The Sequel to the Romance Fantasy Was a Zombie Apocalypse – Chapter 91

“Alright, drink up. You’ve all had a tough journey.”

Once again, the mysterious woman stepped away from the table and returned, not only carrying three whole bottles of alcohol but also a plate full of unidentified dried meat.

The other three could only stare in disbelief at her completely transformed demeanor.

“…So, have you cleared your suspicions about us?”

Lanit finally managed to step forward and ask on behalf of everyone.

“Of course, of course. At first, I was wary thinking you were outsiders, but if you’re guests of the House of Larson, that’s a different story.”

“Uh… yeah…”

Even though that was the response, Lanit still couldn’t grasp the situation.

“…People from the North have different habits compared to other regions of the Kingdom. They may be particularly harsh with outsiders, but they treat formal guests generously.”

It was only after Esmela, who had switched places with Arit to sit beside Lanit, explained this softly that he managed to understand the woman’s behavior.

“Anyway, I’m sorry this is all I have to offer. But really, what on earth were you thinking coming here at this time?”

“We were just trying to leave as quickly as possible before the weather got colder.”

At Arit’s reply, the woman clicked her tongue.

“Tsk… The weather around here is different from the southern lands. Once winter starts, it goes through cycles of severe cold and then relents for a bit. You were trying to pass through a snowstorm right in the middle of the cold.”

“I see…”

“If you hadn’t met us, you would’ve left the guests of the House of Larson to freeze to death. Anyway, things turned out well! We’ll move out tomorrow, so let’s get some rest here tonight.”

The others expressed their gratitude to her for this suggestion.

“Um, by the way, we haven’t even heard your name yet…”

Lanit suddenly remembered and asked her.

“Huh? ..Haha! Speaking of which, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Tikhah. I’m the gamekeeper managing this territory.”

“Nice to meet you… Wait, did you just say territory?”

“Yeah. This area is the hunting grounds of the House of Larson. You were at least heading in the right direction.”

The morning after the snowstorm cleared…

“Ugh…”

As Lanit woke up and stepped outside, stretching to enjoy the cold morning air, what spread before him was a white blanket of snow covering everything he looked at.

Amidst this cold weather, the conifers, maintaining their green, beautifully blended with the white, creating an exotic scene.

As he finished packing and strapped on the bag meant for Esmela as well, Lanit relaxedly admired the nearby scenery that he missed the day before when—

“Sigh…”

Esmela approached him cautiously, exhaling little puffs of vapor in the cold.

“Good morning, Young Lady.”

“Good… morning.”

Unlike Lanit’s usual tone, Esmela responded with a voice that seemed somewhat drained of energy.

Though she had rested well and felt a bit better than yesterday, her condition had visibly worsened since entering the northern territories.

“Are you feeling a bit better?”

“…I want to boast that I’m okay… but no. To be honest, it’s really cold.”

Dressed in several layers of thick fur, Esmela shivered slightly.

Lanit watched her with a worried expression.

“It is ridiculously cold out, but even considering that, your condition seems to be deteriorating at an unusual pace.”

“…Yeah, it seems that way. I don’t think I’ve caught a cold, but I just don’t know why…”

‘Maybe the Herta family, who handle flames, don’t fare well in the cold?’

A hypothesis struck Lanit’s mind.

‘It’d be worth investigating if the chance arises. For Esmela to be comfortable here, after all.’

“Hey! Are you all ready to go?”

A rough female voice came from behind them.

Turning his head, Lanit saw Tikhah and Arit also coming out of the shack, fully prepared.

“Then let’s go! The weather is clear now, but it won’t be long before the snowstorm hits again, so let’s reach the town where the Larson mansion is before that.”

Fortunately, during their journey, the previous snowstorm hadn’t returned.

For about four days, the sky blessed them with bright sunshine that eased the biting cold.

As Tikhah had explained, since it was after her patrol, there was little chance they would face monsters along the way.

The four simply relied on their legs to traverse the endless expanse of snow.

