Chapter 25
The day Maya had mentioned finally came.
As always, Tristan stared quietly at the rope, practiced using his healing powers, and burned firewood.
Just in case, he made and twisted more rope.
In the snow, he also prepared plenty of ghoul meat for when Maya returned.
Although the weather had warmed considerably, this place was at a high altitude by nature, so snow still remained.
Crunch, crunch. Footsteps approached.
“Who’s there?”
It was the kind of place that was nearly impossible to find unless you were deliberately looking for it.
There was no way a lost traveler would end up here. Over the past three days, he hadn’t seen a single trace of another human being, which made it even less likely.
Tristan drew his sword, his expression hardening.
“If you’re going to come out, do so quietly. I’ll spare your life if you do.”
“…I am coming out quietly.”
A figure stepped out from behind a tree.
“And who might you be?”
Kendrick frowned and tilted his head.
Seeing the familiar face, Tristan sighed inwardly.
Why is he here?
Though Kendrick bore a resemblance to Tristan, he looked noticeably younger, making him uncertain.
Tristan could think of only one possible explanation.
Alex.
Alex was the type who could focus on only one thing at a time, never seeing the whole picture.
“I believe I asked first,” Tristan said, naturally tossing the turn to Kendrick.
The other man didn’t seem inclined to give answers unless he was asked directly.
Since Tristan needed to ask about Maya anyway, Kendrick spoke plainly about his intentions.
“I’m Kendrick. I came here both to find a friend and to hunt a monster.”
“The northern borders aren’t a place outsiders can just come and go without permission.”
“I already got permission from the commander of the Northern Knights—Alex.”
He even held out a document stamped with Alex’s seal.
So it really was Alex.
Alex had thought only about separating Maya from Tristan—never about the possibility of Tristan’s curse being discovered.
…Maybe he just assumed people in the North would keep quiet and cover for me.
Or perhaps he hadn’t thought about it at all.
Growing up together, Tristan sometimes forgot that Alex could act thoughtlessly.
Too caught up in sentiment.
When Tristan returned, he would have to punish Alex severely and make his position clear.
He rubbed his temples.
The man he once had to look down to meet his gaze was now tall enough that Tristan had to look up at him.
Tristan had always been tall, so the height difference was less than a step—but it still felt bitter.
For some reason, he didn’t want to tell this man about his curse.
Not just because he didn’t want an outsider to find out.
“I’m Arthur, the Grand Duke’s hidden younger brother.”
Father, Mother, please forgive this unfilial son for a moment, Tristan prayed silently, wearing a shameless expression as he faced Kendrick.
“…Hidden younger brother?”
It was impossible to deny that he carried the blood of House Bayarden—he looked exactly like the Grand Duke.
Could it be true, that the Grand Duke had a younger brother?
“I was born frail, my life constantly hanging by a thread. To prevent undue attention on House Bayarden, I was raised in secret, so unless someone is from the North, they wouldn’t know about me.”
Frail, my foot. He had been as robust as Kendrick himself, but since Kendrick didn’t know his past, it was an easy lie to sell.
“I’ve never seen you at the Grand Duke’s estate.”
“I was out scouting the surrounding area on the Grand Duke’s orders.”
Kendrick felt a strange unease.
The boy’s words weren’t wrong.
But there were too many oddities—the reason for hiding him all this time, and his uncanny resemblance to the Grand Duke.
Still, finding Maya was more urgent than investigating Tristan right now.
“Then where’s the Grand Duke now?”
“He went into the mist with Lady Maya.”
He would have to match stories with Maya later, but for now, this was the most fitting explanation for Tristan’s absence.
“So they went in to kill the monster.”
“You’re well-informed.”
“Then I’ll go with you.”
“That’s not possible.”
The time he had promised Maya hadn’t yet passed.
He had spent the last three days on edge, waiting for the moment he could go in—and he had no intention of giving that first chance to some mage.
Kendrick’s face twisted in irritation at being blocked by “Arthur.”
“I don’t know how skilled the Grand Duke is, but two people aren’t enough to kill that monster.”
