Why the Northern Duke Wanders the Snowfields - Chapter 20

Haedin looked at Razen with anxious, wavering eyes. In the blowing snowstorm, the huge man’s figure looked like it was breaking apart into white.

‘If I get overpowered by that build, I won’t be able to move at all, will I?’

But it wasn’t like there was no way. He was a child who carried the blood of the Carnu tribe. He could endure the cold for days, and he could instinctively read direction even in a snowstorm.

If he ran away from this man now, he might have a chance.

Just then, Razen grabbed Hadin’s shoulder tightly and snickered. “Kid. I can see right through what you’re thinking, so stop trying any tricks.”

The grip was so strong that Hadin froze in place, his face turning pale.

“What I want isn’t to expose your identity. I just want to change this damned weather.”

Hardin stared at the worn scrap of paper wavering before his eyes. Even with snow falling on it, it didn’t get wet, so it was clearly the kind of paper used by the Carnu tribe. And the words written on it were a spell to change the weather.

“If I read this for you….”

Hardin swallowed hard.

“Will you keep my identity a secret?”

Razen grinned brightly. Snow clung to every strand of his beard, making him look like a snowman.

“Of course. Hardin. I promise. Honestly, what would I gain from exposing your identity?”

“But….”

If the man didn’t keep his promise, he wouldn’t lose anything, but I would lose my job and have to starve again with Isaren.

“Hey! You brat. Do you really think I’m the kind of bastard who doesn’t keep his word?”

When he shook the shoulder he was holding, Hardin’s body swayed back and forth.

“Th-then I’ll try it!”

Before he got too dizzy, Hardin snatched the paper from Razen’s hand.

“But you should know this. It might really just be a superstition.”

He’d heard about the Carnu tribe’s mysterious powers from his grandmother, but he had never actually seen them.

The legends passed down among the Carnu tribe were nothing more than absurd fairy tales his grandmother told him at bedtime for Hardin, who was born and raised in the north.

At Hardin’s words, disappointment flickered across Razen’s large face.

Figures. I shouldn’t have listened to some drunk old man from a tavern….

“Yeah. If it’s a superstition, so what, and if it isn’t, so what? I just came out here because I was frustrated and wanted to mess around with you.”

Looking at the large man, Haedin let his unease settle.

Even so, he was the kindest and most gentle person among all the northerners he had met so far.

And it didn’t seem like he expected much from him.

‘Alright. I just have to read this, right?’

Hardin stared intently at the words on the paper.

With the snowstorm raging and the letters being ones he had learned as a child, it wasn’t easy to read.

The boy spread his arms and muttered the words he had just seen.

“Eir ira! Silva ira! Hwirma nr Harana ae….”

Razen watched the scene with interest.

“Silva ira! Hwirma lae! Harana sohr, Eir nor! Auren ae, Fira ira, Nohran lae, Siel ae!”

After repeating the same words several times, the child glanced at Razen.

“I-it’s done.”

Then, seeing the snowstorm still raging and Razen’s disappointed face, he gave an awkward smile in a small voice.

“I guess it really is just a superstition.”

Razen let out a low groan, then rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a cookie.

“Ugh, I guess so. Here. Good work.”

Hardin carefully accepted the cookie. “Thank you.”

Looking at the small head, Razen let out a quiet sigh of regret. He was disappointed, but it wasn’t the child’s fault.

‘Well, at least I tried, so I won’t have any regrets.’

Razen’s steps as he headed back down the snow-covered mountain path looked heavy with disappointment and dejection.

***

“Hahahahaha.”

As Razen’s swaggering laughter rang out under the intense sunlight, Sion frowned.

“The weather probably cleared because it was about time for it to clear.”

“But look at this!”

The snow that had piled up to their waists from the week-long snowstorm was melting rapidly.

Razen splashed through the muddy ground like an excited child, puffing up with pride.

“I told you I was right. It’s hard to just dismiss what that kid did yesterday as superstition….”

“Enough, Razen.”

At the solemn voice, Razen stopped talking.

“If that kid’s life means nothing to you, then keep running your mouth.”

Razen glanced at the knights gathering one by one at his commotion and pressed his lips tightly together.

“There’s already strong prejudice against the Carnu tribe. If you make a big deal out of something that’s just a coincidence, I can bet what will happen to that kid.”

“Well….”

Razen, his face flushed red, wiped his face with a hand as big as a pot lid.

