NOVEL NEXT Chapter 411
A half-horse, separated from the spray of water splashing across the horizon, raced toward the abandoned pier of Borderedge Village.
As the distance closed, a spiraling horn, beginning with a rainbow and ending in red and black, became increasingly clear.
It was undeniably a unicorn.
A chilling aura enveloped the horn menacingly, though.
“Death to all unchaste men and women of this world!!! I shall burn their blood for the maidens!!! For a pure and beautiful world!!!”
However, this unicorn was very different from the one Karem had seen before.
The way it spoke.
Yet, there was no time to ponder such thoughts.
The unicorn, slicing through the waves as it charged toward the pier, seemed to be moving faster than a sports car. If it had gotten any closer, a collision would have already occurred.
Catherine was merely watching the spectacle with interest, scoffing.
“Katherine, aren’t you going to stop that?”
“Perfect timing. If successful, the reward will be the same as with the Snow White Ice Bee.”
“…Are you saying you want me to… no, wait. You’re granting me a wish?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll cast a strengthening spell on you. Just trust me and face that thing on the water.”
“…You do know it’s on the water, right?”
“Do you really think I wouldn’t have a spell for walking on water?”
“Oh.”
Well, there was no more reason to hesitate.
Karem charged toward the now much closer unicorn.
An icy white energy emanating from his entire body enveloped him, flowing down his legs like a serpent until it pooled at his feet.
The divine power that settled on his body did not disperse but instead integrated seamlessly, permeating his bones, muscles, and skin.
Bang-!
The step, imbued with the power of a divine warrior, smashed down at the end of the pier. The neglected and weakened pier shattered into fragments.
As Karem soared through the air in an arc toward the sea, Catherine’s magic enveloped him.
[Raindrop Step]
At the moment his foot landed on the surface of the ocean, ripples spread, scattering droplets of water.
Without resisting that force, he rolled and leaped up, dashing forward.
[Haist Feather]
The sharp sea breeze that had once made it difficult to open his eyes became unimpeded. As the sea breeze wrapped around him, his speed increased even more.
[Eye of Observer]
The swiftly passing snowflakes began to fall slowly. It wasn’t that time had slowed, but rather his perception and concentration had sharpened, allowing him to see everything clearly.
[Cold Wave Armor]
Suddenly, icicles sprouted like scales from Karem’s hands, forming gauntlets, and an armor made of ice enveloped his entire body.
At that point, the unicorn appeared visibly flustered.
After all, a human had leaped off the pier and was racing across the ocean’s surface at an unimaginable speed, and before it could even react, he was donning a fearsome icy armor and accelerating further.
With the strength of the magic wrapping around him, an overwhelming divine power coursed through him, one he had never felt in his long life.
However, there was no time for the unicorn to apologize for its hasty conclusion.
“Um, wait—”
Before the unicorn could retract its sharp horn, Karem, fully crouched, charged forward, driving his shoulder into its chest.
Boom-!
The collision of the two speeding entities scattered snow and water.
Though the spikes of his icy armor failed to pierce the protective magic covering the unicorn’s fur, the shards that shattered reformed faster than the fragments could disperse, embedding themselves into its flesh.
“Hihehurrrr—!?”
A pained cry echoed out, but Karem paid it no mind. It was better if it was confused.
“!?”
Kwooo-!
Before the blood, frozen by the cold of the armor and divine power, could spew out, two sharp gauntleted hands shot out.
Yet Karem did not use the sharp spikes at the ends of his gauntlets.
Rather than utilizing the most threatening weapon, he trapped the unicorn’s neck with his left arm and crushed its snout with his right.
Naturally, the unicorn struggled to break free, but it merely twitched in place.
The divine power of a warrior god, a blessing.
The grace received from the goddess of judgment and justice as a payment for her meal.
Fragments of dragon strength fused in his body.
The grace of these three transcendent beings allowed no resistance.
“!?!?!?!?”
With a creak-!!!
Using the unicorn’s neck as leverage, Karem twisted its head at a right angle.
What had sparkled moments ago with anger, shock, pain, and a desire for survival was now devoid of light, meeting the gaze of other unicorns watching from the horizon.
The outcome was clear to all.
The unicorn’s neck was broken, and it lay dead.
