to me.
I hesitated for a moment as I couldn’t grasp his intentions, but in the end, I had no choice but to accept the stick.
Ruget’s expression was far too serious.
“Human, we will no longer run away.”
It was then that Ishya, who had been silently shedding tears, waved her hand.
As if a warm breeze wrapped around the wooden stick, a faint spark ignited at its tip.
“I won’t turn my gaze away from my siblings starving while we live off tree sap. I won’t abandon the very reason we must live.”
With every word Ruget spoke, the spark at the stick’s end grew stronger.
And then it ignited, bursting into flames.
I instinctively realized this was the final rite of the funeral.
The Elves loved and treasured nature.
Thus, they tried to understand even d*ath as a part of nature. I had heard of their funeral customs, which left no grave behind.
I wondered if I was suitable for this role, gnawing at my lip in worry.
Of course, that time was short.
As my eyes closed tightly, the blazing branch was moved near the grave. The hill made of snow began to collapse helplessly.
During the several minutes of ceremony, Ruget confided in me his resolution.
“Not just us, but all our kin.”
Instantly grasping his intent, I offered a faint smile.
It was an unexpectedly grand dream.
Many Elves still remained in the coniferous forest. The mass of flesh that had consumed so many Elves was regurgitating them back out.
They must be experiencing a confusing time.
Ruget was attempting to become the focal point, standing as the representative of the Elves.
Only by doing that could the past conflicts and sacrifices not be repeated.
Of course, that process wouldn’t be smooth.
It was a steep and narrow path to choose at the fork of destiny, swept up in it.
But I didn’t feel the need to test his resolve.
Hadn’t he already said it? They would no longer run away.
So there was only one question I needed to ask.
“Is it possible?”
“No, to be honest, I’m not confident… But if you help, it might work somehow.”
With an answer so much like Ruget, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
By then, Pope Eyong’s grave had completely melted away. His soul, without wandering the underworld, would now wait to be reborn as another life in the embrace of nature.
As I bid farewell to Pope Eyong, I neatly organized the memories I had with him in my heart.
He had ultimately changed the fate of the Elves.
“I promise you one thing in return. Whenever you ask us for a favor, whatever it may be, I’ll make sure to grant it once.”
No, perhaps even the fate of mankind.
Though Pope Eyong had left, his legacy would remain forever in our memories.
Thus, I dreamed of a world where conflicts disappeared.
The meeting between the two sisters in the governor’s office appeared peaceful.
In between exchanging greetings, they were listening to matters that needed reporting and issuing instructions.
The cracks in that routine were brought on by a single question.
“…Sister.”
Delphine, who had been leisurely reviewing the reports, turned her gaze to Ceria.
In her bl**d-red eyes, there was neither malice nor wariness. This fact filled Ceria with anger, leading her to clench her fists tightly.
Until her nails dug into her palms.
Ceria asked in a cold voice.
“Who were you with in the bedroom last night?”
For the first time, even Delphine’s composure faltered.
She momentarily furrowed her brow, lowered her gaze as if deep in thought, and then donned her confident smile once again.
Though it was only a brief moment of agitation, Ceria could not be deceived.
She was the opponent whom she had always wished to win against, at least once in her lifetime.
Delphine, mixing a light laugh into her tone, asked.
“Why, are you already worried about the heir of Yuridina? But don’t stress too much. I’m still young, so…”
“Was it Senior Ian?”
And then silence.
Ceria could no longer tolerate Delphine’s insufferable deflection. The words that escaped through her clenched teeth were inevitably sharper.
In the form of a question, the conviction embedded in her tone was strong. Delphine was not someone who would miss that.
Thus, the golden-haired lady found herself unable to open her mouth for a while.
Her lips opened and closed multiple times.
Choosing silence as she averted her gaze, the woman finally spoke.
“…If that’s the case?”
Yuridina never shies away from a challenge.
Flames ignited in Delphine’s bl**d-red eyes.
