Sigrid

Somehow, she felt less energetic than when she was eating well.

Was it psychological, or real?

“Siri.”

Sigrid turned her head at the sound of the voice. Only one person here called her that.

“Beramund.”

Sigrid lowered the tip of the sword she had been swinging and wiped her sweat. A faint steam could be seen rising from her body. Beramund approached with light footsteps and asked,

“Want to go out for a bit?”

“Go out?”

“I’m tired of this meager diet.”

“Is there a restaurant we can go to around here?”

Seeing Sigrid’s face full of doubt, as if asking ‘At this border?’, Beramund pointed behind him with his thumb. Towards the city wall.

“There’s a forest beyond the wall.”

“Yes?”

It’s the land of barbarians and magical beasts, but a forest is still a forest.

“Let’s go catch some meat.”

At his words, accompanied by a grin, Sigrid said with a serious expression,

“If you’re suggesting we go hunting in a snow-covered forest where a blizzard could hit at any time, in an area we don’t know well, just the two of us, I’ll have to decline.”

“We can persuade Utulu to come along. He’s a local. Besides, everyone’s suffering from malnutrition, so we could all use some supplements.”

Thinking ‘It should be fine if Utulu comes too,’ Sigrid nodded. Beramund exclaimed, “Then let’s go convince him.”

“What? Oh, okay.”

Sigrid hurriedly put on her outer clothing and wrapped her cloak around her. A moment later, Utulu found Beramund standing firmly in front of his desk, saying, “Let’s go hunting.”

“Hunting?”

“I want to eat some meat. You know the general layout of that forest, don’t you?”

“I do, but……”

“If we fail, so be it, but Siri’s been looking weak lately, so I want to feed her some meat.”

“What? If it’s for my sake, we don’t have to go.”

Sigrid, standing behind, responded in surprise. Utulu raised his large frame from his seat.

“Let’s go.”

“Great.”

Beramund grinned.

Following Utulu’s instructions, the three, heavily armed, set out through the city gate amid the soldiers’ wishes for good luck. They also brought a snow sled in case they caught any game, which Utulu pulled. He dragged the sled effortlessly with pure muscle power, without even using Aura, and it didn’t seem difficult for him at all.

Sigrid watched enviously and prayed to God again.

‘Since you sent me back, you could make me taller too. I won’t ask for two meters. Just make me over one hundred and eighty centimeters tall.’

After praying politely, Sigrid cast her gaze into the distance. The plain looked white due to the light reflecting off the snow. Fortunately, the sky was overcast with snow clouds, making the weather gloomy.

“Are there any animals in the forest?”

To Sigrid’s question, Utulu nodded.

“But there won’t be many since it’s winter. Whether we’ll see any……. We didn’t set any bait either.”

“So it’s a matter of luck,” Beramund muttered.

At the forest entrance, they tied the sled to a tree and ventured deeper inside. The forest, full of snow blossoms, was quiet. They could even hear the crunch of snow under their feet.

The three walked on in silence. It was a scenery that demanded reverence through silence.

Swoosh—

With a sudden sound, snow fell in clumps. As the silence broke, the three sighed simultaneously. Beramund looked up at the sky and said,

“Bird meat?”

“Who are you trying to stick that on?” Utulu glanced at Beramund as he spoke.

“It’s better than coming back empty-handed,” Beramund mumbled.

As she walked, Sigrid thought, ‘The snow field is definitely good for strength training.’ It consumed energy much faster than bare ground.

She walked quickly, using her Aura sparingly to assist appropriately. After wandering for about an hour, just as they were considering returning empty-handed, Utulu discovered some tracks.

“A deer?”

To Sigrid’s question, Utulu replied while stringing his bow,

“Probably.”

“The snow makes it easy to track,” Beramund said, scanning the surroundings.

The three moved deeper into the forest, following the deer’s trail while minimizing their presence as much as possible. They stopped near some dry underbrush. All three were wearing cloaks with snow-white hoods, so the deer was unaware of their presence.