“Wait, what!?”
Karem was startled as the corpse suddenly began to sink into the water, quickly grasping the unicorn’s hind leg to prevent it from disappearing fully.
Though initially taken aback that the unicorn, which had just been standing on the water, was now sinking, Karem recognized that this was a natural result.
When the caster dies, the magic dissipates unless special measures are taken.
If it were a grand wizard level or higher, there might be exceptions based on conditions, but the magic of the unicorn he had just killed wasn’t that strong.
The spells it had cast weren’t particularly robust either.
“No, wait. There were several others too.”
Karem quickly turned his body to remain alert, glancing around to possibly discard the unicorn’s corpse if needed.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Only the tail of the spray breaking the horizon could be seen far off.
“Is it… fleeing?”
*
*
*
The sound of the two objects colliding at a speed faster than the wind was naturally heard by the people of Borderedge Village.
What they saw as armed individuals gathered on the coast was a person walking out of the sea, carrying the corpse of a unicorn.
As he neared the shore, the ice armor scattered like snowflakes from his body, creating an impressive sight.
If he hadn’t been hoisting the horned giant horse like a cat, it would have been even more majestic.
By the time he planted his feet on the coast, a throng of spectators had gathered.
Their motivations were varied.
Some wanted to catch a glimpse of the unicorn, others asked if they could get a byproduct, or wondered if it really was Karem.
Of course, they had to give up those thoughts before they could even start.
Chuk- Chuk- Chuk- Chuk-
Godwin had personally led the soldiers and knights.
Thanks to that, everyone’s attention was drawn to Karem moving the unicorn unhindered, while Godwin whispered to Catherine, keeping an eye on her.
“…Karem. Given that, how about being appointed to the Felwinter Family?”
It was a suggestion that any ordinary person would have been compelled to accept.
Yet, the immediate reaction from the person in question was one.
“Excuse me? Appointed? No way, I have no intention of—”
Karem shook his head dismissively with a look that said the suggestion was absurd.
Catherine, standing beside him, looked quite pleased at that.
“No, this is a serious proposal. My goodness, to capture a unicorn, which is difficult even for teams of skilled individuals, all alone. Gordon’s words were true.”
“No thanks.”
“Hah, I really think you don’t realize how many people want you to consider this proposal.”
Of course, Karem understood.
How many people would reject an offer to work under the next chairman of an indigenous conglomerate with a history older than a nation?
“Even if you say that, I’m still not interested.”
After all, accepting a scout would bring complications.
Karem consistently refused for the same reason.
When a high-ranking individual, especially a noble, made such a suggestion, it was customary to accept it, but Karem paid no heed.
Great power comes with great responsibility.
This applies not only to status but also to position.
For Karem, living a life of simplicity alongside Catherine was all he desired.
“Besides, wishing for land or money… hrm! I wouldn’t expect that. Then honor would be—”
“Puh-huh, Your Highness. If he wished for honor, he wouldn’t have refused such proposals long ago, would he?”
“Ugh… you’re not wrong.”
It wasn’t inaccurate.
After all, it was only after Elizabeth had half-playfully dangled the bait of hot springs that Karem had accepted the fief.
Let alone, the only hobbies he had were cooking, serving it, and eating it.
Karem pondered whether there might be ways to aim for something amidst such mundane pursuits, but even that was out of the question.
He knew he shouldn’t think this way, but Godwin genuinely lamented Karem’s refusal to enjoy himself in a more ostentatious manner.
“I’ve heard that His Majesty attempted to prepare a courtly baron title for Karem but was met with a flat refusal.”
“Oh my, really? Courtly baron? What’s that about?”
“There’s only one person who would know the true circumstances.”
“Whatever it is, I can imagine Father getting upset with His Majesty.”
He had been looking for opportunities to bid, but who would be pleased if someone interrupted?
Ziiiiiing—
As the two directed their questioning gazes at Karem, he completely ignored them.
The two’s inquisitive eyes followed him until they reached an empty barn attached to the house where the unicorn had been temporarily borrowed.
“Karem. Are you really going to keep quiet?”
“Hahaha! In the midst of your busy schedules, thank you for kindly allowing me to borrow a whole house! I’ll take care of the rest!”
Bang!