They moved as much as possible during the day and sought shelter during the night in nearby hunters’ shacks, waiting for dawn to arrive.

As Lanit followed Tikhah’s lead, he couldn’t help but think of the terrible things they would have encountered had they not met her, while also feeling relieved at her dependable presence.

Eventually, as they trudged through the snow…

“There it is!”

Tikhah pointed toward a distant spot blocking the sunlight, where houses finally came into view.

The northern town was strikingly different from other regions of the Kingdom.

It felt almost like stepping into an entirely different country.

The location of the Larson family’s mansion, this city, Hikarka, would play its role as a sort of capital in its own right.

Lanit’s impression upon stepping into the city for the first time was that it hardly deserved to be called a city.

It was neither bustling with people like the royal capital nor filled with sophisticated brick buildings.

Most of the houses, like the shacks they stopped at during their journey with Tikhah, were made of wood.

Aside from being roughly three times the size, they were not decorated differently and looked strikingly similar to those shacks.

Thus, arose a somewhat primitive city of crudely built houses.

However, the people living there were not crude at all.

Though they had been amazed by Tikhah’s huge size, which matched Lanit’s height of over 180 cm, it was even harder to find someone of smaller stature among the townsfolk.

And with skin as white as snow.

In the fantasy backdrop of “Roinah,” people of the Kingdom of Arkeisia were mythical races often depicted with paler skin than Koreans, as well as diverse eye colors and hair hues.

But the people of the North had skin even paler than that.

With such towering bodies and pure white skin, the townsfolk felt to Lanit like towering golems made of white stone.

These sturdy people seemed capable of deflecting any attack and easily clearing away any obstacles.

Esmela and Arit, perhaps thinking similarly, were both transfixed and unable to take their eyes off the surrounding people.

“Well, seems like you’ve all become notable figures the moment you arrived.”

Moreover, the local residents gazed with a mix of curiosity and suspicion at the unexpectedly small, unfamiliar outsiders.

“…First, let’s head to the House of Larson. I’ll give you the tour of this area afterward.”

Tikhah was about to say something more but rushed them toward the lord’s mansion upon noticing Esmela’s pale complexion.

The mansion of Count Larson was, despite being like any noble’s residence, grand and vast.

The only differences were that its exterior was painted entirely in black, minimizing the use of other colors.

The four stood before the grand iron gate of the massive pitch-black mansion.

Tikhah stepped forward and loudly rang a bell about the size of her head attached near the gate.

After a moment, a burly middle-aged man emerged from the inner garden, walking toward the gate.

He wore nothing but a shirt in this harsh weather, seemingly having been chopping firewood, with a large axe resting on his shoulder, casting a peculiar glance at the visitors.

“…Who is it?”

The man bluntly pointed at Lanit and his companions, looking questioningly at Tikhah.

“Guests of the House of Larson.”

“No guests were scheduled to visit the mansion today.”

“They’re guests looking for Young Master Iiergo and Lady Dion. They also hoped to meet the head of the family.”

“Have you confirmed their identities?”

“I will vouch for them.”

After the brief conversation, the man observed the three again before finally leaning his axe against the wall and opening the gate to let the guests into the mansion.

Would the inside be cold too? Lanit’s worry was unfounded, as it was warm enough to take off their outer coats.

Just like Herta’s mansion, the entryway welcomed guests into a grand central hall.

However, unlike the hall of the House of Herta adorned with luxurious red carpets and chandeliers, this central hall of the House of Larson was completely devoid of decorations, save for a large portrait hanging on the wall near the staircase leading to the superior floor.

Lanit tried to take a closer look at the figure in the portrait… but that was unnecessary.

The actual subject was already coming down the stairs toward them.

“Remarkable, absolutely remarkable!”

A booming male voice echoed in the hall.

“I never thought the delicate young lady of House Herta would survive in the royal capital and make it all the way here!”

The head of the House of Larson casually spat out an impolite remark before suddenly bursting into hearty laughter even before Esmela could respond.