It wasn’t as plump as an autumn deer, but it was still quite large. Utulu drew his bowstring. The deer perked its ears back and forth, raising its head.

Ping—

The arrow hit the deer’s rump. The deer leaped up and tried to run, but couldn’t escape Beramund’s grasp. Beramund quickly threw a bola—a rope with stones tied to both ends—entangling its legs. The deer collapsed helplessly on its side.

“We’ve caught one at least,” Beramund said with a broad smile. Utulu’s face brightened as well.

Now they wouldn’t have to return empty-handed.

Utulu slit the deer’s throat and hung it upside down from a tree.

At that moment, the air changed.

The three could feel the change in humidity and density on their skin. After all, Aura was a force of nature, making them sensitive to such things.

“Damn it,” Utulu cursed under his breath.

Sigrid asked, “Which way should we move?”

“It seems impossible to make it back to the castle. This weather is really fickle,” Beramund grumbled.

Utulu hoisted the deer onto his shoulders and said, “This way.”

“Is there a shelter?” At Beramund’s words, Utulu gave an ambiguous answer, “Maybe.”

The three practically ran. The world was darkening as if night had suddenly fallen. The wind grew stronger.

Sigrid worriedly suggested, “Wouldn’t it be better to dig into the snow?”

Just then, Utulu put down the deer and started pushing away snow. Beramund and Sigrid followed suit without a word.

“There should be a cave entrance around here,” Utulu said.

At his words, the three’s movements became even more frantic. The snowstorm had begun in earnest. Snow particles stung their faces. The snowfall became so heavy that they could barely see a meter ahead.

“Here it is!”

At Utulu’s call, Beramund and Sigrid quickly moved to his side. The three swiftly entered the cave.

The inside was quite spacious and cozy, and moreover…….

“A bear?”

Beramund blinked. Utulu said,

“It must be hibernating. It’ll wake up soon.”

“If it’s a bear, there’s enough for all of us to eat,” Sigrid said with a bright smile.

Shortly after, they roughly blocked the entrance with the captured bear, and the three sat side by side in the darkness. Beramund took out a dagger and used it like a flint to light a piece of candle he was carrying.

“The weather is really terrible,” Beramund grumbled.

Utulu quietly replied, “It’s worse this year.”

“Really? I heard about it. Hail fell in autumn and ruined the crops.”

Utulu nodded with a gloomy face. Natural disasters were beyond the control of nobles or even royalty. Beramund continued,

“Plus, the west has a large standing army.”

“It’s a necessary army.”

“I wasn’t really criticizing.”

“The central government always tells us to reduce the army. To divert that money elsewhere. But what if barbarians or magical beasts invade? Who will protect us?”

“The Western Alliance has only four Aura users……” Beramund muttered.

“Half the number in the Imperial Guard.”

Beramund chuckled at those words.

“Half of the empire’s Aura users are in the Imperial Guard. It can’t be helped, can it? It’s where the elite of the elite gather.”

“Their blades will only grow dull in that safe place.”

“If you’re still saying that after meeting me and Siri—”

At Beramund’s threat, Utulu snorted.

“Surely not all Aura users in the capital are like you two. We have eyes and ears too. Cut the bravado.”

“Well, then stop looking down on central knights too.”

Their gazes clashed in mid-air. Even in the tense atmosphere where it seemed one more word would set them off, Sigrid remained calm.

‘We can’t fight properly in this cramped space anyway.’

Thinking this, she glanced outside. The sound of the raging storm was deafening. Moreover, the stench of bear and the smell of blood combined to make her nose tingle.

‘I’m probably numb to it now, but…….’

Still, she could sense the unpleasant odor. Sigrid thought this as she took out some jerky she had prepared from her pocket and put it in her mouth. As she chewed, she felt eyes on her.

Looking up, she saw Utulu and Beramund staring at her. Sigrid tilted her head and asked,

“Would you like some too?”

