This place is the northern region, specifically the Est Mountain Range, which borders the “end of the world.” And that means…
– Thud
Unlike the cabin I was staying in, snow was piled up layer by layer, making it quite fun to step on.
– Thud
I glanced back. Little footprints were left where I passed.
I’ve never seen so much snow in my life. A grin spread across my face.
“Hehe…”
While I was enjoying the snowy mountains by stepping on the snow and looking around, Elia spoke up.
“Harang…”
“Hmm?”
Elia, frowning slightly, looked at me with a ‘this is wrong…’ expression.
I had no idea why Elia was making that face.
“Is there a problem?”
As I asked, her round eyes widened as she hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before letting out a deep sigh and speaking.
“Aren’t we going too slowly?”
While I continued to leave footprints in the deep snow, I tilted my head.
Hmm, is that so?
Certainly, as Elia said, compared to the usual speed at which Nameless and I travel, our current speed was significantly slower.
But what’s the rush?
The whole reason we were heading toward the “end of the world” was to find Nameless’s sheath. There’s no need to hurry.
Besides, we didn’t have any other business after finding the sheath…
“Oh.”
Now that I think about it, I might have been too focused on my own thoughts.
Unlike me and Nameless, Elia and Lucius are precious talents in this country, meaning a Hero and a Saint. They probably can’t afford to waste too much time on something like this.
Hmm, right.
I nodded and smiled.
“If you’re in a hurry, you don’t need to follow us. You can head back first.”
I definitely had no selfish motives at all.
…Really.
Nameless seemed to agree with me, vigorously nodding his head in affirmation.
“As Master said, you don’t need to worry about us too much.”
I was so proud to hear such wise words from Nameless that I brought my fist up, and Nameless did the same in response.
Yay!
Indeed, that’s how a Master and disciple’s thoughts connect.
Elia, witnessing this profound bond between us, spoke with a look of disbelief.
“…These guys are unbelievable.”
Hmm, no matter how many complaints she has, is it really okay for a Saint to make that face?
Moreover, since Elia had never spoken like that before, it was concerning, even if I didn’t particularly like her.
I pursed my lips slightly.
“But is there really a reason we need to hurry?”
“Uh…? Did you really not know…?”
Seeing Elia’s utterly astonished expression, I tilted my head.
Is there really a problem?
Elia sighed deeply, shook her head, and began to explain.
“The ‘end of the world’ is likely farther away than you think.”
Farther than I think…
“Hmm, is that it?”
What could be problematic about that?
And how far could “the end of the world” really be for her to be making such a fuss?
As I mentioned earlier, this is the Est Mountain Range that borders the “end of the world.” No matter how far it may be, it shouldn’t be more than the distance of one mountain range…
As I pondered this, Elia started to appear flustered, pressing her hand against her chest.
“Do you remember how far it was from Ellen to Est?”
“Of course, I do.”
Didn’t we arrive in less than a day?
“That distance is roughly… hmm, yeah. You can think it’ll take at least ten times longer.”
“What?”
Wait a minute. Ten times? So, based on the pace we’ve taken to get here, does that mean we need to march for a week?
My complexion pale, I couldn’t believe it.
A week? That’s way too long, regardless of how fascinating the snow is right now, or how beautiful the scenery looks. After a week, all the charm would have worn off.
And…
Do I really have to see these guys for a whole extra week?
Turning my head slowly towards Nameless, I noticed he too looked just as pale, clearly having understood the gravity of the situation.
I shook my head vigorously to clear my thoughts.
…I need to hurry up.
“Why are you only saying this now?!”
A small tantrum slipped out, in addition to my protest.
Elia shook her head, as if she had expected such a response.
“I thought you would know…”
What exactly did she assume was obvious? I’ve lived my whole life with Nameless in a cabin; isn’t it more unusual for me to know?
Pouting my lips, I lightly patted Nameless on the back.
“I guess we really need to hurry now!”
“Indeed.”
Nameless nodded and began to quicken his pace following me.
“Really…”
Elia muttered quietly, and Lucius approached with a pleased smile.
“Still, aren’t they fun people?”
“…That’s true.”
They exchanged smiles.
“Cheon Ha-rang, Cheon Mu-myeong.”
“What’s up…”
Hearing Lucius call my name made me stop and turn to face him.
Lucius pointed to the sky and spoke.
“The sun is starting to set.”
“…Indeed.”
The sun had dipped a bit low, creating a scene that looked like someone had splattered red paint on a pristine white canvas.
…It was beautiful, but it also wasn’t good.
I had no idea what kind of wild beasts might be lurking around here, and if night fell completely without any sun, the temperature would drop, making it difficult for Nameless and Elia to endure.
But…
“I have a problem.”
My expression turned serious, and my voice grew low.
Honestly, it was a grave issue.
– Swallow
Looking at my serious face, Lucius gulped nervously.
“…A problem, you say?”
I nodded and replied with utmost sincerity.
“Nameless and I don’t have a tent.”
“…”
To be frank, it was partially Nameless’s and my fault for not preparing a tent, but this was unavoidable.
In the first place, Nameless and I had no idea the “end of the world” was this far away, and had it just been the two of us without Elia, we could have just found a cave to huddle together for warmth.
Despite my serious tone, Lucius let out a sigh of relief and nodded.
Hmm, so it’s not too serious after all?
I was slightly surprised by Lucius’s mild response when he immediately proposed a solution.
“I brought two tents, so it should be fine.”
“Oh….”
“That’s really a relief.”
Lucius smiled as he watched our reactions and continued.
“So we can prepare for camping right away!”
Nodding, I decided.
It wasn’t my first time doing this, and it seemed I was pretty used to it now; the preparations for camping were done in a flash.
…Of course, I didn’t do anything and just stared at Nameless.
“Hmm.”
Even if I tried to help, Nameless would stop me, so I had no choice but to nod.
As I tried to move my body into the tent that Nameless had set up, Elia grabbed me with a frantic expression.
“Harang!”
“Huh?”
Tilting my head slightly to look at Elia, I noticed her eyes were wildly darting around.
“…What’s going on now?”
I gazed at Elia with an annoyed expression.
It’s almost time for bed; what’s her deal…?
With a small sigh, Elia began to fidget nervously before speaking up.
“You have to sleep with me…!”
“…Why would I?”
I tried to pull my arm away from Elia, who seemed shocked, opening her mouth wide before shaking her head vigorously in a panic.
“I don’t mind if you sleep with Nameless, but I feel uncomfortable sleeping with Lucius…!”
“Oh, I see.”
For once, Elia made a perfectly reasonable point.
It’s true; she might feel uncomfortable sleeping next to Lucius.
Nameless and I have a special relationship as Master and disciple, but they’re just a Hero and a Saint. In other words, they’re practically strangers.
But…
“I’ll be sleeping with Nameless. You figure it out.”
Why should I care about that?
Waving my hand lightly, I disregarded Elia’s desperate expression.
“Harang…!”
Aren’t they a couple anyway?
Even if they aren’t, there’s a strangely romantic atmosphere between them; if I just leave them alone, they will become a couple on their own.
Well, maybe they’re just getting a bit ahead of themselves.
“Goodnight!”
I quickly entered the tent and closed the door behind me.
“Master?”
“Hmmm, don’t mind me.”
I thought I heard some screams from outside… but Elia should be fine.
She’ll listen to Lucius and grow up strong.
Quietly whispering to myself for Elia’s sake.
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