“That’s just your opinion.”
Despite spending time with Maya, he still hadn’t properly grasped her abilities.
A smug sense of superiority welled up in Tristan.
“Lady Maya told me not to follow her. She said if she hadn’t returned after three days, then I could go in to help.”
“What? Three whole days have passed?”
It had taken him some time to track her using bits of his magic from her cloak, but he hadn’t realized she’d already been inside for three days.
“Leaving Maya in there alone is madness! I’m going in—get out of my way!”
The moment he decided arguing with the boy was pointless, Kendrick tried to walk past—
—but was stopped short when the boy pressed a sheathed sword against his neck.
“I told you, didn’t I?”
“You can only pull this stunt because you’re not the one who’s needed here! Do you have any idea how insane it is to just sit here and wait? What would some cloistered shut-in know about that?”
The words slipped out—words he had been holding back only because this was the Grand Duke’s kin, someone Maya was indebted to.
“You have no idea how desperate I am for Maya.”
His eyes burned with hostility.
“If you think I’m doing this because I’m not the one involved, you’re wrong.”
Tristan swallowed his anger, forcing himself to think clearly.
He was afraid.
Every single day, dozens—hundreds—of times, he wondered if Maya wasn’t coming out because she was dead.
“I’m doing this because I want to.”
But still, Tristan didn’t go in.
Because Maya had wanted him to believe in her.
Because he didn’t want to throw away that smile she gave him when he praised her, or the confidence in her face when she said she could do it.
“If you don’t want your head lopped off right now, move that sword,” Kendrick growled in a low voice.
Rustle, scrape.
Just then, something slithered across the ground.
Both men flinched and turned toward the sound.
Meanwhile…
Tristan was gone, but Maya still had the wyvern and the rope.
Thanks to the wyvern’s sense of direction—and the rope she’d brought—she managed to navigate more easily.
By letting the rope trail behind, she avoided wandering in circles.
Even with the wyvern flying quickly around the area, she still spent a long time searching.
This really was insane to come alone.
Partly because they were on a mountaintop, but inside the mist, it was eerily silent.
As if nothing at all existed there.
The wyvern hesitated in fear, but Maya pressed forward bravely. She was getting closer to the source of the sound.
“How foolish, for a human to come seeking me.”
It seemed the monster already knew she was looking for it.
The wyvern sagged limply, realizing just how powerful the creature before them was.
“You… you only ever sneered at me before.”
Maya let out a short, humorless laugh as she dismounted from the wyvern.
Riding it might be faster, but it would be harder to move as she wished—too dangerous.
“Do you intend to fight me?”
The whispering snake flicked its tongue.
“Even though you’ll die?”
It had said the same thing the first time they met.
Back then, Maya had overestimated herself and attacked first—only to be utterly crushed.
Stay calm.
She gripped her sword and took a deep breath.
The weakness is the eyes.
She had to drive her blade straight into those vertically slit pupils.
Even a slight miss would mean instant death.
And of course, eyes were always the most protected. To get close to the giant snake’s eyes, she would have to wear it down first.
I can do this.
Maya pictured Tristan’s face.
Anyone who had long wielded a sword could release sword energy—but aura was different.
Maya drew upon the power from deep within herself, pouring it into her weapon.
A pure white light blossomed along the blade.
Whoosh.
She swung the sword toward the serpent.
“Oh?”
The white snake smiled, its calm expression like bait tossed to the weak.
“Killing you might be fun.”
The words had barely left its mouth when it lunged at her, trying to coil its body around hers.
Maya ran up its massive form instead.
“Not bad.”
The serpent shifted again, trying to wrap around her. It moved restlessly to twist its body into another coil.
Its form was hard to track, hidden within the milky mist.
If she couldn’t see it, she had to rely on hearing and touch.
Closing her eyes, Maya merged her focus with her sword through her aura.
She knew her swordsmanship could only inflict tiny scratches on its body for now.
But those tiny scratches would pile up—and eventually, they would create change.
“Return safely.”
Thinking of Tristan, Maya’s lips curved into a smile.