Beramund let out a long groan and said,

“Aren’t you going to try mediating between us?”

It was typical of Beramund to ask such a question so bluntly. Utulu felt a sense of kinship with his question, but unlike Beramund, he felt a bit embarrassed. Sigrid swallowed her jerky and said,

“It’s too cramped in here for you two to fight anyway.”

Beramund sighed deeply. Sigrid added,

“And I’ve been told that light quarrels are a good way to understand each other, as long as you can reconcile afterwards.”

That was something Morris had said.

“Understand?”

Utulu spoke as if it were impossible. Beramund smiled slyly and said,

“Why? You don’t know, right?”

Utulu made a disgusted face at his tone. He leaned back and said,

“That’s not going to happen.”

“There’s nothing in this world that doesn’t change~”

Beramund chuckled as he shifted to a more comfortable position. Sigrid asked,

“Would you like some jerky?”

“Yeah.”

There’s nothing better than eating for conserving energy. The three munched on jerky in the dim darkness. Sigrid asked,

“When do you think it will end?”

“It could end now if it’s short. If it’s long, it could last a week.”

“A week?”

When Beramund asked in surprise, Utulu nodded.

“This year is even more unpredictable.”

“The west is in trouble then.”

“It would be fine if the central government provided support like they used to.”

“That’s assuming the west shows absolute loyalty.”

Utulu’s face hardened at Beramund’s words that completely flipped the situation. He growled,

“You think we might betray you because we have barbarian blood mixed in?”

“Don’t central nobles betray too?”

Beramund said as if it were ridiculous. He scratched the back of his neck.

“The best scenario would be if the west gains enough benefits from being loyal to the empire. And when the empire also benefits from the west’s loyalty.”

“A relationship based solely on exchanging benefits will crumble if someone else offers better benefits.”

“That’s true, but you can’t demand loyalty without offering any advantages.”

“Why not?”

Sigrid asked, her eyes wide.

“Does loyalty feed you and clothe you?”

Beramund neatly summarized Sigrid’s question and said to Utulu,

“I suppose there’s no point in us discussing this. The higher-ups will decide.”

“……”

After a silence, Utulu asked,

“Is His Highness a good person?”

“To me, he is.”

At Beramund’s words, Utulu smiled faintly.

“If he’s good to his own people, I suppose that’s enough. There are plenty who can’t even manage that.”

“Your standards are low.”

“He must be quite generous to keep an insolent fellow like you alive.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

Readily admitting his own insolence, Beramund turned his gaze outside.

“The weather seems to be clearing up.”

Sigrid reflexively followed his gaze outside. It was brighter than before. Before going out, Sigrid had something she wanted to ask.

One can’t live on loyalty alone. Of course, that’s true.

“Does it mean that while expecting rewards isn’t loyalty, it’s natural for a lord to reward those who are loyal?”

“I think working hard while expecting rewards is loyalty too.”

“How so?”

“You’re believing they’ll reward you, right? That they won’t abandon you.”

‘I see,’ Sigrid tilted her head. Utulu looked back and forth between them and said,

“You two are just like a master and disciple.”

“Give me a break.”

Beramund said seriously. Sigrid nodded.

“We’re superior and subordinate.”

“No, well, that’s true too, but that’s not what I meant.”

Mumbling, Beramund let out a deep sigh.

“Forget it. What can I say to you?”

“Ah! Friends! We’re friends!”

‘He’s upset because I didn’t say we’re friends,’ Sigrid quickly said. Even she would have been disappointed if Lowengrin or Marie-Chez had described their relationship as “just knights in the same order” when asked. Feeling sorry, Sigrid earnestly corrected herself.

“I consider you a very good friend.”

Beramund laughed again at those words and said, “Yeah, yeah,” before turning his head.

“The snow has stopped. Let’s go out.”

Getting up from their seats and pushing aside the now stiff bear, the three carefully emerged into the white snow field one by one, like rabbits coming out of their burrow.