A blatant act of rudeness, throwing out the grand prince of a duke’s family.
Yet Karem had no other choice.
A momentary grumbling sound came from outside.
However, the sound seemed a mixture of mischief and quickly faded, suggesting they were simply testing the waters.
“Phew… Huh? What’s making you so happy?”
“Nothing at all.”
Catherine, who short-circuited her response, turned her gaze to the unicorn.
“More importantly, a unicorn. I never imagined I’d see unicorns consecutively in such a short time.”
“The condition is a bit tragic, though.”
The unicorn lying in the middle of the barn had few visible injuries, but that was precisely what made it appear grotesque.
Its neck was limply sprawled out, broken and unnatural.
The snout looked as if it had been crushed with overwhelming force and weight.
There was also a puncture wound from the shoulder piece of the icy armor, but since that area had frozen over completely, there was no feeling of disgust.
“So, what will the person who hunted this unicorn do with it?”
“Well… even if I sell it, the money would be meaningless given how fast it’s accumulating.”
Karem smirked at Catherine’s sparkling eyes fixated on the unicorn.
“I thought I might as well gift it to my beloved.”
“What? All of it?”
“I don’t have any practical use for the material, anyway.”
“…Ah, no. Even in a close relationship, you should still be calculating!”
“Then I’ll just make it a wish.”
“What?”
Catherine’s eyes went wide in shock.
Karem looked at her and reiterated.
“Alright, from now on, this is a gift for Catherine.”
“What kind of person makes a ‘that’ as a wish!?”
“Um, is an archwizard about to retract their words?”
“Who in the world gifts a unicorn…?”
Catherine’s face, squished and crumpled with confusion, showcased the surgeon’s delight of acquiring a whole unicorn, intermingled with the conscience of a grand wizard. The pride of receiving such a grand gift with no conditions conflicted within her.
As Mary, who had been pondering something while eyeing the unicorn, approached Catherine.
“Hm… how about this?”
She passed by so quickly and briefly that Karem wondered if he had seen it correctly, then shoved Catherine towards the corner of the barn and murmured in a low voice.
“What!? Are you serious about that?”
What on earth did she say?
Curiously inquisitive, yet Mary seemingly noticed Karem’s intent to worm closer. She pointed to her eyes with two fingers and then pointed at Karem.
The signal to distance himself again.
Reluctantly, he complied, and the two servants began whispering anew.
The longer Mary’s speech continued, the more Karem’s curiosity intensified, and Catherine found it increasingly hard to contain her astonishment.
Sure, it was true that some adventurers or nobles might express such interests, but for such a precious unicorn material, could he be put into such a situation!?
However, Mary’s eloquently skilled words quickly tapped into the deep curiosity in Catherine’s heart.
It didn’t take that much time for her persuasion to lead to Catherine’s consent.
When Catherine returned to her spot, she intentionally avoided looking at Karem.
Naturally, Karem questioned her.
“Mary. What on earth did you say?”
“I’ll keep it a secret for now. More importantly, there’s still an urgent matter, isn’t there?”
Mary rummaged through her spatial expansion pouch and pulled out a sharp dagger.
“What will you do with that?”
“What do you think? I’ll preserve the unicorn.”
“Cough, cough! That’s later.”
Mary stared at Catherine as if to say ‘what is that supposed to mean?’
“It’s a spirit creature, after all. We can hunt it, but preparations are necessary before butchering it.”
“What that means is— ”
“It means we cannot butcher it here. More importantly, Mary, you don’t have the expertise or experience for that!”
Catherine shook her head vigorously and turned to face Mary.
Mary, holding a butchering knife and set of tools that were nowhere to be seen, looked at Catherine, astonished.
“…”
“Staring at me won’t change reality.”
Resigned, Mary packed away the tools into the spatial pouch, as Catherine approached the unicorn’s corpse and snapped her fingers.
Chrrr—
Frost began to creep in and freeze it.
“More importantly, looks like Lady Alicia’s dream is coming true.”
“Does that mean you’ll be joining as well?”
“If that’s your logic, then Catherine should join as well.”
“Hah, me?”
“Will you really not eat any when it’s made?”
“Hm-hm, more than that, this. It’s completely frozen, so put it away now.”
Catherine subtly averted Karem’s gaze.