“I’m sorry.”

“From now on, keep quiet about this. Stop talking nonsense about the Carnu tribe changing the weather or creating snow.”

“But….”

When Sion glared sharply, the killing intent in his eyes made Razen flinch and bow his head.

“I understand, Sir Sion.”

Watching Sion’s boots as they moved farther away, Razen scratched his head.

“…But it really was true.”

When Razen saw Hardin serving food, he was reminded of his nephew Davian, who had been born to his older sister.

‘That kid is at the age where he’s playing around and receiving all the family’s love.’

Even though they were around the same age, Hardin followed the army around doing odd jobs, which made him feel both pitiful and proud.

“Come to my tent later. I’ll give you something good.”

Razen, who had called Hardin over, gave him cookies and dried fruit and doted on him, and noticed a faint silver mixed in Hardin’s black eyes, proof that he was of mixed Carnu blood.

Looking at Hardin’s bright, lively eyes, Razen ended up having a strange thought. Being trapped in the snow for a week had made him restless and bored out of his mind.

“Since there’s so much snow, should we go somewhere high up and try changing the weather?”

It had just been a passing thought.

A few weeks ago, when he went to a tavern, he heard that a talisman someone got from a fortune teller in the past was actually a Carnu spell that could change the weather.

‘Though it was said by a drunk old man.’

Like Sion said, it might be nonsense, but Razen wanted to believe it.

“To think that kid had the rare ability among the Carnu tribe to control the weather….”

Razen grinned and headed toward the camp.

***

It was the second day since Kaeloc left.

The weather suddenly began to turn strange.

As if someone had deliberately blown in snow clouds, the sky started to darken.

Aubrianna lit the fireplace again and wrapped the baby, who had fallen asleep after feeding, tightly in blankets.

While tending the brazier and boiling soup, she noticed there wasn’t much water left and fell into thought.

“If it starts snowing for days like this, it’ll be a problem….”

Kaeloc said he would be back by tonight at the latest, but if a snowstorm started like this, he would be completely stuck.

‘It doesn’t look like it’ll snow right away, so I can go quickly and come back, right?’

Aubrianna quickly put on the cloak Kaeloc had recently made for her and, just in case, strapped a dagger at her waist.

Since the jar was heavy and could be dropped, she took a leather water pouch instead.

The way there wasn’t difficult. If she went around the cabin, passed between the few trees, and climbed the second hill that appeared, there was the only spring near the cabin that didn’t freeze.

It was a very small spring, no bigger than two cupped hands, beneath clear icicles hanging in clusters.

The water, clearer and fresher than melted snow, she hurriedly filled into the pouch.

As she was filling the third pouch with water.

Rustle.

At the faint sound, Aubrianna snapped her head up.

But there was nothing to be seen.

“A rabbit?”

This was the snowfield. And although the cycle of spring had begun, the weather was still unstable, so no one would come in carelessly.

But if it was a search party looking for Kaeloc….

They might have confirmed that the clear weather had lasted for several days and sent out a search team.

Or perhaps….

Aubrianna’s face went pale as she recalled the day she arrived in the snowfield with the baby after leaving the ducal castle.

The three assassins who killed the coachman wore white masks and peculiar hats that covered even their ears.

From the men dressed entirely in white, the only thing visible were six black eyes filled with killing intent.

As she remembered those eyes, a chill ran down her spine and goosebumps rose all over Aubrianna’s body as she staggered to her feet.

If they had come here, the baby’s life would be in danger again!

The thought made Aubrianna’s heart race with urgency.

‘No, absolutely not.’

She couldn’t lose the baby again. How much had she blamed herself during those long days in prison?

She couldn’t forgive herself for still being alive after losing the baby, and it tormented her. Living through those days of self-hatred and madness, the only reason she didn’t completely lose her mind was….

At that moment, a very faint rustling sound came again, this time from nearby.

Startled, Aubrianna, trembling in fear, whipped her head toward the source of the sound.

Black, bead-like eyes without any wariness from having never encountered humans stared at her, then the creature turned and hopped away.

“Haah.”

Aubrianna let out a long breath.

I was too sensitive.

She clasped her still trembling hands tightly.

‘This is deep within the snowfield, so they won’t be able to find us.’

Calming her startled heart, Aubrianna bent down to pick up the dropped water pouch, then paused.

“….”

She could feel someone’s gaze on her.