To travel from the capital to the Realm in a straight line would take an incredibly long time.
Because of this, when traveling long distances, most people use the Teleportation Magic Circles located throughout the Empire.
In fact, the costly Teleportation Magic Circles can end up being cheaper, which indicates just how far the distances are.
Well, it can’t be helped; if the biting cold were to sweep through, it wouldn’t be strange for the distance to feel extreme.
Of course, the Realm isn’t literally like the Arctic, but it is located at the far north of the Empire, so it naturally feels far away.
The way the Realm has come to look like this is due to the Monsters from the Demon World crossing over, forming an ecosystem, and beneath it, the high-ranking members of the Demon King Army, along with devastating Monsters, are sealed.
“Ugh…”
Anyway, after days of traveling by carriage, we arrived at none other than the entrance to the Realm.
Students began to layer their clothing one by one as they started to feel the bone-chilling cold seeping into the Realm.
“[This biting cold… it’s been a while.]”
It was a cold so intense it felt painful, but I rather accepted it with pleasure.
If I couldn’t accept this, I couldn’t stay long in the Realm.
In fact, the wind blowing in from the Realm was almost like a cutting wind, yet it was surprisingly not a bad feeling.
Of course, if I said such things, the looks directed at me would cool down, so I decided to hold back.
“Um… Aria.”
“[Yes? Is something wrong…]”
“It’s cold, so could you close the window…?”
“[…]”
Weaklings.
If they can’t endure this level of cold, how do they plan to survive in the Realm?
Back in my day, I endured the tremendous cold of the Realm in a state where my clothes were torn and I was nearly n*ked.
At that time, I was left with no choice.
Considering the drawbacks of my abilities, it was stranger for my clothes not to tear. If I had dodged an attack or blocked it, my clothes wouldn’t tear, but I would be torn apart immediately upon getting hit.
Naturally, my clothes would be torn apart along with my limbs, so it was common to find myself waking up n*ked after being killed by a Monster.
The protective magic on the Academy uniform was no exception.
Anyway… if they can’t even endure this cold, I wonder if they’ll just run out without being able to withstand it once we enter the Realm.
So weak, so weak.
…
Of course, these were just my inner thoughts.
On the outside, I smiled brightly at Evan’s words and silently closed the window.
Still, it was a bit disappointing not to fully enjoy the wind from the Realm, which I hadn’t felt in a while. I’d have to savor it properly when we go out for our tour soon.
*
[We have arrived at the Realm.]
The carriage came to a halt, and inside the carriage, the professor, no…
This voice… is it Argen?
[Gather your belongings and assemble.]
That was definitely Argen’s voice.
As his voice echoed throughout the carriage, students started rising one by one and stepping outside.
What greeted them as they exited was a massive mansion, an old and worn-out structure covered in fierce blizzards over the years, but surely still inhabited.
“Where is this…?”
It seemed everyone was unaware of their location.
Well, it was understandable.
“Wh-what is that…?!”
At one student’s cry, all the other students turned their gazes in the direction he was pointing.
And there, they saw…
“Wow… they’re knights?”
“How admirable…”
Countless knights stood in a line, maintaining a knightly stance.
And right in the center, a handsome man with long hair tied back, wearing a long fur coat, thrust a large sword into the ground as he looked at us.
“Welcome to the Realm, my comrades.”
The waves of his magically imbued voice echoed through the area.
Under the intense presence of his voice, everyone seemed as if they could hardly breathe.
And then,
“N-no way…”
“That black hair and that large sword… that coat… no way…!!”
Since the duke’s recognition was low compared to other places, I thought they wouldn’t know, but surprisingly, a few were recognizing him.
“Duke Erghardt…”
The Erghardt family.
One of the founding families of the Argen Empire and the sword and shield of the Empire, who were exiled to the Realm in the past due to the deep sins committed during the Cataclysmic War, tasked with guarding it.
And the head of that family was standing before us.
Naturally, everyone was frozen in place.
However…
“From now on, you all will be observing this place, the Realm.”
That guy seems excited.
We’ve been living together for over two years, so I would know.
Somehow, I can see through what that guy is thinking beyond just his title of duke.
Though I couldn’t read his thoughts as he had reached the pinnacle of skill as a Swordmaster, it wasn’t hard to understand his inner feelings without that.
Therefore…
‘Shall I play a prank?’
I decided to play a little joke.
It would ruin his plans without breaking my image.
‘Then there’s only one way.’
Having decided how to act, I wore a beaming smile as I broke away from my place and ran towards Duke Erghardt, or rather, Uncle Valencia.
As I dashed out from among the kids, the Duke’s people were momentarily surprised, and then widened their eyes.
“[Hello everyone~!]”
So glad to see you~!
I’m just being nice; I’m not a Saint who follows the mood or the rules of the Academy.
There’s no need to worry that this will ruin my image.
I thought that since I wouldn’t have another opportunity to greet him, now was the time as we hadn’t seen each other in a while, but everyone’s expressions were strange.
‘What’s this?’
Why are they looking at me with pity?
With concern that perhaps that man was looking at me with those eyes too, I used my Divine Power to detect and confirm, but fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
On the contrary, he was wearing a slight smile.
Though others might perceive it as simply an expressionless gaze directed at me, it was a skill I learned from spending so long with him.
Now, I could tell how he truly felt.
“[It’s been a while, Brother Valencia.]”
“Yeah… it has been a while.”
“Y-you replied…?!”
“Do you know each other…?”
“Huh? How could the Saintess and the Duke know each other…?”
“You fool, the Saintess saved many people in the Realm before. They probably became friends then.”
The students started to discuss among themselves why I might know these people.
Still, considering most of them were aware that I had saved many people in the Realm, it seems that they acknowledge the sacrifices I made for the people of this Empire.
Yeah, to be honest, I don’t think it’s a mystery.
I saved hundreds of people during my time here.
If we count how many times I saved them, it’s easily over a thousand.
After all, it’s been over two years of being busily active without a moment’s pause.
I’m not sure if I should call that fortunate.
“Alright, everyone quiet!”
Ah, right.
I should have been more moderate and returned.
As the magically empowered voice of a girl echoed through, the students, realizing whose voice it was, quieted down.
Who else could it be? There’s only one person with such a voice.
It’s naturally Headmaster Argen.
“Saintess Aria?”
“[Yes, yes…]”
“I understand your eagerness to greet, but right now, we must proceed with education regarding the Realm.”
“[Ah…]”
“After everything is done, I will arrange a time for us to talk separately; could you please suppress your feelings for a bit and return?”
Even though he was Headmaster of the Argen Academy, it seemed like it was hard for him to speak casually to me in front of the other students and paladins.
He can act casually when we’re alone, though.
‘How will the paladins think…’
Having dashed out in such a way, I wondered if they were feeling embarrassed on my behalf.
So, I briefly concentrated my thoughts on the paladins while using Divine Power for detection, and fortunately, it became clear that wasn’t the case.
On the contrary, they smiled and found it cute that I had run out like a child.
Well, anyway, I had successfully arranged a separate meeting, so I had accomplished my goal. However, I needed to ensure that my behavior was attributed purely to joy at seeing him again.
“[Understood…]”
I returned to my spot with a slightly sullen expression.
Such details are important.
It’s absolutely perfect.
Hehe.
